Canon PowerShot SD980 IS and SD940 IS--photos

The Canon PowerShot SD980 IS is the company's first attempt at a touch-screen camera. Available in blue (pictured), silver, gold, and purple, the 12-megapixel ultracompact will be available in October for $329.99.

It's a relatively thin, but you still get a 24mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 5x optical zoom.

On the right is the shutter and zoom ring. To the left is the mode switch. The SD980 is pure point-and-shoot, so no manual or semimanual options.

I didn't get much time to play with the 3-inch touch-screen, but it didn't seem all that exciting after playing with the ones on Nikon's S70 and Samsung's TL225. Still, you gotta start somewhere and it was at least responsive.

The SD980 does have 720p HD-quality movie capture as well as a mini-HDMI output for direct connection to an HDTV or monitor.

The 12-megapixel SD940 IS is redesign of the SD780 IS released earlier in 2009. It's incredibly small, but still feature packed. It'll be available in four, muted metallic colors--blue, black, silver, and brown--in October for $299.99.

On back is a 2.7-inch LCD and the same flat buttons from the SD780 IS. They're easy to press, but tough to do by touch alone. It's amazing Canon still found room for an HDMI output on back (it does record 720p HD-quality movies). However, noticeably gone is the the SD780's optical viewfinder. Is this a sign of things to come?

Despite its thinness, Canon was able to give the SD940 a 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 4x optical zoom.