It looks like this year’s CES is more of a showcase of
product updates rather than of new products. Take for example Canon who has
introduced several camera and camcorder models many of which are packing Wi-Fi
and NFC.
Heading the announcements is the Canon PoowerShot SX350 HS
with a 50x optical zoom lens (24-1200mm, 35mm equivalent). It also comes with a
16MP sensor that is capable of capturing Full HD content and delivers
high-speed autofocus and zoom framing assist. The SX350 HS will be joined by
the PowerShot SX710 HS and SX610 HS that will have a 30x and 18x optical zoom
lens respectively.
The SX350 HS will be sold for $430, while the SX710 HS and
SX610 HS will sell for $350 and $250 respectively.
On the camcorder side, Canon introduced four new models
under its Vixia range – the HF R42, HF R40, HF R400 and HF G20. The HF R42, R40
and R400 all pack a 53x advanced zoom lens, a DIGIC IV image processing engine,
a 3.28MP full HD CMOS image sensor and support for capturing HD MP4 videos at
up to 35Mbps and AVCHD progressive 60p videos up to 28Mbps.
All three models are also capable of accessing the web
through Wi-Fi. The camcorders will be available by March with pricing to start
at $300 for the R400, while the R40 and R42 will retail for $400 and $500
respectively.
For a much steeper price tag, the Vixia HF G20 packs more oomph
with 32GB of onboard storage compared to the 8GB on the first three models, 10x
optical zoom, 12 hours of full HD recording and an enhanced HD CMOS PRO image
sensor. It also features a high-resolution 922-dot 3.5-inch touch panel and
Canon’s SuperRange Optical Image stabilizer.
The Vixia HF G20 will be available next month with an
estimated price of $1099.
Now if you’re wondering why Canon is putting heavy focus on
Wi-Fi connectivity in its latest products; that’s because they are also
launching a media station called the Canon Connect Station CS100.
Basically, the Connect Station is a networked attached
storage for all the videos and photos you’ve captured with your Canon camera.
The box sports 1TB of storage, Wi-Fi, NFC and a wireless remote. It also comes
with SD and CF card slots as well as a USB and an Ethernet port.
It also sports an HDMI port so you can connect it to your TV
and browse all the images and videos in your collection. Moreover, Canon says
the station uses a user interface that automatically organizes user content
depending on shooting date, camera type and custom albums.
The device is expected to go on sale around June of this
year for around $299.
