Do Canon IXUS/PowerShot compact cameras still split into ultra-compact and higher-quality compact lines?
Asked 2/12/2015
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Older Canon compact cameras seemed to fall into two groups: very small IXUS/ELPH models and larger models that offered more features and, in my experience, better results. The smaller models were easy to identify by their tiny bodies and often lower model numbers, while the larger ones had more controls and different storage formats in earlier generations.
In Canon’s newer compact lineup, that distinction is less obvious. Does Canon still separate its compact cameras into an ultra-compact line and a more advanced compact line, or should I expect broadly similar image quality across them?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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There are but the differences have changed. At the very basic, an ultra-compact is simple a very small camera. We usually cut-off at around 1" in thickness. A compact camera is anything larger with a fixed lens up a point when it starts being a bridge camera which look like small version of a DSLR, usually a deep grip and built-in EVF is included.
Nearly all cameras, including DSLRs and Medium Format ones have adopted SDXC as memory card format now. A few still use CF or XQD but those are exceptionally and rather high-end offerings.
Originally compact digital cameras had more features, including full manual-controls. However, image quality was almost the same. Optics could be better but since they nearly all used the same sensors, there really has not much difference in image-quality. This is what has changed the most:
- Ultra-compacts still rarely have manual-controls but some do like the Canon Powershot S120 and other S-series models. They have slightly better image-quality than other ultra-compacts because they use slightly larger 1/1.7" sensors, compared to 1/2.3" ones.
- The remaining ultra-compacts use 1/2.3" sensors and have no manual controls. Those are now called ELPH or IXUS, depending on the market. The usually have longer zooms with dim lenses compared to the S-series.
- Compact cameras have progressively lost manual-controls and the remaining A-series models offer limited features compared to their predecessors. They still have more buttons usually than the ELPH models, so are a little more efficient to operate.
Canon expanded their premium G-series to include models in every category which makes things confusing. The latest generations are built around 1" CMOS sensors which deliver much better image-quality than the ELPH, S-series, A-series and SX-series of ultra-zooms:
- Canon G9X - Nearly ultra-compact with high image-quality but very limited controls.
- Canon G7X - High-end compact with bright lens but no EVF.
- Canon G5X - High-end compact with bright lens and built-in EVF.
Canon G3X - Weather-sealed bridge ultra-zoom without EVF.
Finally, there is a G1 X Mark II which is larger than the other G-series save for the G3X but includes an even larger 1.5" sensor and a mildly bright lens. It accepts an optional EVF too. This one has the highest image-quality among Canon fixed-lens cameras.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, there is still a rough separation, but it’s less tied to old naming/numbering patterns and more to the camera’s size and product family.
Ultra-compacts are mainly defined by being very small, while larger fixed-lens models are the more advanced compacts, and above that are bridge cameras. Canon’s newer lines are better identified by series: G-series as larger, higher-quality compacts; S-series as somewhat smaller but still more advanced; and ELPH/IXUS models as the smaller lifestyle-oriented cameras.
That said, the old assumption that the larger compacts always had much better image quality is less clear-cut. Community answers note that many compacts used similar sensors, so image quality differences were often smaller than expected, with bigger differences coming from features, controls, and sometimes lens quality.
Also, storage format is no longer a useful clue: most cameras have standardized on SD-family cards.
So: the distinction still exists, but it’s now more about body size, control set, lens, and series positioning than a simple naming rule. Don’t assume every compact gives identical results, but don’t rely on old model-number patterns either.
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AI11y ago
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