Canon Powershot

PowerShot range logo

Canon introduced the name PowerShot in 1996 as a name for their digital compact cameras . At the same time there is a second product group called Digital IXUS , which from the beginning was aimed more at beginners and was characterized by its unusual design.

Models

First Canon Powershot (1996)

The PowerShot models are divided into five rows. Until the end of 2011, all models had in common that small CCD sensors with screen sizes between 6 and 11 mm were installed. It was not until the G1X model (2012) that a relatively large CMOS sensor with an image diagonal of more than 20 mm was installed in a Canon PowerShot for the first time .

A series

Canon PowerShot A650 IS, the most powerful A-series camera

The first models in the A-series had features that were identical to those of the analog SLR cameras of the time. In the course of time, the manufacturer switched to making the cameras easier to use for beginners, but initially the many setting options were not dispensed with. Up until the end of 2008, the cameras all had automatic program, time and shutter controls, but could also be controlled fully manually. The storage medium was initially changed from CompactFlash cards to the more space-saving formats MMC and SD or SDHC. In order to meet even more ambitious demands, Canon, unlike many other manufacturers, did not dispense with the optical viewfinder until the end of 2009 , since the LC monitor is not easy to see in bright surroundings. In addition, the viewfinder is very useful for taking continuous pictures of moving objects, as no live image can be shown on the LC monitor during the recording. A special feature of the A-series is the unusual power supply for the compact class, which is implemented with AA batteries or AA rechargeable batteries and is viewed by users as a great advantage due to its widespread use and inexpensive chargers and replacement batteries.

The newer and at the same time last models of the A series, which were built until 2011, no longer have an optical viewfinder. In addition, the models have fewer manual setting options and therefore increasingly appeal to a less experienced target group.

G series

The Canon PowerShot G10 introduced in October 2008

Canon PowerShot G1X with a large photo sensor

The models of the G series are aimed more at ambitious hobby photographers. The cameras are comparatively heavy due to their robust full metal housing and have relatively complex, bright lenses . A special feature are the rotatable and swiveling display and the hot shoe , with which Canon system flash units can be used with the camera. Even with early models such as the G3, pictures could be taken due to the good lenses with a sensor resolution of 4 megapixels that put cameras with poor lenses, but nominally much higher resolution, in the shade. The following models had an increasingly higher resolution, whereby the G6 with 7 megapixels was still characterized by comparatively low image noise . A break with tradition came with the G7, which dispensed with the swivel display in favor of a more compact housing and came up with a higher zoom factor in the telephoto range and therefore with a light intensity that was one aperture lower . Like most other manufacturers, Canon was involved in the "megapixel race", which reached a temporary high point for Canon with the G10 and 14.5 megapixels. The higher resolution led to increased image noise, and it was not until the PowerShot G11, which appeared in October 2009, that the continuous megapixel increase was abandoned and even a step back was taken with a 10 megapixel sensor. With the G11, the rotating and swiveling display also returned to the G series. Power is supplied by lithium-ion batteries , which are more compact than conventional AA batteries , but also have a significantly higher price. In addition to extensive automatic modes, it is possible to set the devices in this series fully manually. A special feature has also become the classic optical viewfinder built into all models of the G series, which can be used as an alternative to the LCD. The G1 X, which will be available from February 2012, is the first camera in the PowerShot series to incorporate a CMOS sensor in the unusually large format 18.7 × 14.0 mm.

SX series

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS

The SX series is optically based on SLR cameras and offers a significantly larger zoom range than normal compact models, but larger camera dimensions have to be accepted. Power is usually supplied by AA batteries or AA rechargeable batteries. In addition to extensive automatic modes, it is possible to set the devices in this series fully manually. A device no longer offers a classic viewfinder, but some devices have a digital viewfinder. The first series was named S, followed by a single-digit number ("S1" to "S5"); this series was continued in 2008 by the SX series.

S series

Canon S5 iS: Bridge camera zoom 1: 2.7-3.5 36-432mm (KB)

Canon SX1 iS Bridge Camera Zoom 1: 2.8-5.7 28-560mm (KB)

Since 1999 Canon has been offering an S [xx] series (with a two-digit number) parallel to the S [x] series. The first two cameras in the series (S10, S20) were inexpensive compact cameras for beginners, while the S30, introduced in 2001, was aimed at a new target group of more demanding photographers. From the start, the models in the series were technically closely related to the sophisticated amateur models in the G series, but offered these features in a significantly smaller and lighter, but less robust and more design-oriented housing. The cameras are located between the models of the IXUS and G series, both in terms of price and technology. In addition to the IXUS models, they offer manual adjustment options, but not the zoom factor and the swivel display of the G series. Newer models from the S90 onwards surpass the parallel sister models of the G series in terms of light intensity in the wide-angle range, but remain inferior to them in terms of light intensity in the more critical telephoto range due to the more compact lens design. The compact lens design also leads to noticeable distortions in the newer models, which are automatically corrected within the camera for images in JPEG format, but for images in RAW format must be corrected manually depending on the RAW converter. Some RAW converters such as B. Silkypix no longer support these models at all. The S100 , presented in autumn 2011, offers a CMOS sensor for the first time in the S series , this has a resolution of 12 megapixels. The metal housing of the previous model S95 was taken over with minor changes and the zoom range of the lens was extended to 24 to 120 mm (35 mm equivalent). In addition, the S100 has a built-in GPS receiver. It is available in black and silver. The S110, presented a year later, offers only minor changes to the S100 in a slightly modified metal housing: Among other things, it has a touchscreen, a WLAN module is installed instead of GPS and it has an electronic spirit level. The camera is available in black, silver and white.

D series

The D-series offers waterproof and shockproof cameras that are intended for outdoor activities and are aimed at beginners in terms of functionality (usually only a few manual functions). Power is supplied by lithium-ion batteries.

PowerShot Pro

PowerShot Pro1, taken with a PowerShot S110

The PowerShot Pro series is characterized by a higher zoom factor compared to the G series with a comparable light intensity. Early models were the PowerShot Pro70 and Pro90 IS. In March 2004, the PowerShot Pro1, a camera aimed at demanding amateurs, appeared as a competitor to the Konica-Minolta A2 and A200, Nikon Coolpix 8700, Olympus C-8080 and Sony F828 cameras, with which they used the same Sony 8 Megapixel 2 / 3 ″ sensor shares. For the first time in compact cameras, the model is equipped with an “L” lens, typically found in the professional field, with an equivalent focal length of 28–200 mm and a speed of 2.4–3.5. The lens contains both UD and aspherical lenses and ultrasonic motors for focus and zoom. The images can be saved on CompactFlash cards in both JPG and RAW format . As a viewfinder, the camera has a rotatable and swiveling 2 ″ LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder. The series has not been continued so far.

CHDK - alternative firmware attachment

Resourceful programmers have succeeded in developing an attachment based on the original firmware . This modification is known as CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) and, in addition to using the RAW file format, allows many other functions that are normally only available on higher-priced cameras. CHDK is stored on the SD card and only loaded into the volatile memory ( RAM ) of the camera, the original firmware is retained.