Canon launches 3 new point-and-shoot PowerShots

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February 2006: Canon today announces the release of three fun, easy and affordable cameras – the PowerShot A420, PowerShot A430 and PowerShot A530. The new additions to the popular PowerShot A-series range offer consumers an outstanding combination of easy-to-use features, solid construction and excellent image quality at an entry-level price.

Key features

* PowerShot A420 – Ultimate ease of use and affordability with a 4.0 Megapixel CCD, 3.2x optical zoom (approx. 11x combined), 15 shooting modes, VGA movies and 5-point AiAF auto focus.
* PowerShot A430 – Available in four fun colours with a 4.0 Megapixel CCD, 4.0x optical zoom (approx 14x combined), 15 shooting modes, VGA movies with sound, AV out and flexible 9-point AiAF focusing.
* PowerShot A530 – Offering impressive performance with a 5.0 Megapixel CCD, 4x optical zoom (approx. 16x combined), 17 shooting modes, VGA movies with sound, 9-point AiAF and ISO 800 for improved low-light flexibility.

All three cameras incorporate Canon's acclaimed DIGIC II processor and iSAPS technology for rapid processing speeds, highly responsive controls and superb image quality.
Sitting just below the PowerShot A540 – also released today – in the PowerShot A-series range, the cameras will appeal to first time digital camera buyers as well as experienced photographers looking for a second take-anywhere camera.

"Since the launch of the PowerShot A5 in 1998, the A-series has helped millions of European consumers switch to digital," explains Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "With these new additions to the range, Canon is making high quality digital photography more accessible than ever before."

Effortlessly easy

The three new PowerShot cameras are designed to make it simple for anyone to take great photos. The compact, lightweight bodies are ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably in the hand, while intuitively positioned buttons provide fingertip access to key camera controls. The bright 1.8" LCD screens feature a selectable Grid Line Display to help with shot composition and a Night Display mode for easy visibility after dark.

The 9-point AiAF (5-point AiAF on the PowerShot A420) focuses quickly and accurately on subjects even when off-centre, to ensure consistently sharp images. An AF-assist Beam helps with focusing in low light conditions. The PowerShot A420 and PowerShot A430 also feature a 1cm Super Macro mode for close-up focusing on tiny subjects.

A wide range of shooting modes – 15 on the PowerShot A420 and PowerShot A430 and 17 on the PowerShot A530 – help deliver excellent results in almost any situation. Preset Special Scene modes assist with picture taking in tricky lighting conditions, including Indoor, Beach and Snow. For creative experimentation, Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to images and movies direct from the camera. Users can keep one colour and change the rest to black and white with Color Accent, or exchange one colour for another with Color Swap. The cameras also feature My Colors photo effects for additional in-camera colour customisation.

A dedicated Movie mode enables recording of high quality VGA movies of up to 3 minutes in length with the PowerShot A420, and an impressive 60 minutes or 1GB (whichever is reached first) with the PowerShot A430 and PowerShot A530. The PowerShot A430 and PowerShot A530 capture movie clips with audio and can connect to a TV or PC for full screen playback. A convenient Compact mode allows users to create email-ready movie clips for sending to friends and family.

Advanced shooting options

The PowerShot A530 incorporates high sensitivity ISO 800 to facilitate flash-free shooting indoors - ideal in environments where the use of flash is not desirable or appropriate, such as churches and concerts.

With widescreen televisions becoming increasingly popular across Europe, Canon has incorporated a new Widescreen stills setting in all three cameras. Users can capture panoramic stills in 16:9 format for playback on widescreen television or printing on wide size paper to a SELPHY Compact Photo Printer.

Instant photo prints

All cameras are PictBridge compliant for instant direct printing to compatible printers. When combined with Canon SELPHY CP series printers, the cameras make an economical digital photo solution with 10 x 15cm photos costing as little as 0.30 euro cents . Users can also print ID photos and still images from movies when connected to a SELPHY CP series printer. The handy Print/Share button on each camera allows one-touch printing and hassle-free uploads to Windows or Macintosh systems. A new dedicated Print menu makes it easier than ever to access and organise print jobs direct from the camera.
The cameras’ menu systems now feature support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.

Accessories

A complete range of optional accessories is available:

* High Power Flash (HF-DC1)
* Soft Case (PowerShot A420 and PowerShot A430: DCC-400, PowerShot A530: DC-80)
* Compact AC Power Adapter (ACK800)
* Battery Charger Kit (CBK4-300)
* NiMH Batteries (NB4-300)

The cameras are compatible with MMC/SD cards, and come supplied with a 16MB Canon memory card.