Canon launches the IXUS 500 HS and IXUS 125 HS
Canon launches the IXUS 500 HS and IXUS 125 HS, two stunning IXUS models that allow users to capture every moment with ease and in style. Combining advanced features with stand-out, compact design and Canon’s leading lens technology, these models make it easy to capture high-quality still images and Full HD movies on nights out or holidays.
Showcasing Canon’s advanced lens innovation, the IXUS 500 HS packs an impressive 12x optical zoom into a tiny, 19.2 mm body, making it the slimmest camera of its type in the world¹ . Available in four sophisticated colours, red, blue, black and silver, the IXUS 500 HS epitomises IXUS with a futuristic, metallic finish and minimalist design. The IXUS 125 HS is offered in a range of bright and exciting hues, pink, red, silver, green and blue, that allow users to express their individuality and stand out from the crowd.
Canon quality with every shot
The new IXUS models offer a host of Canon’s advanced imaging technologies to help achieve the best shot in all conditions – from dimly-lit restaurants to the tropical sun. Both models feature Canon’s HS System, combining the 10.1MP sensor of the IXUS 500 HS or the 16.1MP sensor of the IXUS 125 HS with the latest DIGIC 5 image processor, capturing detailed, flattering shots without needing to use the flash, even in low light.
Getting closer to the action is now even easier thanks to the incredible wide-angle, 12x optical zoom of the IXUS 500 HS, which fully retracts into the glossy, futuristic, metal body – paying homage to the minimalist design heritage of the IXUS series. Canon’s ZoomPlus technology lets users zoom in even more, with more visible detail and sharpness than conventional digital zoom, extending the cameras’ zoom range beyond the maximum focal length of the lens. With ZoomPlus, the IXUS 500 HS can reach up to 21x magnification, extending beyond its 12x optical zoom and the IXUS 125 HS can zoom up to 10x beyond its 5x optical zoom.
The ultra-wide-angle, 24mm 5x optical zoom of the IXUS 125 HS allows users to capture more of the scene in front of them and both models feature a 3.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer for crisp, clear shots and smooth Full HD video footage. New Intelligent IS technology gives steady and clear results both in photos and movies by analysing the subject and automatically applying the most appropriate Image Stabilizer settings from seven different modes.
Stunning results with ease
It’s now easier than ever to capture great images thanks to Canon’s enhanced Smart Auto which detects 58 different scenes, applying the combination of camera settings to take the best possible picture automatically.
New Face ID (Face Identification) works with Smart Auto to ensure that those who matter most to you always look their best in photos. By registering a person along with their age in the camera’s memory, the face will then be recognised and Smart Auto will automatically apply the most appropriate settings to capture a great shot, based on their age and activity, as well as the ambient scene. For example, after identifying a sleeping baby as the subject, the camera will disable the flash and any camera sounds and brighten the image to achieve a more flattering, beautiful image. If the subjects are recognised as children of more than two years of age, playing in bright sunlight, the camera will anticipate movement and engage continuous shooting and Servo AF to help you capture crisp shots with clear detail.
Making it easier to sort collections of images including particular friends and family, each photo will also be tagged with the names of your registered faces, allowing you to search your images by name.
Multi-area White Balance also ensures that images captured with many different light sources in the same scene – for example, portraits lit by flash with tungsten lights illuminating the background– look natural and any unsightly colour casts are eliminated.
Creative features designed to impress
High-speed shooting features allow users to capture the moment in a different way. Freeze fast-paced action with High-speed Burst mode or capture the perfect dive or dramatic race finish-line with Super Slow Motion Movie mode to slow down the action.
For those moving moments that are perfect for video, both models are equipped with the ability to capture Full HD (1080p) video using the optical zoom, the IXUS 500 HS also records sound in stereo, movies can also be enjoyed on a larger screen thanks to the integrated HDMI-CEC port. Canon’s Movie Digest feature has also been improved. When Movie Digest mode has been selected, the four seconds preceding each image will be captured in a 720p HD video clip. Then all the clips from one day are combined into a movie bonus reel to tell the story behind a day’s or evening’s photos.
Allowing users to explore a more artistic side to their photography, the IXUS 125 HS and IXUS 500 HS feature a range of fun effects that can be applied to give every shot new impact. Give landscapes the impression of a scale model with Miniature Effect or mimic the effects of a fish-eye lens for unique portraits. Providing even more creative scope, two new modes have also been added to the new models; Smooth Skin evens out skin texture for more flattering portraits and Soft Focus mimics the effect of a soft focus lens with three levels of intensity to give portraits a romantic or retro feel.
Framing and viewing images also couldn’t be simpler as the high resolution (460k dots) 7.5 cm (3.0”) PureColor II G LCD screens offer impressive detail, bright and vivid colours and a wide viewing angle so friends can look at shots together without needing to transfer them to a larger screen. The toughened outer glass layer also gives excellent visibility and protection from the scrapes of everyday use.
