The Canon PowerShot A550 allows users to capture all of life's special moments -- from the winning pass at a high school football game, to the waterfalls on that once-in-a-lifetime vacation, to the joy of a baby's first steps. With its exquisite image quality, easy-to-use features and intuitive design, the A460 will work reliably for any occasion and in any situation. And since the camera is small enough to tote anywhere, all of life's adventures can be documented for posterity. Whether taking pictures at a local family gathering or on a vacation across the globe, PowerShot A-Series cameras are great on-the-go because they are conveniently powered by two AA-size batteries.
Canon PowerShot A460 Key Features
Canon PowerShot A460 Digital Camera Supplied Accessories:
· 2 AA-type Alkaline Batteries
· 16MB MutilMediaCard MMC-16M
· Wrist Strap WS-800
· AV Cable AVC-DC300
· USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
· Canon Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
5.0 Megapixels
The PowerShot A460 features a 1/3.0-inch CCD image sensor with 5.0-megapixel resolution. The PowerShot A460 digital camera captures 2592 x 1944 pixel images with exceptional detail and color fidelity.
4x Optical/3.6x Digital/14x Combined Zoom
The PowerShot A460 digital camera is equipped with a retractable 4x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 5.4 - 21.6 mm (35mm film equivalent: 38 - 152 mm) and a maximum aperture of f/2.8-5.8 The optical zoom combines with a 4x digital zoom for a total of 16x zoom power.
Canon's heritage as an imaging company dates back almost 70 years to the company's founding in 1934. Since then, Canon has worked hard to perfect the process of creating extremely high-quality optics for its line of imaging products and is now the world's largest manufacturer of cameras and lenses. Canon is a global leader in optical design, with many advanced and original technologies that allow Canon users to achieve the sharpest images possible.
2.0" LCD Monitor and Optical Viewfinder
Bright and sharp, the camera's LCD monitor measures a full 2 inches. With it, you can view your scene before and after you shoot it with extraordinary clarity. The optical viewfinder maintains a real-image view in any optical zoom position.
The Canon PowerShot A460 uses the incredibly tiny SD memory cards. Get expanded capacity and high-speed writing from a memory card the size of a postage stamp. It is also compatible with the new higher-capacity SDHC cards and with MultiMediaCard.
Print/Share Button
Located on the backside of the PowerShot A460 digital camera is the Print/Share button. This button simplifies and accelerates direct printing to compatible Canon and PictBridge-enabled printers and one-touch image transfer to Windows XP, Me, 2000, and 98 computers for use with image processing programs, uploading to the Internet, or as e-mail attachments. When the camera is connected to a compatible printer or computer, the Print/Share button illuminates to let the user know to press the Print/Share button to begin the printing or downloading process.
The DIGIC™ II Difference
Canon developed the proprietary DIGIC (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) image processor specifically for use with its line of digital cameras. The technology combines the jobs of image processing and camera function control into one chip. Because it was specifically designed for use in digital cameras, it is also capable of handling JPEG compression/expansion; memory card control; LCD/Video control and processing; gain control (control of CCD signal amplification); Auto Exposure; Auto Focus; Auto White Balance control and most other functions of the camera. The result is a camera that offers faster and more powerful auto focus than ever before, faster image processing, better image quality and longer battery life.
True to the tradition of all PowerShot digital cameras, the PowerShot A460 model has the latest advances in Canon technology including the proprietary DIGIC II Imaging Processor. DIGIC II enhances picture definition, crisp vibrant colors and quality, while helping increase the speed of the cameras' startup, autofocus, shutter response and playback as well as the image processing speed.
12 Shooting Modes
The Canon A460 offers a wide variety of shooting modes to optimize the camera's performance based on user preferences or shooting conditions. These modes include:
· Auto - The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.
· Camera M - The ultimate in creative control, you set aperture and shutter speed.
· Super Macro - The camera trims the image center and digitally zooms to create beautiful enlarged close-ups.
· Movie
· 8 Special Scene Modes
Special Scene Modes
The Special Scene modes allow users to achieve optimum results in popular picture-taking situations including:
· Portrait - The camera sets a large aperture, focuses the subject and artistically blurs the background to make your subject "pop".
· Foliage - Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and flowers.
· Snow - Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects and bluish tint.
· Beach - Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.
· Fireworks - Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
· Indoor - Improves natural color and reduces camera shake while shooting under artificial light.
· Kids & Pets - Shoot moving subjects without losing your chance to get those unforgettable moments.
· Night Snapshot - Capture people against a softly glowing night background without a tripod.
Direct Printing
Direct Printing significantly expands the appeal of the PowerShot A460 digital camera by making it simple, quick and convenient to produce high-quality photos without the need for a personal computer. Beyond its Direct Print capability with Canon's Card Photo Printers and acclaimed Canon Direct Photo Printers, the camera is also compatible with PictBridge, an industry protocol that offers the flexibility of direct printing to other brands of PictBridge compatible printers.
The PowerShot A460 digital camera supports Exif Print, a worldwide standard that transfers important camera settings and data from the camera to the printer ensuring the photos you print will look true to life. Moreover, DPOF 1.1 (Digital Print Order Format) lets users specify the images to be printed or execute batch printing of selected images.
Canon's Direct Print options -- in conjunction with Canon CP-type printers -- permit creation of passport style ID prints on 4x6 paper as well various print sizes (selectable on the PowerShot A460's menu). Direct Print also offers users the opportunity to print thumbnail frame sequences from movie clips generated in the camera and output to a Canon CP Printer. The camera's Postcard Date Imprint mode provides a user selectable date stamp that can be imprinted in the corner of a picture, similar to those found on 35mm "QD"(Quartz Date) cameras. When selected, the Postcard mode also deliberately crops the image creating a slightly longer rectangle to fill a 4 x 6 postcard. When shooting in Postcard mode the camera automatically reduces the resolution to 1600 x 1200 with fine compression (an ideal setting for 4 x 6 images with no need for the user to manually set the resolution and compression).
Direct Transfer
Canon's Direct Transfer function offers users five options to download images to Windows computers covering everything from all images in the camera, all new images in the camera, user-selected individual images, images selected for batch printing and even a setting to create Windows Wallpaper from an image.
5-Point AiAF Autofocus System and Single-Point AF
With the PowerShot A460's 5-point AiAF, you can count on exact focus no matter where your subject is in the frame. You may also select the standard single center point AF setting to accurately pull the shot into focus.
Movie Recording
The PowerShot A460 Digital ELPH is appointed with a full-range of movie features including a built-in microphone and speaker, and a high-resolution VGA (640 x 480) 10 fps VGA mode. The compact movie mode -- designed with e-mail attachments in mind -- captures a maximum of three minutes of recording at 15 fps and a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels.
Fast and Agile Shutter
The PowerShot A460 has a shutter speed that extends from 15 seconds to a fast 1/2000 of a second and can capture still photos continuously at rates up to 1.5 fps.
Built-in Flash
The PowerShot A460 digital camera has a built-in flash with automatic red-eye reduction setting and a maximum range of about 10 feet.
White Balance Control
Different light sources have different temperatures that can dramatically affect the quality of pictures. So the camera is equipped with selectable high-precision White Balance Settings to handle a full range of shooting conditions. There are 6 presets: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Fluorescent H. Plus there's also Custom and an Auto settings.
ISO Flexibility
Adjusting the camera's sensitivity levels to your lighting conditions is easy. That's because Canon has related these levels to the ISO film speeds you already know from traditional cameras. Simply select the sensitivity that corresponds to ISO 80, 100, 200, 400 or choose AUTO and let the camera decide for you.
Selectable Light Metering
The PowerShot A460 provides a range of Canon's highly advanced exposure features that offer greater control and greater convenience. Selectable Light Metering offers three settings. In the Evaluative setting, the camera reads multiple points across the frame for optimal overall exposure. The Spot Metering setting concentrates on a single area in the center of the image for greater precision in high contrast situations. Centerweighted Averaging Metering, with emphasis on the center of the viewfinder, averages metering out over the entire picture area.
Specification :
Powershot A460 Sensor • 1/3" Type CCD • 5.0 million effective pixels Image sizes • 2592 x 1944 • 2592 x 1456 • 2048 x 1536 • 1600 x 1200 • 640 x 480 Movie clips • 640 x 480, 10 fps (L) • 320 x 240, 30 fps (M) • 160 x 120, 15 fps (S) • Up to 1GB or 1 hour (L/M), up to 3 min (S) File formats • Still: JPEG compression (Exif 2.2 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system • Movie: AVI [Motion JPEG compression] • Sound: WAVE (monaural) Lens • 5.4-21.6 mm (38-152 35 mm equiv) 4.0x optical zoom Image stabilization No Conversion lenses No Digital zoom Up to 4x Focus • TTL • AF lock when shutter release held half-way AF area modes • 5-point AiAF • 1-point AF (fixed centre) AF assist lamp Yes Focus distance • 1cm-∞ Metering • Evaluative • Centre-weighted average • Spot (centre) ISO sensitivity • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • Auto Exposure compensation • +/- 2EV • 1/3 EV increments Exposure bracketing No Shutter speed 15 - 1/2000 sec Modes • Auto • Manual • Super macro • Movie Scene modes • Portrait • Night snapshot • Kids & pets • Indoor • Foliage • Snow • Beach • Fireworks White balance • Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Fluorescent H • Custom White balance fine tune No Self timer 2 or 10 sec, custom Continuous shooting Approx. 1.5 fps until memory card is full Image parameters • Vivid • Neutral • Sepia • Black & White • Custom colour Flash • Auto • Forced on/off • Slow sync • Red-eye reduction • 47cm-3.0m (wide) / 47cm-2.0m (tele) (auto ISO) Viewfinder Real-image zoom optical viewfinder LCD monitor • 2.0" P-Si TFT LCD • 86,000 pixels • 100% coverage Connectivity • USB • A/V output (PAL/NTSC switchable)
