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FASHION FORWARD AND FEATURE
FILLED, CANON'S THREE NEW DIGITAL ELPH CAMERAS
TAKE SIZZLING STYLE, COOL CURVES AND GREAT
PICTURES TO THE WINNER'S CIRCLE FOR A POWERSHOT
TRIFECTA
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 14, 2006
– America's love affair with Canon's
Digital ELPH cameras is heating up once
again as three streamlined new sisters join
the PowerShot Digital ELPH family –
just in time for the popular camera line's
tenth anniversary. Reprising the discrete,
petite profiles, curved bodies, smooth lines,
and lustrous eye-catching allure that define
the outer-design of Digital ELPH camera
models, the 10.0 megapixel PowerShot SD900
Digital ELPH and the 7.1 megapixel PowerShot
SD800 IS and PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH
cameras take the marriage of style and substance
to a new level. They do it with an array
of new user-friendly features, innovations
and enhancements ranging from a dramatically
faster response time to a new face detection
autofocus system that keeps subjects in
focus no matter where in the frame they
appear.
Arriving in stores in October, these power-packed
digital denizens of pocket or purse continue
to champion the go anywhere, shoot anytime
philosophy that keeps picture-taking fun
and preserves memorable moments in a flash.
"The PowerShot Digital ELPH line of
cameras has always been characterized by
the sleek contoured look, the full array
of features and the extraordinary picture
quality they deliver," states Yukiaki
Hashimoto, senior vice president and general
manager of the consumer imaging group at
Canon U.S.A., Inc. "These newest Digital
ELPH cameras continue that tradition of
innovation, eye appeal, ease of use and
imaging excellence, and will no doubt continue
to delight our users and confound our competitors."
The Eyes Have It
The brain behind these beauties is DIGIC
III, the newest iteration of Canon's ultra-efficient
(and proprietary) image processor. Shared
thus far only with Canon's new flagship
PowerShot G7 model - it is the DIGIC III
chip that accounts for these cameras' higher
performance levels including faster start
up, autofocus and shutter response times;
improved maximum processing speed; and of
course, enhanced image quality and more
efficient power consumption; resulting in
extended battery life under typical shooting
conditions.
What's more, thanks to the DIGIC III chip's
more aggressive noise reduction, these Digital
ELPH cameras are able to shoot at ISO equivalent
speed ratings from 80 to as high as 1600.
This increased sensitivity at the top-end
allows the use of faster shutter speeds,
significantly reducing camera shake and
subject blur during hand held low-light
photography.
With Canon's new Face Detection AF/AE technology
(working in concert with Canon's 9-point
Autofocus system), all three of these Digital
ELPH models can detect, lock on and track
up to nine human faces in a scene simply
by pressing the shutter button halfway.
The face detection algorithm automatically
prioritizes and selects the optimum subject
and not simply the closest face (based on
Canon's Intelligent Scene Analysis/iSAPS
technology). It will then optimize the focus
and exposure to ensure the best possible
results for easy picture taking moments.
All three of the new Digital ELPH cameras
make taking and sharing better pictures
simple, thanks to such onboard innovations
as:
* Expanded special scene modes that include
ISO 3200 and Aquarium settings. The extremely
high-speed ISO 3200 mode enables shooting
without a tripod and flash were previously
required, while Aquarium mode reproduces
vivid images of swimming fish inside an
aquarium without blurring;
* A widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution setting
that facilitates creating panoramic prints
or image “slide shows” viewable
on widescreen format televisions;
* There’s even a convenient 3x2 composition
guide which displays horizontal gray bars
at the top and bottom as an overlay on the
LCD screen so that users can compose and
shoot their images in the proportion best
suited to the size print they wish to make
(typically 4x 6-inches);
* A new My Category feature to streamline
the categorizing of still and movie images
for quicker and easier printing or playback;
* A Safety zoom function allows users
to comfortably explore digital zoom without
sacrificing image quality while a new Digital
Tele-converter digitally emulates traditional
optical tele-converters.
The PowerShot SD900 Digital ELPH: Titanium
Body and Ten Megapixels Too
The flagship of the Digital ELPH camera
line, the 10-megapixel PowerShot SD900 Digital
ELPH takes the attractive and comfortable
feel of the "perpetual curve design"
and for the first time ever, renders that
body in strong and durable yet lightweight
Titanium. The result is a high-res digital
camera with smooth lines, an elegant satin
finish, and an impressive (though petite)
package of top-tier photo features. About
the size of a deck of playing cards, the
SD900 Digital ELPH camera measures fractionally
more than an inch thick with its 3x (37-111
mm equivalent) optical zoom lens retracted
safely into the case; a mere 2.35 inches
high and less than 3.6 inches long.
The successor to Canon's popular SD550
Digital ELPH camera, the SD900 also features
a brilliantly enhanced, 2.5- inch, 230,000-pixel,
color TFT LCD screen with a wide viewing
angle making images easier to preview and
review, and camera menus easier to read
in a wide range of lighting conditions.
For still more flexible digital imaging
power, the SD900 Digital ELPH camera also
includes a new 1.4x/2.3x digital tele-converter
for extended shooting capabilities. Finally,
for those who wish to shoot dramatically
higher resolution video sequences, the camera's
XGA 15fps movie mode is just the ticket.
When combined with the new optionally available
high capacity 4GB SDHC memory cards, this
digital dynamo can capture action for up
to 33 minutes per clip. The Canon PowerShot
SD900 Digital ELPH carries an estimated
selling price of US $499.99*.
The PowerShot SD800 IS Digital ELPH:
Simple, Sophisticated and Image Stabilized
The 7.1 megapixel SD800 IS Digital ELPH
camera is the second and newest Optical
Image Stabilized Digital ELPH model in the
PowerShot line, and is now the top-of-the-line
Digital ELPH IS entry. Canon based the optical
image stabilization system on advancements
made in the development of the company's
EF and video lenses, and then scaled it
down to fit the diminutive Digital ELPH
camera profile. Unlike electronic or "digital
image stabilization systems" that typically
degrade image quality, Canon's lens shift-type
stabilization system preserves maximum optical
quality while providing up to three stops
of shake correction in shutter speed equivalent.
This new SD800 IS model features a number
of significant advancements, including improved
low-light performance due to the combination
of optical IS and a top ISO speed of 1600,
and for the first time in the Digital ELPH
series, an optical 3.8x wide range zoom
lens (28-105mm equivalent), which employs
Canon's UA lens technology that permits
a longer zoom capability in a smaller amount
of space.
The camera's large, 2.5-inch high resolution
LCD screen has been enhanced to approximately
207,000 pixels with a bright, wide, easy
to read viewing area and is set attractively
into the Digital ELPH's rugged, stainless
steel shell with its iconic perpetual curve
design. In keeping with a decade of ELPH
philosophy that proclaims, "great things
come in small packages," this pocket-sized
photo powerhouse measures just under an
inch thick with lens retracted, 2.28 inches
high and 3.52 inches long. The Canon PowerShot
SD800 IS Digital ELPH carries an estimated
selling price of US $399.99*.
The PowerShot SD40 Digital ELPH: Elegant,
Economical and Easy-to-Use
The fashion plate of the Digital ELPH line
of cameras, Canon's new SD40 Digital ELPH
packs 7.1 megapixels of righteous resolution
into a color-keyed, stainless steel case
that bespeaks luxury and is a must have
accessory for a memory-making night on the
town. Similar in design to its 5.0 megapixel
predecessor (SD30 Digital ELPH model), the
SD40 Digital ELPH series offers four new
elegant shell tones in Twilight Sepia, a
dark rich brown with gold accents; Precious
Rose, a blushing pink attention-getter;
Noble Blue, a shade worthy of the finest
designer navy suit and, the soft yet solid
sophistication of Olive Grey.
With any of these four fashion finishes,
the SD40 Digital ELPH camera is a formidable,
fine and fun to use camera. From the virtuosity
of its 7.1 megapixel CCD and its retractable
2.4x optical zoom lens (38-90 mm equivalent)
to its easy-to-read 1.8-inch backlit LCD
monitor with 15 brightness settings the
SD40 Digital ELPH camera is Canon to the
core.
Canon supplied the PowerShot SD40 Digital
ELPH camera with an easy to use camera station
that serves as a charger, enables Hi-Speed
USB 2.0 for direct printing and image transfer
to a PC, and is even supplied with a wireless
remote to facilitate slide show displays
when sharing images on a television screen.
A mere 0.94-inches thick with the lens retracted,
1.78-inches high and 3.78 inches long, the
camera body weighs in at a very modest 3.7
ounces. The Canon PowerShot SD40 Digital
ELPH camera carries an estimated selling
price of US $349.99*.
10 Years of Iconic Style
2006 marks the 10th Anniversary of Canon's
ELPH brand. Canon pioneered the stylish
camera concept in 1996 with the first ELPH
camera, an APS film model designed to take
great pictures and fit stylishly into the
consumer lifestyle. With each PowerShot
Digital ELPH camera that Canon introduces,
the company continues to focus on style,
fashion and the distinctive look and feel
of the ELPH line, a look that many competitors
have often imitated, but never duplicated.
Canon's new PowerShot Digital ELPH cameras
honor the ELPH heritage of ultimate style
while incorporating the latest imaging technologies,
such as the DIGIC III image processor.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business,
and industrial imaging solutions. The Company
is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired
Companies in America and is rated #35 on
the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands."
Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ)
is a top patent holder of technology, ranking
second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with
global revenues of US $31.8 billion. For
more information, www.usa.canon.com.
# # #
All referenced product names, and other
marks, are trademarks of their respective
owners.
Specifications and availability are subject
to change without notice.
* Pricing subject to change at any time.
Actual prices are determined by individual
dealers and may vary
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