Canon Digital ELPHs

Canon today enhanced its Digital ELPH camera line, adding the first five megapixel model as well as new features such as a new Print/Share button that speeds and simplifies printing to compatible Canon Direct Photo and PictBridge enabled printers. The new five megapixel Digital ELPH cameras feature new Direct Print options including ID Photo Print that automatically generates passport style prints on 4x6 paper with Canon CP type printers as well as ID prints of various sizes and in-camera image cropping.

The cameras' Direct Print capability also includes Movie Print mode that prints thumbnail sequences from movie clip captures (with Canon CP-type printers). While the camera automatically calculates the thumbnail intervals based on the length of the movie clip, sequences of up to 20 thumbnails can be printed to credit card-sized paper and up to 63 on Postcard-size paper.



Utilizing the same CCD sensor as is found on the PowerShot S50 and G5 model digital cameras, the S500 five-megapixel model captures JPEG images in SuperFine, Fine and Normal resolution modes and offers 640 x 480 movie recording at 10fps for up to 30 seconds per clip. With the PowerShot S500 Digital ELPH, users also have the option of capturing 320 x 240 and 160 x 120 movies with sound at 15fps for up to three minutes per clip.



The PowerShot S500 Digital ELPH features an ultra-compact and fast (f/2.8-4.9) 3x (36-108mm equivalent) optical zoom lens. The lens - with its seven-element design - also offers a wide Autofocus range from as close as two inches (in macro mode) to infinity. Canon has also extended the range of the camera's digital zoom to 4.1x.



The PowerShot S500 Digital ELPH model also has a shutter speed that extends to a fast 1/2000 of a second and features a built in flash with a range of up to 11 feet and automatic, red-eye reduction and slow synch settings. The camera also features a 1.5-inch LCD monitor with a 10x playback zoom. The PowerShot S500 Digital Elph camera measures 3.4 x 2.2 x.1.1 inches and weighs only 6.5 ounces (without battery and CF card). The camera will be available April for $500. The PowerShot S500 Digital ELPH kit includes a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and charger, USB and AV cables and a 32MB CompactFlash card.




The PowerShot S410 Digital ELPH camera will be available April for $400 with a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and charger, USB and AV cables and a 32MB CompactFlash card, while the smaller $300 PowerShot SD110 Digital ELPH camera is also due in April with an eye-catching new "silver white" finish.

by MacNN Staff