Canon's New Lineup - Everything!

[Rex914]

Please view the DCRP front page for official information and pictures.

(http://www.dcresource.com/)http://www.dcresource.com (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/../)

- Rex914

A Series Updates

A640 - 10 MP (1/1.8" type CCD), 4x zoom (35-140mm), 2.5" rotating LCD
A630 - Same as A640 but with 8 MP
A710 - 7.1 MP (1/2.5" type CCD), 6x zoom (35-210mm) Image Stabilized, 2.5" (non-rotating) LCD

There were no updates to the other series, at least with my quick perusing of Canon China's site. On a lighter note, I found tons of new printers, scanners and camcorders. I will post more up if there is any, but given that the SD series is pretty much decked out right now, this looks fine.

[wutske]

w00t w00t :D . Now waiting for tomorrow for the complete specs (and prices? ).

[ben7337]

so no IS in the A6xx series? hmm. at least they gave me the 2.5" LCD. I gues we have to wait til tomorrow for more specs.

[BowerR64]

2.5" LCD! wow! i like the look of the 7xx, the little hump in the top looks nice, not so boxy. The larger lens looks good also.

[ben7337]

larger lens does look good. too bad it only takes 2 AA's and has no roating LCD.

what about SD cameras? are there really none to come out this time?

also what do you guys think these will cost? the A630/640 are the same as the A610/620 only more MP and larger screens right? and the A710 only has IS right?

[BowerR64]

Whats bad about the 2AA batteries? least its not a sh*tty battery pack that needs its own charger and cant fit in anything but this camera, this model and limited to the mah rating they give you wich is always older technology.

[ben7337]

2 AAs means less than 300 shots before the batteries die.

[Andrizzle]

Less than 300?

Canon PowerShot A700: 400 shots - 2500 mAh NiMH (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a700-review/)

[ben7337]

I was not aware of that? why do the A530/540 have lower battery life then?

[BowerR64]

I actualy like it better. I have the A540 and it only uses 2AAs so i have a backup set ready to go. You cant get just 2 so when you get a 4 pack that gives you PLENTY of shots.

My memory card is only 256megs so that fills up before the batteries go dead so its all good.

Ive read alot of people complain about 2 batteries but compaired to the A70 i dont see any difference other then size and weight. I had the A510 and i didnt notice it being any slower or using the batteries faster either.

If you think about it, its like computers, the better the technology gets the less power they seem to use. When i first got into computers the processer took like 3volts to power it. Now they take like half that and they are like 20X the speed.

[ben7337]

so. just out of curiosity what do you think these cameras will cost? I doubt the A630 or A640 could cost more than $300 and $350. any more would be ripping people off. unless of course it has some new amazing technology or something. so which do you think is better? IS or a rotating LCD?

[BowerR64]

Yeah ide bet around $300. $350. the question about IS or rotating LCD is a hard one, i already miss both when i use this A540. The red camera shake icon is always on the screen (maybe to much coffee) and i like to fold the LCD around when i try different angles.

I guess this is what makes the S2 and S3 the best because it has everything we like. Alot of zoom, rotating LCD, IS you just cant beat it.

[ben7337]

my only problem with the S3 IS is its size it is 42 cu. in. the A620 is 20 cu in. thats a huge different. the S3 would never fit in a pocket even a cargo pocket. thats kind of why i like the G6 and wish it was not discontinued. it was 35 cu. in. of course i guess it did not have IS but the G7 would have. I am just curious because the A700 gets 400 shots per charge the A620 gets 500. assuming technology advanced they can probably get more shots on both cameras so battery life is not an issue and they will probably have the same functions. the A710 does have a smaller CCD sensor though. but it also has the least MP. the A630 douns like the way to go. a larger sensor with 8 MP. it shoudl have the best image quality at least noise wise and it looks better than the A640. I am just confused as to why companies do not make new cameras even if they are at the top of the food chain. they could lower production of a camera then start the new camera and stop the old one. e.g. they could have made an SD800 IS. or they coud have combined the A6xx and A7xx series into an A8xx series with IS and rotating LCD. why only give people half of what they want? oh well.

[David Metsky]

why only give people half of what they want? oh well.
Because not many people want it. As a manufacturer, you can't make everything for everyone. People who want a swing out LCD can still get them if they want, but most folks who just take snapshots don't want that feature. It costs money, reduces the size of the LCD, and adds complexity.

Most people want a simple P&S that takes good pictures. Building a new model has lots of costs, you don't do it too often if you can avoid it. And you don't canibalize your expensive and profitable S3 line to sell a few extra A710s at a lower margin.

-dave-

[ben7337]

I am curious. will DSLR cameras ever be the what everyone uses? in other words P&S will be DSLRs?

[BowerR64]

I dont understand why the G6 is still on the canon website. Both the G3 and the G6 are still on there but no one sells em. Ive never seen them anywhere but e-bay.

[Rex914]

Because Canon still offers tech support for it even though it's discontinued.

[wutske]

If you think about it, its like computers, the better the technology gets the less power they seem to use. When i first got into computers the processer took like 3volts to power it. Now they take like half that and they are like 20X the speed.

Absolutely not true. Back on those 3V days, cpu's only consumed like 20W, nowadays they suck up 120W ! (that why we all need noisy and heavy cooling).

Back to the canons :) . Specs seem good, guess it'll be the A630 for me (tough the A640 looks so good in black :p )

[ben7337]

um can someone tell me why dpreview and this webiste disagree? dpreview says the A630/640 take 4 AA's but this website says 2. also dpreview says the 2.5" rotating screens only have 115,000 pixels and they are charging $300 for the A630. that is sucha ripoff. all they did was give it .9 more megapixels and a larger lower definition screen and they somehow justifise $85?

they say the A710 IS has 115,000 pixels too.

[cvicisso]

A710IS:

115k pixel LCD (same LCD as A700 BTW )
2xAA batteries (WHY do people continue to complain about AA batteries??!!! Buy a pack of 4 2500mAh NiMH in WalMart for ~$10 and you've got all the juice you need... for all day!!!!!) :mad: :D :D
Better movie mode (high-cap SD cards)
Now supports underwater case (and has underwater shooting mode)


source: Canon A710IS website (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelTechSpecsAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=14117)

[cvicisso]

A630/40:


10 g heavier than predecessor
better movie mode (high-cap SD cards)
BETTER ISO (800 instead of 400... wish they could have squeezed out 1600 though!)
More MP (duh)... but... same 1/1.8 sensor (bigger than A7xx BTW)
4xAA batteries
Bigger LCD (2.5" vs 2.0")... but same resolution (115k pixels) as A620


Source: Canon A640 website (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelTechSpecsAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=14109)

[bascom]

The prices will be: A630 = $300, A640 and A710 = $400.

also dpreview says the 2.5" rotating screens only have 115,000 pixels and they are charging $300 for the A630. that is sucha ripoff. all they did was give it .9 more megapixels and a larger lower definition screen and they somehow justifise $85?

How do you figure only .9 more MP? They have 3MP more plus other improvements, so yes I think the new ones are worth $100 more or so.

A610/A620
-------------
5mp & 7mp
2.0" LCD
ISO 400
$200-$250 retail

A630/A640
-------------
8pm & 10mp
2.5" LCD
ISO 800, High ISO Auto
Improved movie mode
Enhanced MyColors
ISAPS
Two new shooting features for the A-Series line are Safety Zoom and Digital Tele-converter.
$300-$400 retail

[BowerR64]

Absolutely not true. Back on those 3V days, cpu's only consumed like 20W, nowadays they suck up 120W ! (that why we all need noisy and heavy cooling).

I was talking about Intel lol :D

[Steve_Max]

Intel's Pentium Ds and the later Pentium 4s (those with 1-2MB cache) are the hottest processors ever made. The whole architecture was discontinued because they couldn't increase their speed without requiring liquid nytrogen or something like that. Athlons are MUCH cooler than Pentiums. Now, the Core Duos are another totally different beast.

On topic, those look sweet. The possible price drop for the older models look even sweeter ;)

[Sequoia225]

I dont know why people complain about this as well. I would much rather have the AA batteries. Costco always sells the highest power AA rechargeable for like 25 or so bucks for 6 of em plus usually a couple of AAA. thats tons of power. easy charging, (sometimes the package includes a car charger). Thats way cheaper than the small other batteries at 40 a pop and cameras usually come with only one.

[BowerR64]

because people think more batteries = longer run times. or more shots.

[cvicisso]

because people think more batteries = longer run times. or more shots.And - they would be [mostly] right. I respect that - to each his own, after all. Hey - those people should design a camera with 100 - no - 1,000 AA's??!! That sucker would shoot for-EVER!! :eek: Me, I'll just take a nice, pocketable digicam with 2xAA and carry an extra couple of AA's in my pocket. If I think I'll need more batteries... eh... I'll bring 'em. But my guess is, I won't often need them (extra batteries - beyond 2). The difference is that the folks with the 1,000xAA camera will always have to lug them around - whether they need them or not.

On the proprietary vs. 'standard' (read: AA) issue, this one is just a no-brainer for me. Take my S2 IS for example. When I 'upgrade' to a new camera in the very near future, I'll take the batteries from the S2 with me (they're AA). Think if I had purchased a few spares for a Panasonic FZ20/30 or something. Ouch. Some people (JK included) have even argued that with a AA-equipped camera, you can always purchase off-the-shelf alkalines in a pinch too. I've never needed to, and can't see myself needing to... but this is true.

[wutske]

because people think more batteries = longer run times. or more shots.

Well, more AA's can deliver more power, thus the flash will reload quicker.
And to be honest, I prefer more juice so I capture more photos without having to change the batteries (and yes, I prefer AA above props because it's cheaper to have second set wich you can use while the other set is recharging)

[BowerR64]

The only way 4 batteries will run longer then 2 is if they were running in paralell. In series there is no way.

[cvicisso]

The only way 4 batteries will run longer then 2 is if they were running in paralell. In series there is no way.I'm no electrical engineer, but...

Are you sure? So, using your logic, if I hooked up one MILLION AA batteries - in series - and somehow connected them to my small digicam, you're saying that the dude with the exact same digicam standing next to me that has 2xAA will 'run out of batteries' at the same time (assuming the same rate of use of course)? This doesn't make sense to me - otherwise, why don't we just use one battery (to save weight)... or half?... or 1/4?... or 1/1000th of a battery?

Like I said, I'm no electrical engineer. ;)

[cvicisso]

Well, more AA's can deliver more power, thus the flash will reload quicker.True. I didn't think of that. It is annoying waiting for the flash to recharge. :mad: Seriously - I don't know who hates it more - me waiting for the S2 to beep (indicating a recharged flash) or my wife asking me why the heck I'm not taking the picture!! :mad: And the S2 has 4xAA.

[wutske]

The only way 4 batteries will run longer then 2 is if they were running in paralell. In series there is no way.

4AA in series give 6V
2AA in series give 3V

Let's say those are 2000mAh batteries.

Using some basic fysics (P = U*I)
4AA in series can hold 6V*2Ah = 12Wh
2AA in series can hold 3V*2Ah = 6Wh

I hope I'm somehow correct ... Vacations don't do good for my general science & maths (and rest) knowledge :rolleyes: .

[wutske]

True. I didn't think of that. It is annoying waiting for the flash to recharge. :mad: Seriously - I don't know who hates it more - me waiting for the S2 to beep (indicating a recharged flash) or my wife asking me why the heck I'm not taking the picture!! :mad: And the S2 has 4xAA.

4AA don't say everything, how powerfull are those batteries ? 4 2700mAh AAs will probably recharge the flash faster than 4 1600mAh AAs.

[ben7337]

I agree. bower are you saying a 4 AA battery camera runs out att he same speed as the 2 AA battery camera? if you really are syaing this then you are also saying the A630/640 require double the amount of pers that the A710 IS needs. because 4 AA's produce more electrons than 2 AA's.

also I am kind of disappointed in canon now and there is no camera I really want. I am curious would I wait until february or so for the S4 IS and SD cameras and other stuff? or buy the A620 or something. I just feel $200 is a waste for a camera I will want to replace in 6 months.

[JTL]

I agree. bower are you saying a 4 AA battery camera runs out att he same speed as the 2 AA battery camera? if you really are syaing this then you are also saying the A630/640 require double the amount of pers that the A710 IS needs. because 4 AA's produce more electrons than 2 AA's.

also I am kind of disappointed in canon now and there is no camera I really want. I am curious would I wait until february or so for the S4 IS and SD cameras and other stuff? or buy the A620 or something. I just feel $200 is a waste for a camera I will want to replace in 6 months.Canon (and all the other manufacturers for that matter) have succeded brilliantly. Every six months, you feel you need a new camera. How many people cared this much about cameras 5 years ago? How many people agonized over these decisions like they do today? It's absolutely brilliant...

[BowerR64]

4AA in series give 6V
2AA in series give 3V

Let's say those are 2000mAh batteries.

Using some basic fysics (P = U*I)
4AA in series can hold 6V*2Ah = 12Wh
2AA in series can hold 3V*2Ah = 6Wh

I hope I'm somehow correct ... Vacations don't do good for my general science & maths (and rest) knowledge :rolleyes: .

Yeah it all works fine on paper and thats why things fail. Your forgetting R= resistance

When you add more voltage things go faster, when things go faster they generate more heat, more heat generates more resistance and resistance draws more current.

I use to race R/C cars for years and the guy who ran the 8.4v batter never finished a race. Sure he was fast for about 20 laps but when the 5 minute mark was up and everyone else had 33 laps what good was his 8.4volt battery?

Then i got into 12thscale cars these ran 4 cells and they ran for 8 minutes. Same electronics, same batteries. why is that?

[ben7337]

Canon (and all the other manufacturers for that matter) have succeded brilliantly. Every six months, you feel you need a new camera. How many people cared this much about cameras 5 years ago? How many people agonized over these decisions like they do today? It's absolutely brilliant...



I have never had a digital camera. I do not feel I need one every six months. let me explain this you to you. I want an A620 camera with IS, 2.5" roating LCD (with 230,000+ pixels), 6x+ zoom, larger sensor with 8 MP, capability of going to ISO 1600 with average quality or maybe even ISO 3200.

instead canon made gave the A630 a crappy 800 iso and upped quality/added some stuff. but overall nothing I really care about. I am saying I do not like any of these cameras all that much and would want to replace them for something I do like as soon as possible and paying $200 or more for a camera I will only have for 6months to 1 yr sounds wasteful to me. so I am curious as to what I should do. if I got a camera like the one I described I would not replace it until it died.

[BowerR64]

Those into this hobby like to stay current.

My first digital i got around 1998 (fujifilm DX10) i just got it to trade stuff online so it did fine till just this year when i decided i wanted a camera with more detail. I never knew they were so cheap. I gave $300. for my first one and i had it for about 8 years and it was a great camera that held up well. I wish i would of known about NiMH earlier i may still be using it.

Like cell phones and MP3 players there are never any that are perfect there is always somthing on em you wish was different.

[ben7337]

so Bower. I am asking too much of canon? would it be a waste to buy an A620 now even if I sold it in 6 months and bought an S4 IS or something? because my main problem with the S3 and S2 is the size. if they could bring it down to 25-35 Cu. In. I would not mind it I do not think. I would consider a G6 but used could have problems and new costs $600-$1400. some people on dpreview think since the G6 is still on canon's website it is going to be replaced soon. I know this website people said it was there because it still had tech support? was the tech support for the Pro1 canceled then?

[JTL]

I have never had a digital camera. I do not feel I need one every six months. let me explain this you to you. I want an A620 camera with IS, 2.5" roating LCD (with 230,000+ pixels), 6x+ zoom, larger sensor with 8 MP, capability of going to ISO 1600 with average quality or maybe even ISO 3200.

instead canon made gave the A630 a crappy 800 iso and upped quality/added some stuff. but overall nothing I really care about. I am saying I do not like any of these cameras all that much and would want to replace them for something I do like as soon as possible and paying $200 or more for a camera I will only have for 6months to 1 yr sounds wasteful to me. so I am curious as to what I should do. if I got a camera like the one I described I would not replace it until it died.Consider yourself lucky (and smart)...you've escaped the trap! :D But...you could be enjoying your new camera and living with it's "limitations". If you have any passion about photography, then buy what you think best suits your needs today and don't worry about it after your purchase. Don't worry about what *might* come out. If you really don't care about photography as a hobby, then your position makes perfectly good sense.

It took me a while to really understand why they do what they do as it relates to features, but now it has finally sunk in. If they gave consumers everything they want, they'd do exactly what you say you would do...buy their "perfect" camera and keep it until it died. But that's not what Canon or any of the others want...they want you to always be chasing features, but never be totally satisfied...so you buy and re-buy. Like I said...brilliant.

[BowerR64]

But see thats the beauty of e-bay. You can usualy buy used and then resell it for little to no loss and then get another one. There is always some one in the world that wants what you have so you can always sell it.

[pchomer]

Well I have been waiting and see no mention of histograms :-)

I hope they have a better quality "feel" than the A610/A620 to me they felt cheap

Lets hope we don't have to wait ages for reviews my amazon vouchers run out at xmas

[ben7337]

so should I buy a new A620 or used G6 or new G6?

omg the canon has gone up in price? geez I guess supplies are running low. will prices go down tonight you think?

[BowerR64]

Ide like to try a G6 myself. They seem a bit steep though. The 620 looks pretty good, ive seen some good shots from that camera.

another camera that looks kinda cool is the SD430, the one that has the wifi wireless computer control. That looks really fun.

You could put the camera in a tree or on a tripod outside and control it from your computer, sending images directly from the camera to the computer.

[ben7337]

if my wireless router worked properly and if it had a signal that could travel that far. of course I did get one idea once. of sending images to other cameras with wifi. like lets say you are in disney you take a pic then send it to everyone with an SD430 within distance. that would be sort of cool. like photo tag. but I do not know if that is possible and doubt that the SD430 does that. do you thinkt he A620 will go down in price tonight? someone said price goes down at night on amazon and I know it was only $214 yesterday.

[ben7337]

$429.00

Canon Powershot G6 - 7.1MP Digital Camera. Like NEW with all accessories and software included! This camera has a 90 day factory warranty (USA) Camera and included accessories: · Battery-BP511 Lithium-Ion · Charger (CG-580) · USB Cable · Video Cable · Neck Strap · Wireless Remote · Digital Solution CD 2.0 · Camera Suite CD 2.1 · Instruction Books Camera is like NEW condition. Used for demonstration purposes only


that does not sound too bad if you ask me. I assume the 90 day warranty means it was repaired by canon or something though? that is the buy it now price. I could just bid.

or there is one brand new one for $600 in a sealed package. $600 does seem a bit steep though. thats why I am considering the A620. especially since I would have to get rid of the CF cards too.

[BowerR64]

But the G6 is small and its one of the only P&S cameras ive seen that shoots raw. I wonder if thats why that camera takes such nice shots?

Some one on the powershot forum said its not only the sensor in that camera that makes it good but its also the lenses.

Its your money.

[ben7337]

thats what I think I said on my board. it has an amazing buit in lens. that or people spent thousands on lenses for it which I doubt they did.

[David Metsky]

I have never had a digital camera. I do not feel I need one every six months. let me explain this you to you. I want an A620 camera with IS, 2.5" roating LCD (with 230,000+ pixels), 6x+ zoom, larger sensor with 8 MP, capability of going to ISO 1600 with average quality or maybe even ISO 3200.

In 6 months to a year, cameras will be coming out with new and better features that you don't know about yet and will want. You say that's all you want in a camera, but you don't know what will be available. You'll want that too, soon. Development isn't holding still and new things (with more zoom, more MP, better features, smaller package) are going to come along that you won't be able to live without.

Also, would you be willing to spend $2000 to have all you want in a camera, or $350 to get 85% of it? If the market for those features is small, and the cost is high, it'll never get made. People are extremely price sensitive for consumer electronics.

-dave-

[ben7337]

I honestly think I would be happy with the features that I mentioned for a good 5 yrs+ before i needed another camera. the features I listed are enough to take good photos in any conditions. of course I would want a good lens like the G6 on the camera.

[David Metsky]

I honestly think I would be happy with the features that I mentioned for a good 5 yrs+ before i needed another camera. the features I listed are enough to take good photos in any conditions.
Did you feel that way 5 years ago? Do you believe that fantastic new things won't come along in the next year? I think you're taking an very short term view of a camera market in extreme flux.

Your requirements are basically the best of several features that are on the market right now. 3 years ago many of those features (like high ISO and IS) didn't exist. 3 years from now there will be new features or better versions of the current ones that will make the camera you described look like a diesel powered flashlight.

Only a handful of holdouts will be using today's cameras five years from now. If you want cutting edge today, you'll want cutting edge tomorrow. :)

-dave-

[JTL]

so should I buy a new A620 or used G6 or new G6?

omg the canon has gone up in price? geez I guess supplies are running low. will prices go down tonight you think?The G6 is a GREAT camera by almost any measure...but...in comparison to today's cameras, it feels downright sluggish...I think that's the only real issue I have with it. There will come a moment when you will wonder if you had a faster camera, would you have not missed the shot...

BTW, the lens is amazing...

[ben7337]

why would I? if the camera can handle all the situations I want why would I possibly want a new camera before the camera dies? I onyl said 5 yrs because by then the technology should have developed so far that hopefully image quality will have gone up. the camera I am looking for can handle all situations with great results. there are people still using ancient film SLRs for the great quality my mom still has a Canon AE-1 and it if still worked well she would still like it. the prolem is that it is broken (sort of). my goal is to get images that look this good all the time in any lighting.

http://www.cs80.freeserve.co.uk/Digicam/G6-Bee-Flower.jpg


http://www.cs80.freeserve.co.uk/Digicam/G6-Fr-Wh-Blooms.jpg

see the nice color and focus. these are done without a tripod. I want photos like that and good ngiht photos.

[ben7337]

JTL I know thats why I am considering one. but some people are expecting a G7 just before photokina or next feb. I think I will buy an A620 otnight when amazon brings them back down to $215 and buy it. that is a decent little camera and if a G7 comes out I can always sell it. if not I can hang on to it until something I like comes out.

[JTL]

my goal is to get images that look this good all the time in any lighting.

http://www.cs80.freeserve.co.uk/Digicam/G6-Bee-Flower.jpg


http://www.cs80.freeserve.co.uk/Digicam/G6-Fr-Wh-Blooms.jpg

see the nice color and focus. these are done without a tripod. I want photos like that and good ngiht photos.Then stop looking at P&S digicams and start looking at DSLRs. Period. Bottom line. End of story.

JTL I know thats why I am considering one. but some people are expecting a G7 just before photokina or next feb. I think I will buy an A620 otnight when amazon brings them back down to $215 and buy it. that is a decent little camera and if a G7 comes out I can always sell it. if not I can hang on to it until something I like comes out.Word is that Canon has killed off the G-line...permenantly...but, that could be wrong. Anybody else?

[ben7337]

that is the word. but it is still on their website for soem reason even though the pro1 is gone. someone also mistranslated something a photojounalist said the journalist menstioned a G7.

From what I've heard there's going to be a new G7 - in another post I wrote 7D - I had mistaken the letters. This is from a newsagent with pre-release information.


this is from dpreview.

also there is this atricle posted on my G6 board by Rex914

http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/canon_powershot_g_series_cameras_rip/

oh wait PMA is after Feb 2006. so there will be no more G series cameras. right? crap.

[TeddTucker]

i live in Southern Ontario (Canada) and the best price i can find for the canon powershot a700 is $450 at henrys, however they also have the option to pre-order the a710 for the same price. Shouldnt the a700 b much cheaper? i thought i would b purchasing this camera because i expected a drastic price drop shortly after the a710 was announced. Should i wait for a possible price drop or order the a710?

[mauavila]

Because not many people want it. As a manufacturer, you can't make everything for everyone. People who want a swing out LCD can still get them if they want, but most folks who just take snapshots don't want that feature. It costs money, reduces the size of the LCD, and adds complexity.

Most people want a simple P&S that takes good pictures. Building a new model has lots of costs, you don't do it too often if you can avoid it. And you don't canibalize your expensive and profitable S3 line to sell a few extra A710s at a lower margin.

-dave-
I think the main differences between A710IS and A640 are the LCD and the lenses. The "IS" is something they are introducing on all series and maybe we'll see it no the next "A650" and "A660" models (wait one and a half year more).

[XaiLo]

the nature of the market is to improve products just enough to create or maintain an edge over competitors. While at the same time creating a need, in all too many cases there are no real tangible differences just compromises. Which will fit some needs but not all. Yes, there are evil little people devising the ever more ingenius opportunities to seperate us from our gain. I've finished my mini rant for the day. All better :)

[truflip]

the nature of the market is to improve products just enough to create or maintain an edge over competitors. While at the same time creating a need, in all too many cases there are no real tangible differences just compromises. Which will fit some needs but not all. Yes, there are evil little people devising the ever more ingenius opportunities to seperate us from our gain. I've finished my mini rant for the day. All better :)
word.. n all camera manufacturers are expert at it.. esp canon