Note: All new Canon products can be pre-ordered now from Adorama and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Credit cards will not be charged until orders are shipped.
Among both consumers and professionals, mass storage for increasingly large image and video files has become a more urgent problem to be addressed, and in it’s pre-show announcements, Canon has unveiled its first storage device for its compatible cameras, camcorders, and printers. Headlining Canon’s new products for CES will be Canon Connect Station CS100, which provides up to 1TB of still and video image storage and is easy to connect with via Wi-Fi and NFC devices. That means you can transfer and store the images you shoot with any Canon cameras and camcorders that were released in 2010 or later and are wireless-capable. The CS100 also has slots for SD and CF cards, as well as a USB port, so you can transfer directly.
The CS100 can be connected to an HDTV via HDMI connectivity, and users can view images using an included remote control unit. Want to make prints? If you have a Canon Pixma or Selphy printer, you can do it wirelessly if the printer supports PictBridge. You can also view, upload or download photos from your smartphone, tablet or PC using a web browser, and you can send or receive photos and videos from other CS100s and upload them to the Canon Image Gateway for cloud storage.
The Canon ConnectStation CS100 will be available from Adorama for $299.99.
A Plethora of Powershots
Canon is also introducing five new PowerShot compact digital cameras, starting with the very pocketable and affordable ($199.99) Canon Elph 160, featuring a modest 8x optical zoom lens with a 28-224mm 35mm equivalent range, a 20MP sensor, 720p HD video capture, and several scene modes including Fisheye, Toy Camera and Monochrome effects. It will be available in Black, Silver, White, or Red.
The next step up is the Canon PowerShot Elph 170, which is just a tad larger and sports a 12x optical zoom lens with a 25-300mm (35mm equivalent) range, and Intelligent IS to reduce camera shake. The rest of the features are pretty much the same as the 160’s. Cost at Adorama: $149.99. It will be available in Black, Sliver, or Blue.
Canon continues to up the superzoom ante with the Canon PowerShot SX530, which features a whopping 50x zoom, which works out to 24-1200mm (35mm equivalent). It contains a 16MP CMOS sensor that can capture 1080p full HD Video that can be previewed on the 3-inch, 461k dot resolution LCD monitor.
As one would expect for a camera with such a powerful zoom lens, Intelligent Image Stabilization is deployed to reduce camera shake, a necessity at longer focal lengths. The camera also features built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, and pairs easily with Android devices and the Canon Connect Station CS100. Hybrid Auto records quick video clips before each still and compiles them together to make a “highlight reel”. Creative Shot mode sounds intriguing: Canon says this feature uses composition, color and lighting from your original image to create unique images with an “artistic flair.”
The Canon PowerShot SX530 will be available from Adorama for $429.99.
The Canon PowerShot SX710 offers a not-quite-as-long-but-still-impressive 30x optical zoom (25-750mm 35mm equivalent) and a 20MP sensor and otherwise mostly similar features to the SX530. But while the SX530 is shaped like a miniature DSLR, the SX710 is more a jacket-pocket-sized compact; the lens packs into the body minimum protrusion when not in use, making it easy to drop into a purse while still packing impressive optical power. The Canon PowerShot SX710 will be available from Adorama in Black or Red for $349.99.
Rounding out Canon’s compact camera range is the Canon PowerShot SX610, a pocket-sized compact that sports an 18x (25-450mm, 35mm equivalent) zoom lens, Intelligent IS, built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Android compatibility, and a 20MP sensor. As with all the other cameras in the line, it will be fully compatible with the Canon connect Station CS100. Look for it at Adorama for $249.99. It will be available in Black, White, or Red.
Canon also announced today that it is also offering its pro-oriented, budget-priced 6D full-frame DSLR in a kit with the mid-range 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for $2,199 at Adorama.
Two New Camcorders
Canon updated its lineup of Vixia camcorders with three new models.
The Canon Vixia HF R62 and HF R60 are pretty much the same camera, with the RF62 offering a 32GB of internal memory while the RF60 offers 8GB. Both cameras havew a built-in 57x zoom lens with optical stabilization, and record via a 3.28MP full HD CMOS sensor. Top resolution is 1928×1080/60p in MP4 (35 Mbps) and AVCHD Progressive (28 Mbps) formats. There’s a 3-inch touch-panel LCD monitor, an Advanced Baby Mode that tracks your baby’s daily growth, a Framing Assistance mode that reduces zoom magnification so you can find a moving subject more easily, and the ability to stream live video via an Android or iOS device.
You can also control the camera from your mobile device, and if you get the optional Camera Pan Table CT-V1 you can actually remotely pan the camcorder up to 200 degrees left to right via Wi-Fi. Pretty nifty! Not sure which mode to record in? Use Dual Recording to simultaneously record in both MP4 and AVCHD! Slow-mo at 1/2x and fast motion up to 1200x are also available.
The Canon Vixia HF R62 will be available for $449.99, while the Canon Vixia HF R60 will cost $399.99.
The budget-priced Canon Vixia HF R600 offers nearly everything the R60/62 has, but does not promise the same battery life, optional pan head, or dual recording mode, and lacks the Wi-Fi capabilities. It is available in Black or White.
A Pair of Printers
Canon announced two home office/small business all-in-one printers. The Canon Maxify MB5320 Printer ($399.99 at Adorama) is an advanced print/copy/scan/fax machine with wireless capabilities and high page yield per set of ink tanks. The new unit boasts low cost per print, a 30,000 page peak monthly duty cycle, quick startup time and a 3-inch LCD touch screen monitor to control its features. It can produce both business and photo-quality prints and scans, and is compatible with Mac, Windows and mobile operating systems.
The budget-priced Canon Pixma MX492 Wireless unit is a compact all-in-one that can print, copy, fax and scan for small offices or the home. Geared towards lighter volume use, it offers print resolution up to 4800×1200 dpi at up to legal size sheets. It’s available in Black or White from Adorama for $99.99.
