Canon Introduces The 4-Megapixel Powershot G2: An Ultra-High-Performance Compact Digital Camera

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LAKE SUCCESS, NEW YORK, August 17, 2001 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon, Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), continues to strengthen its position in the highly competitive consumer digital camera market with the introduction of its most advanced product to date: the new Canon PowerShot G2, the company's first 4-megapixel model. The Canon PowerShot G2 Kit will be available through authorized Canon dealers in September at a suggested list price of .

The Canon PowerShot G2 joins a family of Canon PowerShot-series cameras including the high-end Pro90 IS, the mid-range S300 and S110 Digital ELPHs, and the entry-level PowerShot A20 and A10. Collectively, the Canon PowerShot digital camera line-up offers consumers the widest range of features in the industry. From 1.3-megapixel to 4- megapixel models, Canon provides digital imaging solutions to fit nearly every need and price point.

"The new Canon PowerShot G2 is a great example of our commitment to achieving the highest standards in imaging products while providing our customers with features and functions they need and expect from Canon," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, vice president and general manager, Photographic Products Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "The Canon G2 gives users greater creative control and allows them the opportunity to truly express themselves with photography."

The design of the Canon PowerShot G2 is based on the popular PowerShot G1, with an elegant champagne metallic coverplate and an enlarged handgrip for better ergonomics. The Canon G2 has many features in common with its predecessor, including a superbly sharp high-speed 7-21mm f/2.0-2.5 zoom lens (equivalent to 34-102mm in the 35mm format), a Vari-Angle LCD viewfinder, a conventional camera body design, a high-speed plug-and-play USB interface, compatibility with Canon EX-series Speedlite flash units, and compatibility with Type I and II CompactFlash memory cards, including IBM's series of Microdrives.

Virtually every other feature of the Canon PowerShot G2 has been improved relative to the G1. The list of new or improved functions includes: higher resolution, better image quality, faster signal processing, lower power consumption, more focusing points, improved manual focusing, faster continuous shooting, more shooting modes and metering patterns, additional playback options and accessory compatibility, and direct print capabilities with the Canon CP-10 printer. These are amazing accomplishments considering that the new camera enters the market at the same price as its predecessor did last October.

Equipped with a 1/1.8-inch, 4.0 megapixel CCD sensor, the Canon PowerShot G2 allows users to produce full-color, high-resolution images up to 2272 x 1704 pixels. The camera also offers three additional resolution settings of 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768 and 640 x 480. The added resolution helps users to produce sharper enlargements with finer detail than is possible with 3.3 megapixel cameras.

Like the Canon PowerShot S300/S110 and A10/20, the Canon PowerShot G2 uses RGB primary color filters on the CCD chip for maximum color reproduction accuracy. This feature, together with proprietary noise reduction and digital signal processing, works behind the scenes to deliver top-notch image quality that's unique to Canon.

For maximum flexibility, the Canon PowerShot G2 provides users with a selection of 13 image quality settings including 3 JPEG compression modes (Superfine, Fine and Normal) at any resolution. It also features Canon's exclusive RAW mode for maximum control over image attributes such as white balance, contrast, sharpness, saturation and bit depth without image-degrading artifacts. By combining the G2's RAW file capabilities with its optional ISO 50 sensitivity setting, users can achieve higher image quality than any competitive model on the market today.

Because of improvements in the camera's image processing circuitry, the Canon PowerShot G2 completes most camera operations at least twice as fast as the G1. The faster processing speed makes the G2 feel quicker and more intuitive. At the same time, power consumption has been cut nearly in half, allowing the G2 to run as long as 5 hours in playback mode on a single battery charge.

The Canon PowerShot G2 incorporates a three-point autofocus system to ensure perfectly focused images even when shooting off-center subjects. In Creative Zone exposure modes, the user can manually select any of the three focusing points by pushing a button on the back of the camera and using a selector switch. The active focusing point is indicated by a white box on the LCD monitor. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, the box turns green or yellow to indicate autofocus completion status.

The Canon G2's manual focus function has been made easier to use by displaying a numerically indexed distance scale on the LCD monitor. Additionally, the portion of the image covered by the active focusing point is digitally enlarged during manual focusing to ensure maximum focusing precision. This feature works with all 3 focusing points, and combines the advantages of an enlarged view without losing the overall composition of the scene.

In addition to the normal continuous shooting mode which allows digital capture at 1.5 frames per second for up to 9 frames in Large/Fine mode, the Canon G2 also offers a High- Speed Continuous mode. When High-Speed Continuous mode is selected, pictures can be shot continuously at an even faster pace of 2.5 frames per second for up to 5 frames in Large/Fine mode. This is made possible by changing the method in which image data is temporarily stored in the buffer.

The Canon PowerShot G2 provides a wide range of 13 exposure modes divided into 2 basic categories: the Image Zone and the Creative Zone. Exposure modes are selected on the top of the camera using a rotary dial.

Image Zone modes are fully automatic, and intended to optimize camera settings according to the scene. Selections include Full Auto, Pan Focus, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Color Effect, Stitch Assist, and Movie. The Color Effect mode is new, and allows users to choose between Vivid, Neutral, Sepia or Black and White. The Movie mode has been improved to provide not just one but two resolution modes with sound: QVGA (320x240), and Q2VGA (160x120). The maximum recording duration is 30 seconds in QVGA and two full minutes with Q2VGA.

Creative Zone modes offer more control. They include Program AE, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority and Manual. Program AE has been improved with the addition of Program Shift, which allows the user to bias the exposure towards higher shutter speeds or smaller apertures than the standard setting. Manual mode has