Canon IXUS 140 Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification


The Canon IXUS 140 is a digital camera which features built-in Wi-Fi, allowing you to transfer images to iOS and Android devices, or upload directly to social networks such as Facebook. It also has an 8x optical zoom lens and 16 megapixel sensor, available for £159.00.

Canon IXUS 140 Features

The Canon IXUS 140 has a 16 megapixel sensor and 8x optical zoom lens, a 35mm equivalent of 28-224mm. ZoomPlus allows the zoom to be extended to 16x and there is intelligent image stabilisation to help keep images sharp. The camera also comes with built-in Wi-Fi for easy image sharing and ability to geotag your images using the GPS on your smartphone.

When shooting there is Smart Auto which detects and adjusts the camera settings, selecting from 32 different scenes. There are also a range of creative modes available, such as miniature and selective colour. To save power and take more photos per charge you can switch to Eco mode.

Videos are recorded in 720p, with optical zoom available.

Key Features

• 16 megapixel CCD sensor
• 8x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 28-224mm)
• Intelligent image stabilisation
• 3.0 inch PureColor II G LCD screen
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• 720p HD video recording
• ISO 100-6400
• 1cm minimum focusing distance
• Smart auto mode
• Creative modes
• Available in black, silver, pink and red

Canon IXUS 140 Handling

The IXUS 140 has a very compact, metal body and is considerably lightweight. On the rear of the camera is a 3 inch LCD screen which is bright and colourful, good for viewing your pictures. The rest of the rear is filled with a number of buttons. There is a mode switch which makes it quick and easy to switch between auto and program shooting. Other buttons include menu, playback and movie records, as well as a d-pad and function set button. The d-pad is used to cycle through the menu system, but also gives quick access to focus mode, flash and exposure compensation.

On the top of the camera is the on/off button, zoom rocker and shutter release. The menu system is well laid out. You press the function button to amend shooting options, with the menu button giving you access to the general camera options.

To use the Wi-Fi you need to enter playback and press the Wi-Fi button (which also acts as the exposure compensation button when shooting). The screen which appears shows you the varying options available, represented by symbols - not particularly easy to understand initially. Other than that, the Canon app is easy to use in order to download images and videos from the camera.


Battery life is rated at 190 shots according to CIPA test results, this is quite low and will only reduce quicker if you use the Wi-Fi a lot, if you are travelling, carrying a spare is recommended. We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response		0.15 secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response		0.3 secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response		0.4 secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo		1.9 secs
Shot to Shot without Flash		2.8 secs
Shot to Shot with Flash		4.2 secs
Continuous Shooting		0.6 fps
Continuous Shooting - Flash		0.3 fps

Continuous shooting records in full 16 megapixel resolution.

Canon IXUS 140 Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Canon IXUS 140 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Images are well exposed with superb colour reproduction. Portraits have decent skin tones although there is a little red-eye when using the flash.

Canon IXUS 140 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images have a decent amount of detail when shooting wide and the telephoto end of the lens, with purple fringing kept under control. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 1cm, which allows for excellent macro shots.

Canon IXUS 140 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO 100 and 200, but a small amount does affect image quality at ISO 400. Noise causes images to become soft at ISO 800, with detail lost at ISO 1600. When shooting at ISO's higher than 1600, image size is reduced and quality is quite poor.

Canon IXUS 140 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Under the incandescent lights, the auto white balance (AWB) produces an image with an orange cast, with the incandescent preset taking a much better picture. Under the fluorescent lights, the AWB performs well, with a similar image produced using the incandescent preset.

Canon IXUS 140 Digital filters

Digital Filters - The IXUS 140 has a range of "My Colours" and other creative shooting modes, with a number of examples above.

Video - Below is a video recorded at 720p HD. Quality is good, you can use the optical zoom during recording, an example of which can be seen on the ePHOTOzine Youtube page.

Value For Money

The Canon IXUS 140 is available for around £159.00. There aren't loads of cameras with this amount of optical zoom, options include the Nikon Coolpix S6150 at £90.00 and Canon PowerShot A4000 IS at £80.00. There are a few more options with 10x optical zoom such as the Fujifilm FinePix T400 at £68.67, Olympus VR-340 at £74.10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1 at £96.00. There are many cameras now available with Wi-Fi, if this is the feature which attracts you the most there is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 at £109.99 and Nikon Coolpix S800c at £222.70. There are also Wi-Fi memory cards from Transcend and Eye-Fi.

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Canon IXUS 140 Verdict

With built-in Wi-Fi, the Canon IXUS 140 is geared for the user who likes to take pictures to share on the web via Facebook etc. Image quality is good, with fantastic colour reproduction, so your pictures will look fabulous on the internet. It's also an ideal camera for carrying in your pocket, even with Wi-Fi and an 8x optical zoom it's compact and lightweight.

Canon IXUS 140 Pros

Built-in Wi-Fi
Images have excellent colours
Minimum focusing distance of just 1cm
Compact, metal body
8x optical zoom

Canon IXUS 140 Cons

Lacks full HD video recording
Continuous shooting is slow
Poor noise performance from ISO 800 upwards

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Canon IXUS 140 Specifications

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