Canon’s PowerShot S90 has been a pretty desirable compact thanks to the cam’s prosumer features—most notably its f2.0 lens and high-sensitivity 10MP sensor—packed into a compact body. Unfortunately, that cam was a bit too expensive for the average consumer at around $400. This cam, the Digital ELPH SD4000 IS (also known as the IXUS 300HS in Europe and Asia) brings a nice balance of price and performance in a stylish, ultracompact body. The highlight? The same f2.0 lens and 10MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor found on the S90 that offers good low-light performance.
It’s also the first Canon cam to rock the brand’s HS System, which combines the 10MP sensor with the DIGIC 4 processor for high-speed shooting on top of the improved low-light sensitivity.
The rest of the spec says “advanced,” although the exterior design should appeal to beginners and casual shooters. Aperture and Shutter priority settings are available if you’re into tweaking, and the HS System gives it the ability to shoot fast bursts of up to 8.4 frames per second. The video mode is pretty advanced too, able to record 720p HD clips or 340 x 240 videos at 240fps for creating smooth slow-motion clips. The cam’s automated featured include Blink and Face Detection for shooting, as well as Intelligent Contrast and Red-Eye Correction that kicks in after the shot.
The SD4000 IS features a 3-inch PureColor II TFT display, plus connections that includes USB 2.0, AV out, and a HDMI mini connector for porting images and videos out to an HD display.
Available in black, white, silver and red colors, the cam is due out by the end of the month for $350.
Tags: Canon, Canon PowerShot, Digital Cameras
