14 DAY TRIAL // Even if the "cherry" on today's cake of announcements from Canon was represented by the EOS 5D Mark II, the company has also unveiled several other devices, targeting, however, other market segments. Two of these products are the PowerShot SD990 IS and the SD880 IS compact digital cameras, which combine a fashionable external design with just enough imaging and processing power to fulfill the needs of most mainstream and amateur photographers.
The Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH camera sports a 14.7-megapixel resolution, 3.7x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilization and Canon's new Quick Shot Mode for even faster shutter speeds. On the other hand, the PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH (which, according to the company, represents the successor to Canon's PowerShot SD870 IS) comes packed with a 10.0-megapixel resolution and 4x wide-angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilization.
Both cameras come with a built-in DIGIC 4 image processor, which helps them deliver improved signal processing speed and higher image quality, as well as a couple of very interesting features, such as Servo AF, which is a form of continuous focus tracking for moving subject. The processor's high ISO speed noise reduction processing has also been improved, compared to previous models, while the Intelligent Contrast Correction function automatically enhances image quality in high contrast shooting situations.
Other interesting functions provided by the 2 cameras are the Genuine Canon Face Detection technology, which offers the ability to recognize human faces at most angles, and the Face Detection Self-Timer, which automatically takes a photo two seconds after a new face enters the scene.
The PowerShot SD990 IS and SD880 IS are slated for an October release and will sell for around $399.99 and $299.99, respectively. Besides the cameras themselves, the sales package will also include a memory card, battery, charger, wrist strap, USB and A/V interface cables, Canon Digital Solutions Software CD, and a 1-year Canon U.S.A., Inc. limited warranty.
