Canon will launch a version of its compact Ixy digital still camera with built-in Wi-Fi in Japan this December, the company says.
The Ixy Digital Wireless (Canon uses the Ixus brand name in some markets) is Canon's first camera with built-in Wi-Fi and will offer users the ability to automatically transfer pictures to a personal computer via the wireless link as the pictures are taken. It will also be possible to remotely control the camera from the PC.
It will be available in Japan from December and will cost about $433. Canon plans to put it on sale in Europe, the U.S., and Asia, although launch dates have not yet been decided.
Wireless printing will also be possible via a printer adapter that will ship bundled with the camera. The camera and adapter will come preprogrammed to work together so users will be spared the tedious task of setting up the Wi-Fi link between the two devices. A printer with USB port and PictBridge is required for the wireless printing function to work. PictBridge is a standard that allows devices like cameras to control printers.
Camera Specs
The camera's specifications are similar to those of the Ixy Digital 60, which went on sale in September, and one of the newest in the Ixy family. The new camera has a 5-megapixel image sensor and 3X optical zoom lens.
It measures 4 by 2 by just under 1 inch and weighs 4.5 ounces, which isn't much changed from the Ixy Digital 60. The new camera is wider, at 4 inches instead of 3.5 for the Ixy Digital 60, but the height and depth are almost unchanged. The Ixy Digital Wireless is less than an ounce lighter than the Ixy Digital 60.
The Ixy Digital Wireless isn't the first compact camera to feature wireless. In September Nikon announced two cameras, the Coolpix P1 and P2, with wireless and offering similar features to the new Canon camera.
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