The Best Digital Camera

Canon PowerShot A570 IS review : A few weeks before the PMA 2007 in Las Vegas, Canon's new collection of digital compact cameras, including the new Canon PowerShot A570 IS, were launched worldwide. Not all the new models have undergone revolutionary changes, but they regularly have a Megapixel update, the odd new feature and small aesthetic changes. The new Canon A570 IS camera is a compact camera from the PowerShot A-5xx series. It is actually a luxurious version of the PowerShot A560 camera. An important addition is the integration of the optical image stabilizer, a feature that distinguishes the Canon PowerShot A570 IS from its competitors in its class.

Canon A570IS - PowerShot Digital Camera Series
Last year's Canon PowerShot A710 IS was the first digital compact camera in Canon's A-series equipped with optical image stabilization. Now there's the Canon PowerShot A570 IS; a 7,1 Megapixel camera with a 4x optical zoom, an image stabilizer, DIGIC III processor, face detection, an ISO speed up to 1600 and a 2,5-inch LCD monitor. The Canon A570 IS' features are impressive, especially for a camera in the novice class, for which the Canon A-series cameras are known. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS has a uniquely large selection of functions and setup possibilities for this class.

Canon PowerShot A570 image stabilizer
The optical image stabilizer, IS named by Canon, is made up of several moving parts in the lens that neutralizes camera shake. In practice, this has proven to be a very effective form of stabilization. Indisputably, this is a very valuable feature, because it allows you to capture an image with an optical zoom without having to worry about shutter speed or poor lighting. Additionally, the Canon A570 IS has a high ISO speed, which actually provides a double stabilization.

Canon A570 IS - 4x optical zoom
Although the Canon PowerShot A570 IS does not have a large optical range - 4x optical zoom - the optical stabilization application is a great advantage. The range is equivalent to a compact camera's 35-140mm, which is a good range for landscapes, portraits and everything in between. Possibly Canon may integrate a wide-angle lens in the next generation of cameras, which leaves something to be desired. However, a wide-angle or a telephoto range can be achieved by attaching optional camera converters. That this is possible with a camera in this class is certainly a luxury.

Canon launched the PowerShot A720 IS with optical image stabilization in August 2007 as a full-featured camera at an economic price. The PowerShot A720 IS is the third model in Canon’s entry-level A-series with image stabilization. In addition to increasing the resolution to 8-megapixels, the camera features 6x optical zoom and an updated Digic III processor with upgraded face detection technology.

Summary
With its 6x optical zoom with optical image stabilization, updated face detection system, and abundance of manual functions, the Canon PowerShot A720 IS makes a strong case for new point-and-shooters. Like almost all Canon point-and-shoots released this year, the Canon A720 IS has fantastic color accuracy, and, as an added bonus, excellent white balance accuracy using either the auto or preset settings. The accurate colors coupled with the solid resolution performance make this camera a great value in terms of image quality. The image quality isn’t perfect, however, as photos will be plagued with noise at high ISO settings, as well as limited dynamic range. Unlike other competitors, though, the PowerShot A720 IS lacks the sleek design of flat 3x optical zoom cameras in favor of a protruding right hand grip that allows users to comfortably shoot for extended amounts of time. The camera is also missing the range of built-in editing functions, characteristic of other point-and-shoots. If users can sacrifice looks and editing controls, the A720 IS’s virtues, namely the long optically stabilized lens and excellent color reproduction, are too good to pass up. Overall, the Canon PowerShot IS is worthy of its price and should be considered a strong contender.

The new Casio Exilim S10 snaps 10.1-megapixel images and can record videos in a format that makes it easy to import directly to iTunes and YouTube. The S10 is the world’s smallest and thinnest 10.1-megapixel digital camera, according to Casio. It just might be, with its trim 0.6-inch width. The Casio Exilim EX-S10 makes it possible to record a video and watch it on your iPhone or iPod minutes later. It will retail for $249 when it is available in March.

Summary
The Casio Exilim EX-S10 has a lot of cool features and a very sexy body, but a few very unfortunate characteristics. The ability to drag and drop into iTunes will be convenient and the YouTube uploading program will save a few minutes for budding videographers (who happen to use tiny Casios). There are scores of editing features and effects, but if your fingers don’t get chopped off by the sharp zoom ring, then they will get confounded by the awful multi-selector. The buttons are too small and the camera is so skinny that you have to pinch it to keep from eating the pavement. Yes, being skinny is cool. But a little meat on the bones is a functional thing, too. Handling is a painful endeavor on the S10.

The S10 has some speed issues. The Burst mode and autofocus systems are very slow and the face detection system doesn't come through as promised. Granted, this is considered a preproduction camera because it doesn’t come out until March. There is still time to fix these problems. But almost all of the features on the S10 were fully functional at the show – as in, nothing froze up and no dancing bears appeared on the LCD when I recorded a video (the only exception was the manual focus that turned on the tracking autofocus). We have to give Casio the benefit of the doubt though when it comes to performance, and we don't have our imaging labs in our pocket when checking cameras out at conventions. Performance aside, though, the tiny buttons and horrible handling are enough to scare me off – even if the $249 price tag is tempting.

Sony Japan has just announced the development of a 35mm film negative sized 24.81 effective megapixel sensor designed for SLR cameras that can capture up to 6 frames per second. Because it is the same size as a 35mm negative, the new unnamed sensor would allow an SLR to capture 24 megapixel images with no lens multiplier factor: the focal length of the lens would be the same as on a 35mm film camera.

This is especially important for wide-angle lenses; the multiplier that most digital SLRs impose (which is caused by the fact that most image sensors are smaller than a 35mm negative) means that wide angle lenses offer a smaller field of view than they do on a conventional film SLR. With an SLR built around this new sensor, the field of view would be the same as on a 35mm film camera.The new sensor can also capture images very quickly; Sony claims it can capture and download 6.3 frames per second at the full resolution, as much of the circuitry that captures and converts the image ready for processing is built into the chip itself. Most existing digital SLRs can only manage 2 or 3 frames a second at the full resolution (although some can capture more by lowering the resolution).

The new sensor is based on CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology; some other manufacturers use sensors that are based on the rival CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology. Sony did not announce any pricing details for the new sensor, or if any manufacturers have comitted to using it yet. Several of the major manufacturers use Sony image Sensors in their SLRs. We would expect to see it in high-end SLRs later this year.