Perfect for first timers
Written: Apr 01 '02
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Pros: Inexpensive with loads of options
Cons: No video mode
The Bottom Line: Great quality, loads of settings, easy to use, stylish design, and lots of fun!
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| omegaoptimus's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A10 Digital Camera |
This camera is perfect for anyone who wants to break into the digital world of photos but doesn't want the low quality pictures that other cameras produce. The Canon Powershot A10 produces excellent picture quality with easy to use functions. The price for this camera has just dropped, so get it while it's hot.
After about 20 mins looking through the manual, I was an expert with this camera. I knew how to use the White/Black balance, adjust the lighting, timer mode, burst mode, flash settings, etc. The 3X optical zoom is fun to use, you can get even closer if you go the full 6X with both digital and optical.. just try to hold the camera still while taking shots with full zoom.
The camera design is very stylish, it makes the camera look expensive, but at the same time it is very easy to handle and is very durable. You can get a good grip around right side of the camera, this is where you insert the 4 AA batteries.
Here are the sizes of picture files, approximately:
1280x960 Superfine 450KB
1280x960 Fine 250KB
1280x960 Normal 120KB
1024x768 Superfine 400KB
1024x768 Fine 230KB
1024x768 Normal 130KB
640x480 Superfine 50KB
640x480 Fine 100KB
640x480 Normal 150KB
So you can do the math to determine how many you can fit on the included 8MB of memory.
The camera also has an auto shut off so after about 5 mins of inactivity, it will shut off. The same goes for while it's hooked up to your computer.
Loading pictures is even easier than taking them. Just turn the camera to PLAY mode, and connect it using the USB cable and the software (Zoombrowser) will pop up and will ask you if you want to load the pictures to your computer. It takes less than 30 seconds to load a full 8MB to the computer. If you are running Windows XP, the camera appears as a Device in the My Computer window. You can double click on it, and it will show you a thumbnail of all the pictures. You can then drag the pictures to your desktop or anywhere you please.
The camera also includes a Photo Stitch mode, while allows you to take multiple pictures and merge them into one wide shot. Say you love your garden and can't fit it all in one shot, just turn to the stitch mode, take the pictures, load them to your computer, and the software will do the rest. It produces good results if you hold the camera by hand, but even better ones if you place it on a tripod or on a table. This mode is a lot of fun!
This is what comes in the Powershot A10 box:
Camera
USB to Camera cable
4 Panasonic AA Alkaline batteries
Grey wrist strap
8MB Canon CompactFlash card with plastic cover
2 sets of software instructions (I don't know why)
Software installation CD
Instruction booklet
Canon Warranty card
I also bought 4 rechargable NiMH batteries and they last much longer than Alkalines. Follow this link for a review of various NiMH batteries:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM
Anyone buying any digital camera should buy NiMH rechargable batteries (as long as the camera supports them)
Almost all cameras at this level do not come with an AC adapter so I bought the ACK600 AC adapter and it works wonders with this camera. The plug does not get loose or anything, it fits nicely in the camera. I do not like how the side rubber panel opens to plug in the AC or USB cable, it seems a bit weak and I really hope that it does not fall off eventually. It would be better if Canon replaced this with a sliding plastic panel, but it's too late for that.
The only problems with this camera are:
1. It does not include a video mode, I find that eventually, it'd be a lot of fun to shoot short videos and play around with them in the Windows Movie Maker.
2. The low-light pictures require a lot of testing. You will need to really play around with the camera to find the perfect combination of flash/light settings to get the perfect picture.
Overall, an excellent camera for anyone who wants a solid camera that takes great pictures to break into the digital world!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 230
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Epinions.com ID:
omegaoptimus
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
A student attending university. Interested in computers, cooking, movies, and most sports.
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