Canon
March 11th, 2010 by D-Photo
Tim Grey welcomes back Canon’s S-series
In the last round of releases under the PowerShot moniker, Canon apparently decided to buck the trend for ever-increasing megapixels and focus on the real business of taking photos: image quality.
As far as we can surmise, the rationale behind shrinking resolution was simple: extra pixels created more noise while shooting in low light, while photographers would rarely be making a print the size of a bus with a compact camera. With this in mind, Canon released two cameras that use a new 10 megapixel, 0.43cm2 sensor: the G11, whose predecessor had a 14 megapixel sensor, and the S90, the latest in the long-dormant S-series.
The G-series cameras tend to make professional photographers lusty, particularly the G10, which has found its way into the back pockets of shooters who use dSLRs. The cameras have great lenses, shoot RAW and go fully manual, but despite all their high-end functionality, the Gs aren’t really that slim. Enter the S90.
Gone are some functions, the swivel screen, and you’ll have to look at the monitor rather than through a viewfinder. Continuous shooting isn’t as quick and the zoom has been shaved. None of it matters. This is a camera that’ll fit in real-world pockets and which has guts to boot.
The first feature you’ll notice is the aperture ring on the front, which is easily assignable to a number of functions, including ISO, aperture, the (probably unnecessary) white balance, and the fantastically useful manual focus, which throws a magnified section of your shot into the centre of the screen and allows you to make fine adjustments to focus. Spin the wheel at the front and Bob’s your uncle – the experience is something like using a shrunken SLR.
While it’s a feature that belongs on more compacts, the wheel itself is a bit on the tacky side, and a small turn makes the whole camera move.
Otherwise the camera is solidly built despite its stature, with few plastic elements giving you the sense it’s going to break. It’s small but not fiddly, and its particularly well designed form means it’s not really in need of extra grip.
Although the S90 forgoes a viewfinder, given the compact’s intended usage its inclusion would have been inessential. While the 3.0-inch PureColor II LCD is big and crisp, it’s still an LCD screen and you’ll struggle to see it in bright daylight. When the going gets tough you can, however, trust your histogram, which handily pops up on the viewscreen.
Of course, what really matters when it comes to cameras is image quality, and with the S90 the quality is particularly high. The 28-105mm f/2.0 is an outstanding lens, especially for a camera of this size. It’s fast and sharp glass, and you’ll be able to create shots with shallow depth of field without hassle.
The S90 also makes good on its promise to deliver better low-light performance. While the f/2.0 lens in concert with the built-in image stabilisation goes a long way when you’re shooting in the dark, the sensor design takes it a step further. Noise is still an issue anywhere above and beyond 800, but shooting at 1600 will produce usable shots.
Make no mistake: at $899 the S90 is more than a lot of people would want to spend on a point-and-shoot. But it’s a cracking camera and it’s nearly $200 cheaper than its bigger brother, while matching it in terms of performance. Discerning photographers lusting after a compact camera, eat your heart out.
Canon PowerShot S90 – Specifications
Manufacturer: Canon
Model: PowerShot S90
RRP: $899
Effective pixels: 10.0 million
Image Sensor: 7.60 x 5.70 mm, 0.43cm²
LCD Monitor: 3-inch, 461,000-dot, PureColor II
Shutter: 1/1600 to 15 seconds
ISO: 80-3200
Exposure Metering: Evaluative, center-weighted, spot
Movies: 640 x 480 at 30fps, 320 x 240 at 30fps
Storage Media: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI
Battery: Lithium-ion NB-6L and charger
Dimensions: 100 x 58 x 31mm
Weight: 195g (incl batteries)
Contact: www.canon.co.nz
PROS
- Performs well in low light
- Sharp, fast f/2.0 lens
- Very compact
CONS
- Aperture ring sticks while spinning
- Expensive for a compact camera
Design 19
Performance 17
Features 18
Image Quality 16
Value for money 17
TOTAL 87/100
This article is from D-Photo 34. Click here to check it out.
February 16th, 2010 by D-Photo
Tim Grey loves Canon’s new dSLR but hankers after a full-frame sensor
You’d need about eight frames per second to capture the rate of camera development. When you’re choosing a new kit, you’ve either got to steel yourself for your new camera’s almost instantaneous obsolescence, or be prepared to fork out for the latest model as well.
With the release of the 7D, Canon hasn’t so much as updated any of its existing cameras as carved out a new niche, creating what the 
company describes as an “all-rounder” that ostensibly targets the prosumer sports-orientated shooter.
At first glance the 7D looks like it might be a souped-up 50D, last year’s sporty EOS, or a slightly cheaper version of the mighty 5D Mark II. In fact, the 7D actually rumbles all three models in significant ways.
Announced at the beginning of September, the 7D has received a feverish response from the photo community. D-Photo’s web story on the camera’s release was the month’s most read and retailers have been telling me they just can’t keep the things on the shelf.
Read the rest of this entry »
January 22nd, 2010 by D-Photo
Canons stylish new MP550 doesn’t have the same level of features as other printers we’ve tested. For starters, there’s no wireless connectivity (for that you’ll need the dearer MP560), and it also lacks the fax function of the HP. Not that many people have use for a fax these days, but I guess some of us still cling on to the technology.
What the MP550 does have is excellent photographic print quality — in fact remarkable quality, considering it is basically just a CMYK machine.
Part of the secret behind the print quality can be found in Canon’s Chromalife100+ ink set, which uses a dye-based extended gamut CMYK set and dedicated black pigment ink for laser-quality text printing. The other part of the equation is the FINE bubble-jet print head, which is capable of droplets as small as two picolitres for grain-free, continuous-tone photographic prints.
I also have a lot of time for Canon’s print drivers and bundled ICC profiles, as the MP550 happily printed exceptional prints using other manufacturers’ premium media, with results unmatched by the other two machines on test.
A decent scanner is included, while the hidden main paper tray has a generous 300-sheet capacity (probably 60gsm plain bond).
Once I’d inserted the print head and loaded inks, I was good to go with loading the Canon software, which includes Easy-PhotoPrint EX and a nifty little Solution menu taskbar allowing easy access to all the MP550’s functions. The software setup took around 15 minutes in total, and using the supplied USB cable I was printing in no time at all.
Armed with a pack of A4 300gsm Canon Photo Paper Platinum, the MP550 offered excellent print quality; skin tones on my family photographs were realistic (keep out of the sun, Jeff!), while micro-details were easily discernable. As with the other two printers here, there was no visible dot structure, and even close checking with a magnifying glass failed to reveal much in the way of dot patterns. Black reproduction was just shaded by the HP, but not by much.
The MP550 also didn’t hang around in terms of print speed; my borderless A4 prints took a whisker over three minutes at the highest quality setting. Great stuff indeed. In fact the only nitpick I could aim at the MP550 is its build quality, which is lightweight in terms of construction compared to the other two.
Even considering this, it was a super result, and bearing in mind the all-rounder abilities of the MP550 — it is a home office device, after all — the printer certainly made an impression (no pun intended).
Canon Pixma MP550 – Specs
Print Speed: Up to 36ppm (text, draft)
Print Resolution: 9600 x 2400dpi
Cartridges: Black, cyan, magenta, yellow
Scanner: 48-bit, 2400 x 4800dpi
Copier: Up to 8cpm (black text), 3.8cpm (colour text and graphics)
Memory Card Compatibility: CompactFlash, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, xD
Dimensions: 450 x 368 x 160mm
Weight: 8.1kg
CONTACT
www.epson.co.nz
PROS
- Inexpensive,
- Excellent print quality and detail
CONS
- No inbuilt wireless
- Flimsy build
Design 18
Performance 19
Features 16
Image Quality 19
Value for money 18
TOTAL 90/100
This article is from D-Photo 32.
December 10th, 2009 by D-Photo
Phil Hanson finds a lot to like in Canon’s new dSLR
Apparently determined to fill every niche in the DSLR market, Canon split its Rebel series into an entry range, the 1000D, and a better specified line that has now morphed into the 500D.
As a result, the 500D has picked up a number of features from more expensive pro and semi-pro models, including spot metering, and is all the better for it. 
Many of its functions and much of the way it works mimic the high-line models, so it’s hardly surprising we keep bumping into pros who have already adopted the 500D as a backup body.
The 500D came along quite soon after the 450D, so what we have is an evolution rather than a revolution, and a good bit of it seems to have involved taking features from the far more expensive 50D. (As this was written, the 450D remained in the range as a cheaper alternative.) For example, the CMOS sensor goes from 12 to 15 megapixels and is similar to that in the 50D. The VGA 920,000-dot monitor is another nice addition and, for those who need or want it, there’s 1080p HD video. DiG!C 4, already seen in the 50D and the new 5D Mk II wunderkind, now provides processing power.
A look at pricing helps locate the 500D’s place in the pecking order. An EOS 1000D with the EFS18-55mm IS lens typically retails for $1079, while the similarly lensed 500D sells for just under two grand. A 450D with that lens costs around $1590. Meanwhile, a 50D body alone is now typically $2190.
HOW IT HANDLES
The newcomer has the same general look and feel as its predecessors. If you’re used to larger, heavier cameras — even its big brother the 50D — the overwhelming first impression is how light the 500D’s body and lens combo is. The body is quite light at 480g, but the 18-55 zoom lens is a flyweight at just 200g. It makes for a camera that can be lugged around all day without becoming a burden.
Other than for an integral grip that feels too small, the camera fits the hands well, even large hands, and most of the controls are in just the right place. My main gripe is the plasticy feel of the surfaces, although I know from years of ownership of a much earlier Rebel that that’s certainly not synonymous with flimsy.
Use of plastic is the key to the 18-55 image-stabilised lens’s light weight. It balances well with the camera body but I didn’t like the raspy plastic-on-plastic noise it made while zooming. Covering a 28-90mm full-frame equivalent, it’s a particularly useful lens, focuses quickly and takes a decent picture.
The big display screen shows key camera settings large and clear and they can be easily adjusted via a suite of well-placed buttons that Canon calls the Interactive Quick Control panel. However, it lacks the excellent selection joystick of the 50D and 5D Mk II — perhaps we’ll see it on the 550D.
The better screen also makes the Live View function more functional — but I don’t really see much point to this feature until such time as it can be tilted to assist framing when the camera is at a difficult angle. For those who do like it, Live View now offers face detection.
A GOOD LOOK
D-Photo used the 18-55mm kit lens for most of this evaluation, but also tried the body with a variety of prime Canon lenses and a couple of the top L lenses, the 24-105 IS and the 135mm f2.
The 18-55 does quite a reasonable job. Image quality is good, even when wide open, and although there’s little vignetting at the wide end, the fishbowl effect of bowed lines is obvious in shots of, say, buildings or furniture.
Nor can the kit lens match the L glass or prime focal lengths when it comes to resolving detail, particularly at the edges at wider apertures. It’s worth investing in some better quality (read: more expensive) lenses because, despite its price point and smallish APS-C sensor, the 500D processes a mean image. The detailed, clean output, along with colour rendition and the high quality of JPEGs, are all impressive. It continues to impress at speeds of up to 1600 ISO, where detail remains good but noise is just starting to take its toll. Images become softer at 3200 and noise more intrusive but it’s still very useable. The 6400 and particularly the 12,800 settings are best saved for emergencies or special effects. This is despite Canon’s high ISO noise reduction system that’s there to offer greater control over the amount of noise reduction being applied to JPEG files at higher ISOs.
Metering choices are evaluative, partial, spot and centre-weighted average; of these I found the four-degree spot and good old centre-weighted the most useful but, except during spot metering, there was a tendency to overexpose in bright light; fortunately, minus-correction is only a button push away.
CALL THE KEY GRIP
The ability to shoot movies may appeal to a wide range of buyers. Probably due to the smaller sensor, video doesn’t quite match the quality of the 5D Mk II’s, although it’s still pretty darned good. The camera can record high definition 1080p at 20fps or 720p at 30fps. Although the 720p mode produces a smaller sized image, it provides a smoother picture and is therefore a better choice for action. And yes, you can interrupt filming to take a still image, but there’ll be a short delay in the movie. Like the 5D Mk II, sound quality is nothing startling.
CONCLUSION
Canon ices its Digital Rebel cake with more pixels, HD video, a wicked viewing screen and enough ISO speed to shoot that black cat in a dark room. Add light weight, relatively small size and picture-taking competence and it’s a product to be reckoned with. Plus, it opens the door to Canon’s huge and wide-ranging photographic system.
NIKON EOS 500D – SPECS
Manufacturer: Canon Inc
Model: EOS 500D
Effective Pixels: 15.1 million
Sensor: CMOS, 22.2 x 14.9mm with auto dust deletion
Monitor: 3-inch TFT colour LCD, approx 920,000 dots
ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12,800
Shooting Modes: Auto, program, shutter priority, aperture priority, depth of field, manual. Creative modes: portrait, landscape, close-up, action, night portrait, flash disabled, creative auto
Exposure Metering: Evaluative, partial spot (9%), spot (4%), centre-weighted average
Focus Modes: Manual, one-shot, AI servo, AI focus
Media: SD, SDHC
File format: RAW, JPEG, RAW + JPEG, MOV
Flash: Retractable, auto pop-up or EX-series Speedlites
Interface: USB, miniHDMI, PictBridge
Battery: LP-E5 lithium-ion rechargeable or AA in optional BG-E5 battery grip
Dimensions: 128 x 98 x 62mm
Weight: 480g
CONTACT
www.canon.co.nz
PROS
- Light, compact and competent
- Excellent image capturer, especially with high-quality lenses
- Good quality HD video
CONS
- Slightly plasticy appearance and feel
- Needs better quality video sound
Design 18
Performance 18
Features 18
Image Quality 17
Value for money 17TOTAL 88/100
This article if from D-Photo issue 31.
November 25th, 2009 by D-Photo
With its versatile zoom lens and HD video recording, Steve Hart can’t put the SX1 IS down
At first glance the PowerShot SX1 IS looks like a dSLR but this model has a lens fixed to its body and is a little smaller than one might expect.
Five minutes after opening the box you would have slotted in your four AA batteries and started shooting. You will be impressed by its 20x optical zoom lens that delivers clear, crisp images to the camera’s 10 megapixel CMOS sensor. It is the first time Canon has used this type of sensor in a compact camera.
Only trouble is, I wouldn’t quite call this a compact, given the ultra-slim shirt pocket models that are now doing the rounds. Certainly, CMOS sensors have — until now — only ever featured in the firm’s interchangeable lens dSLR cameras.
Sensing CMOS
It is probably because of the SX1 IS’s dSLR-like body that Canon has been able to fit in a CMOS sensor over the much smaller CCD (which was used in its predecessor, the SX10 IS). So what does it all mean?
Well, the fact these sensors are typically used in larger dSLR cameras means you are getting dSLR grunt and quality for the price of a high-end compact. And the sensor is powerful enough to capture pictures that can be printed up to A2 size (420 x 594mm). That’s larger than most domestic printers can handle, so you’ll have no trouble printing to A4 size.
And being a ‘compact’ — aimed at the person who wants to point and shoot — this camera is easy to use. But it also features many options the keen photographer needs, including the option to use it in full manual mode.
Flash
While the camera has a built-in flash, it will only light objects up to 4.8 metres away — that may be fine for most situations. However, this camera does allow you to connect an optional flashgun to its hot shoe. With a good-quality flashgun you can get the range you need to enjoy another level of creativity.
Zoom, zoom, zoom
The lens needs a special mention because it is so versatile. In opting to use a 28mm to 560mm lens, Canon has made a big effort to meet most people’s needs.
It also has a zero cm super-macro facility that should satisfy anyone keen on photographing coins, flowers, insects, jewellery and the like.
And the camera uses an optical image stabiliser (that’s what the ‘IS’ stands for) to help you keep those zoom shots steady.
Flipping out
The SX1 IS’s 2.8-inch LCD screen is a lot like those seen on video cameras. With this model you can flip out the screen and twist and tilt it to all sorts of angles. It means you can hold the camera high above your head and look at the screen to frame your shot.
And because this camera also shoots full-resolution HD moving images, the screen is perfect for recording video. Moreover, unlike some cameras, this model allows you to record video and still use the zoom feature of the lens.
Conclusion
Small and light, the PowerShot SX1 IS is a camera for
all seasons that will meet the needs of keen photographers. It shoots at up to four frames per second and has strong video recording features and a built-in stereo microphone.
CANON
POWERSHOT
SX1 IS – Specifcations
Manufacturer: Canon
Model: PowerShot SX1 IS
Effective Pixels: 10 megapixels
Lens: 28mm-560mm (35mm equivalent), 20x zoom
Monitor: 2.8-inch LCD vari-angle, approx 230,000 dots, 16:9
Viewfinder: Electronic 16:9
Picture Format: Selectable 4:3 or 16:9
Aperture: f2.8-f8.0
ISO: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Shooting Modes: Auto, P (Program), Tv (Shutter Priority), Av (Aperture Priority), M (Manual), C (Custom), Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Sports, Special Scene (Indoor, Night Scene, Sunset, Long Shutter, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, ISO 3200, Colour Accent, Colour Swap), Movie Standard, Movie HD
Media: SD
File format: JPEG, MOV
Flash: Built in flash and hot shoe for flash attachment
Interface: USB, HDMI
Battery: Four AA
Dimensions: 124 x 86.9 x 88.3mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 560g
CONTACT
www.canon.co.nz
PROS
- Fast shooting at four frames per second at full frame
- Good zoom
- Doubles as a hi-def video camera (1920 x 1080)
CONS
- Firmware upgrade needed for RAW mode shooting
Design 15
Performance 18
Features 16
Image Quality 18
Value for money 17
TOTAL 84/100
This article if from D-Photo issue 30.
October 22nd, 2009 by D-Photo
Phil Hanson enjoys the simple pleasure of taking photos with one of the easiest to use cameras on the market today.
Despite what the pundits have been saying, the megapixel race seems far from over — little shirt-pocket compacts that may never be called upon to make anything bigger than an A5-sized print are showing up with 12 to 15 megapixel sensors.
So it is with the Canon IXUS 110 IS, a 12.1 megapixel wonder that has a Smart Auto mode that uses scene detection technology to analyse the shooting scene in detail and select one of 18 modes.
Improved motion detection technology makes blur-free capture of moving subjects easier, while i-Contrast brightens the dark parts of a photo without blowing out correctly exposed areas.
The now common face detection incorporates blink detection, which, as Canon puts it, “helps avoid the disappointment of a mistimed portrait shot”. Face self-timer technology, already seen on other cameras, simplifies group shots or self-portraits by waiting until the user enters the frame before shooting; it’s really clever.
A graphical user interface even includes a hints and tips option with nuggets of advice on using the camera’s features.
Too Simple
I got a bit of a shock on picking up the IXUS 110 — it’s too darned simple! After the normal digest of dSLRs and advanced compacts, there aren’t enough buttons; where are the apparently endless menus?
Many readers will feel the same way, but it’s all part of Canon’s plan to provide foolproof shooting for people who don’t know the first thing about cameras. A heap of thoughtful development has gone into the ‘works’ behind the simple interface to ensure a high success rate
from just pointing and shooting and the results were really good.
in the Field
It’s a stylish, attractive camera with a 145g heft that suggests it’s likely to be a strong and durable product. Fortunately, Canon hasn’t gone silly with the styling and the relatively few controls are well laid out and, despite their small size, are easy to use.
The 5mm-20mm, f2.8-f5.8 lens zooms from a full-frame equivalent of 28mm to 112mm, an extremely useful range for a camera of this type. The 4x zoom range can be extended to 16x via the digital zoom feature (a wicked 448mm in full-frame terms), along with the inevitable drop in quality. There’s also a digital 1.4 or 2.0 tele-converter function, also with a loss of quality.
Without these digital enhancements and using the highest quality JPEG setting, the IXUS 110 delivers cracking good photos.
Moving Experience
The IXUS 110 does a nice job of movie capture; it has certainly developed well beyond the gimmick stage. The movies can be played on the 2.8-inch TFT LCD screen, downloaded to a computer or played via an HDMI mini connector on a suitable television panel.
Conclusion
It’s possibly a little too basic for advanced amateurs or pros to carry as a shirt pocket or purse ‘take it with you’ camera, but for most people it will tick all the boxes.
CANON IXUS 110 IS – Specifications
- Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
- Lens: Canon 5.0-20mm (28mm- 112mm full-frame equivalent)
- Monitor: 2.8-inch TFT colour LCD, approx 230,000 dots
- Shutter: 1 sec-1/1600 sec
- ISO: auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 via function menu
- Shooting Modes: Auto,
program AE, movie
- Exposure Metering: Evaluative, centre-weighted, average, spot
- Focus Modes: Face detection, centre, AiAF
- Media: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus
- File Format: JPEG Exif 2.2, MOV
- Flash: Auto, red-eye reduction and correction, slow-synch
- Battery: MB4L Lithium-ion rechargeable
- Dimensions: 98 x 54 x 22mm (W/H/D)
CONTACT
www.canon.co.nz
PROS
CONS
- Lacks optical viewfinder found on some IXUS models
Design 18
Performance 17
Features 16
Image Quality 17
Value for money 17
TOTAL 85/100
This article if from D-Photo issue 30.
August 26th, 2009 by D-Photo
Fraser Kitt was the first person in the country to get his hands on Canon’s new EOS 450D. He’s still beaming.
Canon has made some major improvements with its latest entry-level digital SLR, the EOS 450D, including shrinking the card slot for SD cards and ballooning the LCD screen to a gigantic three inches. The frame rate has taken a bump up to 3.5fps and the buffer can now withstand a massive 56 images in one hit. But is this the camera for you?
Big love
Boosting the screen size to three inches is a good thing as the information generated is so easy to read, even for aging eyes. Each box of information on the screen is clear and a quick look around the camera back will give you the corresponding button to push to make changes.
When using shutter or aperture priority the camera even prompts you to turn the wheel to make exposure adjustments. It means making adjustments using the screen is fast and allows you to tweak without raising the camera to your eye. When you do move the camera to your eye a sensor just under the eyepiece automatically shuts off the screen.
Live view
I’m still not a big fan of Live View but this new feature in dSLRs is starting to develop in the 450D. Once you have enabled Live View and scoured the custom functions for the two different settings, you will be able to read the camera like a compact.
Ideally you’ll use manual focus when shooting in Live View, but should you wish to take advantage of the camera’s auto-focus system, using the custom settings will help. Quick Mode — a contradiction in terms — lets you choose where you want the focus point to be, then, with the press of the asterisk button, will set the camera about focusing. The screen will black out when you press the button as the mirror goes down to allow focusing. It takes valuable time and is annoyingly slow.
The other option Live Mode works faster, allowing the camera to focus with the mirror up, but it is still slower than holding the camera to your eye. The beauty of the Live View settings is that you can tether the camera to your computer with the USB cable and take pictures remotely.
Get the point
The nine-point focus system works beautifully and will automatically select where your subject is when using the AI Focus. Or, with a push of the button and turn of the control wheel, you can select any of the points to use.
Conclusion
Canon has improved this model out of this world with a big 12.2 million pixel CMOS sensor, huge three-inch screen and the brilliant DiG!C III image processor for images with the correct colour balance and just the right punch to make them look realistic.
The screen could be better — it only has 230,000 pixels so double or triple this amount would make it unbelievable.
Realistically, this is a budget camera that is aimed at those who don’t want to carry a bulky camera. The ability to shoot a series of images at 3.5fps is a bonus, as are the image-stabilised lenses. And I’m sure there is someone out there who will love the Live View.
Specs
- Effective Pixels: 12.2 million
- Lens: 18-55mm EF-S IS &
55-250mm EF-S IS
- Viewfinder: Eye level pentamirror
- Monitor: 3-inch TFT colour LCD
(230,000 pixels)
- ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400,
800, 1600
- Shooting Modes: Green Auto,
Program, Aperture & Shutter
Priority, Manual, Auto Depth,
Portrait, Landscape, Macro,
Sport, Night Scene, Flash Off
- Exposure Metering: Evaluative,
Partial, Spot, Average
- Focus Modes: One shot AF, AI
servo AF, AI focus AF, manual
- Batteries: Lithium-ion
rechargeable
- Dimensions: 128.8 x 97.5 x
61.9mm
Contact
www.canon.co.nz
Pros
- Fast SD card with SDHC support
Cons
- Not enough pixels in the screen
Design 18
Performance 18
Features 18
Image Quality 19
Value for money 17
TOTAL 90/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #024
August 25th, 2009 by D-Photo
Canon has as usual constructed an entry-level camera that performs as if it is at the top of the class. The new eight million-pixel Powershot A580 has a 4x optical zoom and a bunch of useful scene modes, as well as facial recognition.
Retro Styling
The body shape is all smoothed corners, with a bulging battery housing that acts as a comfortable grip. The flowing lines give it an almost retro look, with rounded edges on the flash like the eyes of a ’50s robot. It is comfortable to hold with one hand when viewing the 2.5-inch screen, or when clutching it with both hands and viewing through the optical viewfinder.
Economical
Unlike your car’s economy, the last thing you will have to worry about with the A580 is how hungry it is on batteries. Like all the A series cameras it operates using AA batteries. Alkaline batteries are supplied, but it is wise to invest in rechargeable NiMh batteries for the most images, and it is so much greener too. Part of this camera’s success is the use of SD or SDHC cards, as they use less power to read and write images.
Facial Recognition
Facial detection is a wonderful feature on any camera, but Canon has enhanced this function so it works almost faultlessly. It is only baffled when your subject’s face is obscured or turned past profile. It will also let you select and track one person. You can still select the focus area to be in the middle, or Canon’s slick AiAF (artificial intelligent auto-focus) instinctively knows where your subject is in the scene. This last option doesn’t always get it right, but it does an impressive job 90 per cent of the time.
Modus Operandi
The Canon A580 is a clever little camera with a handy dial on the top for selecting modes. For once Canon has followed Panasonic by including not only the user-friendly green auto setting but also a little red heart (easy) setting that assumes you want to know nothing about taking a picture other than pointing the camera at your subject and pressing the button. For a little more experimentation you have a series of scene modes as well as a movie setting.
Viewfinder versus Screen
There’s an alarming trend to do away with the viewfinder, but thankfully Canon has retained this little hole. It isn’t perfect, and for most of us it will come a poor second to the big 2.5-inch screen, but if your eyes are failing like mine it is handy to have one to fall back on in bright conditions.
Conclusion
The Powershot A580 is almost perfect as an entry-level camera. It has a decent 4x optical zoom, produces sharp images in almost any lighting conditions and has a viewfinder for the visually impaired.
I’m even impressed by the length of time a set of AA rechargeable batteries lasts in it. The SDHC card support makes it a winner, as does the fast start-up time, but it does struggle to give sufficient flash coverage when zoomed out, and the higher ISO range produces grainy (noisy) results. Canon has a strong design and a proven track record that pushes this camera up the rankings.
Specs
- Effective Pixels: Eight million
- Lens: 5.8-23.2mm (35mm film equivalent 35-140mm)
- Viewfinder: Real Image optical viewfinder
- Monitor: 2.5-inch TFT LCD (115,000 pixels)
- Shutter: 15 to 1/2000 sec
- ISO: Auto, Hi ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
- Shooting Modes: Auto, Easy, Manual, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids and Pets, Indoor, Night Scene, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks and Aquarium, Movie – Standard or Compact.
- Exposure Metering: Evaluative, Centre Weighted Average, Spot
- Focus Modes: Face detect, AiAF (nine points), Centre.
- File Format: JPEG, WAV, AVI Motion JPEG
- Interface: USB2, audio/video output
- Dimensions: 94.3 x 64.7 x 40.8mm
Contact
www.canon.co.nz
Pros
- Simple scene settings and loads
of them
Cons
Design 17
Performance 18
Features 17
Image Quality 18
Value for money 18
TOTAL 88/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #024.
August 18th, 2009 by D-Photo
Over at the input side of photography, engineers push ever onward to offer higher megapixel counts; while on the output side, printer boffins seem to be equally eager to increase the number of ink cartridges.
Three ink cartridges used to be enough. Then we went to four. Soon we had six, then eight colours became common on consumer-level printers. Now Canon’s PIXMA Pro 9500 offers no fewer than 10 14ml pigment-ink cartridges. The idea is to help produce better prints, just as the megapixel arms race helps enhance the quality of image capture.
The 9500’s manifest comprises cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta, red, green, matte black, photo black and grey, the last three suggesting that this might also be a competent monochrome printer. It’s capable of a maximum resolution of 4800×2400dpi using a three-picolitre droplet size.
Canon engineered the $1365 Pro 9500 robustly and its build quality is high. It sits lower than some competitors, but requires a reasonably large bench area when set up for work — about 70cm wide and 80cm deep. This is because the paper goes in at the back and comes out the front and larger sizes need pull-out supports. In addition to sheets of up to A3+ and 2mm thick, it prints on suitable CDs and DVDs in a special tray.
Setup was straight, clean and simple, although I found myself cursing Canon for not including a USB cable in the box. Also missing is a comprehensive printed manual; it’s all on screen.
The Pro 9500 will print directly from a digital camera via PictBridge and a USB cable that plugs into the printer’s front panel.
When evaluating a printer, I like to start with A4 glossy paper and move on from there. The first prints on Canon paper using Canon ink and the appropriate Canon profiles — with colour management by Photoshop CS3 — oozed
‘wow’ factor.
It was the richness of the colours rather than just being contrasty that made these prints stand out. This was evident in a Hong Kong street scene, a small part of which showed a sheet of plastic wrap in a rubbish bin. The gradation from light grey to white in the plastic was outstanding.
Moving to monochrome, the Pro 9500 gave the stellar performance hinted at by the contents of its ink cradle. It was particularly good on glossy paper; I needed to make small tweaks to get a little more punch from matte and flat specialty media.
Canon generously supplied a range of its Fine Art papers to try. These were Premium Matte, Photo Rag and Museum Etching. I wasn’t able to warm to the Rag — others probably will. However, I have nothing but praise for Premium Matte and Museum Etching. The latter is a thick, luxurious paper that’s a pleasure to handle and print on. It will enhance almost any type of image.
The Pro 9500 is a particularly quiet printer, though not the fastest on the block. It’s feature-rich, easy to use as produces gorgeous prints in colour or black and white.
Specs
- Size: (Stored) 660 x 353 x 193mm
- Printing technology: Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) 7680 nozzle print head
- Ink: Canon pigment matte black, photo black, cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta, red, green, grey
- Paper: Single sheet to 2mm thick, CD
- Resolution: 4800 x 2400 dpi
- Print size: 9 x 13 to 329 x 483mm (A3+)
- Print speed: approx 2 minutes 7 seconds A4 to four minutes A3
Contact
www.canon.co.nz
Pros
- Top build quality
- Excellent monochrome printing
- Quiet
Cons
- Slightly flat monochrome on
Fine Art papers
- No USB cable supplied
Design 17
Performance 18
Features 18
Image Quality 18
Value for money 18
Total 89/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #023.
August 18th, 2009 by D-Photo
Canon has taken the idea of a medium range 6x optical zoom, added an image stabiliser and given it a flourish with huge 12.1 million pixel sensor and articulated 2.5-inch screen with enough manual control to please any keen photographer
Well built
The A650’s build quality is faultless. Control switches and buttons are all positive in action with icons that are easy to decipher. The back of the camera is dominated by the swivelling 2.5-inch screen that folds out for viewing and away to protect the screen when not required.
If you shoot architecture or landscapes where vertical and horizontal lines need to be straight then the grid lines are a handy assistant. You can also get the camera to show you a 3:2 ratio ghosting so you know when you’ll crop heads off in a 6×4-inch print.
The A650IS runs on AA batteries. It comes with two Alkalines but you’ll want to invest in rechargeables if you plan to use this camera a lot. Power consumption isn’t huge thanks to the use of SD cards, and you can use the new SDHC models for more capacity.
Focus on this
Face detect works brilliantly, picking up your subjects effortlessly and tracking them across the screen. Focus isn’t restricted to fancy tricks: you have the choice of putting the focus point wherever you choose with flexi-zone or using the AiAF to let the camera choose where your subject is — a task it
performs with alarming accuracy. If you like to get in close then you’ll fall in love with the macro, which will bring you to within 10mm.
The built-in flash will only keep up with the zoom range if you bump up the ISO. The range can be adjusted manually up to 1600 or you can get the camera to do it automatically in the ‘Hi’ setting. To cover the whole telephoto distance of the zoom will require you to delve into scene mode and choose the ISO3200 setting. This setting will happily give you flash coverage but at a price: the noise is horrendous.
Conclusion
It’s a camera that your mum could use out of the box or you could give it to a seasoned photographer who’d play with the manual controls. Canon has neglected to give the flash enough grunt to successfully keep up with the fantastic 6x optical zoom and people will want to use this great range.Relying on ISO range to give good images isn’t the answer. The swivelling screen is worth its weight , though, as you no longer have to lie on the ground to get macro shots or blindly hold your camera above the head of some big goon in front of you at the rugby.
Specs
- Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
- Lens: 6x optical zoom, 7.4mm – 44.4mm (35-210mm 35mm equivalent)
- Viewfinder: Real image zoom
- LCD Monitor: 2.5-inch LCD variable angle, 173,000 pixels
- Shutter: 15 to 1/2000 sec
- ISO: Auto, Hi-ISO Auto, 80 to 3200 (in scene mode)
- Exposure Metering: Evaluative, centre-weighted average, spot
- Focus Modes: TTL autofocus, AF lock, manual, face detect, AiAF 9-point, centre and flexi
- Media: SD, SDHC MMC, MMC Plus, HC MMC plus.
- File Format: JPEG, AVI, Motion JPEG WAV
- Flash: Auto, on, off, 2nd curtain
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Batteries: 2x AA (alkaline batteries supplied)
- Dimensions: 112.1 x 67.8 x 56.2mm
- Weight: 300g
contact
www.canon.co.nz
Pros
- Swivelling screen
- 6x optical zoom with stabiliser
- Handy grid lines and 3:2
ration guide
Cons
Flash doesn’t go the distance
ISO3200 gives noisy results
Design 17
Performance 16
Features 17
Image Quality 16
Value for money 15
TOTAL 81/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #023.
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