IFA 2007 - Canon's PowerShot cameras get performance upgrade
Should the IXUS range announced at IFA 2007 be a little too "consumer" for your tastes, then Canon may have the answer: they've also launched two new PowerShot models, the G9 and the A650 IS. Each has a 13.1-megapixel CCD, 6x optical zoom and optical image stabilization, together with a host of features and customizable settings.
Sober in its compact black casing, the G9 nonetheless packs a 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor and can snap RAW images at a high enough resolution to blow up to poster-size. The same DIGIC III processing as featured on the IXUS range makes for better colour reproduction and cleaner images when taken at high ISO speeds, and in fact the G9 supports up to ISO 1600 (with automatic ISO shift where the camera can instantly raise the ISO to reduce the risk of blurring).
It's the manual features that set the PowerShot G9 apart, though, including 9-point AiAF and FlexiZone autofocus and autoexposure, together with face detection for AF/AE/FE and a full 25 different shooting modes.
The A650 IS, meanwhile, has the same big CCD, DIGIC III processor, ISO 1600 support and Face Detection, but fewer shooting modes (down to 21) and a smaller screen (2.5-inch compared to the G9's 3-inch). Its screen does, however, tilt and rotate, folding in on the camera body when not in use. It'll also shoot 30fps VGA movies.
Both are available now.