Stretching the Ixus
Ixus 55 by Canon
By Dave Wild
14 November 2007
My first digital camera was a Canon Ixus V. It wasn't that good really but it was comparable with other digital cameras around at the time. I replaced it with a Canon Ixus 400 which was much better - so much so that the results encouraged me to use it more and more.
I discovered infrared photography shortly after getting the Ixus 400 and tested it's infrared sensitivity by taking a photo of a television remote control's infrared transmitter as I pressed a button - sure enough it lit up bright white. I then got hold of a Hoya R72 filter and a device I found that screwed in to the camera's tripod mount to hold a filter in place on the camera. Now I had a little camera capable of taking infrared photos and I was happy. So happy that I still take infrared photos nearly 4 years later.
When I killed my Ixus 400 I was quite upset - I'd taken that camera everywhere and it had survived all sorts of things like being dropped and being on me when I've fallen off my mountain bike on multiple occasions. It died by accidentally flooding it with water on a rest stop while out cycling. I thought it was unfortunate that it had taken the other rough treatment in it's stride, but my stupidity had been the thing that finished it off.
I replaced it with an Ixus 40 which was a lot smaller and had a much bigger LCD screen. I was amazed how much things had improved in a few short years. Sadly, this camera didn't last long because it was in my coat pocket as my coat was being pulled out of my car, got snagged on something as the door slammed, right on the Ixus! Surprisingly, it did actually still turn on and try and take pictures, but they were just black rectangles, which had limited appeal, so I needed a new camera again.
My fourth Ixus is the one I still have, an Ixus 55. It's very much like the 40 - small and tough. It's been around long enough to trust me and not think I'm some sort of camera serial killer. It looks a bit bruised and battered, but still works perfectly.
Despite having a DSLR and a dedicated infrared camera these days, I still like to use the Ixus. Using the filter adapter I have attached a fisheye lens as well as the Hoya filter and quite like the results from that. Because of the weight of the fisheye, I use a Gorillapod DSLR to support it. It does look a bit strange really and I have had some puzzled looks when I've been out and about using it.
When it's not got stuff attached to it, it lives in my pocket and goes everywhere with me. I'm still taking good care of it and hope that I don't have to replace it any time soon.
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