Canon Powershot TX1 Digital Camera Announced - Something A Bit Different

Canon decided to break the mold a little bit with the introduction of the Powershot TX1. This very compact 7.1 megapixel camera features a 10x optical zoom, image stabilized lens, 720p HD video recording, 1.8 inch Vari-Angle LCD - all in a camera the size of a deck of cards. The TX1 will be available starting in March 2007 for $499.

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The TX1 gets the DIGIC III processor and all the nice things that go along with it - faster camera operation, better battery life, etc. The extra processing power enables Canon's face detection system - now improved on the TX1. Now, the benefits of facial detection can be used during movie capture as well and there is better detection of faces that are slightly turned away from the camera. Also, the DIGIC III benefits allow the TX1 to shoot up to ISO 1600.

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Speaking of video, the TX1 can record high definition (HD) 720p, wide screen (16:9) movies in addition to more typical 640x480, 30fps movies. Audio can be record in stereo, at a sampling rate of 44 KHz. A feature called MovieSnap allows you to capture a high resolution still image during movie capture.

There are 14 shooting modes on the TX1: Automatic, Camera Manual, Super Macro for close-up work, Color Accent, Color Swap, Stitch-Assist, Movie (including HD), and seven Special Scene Modes: Portrait, Night Snapshot, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach and Aquarium.

For full details and specs on the TX1, see its product page at Canon's site.