Saturday, September 30, 2006
Canon Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH-IXUS i7
Canon Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 is their latest consumer point and shoot pocket camera designed to appeal to the fashion concious. The SD40 Digital ELPH-ixus i7 comes in 4 colors and a docking station for easier printing.
For the artists, Powershot SD40 colors include “Twilight Sepia, a dark rich brown with gold accents; Precious Rose, a blushing pink attention-getter; Noble Blue, a shade worthy of the finest designer navy suit and, the soft yet solid sophistication of Olive Grey.”
Main features are a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 2.4x optical zoom (38-90mm equivalent) and a 1.8 inch LCD screen with 15 brightness settings. It uses the same NB-4L battery as the other cameras in the Powershot SD family.
Another feature starting to gain traction is the Face Detection AF/AE system also seen in other new cameras like the Fuji FinePix F31fd compact digital camera.
Canon plans to release the Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 in October for $349.99 US MSRP.
Canon Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 Specs |
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| Format: | Mini Pocket Camera | Manual Focus: | N |
| Megapixels: | 7mp | Focal Length: | 38-90mm |
| Optical Zoom: | 2.4x | Image Stabilization: | N |
| LCD: | 1.8" | Connectivity: | USB |
| Digital Camera Memory: | SD/MMC | Movie Mode: | Y |
| Aperture: | f3.2-f5.4 | Battery Type: | NB-4L |
| RAW: | N | Hot Shoe: | N |
| Shutter Speed: | 1/1600-15sec | Dust Removal: | N |
| Exposure: | ISO80-1600 | ||
| Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.8 x 1.8 x 0.9 in (96.5 x 45.7 x 22.9mm) | ||
| Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 Weight (inc. batt.) | 3.7oz (105g) | ||
| Powershot SD40 Digital ELPH/IXUS i7 Intro. price (US): | $349.99 | ||
From the press release.
Arriving in stores in October, these power-packed digital denizens of pocket or purse continue to champion the go anywhere, shoot anytime philosophy that keeps picture-taking fun and preserves memorable moments in a flash.
“The PowerShot Digital ELPH line of cameras has always been characterized by the sleek contoured look, the full array of features and the extraordinary picture quality they deliver,” states Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. “These newest Digital ELPH cameras continue that tradition of innovation, eye appeal, ease of use and imaging excellence, and will no doubt continue to delight our users and confound our competitors.”
The Eyes Have It
The brain behind these beauties is DIGIC III, the newest iteration of Canon’s ultra-efficient (and proprietary) image processor. Shared thus far only with Canon’s new flagship PowerShot G7 model – it is the DIGIC III chip that accounts for these cameras’ higher performance levels including faster start up, autofocus and shutter response times; improved maximum processing speed; and of course, enhanced image quality and more efficient power consumption; resulting in extended battery life under typical shooting conditions.
What’s more, thanks to the DIGIC III chip’s more aggressive noise reduction, these Digital ELPH cameras are able to shoot at ISO equivalent speed ratings from 80 to as high as 1600. This increased sensitivity at the top-end allows the use of faster shutter speeds, significantly reducing camera shake and subject blur during hand held low-light photography.
With Canon’s new Face Detection AF/AE technology (working in concert with Canon’s 9-point Autofocus system), all three of these Digital ELPH models can detect, lock on and track up to nine human faces in a scene simply by pressing the shutter button halfway. The face detection algorithm automatically prioritizes and selects the optimum subject and not simply the closest face (based on Canon’s Intelligent Scene Analysis/iSAPS technology). It will then optimize the focus and exposure to ensure the best possible results for easy picture taking moments.
All three of the new Digital ELPH cameras make taking and sharing better pictures simple, thanks to such onboard innovations as:
- Expanded special scene modes that include ISO 3200 and Aquarium settings. The extremely high-speed ISO 3200 mode enables shooting without a tripod and flash were previously required, while Aquarium mode reproduces vivid images of swimming fish inside an aquarium without blurring;
- A widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution setting that facilitates creating panoramic prints or image “slide shows” viewable on widescreen format televisions;
- There’s even a convenient 3×2 composition guide which displays horizontal gray bars at the top and bottom as an overlay on the LCD screen so that users can compose and shoot their images in the proportion best suited to the size print they wish to make (typically 4x 6-inches);
- A new My Category feature to streamline the categorizing of still and movie images for quicker and easier printing or playback;
- A Safety zoom function allows users to comfortably explore digital zoom without sacrificing image quality while a new Digital Tele-converter digitally emulates traditional optical tele-converters.
The PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH: Elegant, Economical and Easy–to-Use
The fashion plate of the Digital ELPH line of cameras, Canon’s new SD40 Digital ELPH packs 7.1 megapixels of righteous resolution into a color-keyed, stainless steel case that bespeaks luxury and is a must have accessory for a memory-making night on the town. Similar in design to its 5.0 megapixel predecessor (SD30 Digital ELPH model), the SD40 Digital ELPH series offers four new elegant shell tones in Twilight Sepia, a dark rich brown with gold accents; Precious Rose, a blushing pink attention-getter; Noble Blue, a shade worthy of the finest designer navy suit and, the soft yet solid sophistication of Olive Grey.
With any of these four fashion finishes, the SD40 Digital ELPH camera is a formidable, fine and fun to use camera. From the virtuosity of its 7.1 megapixel CCD and its retractable 2.4x optical zoom lens (38-90 mm equivalent) to its easy-to-read 1.8-inch backlit LCD monitor with 15 brightness settings the SD40 Digital ELPH camera is Canon to the core.
Canon supplied the PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH camera with an easy to use camera station that serves as a charger, enables Hi-Speed USB 2.0 for direct printing and image transfer to a PC, and is even supplied with a wireless remote to facilitate slide show displays when sharing images on a television screen. A mere 0.94-inches thick with the lens retracted, 1.78-inches high and 3.78 inches long, the camera body weighs in at a very modest 3.7 ounces. The Canon PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH camera carries an estimated selling price of $349.99*.
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