Canon unveils titanium Digital IXUS

Finished in precision-crafted titanium with the renowned Perpetual Curve design of its predecessors, the slender Digital IXUS 900 Ti offers class-leading technology to match its exclusive exterior: 10.0 Megapixel resolution, an ultra-compact 3x optical zoom lens and Canon's new DIGIC III image processor with advanced Noise Reduction technology.

DIGIC III also drives Face Detection AF/AE , a new Canon technology that automatically detects faces in people shots and optimises focus and exposure accordingly. Other key advancements include a Touch Control Dial, super-high resolution 2.5" wide angle LCD screen and ISO 1600 shooting.

The Digital IXUS 900 Ti features:
• Titanium body with Perpetual Curve design and Touch Control Dial
• 10.0 Megapixels and 3x optical zoom
• DIGIC III with Advanced Noise Reduction and Face Detection AF/AE
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom for extra telephoto reach
• 2.5" super-high resolution LCD with wide viewing angle
• ISO 1600 for flash-free low light shooting
• 18 shooting modes including XGA movies
• My Category automatic image tagging
• Range of optional accessories including Underwater Case

"Since our first APS camera in 1996, the IXUS range has consistently set new benchmarks for camera technology and design," Hendrik Verbrugghe, CCI Manager, Canon Middle East. "The Digital IXUS 900 Ti is a fitting addition to mark a decade of IXUS innovation."

Titanium elegance

Further developing the Perpetual Curve design, the Digital IXUS 900 Ti's accentuated contours are realised through a solid titanium body. Extensively used in the aerospace, medical and defence industries, titanium is stronger than steel but significantly lighter. Its strength and anti corrosion properties combine with the camera's high build quality to offer durability without compromising size or weight. True to tradition, the Digital IXUS 900 Ti matches stylish form with innovative function, highlighted by the addition of a Touch Control Dial that provides fingertip access to camera settings while allowing the camera to maintain a sleek profile.

Image Quality

The camera's 10.0 Megapixel CCD sensor offers the highest resolution in the Digital IXUS range to date, providing enough detail for high quality poster size prints with room for creative cropping. A new Safety Zoom feature uses the high resolution to offer extra magnification without affecting image quality - up to 12x zoom when shooting Small size images. Users can also activate the Digital Tele-Converter for extra telephoto reach on all shots, similar to adding an optical tele-converter lens to the camera.

DIGIC III with Face Detection AF/AE

The third generation of Canon's celebrated DIGIC processor offers increased responsiveness and improved image rendering, as well as several new functions such as Face Detection AF/AE . This proprietary Canon technology works in partnership with 9-Point AiAF to quickly detect the main subjects in a people shot and optimise focus and exposure accordingly. Fast and highly accurate, the system is capable of distinguishing up to nine faces in a scene. If Face Detection AF/AE determines that the main subject is non-human, the camera reverts to
9-point AiAF. DIGIC III also incorporates advanced Noise Reduction technology to enable shooting at ISO 1600, for reduced blur in low-light conditions.

In addition to DIGIC III's speed, the Digital IXUS 900 Ti uses DDR-SDRAM similar to that found in Canon's EOS DSLR cameras to substantially increase data throughput rates.

Photographic Flexibility

The Digital IXUS 900 Ti offers photographers a range of 18 shooting modes, including two new Special Scene modes - Aquarium and ISO 3200. Aquarium mode turns off the flash, raises the ISO and adjusts the white balance to return quality images when shooting aquatic life through glass tanks. ISO 3200 allows users to capture high quality images at 1600x1200 pixels in very dark environments where flash cannot be used. Users can expand their creativity further with My Colors, which allows artistic photo effects to be applied in-camera both during and after shooting.

The Digital IXUS 900 Ti's range-leading movie functions include ultra-sharp XGA (1024x768) quality recording with sound (15fps) - a first for Digital IXUS - and smooth VGA movies at 30fps.

LCD Enhancements

Featuring a range-leading 230,000 pixel display with wide viewing angle and anti-reflective coating, the 2.5" LCD screen allows for comfortable composition and playback even on bright days. The Image Inspection Tool makes use of the large screen by simultaneously displaying a newly shot image and a magnified section - ideal for checking details such as facial expressions before leaving the scene. Users can also enable a helpful 3:2 ratio overlay during shooting to display the printable area for standard photo prints. The camera retains a real-image optical viewfinder for accurate framing without the LCD.

Managing images in playback is made easier by My Category , which automatically tags each image with a category - People, Scenery or Event - according to face detection and shooting mode used. These categories - which can be manually assigned in camera - are also recognised by Canon's ZoomBrowser EX software for easy filtering of images on a PC.