Canon refreshes trio of PowerShot SX cameras with enhanced NFC, introduces Connect Station networked media hub
posted Monday, January 5, 2015 at 10:01 AM EDT
In the run-up to this year's annual Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Canon unveiled its latest offerings for its consumer line of PowerShot compact cameras. Refreshing a trio of PowerShot SX compact cameras, the new models sport either upgraded lenses or new sensors as one of their highlight features, but all three share enhanced wireless connectivity features aimed at making the sharing, printing and displaying of photos and videos much simpler.
The three updated PowerShot SX cameras -- the Canon SX530, Canon SX710 and Canon SX610 -- all feature not only built-in Wi-Fi with more robust remote shooting capabilities, but also Active Tag NFC. As opposed to "passive" NFC, which Canon included in some of their previous models, photographers with NFC-enabled devices would tap the camera and automatically launch the companion mobile app. However, to transfer images and video, users had to manually begin this process. With Active Tag NFC, the new SX models will bypass that step and automatically transfer images to the host device.
The first of three updated PowerShot SX cameras is the refreshed Canon SX530 HS. Canon's SX500-series digital cameras have traditionally been well known for offering a healthy, long zoom lens at a reasonable price. Last year's model saw an increase in zoom range to 42x, but also a big jump in price plus the removal of Wi-Fi. This time around, the SX530 offers an even bigger zoom range -- 50x -- plus Wi-Fi and NFC. The price is still a higher than a couple generations ago ($429.99), but overall the SX530 looks to be a solid camera -- and one squarely in the superzoom camp -- at a reasonable price. If you're interested in an affordable, connected camera with a powerful 24-1200mm equivalent lens, jump over to our Canon SX530 First Impression Review for more details.
Next on the list is Canon's latest entry in the "travel zoom" category. The Canon SX710 HS offers consumers a pocketable design, a high-powered 30x zoom and, of course, enhanced Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. While the 30x zoom lens remains the same as last year's model, the new SX710 features Canon's latest DIGIC 6 image processor and a new, higher-resolution sensor. Packing a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch type CMOS sensor, the SX710's offers a notable bump up from the 16MP sensor inside its predecessor.
Offering both simpler, automatic shooting modes and Creative Shot filters as well as full PASM exposure modes, the SX710 travel zoom camera should be perfectly suited for novice photographers as well as those with more experience under their belts. At just $349.99, the Canon SX710 looks to offer a lot of camera for the money. If this camera piques your interest, head over to our Canon SX710 First Impression Review for more information.
Lastly, for photographers who want a simple, versatile and budget-friendly compact camera with wireless connectivity, Canon aims to please with the updated SX610 HS. The Canon SX610 maintains the same 18x optical zoom lens as its predecessor, providing a 25-450mm equivalent zoom range. The camera also keeps the same DIGIC 4+ image processor, however, like the new SX710, the new camera sports a new, higher-resolution 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch type CMOS sensor. Going on sale in February, the SX610 will be available for $249.99. For more information, click over to our Canon SX610 First Impressions Review for all the details.
Alongside the handful of updated cameras, Canon also introduced a brand new product, the Connect Station CS100 media storage hub. The multi-function, networked media set-top box offers Canon users the ability to offload and backup their photos and videos thanks to the CS100's built-in 1TB hard drive (Note: the hard drive is available exclusively for storing photos and video). Using NFC and Wi-Fi, the Connect Station CS100 can be used to wirelessly transfer media off your camera's memory card without the need for a computer. For cameras without wireless connectivity, the CS100 also has SD and CF card slots, as well as a standard USB port. Users can also attach a secondary USB hard drive of their own to use as a backup drive.
Aside from a simple media backup solution, the device, which attaches to your high definition television or monitor via HDMI, links to your home or office network through a wireless or Ethernet connection and can be used to quickly and easily view photos and video on a large screen.
Thanks to the networking capabilities, the Connect Station CS100 can also be used to connect to wireless printers, as well as send media to other Connect Station units -- even those outside of your local network -- using Canon IMAGE GATEWAY.
The Canon Connect Station CS100 supports JPEG, RAW (.CR2), MP4, MOV and AVCHD file formats, and is scheduled to go on sale in April 2015 with estimated retail price of $299.99. Head over to Canon's website for more information.
Ready to pre-order? Place your order for the new Canon PowerShot SX-series cameras and the new Connect Station CS100 at one of Imaging Resource's trusted affiliates: