Canon PowerShot, new A series models announced

Canon has just announced six new PowerShot A-series models. These form the lower end of Canon’s more practical camera offering for this year, as opposed to the usually slimmer and sleeker IXUS models.

The PowerShot A810 and PowerShot A1300 are the classic entry-level models, still powered by AA batteries. The A1300 even retains an optical viewfinder, making it one of the few compacts to still have one – which some users still swear by. List prices are £89 and £109 respectively.

Next up are the PowerShot A2300 and PowerShot A2400 IS. Like the above models, these have 28mm wide angle lenses with 5x zoom factors. They are slimmer, largely thanks to Li-ion battery packs, than the cheaper models. In these models you also get 1080p video capture. The A2300 will be available in four colours, while the A2400 IS has image stabilisation for steadier shots in low light. List prices are £119 and £129 respectively.

Moving to the top of the range, the PowerShot A3400 IS has the A series’ first 3.0in LCD touch screen for easier control and touch spot focus. While the PowerShot A4000 IS has an 8x zoom lens for better control over composing shots at distance. List prices are £149 and £169 respectively.

Every camera in the range uses the same 16-megapixel sensor. We’ll be interested to see whether it suffers from excessive noise, especially compared to last year’s impressive 12-megapixel sensor used in the Canon Ixus 115 HS.

All the new cameras should be available by March. We’ll bring you full reviews as soon as we can.