Canon PowerShot N – a refreshing new take on the compact camera
Canon PowerShot N – what is it?
It’s a different take on the compact camera. For starters, it’s square, and it relies heavily on its tilting touchscreen. It’s a 12Mp compact camera with built-in wi-fi and an 8x optical zoom, which is ok for such a compact camera.
Click here to get a look at the similarly compact Panasonic XS1. Visit the cameras at CES 2013 news page for the latest on cameras due for release in 2013 – see our CES 2013 news page for updates on all products announced at the world’s largest technology trade show.
The following is not a review, but our first impressions of the product based on a short time using it. Pricing and availability is tentative and subject to change.
Canon PowerShot N – what are the key features?
- Square design – It’s square, which makes it stand out from the compact camera crowd and this makes it an easily pocketable camera.
- Intuitive touchsreen control – Touchscreens can be slow and leave you crying out for buttons, but using the PowerShot N’s screen is easy and it just makes sense.
- Zoom and shutter release rings – If you’re looking for a shutter release button you won’t find one. You take a shot by pressing the smaller ring around hte lens and zoom using the outer ring.
Which? expert first impressions
It’s great to see a manufacturer trying something a bit different in a market that’s certainly in decline, with people looking to their smartphones for quick snaps rather than dedicated compact cameras.
8x optical zoom is decent on a camera of this size, it can shoot HD video at 1080p and the tilting touchscreen on this camera really works well – it’s responsive and finding the settings you’re looking for is simple thanks to a well thought out menu structure.
At first glance the rings round the lens look so narrow that you wouldn’t expect it to be easy to zoom or take a picture using them, but it is.
The built-in wi-fi makes it easy to back up your photos to a computer or share them with other devices. Overall, a promising little camera.
Katie Waller, Technology researcher
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Anthony Wood
Excellent and interesying report. Thanks