The new PowerShot S50 (the one model that doesn't actually replace an existing unit) becomes Canon's first 5 megapixel camera. Other than increased resolution, the camera is near-identical feature-wise to the S45, featuring a slightly more powerful digital zoom (as you'd expect with the increased resolution), and also adding direct-print compatibility with the latest Canon printers. The PowerShot S50 will ship in March for $699.
The PowerShot S330 is being replaced by the new PowerShot S400 Digital ELPH. Featuring a super-hard laminated finish with rounded corners, this camera has a 4 megapixel resolution and a 3x optical zoom, and will ship in March for $599. The 5-point AF of the prior model has been replaced by a new 9-point AF. Other additions include center-weighted metering and a custom white balance.
The PowerShot A60 and A70 are replacements for the existing A30 and A40 models respectively. The cameras both feature totally redesigned bodies with size reduced about 30%, and with aluminum covers instead of plastic. Resolutions are raised to from 1.3 to 2 megapixels, and from 2 to 3.2 megapixels respectively. The cameras both get 5-point autofocusing, manual focusing, iris apertures, center-weighted and AF-linked spot metering, improved movie modes with sound, flash exposure compensation and more. The cameras will ship in March at prices of $349 and $449 respectively. These cameras will use the same accessory lenses as the PowerShot A30 / A40 (24mm wide-angle for $99, 245mm telephoto for $129) but will require a different adaptor ring costing $20. A double-element closeup lens is available for $105 list. An underwater housing is to be available, which has been upgraded to 130 ft. depth, with pricing not yet set...
The PowerShot A200 is replaced by the new Powershot A300 - which increases the resolution to 3.2 megapixels, improves the autofocus from 3-point to 5-point, adds center-weighted and AF-linked spot metering, features an enhanced movie mode with sound capability, and more. The camera retains the same fixed focal-length lens as the previous digital camera is retained. The PowerShot A300 will ship in April at a cost of US$299.
| PowerShot S50 | PowerShot S400 Digital ELPH | PowerShot A60 | PowerShot A70 | PowerShot A300 |
| Replaces: | PowerShot S45 | PowerShot S330 | PowerShot A30 | PowerShot A40 | PowerShot A200 |
| (click thumbnails for bigger picture) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Imaging Sensor |
| Resolution | Approximately 5.0 million effective pixels | Approximately 4.0 million effective pixels | Approximately 2 million effective pixels | Approximately 3.2 million effective pixels |
| Recording Pixels | 2592 x 1944 | 2272 x 1704 | 1600 x 1200 | 2048 x 1536 |
| Sensor Type | Interline CCD, with primary RGB filtration |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.8-inch diagonal | 1/2.7-inch diagonal |
| Lens |
| Focal Length | 7.1 - 21.3mm, ƒ2.8~4.9 (equivalent to 35 - 105mm in 35mm film format) | 7.4 - 22.2mm, ƒ2.8~4.9 (equivalent to 36 - 108mm in 35mm film format) | 5.4 - 16.2mm, ƒ2.8~4.8 (equivalent to 35 - 105mm in 35mm film format) | 5.0mm, ƒ3.6 (fixed focal length, equivalent to 33mm lens in 35mm film format) |
| Zoom ratio | 3x | - |
| Optical construction | 7 elements in 5 groups (one Aspherical element) | 7 elements in 5 groups (two Aspherical elements) | 9 elements in 7 groups (one Aspherical element) | 5 elements in 5 groups (one Aspherical element) |
| Aperture control | Iris diaphragm; stops down to ƒ8.0 | Round shaped aperture; stops down to ƒ7.1 (wide) / ƒ13.0 (tele) | Iris diaphragm; stops down to ƒ8.0 | Rounded aperture; operates at ƒ3.5 or ƒ5.6 |
| Closest focusing distance | | 1.6 feet / 0.5m (normal shooting) | | 3.9 inches / 10cm (macro mode, @ wide-angle setting - magnification 0.32x) | | | 1.5 feet / 0.46m (normal shooting) | | 2 inches / 5cm (macro mode, @ wide-angle setting - magnification 0.32x) | | | 1.5 feet / 0.46m (normal shooting) | | 2 inches / 5cm (macro mode, @ wide-angle setting) | | | 7.9 inches / 0.2m (normal shooting) | | 2 inches / 5cm (macro mode, @ wide-angle setting) | |
| Autofocus | Nine-point TTL system, Single Center-point AF, Flexizone AF (freely move Center point) | Nine-point TTL system, or Single Center-point AF | Five-point TTL system (with user-selectable Center AF point, visible on LCD monitor) |
| Special focus settings | - Macro
- Manual focus
- Focus lock (AF on subject, lock focus by pressing Manual Focus button)
| | - Macro
- Manual focus
- Focus lock (AF on subject, lock focus by pressing Manual Focus button)
| |
| Accessory conversion lenses | none | 24.5mm wide-angle, 0.7x (WC-DC52) and 252mm telephoto, 2.4x (TC-DC52) | none |
| Image Recording |
| JPEG image recording | 8-bit JPEG; Three compression settings (“Super Fine”, “Fine”, “Normal”) |
| RAW file recording | 12-bit RAW recording; output to Photoshop as 8-bit or 16-bit Photoshop files | none |
| Data recording format | DCF (Design rule for Camera File system); DPOF v. 1.1 (Digital Print Order Format); EXIF 2.2-compatible |
| Reduced resolution options | 1600x1200 (Medium 1), 1024x768 (Medium 2), 640x480 (Small) | 1024x768 (Medium), 640x480 (Small) | 1600x1200 (Medium 1), 1024x768 (Medium 2), 640x480 (Small) |
| Storage media | CompactFlash cards, Type I (FAT32 compatible if card is over 2GB) |
| Shooting Controls |
| Shooting modes | (On Mode dial): Program AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual, Stitch-assist, Movie | Program AE (Auto), Manual, Stitch-assist, Movie | (On Mode dial): Program AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual, Stitch-assist, Movie | Program AE (Auto), Manual, Stitch-assist, Movie |
| Image Zone modes (on Mode dial) | Green Zone (full auto), Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Fast shutter, Slow shutter | - | Green Zone (full auto), Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Fast shutter, Slow shutter | - |
| Photo Effects settings | Vivid color, Neutral color, Low Sharpening, Sepia, Black & White |
| Metering | Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot (choice of Center Spot, or linked to any of 9 AF points) | Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot (Spot metering always at center) | Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot (choice of Center Spot, or linked to any of 5 AF points) |
| Exposure compensation | +/- up to 2 stops, 1/3-stop increments |
| ISO sensitivity | - Auto
- ISO 50, 100, 200, and 400 settings (user-set)
|
| Shutter speed range | 15 seconds ~ 1/1,500 (slow speeds longer than 1.3 sec. in Tv or M modes only) | 15 seconds ~ 1/2,000 (slow speeds longer than 1.3 sec. in Slow Sync or M modes only) | 15 seconds ~ 1/2,000 (slow speeds longer than 1.3 sec. in Tv or M modes only) | 1 second ~ 1/2,000 (slow speeds longer than 1/6 sec. in Slow-sync or M modes only) |
| White Balance | Three options available: - TTL auto white balance (determined by camera)
- Pre-set white balance (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H)
- Custom (Two settings; read and set WB off of white or neutral gray object)
| Three options available: - TTL auto white balance (determined by camera)
- Pre-set white balance (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H)
- Custom (read and set WB off of white or neutral gray object)
|
| Performance |
| Continuous shooting speed | up to 2.0 fps in Large/Fine mode; requires LCD monitor be turned off | up to 2.5 fps in Large/Fine mode; requires LCD monitor be turned off | up to 2.6 fps in Large/Fine mode; requires LCD monitor be turned off | up to 2.2 fps in Large/Fine mode; requires LCD monitor be turned off |
| Viewfinder & LCD |
| Optical viewfinder | Real-image optical zoom viewfinder; Eyepoint 16.2mm | Real-image optical zoom viewfinder; Eyepoint 16mm | Inverted Galilean optical viewfinder; Eyepoint 16mm |
| LCD monitor | Can be used as viewfinder during shooting, or for image review |
| LCD size | 1.8 inches / 46mm diagonal; 100% coverage relative to imaging sensor | 1.5 inches / 39mm diagonal; 100% coverage relative to imaging sensor | 1.5 inches / 38mm diagonal; 100% coverage relative to imaging sensor |
| Special features | Enlarged playback (2x ~ 10x); brightness adjustable in two levels | Enlarged playback (2x ~ 10x) |
| Digital zoom | Continuous, up to 4.1x possible (12x maximum when combined with lens optical zoom) | Continuous, up to 3.6x possible (11x maximum when combined with lens optical zoom) | Continuous, up to 2.5x possible (7.5x maximum when combined with lens optical zoom) | Continuous, up to 3.2x possible (9.6x maximum when combined with lens optical zoom) | Continuous, up to 5.1x possible |
| Movie mode |
| Resolution | - 320 x 240 (QVGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
- 160 x 120 (Q2VGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
| - 320 x 240 (QVGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
- 160 x 120 (Q2VGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
| - 640 x 480 (VGA); up to 30 seconds in duration, with sound
- 320 x 240 (QVGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
- 160 x 120 (Q2VGA); up to 3 minutes in duration, with sound
|
| Movie framing rate | 15fps |
| Movie playback | On camera’s LCD monitor (with sound); Standard TV monitor using video-out cord; or within Mac/Windows PC using Apple QuickTime™ software (v. 4.1 or higher required) | On camera’s LCD monitor (with sound); Standard TV monitor using video-out cord; or within Mac/Windows PC using Apple QuickTime™ software (v. 4.1 or higher required) |
| Movie file format | AVI (Image data: Motion JPEG; Audio data: WAVE / monaural) |
| Flash |
| Built-in flash | yes; automatic firing, auto w/ red-eye reduction, flash ON, flash OFF | yes; automatic firing, auto w/ red-eye reduction, flash ON, flash OFF, Slow Sync | yes; automatic firing, auto w/ red-eye reduction, flash ON, flash OFF, |
| Maximum distance | (wide) 16 ft / 4.8m; (tele) 9.8 ft / 3m (ISO at Auto) | (wide) 12 ft / 3.5m; (tele) 6.7 ft / 2m (ISO at Auto) | (wide) 14 ft / 4.2m; (tele) 8.2 ft / 2.5m | 6.7 feet (2.0m) |
| Flash with camera in Manual mode | Manual flash only; output adjustable in three levels (via Function button) | - | Manual flash only; output adjustable in three levels (via Function button) | - |
| Flash sync speeds | 1/60 ~ 1/500 (normal flash modes) |
| Slow-sync flash | (With balanced fill): Possible in Night Scene mode; and after Menu activation in P, Av, and Tv exposure modes | Possible in Slow Sync mode (1 ~ 1/500), or Slow Shutter Speed mode (15 sec ~ 1 sec) | (With balanced fill): Possible with flash in Tv, M, and Night Scene mode; set on shooting mode dial | (With balanced fill): Speeds to 1 sec. possible in Slow-sync mode; set on LCD monitor using Flash button |
| Computer Interface |
| Direct-connection to computer | USB; via dedicated Canon USB cable IFC-300 PCU (supplied w/ camera) |
| Direct printing |
| Direct printing, without computer | Compatible with Canon CP-10 and CP-100 card printers, and letter-size Bubblejet S820D, S830D, S530D printers (and new spring 2003 printers)
(printer driver is built into camera; menu appears on camera’s LCD monitor) | Compatible with Canon CP-10 and CP-100 card printers, and letter-size Bubblejet S820D, S830D, S530D printers (and new spring 2003 printers)
(printer driver is built into camera; menu appears on camera’s LCD monitor) | Compatible with Canon CP-10 and CP-100 card printers, and letter-size Bubblejet S820D, S830D, S530D printers (and new spring 2003 printers)
(printer driver is built into camera; menu appears on camera’s LCD monitor) |
| Battery |
| Type | Rechargeable NB-2L Lithium-Ion battery (included with camera) | Rechargeable NB-1LH Lithium-Ion battery (included with camera) | (four) AA-size alkaline batteries (also compatible with Ni-MH AA-size batteries) | (two) AA-size alkaline batteries (also compatible with Ni-MH AA-size batteries) |
| Shooting capacity | LCD off—approx. 460 images; LCD on—approx. 210 images (@ 73° F / 23° C) | LCD off—approx. 440 images; LCD on—approx. 190 images (@ 73° F / 23° C) | | Alkaline AAs: LCD off—approx. 800 images; LCD on—approx. 250 images (@ 73° F / 23° C) | | LCD off—approx. 1000 images; LCD on—approx. 350 images (with Canon NB-1AH batteries, same temperatures as above ) | | | LCD off—210; LCD on—75 (@ 73° F / 23° C) | LCD off—450; LCD on—200
(with Canon NB-1AH batteries, same temperatures as above ) | |
| LCD playback time | Approx. 180 minutes (@ 73°F / 23°C) | Approx. 140 minutes (@ 73°F / 23°C) | Approx. 280 minutes (@ 73°F / 23°C, with alkaline or Ni-MH batteries) | | approx 90 minutes (@ 73°F / 23°C, with alkaline or batteries) | | approx 120 minutes (with Ni-MH AA batteries) | |
| AC adapter | Optional AC Adapter Kit ACK 700; includes AC adapter CA-PS700 | Optional AC Adapter Kit ACK 500; includes AC adapter CA-PS500 | Optional AC Adapter Kit ACK 600; includes AC adapter CA-PS500 | Optional AC Adapter Kit ACK 800; includes AC adapter CA-800 |
| Body & Dimensions |
| Body colors and materials | Aluminum alloy exterior; bright silver finish or black finish | Aluminum alloy front cover; bright silver finish with metallic blue grip | Aluminum alloy front cover; bright silver finish with metallic gray grip | Polycarbonate, with sliding lens cover (acts as master On-Off switch) |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 4.4 x 2.3 x 1.7 inches (112 x 58 x 42mm) | 3.4 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches (87 x 57 x 28mm) | 4.0 x 2.5 x 1.25 inches (101 x 64 x 31.5mm) | 4.4 x 2.3 x 1.4 inches (111 x 58 x 37mm) |
| Weight (w/o battery or CF card) | 9.2 oz. (260g) | 6.5 oz. (185g) | 7.6 oz. (215g) | 6.2 oz. (175g) |
| . |
| All specifications above are based on Canon Inc.’s standard test method. |
| Specs are preliminary, and subject to change without notice. |
| Specifications superior to previous camera are in italic |
