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Toshiba demos 55-inch SED with 100,000:1 contrast ratio
SED could hold the greatest promise in the world of HDTV, but when? Here at Engadget we get excited about SED because it holds the promise to release us from the compromises we are forced to face today -- we feel like we have to have that big TV hanging on the wall, but miss the great contrast ratios we have enjoyed for years on our CRTs. This week SED inc, the joint effort between Canon and Toshiba, demoed the first SED with a 100,000:1 contrast ratio at the FPD International 2006 in Pacifico Yokohama convention center; previous models we saw at CES were only 50000:1. There is still no solid release date and all indications point to 2008.
Canon PowerShot SD900 reviewed
CNET has just published one of the first reviews that we've seen of the Canon PowerShot SD900, the recently-released 10-megapixel camera that comes with a 3x zoom and a 2.5-inch screen. The site gave the SD900 a respectable 7.6 (out of 10) rating, but said while the cam was "heavy on style," it could use some work in the features department. Specifically, the review lamented the lack of manual controls (acknowledging that this is common on most point-and-shoot cameras), the weak f/2.8 to f/4.9 shutter speed, and its "noticeable fringing." However, CNET balanced the criticisms with praise for the cam's small size and good image quality, and concluded that the $500 SD900 is a "moderately fast shooter" that will produce some nice-lookin' snaps.
55-inch SED HDTVs on the way in '08
Canon & Toshiba brought SED out at CEATEC 2006 to show that this CRT in a flat panel's body will finally be hitting shelves in limited quantities by late 2007, and entering mass production in 2008. Leading the charge will be these 1080p 55-inch models with 450 nits of brightness, 50,000:1 contrast ratio (yes, you read that right), stunning 1ms response time...and no price tag yet. Part of the delay for SED has been so Canon and Toshiba can improve cost effectiveness to accompany the incredible specs, but with Samsung, Sharp and Sony releasing "Full HD" LCDs in the 50-inch range for around 5 large this fall, the market in 2008 could be tough to crack.[Via Reuters]
Canon's Media Storage M30 and M80 photo and video viewers
Well, this makes sense: Canon, like Epson (long) before them, just jumped into the digital storage game with their Media Storage M30 and M80 devices. Equipped with either a 1.8-inch 30GB or 80GB disk (we'll let you guess which model has which), each brings a biggie, 3.7-inch ultra-bright TFT screen with 160-degree viewing angle for image and video review -- just a hair smaller than that offered by Epson's lineup. Both of these rugged magnesium alloy units feature a USB 2.0 interface, slots for CF and SD cards, a password option to protect your media, and 1/8-inch audio jack to review sound. Supported formats include Canon RAW, MPEG, MP3, and WAV. And just to lock you in, this device uses the same battery as the Canon EOS 5D, 20D or 30D and WFT E1 Wireless File Transmitter unit. Price and availability? We'll just have to wait since Canon hasn't even gone live with the deets on their site yet.
Canon HV10 HDV reviewed
So you've already read the big bad New York Times review of Canon's latest consumer HD digicam, the HV10 HDV. And let's face it, you were left wanting to know more about some of the more arcane details of the HV10, weren't you? Fortunately, the biggest camcorder geeks that we know of -- the good people at CamcorderInfo -- recently penned a staggering near-12,000 word tome on the device. Even more fortunately, our bros at HDBeat managed to distill it down to a fine paragraph for your reading pleasure. So what was unearthed? CamcorderInfo liked the camera overall, but didn't fall head over heels for it, given that it doesn't shoot well in low light or the vertical form factor, nor does it have an HDMI or DVI jack. Fin.[Via HDBeat]
First real review of Canon's high-def cam
Camcorderinfo.com got their grubby little hands on the Canon HV10 and produced the first review. Canon's first venture into the high-def camcorder market has sparked a lot of attention from the online media but how good is their first camcorder? We won't keep you waiting as you would probably scroll down to Camcorderinfo's conclusion anyways so, it's alright. They liked it, not loved it though. Low light shooting is really bad and that's a killer for a lot of people. Plus, the upright form factor doesn't lend kindly to a stable picture. That same form factor however is highly regarded by the fans of pocket cams as it's smaller then Sony's HC3 counterpart. This is Canon's first jump into the water so expect the more from the (dare we take a stab at the name) the HV20.
Canon PowerShot A710 IS reviewed
Canon's newest flagship A-series model -- the A710 IS -- features numerous improvements over the A700, including a higher megapixel sensor, Canon's optical image stabilization, and the oh-so-coveted SDHC support. The crew over at DCResource took the camera deep within their testing labs, and it escaped with a good bit of praise overshadowing a few minor digs. They felt that image quality was "very good", especially considering the higher-than-desired amount of megapixels, and praised the IS system for reducing blur even at full zoom. Also noteworthy was the AF-assist lamp, which provided "excellent" low-light images, the above average VGA movie mode / continuous shooting results, and better than expected battery life. As expected, however, there were a few annoyances found; introducing redeye in nighttime shots (common in compacts), a lackluster LCD resolution, and a 1GB limit on video clips reminded reviewers they were indeed testing a "lower-end" model. Overall, the A710 IS had a lot to love, as the team described it as the "poor man's PowerShot G7," and recommended it "without hesitation." If you're looking for high-end features on a value-priced camera, the $400 A710 IS should fit the bill quite nicely.
Canon to auction 10 diamond-clad Digital ELPHs for the Red Cross
If you thought Minox's gold-plated DC1011 added some much needed bling to your life, Canon's celebratory IXUS cameras exemplify unnecessary luxury by sporting 380 diamonds apiece, and a hefty pricetag to prove it. As the Digital ELPH moniker turns 10 years old, Canon is auctioning up a diamond-crusted IXUS 65 (better known as the SD630 here in the States) per year of the brand's success, and all proceeds are being channeled to the Red Cross. Antwerp-based Eddie Elzas -- owner of the world's largest collection of colored diamonds -- happily provided the elegant coating found on the €40,000 ($50,788) "diamond IXUS," and also had a hand in hooking up nine "his and her" models, which will be sold through an undisclosed venue for €3,500 ($4,493.95) each. If you're feeling mighty charitable, and haven't already purchased your one fifty grand diamond-clad item for the year, feel free to place your wager on eBay -- otherwise, you should probably keep your sights on the less glamorous versions.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Canon's new Digital ELPHS: the SD900, SD800, and SD40
Three really is the magic number, or at least Canon seems to think so: the company has just unveiled three new Digital ELPH cameras (Digital IXUS in Europe) with the SD900, SD800 IS, and SD40 all featuring an array of new features. Starting with the highest spec camera, the SD900 is a 10 megapixel 3x zoom jobbie, with a 2.5-inch LCD screen and 18 shooting modes, including that 1024 x 768, 15fps video capture mode that the G7 recently acquired. Stuck in the middle with you is the 7.1 megapixel SD 800 IS, the first ELPH to carry an image stabilized wide angle 28-105mm 3x zoom lens. Finally there's the SD40, the smallest model in the range that packs a 7.1 megapixel CCD and a 2.4x zoom lens into four differently colored titanium cases. All three new cameras feature the Digic III image processor, which means they'll all reap the benefits of face recognition (even higher definition warts 'n' all!), faster start up and general response times, as well as lower power consumption. Each one is also capable of super sensitive ISO 1600, although Canon's press release mentions that there's an ISO 3200 shooting option somewhere in the special scene modes. Pricing is set at $499, $399, and $349 for the SD900, SD800, and SD40 respectively, and all three should be available in October.[Via Dpreview]
Canon announces the PowerShot G7
Canon has officially announced the PowerShot G7, the latest camera in the G-series which was last updated with the launch of the G6 way back in 2004. The key new features of the G7 are its 10 megapixel CCD sensor and the new 6x zoom lens with a f/2.8 to f/4.8 focal aperture, a 35mm-210mm focal length, and hardware optical image stabilization. Canon decided to drop the G6's 2-inch foldout LCD screen, instead opting for a fixed 207,000 pixel 2.5-inch screen. The G7 is internally different too, with a Digic III image processor that enables improved noise reduction, better color rendering, faster response times and most importantly, ISO 1600 sensitivity. There are also 25 different shooting modes -- including a manual mode and an impressive 1024 x 768, 15fps video capture mode -- along with support for SDHC cards as well as the usual MMC and SD cards. If you think the G7 is the right camera for you, then you'll have to wait until next month to part with the $599.99 that this one'll cost ya.[Via Dpreview; thanks, spiky-haired]
Mass market SED HDTVs by 2008?
Yeah, we know that Toshiba and Canon promised us a complete line-up of SED TVs by March of this year, and we don't quite buy their "drop in LCD / Plasma prices caused the delay" excuse, but we'll let them off the hook just this once. According to the slacking partner companies, we should expect to see mass-market availability of SED HDTVs by 2008, just in time for the next major sports event / HDTV-push: the Beijing Olympics. The make or break factor for SED is how much it's going to cost consumers, so it's not encouraging to hear Canon chairman Fujio Mitarai say "we have not yet established the manufacturing technology for mass-producing SEDs at low cost." With the price of Plasmas and LCDs dropping all the time, they better figure out how to make SED TVs cheap, otherwise they run the risk of the benefits of SED -- CRT performance in an LCD sized package -- becoming irrelevant to the average consumer.[Via HDBeat]
Canon recalls 1.87 million copiers due to fire risk
In a nice change of pace from all the laptop recalls involving exploding Sony-made batteries, Canon has announced that over 1.8 million of its personal copiers sold between 1987 and 1997 are at risk of catching fire due to faulty wiring, although the company estimates that only 270,000 of these relics are still in use (thank you, planned obsolescence). Apparently there have only been several reported instances of copiers overheating, but disturbingly, all but one of them occurred overseas several years ago, and it was only the latest fire in Canon's home country of Japan that prompted the recall. Affected units include the PC6, PC7, PC8, and PC11 home copiers, along with the larger NP1010, NP1020, and NP6010 models, all of which qualify for free inspections and replacement parts -- but again, Japanese owners gets first crack at the fix while Canon figures out how to service devices sold in the rest of the world. So, until Canon comes up with a game plan for repairing the remaining machines, owners of these fire hazards are probably best off copying their documents, middle fingers, and rear ends down at the local Kinko's.[Via Reuters]
SED production lines to be built as soon as this year
Remember SED HDTVs? You know, the type that takes all the benefits of CRT technology and crams 'em into a flat-screen package. We are sure that most of you had already given up and moved on like after that chick stood you up at the senior prom. Should have waited a little longer though cowboy as Canon and Toshiba have plans that may include building the production lines before years end. This seems right on track with the strategy to have the sets available for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If they start building the production lines now and get the initial batch of TVs to the market 6 - 9 months later, that puts 'em on track for the 2007 holiday shopping season and 2008 Olympics. So don't despair big guy. The gorgeous SEDs is just going to make you wait a bit longer, but she is going to knock the socks of all the jealous LCDs and plasmas - hopefully.
Canon's EOS 400D / Rebel XTi DSLR reviewed
With the Rebel XT's popularity, it's understandable that Canon has made their XTi update plenty familiar to its predecessor, but they've also mixed in some snazzy enhancements that should suite the budget DSLR crowd quite well. Camera Labs was quick on the draw with their review, and they definitely seemed to like what they saw. For starters, the new 10.1 megapixel CCD surpasses Canon's own higher-end EOS 30D for resolution, but if you've already go a Rebel XT you probably won't notice the bump in resolution, and Camera Labs recommends perhaps springing for a new lens instead. The XTi continues its impersonation of the 30D with an identical nine-point auto focus system and easily readable 2.5-inch LCD, and again surpasses the pro-DSLR with its fairly extensive anti-dust features. There are notable differences, however, since the XTi maintains the relatively "cheap" and small feel of the XT, along with lacking a few other pro features. The new Rebel also lacks anti-shake of its arch-rival, the Sony Alpha A100 -- you'll need to spring for an expensive Image Stabilized lens to gain the feature. Overall the XTi brings speedy shooting, nice pics, low noise and a good price to a highly competitive budget DSLR market, and just might come out the winner.[Via Digital Photography Blog]
Canon announces Selphy ES1 compact photo printer
Like so many others, Canon is getting the jump on the big Photokina show and announcing some of its new products in advance, including its latest photo printer, the Selphy ES1. It'll give you prints in card size (2.1 x 3.4-inches), "L" size (3.5 x 4.7-inches), and postcard size (4 x 6-inches), all of which are handled with Canon's new integrated paper and ink cartridges; this is supposed to simplify things some, but we're guessing they also make it a fair bit more expensive (Canon sez €0.29, or about 37 cents, per print). If you dig that, the ES1 also packs a 2.5-inch LCD, wireless printing via IrDA, Bluetooth or Digital IXUS WIRELESS, and an optional battery pack for printing on the go. Look for this one to be available in September (in the U.K. to start with, it seems) for about $360.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Canon's LV-7575 biz projector
When you've just got to make sure your subtle gradients and high resolution animations show up in your next PowerPoint (or Keynote) presentation, consider, if you will, a projector with some horsepower. Something with, say, a 5500 ANSI lumen bulb, 1.3x lens system with interchangeable lenses for ultra wide angle, wide angle zoom, long focus zoom, and ultra long focus zoom, and 1080i downconversion to native XGA, and S-Video, component, composite, BMC, DVI (with HDCP), and DVI inputs, as in the Canon LV-7575, which can be all yours (or your company's) for nine large.
Canon unveils A710, A630 and A640 PowerShots
You can always count on Canon for some counter-intuitive model numbering, and their new PowerShot A710 IS (7.1 megapixel, pictured), A630 (8 megapixel) and A640 (10 megapixel) cameras seem privy to just such madness. All three consumer shooters feature 2.5-inch LCDs, but are otherwise divergent on features. While the A640 and 630 win out in the megapixel game, the A710 bests the others with 6x zoom (compared to 4x in its compatriots) and Canon's Image Stabilizer Technology -- the first in an A-Series model. All three cameras can manage SDHC memory cards and 30 fps VGA shooting, but it doesn't get much more exciting from there. As for price, the A710 and A640 are both hitting the $400 mark, while the A630 sneaks in for $300. We suppose all three cameras should be out this September along with the millions of other cameras being announced today. Keep reading for pics of the A640 and A630.Read - PowerShot A710 ISRead - PowerShot A640Read - PowerShot A630
Canon gets official with their 400D / Rebel XTi DSLR for Photokina
The actual show is still nearly a month away, but a few trigger-happy camera manufacturers are unveiling their wares a bit early. Canon's EOS 400D / Rebel XTi DSLR -- a followup to their uber-successful Rebel XT -- was already pretty well outed by their Chinese arm, so there aren't really a lot of surprises here, but it's looking good all the same. The highlights are just like before: a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 2.5-inch LCD (a sizable improvement to the 1.8-incher on the XT), and speedy 9-point autofocus -- the same as that of the EOS 30D. The 22.2 x 14.8mm CMOS sticks with the 1.6x conversion ratio common to EOS cams -- not sure how we were getting that full frame vibe before -- and ISO sensitivity ranges from 100-1600. Canon is introducing a new Self Cleaning Sensor Unit that shakes off dust through ultrasonic vibration, along with a Dust Delete Data feature that embeds dust location in metadata, helping the included Digital Photo Professional software delete dust spots automatically. Of course, it wouldn't be a "Rebel" if Canon wasn't doing their darndest to undercut the competition on price, and the new $899 pricetag, which includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lense, does a pretty good job of said undercutting. You can also nab just the camera body for $799, and Canon has dropped the similar configurations of the XT to $799 and $699 respectively. The XTi is due for release in September, and seems destined for at least a little bit of success in its own right.[Via LetsGoDigital]
Canon's 400D 10.1 megapixel DSLR
Canon US is still silent right this moment about the 400D DSLR, but it looks like Canon China's spilled the beans on their latest full-frame 35mm digital camera. Or at least we think it's full-frame 35mm, you never know with those translationbots that mention 35mm over and over; we also think it's got a 10.1 megapixel CMOS, 2.5-inch LCD, 9 point focus system, 1600 ISO setting, DIGIC II processor, ultrasonic dust removal, and, of course the Canon EF lens mount (for which they appeared to have announced two new lenses, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, and the EF 70-200mm f/4L is USM). They're still holding out on precisely how many Yuan it'll set one back (and when can spend said Yuan), but something tells us by the time we wake up tomorrow morning we'll have a whole lot more to work with.[Thanks, Pete]
HDV showdown: Canon HV10 vs. Sony HC3
Sony's been doing this for a while, but Canon just finally jumped into the consumer HD game with their new HV10 HDV cam. To see how they well they've managed, David Pogue over at the New York Times got ahold of the camera and pitted it against Sony's latest: the HDR-HC3. He doesn't go so far as to name a victor, but the Canon does come out looking pretty good. With the recent bouts of HD-induced nausea consumers have been experiencing lately, Canon stuffed in an extra external auto-focusing sensor for near instant focus with quick camera moves. They also threw in some optical image stabilisation, and Pogue found both features quite effective. The HV10 also includes a built-in light, and better light sensitivity than Sony's HC3, but Sony does manage an accessory shoe, night shot mode and a quite notable HDMI port that are all lacking on the Canon. Both cameras suffer from a weak wide-angle view, and neither include microphone jacks or much else for the prosumer set, but with the HV10's list price of $1,300, and the $1,500 list-priced HC3 currently hitting $1,200 online, both cameras are quite the bargain for a tape-based HDV cam.[Via HD Beat]
