Canon's late budget ultracompact of 2017 — 20MP CCD, 8x 28-224mm zoom, 720p video; ELPH 185 in the US
The Canon IXUS 185 was a budget ultracompact announced in February 2017, one of the last cameras to carry the IXUS name as smartphones squeezed the point-and-shoot market. It was sold as the PowerShot ELPH 185 in North America and IXY 200 in Japan, launching at around US$149 with a plastic body and no Wi-Fi or NFC.
It uses a 20-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with DIGIC 4+ processing and an 8x optical zoom covering 28-224mm equivalent at f/3.2-6.9. The rear screen is a 2.7-inch 230k-dot LCD, video records at 720p/25fps with electronic stabilisation, and storage is SD/SDHC/SDXC. Smart Auto with 32-scene detection and an Easy Auto mode handle settings; the body weighs just 126g at 95.2x54.3x22.1mm.
As one of the simplest cameras Canon ever sold, the IXUS 185 suits first-time buyers, children, and anyone wanting a dedicated pocket camera with more zoom than a phone. The slow tele aperture and CCD sensor limit low-light use, and there is no viewfinder or touch screen, but daylight results are clean and operation is genuinely foolproof.
Being recent, most used examples are lightly worn; confirm the proprietary Canon battery holds charge and the USB charger or mains charger is included. SD cards remain current so storage is no concern. Check the lens extends cleanly, the LCD is unmarked, and video records with sound. Boxed examples are common and worth little premium.