Canon today took the wraps off three new PowerShot point-and-shoot digital camera models with features sure to appeal to novice and upgrading point-and-shoot picture-snappers, along with what might best be described as an entry-level D-SLR camera, with features serious photographers might want, without the hefty price tag.
Canon’s new EOS Digital Rebel XTi is a new entry in the consumer market for digital single-lens reflex (D-SLR) cameras, offering a 10.1 megapixel resolution, a 2.5-inch LCD display, a redesigned Canon CMOS sensor, and—in a unique feature—Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System which cleans the sensor and makes sure the inside of your camera remains free of dust and other particulate matter, and capable of mapping out dust particles it can’t clean off the sensor. So even if the sensor’s not 100 percent clean, you may never see the effects of particles on your images. The Rebel XTi offers large, fine, and RAW quality modes at shooting rates of up to three frame per second, ISO 600 sensitivity, and a nine-point autofocus sensor previously available only on Canon’s higher-end SLR cameras. The Rebel XTi stores images on CompactFlash I & II cards, is compatible with Canon EF and EF-S lenses, and offers USB 2.0 connectivity (on a mini-B port) and NTSC/PAL video output—and supports PictBridge, if you care. The Rebel XTi will make the third 10+ megapixel D-SLR camera on the market (the others are the Nikon D80 and Sony Alpha A100), but the Rebel XTi comes in at much friendly price points: $799 for the body unit, $899 with the EF-S 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 zoom lens. The Rebel XTi should hit U.S. stores by mid-September, and will be available in silver and matte black finishes.
Canon has also pumped out three new AA-powered PowerShot models: the A710, A640, and A630, all scheduled to be available in stores this October.
The PowerShot A710 IS offers a 7.1 megapixel resolution, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and a 6× optical zoom lens combined with Canon’s Image Stabilizer technology, and offers a movie move enabling movie capture at up to 60 frames per second at 320 by 240 resolution, or 30 fps at VGA resolutions. Shoot pictures using 20 scene modes, store them to SD, DSDHC, or MultiMediaCard media, and share them via USB 2.0 and with a Print/Share button which sends images to available PictBridge/Canon printers or host computers with one press. Suggested price: $399.99. (And, if you need to get wet, Canon offers a waterproof case as an accessory.)
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