Canon U.S.A. Inc. announced six new PowerShot cameras, among them its first compact ELPH model with a touchscreen.
The PowerShot SD980 IS has a 3-inch touch screen and a “cutting-edge interface for easily navigating through images and menus,” Canon says. It has a 12-megapixel sensor, and can also capture 720p HD video – with HDMI output to play back directly on an HDTV. The $330 camera has a 5x optical zoom lens that starts at the equivalent of a wide 24mm. It measures 3.9-by-2.1-by-0.9 inches.
The SD940 IS ELPH also has a 12-megapixel sensor, but with a 4x lens that starts at 28mm, and a 2.7-inch LCD. It is priced at $300.
At the large end of the line is the PowerShot G11. Canon says its new 10-megapixel “high sensitivity system” results in a faster shutter speed to help reduce subject blur and camera shake. That’s right: 10 megapixels – and the previous G10 was a 14-megapixel camera! Could this be a sign that continual resolution escalation is over?
The G11 has a 5x optical zoom lens starting at the equivalent of 28mm, a 2.8-inch vari-angle LCD, mode dials for adjusting ISO and exposure compensation, and multiple shooting modes that include RAW + JPEG. It’s $500, and measures 4.4-by-3.0-by-1.9 inches.
The PowerShot S90 also has the high sensitivity system, coupled with a 28mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens with a 3.8x optical zoom. Its control ring can be customized for manual and creative settings. It has a 3-inch LCD and sells for $430.
The compact SX line adds two models. The PowerShot SX20 IS, a 12-megapixel camera with a 20x optical zoom lens and 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD, also captures 720p HD video, with HDMI output to play back directly on an HDTV. It’s priced at $400. The SX120 IS has a higher model number, but a lower-resolution sensor and shorter zoom: 10 megapixels and 10x zoom. Its LCD is larger, at 3.0 inches; and the price is much lower, at $250.
All the new cameras have optical image stabilization, and sport an improved Smart Auto that Canon says can now track moving faces and 22 different shooting situations (up from 18 previously) by identifying the surroundings to help ensure proper lighting and focus.
August 24, 2009
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