New Canon Digital Photography Products - CES 2005

Canon introduced two new small printers and one new scanner at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). No new film or digital still cameras were announced. It's expected (by me!) that such announcements will be made at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show, which takes place in late February.

The SELPHY CP-400 is a replacement for the CP-220 and is a dye-sub portable printer (AC powered) for 4x6 prints (though it can also print up to 4x8, as well as photo stickers, photo labels and credit card sized photos). Estimated street price is $150

The PIXMA iP90 is a small inkjet printer with an optional Bluetooth adapter for wireless operation. Also available is a Li-ion powerpack and a car adapter. Estimated street price is $250

The Canoscan LiDE 500F is a vertical standing desktop scanner with 2400x4800 dpi optical resolution. It can also scan 35mm film and has FARE built in for dust and scratch reduction. Estimated street price is $130.

• Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400
• Canon PIXMA iP90 mobile printer
• CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner

The following are the Canon Press Releases on these products:

Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #11906, Center Hall), Jan. 5, 2005 — Canon's new Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 makes printing brilliant, high quality photos from a digital camera quick and easy. Replacing Canon's popular CP-220 model, the new Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 allows consumers to make beautiful 4 x 6-inch postcards or photographs in approximately 81 seconds*, which is four seconds faster than previous models.

Producing crisp, vibrant photographs, The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 runs on AC power and can be connected to a PictBridge-compliant digital camera or a compatible personal computer for quick, high-quality prints in seconds. Its small size (6.7 x 4.7 x 2.2 inches) and new streamlined design make this compact photo printer simple to tote along to parties and family gatherings. It can also print credit-card size photos, photo stickers, photo labels and 4 x 8-inch photo greeting cards**. This new dye sublimation device creates water and fade resistant prints that last up to 100 years***.

The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 is PictBridge compliant. PictBridge is the worldwide direct printing standard that allows any PictBridge-compliant printer to print directly from any PictBridge compliant digital camera. Standard PictBridge features include the choice between borderless and bordered prints, optional date imprinting, print quantity selection, and trimming (cropping) of individual images. All of these features are controlled through a simple menu system on the camera's LCD monitor.

The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 provides further PictBridge support with two added features; N-Up printing, which allows users to create more than one smaller version of the same image on a sheet (2,4,6,9, etc.); and Fixed Size Printing, which allows the end-user to pre-select a dimension for the print, even though it may be a different size from the paper it will be printed on. For example, consumers can print a 3 x 5-inch photo onto a 4 x 6-inch paper.

Personalized Postcards and Greeting Cards
The printer can create high-quality 300 dpi color photographs in three different paper sizes from a computer via USB or by direct camera-to-printer connection. These sizes include 4 x 8-inch personalized greeting cards or invitations; 4 x 6-inch postcard size or 2.5 x 3.5-inch credit card size pictures (The 4 x 8-inch paper cassette is an optional accessory). The 4 x 8-inch wide paper size allows consumers to create and print personalized greeting cards for nearly any occasion. The printer comes equipped with drivers and application software† that includes a wide variety of templates and clip art for users to personalize their greetings, holiday cards, birth announcements, party invitations, and many other projects.

Additionally, select Canon PowerShot digital cameras feature Direct Print options that can be used with the SELPHY CP-400 model, including an ID Photo Print function that automatically generates passport style prints on 4 x 6-inch paper as well as ID prints of various sizes (selectable on the camera-menu).

The printer also allows consumers to print thumbnail sequences from movie clips from select PowerShot digital cameras. Up to 63 thumbnails can be printed on 4 x 6-inch postcard-size paper. With the Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 and PowerShot digital cameras, users are ready to capture and print their memories anywhere, anytime.

The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 supports the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) Version 1.1 printing standard. This handy feature allows users to pre-select multiple images for automated batch printing.

Pricing and Availability
The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP-400 will be available in January for an estimated street price of $149.99††.


*Print speed based on average output speed achieved during product testing with DIGIC II processor embedded Canon PowerShot digital cameras. Other products' print speed may vary. Printer functions are sensitive to temperature and humidity.
**4x8 and credit card size paper cassettes are option. please see User Manual for appropriate operating environment.
***Based on accelerated testing, assuming image is stored in an album at 23 degrees C/50 % R.H.
†Software and Drivers available for Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 SP4, XP and Mac OS X (v10.1.5 — v10.3).
†† All prices are set by the individual dealer and may vary.

Canon PIXMA iP90 mobile printer

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #11906, Center Hall), Jan. 5, 2005 — Canon's new PIXMA™ iP90 mobile printer offers consumers and business professionals a compact and high-speed printing solution for both their photo and document printing needs. Based on the award-winning i80 printer, the PIXMA iP90 mobile printer is loaded with new features including faster text (CES Booth #11906, Center Hall), Jan. 5, 2005 — Canon's new PIXMA™ iP90 mobile printer offers consumers and business professionals a compact and high-speed printing solution for both their photo and document printing needs. Based on the award-winning i80 printer, the PIXMA iP90 mobile printer is loaded with new features including faster text and graphics printing speeds, new Save Black Ink Mode and a new Use Composite Black Mode.

The new model offers an optional Bluetooth® adapter** for wireless transmission of information and a sleek body that is small enough to be transported across multiple locations — like hotel rooms and job sites — or remain stationary in the comfort of the living room. The new PIXMA iP90 printer will be available in January for an estimated selling price of $249.99*.

"In today's 'on the go' world, cell phones capture pictures, PDA's store everything from documents to forms to e-mail and contracts while laptop computers account for nearly one-third of computers sold" said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "Designed for this digital age, the new PIXMA iP90 mobile printer is both beautifully styled and feature rich and delivers the speed and quality demanded by today's 'on the go' consumers."

A Save Black Ink Mode has been added to the driver of the new PIXMA iP90 mobile printer. With a simple click in the driver, the printer will switch to long life mode, which can achieve up to 66% more ink yield by laying down less ink on the page.

The new Use Composite Black Mode will allow the user to switch the printer to composite black when the standard black ink tank has run out. Composite black is created by mixing cyan, magenta and yellow inks together, which can provide the critical ink needed when the black tank runs dry at a truly inopportune moment.

The PIXMA iP90 mobile printer features Canon's exclusive FINE high-performance print head. FINE technology "Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering" ensures sub-micron level precision during the manufacturing process. The PIXMA iP90 mobile printer has a FINE print head with 1,088 total nozzles — the most of any printer in its class — which allows for high-speed printing over wide areas in a single pass. With a maximum color resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi*** and droplets as small as 2 picoliters — the smallest droplet of any printer in its class — the PIXMA iP90 mobile printer produces exceptional photographic results with smooth gradations and accurate skin tones and rich, vibrant colors.

The PIXMA iP90 mobile printer cranks out documents at up to 16 pages-per-minute (ppm)† in black and up to 12 ppm† in color. Borderless 4 x 6 inch photographs from the computer print in approximately 51 seconds.

The printer's PictBridge port allows users of all levels the option to print high-quality photographs without a computer. PictBridge is an industry standard that allows the direct printing of images from PictBridge compatible digital cameras and camcorders to a PictBridge compatible printer, regardless of brand or manufacturer, without the use of a computer.

The optional user installable Bluetooth Unit (BU-10) will have an estimated selling price of $79.99* and conceals nicely on the front of the printer. The PIXMA iP90 mobile printer also includes a built-in IrDA port (IrDA version 1.1).

The new PIXMA iP90 model provides versatility of use by offering a several different power options. The printer comes equipped with a universal power adapter for desktop and AC power use.

Users have the option to purchase a Portable Kit (LK-51B), which includes a Lithium Ion battery with a 450 page life per two-hour charge, along with the battery housing that connects the battery to the printer for a suggested list price of $99.99* (extra Lithium Ion battery inserts are available for a suggested list price of $89.99*). They can also purchase a Cradle Kit (CK-51B) that includes the Lithium Ion battery, the battery holder and a charging cradle for a suggested list price of $139.99*.

The new Portable Kit and Cradle Kit are now in a contrasting charcoal grey color. Both are backwards compatible with the i70 and i80 mobile printers. Mobile professionals on the go will especially benefit from the optional Automobile Power Unit (PU-100U). The Automobile Power Unit allows mobile users who frequently work from their car to charge or power their PIXMA iP90 mobile printer directly through a car power socket, helping to ensure they can print virtually anywhere. The Automobile Power Unit will have an estimated selling price of $89.99*.

To help users get the most from their printer, the PIXMA iP90 mobile printer includes Easy-PhotoPrint (an Exif Print compatible application) and Easy-WebPrint software. An updated version of the very popular Easy-PhotoPrint software (Windows®/Mac®), allows customers to print photos quickly using simple menu choices to locate digital images, pick paper size and type, choose the layout and print. Other features that help produce realistic digital images in the Easy-PhotoPrint software include Vivid Photo to print life-like vibrant colors and Photo Noise Reduction to decrease noise from digital images. New tools added to this version include Face Sharpening for out-of-focus face correction, Face Brightener to correct for less-than perfect lighting conditions, Red Eye Correction and Blemish Remover to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and skin imperfections.

Easy-WebPrint software (Windows only) provides consumers with a tool that automatically resizes web pages to fit the standard printer page so they may be printed without losing important information from the right side of the screen. PhotoRecord® (Windows only) helps print photo albums and photos with frames.

The PIXMA iP90 printer is compatible over USB with both Windows® and Mac® platforms (Windows XP, Windows 2000/MillenniumEdition/98 and Mac OS X v 10.2.1 to 10.3.x.). The iP90 printer is compatible with one-way communication over IrDA with Windows XP, Windows 2000/Millennium Edition/98. The Bluetooth Adapter is compatible with Mac OS X v10.3.3 to 10.3.x and Windows XP (Service Pack 1 or later with Microsoft "Support for Bluetooth Wireless Devices", or Toshiba Windows XP computers with Bluetooth Settings Version 3.00.10 or later (HCRP only))

Specifications subject to change without notice.

 
* Prices subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.
** Bluetooth operation depends on the devices and software version used.
*** Resolution may vary based on printer driver setting. Ink droplets can be placed with a pitch of 1/4800 inch at minimum.
† PPM printer speed based on highest-speed printer driver mode. Photo print speed based on the maximum print speed using Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. Print speed will vary depending on system configuration, software, document complexity, print mode and page coverage.

Canon CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #11906, Center Hall), Jan. 5, 2005 — From digitizing old family photos and kids school projects to scanning important receipts and documents, Canon's slim new futuristic-styled CanoScan LiDE 500F Color Image Scanner provides consumers with a space saving, photo, document and film scanning solution.

As the flagship model in Canon's slim-line family of LiDE scanners, the CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner's innovative 3-way design allows it to be positioned on the desktop in any of three different ways. In addition to the traditional portrait orientation, the scanner can be positioned in landscape or upright scanning positions. A built-in stand assists in the upright scanning position, for desktops with limited space, while the unique double-hinged lid allows for Drop-in scanning. Drop-in scanning is made possible with a lid that opens to approximately 40 degrees forming a 'V' shape and combined with a tapered edge inside the scanner to catch the photos or documents. Consumers can simply drop in their photos and close the cover.

"Canon has been a leader in the scanner market and throughout the years has consistently delivered high quality products that fulfill a multitude of market demands and mesh consumers lifestyles with their environments," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "The new LiDE 500F Color Image Scanner furthers this commitment and taps into the heart of what consumers need, bridging high quality with futuristic style."

The new double-hinge expansion top opens four different ways. In standard portrait or landscape orientations, the top opens to 110 degrees, making it easy to access the scanning platen to add or remove photos or documents. For scanning bulky items, the top can expand or be raised by approximately one inch. A new 180-degree feature allows the top to completely open, which exposes the scanning platen for odd or oversized items. In the upright position, the cover rests at a 40-degree angle enabling the drop-in scanning feature.

The CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner offers the additional convenience of 35mm film scanning. The included film guide can accept a 35mm film strip up to six frames in length. Whether scanning positives or negatives, the film adapter unit of the LiDE 500F scanner includes an infrared light source in addition to the white light source for FARE level 3 dust and scratch removal. FARE level 3 technology automatically performs an infrared scan that examines the film's surface for dust and scratches and removes most, if not all, of the unwanted imperfections from the final scan. Additional features include grain and fading correction for added productivity and also Backlight correction — a new function that lets users easily compensate for incorrectly exposed pictures due to back lighted subjects.

The CanoScan LiDE 500F Scanner requires only one cable for both computer connectivity via USB and for power, which saves space and reduces wire clutter in the work area. The USB 2.0 Hi-Speed* interface delivers preview scans in approximately nine seconds by using fast transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps.

Canon's four-button design — copy, scan, PDF and e-mail — automates the scanning process and helps users expedite common scanning tasks with single-touch simplicity. In addition to the default settings from Canon, each button can be customized to perform the tasks most often used by the consumer. The Multi-Scan mode helps users save time by scanning multiple images at once, saving each image to its own file for archiving or editing. The unit also scans multi-page documents to a single PDF file. In addition, the Contact Image Sensor (CIS) on the LiDE 500F scanner generates a zero warm up time, enabling users to immediately start scanning whenever the computer is turned on.

With an optical 2400x4800 dpi resolution, the LiDE 500F Color Image Scanner offers the highest resolution of Canon's LiDE series of scanners. Single-pass scanning technology and 48-bit color depth provide both fast and detailed scans with smooth gradation and more than 281 trillion possible colors.

All of Canon's LiDE scanners use a small, low powered LED light source and the integration of lens elements directly on the scanning sensor to substantially reduce the number and size of individual components needed to produce a scanner. This results in a slim design that is lightweight and feature-rich for the end user.

The CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner is compatible with Windows XP, 2000, ME or 98*** operating systems and Mac OS X (10.2 to 10.3.x) operating systems. The CanoScan LiDE 500F scanner will be available in January for an estimated selling price of $129.99**.

Specifications subject to change without notice.

* USB 2.0 Hi-Speed requires Windows XP, 2000, ME or Mac OS X operating sytems. For Windows 98 systems, the scanner will operate at USB 1.1 specifications.
** Price is MSRP and subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.
*** Systems with Pentium® III300MHz or higher Celeron® (566 MHz or higher), AMD:Athlon™, Athlon MP, Athlon XP or Duron are recommended.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.