Seven new compacts from Canon

Canon Australia has announced seven additions to its digital compact range including two models with WiFi connectivity.

The announcements are  somewhat in advance of Australian availability, co-inciding with the CP+ exhibition in Yokohama this week.

The two Wi-Fi models are the 10-megapixel, 12 zoom Ixus 510 HS (pictured right) and the 16-megapixel, 5x zoom Ixus 240 HS.

Both also feature 3.2-inch LCD touch screens, a high-sensitivity CMOS sensor, full HD video recording capabilities, and a DIGIC 5 image processor.

Users can now share their images and movies via email and by uploading to some social media sites (including Facebook and YouTube) via web-enabled Wi-Fi devices, smartphones and tablets including iPhone 4/4S, iPad/iPad2 and iPod Touch 4th generation with iOS 4.3 or higher.

Both models also feature Intelligent IS and Face ID. They will be available in Australia in April.

Superzooms and outdoor types

The 12-megapixel PowerShot SX260 HS features a 20x optical zoom lens with 25mm equivalent wide angle plus a high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and GPS technology for worldwide image tracking.

The same sensor is used in the unusually-shaped new PowerShot D20, (pictured right), which features a 5x zoom lens from 28mm wide-angle. The D20 is waterproof to 10 metres, can withstand drops of 1.5 metres and temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius. It also features integrated GPS technology.

Also announced are the 16-megapixel PowerShot A4000 IS with 8x zoom, and the PowerShot A2400 IS and PowerShot A2300, both with 5x zoom. The new cameras feature an improved ‘intelligent’ auto mode with 58 scene recognition presets in the SX260 HS and 32 in the A-series models.

The SX260 HS and D20 can record Full HD 1080p video, while the A-series models record 720p HD video.

The new SX and A-series cameras will be available from March, 2012. with the D20 scheduled for release in June.