# Canon officially announces the Canon PowerShot ZOOM



## Canon Rumors Guy (Oct 14, 2020)

> *MELVILLE, N.Y., October 14, 2020* –– Hiking, birdwatching and nature gazing, consumers are embracing the beauty of the outdoors this season and beyond. With this in mind, it is important to have a convenient and intuitive imaging tool to explore the world. Developed to showcase an impressive telephoto reach in a user-friendly, compact design, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today launches the PowerShot ZOOM, the company’s first telephoto monocular.
> *Preorder the Canon PowerShot ZOOM $299*
> The lightweight telephoto monocular sports 100mm, 400mm and 800mm telephoto viewing capability1 with a one-touch switch, and is equipped with impressive instant zoom capability to help users view distant subjects. Additionally, the monocular can capture images and videos to a micro SD card, and by pairing it with a compatible smart device2 and the Canon Camera Connect app3, these files can easily be downloaded. This...



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## Chaitanya (Oct 14, 2020)

That is certainly very unique little product can see good use for this monocular that can take photos.


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## bbasiaga (Oct 14, 2020)

Not just for the Japanese market after all!


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## Canon Rumors Guy (Oct 14, 2020)

I can't wait to try one out. This is a cool looking product.


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## Bambel (Oct 14, 2020)

Well.. 6 month ago i would have said that this is a very nice gadget to be used in a football stadium. But it seems that i have no other use for something like that for .. quite some time


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## marathonman (Oct 14, 2020)

Waiting for the inevitable "Can't believe it doesn't have dual card slots" posts....


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## Peter in Boulder (Oct 14, 2020)

I've been watching for an alternative to heavy and expensive image stabilized binoculars for a trip to Costa Rica that I hope to reschedule some day. This could be it.


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## jam05 (Oct 14, 2020)

Yep, gonna purchase that powershot zoom


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## StandardLumen (Oct 14, 2020)

I love the concept of this product, and I want one, but I think I'm going to wait for reviews to see if the quality is good enough to make it more than just a novelty item.


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## jam05 (Oct 14, 2020)

Peter in Boulder said:


> I've been watching for an alternative to heavy and expensive image stabilized binoculars for a trip to Costa Rica that I hope to reschedule some day. This could be it.


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## jam05 (Oct 14, 2020)

Hope it arrives by Christmas. Should be a nice stocking stuffer. Unless I keep it for myself


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## Hyperion (Oct 14, 2020)

39 inches EVF for 299$? I want one!


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## snappy604 (Oct 14, 2020)

Peter in Boulder said:


> I've been watching for an alternative to heavy and expensive image stabilized binoculars for a trip to Costa Rica that I hope to reschedule some day. This could be it.


pretty much nails the use case scenario I could think of for it. Curious on image quality.


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## Hector1970 (Oct 14, 2020)

I think it will sell well. I can see casual use at sports. It has potential for misuse which could help sales.


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## gbc (Oct 14, 2020)

Bambel said:


> Well.. 6 month ago i would have said that this is a very nice gadget to be used in a football stadium. But it seems that i have no other use for something like that for .. quite some time


Hey, it's even better for standing OUTSIDE a football stadium and peering inside through the gates during a game!


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## JaimeAndresPhoto1 (Oct 14, 2020)

The perfect spy tool!  I'm sure every P.I. in the world is waiting in line to buy this!


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## MichaelPDX (Oct 14, 2020)

I just pre-ordered mine this morning. Should be great for hiking and bird watching!


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## Juangrande (Oct 14, 2020)

Canon Rumors Guy said:


> I can't wait to try one out. This is a cool looking product.


I didn’t see anything about weather sealing, or did I miss that. Look like a fun carry around gadget for social media posting etc... would be great if it were waterproof somewhat like a smartphone.


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## Juangrande (Oct 14, 2020)

Peter in Boulder said:


> I've been watching for an alternative to heavy and expensive image stabilized binoculars for a trip to Costa Rica that I hope to reschedule some day. This could be it.


I wonder how it performs in situations other than bright daylight.


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## Sibir Lupus (Oct 14, 2020)

Hyperion said:


> 39 inches EVF for 299$? I want one!



I noticed this as well. I'm sure its supposed to be .39 inch. If it were true, it would be bigger then my living room TV! XD


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## SteveC (Oct 14, 2020)

Sibir Lupus said:


> I noticed this as well. I'm sure its supposed to be .39 inch. If it were true, it would be bigger then my living room TV! XD



When I owned a rental property I could truthfully tell the tenants that their TVs (often well over 60 inches) were bigger than mine. That did a lot to convince them I wasn't made of money, because they couldn't imagine someone who had money not having the biggest TV they could buy.


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## Bert63 (Oct 14, 2020)

Just pre-ordered two of these little buggers.

It's not like I've ever been left standing on a dark, dreary street corner in the rain by a Canon pre-order before, right? If the release date is in November I'm bound to have it by bikini season.


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## Bert63 (Oct 14, 2020)

Juangrande said:


> I wonder how it performs in situations other than bright daylight.




Peeping Tom much?


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## Bert63 (Oct 14, 2020)

StandardLumen said:


> I love the concept of this product, and I want one, but I think I'm going to wait for reviews to see if the quality is good enough to make it more than just a novelty item.



Ordered from B&H. If it looks like  I'll return it.


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## Jethro (Oct 14, 2020)

Hmm - Xmas is coming.


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## scyrene (Oct 15, 2020)

It's intriguing and a nice way of keeping compact cameras relevant in the face of smartphones, but I have to say the image quality of sample photos on DPR were disappointing - and I don't enjoy being negative. Still, for record shots of birds it could be an alternative to phonescoping.


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## stevelee (Oct 15, 2020)

Peter in Boulder said:


> I've been watching for an alternative to heavy and expensive image stabilized binoculars for a trip to Costa Rica that I hope to reschedule some day. This could be it.


In the '80s when Halley's Comet was around, I would go out at view it through my binoculars. Then I would look at other things. I looked at Jupiter one night and saw three little dots that I confirmed from a chart that they really were 3 of the moons.

I'm obviously much older now, but I don't think of myself as being a lot shakier. The other night I took the binoculars out and looked at Jupiter. I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to see the planet well, much less see any of its moons. It is just a 7x, not anything high powered.

I don't know if this would help me.


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## brad-man (Oct 15, 2020)

stevelee said:


> I'm obviously much older now, but I don't think of myself as being a lot shakier. The other night I took the binoculars out and looked at Jupiter. I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to see the planet well, much less see any of its moons. It is just a 7x, not anything high powered.
> 
> I don't know if this would help me.


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## Bert63 (Oct 15, 2020)

stevelee said:


> In the '80s when Halley's Comet was around, I would go out at view it through my binoculars. Then I would look at other things. I looked at Jupiter one night and saw three little dots that I confirmed from a chart that they really were 3 of the moons.
> 
> I'm obviously much older now, but I don't think of myself as being a lot shakier. The other night I took the binoculars out and looked at Jupiter. I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough to see the planet well, much less see any of its moons. It is just a 7x, not anything high powered.
> 
> I don't know if this would help me.




I bought my dear wife a pair of Canon image stabilized binoculars a couple of years ago and they are fantastic and a complete game changer.

They work normally until you press a little button and then IS kicks in and boy oh boy are they nice.

Just a thought.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 15, 2020)

I preordered one just now. I do wonder how you replace the internal rechargeable battery, in my quick browsing of the description, I saw nothing about how to replace it.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 15, 2020)

My question was answered by the hands on review at DPR. It definitely has its limitations and a later version may iron out some of the interface issues. The battery is non removable, so maybe a trip to Canon when it dies?









Hands-on with the the Canon PowerShot Zoom


Ready for a closer look at one of the more unusual new cameras we've seen in a while? Good, we are too. Let's get weird.




www.dpreview.com


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## Joules (Oct 15, 2020)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> My question was answered by the hands on review at DPR. It definitely has its limitations and a later version may iron out some of the interface issues. The battery is non removable, so maybe a trip to Canon when it dies?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would guess you are meant to buy a new one if you manage to use the device so much that the battery actually becomes unusable.


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## AlanF (Oct 15, 2020)

Specs include 1/3" sensor (= 7.2 crop factor), f/5.6 at 100mm or f/6.3 at 400mm equivalent, 1/8000-1/30s. = useful fun.


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## stevelee (Oct 15, 2020)

brad-man said:


> View attachment 193366


My old binoculars don't have a way to hook to a tripod that I know of. Maybe I could use duct tape. That's the usual fix here in the South for anything that isn't fixed by WD-40.


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## stevelee (Oct 15, 2020)

Or I could just dig out my telescope.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 15, 2020)

Joules said:


> I would guess you are meant to buy a new one if you manage to use the device so much that the battery actually becomes unusable.


Typically, Lion batteries don't become unusable, they fade away. A new one has 150 CIPA shots claimed, so the question is when does it drop to a life of say 100 shots? Life of a Lion battery is said to be when it reaches 70% capacity. How many would a person need before a 2 hour recharge? 

If you don't use it, the battery dies even quicker. Batteries reduce in capacity as a function of recharges (300-500 typical life) and time. So, in 2-3 years, the likelihood of a dead or greatly reduced capacity is to the point that enough will need batteries to make it significant. I have a number of electronic gadgets that need new batteries after 3 years. I would not buy a device that needed replacement after 3 years or even 5 just because the battery was dead. There must be a way to replace it. Likely, it will be a $100 charge from Canon. Maybe I should sell every 2 years and get a new one? My credit card offers a additional year of warranty so I'm covered for 2 years.

I wear a Cochlear implant which uses Li-on batteries. They fully discharge and must be recharged every day. They fit demonstrate the validity of the 300 recharge cycle range for smaller batteries nicely, I need a new one every year. They will keep going for much longer, but the capacity continues to drop so eventually a charge just lasts just 2 or 3 hours and that is impractical. The battery in the Canon device is not going to be fully discharged and recharged every day, so 500 charges might take 10-50 years if it weren't for the tendency to fail over time as well. I'd bet that around 25% will need batteries in 5 years. By then, of course, the value of the camera may very well be less than the cost to repair it.

There is a very good article about life of Li-on batteries here:






How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University


Discover what causes Li-ion to age and what the battery user can do to prolong its life



batteryuniversity.com


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 15, 2020)

Its not clear, but it may operate with either a PD or a standard 5V 3A charger. A 1.5A will charge it but not run the camera.

Canon's charger is priced out of sight. I have the Canon one that came with my Grip for my R(it might be worth more than the grip! I also have a inexpensive Anker. Its good to see that Canon also mentions it.

Apparently, it will charge from a standard 2 amp USB charger, its not so clear.

You can shoot while connected to a charger, so a power bank might give a long battery life or even be used when the battery loses most of its capacity. I assume you could charge from one while traveling. It sounds like operation from a PD supply is similar to my R5.

I always wonder how many PD-E1 adapters they will sell at $190. Its in the list of accessories.


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## SteveC (Oct 15, 2020)

stevelee said:


> My old binoculars don't have a way to hook to a tripod that I know of. Maybe I could use duct tape. That's the usual fix here in the South for anything that isn't fixed by WD-40.



I would hope you don't just try WD-40 first then go to duct tape. The algorithm is "If it's doesn't move enough, WD-40, if moves too much, duct tape."


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## stevelee (Oct 15, 2020)

When Al Kaline died, I realized why batteries remind me of Detroit, since there are also Li-on batteries.


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## David_E (Oct 16, 2020)

usa.canon.com: "Macro functionality not provided." That kills it for me.


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## SteveC (Oct 16, 2020)

David_E said:


> usa.canon.com: "Macro functionality not provided." That kills it for me.



I gave up long ago trying to use a point and shoot for macro, at least my kind (copy stand based) because it was impossible to get any kind of preciseness of zoom with the stupid rocker switch. You press on it to try to adjust and it either does nothing or overshoots without fail. That actually led to getting an interchangeable lens system and so on, so here I am today.


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## Joules (Oct 16, 2020)

SteveC said:


> I gave up long ago trying to use a point and shoot for macro, at least my kind (copy stand based) because it was impossible to get any kind of preciseness of zoom with the stupid rocker switch. You press on it to try to adjust and it either does nothing or overshoots without fail. That actually led to getting an interchangeable lens system and so on, so here I am today.


Upvote on that. I also got interested in ILC because I was frustrated with the limited options for precise manual adjustments of any kind in my Powershot SX230 HS.

I don't think this device makes sense for macro anyway. The gimmick here seems to be that you can basically use it as a telescope for viewing. To do that with something close, you can simply move closer and inspect it with your own eyes.


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## SteveC (Oct 16, 2020)

Joules said:


> Upvote on that. I also got interested in ILC because I was frustrated with the limited options for precise manual adjustments of any kind in my Powershot SX230 HS.
> 
> I don't think this device makes sense for macro anyway. The gimmick here seems to be that you can basically use it as a telescope for viewing. To do that with something close, you can simply move closer and inspect it with your own eyes.



Granted I was using an Olympus not a Canon for this, but in hindsight I doubt any Canon at the time would have been significantly better. (I still have never owned a Canon point and shoot, however, so I could be totally wrong.)


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## David_E (Oct 16, 2020)

Joules said:


> _I don't think this device makes sense for macro anyway._


Well, since Canon explicitly states that it does not have macro capability...


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 17, 2020)

Yes, its telephoto only. At 400mm, min focus is like a Canon Supertele, almost 15 ft.


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## SteveC (Oct 17, 2020)

David_E said:


> Well, since Canon explicitly states that it does not have macro capability...



Well, but maybe it wouldn't, even if it did have macro capability.


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## stevelee (Oct 17, 2020)

SteveC said:


> Granted I was using an Olympus not a Canon for this, but in hindsight I doubt any Canon at the time would have been significantly better. (I still have never owned a Canon point and shoot, however, so I could be totally wrong.)


I use a Canon G5X II for travel. It replaced my G7X II. I used a couple of the S series before that. They are relatively sophisticated cameras, giving you Raw files and allowing all sorts of controls. "Point and shoot" seems to underestimate them. But the little zoom rocker lever doesn't give you much fine control. That may be the least sophisticated part of the camera. I find it adequate for my travel pictures, though. You can use the ring around the lens for zooming if you set it up that way. On some models that gives you more control than others. Normally it will click to certain focal length equivalents. Zooming while shooting video needs more skill than I am likely to develop adequately.

The little lens does let you focus very close to things. I haven't needed to use its "macro" mode enough to see what if any benefit it gives over just zooming in or moving in close.


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