Canon Elph 490Z (Z90) | $145.95 | |  |
What if someone invented a really tiny camera with really huge features? Someone has. It's called the Canon ELPH 490Z, the world's smallest 4x power zoom camera. The 490Z combines the amazing technology of Advanced Photo System with advanced photographic
capabilities and full automation. The first camera of its size to offer a high-performance lens with a wide-zoom ratio, the 490Z conceals its incredible 22.5-90mm 4x zoom lens behind a swing-open cover. The dramatic effect does not end there: all of this
innovation comes wrapped in sleek styling and beautiful metallic finish of an ultra-compact, aluminum body that's really hard to miss.
New Design Elements
When you look around at all the Advanced Photo System cameras on the market today, you'll quic
kly discover that only Canon has successfully capitalized on the potential of the miniaturized IX240 film cartridge by delivering a full-featured 4x zoom camera small enough to fit into almost any shirt pocket. Overall compactness has been achieved with t
he latest miniaturization technologies such as a new lens design, a small diameter, three-stage retractable lens barrel, and a compact AF unit. The ELPH 490Z is 40% smaller in volume and 20% lighter than the Sure Shot Z135, the closest previous model in t
erms of zoom ratio.
The styling of the ELPH 490Z retains the "box and circle" construction of the original ELPH. The camera is compact and nearly flat with the lift-up lens cover closed, and it transforms to a precision instrument look when the cover i
s opened. Aluminum has been used for the front cover to provide a feeling of quality as well as an elegant appearance.
Fully Automated, Electronic Film Loading
The ELPH 490Z features an advanced drop-in loading system. The film compartment cover is
opened electronically by pressing a recessed button on the baseplate of the camera. When the cartridge is inserted halfway, the camera draws it the rest of the way into the compartment automatically and closes the cover. When the film is fully rewound and
the recessed button is pushed, the compartment cover opens automatically and the cartridge is ejected halfway by the loading mechanism. The whole system is designed to make film handling as effortless as possible. The camera takes about 10 seconds to win
d the cartridge to the first frame. For added safety, the compartment cover can only be opened when the camera is empty or after the film has been fully rewound.
The Lens
The 490Z's compact zooming optical system features advanced optics with two a
spherical elements in a 7-element, 7-group optical formula. The aspherical elements improve image quality while at the same time reducing the physical length of the lens and the total number of elements. The 22.5~90mmm focal length range is equivalent to
a 28~112mm zoom lens on conventional 35mm cameras. The lens has a focusing range of 2 ft. to infinity in its normal mode and approximately 1.1 ft. to infinity in the close-up mode.
Hybrid Autofocusing
To assure the sharpest possible images, the 490Z
features a unique Hybrid AF (Autofocus) system that automatically switches between two operating modes depending on the conditions. The normal, 5-point active AF mode is effective with most subjects, even it they aren't centered. However, with difficult
subjects -- those behind glass, too dark or too distant, the camera automatically switches to 1-point passive AF. Focus lock is always available for subjects that are extremely off-center.
Real-Image Viewfinder with Automatic Parallax Compensation
T
he viewfinder on the 490Z optically zooms as the lens zooms, making it easy to see what will be included in the picture area. However, because the viewfinder and lens of this camera use separate optical systems, there can be a significant difference (call
ed parallax) between the viewfinder field and the actual image area captured by the lens during close-up photography. The ELPH 490Z's automatic parallax compensation function shifts the entire viewfinder image to compensate for this difference. The correc
tion is carried out by a three-stage shifting of the viewfinder lens in a parallax-canceling direction, based on subject distance data provided by the autofocus system.
Best Shot Dial
The ELPH 490Z features Canon's exclusive "Best Shot" dial which o
ffers six different shooting modes. The Best Shot dial automatically combines several possible function settings to render ideal camera settings for specific types of shooting conditions and subject matter. The six shooting modes -- Action, Night Photogra
phy, Portraits, Close- Ups, Spotlight and Full-Automatic -- are easily identified on the Best Shot dial with icons depicting each shooting mode. The user simply sets the Best Shot dial to the desired shooting mode and the ELPH 490Z takes care of everythin
g else.
Flash and Red-Eye Reduction
The flash design on the ELPH 490Z is truly unique. A full-size lens cover flips up to reveal a multi-function high-power flash unit and Red-Eye Reduction lamp. The considerable distance between lens and flash, whi
ch maximizes red-eye protection is the longest of any Canon camera with a built-in flash. In nighttime situations, when more background exposure is desired, the optional Slow-Sync mode combines the flash and Red-Eye Reduction lamp with a slow shutter spee
d.
The Finishing Touches
Thanks to IX data storage, a variety of information can be imprinted on the front or back of each print: date, time, even personalized greetings. No, the ELPH 490Z won't speak French, but it will print "I love you," "Thank y
ou," "Season's Greetings," "Happy Birthday," or "Congratulations" in six different languages.
Features- The Canon ELPH 490Z offers a number of advanced features including:
- A 4x zoom (22.5-90mm f/5.6-8.9) in a body that's 40% smaller and 20% lighter than the 3.6x zoom Sure Shot Z135.
- A revolutionary, new flat design with an aluminum alloy front cover.
- Canon-exclusive one-touch electronic film loading.
- World's first automatic parallax compensation viewfinder.
- Easy-operation "best shot dial" function.
- High-resolution all-glass optical system using 2 aspherical lenses.
- High-precision 5-point hybrid Ai-AF (Smart AF)
- Magnetic recording of ten types of IX (Information Exchange) data.
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