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*February 21, 2006 – *Canon introduced a new flagship to its popular A-series along with three other A-series digital cameras today. The Canon PowerShot A700 and A540 will have 6 megapixels, while the A530 will have 5 megapixels and the A430 will have 4 megapixels. The new PowerShot digital cameras all have the improved ISO 80-800 settings that are included on other Canon releases this year. Prices of the entry level point-and-shoots range from $179 for the A430 to $349 for the A700; they will be available in March.
The Canon PowerShot A700 has a new 6 megapixel image sensor and a 6x optical zoom lens. The digital camera features 22 shooting modes that range from manual and priority modes to automatic and scene modes. The A700 is compatible with conversion lenses as well. It has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels.
The Canon PowerShot A540 replaces the A520, which was Canon’s top-selling model in 2005. Like the A700, the A540 has 6 megapixels on its new sensor. The new sensor has improved noise reduction capabilities to keep pictures looking good with the expanded ISO 80-800 offerings. The Canon A540 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen and a 4x optical zoom lens. This digital camera is compatible with conversion lenses and an optional underwater housing. It will sell for $299.
With 5 megapixels, the Canon PowerShot A530 replaces the A510 model. The A530 has the same 4x optical zoom lens of the A540 but is not compatible with conversion lenses. It also has a smaller 1.8-inch LCD screen, but the same 115,000 pixel resolution. It will retail for $229.
At a low price of $179, the Canon PowerShot A430 hits the market to replace the A410. With 4 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens, the new digital camera has a 1.8-inch LCD screen. All of these features are a slight upgrade from the A410, which had a 3.2x optical zoom lens, 3.2 megapixels, and a 1.5-inch LCD screen. The PowerShot A410 also adds sound to the movie mode.
"While ‘the one that got away’ has always made for good fish stories worthy of perhaps a thousand words or more, the perfect picture is the one that is captured for all to see and not the one almost captured if only…," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., in today’s press release. "These new A-series PowerShot digital cameras reaffirm Canon’s commitment to creating affordable, simple-to-use digital cameras that produce extraordinary quality images for the everyday picture-taker, the special occasion-shooter and the newcomer alike. Indeed, it is that very commitment to affordable imaging excellence that has made our A-series PowerShot digital cameras America’s number one choice for the past three years and it is a tradition we intend to continue for many years to come."
All of the new digital cameras have an improved My Colors mode that operates in the recording and playback modes. The cameras also have a 16:9 formatted image size to facilitate easier panorama shots and a face brightening in-camera editing function to instantly fix backlit photos right before printing them. As with all other A-series models, the new releases will be powered by AA batteries.