Menu

Canon added the 7.1-megapixel PowerShot SD500 to its Digital ELPH line in February, 2005. The new model again expresses Canon’s ELPH-line philosophy of excellent imaging in small packaging; the SD500 has a 1/1.8-inch CCD with 7.4 total megapixels and a Canon Digic II image processor housed in its thin, 6-ounce durable plastic body. Canon engineers departed from the sharp, linear ELPH aesthetic, opting for a more fluid styling, dubbed the “Perpetual Curve Design.” The compact camera boasts a 3x optical zoom lens and 2-inch LCD screen and retails for a bold $499.99 (USD). The PowerShot SD500 relies on a hefty selection of automatic and preset options. It does add a few manual controls, but it is still likely to disappoint manual photographers without the inclusion of aperture and shutter speed controls. Nevertheless, this Digital ELPH packs a lot of power into its sleek steel-colored, compact body and should be a popular model in the compact high-resolution camera segment this year.




Canon unveiled the original PowerShot G1 just before Photokina last year (September 2000). It took quite a few people who were expecting a Pro70 replacement by surprise. The G1 immediately struck a chord with people considering Nikon's Coolpix 990 or Olympus's C-3030Z. And here we are just less than 12 months on with the next evolution, the 4.0 megapixel PowerShot G2. The G2 is based on the same 'prosumer compact camera' form factor with an almost central lens, viewfinder window and right-handed flash unit. Immediately obvious this time around is that Canon realized the little 'blip' of rubber on the G1 wasn't enough as a sensible grip, now we get a fully moulded (though plastic and a little thin) hand grip. The second most obvious change is the colour. The camera is done out in a kind of 'three tone' - the front is champagne coloured magnesium alloy, the center (top / sides) silver plastic and the rear a kind of metallic painted silver plastic. The G2 features the same extending 3x, F2.0 - F2.5 'Canon Zoom Lens' (which I'm assured is made by Canon) as we saw on the G1 and the ring surrounding the lens can be removed to take the optional lens thread adapter, required to add optional wide angle, telephoto or macro lenses.



Announced in August 2004, the PowerShot A95 replaces the hugely popular A80 at the top of Canon's entry-level range. Although it shares many features with the A80, the new model sports several significant improvements (including some also found on the A85), and in fact offers a feature set that compares well with considerably more expensive models, such as last year's PowerShot G5. The main changes are the sensor resolution (5MP) and a larger (1.8 inch) and considerably higher resolution (118,000 pixel) swing out LCD screen. Other improvements include an enhanced movie mode and a wider assortment of subject-based shooting modes. Let's have a quick look at the main selling points: