Canon PowerShot A430 and A530 digital cameras

Canon is announcing the launch of "fun, easy and affordable cameras." The 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot A430 and 5 megapixel PowerShot A530. Both cameras have a 4x optical zoom, VGA movies with sound, and 9-point AF. The PowerShot A430 has 15 shooting modes, while the A530 has 17.

Expect to see the Canon PowerShot A430 and A530 in March 2006. Click on the headline of this article to see the Canon press release.

Canon Powershot A430 and Powershot A530

Canon is pleased to announce the launch of two fun, easy and affordable cameras - the PowerShot A430 and PowerShot A530. The new additions to the popular PowerShot A-series range offer consumers an outstanding combination of easy-to-use features, solid construction and excellent image quality at an entry-level price.

PowerShot A430 (at right)
Available in four fun colours1 with a 4.0 Megapixel CCD, 4.0x optical zoom (approx 14x combined), 15 shooting modes, VGA movies with sound, AV out and flexible 9-point AiAF focusing

PowerShot A530
Offering impressive performance with a 5.0 Megapixel CCD, 4x optical zoom (approx. 16x combined), 17 shooting modes, VGA movies with sound, 9-point AiAF and ISO 800 for improved low-light flexibility

Both cameras incorporate Canon's acclaimed DIGIC II processor and iSAPS technology2 for rapid processing speeds, highly responsive controls and superb image quality.

Sitting just below the PowerShot A540 - also released today - in the PowerShot A-series range, the cameras will appeal to first time digital camera buyers as well as experienced photographers looking for a second take-anywhere camera.

"Since the launch of the PowerShot A5 in 1998, the A-series has helped millions of European consumers switch to digital," explains Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "With these new additions to the range, Canon is making high quality digital photography more accessible than ever before."

Effortlessly easy
The new PowerShot cameras are designed to make it simple for anyone to take great photos. The compact, lightweight bodies are ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably in the hand, while intuitively positioned buttons provide fingertip access to key camera controls. The bright 1.8" LCD screens feature a selectable Grid Line Display to help with shot composition and a Night Display mode for easy visibility after dark.

The 9-point AiAF focuses quickly and accurately on subjects even when off-centre, to ensure consistently sharp images. An AF-assist Beam helps with focusing in low light conditions. The PowerShot A430 also features a 1cm Super Macro mode for close-up focusing on tiny subjects.

A wide range of shooting modes - 15 on the PowerShot A430 and 17 on the PowerShot A530 - help deliver excellent results in almost any situation. Preset Special Scene modes assist with picture taking in tricky lighting conditions, including Indoor, Beach and Snow. For creative experimentation, Colour Accent and Colour Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to images and movies direct from the camera. Users can keep one colour and change the rest to black and white with Colour Accent, or exchange one colour for another with Colour Swap. The cameras also feature My Colours photo effects for additional in-camera colour customisation.

A dedicated Movie mode enables recording of high quality VGA movies of an impressive 60 minutes or 1GB (whichever is reached first)3. The new cameras capture movie clips with audio and can connect to a TV or PC for full screen playback. A convenient Compact mode allows users to create email-ready movie clips for sending to friends and family.

Advanced shooting options
The PowerShot A530 incorporates high sensitivity ISO 800 to facilitate flash-free shooting indoors - ideal in environments where the use of flash is not desirable or appropriate, such as churches and concerts.

With widescreen televisions becoming increasingly popular across Europe, Canon has incorporated a new Widescreen stills setting4 in both cameras. Users can capture panoramic stills in 16:9 format for playback on widescreen television or printing on wide size paper to a SELPHY Compact Photo Printer5.

Instant photo prints
All cameras are PictBridge compliant for instant direct printing to compatible printers. When combined with Canon SELPHY CP series printers, the cameras make an economical digital photo solution with 10 x 15cm photos costing as little as 22p6. Users can also print ID photos and still images from movies when connected to a SELPHY CP series printer. The handy Print/Share button on each camera allows one-touch printing and hassle-free uploads to Windows or Macintosh systems. A new dedicated Print menu makes it easier than ever to access and organise print jobs direct from the camera.
The cameras' menu systems now feature support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.

Pricing and availability
The PowerShot A430 and PowerShot A530 will be available from March 2006, priced at 149.00 RRP inc. VAT/ 219.99 RRP inc. VAT and 199.00 RRP inc. VAT/ 299.99 RRP inc. VAT respectively.