Canon announces PowerShot SD850 / SD950 IS, S5 IS

We know it's late and you should really be asleep if you're reading this right now, but just in case you were waiting to see if Sunday night / Monday morning had any product launches crop up, here's a few: Canon's new PowerShots, the SD850 / SD950 IS and S5 IS. Sounds like the SD850 / SD950 are the different badges it'll get in the US and overseas, but at the end of the day you've got an 8 megapixel camera with a 4x optical zoom, image stabilization, 1600 ISO sensor, DIGIC III processor, SDHC support, and 2.5-inch display. The PowerShot S5, successor to last year's PowerShot S3, also features an 8 megapixel image stabilized 1600 ISO sensor and 2.5-inch display, but naturally has a 12x optical zoom and hotshoe. They should retail for $400 and $500, but we don't have anything official on that or a release date.

Read - PowerShot S5
Read - SD850 / SD950

[Metasheep @ May 7th 2007 4:26AM]

Where is the successor to the PowerShot S80?

[sdsdv10 @ May 8th 2007 10:32AM]

@Metasheep
"Where is the successor to the PowerShot S80?"

Metasheep, according to the link below, the S series (S10-S80) has been discontinued. I don't know if it is true or not, but Canon no longer lists the S80 on their website (and no replacement is in sight).

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21919

[flamsmark+techdirt @ May 7th 2007 6:58AM]

When, oh when are we going to get any new compacts that can shoot in RAW? [Not that I assume anyone has the answer to this, but if anyone knows why we *don't* get them anymore, I'd be interested to hear it]

[jaroy gilmer @ May 7th 2007 7:13AM]

Ritz camera has the release date as mid june for the 850 and s5 in their catalog but not on their website. Best buy had no SKU as of the time of this posting.

[Scooter @ May 7th 2007 7:28AM]

Ryan, not everyone is waiting for you to post your blog entries. We appreciate you working late, but most folk will read engadget at a convenient time.
Second, please remember that the internet is global, which means you have potential readers - wide awake - at any time of the day.

[Gadgets blog @ May 7th 2007 7:29AM]

Both cameras look good. 8 mega pixels are enough and the 12X zoom will be super.
I will like to know the prices for them.

[Pip @ May 7th 2007 9:48AM]

I wish they would quit with the Megapixel game and start releasing cameras that can actually fit in your pocket. The last true compact camera they released was the SD400, and even that one was a bit bulky. I would absolutely kill for a camera that did 4MP and was 2"x.5"x2.5" or smaller with all the features of new cameras.

No one is really innovating anymore, they're all the same thing just with more MP or Antishake.

[alex @ May 7th 2007 11:12AM]

@Pip,

Compact cameras can only get so small before they start taking a hit on image quality. At this point, it's not only a problem of stuffing more megapixels on tiny sensors, but dimunitive lenses are what holds back image quality. As SLR users say, it's the glass, not the camera, that makes the image quality.

[Michael @ May 7th 2007 10:05AM]

its about time canon added the hot shoe to the SxIS series.....

[Adrain @ May 7th 2007 9:25PM]

At the end of the day going forward you should stop using crap bureacrato-speak and just try and write in plain english.

[TC @ May 8th 2007 3:07AM]

Looks like Canon is ditching the wide-angle 28mm of the current 800IS. That's too bad; I'll have to pick one up, as I had been hoping for a true successor with wide-angle capabilities. Otherwise there's no point in upgrading my current IXUS40.

[alex1robinson @ May 8th 2007 8:51AM]

What about the Ixus 70, not sure what you yanks call that one but I would say that is pretty much pocket sized... Mind you picture quality isnt great but definatly good enough for a camera that small. Also 6mp is about the same detail as a 35mm film camera right?

[partyboy @ May 13th 2007 5:17PM]

ok nice, the sd850, I bought the sd800 last december and its awesome pocketable, practical, great quality pics

but besides the 4x in zoom en the 32mb of memory inside what are the other upgrades from the sd800

[pencap23 @ May 14th 2007 2:59PM]

Silly, not really any big improvements.