Canon launches new IXUS and PowerShot compact cameras

 

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Posted on 8 Feb 2010 at 17:27

Canon has launched several new cameras including IXUS and PowerShot models. One is the IXUS 210 which the firm claims is its most advanced touchscreen model yet. It has a large 3.5in screen which displays large, easy-to-press icons as well as letting you touch a point on the screen to spot focus.

Reviewing images is as simple as swiping your finger across the screen, and the speed of playback matches the speed of your swiping. Gestures are also supported, letting you rotate, erase, tag and protect images.

The IXUS 210 has a 14.1-megapixel sensor and a wide-angle 24mm lens with a 5x optical zoom. It can shoot 720p video and has an HDMI output for viewing on an HD TV. It will be available in black, gold, silver and pink and will cost a whopping £349 when it's released in early March.

Next on the list is the IXUS 130 and 105, with the former being the thinnest to date at 18mm thick. Both have a 28mm, 4x optical zoom and a 2.7in screen. The 130 has a 14.1-megapixel sensor and can shoot 720p movies, while the cheaper 105 has 12.1 megapixels and shoots VGA movies. It will cost around £280, while the 105 will cost roughly £190. Both will come in four different colours and will again be available in March.

Last comes the PowerShot SX210 IS. This will cost around £360 and for this you'll get a 14.1-megapixel sensor which is paired with a 28mm wide-angle lens. The IS stands for image stabilisation and Canon claims that it brings a 4-stop advantage when shooting hand-held.

There's a 3in screen at the rear and support for 720p movies with optical zoom, stereo sound and an HDMI output. You can even upload movies directly to YouTube when connected to a computer. There are full manual, aperture- and shutter-priority modes for enthusiasts, plus lots of creative shooting effects (which are also available on the IXUS 210).

Our worry with all these cameras is that their high-megapixel sensors could mean the same poor low light performance that we've seen from countless compact cameras over the last couple of years. However, we'll hold off drawing any conclusions until we've put the models through our usual rigorous tests.

Author: Jim Martin