Offered in five colors, Canon's SD1100 IS adds optical image stabilization and new face detection features to last year's successful SD1000.
(Credit: Canon)Following up on the success of last year's PowerShot SD1000, Canon has announced the PowerShot SD 1100 IS. As the name implies, Canon includes optical image stabilization in this new camera. A 3X optical, 38-114mm f/2.8-4.9 zoom lens funnels light onto the SD1100 IS's 1/2.5-inch, 8-megapixel CCD sensor. A 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot LCD on the camera back lets you frame your shots and view them after capture. Since the Digital Elph line is made to be carried with you, Canon is offering a choice of brown, gold, pink, blue, or silver finishes.
As has become the trend this year, Canon is building on their face detection system to provide new convenience features. Like the SD1000, the SD1100 IS can see up to 9 faces in a scene and use them to set exposure and focus. However, it also includes Face Selection, which lets you choose one of those faces as the main face and the camera can then track that face if it moves around in the scene between shots. Motion Detection Technology is another face detection-linked feature that can determine if your subject is moving or not and adjust the camera settings accordingly to prevent motion blur in your images. For example, if you set the camera to High ISO Auto mode, with Motion Detection turned on, the camera will raise the ISO if it detects motion, so that it can use a faster shutter speed. Similarly, if it doesn't detect motion, then it'll bring the ISO down to minimize ISO-related noise.
Since the SD1100 IS doesn't include manual exposure controls, it is a point-and-shoot after all, Canon includes 18 shooting modes, including a new scene preset called Sunset. Canon expects the PowerShot SD1100 IS to hit stores this March for about $250.
Canon's new PowerShot SD950 IS has a titanium body.
(Credit: Canon)Some folk might not think that a simple refresh of Canon's top SD-series cameras is as exciting as its dSLR news. But as some of the top-selling cameras on the market, Canon's Digital Elph models hold a special place among compact cameras. The latest pair, called the PowerShot SD870 IS and the PowerShot SD950 IS, both include Canon's Digic III procesor, optical image stabilization, and face detection. Canon's latest version of face detection can spot up to nine faces and use them to determine autofocus and exposure.
The SD950 IS sports a 12.1-megapixel CCD imaging sensor, a 3.7X 35-133mm f/2.8-5.8 optical zoom lens, and a 2.5-inch 230,000-pixel LCD. Like all of Canon's SD-series cameras, you won't find any manual exposure controls, but the SD950 IS does include the usual array of scene modes, as well as exposure compensation, and even flash compensation to help keep the flash from overpowering your images. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 80 to ISO 1,600, and the camera can capture Motion JPEG AVI video at up to 1024 X 768-pixels at 15 frames per second, or 640 X 480-pixel at 30fps. Unlike many compact cameras, the SD950 IS has an optical viewfinder for those moments when framing on the LCD just isn't convenient.
Canon's new 8MP PowerShot SD870 IS.
(Credit: Canon)Stepping down the line to the SD870 IS, you get an 8-megapixel CCD sensor, 3.8X 28-105mm f/2.8-5.8 optical zoom lens, and a 3-inch 230,000-pixel LCD. It too lacks manual exposure controls but has a handful of scene modes. However, it doesn't include its pricier cousin's flash compensation, and has no optical viewfinder. While the ISO range is the same, the SD870 IS tops out at 640 X 480-pixel, 30fps video when recording its Motion JPEG AVI clips.
Canon says that both cameras will hit stores this September. The SD950 IS is expected to cost about $450, while the SD870 IS should cost about $400.
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