Canon announces PowerShot SX620 HS and Speedlite 600EX II-RT

The PowerShot SX620 HS will be offered in red and black (front and rear views shown above). (Source: Canon.)

Designed for travellers and family photographers, the PowerShot SX620 HS has a new ultra-wide-angle lens and 25x optical zoom (25-625mm equivalent), which can extend a further 50x with ZoomPlus technology. It features a 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4+ processor and can record Full HD movie clips. Built-in Wi-Fi with Near Field Communication (NFC) make it easy to transfer and share images and videos to compatible devices and post pictures on sharing websites. The camera’s 3-inch LCD monitor has a resolution of approximately 922,000 dots. A Smart AUTO mode includes scene recognition to ensure correct exposures while the Creative Shot function adds stylistic effects and filters (including the popular Fish-eye Effect and Miniature Effect), producing five distinct versions of the same image alongside the original. The camerawill be available June 2016. Prices will be set at dealer discretion. For more information, check out the Canon product page here.

The Speedlite 600EX II-RT kit, showing the bundled filters and carrying pouch. (Source: Canon.)

Scheduled for release in July, the Speedlite 600EX II-RT is a powerful, high-performance flash that provides a wide range of lighting controls and is ideal for fast frame-rate shooting. A guide number of 60 (metres/ISO 100) enables it to be used for capturing the whole congregation at a wedding. Its default coverage ranges from 20mm to 200mm, with extension to 14mm available via the built-in adapter. The Speedlite 600EX II-RT is capable of firing up to 50% more flashes continuously than its predecessor and offers a 100% increase when used with the new CP-E4N external battery pack.

The flash features a wireless slave function, enabling photographers to make the most of off-camera lighting. The radio control function, pioneered by Canon, provides further creative freedom, allowing photographers to build mood and atmosphere into a scene at up to 30 metres away by simulating multi-directional light. Up to 15 Speedlites can be used together off-camera for dramatic multi-flash photography. For portraiture specialists, the new and included bounce adapter SBA-E3 provides more freedom to bounce light from walls and ceilings for a softer, more natural result. The rotating bounce flash eliminates unwanted shadows, while new clip-on hard coloured filters provide further help when balancing flash with ambient light. Full details can be found on the Canon product page here.