Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"MISSISSAUGA, ON, August 19, 2010 - Furtherelevating the “Power” in PowerShot, Canon Canada, a leader in digital imaging, today announced three new high-performance PowerShot cameras - the PowerShot S95, the SD4500 IS and the SX130 IS Digital cameras. These cameras achieve photographic brilliance with Canon’s HS (High Sensitivity) SYSTEM for improved low-light shooting in the S95 and SD4500 IS cameras, High Definition (HD) video recording, High Dynamic Range (HDR) in the S95 camera and a more intelligent Smart AUTO mode, among a range of others."

Canon has announced a trio of new compacts, led by the Powershot S95. The update to the year old S90 does not add much. The main feature is the ability to shoot videos in 720p at 24 FPS. The other main addition is the ability to do in-camera HDR, not too dissimilar to what Sony compacts have been doing lately. The S95 retains the S90's 10 megapixel resolution, fast f/2.0 to not-so-fast f/4.9 28-105mm equivalent lens with improved image stabilisation. It's not much of an update, so if you have a S90, don't worry about your camera being obsolete. The other two cameras are featured after the break.

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"...Canon is introducing a new member of its Digital ELPH range..., the PowerShot SD4000 (or IXUS 300HS in other parts of the globe). Boasting a 10 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 image processing engine and a 3.8x optical zoom, this one also features an f/2.0 lens and the company's own HS System in order to produce more satisfactory results in low light situations."

Sitting at the top of Canon's Digital ELPH series, the PowerShot SD4000 IS trades the 14.4MP sensor of the SD3500 IS for a 10.6MP unit that offers better low light performance - up to ISO 3200 - along with a faster capture speed (3.7 shots/sec vs. 0.7). The SD4000 IS is packed with features, of course, including 720p HD and stereo sound capability, along with both Aperture- and Shutter-priority modes, which seems interesting given the simplified physical control layout. But the big news here is Canon's new "HS System" which appears to deliver on its promise of improved low light photography, at least if the sample pictures provided are truly representative of the camera's performance.