Canon builds on design pedigree with two new Digital IXUS models

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February 2006: Canon today announces the release of two new jewels in the Digital IXUS crown – the Digital IXUS 60 and Digital IXUS 65. The two cameras continue the IXUS tradition of fusing cutting-edge technologies and superb build quality with compelling camera design.

Featuring a high resolution 2.5" LCD screen, the steel-bodied Digital IXUS 60 draws on original IXUS designer Yasushi Shiotani's 'box and circle' concept to achieve a look of classic elegance. The innovative Digital IXUS 65 sports a massive 3.0" LCD, unique Touch Control Dial and a two-tone finish in brushed silver and ebony black.

Both cameras incorporate leading edge features into ultra slim bodies, including:

6.0 Megapixel resolution
3x optical zoom 35–105mm (35mm equivalent) with UA lens
DIGIC II, iSAPS and 9-point AiAF[1]for fast, sharp results
16 shooting modes
My Colors in-camera photo effects
30fps VGA movie clips with sound
High ISO Auto and ISO 800 for flash-free indoor shooting
Widescreen (16:9) still image recording

The Digital IXUS 60 and Digital IXUS 65 sit above the Digital IXUS 55 in the IXUS range and will appeal to style-conscious consumers seeking large displays, advanced functionality and great image quality in a compact and elegant camera.

"These new additions to the Digital IXUS range exemplify everything IXUS stands for – leading design, innovative technologies and outstanding performance," said Mogens Jensen Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe.

Big screen appeal

The Digital IXUS 60's 2.5" LCD screen allows for sharp composition and reviewing with no squinting or eyestrain.The screen's wide angle of view makes it easier to share playback with a group.The speaker and mode switch have been repositioned on this model for a firmer grip, while the base of the mode switch acts as a thumb rest for added comfort.

A huge wide-angle 3.0" LCD screen – the largest to ever grace a Canon compact digital still camera – is just one of several landmark innovations on the
Digital IXUS 65. A new Touch Control Dial replaces the mode dial - touching the dial displays a mode icon on the LCD for quick and easy function selection, particularly after dark. The dial can also be used to scroll through images during playback. A new Image Inspection Tool makes use of the large LCD screen by simultaneously displaying a newly shot image and a magnified section of the image – ideal for checking details before leaving the scene. The magnified spot can be moved between AF points or to any point on the image.



Increased ISO speed

Stylish compact cameras are generally used indoors, at parties and in other low light situations where the use of the flash can spoil the ambience of the scene.

The Digital IXUS 60 and Digital IXUS 65 incorporate ISO 800 to facilitate flash-free shooting indoors and minimise the effects of camera shake. A new High ISO Auto setting automatically sets exposure using the higher range of ISO sensitivities, prioritising faster shutter speeds for reduced image blur. Dedicated ISO buttons on the cameras allow quick switching between ISO settings.



Creative shooting
Canon's My Colors photo effects can now be applied both before and after shooting to images, offering users more opportunities to customise their creations without having to connect to a PC. The Digital IXUS 60 and Digital IXUS 65 offer 16 shooting modes including a Manual mode, which enables selection of ISO, white balance and other exposure settings. Preset scene modes assist with tricky lighting conditions, including an Underwater mode for shooting underwater with the optional Waterproof Case. Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to both images and movies without the need for a PC or image manipulation software.

A new Widescreen recording mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) allows for still image capturing in 16:9 format – perfect for viewing images on widescreen television or printing wide format (10 x 20cm) photos with a SELPHY CP series Compact Photo Printer[2].

The cameras’ movie features enable recording of 30fps VGA movie clips of up to 1GB[3]. A 60fps QVGA mode is ideal for recording fast action sequences and analysing them in slow motion, while the handy Compact mode records up to 3 minutes in low resolution for easy sharing via email.



Printing and other new features
A new dedicated and easy to access Print menu simplifies printing of multiple images. Full PictBridge support means users can print directly to any PictBridge compatible printer without the need for a PC. The cameras' ID photo and movie stills features are also available when connected to a SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printer. A Print/Share button allows one-touch printing and easy uploads to Windows or Mac systems.

The cameras’ menu systems now feature support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.



About Canon Consumer Imaging, Canon Europe

Canon Europe is a subsidiary of Canon Inc. of Japan, a world-leading innovator and provider of photographic and imaging technology. Canon Inc. was founded in 1937 and has a heritage of nearly 70 years in optics research and development.

The Consumer Imaging division incorporates the following product groups: photo, video, ink jet and laser printers and multifunctional devices, scanners, projectors and fax machines.

Further information about CanonEurope is available at: www.canon-europe.com

Additional Information

Software and CANON iMAGE GATEWAY

The Digital IXUS 60 and Digital IXUS 65 are bundled with the following Canon Software:

ZoomBrowser EX 5.6 (Windows), ImageBrowser 5.6 (Macintosh): For organizing and editing images, movies and slideshows, or creating and printing digital photo albums.
PhotoStitch 3.1: For creating panoramic photos from multiple images (Windows and Macintosh).
The software package also includes ArcSoft's photo manipulation software, PhotoStudio.

The bundled software supports Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000 (SP4), XP (SP1/2) and Macintosh OS X v10.2-v10.4. Both cameras support PTP for driverless transfer to Windows XP and Macintosh OS X.

Purchasers of the camera are eligible for membership of CANON iMAGE GATEWAY[4], 100MB of online ‘personal gallery’ space for sharing stills and video with family and friends.

Accessories
Optional Waterproof Cases (Digital IXUS 60: WP-DC3, Digital IXUS 65: WP-DC4) allow users to bring the cameras to a depth of up to 40 metres for compelling underwater shots. Specially designed Weights (WW-DC1) are available to control camera buoyancy. Other accessories include:

Soft Leather Case (DCC-60)
Digital IXUS Metal and Leather Neck Straps
Compact AC Power Adapter (ACK-DC10)
Battery pack NB-4L
The cameras are compatible with MMC/SD cards, and come supplied with a 16MB Canon memory card.





Technologies Explained

DIGIC II
Canon's purpose-built DIGIC II (DIGital Imaging Core) image processor links all primary camera functions for maximum efficiency. High-speed processing results in outstanding responsiveness, rapid auto focus and extended continuous shooting ability. Advanced image processing algorithms deliver superb image detail and colour reproduction with accurate white balance and minimal noise. DIGIC II operates efficiently to extend battery life, for longer shooting on a single charge.

ISAPS
iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) automatically optimises key camera settings before every shot. Each scene is analysed and cross-referenced against Photographic Space – a vast in-camera library of photographic data. This enables the camera to make optimal adjustments to auto exposure, auto focus and auto white balance before image capture occurs.

9-point AiAF
Canon's 9-point AiAF (Artificial intelligence Auto Focus) automatically scans and selects subjects from a set of nine focusing areas across the scene. This ensures accurately focused images even when subjects are not in the centre of the frame.



Ultra-High Refractive Index Aspherical (UA) lens technology
Canon's UA lens was the world's first ultra-high refractive index glass moulded aspherical lens. Made from glass with a higher refractive index than other aspherical lenses, it allows for an exceptionally slim and compact lens unit. The glass moulded aspherical shape delivers remarkable image quality and avoids the image aberrations that can occur with spherical lens designs.