General8.02.2011

Canon launches the IXUS 310 HS

Canon unveiled the new IXUS 310 HS – which combines low-light capabilities, Full HD movie capture and manual photographic controls in a stainless steel body.

“Designed for users who want superior performance and styling, the IXUS 310 HS provides excellent image quality and a host of advanced features, making it easy to capture crisp stills and stunning 1080p video,” comments Abri Kriegler, product manager at Canon Consumer Imaging South Africa.

Canon’s HS System and a bright, ultra-wide angle lens with optical Image Stabilizer allow users to capture any scene. An enhanced version of Canon’s touch interface provides greater control over stills and video, and a new dedicated movie record icon enables fast switching between picture and movie capture.

Ultimate low-light performance

The HS System is included in the IXUS 310 HS. The 12.1Megapixel CMOS sensor combines with Canon’s DIGIC 4 image processor to form the HS System and realise the highest possible image quality, capturing images with less noise in all conditions. Dynamic range is improved and users are able to capture sharp, blur-free shots of scenes in low light that would usually demand flash support.

The IXUS 310 HS features a genuine Canon 24mm, ultra-wide angle, 4.4x optical zoom lens with a bright f/2.0 maximum aperture. As well as providing greater shooting flexibility, the lens design enables faster shutter speeds to be used, capturing the maximum amount of ambient light for well exposed, natural shots. Users can also shoot with a shallower depth of field than most other compact cameras for more engaging portraits and creative macro shots. A 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer steadies the light passing through the lens elements, counteracting shake and image blur that can occur when shooting with slower shutter speeds or at the telephoto-end of the zoom.

Fingertip control, intuitive interface

A large, 8.0 cm (3.2”), 460K dot-resolution PureColor II Touch LCD offers excellent contrast and colour rendition, with a wide viewing angle that makes it easy to frame and play back images. Canon’s advanced, customisable touch screen interface allows the icons for various camera settings to be arranged according to the user’s preference. Touch AF sets the focus area with a simple touch, while Touch Actions and Tap Control offer an easy and intuitive way to operate the camera with pre-set gestures used for various functions, such as flicking through the image library, or changing settings on-screen.

Full HD movies made easy

IXUS 310 HS owners can capture all the excitement of a special moment in superb quality, thanks to Full HD movie recording with stereo sound. The optical zoom can also be used when shooting, and Smart Auto in Movie offers additional support, optimising the camera settings in accordance with the shooting conditions and scene.

Dynamic Image Stabilizer has also been included, allowing users to shoot smoother and steadier video – even if the footage is shot whilst walking or sitting in a moving car.

For a “behind the scenes” story of the day’s shots, a new Movie Digest function automatically captures up to four seconds of video before a still image is taken, and then assembles all the day’s clips into a bonus reel of spontaneous, fun video.

Users can now shoot video in iFrame format, which requires no transcoding before being imported – making it faster and simpler to transfer and edit footage. HDMI-CEC compatibility also allows the camera to be connected to an HDTV and controlled via the TV remote control, making it easier to enjoy captured moments on a big screen.

High speed shooting

The inclusion of a CMOS sensor enables a number of high-speed shooting functions which offer more creative flexibility. Best Image Selection shoots a high speed sequence of five shots, evaluating all the frames and selecting the best one to be saved to the memory card. The IXUS 310 HS can shoot full resolution stills at up to 3.4 shots per second and 8.2 shots per second at a reduced, 3.0 MP resolution in High-speed Burst mode. Handheld Night Scene mode allows the capture of multiple shots of the same scene, before merging them together to create one image with the least possible blur and the best possible exposure.

The IXUS 310 HS also features Super Slow Motion Movie mode, allowing users to slow down fast-paced action, such as sports – capturing the scene in VGA resolution at 120 frames per second (fps), or in 320×240 resolution at 240fps. Play-back at 30fps enables users to analyse movement like a golf swing, or to add drama and atmosphere to fast-paced action.

Control and creative support

More advanced users will appreciate the control over aperture or shutter speed offered by Av and Tv modes respectively, while for those who prefer point-and-shoot simplicity, the Smart Auto mode is now capable of detecting up to 32 scenes, capturing well-exposed images without manually changing the camera settings. A new Advanced Subject Detection technology allows the camera to detect and track even non-human moving subjects, while Servo AF/AE ensures the subject remains in-focus and correctly exposed right up to the moment the picture is taken.

For those who want to experiment with their shots, six creative shooting modes offer the freedom and flexibility to create different effects. In addition to Fish-eye Effect, Super Vivid and Poster Effect, the new Toy Camera Effect gives images a retro, pinhole camera feel, while Monochrome creates atmospheric shots with sepia, black and white or other monochromatic tones.

Canon’s popular Miniature Effect can be applied to movies as well as still images, recording 1.5, 3 or 6 frames per second in Movie mode to create the impression of a time-lapse video of a small-scale model. Multi-Aspect shooting also allows the individual to frame their original photo in 3:2, 4:3, 1:1 and 16:9, to create the desired effect, right from the start.

For even greater flexibility, Smart Shutter makes it easy for the user to be part of the image. Thanks to Face Detection technology, the shutter can be triggered by a wink, a smile or by a new face being detected in the scene.

IXUS 310 HS – key features:

  1. HS System (12.1 MP)
  2. f/2.0, 24mm, 4.4x zoom. Optical IS
  3. Stainless steel body
  4. 8.0 cm (3.2″) PureColor II Touch LCD
  5. Full HD with optical zoom. Dynamic IS
  6. Smart Auto (32 scenes)
  7. High-speed Burst & Super Slow Motion Movie
  8. Movie Digest
  9. iFrame movie
  10. Creative modes & manual control
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