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Canon's bringing back the square selfie cam with PowerShot N2

Early last year, a Canon rep pulled out a point-and-shoot with a very peculiar design. Instead of the rectangular form factor we'd grown used to, this camera was square. The PowerShot N was designed to be held any which way, making it a good fit for both righties and lefties, but without any pronounced grip, it didn't feel quite as natural to hold. We were a bit relieved, then, when Canon debuted the N100 with a more familiar look and feel, but at Photokina, the company's returning to the original shape and size with the PowerShot N2. The N2 replaces the original N -- the N100 will remain on the market -- bringing a slew of new features for social sharers and video bloggers alike.

There's a new 16.1-megapixel sensor, a faster DIGIC 6 processor, a 28-224mm f/3.0-5.9 8x optical zoom lens (with improved IS) and a 461k-dot, 2.8-inch touchscreen that now flips 180 degrees for self-portraits (and videos). You still get WiFi (after all, this camera's all about creating sharable content), but the N2 now includes NFC, making it easier to get up and running with a new device. The camera can capture 1080/30p video and thanks to a few added touchscreen controls, you can tweak exposure compensation, turn on the flash and adjust the smoothness of your skin (to decrease sharpness with certain facial features), all from the selfie mode. Canon's expecting to ship the PowerShot N2 to customers this December; the camera is priced at $300.