A model poses with Canon's new digital SLR camera 40D during an unveiling in Tokyo August 20, 2007. Canon said on Friday it planned to boost production of digital cameras in China and build a new laser printer plant in Vietnam, aiming to meet booming demand in developing countries.

(Yuriko Nakao/Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Canon Inc (7751.T) said on Friday it planned to boost production of digital cameras in China and build a new laser printer plant in Vietnam, aiming to meet booming demand in developing countries.

Canon is looking to double its production capacity of compact digital cameras at a factory in China's Guangdong province to 10 million units a year by 2009, said a company spokesman, who declined to be identified.

The sharp boost in output of the cameras, which are priced around 20,000 yen ($195), would lift Canon's global digital camera production capacity by around 20 percent and help it cement its position as the world's biggest maker of digital cameras.

Canon shipped 24.6 million digital cameras in 2007.

It will also invest 5 billion yen ($50 million) to build a new factory in northern Vietnam which will assemble low-cost printers. The investment figure for the China output boost was not disclosed.

Canon shares fell 1.7 percent on Friday to 4,560 yen, outperforming a 2.9 percent fall in Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index (.N225), as a stronger yen hit export stocks. (.T)

Price Without Lens - $560

Battery
Battery Life Score	Superior
Number of Batteries	1
Number of Shots	500
Battery Life	273.5

Image Quality Tests (Max. points = 100)
Image Quality Score	Superior
Image Quality, Color	55
Image Quality, Color--Auto	46.9
Image Quality, Color--Adjusted	63.2
Image Quality, Exposure	47.2
Image Quality, Exposure--Flash	47.9
Image Quality, Exposure--Normal	46.9
Image Quality, Sharpness	48.6
Image Quality, Distortion	77
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise	69.7
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise Reduction	73.5
Image Quality, Distortion--Sharp Interpolation	83.1
Image Quality, Overall	51

Imaging
Max. Megapixels	10.1
Maximum Resolution	3888 by 2592
Optical Zoom	3X
Zoom Range Min. (mm)	28.8
Zoom Range Max. (mm)	88
Highest Shutter Speed	4000
Lowest Shutter Speed	30
Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum	3.5
Telephoto Aperture Maximum	5.6
Manual Focus	Yes
Interchangeable Lens	Yes
Lens Model	Canon EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6

Hardware
LCD Screen Size (inches)	2.5
Dimensions	5.0 by 2.6 by 3.7
Weight (ounces)	18
Viewfinder	Through-the-lens optical
Image Stabilization	Lens-dependent
Media Slots	CompactFlash
Starter Media or Internal RAM	No
Battery Type	Rechargeable lithium ion
Charging Dock	No
Remote Control	Optional
Flash Shoe	Yes

Controls
Scene Modes	6
Aperture Priority	Yes
Shutter Priority	Yes
Full Manual Exposure Control	Yes
White-Balance Calibration	Yes
White-Balance Bracketing	Yes
Exposure Bracketing	Yes
ISO Range	ISO 50 to ISO 1600
Flash Slow Sync	Yes

File & Printing Formats
File Formats	JPEG, RAW

Other
Included Hardware	Battery, Charger, Strap, Cables, Body Cap.
Included Software	DPP, Zoom Browser, Image Capture.

Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years)	One
Parts Warranty (years)	One
Weekday Support Hours	16
Saturday Support Hours	10
Sunday Support Hours	0
Toll-Free Support	Yes

Reliability & Service
In a Nutshell	Canon was the star of the show, with excellent reliability and support grades overall. If you want to nitpick, Canon's tech reps aren't the fastest at answering the phone.

Product Reliability
Reports of product arriving with problems	Better than Average
Reports of products with any significant problems	Better than Average
Reports of problems that render a product unusable	Better than Average
Buyers' rating of product's	Better than Average
Buyers' overall satisfaction with product's reliability	Better than Average

Service & Support Quality
Time spent holding for phone support	Average
Overall quality of vendor's phone support	Better than Average
Reports of problems unresolved after contacting service	Better than Average
Overall quality of service	Better than Average