The Canon IXY 190 features a 24–240 mm (35 mm film equivalent) 10x optical zoom lens equipped with a lens-shift-type image stabilizer (IS) that, through ZoomPlus, achieves a digitally extended zoom range up to approximately 20x. The camera also incorporates with a high-resolution CCD image sensor with approximately 20 million effective pixels.

When shooting still images, the IXY 190's dedicated Auto Zoom button takes the guesswork out of framing, automatically zooming in or out to determine the optimal subject size based on the number of subjects detected in the image frame. The feature ensures optimal results when requesting a third party to snap a photo during vacations or at a restaurant.