Lake Success, N.Y. — Canon introduced a digital camera capable of recording 720p video.
The 7.1-megapixel PowerShot TX1 sports a new industrial design for Canon, capable of being held either vertically (for video shooting) or horizontally (for stills). An intelligent orientation sensor and rotating LCD screen allow the users to switch between positions.
The camera can record 720p video at 30 fps in the 16:9-aspect ratio. It also comes with component video outputs for connecting to an HDTV. In addition to HD video, the TX1 can record “CD quality” sound in 44 KHz, Canon said.
The unit can also capture VGA/30 fps or QVGA video at 60 fps and offers a “MovieSnap” feature for simultaneously snapping still images while recording video.
It features a 10x optical zoom lens with optical stabilization. The zoom functions during movie recording as well as when shooting stills.
It also incorporates a new face-detection autofocus/auto-exposure system that lets the camera track and focus on multiple human faces in both still and video mode. The face detection technology can also work in tandem with a new red-eye correction mode to detect and fix red eye when playing back images on the camera’s LCD screen.
Another new feature found on the TX1 is auto ISO shift, which is used to automatically bump up the camera’s light sensitivity up to ISO 800 when shooting in low-light conditions. The camera has a maximum ISO of 1,600.
The TX1 also offers 14 shooting modes, including manual, and is compatible with SDHC memory cards and Microsoft Vista.
It will retail for an estimated $499 when it hits store shelves in March.
