Canon Expands Its Camera Line-up with the EOS 6D & Five New PowerShot Models
While the end of 2012 is approaching, Canon reveals that it's not done yet with the camera releases. In addition to unveiling its most affordable full-frame DSLR, the EOS 6D, there are also five new PowerShot cameras. Now, which camera should you ask Santa for this coming Christmas?
Canon Brings the EOS 6D and Five PowerShot Cameras to Our Shores
It’s been a busy year in general for cameras, and before the year comes to an end, it appears that Canon has more cameras up its sleeve before calling it a day. Besides the EOS 6D full-frame DSLR, Canon also unveiled five new PowerShot digital compact cameras at a press event today. As usual, we've all the highlights.
EOS 6D
The camera aspects of the 6D seems to be in-line with the current generation of full-frame offerings, with a 20.2-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor and Canon’s latest Digic 5+ image processor. With the 5D series of DSLRs being a popular tool for recording video, the 6D carries the torch with its 1,920 x 1,080-pixel full HD video recording (25 or 30 fps) capability. 1280 x 720-pixel HD recording is also possible, with frame-rate at either 60 or 50 fps.
The 6D also comes with an 11-point autofocus system, and if you have always been put off by a full-frame camera’s weight, the 6D is actually lighter than the average full-frame DSLR at 680g. In comparison, the 5D Mark III weighs in at 860g, while the Nikon D600 sits at 760g.
There are some handy shortcut buttons found on top of the camera that let you access certain settings like the ISO settings or drive modes. These save you the trip down the menus.
The Power switch is located behind the mode dial, unlike previous full-frame EOS models.
The silent shutter mode that is found on the 5D Mark III also makes an appearance in the 6D, but a swiveling screen is still a rarity among full-frame cameras (save the Sony A99), and the 6D is no exception. It does however has a bright and sharp 1,040K-dot LCD screen.
But what the 6D has that not many full-frame DSLRs can claim to have is built-in Wi-Fi and GPS support. Wi-Fi capability presents convenience in the form of being able to wireless transfer images to external storage devices, or upload images and videos online. But what’s more interesting and perhaps more useful, is the ability to connect, via Wi-Fi, to a smartphone and use the EOS Remote app to control the camera remotely, and even remote trigger the shutter.
The EOS 6D will be available by the end of November, though details on price were not revealed yet.
Input and output terminals like the HDMI port and mic jack can be found on the left side of the camera.
Control layout at the back of the 6D is more streamlined and sports fewer buttons than the 5D Mark III.
PowerShot G15
For a long while, the Canon PowerShot G-series represents the company's highest-end compact cameras, and is aimed at the serious photographer or photography enthusiast. The current model, the G12, has been released for a good two years, and it’s not a moment too soon that its successor has appeared.
The G15 improves on the G12’s lens with an even faster lens (from F2.8-4.5 to F1.8-2.8). The G15’s main selling point is its fast autofocus, and after our hands-on, we do agree that the G15 sports one of the quickest autofocus in a compact camera, something you will find useful if you’re interested in sports or action photography.
But while improvements have been made in terms of autofocus speed and a faster lens, the swivel screen of the G12 has been omitted from the G15. Looking on the bright side, this does result in a more compact camera. Construction-wise, the G15 felt very solid and sturdy in our hands, something we would expect from a premium compact.
The G15 will hit stores in mid-October and will cost you S$799.
Unlike the G12, which had the control dials stacked on top of each other, the G15 features a staggered set-up. This implementation made shooting and rotating the dials with one hand easier.
You will notice that the G15 has an optical viewfinder, which makes for a more traditional shooting experience for those who grew up on film SLRs or DSLRs.
The G12 is well put together, and felt solid in our hands.
PowerShot S110
The S110 is basically an incremental upgrade to the popular S100. Lens, sensor and image processor are basically those found in its predecessor. The S110 comes with a 12-megapixel, 1/1.7-inch sensor, and a DIGIC 5 image processor. At the widest end it offers a fast aperture of F2.0, though it is much slower at the telephoto end (F5.9).
Controls also remain unchanged, which is actually a good thing since the controls on the S100 are intuitive and prominently laid out. Let’s not forget the programmable control ring found on the lens, which is also found on many a premium compact. As the popular adage goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Canon certainly did something right with the control ring. We hope to see other brands incorporating this into their camera design.
So what’s new with the S110? It seems this year’s most popular feature to be included in cameras is Wi-Fi connectivity, and the S110 brings that to the table, allowing you to upload images online. And with smartphones all touting intuitive and user-friendly touch interfaces, it's only a matter of time before digital compact cameras follow suit. The S110 has a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD monitor that allows for users to pinch-to-zoom as well as swipe to navigate, which are common gestures in smartphones.
The S110 is available in stores right now to the tune of S$669, and comes in white, black or silver.
Design-wise, the S110 doesn't differ that much from its predecessor, the S100.
The S110 still retains the control ring (which we like a lot) around its lens.
The difference in size between the G15 and the S110.
PowerShot SX50 HS
Ever been to a sports event or traveled on holiday only to find that you’re out of range to shoot something even with your compact camera’s zoom fully maxed out? Canon seeks to solve this with the PowerShot SX50’s 50x optical zoom capability. Yes, 50x optical zoom!
Expecting a bulky body to house the 50x optical zoom lens, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the SX50 HS is reasonably compact and light-weight. A few quick test shots also revealed that Canon’s image stabilization remains one of the best in the business, with shots being relatively sharp at the 50x telephoto end.
And to further aid with shooting at longer zoom ranges, the SX50 HS features a Zoom Framing Assist-Lock button, which will help to further reduce camera shake when activated. There’s also a Zoom Framing Assist-Seek button, which will zoom out to help users locate their subject or frame their shot when they zoom in too fast and lose track of their subject. Releasing the button will return the camera to the initial magnification range so you can instantly snap the image after locating your subject.
The SX50 HS will set you back S$799 and will be available in mid-October.
The SX50 is the only PowerShot model announced today that sports a swivelling LCD screen.
The SX50 felt light in our hands despite its impressive 50x optical zoom lens. This picture shows how far the lens extends out from the body at maximum zoom.
The SX50 sports a curved, DSLR-like hand grip for better handling. Needless to say, a better grip will lessen the chance of hand shake.
PowerShot SX500 IS & PowerShot SX160 IS
The SX160 IS
The SX500 IS
If you don’t really need 50x optical zoom, and are looking for something slightly more compact, then have a look at the PowerShot SX500 IS and PowerShot SX160 IS. The SX500 IS sports 30x optical zoom, and still manages to be the world’s lightest 30x optical zoom compact camera at 341g. The SX160 IS has a 16x optical zoom for those who just need a more modest zoom range.
Both cameras feature Intelligent IS, which helps to select the optimal image stabilization settings depending on your shooting situation. This helps to minimize camera shake, and in turn, lands you sharper images, especially at the zoom end.
Both cameras sport the DIGIC 4 image processor, which is capable of shooting videos at HD resolutions.
Both the SX500 IS and SX160 IS are available for sale right now, with the SX500 IS priced at S$499 and the SX160 IS at S$299.
The SX160 features the most compact profile among the superzooms unveiled today.
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