Design
Seemingly based on the design of the earlier IXUS 70, the 10-megapixel Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS is available in the same silver-on-silver or black-on-silver design, although the boxy edges have been replaced by curved corners and a slightly rounded face.
Despite being touted as the "smallest IXUS to date", the IXUS 85 IS is a mere 1.6mm slimmer than the IXUS 80 IS. It's also 0.6mm thicker than the IXUS 70, but to be fair, the IXUS 70 doesn't include image stabilisation so we have to allow for that.
It is however, still very compact at 54x86x20.4mm and weights a light 130 grams. And the whole IXUS range is pretty small anyway so a millimetre or two probably isn't going to sway your decision.
In terms of how the controls are laid out, the 85 IS is almost identical to the 8-megapixel 80 IS, though the controls on the back have been rearranged slightly, so to switch between shooting modes you now slide your thumb horizontally instead of vertically. All the controls are the same so we're not sure why Canon has switched it around, personally we find the old layout easy to navigate.
Features
The IXUS 85 IS offers the usual bells and whistles seen in Canon's snap shooter line; face detection, red-eye reduction, exposure compensation, a wealth of scene modes, the list goes on... It also features optical image stabilisation which is now standard on all Canon IXUS cameras.
In fact, the IXUS 85 IS's feature set is identical to that of the IXUS 90 IS, but at AU$429, it's AU$50 less. What you get for the extra cash is a larger LCD display — the 85 IS only has a 2.5-inch LCD compared to the 90's 3-inch screen, but like the 70 and 80 IS before it, the smaller screen allows room for an optical viewfinder, something we miss on most 3-inch LCD models.
Performance
The 85 IS fares well in terms of performance, clocking a very speedy one-second start-up time and approximately two frames per second in continuous shooting mode. Its single shot-to-shot time is an acceptable two seconds, making it not the fastest point-and-shoot but quite pleasing overall.
In true IXUS style, the 85 IS is easy to use and even beginners will learn the menu system quite quickly. Don't let the old stigma of "scene modes are for dummies" stop you from utilising the many scene modes as current compacts make good on many of the options, often taking a better photo than if you customise the settings yourself.
Image quality
Canon maintains its tradition of great image quality in the IXUS line, with colour reproduction standing out as particularly impressive. We noted good detail and sharpness in the centre of objects, with blur increasing towards edges along with slight purple fringing. The small sensor size has an impact on the IXUS 85 IS's image quality, with noise becoming apparent at ISO 200 — if you're fussy, we wouldn't go above ISO 800 although colours were still accurate and vivid even at the maximum of ISO 1600.
The narrow, 3x optical zoom lens is disappointing given its scope, displaying considerable barrel distortion at the widest-angle and less-evident distortion at the telephoto end.
The IXUS 85 IS is a slim, stylish camera which offers great image quality and a decent feature set but fails to stand out from the crowd. If you really need the 10-megapixel resolution, it's a good choice but we'd be willing to sacrifice a couple of megapixels in lieu of the colour choices and AU$50 price drop the IXUS 80 IS offers. And if you already own an IXUS 70 or 75, we don't see the need to upgrade just yet.
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