Canon Ixus 185 Detailed Review

In additional Ixus 185 has a Compact CMOS sensor with size of 6 x 5 mm² (0.24″ x 0.18″).

Also Ixus 185’s image sensor has an effective resolution of around 20 megapixel. That’s roughly average and will be sufficient for most purposes. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed to A3 or A2 size.

The Canon does not support recording RAW images. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computeand involves one extra processing step but will almost always result in superior image quality.

The Ixus 185 does not come with a built-in viewfinder. The camera’s display is used to compose the photo. That can be cumbersome in broad daylight.

The Ixus 185’s shutter speed varies from 1/2000s to 15s.

The highest shutter speed of the Canon is just 1/2000s. That’s no longer state of the art and may cause problems in challenging light conditions.

The Ixus 185’s usable sensitivity ranges from 100 ISO to only 1600 ISO.

The Ixus 185 supports all general exposure modes.

The Canon allows spot exposure for the difficult occasion.

The Ixus 185’s auto focus processor uses 9 AF points (or sensors). A basic rule of thumb says that the more AF points you have, the better. More AF points mean a better chance to have a point at the location of interest in a scene, a big plus in challenging situations (e.g. in low light).

The Canon doesn’t support manual focussing. That can be an issue if the auto focus has problems with your subject or lighting.

The Ixus 185 features a built-in flash with a range of up to 3m (10 ft.). That’s on the low end and will only work for very close subjects.

A hotshoe is missing from the Canon.

The Ixus 185 features a monitor with a diagonal of 68.00mm (2.7 in.) and a resolution of c. 0.23 megapixel. That rather low resolution is no longer state of the art and will make it difficult to evaluate images on the display.

Unfortunately, the Ixus 185’s monitor is not articulated. That can make it tricky to frame your subject in some situations, e.g. when taking selfies.

The Ixus 185 does not feature a touch screen.

Display characteristics at a glance:

Ixus 185 video supported the resolution with 1280 x 720 pixel.

ACamera is not equipped with an external microphone.

Canon Ixus 185 Video parameters:

Built-in wireless connectivity is not available with the Canon. You will need appropriate accessories to wirelessly transfer images between camera and smartphone.

The Canon supports USB 2.0.

Connection parameters:

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Canon Ixus 185 works with a NB-11L LiIon battery. The battery lifetime is an average 210 shots. That’s on the lower side of things for a full day, consider a spare battery for the Ixus 185.

The Ixus 185’s battery battery parameters:

The Canon Ixus 185’s dimensions are 95.2 x 54.3 x 22.1mm³. (3.7″ x 2.1″ x 0.9″). This includes the lens. The camera’s weight is only 126 grams (4.1 oz.), lens included.

Here is front and top view of the Ixus 185:

To put the size of the camera in context, here it is next to a typical ID card (c. 86mm x 55mm, about the size of a credit card).

The Ixus 185 is not much bigger: