digital cameras: 2009

Sony announces a raft of new digital camera models

Cameras so ammed with features, they'll make you look half-decent.

Including the T90 and T900 ultra-slim digital cameras, Sony has today announced the existence of no less than five new digital cameras. Whilst we’ve detailed the more waife-like T series models here, Sony’s other cameras look just as promising.

First off, the Cyber-Shot H20 mini-SLR will bring 10.1-Megapixels and a 10x optical zoom lens to the camera-filled table. It’ll carry Sony’s usual supply of hi-tech imaging features such as SteadyShot and face-detection, plus Intelligent Scene Recognition, which larks about with settings until it finds the best picture set up. It’ll retail for £269 come April.T

The Cyber-Shot S930 is another 10.1-Megapixel offering, but sits on the budget end of Sony’s camera range. It’ll encase a 4x optical zoom, come in Balck, Silver or Pink and go for a bargain-tastic £99 from April.

Finally, the Cyber-Shot W270 represent’s Sony’s ‘simple-but-impressive’ digital camera ambitions. Available from mid-March, it’ll rock an impressive 5x optical zoom and 28mm wide shooting angle. Like the updated T series, it’ll also record in 720p Hi-Def-o-vision and BIONZ processor for crystal 12.1-Megapixel images.

The W270 is set to go for £239

Canon launches new Ixus cameras

Popular range of small cameras to grow

Canon has announced the launch of 4 new Ixus cameras.

The Ixus range has sold well since it appeared in 2000, and these latest models have the most features of any Ixus.

Ixus 95 IS and 100 IS

The 95 IS and 100 IS cameras will be the cheapest in the new Ixus range.

The 95 IS has 10Mp and a 35-105mm lens, whereas the 100 IS comes with 12.1Mp and a 33-100mm lens. As their names suggest, both have image stabilisation. Both also have viewfinders - quite rare in the small camera market.

.Ixus 110 IS and 990 IS

The 110 IS is also small, and houses a 28-112mm lens and high definition (HD) movie recording. A touch-sensitive dial, attractive metal finish and an accelorometer feature for skipping through pictures quickly in preview mode further differentiate it from cheaper Ixus models.

The 990 IS has a slightly larger LCD, and with a zoom range of 37-185mm, users will be able to zoom in much further. It is slightly bigger than the 110 IS, but Canon says it weighs 165g without battery - still lightweight.

PowerShot SX 200 IS

Image of PowerShot SX200 IS

Canon has also announced three new models in their PowerShot range. The most interesting is the SX200 IS. It is one of a growing number of cameras on the market that is quite small, but with a very powerful zoom range - in this case 28-336mm. An aluminium body helps to keep the weight down.

PowerShot A-Series

The new A1100 IS and A1200 IS sit a little further down Canon's range than the SX200 IS. Both are powered by AA batteries, the cheaper A1100 IS has a 35-140mm lens and 3 inch LCD, whereas the A1200 IS has 36-216mm and a 2.5 inch screen. The A1100 IS also has a viewfinder to make up for the smaller screen size. Both cameras have 12.1Mp sensors.

Olympus FE370 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue)

Manufacturer's Description

While small in size, the Olympus FE-370 is full of impressive imaging technologies packed into a slim, colorful metal body ideal for people on the move. The FE-370 features 8.0 megapixels of resolution; Dual Image Stabilization for virtually blur-free images; Face Detection for crisp portraits; Perfect Shot Preview to see various shot options before the shutter is pressed; In-Camera Help Guide that makes print manuals obsolete; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for convenience; and an LCD backlight boost for viewing in bright light.
Dual Image Stabilization virtually eliminates blur from shaking hands or moving subjects and joins with the TruePic III Image Processor to produce crystal clear images.
A new Intelligent Auto Mode selects the appropriate shooting mode automatically based on where the camera is aimed, and optimizes the settings accordingly.
Powerful 5x optical zoom captures action at a distance that is displayed on a big and bright 2.7-inch high resolution LCD.
Smile Shot automatically triggers the shutter only when a subject smiles, and Expression Edit can even turn frowns upside down.

New Intelligent Auto Mode
Tired of changing the settings on your camera every time you’re shooting something different? Included in the FE-370, the Intelligent Auto Mode automatically identifies what you are shooting (Portrait, Landscape, Night + Portrait, Macro, Sports) and adjusts the camera’s settings to capture the best quality results. First-time users will enjoy this quick and hassle-free feature, which does the thinking for them and produces incredible images like a pro.

Fujifilm Finepix A900 9MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

Manufacturer Description

Designed specifically for the first-time digital camera buyer and consumers seeking an affordable, easy-to-operate upgrade to their current digital camera, Fujifilm's FinePix A900 is loaded with features usually reserved for more advanced models. The A900 incorporates Fujifilm’s signature Super CCD sensor technology with 9.3 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom lens and feature ISO levels of up to 800.

Following in the footsteps of Fujifilm’s more advanced digital cameras, the FinePix A900 shoots with light sensitivities of up to ISO 800 at full resolution. These higher light sensitivities enable the user to shoot with faster shutter speeds, which lessen the likelihood of blurry pictures caused by a moving subject or the shake of an unsteady hand. To make it easy for consumers to achieve blur-free results, the FinePix A900 features a Picture Stabilization mode in the dial setting. This easy-to-identify setting automatically chooses the correct light sensitivity and best-matching shutter speed, producing the highest quality digital pictures without blur and the noise often associated with high sensitivity photographs.

The FinePix A900 also features a new, intuitive icon-based Graphic User Interface (GUI). When users switch shooting modes, scene positions or control settings, a brief explanation of the setting is momentarily displayed on the LCD screen, taking much of the guess work out of digital camera operation. Additionally, the camera features a conveniently placed mode dial that provides easy access to the most commonly used shooting modes, including Auto, Picture Stabilization and Movie modem and allows 1-touch access to other pre-programmed scene modes.

Another great feature of the FinePix A900 is the new xD/SD/SD-HC Media Compatible slot; which accepts not only Fujifilm’s traditional xD-Picture Cards, but also Secure Digital (SD) and Secure Digital-High Capacity (SD-HC) media cards. In offering these media options, Fujifilm is providing greater choice and flexibility to consumers who purchase Fujifilm digital cameras.

Fujifilm FinePix Z200fd 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom (Pink)

Manufacturer's Description

Despite being only 20.0mm thick, the 10-megapixel FinePix Z200fd touts cutting-edge technology and advanced features including a Fujinon 5x optical zoom lens, a high-resolution, scratch-resistant 2.7-inch LCD and sensitivity settings of up to ISO 1600 that enable partygoers to take beautiful, natural-looking images without flash, retaining the atmosphere of twilight and late-night events.

Featuring Fujifilm’s acclaimed Face Detection Technology, now working in tandem with automatic red-eye removal, the FinePix Z200fd makes it easy to capture your friends’ good sides. At the press of a button, this mode identifies up to 10 human faces in a scene, and sets the correct focus and exposure, regardless of where subjects are located within the frame. The FinePix Z200fd then instantly checks each detected face for red eye and, if found, corrects it automatically in the camera, avoiding the process of editing later.

Timing Is Everything The FinePix Z200fd debuts Fujifilm’s new Couple Timer Mode and Group Timer Mode, ensuring you can appear in every shot you take, even when there’s no one else around to take the picture! Working in conjunction with Face Detection Technology, these self-timer modes automatically capture the image when the camera has detected faces in a frame.