Canon launches five new PowerShot cameras, including the G15, featuring a bright f/1.8 lens
and fastest AF performance among Canon compact cameras
Canon PowerShot G15
September 19, 2012
TOKYO, September 19, 2012—Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. announced today in Japan the launch of five
new PowerShot-series compact digital cameras: the G15, S110, SX50 HS, SX500 IS and SX160 IS. In addition to incorporating a newly
designed bright f/1.8-2.8 lens, the high-end G15 features Canon’s newly developed CMOS sensor and the high-performance DIGIC 5
image processor to achieve the fastest AF performance of any Canon compact camera. The PowerShot S110 offers Wi-Fi connectivity
enabling images to be sent wirelessly to a smartphone while the PowerShot SX50 HS and SX500 IS mark world firsts with the SX50 HS
being the world’s first compact camera to incorporate a 50x optical zoom lens and the SX500 IS is the world’s lightest compact
camera equipped with a 30x optical zoom lens. And the SX160 IS, in addition to a 16x optical zoom lens, features ZoomPlus
technology, which extends the camera’s zoom range up to approximately 32x through digital magnification while still maintaining
a high level of resolution.
PowerShot G15
Successor to the PowerShot G12 (released in October 2010), which offers full-fledged manual controls and expandability,
the new Canon PowerShot G15 compact digital camera employs a newly designed bright f/1.8–2.8 aperture, 28–140 mm 5x optical zoom
lens that supports a range of angles of view, from wide angle to telephoto. With a minimum focusing distance of 1 cm, the camera
makes possible exceptional imaging results with subtle detail during macro shooting.
Featuring an improved AF algorithm and faster data-reading from the image sensor, the PowerShot G15 performs AF in 0.17 seconds
during wide-angle photography—an approximately 53% reduction compared with its predecessor—realizing the fastest AF performance
of any Canon compact camera. Furthermore, the G15’s lag time has been significantly reduced from the previous model’s 0.40 seconds
to 0.22 seconds during wide-angle photography. Ensuring that no important photo opportunity is lost, a High-Speed Burst HQ
function makes possible a continuous shooting speed of approximately 10 images per second at the camera’s full resolution of
approximately 12.1 megapixels.
In addition to employing a newly developed high-sensitivity Canon CMOS sensor with approximately 12.1 million effective pixels,
the PowerShot G15 features the same image processor incorporated in the G12, the DIGIC 5, which delivers approximately six times
the processing power of DIGIC 4. Supporting the HS System, the CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 combination makes possible even further
enhanced high-sensitivity performance. Offering an ISO range of up to 12800, the G15 minimizes blur and noise, even when shooting
in low-light conditions, such as night scenes and indoor settings, without requiring a flash or tripod.
Intelligent IS automatically selects optimal image stabilization settings based on the shooting situation, such as during normal
conditions, macro shooting and when using a tripod. In addition, the Canon PowerShot G15 employs a Dual Axis Electronic Level,
which allows users to confirm the inclination level of the camera not only in the previously supported roll direction, but also in
the pitch direction.
Featuring exceptional functionality and expandability that even EOS users will find appealing, the camera includes an electronic
dial that enables quick and easy setting adjustment while maintaining a hold on the grip, delivering an operational feel similar
to that of a digital SLR camera. Offering enhanced visibility, the G15 employs dual-level control dials—one for exposure adjustment
and the other to change shooting modes. The camera supports Full HD 1,980 x 1,080 video recording at 24 frames per second with
stereo sound and features a high-resolution LCD with approximately 922,000 dots.
Canon PowerShot S110
PowerShot S110
Supporting the HS System, the PowerShot S110 combines Canon’s newly developed approximately 12.1-million-effective-pixel CMOS
sensor and the high-performance DIGIC 5 image processor. Compared with its predecessor, the PowerShot S100
(released in December 2011), which features an ISO range of up to 6400, the new S110’s ISO speed has been extended up to 12800
to minimize blur and noise, even when shooting moving subjects or in low-light environments. Further contributing to
high-image-quality performance, the camera incorporates a bright f/2.0 wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens (24–120 mm).
The Canon PowerShot S110 employs a Camera Access Point mode, which enables images to be transferred via Wi-Fi to a smartphone
even in locations without an access point, while the Wi-Fi Print function allows captured images to be sent to and output from
a printer supporting PictBridge (Wi-Fi).*6 Delivering exceptional operability, the S110 newly employs a 3.0-inch LCD electrostatic
touch panel that, when using the Touch and Select function, can be used together with the camera’s control ring to adjust settings.
Furthermore, Intelligent IS automatically selects optimal image stabilization settings based on the shooting situation while the
camera’s improved AF algorithm and enhanced data-reading speed from the image sensor enables a lag time of only 0.25 seconds
during wide-angle photography, a significant reduction from the previous model’s 0.40 seconds.
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
PowerShot SX50 HS
The new Canon PowerShot SX50 HS is the world’s first*2 compact camera to feature a 50x optical zoom lens (24–1200 mm).
By optimizing the refractive power allocation of each lens group and amount of movement, the camera measures only 105.5 mm
in depth, making it thinner than its predecessor, the 35x optical zoom PowerShot SX40 HS (released in September 2011).
The camera employs three UD (ultra-low dispersion) lenses and an aspherical lens to correct for chromatic aberrations
at the telephoto end.
The HS System, which combines a high-sensitivity 1/2.3-inch approximately 12.1-million-effective pixel CMOS sensor
(back-illuminated type) and the high-performance DIGIC 5 image processor, makes possible the capture of high-quality
images with low noise while maintaining a high level of resolution and color reproduction. Furthermore, thanks to advances
in image processing and optimized magnification settings, ZoomPlus technology extends the camera’s zoom range up to approximately
100x through digital magnification while maintaining a high level of image resolution.
The Zoom Framing Assist Seek button quickly zooms out to assist users in relocating and framing a subject that has been
lost after zooming in. Once found, a simple release of the button returns the camera to the initial magnification range.
Furthermore, a Zoom Framing Assist Lock button allows users to shoot their desired composition during telephoto shooting
while minimizing camera shake. The PowerShot SX50 HS also offers a range of exceptional basic features, including a 2.8-inch
wide vari-angle LCD.
Canon PowerShot SX500 IS
PowerShot SX500 IS
The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS, equipped with a 30x optical zoom lens (24–720 mm), measures 80.2 mm in depth and weighs only 341 g,
making it the world’s lightest 30x optical zoom camera. In addition to ZoomPlus technology, which extends the camera’s zoom
range up to approximately 60x, the SX500 IS includes a Zoom Framing Assist Seek button and Intelligent IS, which automatically
selects optimal image stabilization settings based on the shooting situation.
Canon PowerShot SX160 IS
PowerShot SX160 IS
Compared with its predecessor, the PowerShot SX150 IS (released in September 2011), the new Canon PowerShot SX160 IS delivers
improved zoom performance through the incorporation of a 16x optical zoom lens (28-448 mm) and ZoomPlus technology, which
extends the zoom range up to approximately 32x while maintaining high-resolution imaging performance. The camera includes
Intelligent IS for optimal image stabilization depending on the shooting situation.