With the death of Comdex, CES promised to be a show to wow everyone. Digital cameras have become the must-have gadget of modern times, so we expected to see many new models with new and interesting features. But while we found evolutionary improvements in sensor technology and storage capacities, nothing revolutionary was introduced at the show.

Canon

Consumer Cameras

Pushing the envelope in consumer cameras>

The Canon PowerShot Pro1 pushes the envelope in terms of the features usually found in point-and-shoot cameras. The eight megapixels and 7x optical zoom should satisfy most people. But what makes this camera truly different from other Canon point-and-shoots is the integrated "L"-series 28-200mm f/2.4-3.5 lens. The "L" signifies Canon's top of the line lens series, built with fluorite, ultra-low dispersion and aspherical glass elements.

Take out the shakes

After drinking a few cups of Starbucks coffee, steady camera control tends to fly out the window. Fortunately, the built-in optical image stabilization of the PowerShot S1 IS helps smooth out the shakes. The zoom is powerful at 10x optical, but the 3.2 megapixel resolution seems a bit low given the current state of the art for digicams.

The PowerShot S1 IS also has a movie mode, which will capture 640x320 images at 30 frames per second. While mini-DV camcorders have nothing to fear from Canon's movie mode, it does provide a quick and dirty way to capture impromptu moments.

The small SD300

The small, "fits in the palm of your hand" Canon SD300 is apparently aimed at consumers who want good video more than great pictures. With its DIGIC II image processor, the same one on the 1Ds Mark II, the SD300 can record 320x240 video at 60 frames a second. For capturing stills, the four megapixels and 3x optical zoom are typical for consumer digital cameras.