Canon PowerShot N unveiled at CES 2013

Canon PowerShot N was announced today at CES 2013, becoming the first camera of its kind in the point-and-shoot segment.

Canon has revealed a new type of camera at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013. Canon PowerShot N is the company’s solution for the people who have decided to purchase a higher-end smartphone with a good camera rather than choosing a smaller, lower-end digital camera.

Size matters

Canon’s PowerShot N measures only 78.6 x 60.2 x 29.3mm, as the company tried to reduce the measurements as much as possible. This may be a pure marketing decision, since many consumers think there is no reason to buy a big camera when its performances are not a lot better than what smartphones, including the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia Lumia 920, have to offer.

Fun-to-use display and innovative design

The design changes as soon as the users notice the tilting 2.8-inch PureColor II G touchscreen at 461,000 dots. Live view is available on this display along with controls for focus and shutter speed among others.

Canon built the PowerShot N around the idea of “it does not matter how you are holding” this camera. There is no top and there is no bottom: the controls are mounted all around the lens, which is positioned in the center. This is a “true” point-and-shoot camera, as users can simply take it out of their bag without even looking at it to shoot photos as quick as possible.

Features

Canon PowerShot N comes packed with a 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, full HD video recording capabilities at 24 fps or 720p HD-ready video capture at 32 fps, 80 to 6400 ISO range, F3.0 to F5.9 aperture range, WiFi, GPS support via mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, 8x zoom, Intelligent IS, HS system and USB support.

The spec sheet continues with 28mm lens, Hybrid Auto mode, Smart Auto and a Mobile Device Connect control button. The Hybrid Auto mode allows the camera to record 4 seconds of video at 720p quality before making use of the so-called Smart Auto technique, which is used for choosing the best photo settings depending on light, movement and other external factors.

Using Mobile Device Connect, photographers can share their images on Facebook and their videos on YouTube immediately after taking them, provided the camera is connected to a WiFi network.

Price and availability

Canon announced that the PowerShot N will become available this April in black or silver, for a price of $299.99. The internal memory of this point-and-shoot will be secured via a microSD/SDHC/SDXC card.