Just when you tought you're never going to see a plitically correct sized pocket camera in this age of skinniness, Canon comes out with the Canon IXUS 980 IS. Compared to other cameras in the IXUS line, this one's a bit on the pudgy side, measuring 28mm thick and weighing 184 grams. It's still pocketable but not ultracompact slim, and frankly, I prefer it that way. It feels more natural. you have 14 million pixels, a 3.7x (36-133mm equivalent) lens, Canon's DIGIC 4 processor, and a host of other features, so it's quite understandable if this IXUS put on a bit of weight.
On the back of the camera is a too-tiny-for-my-fingers directional pad. Those with small hands shouldn't have a problem navigating though; a rotating ring makes zipping through options (such as flash and ISO) fast. Above the 3-inch LCD is an optical viewfinder. As with all point-and-shooters, the viewfuinder doesn't show the entire frame as the LCD does, but at least you have another option when it's impractical to use the LCD.
Marketed as the first IXUS with a Manual Mode, the 980 IS allows control of shutter speed and aperture. That is not to say it's particularly complicated as Canon has managed to retain the trademark intuitiveness of the IXUS range in this model. The addition of this dabble with more advanced photography but are too chicken to handle a prosumer camera. If you want nothing to do with settings, you can always switch to auto.
The 3.7x optical zoom is run-of-the-mill point and shoot though -- which is disappointing considering the camera's IXUS flagship status. It does, however, provide optical image stabilization to combat image blur. There's also the customary face detection (with Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-timer), as well as Motion Detection Technology and i-Contrast that boosts brightness in dark areas without that washed-out look. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 80 through 1600.
The massive resolution 14.7MP sensor performed well, capturing crisp and sharp shots. Colors are accurate and well-saturated, but image noise is a little more prominent than usual at ISO 400.
The IXUS 980 IS also supports movie capture, but only at 30fps VGA resolution, unlike the 720p HD video available from other manufacturers' similarly priced models.
