The Powershot Zoom, an unusual camera which is more like a digital monocular than a point-and-shoot, was announced by Canon. For a while, the company has been showing off the idea and recently crowdfunded it in Japan and now it’s heading to the US.
The PowerShot Zoom is a compact gadget with an electronic viewfinder, a 12-megapixel 1/3-inch sensor, and two 100 mm and 400 mm switchable equivalent focal lengths with a digital zoom of up to 800 mm. The lens is f/5.6-6.3, so it might not be well suited for low-light use. Image quality in general is not really the focus.
Canon says the device has been developed for individuals who love outdoor activities such as birdwatching and camping, and if they really go ahead, it might be a useful accessory for fans at sports events like the Olympic Games. The camera charges Via USB-C and saves photos and videos to a microSD card, plus you can transfer photos over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to a smartphone.
For its scale and simplicity, it’s no surprise that the Canon PowerShot ZOOM compact telephoto costs just $299.99 as it releases in November. It could be tough to convince high-end smartphone owners to invest in a separate device only for telephoto shots and the device they already own might do just as well.