Canon has updated one of its most pocketable and versatile point-and-shoot cameras with the launch of the PowerShot SX620 HS.
The new compact camera comes equipped with a 20.2 Megapixel sensor and a Digic 4+ image processing engine. While these are exactly the same specs as the SX610 HS announced at CES 2015, Canon has upgraded the optics, increasing the zoom range from 18x to 25x and giving it a 25-625mm equivalent lens.
The new PowerShot SX620 HS also features wireless connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC. Other specs include a three-inch 922k dot screen and 1,080p Full HD movie recording.
The PowerShot SX620 HS will be available later this month for $ 279 (about £193, AU$ 379).
Light it up
On top of the new point and shoot camera, Canon has also announced a new flagship radio-controlled flashgun, the Speedlite 600EX II-RT. The new Speedlite offers greatly improved recycling cycles – up to 1.5 times faster than previous models.
Operation of the flashgun has also been simplified, with fewer button presses need to turn on the radio flash mode, and easier navigation by scrolling. The flash head covers wide focal length range of 20-200mm, and Canon says it’s the most powerful flash in its EOS line-up, with a guide number of 197 ft./60m at ISO100.
Aside from the increased power, Canon has also packaged its new flash with a few goodies, including a 14mm wide-angle attachment and hard color filters. Available later this June, the Speedlite 600EX II-RT will come priced at $ 579 (about £400, AU$ 788).
Extreme close-ups
Canon has also introduced a new lens for its EOS-M mirrorless system. The EF-M 28mm f/3.5 is designed for macro photography and offers a 45mm field of view (by 35mm equivalent standards), making it useful for everyday photography as well.
It comes with its own built-in ring light, to help you illuminate subjects for extreme close-up shots.
When shooting macro, photographers will often hold the lens just a few millimeters away from their subject, which casts shadows on it, and ring flash gets around this problem. Users will be able to adjust the light between dim and bright intensities.
Illumination aside, the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 features the same optical image stabilization found in Canon’s EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. Priced at $ 299 (about £207, AU$ 407), the lens will begin shipping in June.
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