Canon Rolls Out Holiday Slate, Bolsters Lens Plant
By Staff -- TWICE, 9/15/2008
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Canon pulled back the curtain on a number of new digital cameras, including a prosumer digital SLR and a new PowerShot series aimed at the teen and tween market.
Canon will add a 15-megapixel d-SLR to its EOS lineup in October.
The EOS 50D joins the 40D on the market. It will retail for $1,399 for a body-only kit or for $1,599 when bundled with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens.
The camera features a 15-megapixel APS-C size CMOS image sensor. According to Canon, a new gap-less microlens over each of the sensor's pixels reduces image noise, allowing the camera to shoot up to ISO 12800.
The d-SLR features a 3-inch LCD with a 920,000 dot resolution and three live-view modes. A quick-mode AF puts the camera's mirror down and uses standard phase-detection AF, while a live mode and face-detection live mode use a contrast-detection system and the camera's CMOS sensor. The face-detection mode is capable of identifying up to 35 forward-looking faces in a frame.
A new DIGIC 4 processor also lets the camera perform "peripheral illumination correction" on JPEG images. The correction will automatically even brightness across an image, the company said.
The 50D can burst at 6.3 fps for up to 90 JPEGS or 16 RAW images using a UDMA CF card.
New for the 50D is a creative full auto mode that lets users make adjustments to aperture and shutter speeds while still in automatic. When set in creative full auto mode, the camera's menu will present options such as "lighten or darken the image" or "blur background" to let consumers experiment with camera settings.
The camera will offer two new sRAW formats for creating smaller file sizes.
All of Canon's new compact cameras are shipping immediately and will incorporate the company's DIGIC III processor, optical image stabilization, face and motion detection, and red-eye correction.
The company's new 10-megapixel E1 is geared toward the teen and tween market. The $199 model features a 4x optical zoom lens and 17 shooting modes. It accepts AA batteries.
The camera's shutter, start-up and operational sounds can be customized, in addition to its start-up screens and menus. It will be sold in white, blue and pink.
A pair of 10-megapixels models will debut in Canon's entry-level A-series line. The PowerShot A1000 IS sports 4x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. It will be sold in four colors — gray, blue, gold and purple — and retail for $199.
The $249 A2000 IS sports a 6x optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD screen.
Finally, the 9-megapixel PowerShot SX110 IS sports a 10x optical zoom lens, 3-inch LCD and will be sold in black and silver for $299.
Canon also said that it will expand lens production at its Taiwan factory, following a July announcement that it would bolster digital SLR and compact camera production in Nagasaki, Japan. Construction of the lens plant has begun, and expanded operations are expected to begin in July of next year.
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