Canon launches new PowerShot digital camera

Canon USA introduced the new PowerShot S45, a 4.0 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens. The upgrade to the PowerShot S40 includes Direct Print capabilities with Canon's CP-100 dye-sublimation printer and several Canon Bubble Jet Printers, Canon said. The S45 should be available this month for $649.

The S45 can record digital movies at 15 frames/sec. with sound for up to three minutes per clip at resolutions up to 320 by 240 pixels, Canon said. It has three light metering modes -- Evaluative, Center-weighted average, and Spot. The spot metering selection means the light metering point can be fixed to the center of the picture area or linked to the active AF frame, Canon said. "Using this method, any photographic subject can be focused and metered simultaneously or separately according to the application," Canon said.

The camera is compatible with Windows XP and Mac OS X, as well as earlier versions of these operating systems. It comes with a 32M byte Compact Flash Card, lithium-ion battery pack, battery charger, and bundled software. For more information, go to Canon's Web site .