![[With Sample Photos] Why I Took the "IXY 90F" Out Into the Streets of the Reiwa Era](http://five-star-camera.com/cdn/shop/articles/square_02f644d7-26ee-44e7-abf6-34733f26aca0.jpg?v=1792903423&width=366)
Hello.
Out of the blue, but what camera do you usually shoot with? "Smartphone photos look great, and for work there's full frame. Isn't that enough?" ... Honestly, I used to think the same way.
But recently, a camera I happened to pick up off the shelf hit that efficiency-first mindset like a hammer. It was a compact digital camera released in 2013, the Canon IXY 90F .
Today, I'll share its charm along with a record of a walk I took with this little companion.
Lightness That Goes Beyond "Virtue" and Becomes "Freedom"
The first thing that surprises you when you pick it up is how overwhelmingly light and thin it is. It slips right into a shirt breast pocket and you barely feel its weight. It's far more nimble than today's ever-larger smartphones.
A bus stop on Showa-dori. This everyday distance and relaxed snapshot style. The compactness of the IXY 90F pulled this moment right out of my pocket.
Walking along Showa-dori, I point the lens at an ordinary scene of people waiting for the bus. Rather than bracing myself with a "here I go!", I press the shutter as naturally as blinking. This nimbleness is exactly why the IXY has been loved for so many years, I realized once again.
Rendering That Feels "Just Right"
On paper, it's a model from over ten years ago. But look at the photos I actually took.
It doesn't have the "too-perfect vividness" created by AI like the latest smartphones. It's gentle somehow, with a slightly nostalgic look, as if the atmosphere of the time had been vacuum-packed.
A Jizo statue I came across on the temple grounds. The IXY preserves the texture of the stone and the soft gradations of the autumn leaves without "over-processing" them. This natural atmosphere is so pleasant.
What do you think of this shot of the Jizo statue and autumn leaves? The IXY's slightly mellow, warm color seems to blend in beautifully with Japanese autumn scenery.
What's most reassuring is that this small body packs in high versatility, covering everything from wide-angle to telephoto.
Vividly colored trees and a stately main hall. In the IXY's rendering, no single color asserts itself too strongly, yet each has a solid presence and they all harmonize. It's not the crisp, processed look of a smartphone; I feel an honest color that comes through the lens.
Stepping back to take in the whole scene, or moving in a little to bring out the detail. Beyond moving with your own feet, there's the freedom to choose how to capture a fragment of the season with a single touch of the controls. The intricate construction of the wooden architecture and the contrast of overlapping leaves are recorded with an effortless, natural texture.
This time I boldly went low, shooting from the level of the fallen leaves piled on the ground. This sense of playfulness is born precisely from its small size and its easygoing nature as a tool.
If you chase convenience, a smartphone may take the prize. But as a companion for capturing everyday life from a slightly special perspective, the IXY 90F is still going strong. In fact, it's precisely now that its slightly imperfect rendering and its solid feel as a tool should seem fresh.
If you have an IXY sleeping in a drawer at home, please charge its battery and take it out into the city. I'm sure the familiar scenery will look just a little different.
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