A massive Canon-ball is hitting the digital camera pool, and it's the Canon PowerShot D10, the company's first underwater compact. Also new this year are revamped entry-level A-series models, the Canon PowerShot A2100 IS, PowerShot A1100 IS and PowerShot A480 IS. Color is hot for 2009 and Canon has gone to town on nearly all of its new models, providing the most eclectic assortment of palettes we've seen to date. Architecture is also overhauled, as we saw with the new Digital Elph lineup, and the PowerShot D10 looks like something out of a Teletubbies episode. Aside from a megapixel boost here and there, the A-series remains relatively unchanged internally for '09, so the spotlight belongs to the Canon PowerShot D10. Let's get our oxygen tanks on and dive in.
Sea Creature
 The new 12–megapixel Canon PowerShot D10 is unlike any camera we've ever come across, resembling a little plastic pillow with angled corners. The Canon PowerShot D10 looks more like something we'd expect to find in Toys 'R' Us than Best Buy, but that's part of its allure. We have to applaud Canon for escaping from the rigid constraints of an uninspiring rectangular box design this year, and all of their compacts are visually discernable from one another. The giant consumer flag was raised when we found out that the Canon PowerShot D10 supports customizable face plates and "cool" straps, providing a level of iPhone-like customization within the digital camera world.
Canon's usually the company that sits back and watches all the other manufacturers iron out the kinks of a new technological phenomenon before swooping in and putting them all to shame. We hope that's the case with the Canon PowerShot D10, and the camera's specs seem promising. The Canon PowerShot D10 is submergible underwater up to 10 meters (33 feet) while the recently announced Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 and Olympus Tough 8000 can withstand a 33-foot plummet as well. The PowerShot D10 is also shock-proof up to 4 feet, freeze-proof down to 14 degrees, and dust-proof, making the new underwater orb a fierce competitor within its class.
The interface is fairly cluttered with controls and a four-way directional pad, and the Canon PowerShot D10 sports a 2.5-inch LCD, which might be difficult to see underwater due to its petite size. The 3x optical zoom means you'll have to swim a little closer to that shark in order to capture a decent shot, but zooming underwater is overrated. The Canon PowerShot D10 will ship in May for $380 and will be available in an Ocean Blue and Silver combination.
Bottom of the Totem Pole
  Aside from a fresh coat of paint, Canon's top two A-series models look identical to last year's equivalents. Though the Canon PowerShot A2100 IS and Canon PowerShot A1100 IS remain unchanged structurally, the Canon PowerShot A2100 IS has been upgraded to a 12-megapixel sensor and 6x optical lens. The PowerShot A1100 IS retains the same 10-megapixel sensor and 4x optical zoom.
Both cameras feature their respective 3-inch and 2.5-inch LCDs, but have been upgraded to Digic 4 processing. The Canon PowerShot A2100 IS will ship in April for $250 and the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS is set to leave the warehouse shelves in late February. The PowerShot A2100 IS will be available in Black only while the PowerShot A1100 IS will be available in four different pastel colors consisting of Pink, Green, Blue and Silver.
 Canon's bottom rung offering gets a design overhaul this year, featuring a highly compact, rectangular design with rounded corners and minimal controls. The Canon PowerShot A480 IS is the only model to remain stuck with Digic 3 processing, but it has an upgraded 10-megapixel sensor and 3.3x optical zoom. The 2.5-inch LCD is also carried over, and that just about sums up the major changes for the entry-level A-series model. The Canon PowerShot A480 IS will ship in mid February for $130 and is available in Red, Blue, Silver or Black.
|
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive