Friday, January 26, 2007

Canon IXUS 850IS



On its introduction last September at Photokina, the Canon IXUS 850IS followed the IXUS lineage; a very nicely made and nicely designed ultra-compact stainless steel bodied compact digital camera. Some signature features of the new camera include another million pixels over the 800IS, its predecessor and, a new, 28-105mm (35mm equiv.) optical zoom lens that provides a much more versatile focal range (for almost any subject) than that of its predecessor’s 35-140mm lens.

In terms of the lens' brightness, it has a fast F2.8 maximum aperture at 28mm end of the zoom that is joined by a very modest F5.6 maximum aperture at full zoom. However, Canon has cannily included optical image stabilisation to help in lower lighting or at longer focal lengths where you don’t want the flash to fire; it works really well having three settings: continuous, panning and shot only. As you have guessed, the first mode is on all the time, panning works well with horizontally panned snaps and the final shot mode activates when the image is made. Of the three, the latter works best for most subjects.

Enhanced (over the 800IS) sensitivities run from ISO 80 to ISO 1600, but in truth, sensitivities above ISO 400 are noisy and at ISO 800 and 1600, almost unusable. The result – unless having an image is more important than its absolute quality – is images that can only really be used at smaller print sizes.

Another problem on the 850IS is the noise reduction processing, which is much more aggressive on this camera than on previous IXUS’. The processing is via Canon’s DIGIC III processor, the latest iteration of that Canon technology, but because the small 1/2.5-inch has just over 7-megapixels crammed onto it, noise issues are actually worse on this model than other IXUS’ I’ve looked at.

The result of the noise reduction processing is loss of fine detail in all shots taken over ISO 200, elements such as fur, hair, or foliage in landscape shots for example, are smoothed over and, the result is an image that appears to contain tiny blobs of homogenized colour where once there was detail. I will look at image quality in more detail later.

In the meantime, in terms of handling, the 850IS is very nice to use. The large 2.5-inch screen is bright, has a wide angle of view and provides a very clear and clean display, though bright point sources of light made it flare badly. Menus are of the “usual” Canon type with tabbed pages of colour-coded options all scrolled using a ubiquitous four-way jog dial that is also used to scroll images in playback.

The screen can be switched off and you can adjust the level of information displayed also display, this includes a composition grid and, in playback, you can get a histogram display as well; on balance I feel this would have been better as a “live” option when shooting.

The shutter release is surrounded by a neat rocker-style lens zoom control and joined on the top plate with an attractive-looking illuminated on/off button. Despite the small size of the camera, it boasts a small optical viewfinder that is okay to use but is very slightly blurry at all focal lengths. To its right is a flip round mode dial to select manual and auto shooting modes, the Scene selection that provides access to 17-subject program modes (including aquarium modes and the usual array of night scene, portrait and landscape settings) and finally an excellent video mode that provides 640 x 480-pixel clips at 30fps with audio.

Other kit includes Face Detection AF/AE focus control that while a bit of a novelty seems to work quite well. However, the camera’s advanced Artificial intelligent Auto Focus (AiAF) system seems hit and miss, picking seemingly random elements to focus upon even when refocusing on the same scene without moving the camera or viewpoint.

Images are stored on SD/MMC external storage that slots in a port on the base of the camera alongside the Nb-5L lithium-ion battery pack. This holds enough of a charge for around 260-shots but in practice, I found it is less if the image stabilisation is set to continuous and you do a lot of work with the flash.

Metering and exposure control are very reliable although I noticed highlight detail is clipped away in hi-key shots loosing detail in image elements such as clouds and almost any highlight area in a scene. Another factor for image quality is the aforementioned image noise, which as with most cameras with an overdose of pixels on a small sensor, is far worse on the 850IS than its predecessor.

Anything over ISO 400 and the noise becomes noticeable, above 800 and it is intrusive. For small enprint size 6 x 4-inch prints this is probably not a major issue but the noise would be very apparent on larger prints and coupled with the detail smoothing from noise reduction processing discussed earlier, it will be come a real issue for prints over 5 x 7-inches.

However, the extra flexibility the wider zoom lens provides more than makes up for some other slight image quality niggles: slight softness at the edges of images (a drawback of the lenses wider 28mm wide angle design) and modest image distortion also at the wide-angle end of the zoom. Lastly, there is a slight softness to images straight out of the camera (sharpening is tad conservative by default) but easily controlled or improved to on PC in image editing software or in the camera.

Colour capture is excellent and because you have plenty of control over colour, sharpness and contrast via the excellent “Func”-tion menu system common to Canon digital compact you can really tweak the output to how you’d prefer. White balance control has the usual presets and an easy to use custom mode; the only slight chink here was in auto mode with mixed lighting indoors where things had a distinct orange cast.

Canon A630 Digital Camera


Price: Rs. 20,195

The good: Lots of manual controls; flip-out LCD; accessory lenses are available.

The bad: Noisy at ISO 800; no image stabilization.

The bottom line: Though it's not a great choice for low-light shooting, the Canon PowerShot A630 is a solid, feature-rich digital camera.

An 8-megapixel version of the 10-megapixel PowerShot A640, the Canon PowerShot A630 is otherwise identical to its higher-resolution sibling. Both share the same sturdy, chunky body; 35mm-to-140mm-equivalent lens with accessory lens mount; and broad feature set with PASM exposure controls. Both cameras even turned in nearly identical performance results in our tests. (For more, read the PowerShot A640 review.)

Aside from the approximately INR 3315/- street price differential, the real distinguishing element between the two is the photo quality. In general, both produce colorful and crisp photos, with relatively little fringing or distortion. Fine details showed up clearly in our test shots, though colors tended to appear slightly muted and cool. The A630 displays a bit less noise, however. Artifacts start to appear at ISO 400 and become a fine but visible grain at ISO 800. Images are still usable at ISO 800 for 4x6 prints but aren't as sharp as photos taken at lower sensitivity settings and display problems with color banding.

Though the A640 continues the PowerShot's history of less-than-stellar low-light shooting, it's otherwise a great camera for users who want a solid point-and-shoot with photographer-friendly manual capabilities. But unless you really need the A640's extra pixels, save yourself a few bucks and get the A630 instead.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Canon A630 Digital Camera


Price: Rs. 20,195

The good: Lots of manual controls; flip-out LCD; accessory lenses are available.

The bad: Noisy at ISO 800; no image stabilization.

The bottom line: Though it's not a great choice for low-light shooting, the Canon PowerShot A630 is a solid, feature-rich digital camera.

An 8-megapixel version of the 10-megapixel PowerShot A640, the Canon PowerShot A630 is otherwise identical to its higher-resolution sibling. Both share the same sturdy, chunky body; 35mm-to-140mm-equivalent lens with accessory lens mount; and broad feature set with PASM exposure controls. Both cameras even turned in nearly identical performance results in our tests. (For more, read the PowerShot A640 review.)

Aside from the approximately INR 3315/- street price differential, the real distinguishing element between the two is the photo quality. In general, both produce colorful and crisp photos, with relatively little fringing or distortion. Fine details showed up clearly in our test shots, though colors tended to appear slightly muted and cool. The A630 displays a bit less noise, however. Artifacts start to appear at ISO 400 and become a fine but visible grain at ISO 800. Images are still usable at ISO 800 for 4x6 prints but aren't as sharp as photos taken at lower sensitivity settings and display problems with color banding.

Though the A640 continues the PowerShot's history of less-than-stellar low-light shooting, it's otherwise a great camera for users who want a solid point-and-shoot with photographer-friendly manual capabilities. But unless you really need the A640's extra pixels, save yourself a few bucks and get the A630 instead.

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Canon digital new camera A550


Canon Extends Powershot Digital Camera Line-Up With Two New Feature-Rich Entry Level Additions:

Building on a solid track record of quality and performance, Canon today announced two new entry-level PowerShot A-Series models, the 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A550 and the 5.0 megapixel PowerShot A460 digital cameras. These new models are feature-packed and offer consumers the latest technological advancements in easy-to-use designs. They are the perfect upgrade for owners of existing entry-level cameras and they also provide a smooth transition for first-time digital camera users. Both cameras will be available in stores mid-February and will carry estimated selling prices of $199.99 and $149.99, respectively.*
“The new PowerShot A550 and A460 digital cameras deliver an exceptional value to the consumer,” says Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. “They provide enhanced features and high image quality, while at the same time remaining compact, affordable and easy-to-use. Users are going to love taking pictures with Canon’s new PowerShot cameras and capturing moments that they can continue to enjoy for generations.”
This dynamic duo allows users to capture all of life’s special moments – from the winning pass at a high school football game, to the waterfalls on that once-in-a-lifetime vacation, to the joy of a baby’s first steps. With their exquisite image quality, easy-to-use features and intuitive design, Canon’s newest PowerShot models will work reliably for any occasion and in any situation. And since both cameras are small enough to tote anywhere, all of life’s adventures can be documented for posterity. Users will be able to keep these cameras on standby whenever life’s best moments come around. Consumers will never miss the look on their child’s face as they open birthday presents, or the close-up of a new grandmother holding her first-born grandchild.
Whether taking pictures at a local family gathering or on a vacation across the globe, these new PowerShot A-Series cameras are great on-the-go because they are conveniently powered by two AA-size batteries. They represent Canon’s continued commitment to quality, excellence in imagery and ease-of-use.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Digital Camera Canon Digital IXUS-65



Digital Camera Canon Digital IXUS-65. 6-megapixels is pretty much the perfect resolution for a compact camera. It gives roughly the same level of detail as 200 ISO 35mm colour negative film, good quality prints at A4 size and photo quality at 10 x 8in, and 6-megapixels sensors generally have better dynamic range and lower image noise than 10-megapixels sensors of the same physical size. Also, perhaps because the camera companies seem to regard them as obsolete, many very good 6-megapixel cameras are available for bargain prices.







Panasonic has launched Panasonic Lumix FX-07 ... arractive and fully loaded. Some features of Panasonic Lumix FX-07 are parrallel to Canon Digital IXUS-65.