Head of the Class for Canon:
CANON ADDS THREE NEW “A”s TO ITS ACCLAIMED ARRAY OF POWERSHOT POINT & SHOOT
DIGITAL CAMERAS
The New PowerShot A590 IS, A580 and A470 Digital Cameras Join Canon’s
Industry-Leading “A” Series with Top Marks for Innovation, Image
Excellence,
Ultra-Easy Operation and Even Greater Affordability
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., January 23, 2008 -- Canon U.S.A., Inc. is expanding its
acclaimed and perennially popular A-series of PowerShot digital cameras with
the introduction of three new, easy to use, easy to afford, feature-rich models:
the optically image stabilized 8.0 megapixel PowerShot A590 IS; the 8.0 megapixel
PowerShot A580, and the creatively color-keyed 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A470
digital cameras.
As always, a high level of technological wizardry – forged over Canon’s
70 years of imaging innovation and continually refined to meet the photography
needs of every user from the tentative first timer to the passionate photo
pro – is part of the birthright of every Canon A-series camera. Add
in these cameras’ ultra-affordable pricing – ranging from an estimated
$129 - $179 each – and the ever-present convenience and cost effectiveness
of power driven by two AA batteries (rechargeable recommended, but standard
alkaline are acceptable) and it is no small wonder that Canon’s PowerShot
pedigree remains popular among consumers.
“Whether capturing the expression of delight on a child’s face
amid a flock of brightly colored birthday balloons; the brilliant sunlight
as it reflects off newly fallen snow, or the fiery-orange horizon as day slips
into night, these three new PowerShot A-series digital cameras make capturing,
saving and sharing memories as simple as 1-2-3,” said Yuichi Ishizuka,
senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.
PowerShot A590 IS
Ruggedly crafted yet lightweight, the dark silver body of the 8.0 megapixel
PowerShot A590 IS camera fits firmly and comfortably into a user's hand. Featuring
an impressive 4x (35mm-140mm equivalent) zoom lens, the PowerShot A590 IS model
offers a richer feature set than other entry-level PowerShot cameras.
Staking out the upper-middle tier of the PowerShot A-series, the new camera
offers users the option of 19 shooting modes, from fully automatic to fully
manual operation for greater creative control. The A590 IS camera also features
Canon’s advanced Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). OIS significantly
reduces the effects of camera shake (and the blurry pictures they cause) by
actually allowing the lens to shift to compensate for camera movement or shake. Unlike
electronic image stabilization systems that essentially mask the movement rather
than actually compensating for it, Canon’s Optical “lens shift” system
preserves the inherent quality of the stabilized image without covering up
parts of the image. This OIS technology is even effective when the movement
being stabilized is caused by extended telephoto or low-light shooting conditions.
The camera's range can be expanded even further with the use of any one of
three optional converter lenses: a 1.75X tele-converter, a 0.7X wide converter
and a 52mm close-up lens for eye-catching and frame-filling macro photography. The
converter lenses attach over the camera's zoom lens by means of an optional
conversion lens adapter.
PowerShot A580
Sharing most of the features and visual virtues of its image stabilized sibling,
the PowerShot A590 IS, including a fast 4X (35mm-140mm equivalent) optical
zoom lens, the PowerShot A580 camera features an 8.0 megapixel CCD-type image
sensor, the option of fully automatic or semi-automatic settings and 16 easily
selectable shooting modes. Incorporating a virtually identical body design
as its slightly more feature-rich A-series family member, the PowerShot A580
camera is easily distinguished thanks to the pearlescent silver patina of its
equally durable shell and easy to hold grip.
PowerShot A470
The successor to last year’s successful entry level PowerShot A460 camera,
the new 7.1 megapixel A470 model has undergone a striking external makeover,
matched dramatically by a number of key internal enhancements and advancements. The
immediate eye-impact created by the PowerShot A470 camera stems from its availability
in four different color accents -- blue, red, orange and gray – over
a contoured metallic finish body that highlights the camera’s new design
and reflects the camera-user’s individuality, personality and taste.
This camera’s technological features compliment its expressive style.
Ideal for first time camera-users, the PowerShot A470 camera features a 3.4X
(38mm – 132mm equivalent) optical zoom lens that opens up at a responsive
f/3.0 at wide-angle and f/5.8 at the telephoto settings. Despite its
positioning as an entry-level camera with style, PowerShot A470 camera offers
users the option of exploring their creative sides with manual overrides for
ISO speed, exposure compensation and white balance, while enjoying the absolute
ease of the automatic setting and taking advantage of the camera’s 14
shooting modes.
Shared Advancements:
Face Detection Technology
The joy of capturing precious memories of family get-togethers – without
having to make excuses as to why Uncle Joe is deep in the shadows while Aunt
Betty’s features are completely washed out -- is enhanced with
Canon Genuine Face Detection Technology. The feature automatically detects,
tracks, focuses and optimizes the exposure on up-to nine forward looking human
faces in the frame or can lock onto a specific face in the crowd, ensuring
that all (or one) are in focus and properly exposed, with or without flash. While
the Face Detection algorithm automatically prioritizes up to 9 human faces
in a scene, it can also be instructed via the Face Select and Track function
to lock on to a single face in the crowd, ensuring that the chosen countenance
is finely focused, no matter where it appears in the frame.
In addition to focus and exposure control, the new A-series cameras now use
Face Detection Technology to improve white balance, providing more consistent
color accuracy than earlier models.
Motion Detection Technology
Canon’s innovative and exclusive Motion Detection technology
consolidates motion information for both the camera and the photographic subject
and determines whether the subject has moved and what if any adjustments to
focus or exposure needs to be made. It will even detect and assess subject
movement between each frame, making it quicker and easier to capture a series
of images. Additionally, when paired with Canon’s Optical Image
Stabilization system – offered on the PowerShot A590 IS camera among
other PowerShot models – the motion detection system’s onboard
vibration-detecting gyro senses and compensates for movement due to camera
shake, even if the subject remains still.
Beating the Blur
Among the intuitive innovations built in to the new PowerShot A-series models
is the Hi-ISO Auto function that works together with Motion Detection Technology
to reduces the effect of blur in low light shooting situations by automatically
changing and balancing the ISO sensitivity along with the shutter speed. The
result can be a beautifully composed and exposed scene of a child blowing out
birthday candles in a dimly lit room, or an atmospheric portrait of a beloved
grandparent, captured in the soft, ambient afternoon light.
Though equipped with Canon’s precise nine-point Autofocus system, the
PowerShot A590IS, A580 and A470 models offer an AF-Point Zoom feature that
works together with the cameras’ advanced Face Detection Technology to
enable users to double check facial expressions-before snapping photos. Once
it has been enabled in the recording menu, AF-Point Zoom can be engaged when
photographing people simply by pressing the shutter button halfway. The
cameras also feature Canon’s Intelligent Orientation Sensor that determines
whether a scene is being shot as a vertical or horizontal image. It then
automatically rotates the image for quick and easy review on the cameras’ bright,
sharp and easy to read, 115,000-pixel 2.5 inch LCD monitor.
Getting the Red Out
All three of the new A-series PowerShots feature Canon’s newly developed
Automatic Red Eye Correction, an optional feature that engages while shooting,
minimizing the need for correction before printing or sharing images. As
an added convenience, the new cameras are compatible with MMC, MMC+ and HC
MMC+ memory cards as well as standard SD and SDHC memory cards.
DIGIC III
The “brain” in every new Canon digital camera from the PowerShot
A-series to the EOS Pro models is the exclusive DIGIC III imaging processor. This
proprietary chip is responsible for the cameras’ higher performance levels
including faster start up, faster autofocus and quicker shutter response times
that leave long lag competitors far behind. What’s more, DIGIC
III improves both the image quality and the cameras’ power consumption,
extending the battery life under typical shooting conditions.
Easy Does It
The new “Easy Mode,” available exclusively with the PowerShot
A590 IS and A580 models, simplifies camera operation even more than the standard
Full Auto mode. Beginning with limiting the active control buttons to
two – the shutter button with zoom lever and the flash on/off button – and
reducing the number of informational icons on the camera’s display, Easy
Mode effectively eliminates user confusion and enables newcomers to capture
memorable moments without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by the camera’s
extensive capabilities.
Easy Mode automatically sets the optimal shooting conditions including determining
whether to shoot in conventional or macro mode, adjusting the focus and level
of flash output for extreme close-ups. What’s more, when combined
with Face Detection and Motion Detection Technologies, Easy Mode determines
the correct exposure for the face even in dark shooting conditions and will
adjust the ISO speed to reduce blurring due to subject movement.
Canon “Can Do”
Adding to the Easy Mode ethos that Canon brings to these new PowerShot A-series
digital cameras is the new Sunset shooting mode, included as part of the cameras’ offered
Special Scene modes. A staple on all Canon PowerShot cameras, Special
Scene modes utilize Canon’s extensive photo expertise to assign the optimal
camera settings for the shooting conditions selected. Whether indoors
or out; in day or night light (and now with the Sunset setting, in between
too) these A- series cameras “know” how to take the best pictures
in a vast array of shooting situations. Other Special Scene modes help
make impressive images even when shooting through aquarium glass; across snowy
vistas and sandy beaches, or into lush, colorful foliage or at a brilliant
burst of fireworks against a black satin sky.
For all of their automatic allure, the new A-series PowerShot cameras offer
more experienced users a full complement of useful features and a comprehensive
menu of selectable scene settings that can feed the creative impulse or help
make the most out of any picture-perfect moment. The PowerShot model
A590 IS even offers a full manual setting that maximizes the shooter’s
creative control, making each image a truly personal expression.
In the Boxes
Scheduled to appear in stores beginning in March 2008, both the PowerShot
A590 IS and the PowerShot A580 digital camera kits. include two standard AA
alkaline batteries, a 32MB MMC+ Memory card, a USB interface cable, an AV cable,
a wrist strap, and Canon's software suite. The kits carry estimated selling
prices of $179.99* and $149.99* respectively. The PowerShot A470 digital
camera kit is also scheduled to ship in March, with similar standard accessories
at an estimated selling price of $129.99.*
