Social Media News Release

Core Facts

• Two new entry-level EOS models, the EOS 600D and the EOS 1100D, invite aspiring photographers to start a new EOS adventure
• The EOS 600D launches at the top of Canon’s entry-level DSLR range, with 18MP, Full HD video and a high-resolution vari-angle screen
• The EOS 1100D is the ideal EOS for beginners, offering exceptional ease-of-use and access to the full range of EOS accessories
• New professional L-series lenses, the EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM and
  the EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM, offer outstanding telephoto performance for sports and wildlife photographers
• Canon expands its range of Speedlite flashes with the new Speedlite 320EX and Speedlite 270EX II - empowering users to experiment with creative lighting

London, UK, 7th February 2011 – Canon today expands its world-famous EOS System with the launch of new consumer Digital SLR (DSLR) bodies, professional lenses and
EX Speedlite flash units. Allowing photographers of all levels to discover the power of image, each new addition offers the outstanding image quality, ease-of-use and versatility synonymous with EOS – encouraging more photographers to turn to Canon for their next photography adventure.

Two easy-to-use, entry-level DSLRs - the EOS 600D and the EOS 1100D - offer new levels of flexibility, imaging performance and support to consumers taking their first steps into the world of photography.  The new EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM offer outstanding super-telephoto performance for sports and wildlife photographers, while a new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens offers the perfect start for photography beginners. A duo of new flashguns, the Speedlite 320EX and the Speedlite 270EX II, also encourage users to experiment with creative and off-camera lighting techniques.

Your EOS adventure starts here
Sitting at the top of Canon’s entry-level DSLR portfolio, the EOS 600D features a class-leading, 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, fast DIGIC 4 image processing and Full HD video capture – allowing photographers to switch seamlessly between high-quality still images and video. Scenes can be shot from any angle thanks to a 7.7cm
Vari-Angle Clear View LCD screen – allowing EOS 600D owners to view their world from a different perspective. A 9-point Auto Focus system also ensures that subjects are in-focus, no matter where it is in the frame.

The EOS 600D also includes a new Feature Guide that offers those new to photography a guide to camera modes and main settings, allowing them to improve their photographic skills every time they take a photo.  A new Scene Intelligent Auto mode also offers point-and-shoot simplicity, analysing each scene and adjusting settings to take the best possible image, while you focus on your subject. New Picture Style Auto processes the image based on the scene, making your images more engaging.

The EOS 1100D is the ideal beginner’s EOS, combining a high-performance specification with exceptional ease-of-use. A 12.2 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor means EOS 1100D owners can shoot photos up to A3 size, or crop images to create more interesting compositions. The EOS 1100D also features the same iFCL Metering system developed for the EOS 7D, linked to the 9-point AF system to ensure all subjects are in-focus and well-exposed in all lighting conditions. For those who wish to shoot video and stills, the EOS 1100D also offers 720p HD video capture for even more flexibility.

Making it even easier for EOS 1100D users to capture truly artistic shots, Basic+ and Creative Auto modes remove any confusing technical terms, using plain language to describe settings and their effect on an image. Users can also apply different atmospheres to a scene based on the creative intent or lighting type, or, alternatively, make images lighter, darker or blur the background to create more interesting results.

Complementing the new models is the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II, which replaces the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS in Canon’s lens portfolio. Offering aspiring photographers reliability and versatility, this lightweight lens features a 4-stop IS advantage – shooting any scene from sweeping landscapes to portraits with excellent clarity.

L-series telephoto lenses – shoot further and faster
First seen at Photokina in September 2010, the EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM and
EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM are ground-breaking additions to Canon’s professional
L-series, offering wildlife and sports photographers unparalleled performance and mobility. Featuring the highest quality optics and advanced coatings to counter flare and ghosting, both have been designed with a strong, magnesium alloy body, offering a significant weight reduction over their predecessors. Rapid, silent autofocus (AF) is enabled by the ring-type USM, and professionals can fine-tune any scene with full-time manual focusing.

Both lenses offer a wide constant aperture of f/4, delivering excellent image quality in low light or when shooting fast-moving subjects. Canon’s latest Image Stabilizer also ensures outstanding image quality during handheld shooting, allowing users to shoot at speeds up for four times slower than normally required. New algorithms improve performance when panning, and a new IS Mode 3 makes it easy to track randomly moving subjects in the viewfinder by activating the IS unit only during exposure.

Explore creative lighting
The new Speedlite 320EX and Speedlite 270EX II enable photographers of all levels to experiment with creative lighting when shooting everyday subjects. With Guide numbers of 32 and 27 respectively, both Speedlites are compatible with Canon’s distance-linked E-TTL II system and can be used either on-camera or as slave units within a wireless set-up.  Both flashes can remotely trigger the shutter release of compatible EOS DSLRs, allowing users to adjust the position of the flash and trigger the camera quickly and easily. The Speedlite 320EX also offers a constant Video Light mode, allowing EOS Movie users to continue shooting through the evening and into the night.