Lots of power in a small space for premium price

Compared to the old Ixus already at first glance it is clear: Since a lot has changed. The housing is as compact (smaller pocket suitable It could hardly be) and high quality finish, but the display no longer takes now only 1/4, but the entire area of ​​the back of one, however, the camera feels a little heavier. The design is extremely simple, since no further control elements next to the on / off switch, the release button and the Zoomhebelchen can be found, the touchscreen goodness. So a very simple and high quality looking design. Whether one likes the white, is certainly a matter of taste (if you like white cars, will love it), I would have preferred to silver (which do not exist so far, only alternative color is black). Very high quality sees the camera in any case, the build quality is so, as I know it from Canon, immaculate.

The paper capacity of Canon's amazing for such a tiny camera: 10.1 megapixels, 12x optical zoom (continuous coverage of focal lengths 26-311 mm, converted to small format), Full HD video (1920x1080 pixels), image stabilizer , 21 Motif and 2 video programs. ISO sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation, image size and resolution can be set.

But as the practice look like? The touch screen works reliably and without delay - very good. It must be exercised no excessive pressure. The setting is a fast pace, the menu is very logical and, in principle, well known from other Canons. If the touchscreen added value or just a gimmick? Hard to say. So far I had not such a missing, but the fear that the operation so ultimately takes longer, has not really confirmed. You get used to it quickly and I'll probably ask me sometime how formerly got along without one.

New for me is also the WLAN function. As already rather raises the question of the added value. The SD card rauszunehmen and put it in the PC (warning: micro-SD card, may not forget adapter) take so only seconds. The installation on the PC with the 'Camera Window' from the supplied CD takes since already some time longer, even if it is only once. My personal opinion: rather too cumbersome for technology fans, for the average user.

But one thing about a camera, of course, the image quality and this is at a high level. As always, you have to evaluate the performance but in each class, and because it is top. Compared with the pictures of my sx260HS the result falls but expected a bit off, chip and lens are just smaller. It show less detail and at the edges there will be less sharp. Without a direct comparison to me the difference would not have noticed as well so you have to look closely. Outdoors in the daytime are very satisfactory, but indoor shots and flash shots show the limits on, they tend to be a bit too dark. Movies are quite good, with a lot of movement but choppy. The sound does not please me, rauschig and unnatural.

One more thing to practice: The shutter lag is very short and therefore very suitable snapshot. The thick, cylindrical battery lasts extremely long, almost for a full 4GB card and so often for the whole holiday. A real step forward.

The price: I hesitate a price beyond the 300 to be described as reasonable, if one's for the same money a Lumix TZ25 or PowerShot SX260 gets, both perform better in the core discipline photographing. On the other hand, these are not as compact also by far and neither WLAN nor touch. If the budget is limited, you have to decide what is a important here. A bargain that Canon is not so, but just too high-end in its class.

Conclusion: The Canon Ixus 510HS is an extremely well-equipped, very high-quality finish and compact camera that makes great pictures, but rightly ambitious price.