The first of today's announced Digital ELPH / Digital IXUS cameras is the new flagship of the range, the 6 million pixel Canon PowerShot SD700 IS. Featuring Canon's optical Image Stabilizer, a 4x optical zoom, an ISO of up to 800 and a large 2.5-inch LCD. This is the first ever ultra-compact from Canon with built-in image stabilization (but probably not the last).

• US name: Canon PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH
• European name: Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS

Press Release:

The Digital IXUS 800 IS: A new class of IXUS

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February 2006: Canon today releases the Digital IXUS that advanced photographers have been waiting for – the 6.0 Megapixel Digital IXUS 800 IS. Redefining the boundaries of compact camera design, the new flagship of the Digital IXUS range fits a 4x optical zoom lens and Canon's optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology into an incredibly slender body.

Exquisitely styled with a unique 'Curvature and Stream' design, the camera incorporates a host of cutting-edge features and shooting options to satisfy the most demanding of photographers, including:

• ISO 800 and optical IS for flash-free indoor shooting
• Canon's DIGIC II image processor, iSAPS and 9-point AiAF
• Wide viewing angle 2.5" LCD screen
• 16 shooting modes
• My Colors photo effects
• Widescreen (16:9) stills recording
• 30fps VGA movies

"IXUS is synonymous with distinctive style and leading technology," comments Mogens Jensen, head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "The Digital IXUS 800 IS adds another dimension to the range with a new level of functionality that will thrill serious photo enthusiasts."

4x optical zoom with Image Stabilizer

Smaller, lighter camera bodies are more susceptible to camera shake from handheld shots, especially in low light situations. The Digital IXUS 800 IS employs the same optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology used in Canon's professional EF lenses to reduce the image blur caused by camera shake. IS allows for sharper flash-free shooting by enabling photographers to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 stops slower. It also allows for steadier macro shooting when using the camera's 2cm Macro mode. To incorporate this technology into such a compact space, a new IS processor chip was developed by Canon's engineering team. The new chip accurately controls the movement of lens elements, delivers fast, precise shake correction – processing up to 4000 signals per second – and contributes to lower power consumption.

The 4x optical zoom lens incorporates an Ultra-High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) lens to achieve a focal length range of 35-140mm (35mm equivalent) while allowing the camera to maintain a slender profile. The camera retains a real-image optical viewfinder despite its compact size, enabling users to frame without the LCD and further extend the camera's impressive 240-shot battery capacity.

Increased ISO speed

The Digital IXUS 800 IS incorporates ISO 800 to facilitate flash-free shooting indoors - ideal in low-light environments where the use of flash is not desirable or appropriate, such as churches and concerts. A new High ISO Auto setting automatically sets exposure using the higher range of ISO sensitivities, prioritising faster shutter speeds to avoid blur from camera shake or moving subjects.

New design

In keeping with its status as a new class of IXUS, the Digital IXUS 800 IS has a resolutely unique appearance that sets it apart from its predecessors. In an evolution of the Perpetual Curve design found on the Digital IXUS 750, the camera's elegant contours are accentuated by a striking tri-coloured design – 'ice metal' silver and 'moonlight' silver in satin and glossy finishes, complemented by an ebony black gloss surrounding the LCD screen. Designer Kosei Takahashi has dubbed his concept 'Curvature and Stream', a reference to the elliptic curves of each coloured segment and the bold, flowing lines that appear where segments meet.

The large 2.5" LCD screen gracing the back of the camera features a wide viewing angle for easy sharing of images. A selectable Grid Line Display helps with image composition, while Night Display aids screen visibility after dark. The camera's mode dial is embedded into the body of the camera, leaving thumb space clear for an easier grip.

Creative shooting

Canon's My Colors photo effects can now be applied to images both before and after shooting, offering users more opportunities to customise their creations without having to connect to a PC. The Digital IXUS 800 IS offers 16 shooting modes including Manual mode. Preset scene modes assist with tricky lighting conditions, including an Underwater mode for shooting underwater with the optional Waterproof Case. Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to both images and movies.
A new Widescreen recording mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) allows for still image capturing in 16:9 format – perfect for viewing images on widescreen television or printing wide photos with a SELPHY CP series Compact Photo Printer.

The camera's powerful movie features enable recording of 30fps VGA movie clips of up to 1GB . A 60fps QVGA mode is ideal for recording fast action sequences and analysing them in slow motion, while the handy Compact mode records up to 3 minutes of footage in low resolution for easy sharing via email.

Printing and other new features

A new Print menu simplifies printing of multiple images. Full PictBridge support means users can print directly to any PictBridge compatible printer without the need for a PC. The camera's ID photo and movie stills features are also available when connected to a SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printer. A Print/Share button allows one-touch printing and easy uploads to Windows or Mac systems.
The camera's menu system now features support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.

Optional Accessories

An optional Waterproof Case (WP-DC5) allows users to bring the camera to a depth of up to 40 metres for compelling underwater shots. Specially designed Weights (WW-DC1) are available to control camera buoyancy.
Other accessories include:

• High Power Flash HF-DC1
• Soft Leather Case (DCC-70)
• Digital IXUS Metal and Leather Neck Straps
• Compact AC Power Adapter (ACK-DC30)

The camera is compatible with MMC/SD cards, and comes supplied with a 16MB Canon memory card.

Technologies Explained

DIGIC II

Canon's purpose-built DIGIC II (DIGital Imaging Core) image processor links all primary camera functions for maximum efficiency. High-speed processing results in outstanding responsiveness, rapid auto focus and extended continuous shooting ability. Advanced image processing algorithms deliver superb image detail and colour reproduction with accurate white balance and minimal noise. DIGIC II operates efficiently to extend battery life, for longer shooting on a single charge.

iSAPS

iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) automatically optimises key camera settings before every shot. Each scene is analysed and cross-referenced against Photographic Space – a vast in-camera library of photographic data. This enables the camera to make optimal adjustments to auto exposure, auto focus and auto white balance before image capture occurs.

9-Point AiAF

Canon's 9-point AiAF (Artificial Intelligence Auto Focus) automatically scans and selects subjects from a set of nine focusing areas across the scene. This ensures accurately focused images even when subjects are not in the centre of the frame.

Optical Image Stabilizer

Canon's optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology uses special vibration sensors to detect and correct slight camera shakes that can cause image blur. It allows photographers to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 stops slower with no perceptible increase in image blur. IS is extremely helpful in low light situations, at full zoom and when shooting macro photography.

Ultra-High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) lens technology

Canon's UA lens was the world's first ultra-high refractive index glass moulded aspherical lens. Made from glass with a higher refractive index than other aspherical lenses, it allows for an exceptionally slim and compact lens unit. The glass moulded aspherical shape delivers remarkable image quality and avoids the image aberrations that can occur with spherical lens designs.

The PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated selling price of $499.99.

Digital Ixus 800IS specifications

Additional images