CES: Canon launches 4 new compacts

Canon will unveil four new entry-level compact digital cameras at the CES in Las Vegas this week: the PowerShot A490, A495, A3000 IS and A3100 IS.

That means that the PowerShot A480, which we tested back in March last year, will have two descendants: the A490 and the A495.  Both compacts represent minor evolutions and have the same 10 Megapixel, 1/2.3'' CCD sensor inside and run on the same DIGIC III processor as their predecessor.  We're expecting they'll produce similar quality photos, with good handling of electronic noise up to 400 ISO.  There's nothing new for the lenses either, as the same 37-122 mm, f/3-5.8 optics are there, with still no hint of a move to wide-angle or image stabilisation, though the arrival of a 1 cm macro mode is welcome.  Turning them over, there are still no pleasant surprises, with the 2.5'' screens only displaying 115 000 pixels.  Video doesn't go HD, but a decent 30 fps VGA mode is there; we don't know yet whether you'll be able to use the zoom while recording.

Both cameras are still powered using a pair of AA batteries, too.  So are they really new at all?  Well, the colours have changed at least, with three options: silver for the A490 and red or blue for the A495.  Their software also includes a new 'intelligent auto' mode which detects the type of scene you're photographing and adjusts the settings accordingly.  And while the A495 has 18 different scenes to choose from, Canon has been more stingy with the A940, which can only handle 13. 

The face detection technology has also been upgraded, with better red-eye correction and a self-timer on the A495.  Finally, both cameras are compatible with the new SDXC memory cards, which offer very large amounts of storage.

Both cameras will go in sale in the UK in Febuary 2010.

MARCHANDS €     Cellphoneshop  4.95  Bookdeposit...  6.22  Amazon.co.uk  12.99  Pc world  49.98  Pixmania  84.00  Misco  91.00  Compare prices	MARCHANDS €     Cellphoneshop  4.95  Bookdeposit...  6.22  Amazon.co.uk  14.99  Pc world  49.98  Pixmania  84.00  Amazon mark...  91.99  Compare prices

The PowerShot A1100 IS (which we also tested) also gets two offspring: the PowerShot A3000 IS and the A3100 IS.  From the outside at least, more has changed here.  The design has been slimmed down with a two-tone colour scheme (silver and black for the A3000 IS and red/blue and silver for the A3100 IS).  The mode dial has moved and is now found on top of the camera;

Despite the new style, the A3100 IS' tech specs have hardly budged at all: the same 12 Megapixel, 1/2.3'' sensor is there, as is the 35-140 mm, f/2.7-5/6 zoom.  The VGA video mode remains unchanged.  Still, we're glad to see the 2.4'' screen displays 230 000 pixels, but very surprised to see that the DIGIC 4 on the A1100 IS has now been replaced by a DIGIC III.  The A1100 IS wasn't that fast to begin with, so we're not sure how the A3100 IS will do much better.  The treatment of electronic noise is also likely to suffer, but we'll have to check our test results to be certain.  The A3000 IS, meanwhile, has just a 10 Megapixel sensor.

Like the new A490 and A495 cameras, the two new models support SDXC memory cards, but the AA batteries make way for a Li-ion option.  The Smart Auto mode we mentioned above is also available here, with all 18 scene modes supported by both cameras.

MARCHANDS €     Cellphoneshop  4.95  Amazon.co.uk  12.99  Pc world  49.98  Pixmania  84.00  Amazon mark...  91.99  Viking  129.00  Compare prices	MARCHANDS €     Cellphoneshop  4.95  Amazon.co.uk  12.99  Viking  125.99  Pc world  129.99  Amazon mark...  138.16  Comet  139.00  Compare prices

Again, both cameras will go in sale in the UK in Febuary 2010.

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