So maybe the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, the G10, along with the SX10 IS just don’t scream your style. Canon understands that and has the obligatory, new Digital Elph upgrades just for you. The SD990 IS and SD880 IS both pack optical image stabilization and the DIGIC 4 image processor, but that’s where the similarity stops.

The higher-end SD990 receives Canon’s latest 14.7MP sensor, 2.5-inch LCD, along with the firm’s new Quick Shot Modes for even faster shutter speeds. This pocket cam is coming out in silver. oh-so-sexy black, and a limited edition red for $399 sometime in October ‘08.

The SD880 is loaded with more commonplace specs, such as a 10MP sensor, 4x zoom and a 3-inch LCD. Available in two-tone black and silver, gold and silver, or gold and brown when it drops for $299 also in October ‘08.

PR

I present to you three new Canon PowerShot cameras. They are, from left to right, the PowerShot SD890 IS, the PowerShot SD790 IS, and the PowerShot SD770 IS. Each has “Motion Detection Technology, Optical Image Stabilization, Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, and Canon’s proprietary DIGIC III imaging processor.”

More specs and pricing after the jump.

PowerShot SD890 IS Digital ELPH Camera

Features 10-megapixel resolution and a “5x zoom lens that expands…the focusing range from a maximum wide-angle equivalent of a 37mm lens to its maximum optical telephoto equivalent of a 185mm lens.” Also has a 2.5-inch LCD screen and an optical viewfinder. It’ll be available in early April for $399.

PowerShot SD790 IS Digital ELPH Camera

Features 10-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, three-inch LCD, and is “smaller than a deck of playing cards.” Available at the end of this month for $349.

PowerShot SD770 IS Digital ELPH Camera

And last but not least, the SD770 IS takes 10-megapixel photos and “boasts the thinnest body of any optically image stabilized ELPH model ever produced, featuring a slimmer yet higher capacity battery pack.” The battery’s good for 300 snaps on a single charge. There’s also a 3x zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, along with an optical viewfinder. It’ll be out in mid-April for $299.

Press Release [Canon.com]

This getting to be a little tiresome, Canon. I don’t want to write about your new cameras anymore. Someone call the waaambulance. The PowerShot ELPH line is getting even better with the addition of the SD950 IS and SD870 IS digis. The 950 is a full-body titanium 12.1-megapixel stud with a 3.7x optical zoom and 2.5-inch LCD. The 870 can only muster up 8-megapixels, but it has a 3.8x wide-angle zoom lens and 3-inch LCD. Both ELPH feature OIS, Advanced Face Detection, and DIGIC III processors.

950

950s backside

The PowerShot SD950 IS Digital ELPH and SD870 IS Digital ELPH Cameras should hit stores in September. The 950 is priced at $449.99 and the 870, available in black and silver, will retail for $399.99. They both include a rechargeable battery pack, battery charger, 32MB MMC memory card, and software as well as USB interface cable, AV interface cables and wrist strap.

870 in silver

870s 3-inch LCD

Press Release

Canon has announced two new digital cameras in its digital ELPH line: the SD750 and SD1000. Set to be released in March, the SD750 and SD1000 are decent looking cameras that come in stainless steel or dual-tone matte black and cost $300 and $350 (respectively). Both use the new Canon DIGIC III image processor, which is said to increase performance and improve image quality.

Other included features for the SD750 include a 3-inch LCD, touch control dials on the rear, and 3x zoom. The SD1000 lacks the touch-stuff but packs a 2.5-inch LCD and 3x zoom as well. They look like excellent cameras for the cash, but we’ll just have to wait and see how they perform before we jump to any conclusions.

Press Release

Canon has been one of the best names in the photography business for a long time. The quality of both their SLR and DSLR cameras are always top-notch and superb. I remember years ago my friend would always upgrade to the latest Canon Powershot every time a new one came out and in fact, the difference in quality would always be noticeable. A few weeks ago I got my hands on a Canon Powershot SD900 Digital ELPH camera to play with and review. All I can say is this is one sweet camera to own.

Note: All pictures in this review have not been retouched whatsoever. They are completely unaltered

First off, let me explain that this camera is 10-megapixels. You can shoot unbelievably high-resolution photos with this thing that would put a low-end DSLR to shame. I tend to shoot a lot of photos in “Fine” mode with at 2816×2112 resolution. However I eventually started shooting in “Superfine” mode at the 3648×2048 resolution. The difference was mind-boggling and I’ve decided not to be a cheapskate on memory cards anymore so that I can ensure all my pictures come out looking superior.

The SD900’s design isn’t as slick as other digital cameras available on the market. In fact, it’s a bit bulky and required a huge pocket or a small case. I understand that this camera packs a lot of features, comes in titanium, and requires space for those features, but this thing is too big for my tastes. I prefer the ultra-slim Casio Exilim SD-600’s design to this. In case you’re wondering how thick it is, put a Sidekick 3 and an SD900 next to each other and they look very similar. Despite the bloated design, Canon still included a viewfinder for shooting pictures in case you don’t want to use the LCD display it has. Most companies don’t include a viewfinder on digital cameras anymore and it makes us feel warm inside that Canon remembered to do so.

Pretty flowers! Oooh!

But torrid looks aside; this is still a powerful camera. For the $499 you have to plunk down it’d better be one damn nice camera, right? The UI and menu interface Canon has designed is excellent. It’s without a doubt one of the easiest to control and understand. Plus, Canon has kindly provided a 2.5-inch, 230k-pixel LCD display to view everything on. If you want to turn flash off, just flick the joypad to the right. Need a close up shot? Flick the joypad another direction to turn the ISO setting to “High” and to turn on “Macro” mode. Overall it’s very clean, thought out, and easy to use, which is important when you’re trying to market this camera to amateur photographers who don’t need the Rebel Xti or Nikon D80.

It should also be mentioned that this camera can shoot movies. And I am certainly not talking about crappy, low-resolution movies where the sound is barely audible and the quality is mediocre. I’m talking real, full-length movies. If you have enough storage via the SD cards that the SD900 takes, you’ll never need to use your camcorder again for making great home movies or recording a concert. I took the SD900 on Thanksgiving to a concert in Philadelphia and shot about 5 minutes of movie clips featuring performances of The Sounds and Shiny Toy Guns. The quality was breathtaking. Seriously, my Canon ZR60 mini-DV camcorder couldn’t have made better movies.

The lead singer of The Sounds…up close

Shiny Toy Guns in performance

So how do the pictures look? Normally I’d let the pictures speak for themselves, but then I wouldn’t get paid for this review. Colors are rich, lush, and vibrant. Lighting is spectacular and the SD900’s auto-flash feature is pretty good at knowing when and when not to use the flash. When you need a close up shot of something, you can get it. Switching around a few modes makes a close up of your Uncle Jimmy’s nose hairs come alive. Plus, the battery takes forever to die. Canon provides an easy-to-use wall socket charger to charge the battery outside the camera. It charges quickly and keeps the camera going for quite awhile. It’s been 2 weeks since I last charged it and it’s still going strong.

The SD900 rocks

Canon’s SD900 offers you 2.4x of optical zoom. Not bad, but if you need to zoom in for a close shot with the SD900, your result will go one of two ways. Either it will come out crystal clear and will look like the best picture you’ve ever taken. Otherwise, it ends up coming out blurry, crappy, and your VGA-powered cameraphone took the shot. Still, the SD900 is impressive when zooming and the camera starts up relatively quickly for when you unexpectedly need to snap a photo.

Flowers indoor with low-lighting

Overall, I am very impressed by Canon’s latest 10-megapixel offering. The SD900 has the right blend of power, precision, and quality to make it worth buying. I think $499 is a bit overpriced for the camera, but by now you can probably pick it up for $399 or so during the holiday sales that are currently happening. The inclusion of a viewfinder, easy to use interface, incredible picture quality, and awesome video capturing abilities make this worth the buy. If you’re in the market for a digital camera upgrade, go with the SD900 Digital ELPH. You’ll be paying a bit more, but the quality is there and you won’t need to upgrade for a long, long time.

To check out pictures from the SD900 in full-resolution, visit this special link I setup on my Flickr account.