Howard_Creech's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A650 IS Digital Camera
Canon’s new PowerShot A650 IS is aimed directly at serious and semi-serious shooters who want SLR-like performance, but don’t want to lug around a dSLR and a bag of lenses - at least not all the time. Canon's "A" series digicams are known for their impressive practicality, robust build-quality, and amazing ease of use. Like its "A" series predecessors, the A650 IS provides loads of creative/manual exposure options and tons of user friendly features. The A650 IS retains all the best features of the A640 (which it replaces) and adds some nice improvements. The most obvious differences between the two cameras are the A650's new 6X zoom (the A640 had a 4X zoom), Optical Image Stabilization (the A640 didn’t provide OIS), and a boost in resolution - from 10 megapixels to 12 megapixels.
NUTS & BOLTS
Viewfinder/LCD
The A650 IS recycles the A640's coupled real image optical viewfinder. The A650’s optical viewfinder is bright enough, but it is a bit on the squinty side and only covers about eighty per cent of the image frame. There’s no diopter correction adjustment for those who wear eyeglasses.
The A650 IS's camcorder style Vari-Angle (173,000 pixels) 2.5 inch/6.35 centimeter TFT LCD screen tilts/swivels 180 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically (the screen nests into the camera's back deck when not in use and opens out like a book when needed). Once the screen is deployed it can be tilted/swiveled through a full 360 degrees. The A650 IS’s tilt-swivel LCD screen can be manipulated through a variety of shooting angles including facing the front of the camera (good for self-portraits and allowing portrait subjects to fine-tune their poses in real time) or above the camera and facing toward the rear at a 45 degree angle (good for low level macro shots), below the camera pointing backward (for over-the-heads-of-the-crowd shots), facing upward at a 90 degree angle to the back of the camera (for waist level viewing), or used in the traditional LCD position. When not in use the LCD screen can be reversed and stored facing inward to protect the LCD screen from scratches, fingerprints and smudges.
The A650 IS's LCD screen is fairly sharp, bright, fluid, and hue (color) accurate, but the screen resolution is not as high as some of the A650 IS’s competition. The LCD screen automatically boosts gain in dim/low light and provides a very useful playback histogram display that converts the image area into a graphic representation of the composition -- making it easy for users to spot (and re-shoot) under or over exposures.
Zoom/Optics
The A650 IS features the same f/2.8-f4.8/7.4mm-44.4mm (35mm-210mm equivalent) 6X zoom that graces Canon’s top of the line G9. Construction is 9 elements in 7 groups with 1 (double-sided) aspherical element to minimize optical distortion and Canon’s SR lens coating to reduce flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberration. When the camera is powered up, the zoom automatically telescopes out of the camera body. When the camera is powered down the lens is fully retracted into the camera and a built-in lens cover slides over the front element. Zooming is fast, very smooth, and quiet with 14 steps from wide angle to telephoto.
The zoom exhibits minor visible barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center of the image frame) at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, but no visible pin cushioning (straight lines bow in toward the center of the image frame) at the telephoto end of the zoom range. There is some minor softness in the corners, but no visible vignetting (dark corners). There is some visible chromatic aberration (purple fringing) in high contrast edge demarcation/color transition areas.
Contrast is a bit flat, shadow detail is slightly better than average, and highlight detail is pretty good – but there is slight tendency toward clipping (burnt out highlights). Macro performance is excellent – minimum-focusing distance (in macro mode) is just short of half an inch. Users who need even more reach, more width, or the ability to use photo filters can purchase the optional Canon lens adapter and mount auxiliary wide-angle and telephoto lenses or 58mm filters.
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
The A640 didn’t provide Image Stabilization, but OIS is ubiquitous these days and the A650 IS has it. Canon’s OIS system automatically compensates for camera movement by quickly and precisely shifting lens elements to counter shaky hands and camera movement - allowing users to shoot at shutter speeds up to three stops slower than would have been possible without OIS. If a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second is required to avoid the effects of camera shake (without OIS) the A650 IS can capture a reasonably sharp image of the same subject, everything else being equal, at 1/60th of a second.
OIS is very useful outdoors, when shooting handheld, at full telephoto - where even minor camera shake is magnified exponentially. OIS can also be very helpful when shooting indoors - where higher shutter speeds may not be possible or would result in dark images with poor shadow/highlight detail. OIS combined with higher ISO sensitivity dramatically increases exposure options in low/natural light and dimly lit indoor venues where flash use is often prohibited.
The A650 IS offers users three active IS options (plus off) - in continuous mode OIS is engaged full time. OIS can be also engaged just prior to exposure (called shoot only mode) which is equally effective and uses substantially less power, or for Panning (which only stabilizes up and down motion) for horizontally panned images.
Auto Focus (AF)
The A650 IS features the same TTL Contrast Detection 9 focus point AF system as the A640. In all automatic exposure modes the camera defaults to the AiAF (Advanced intelligent Auto Focus) system which analyzes the scene in front of the camera and then calculates camera to subject distance to determine which of the 9 AF points is closest to the primary subject and then automatically locks focus on that AF point (closest subject priority), even when the subject is not centered in the viewfinder. Users can also turn off the AiAF and default to the center focus point for classic portraits or traditional landscapes. In aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes, the A650's Flexizone AF permits users to select a single focusing point and manually shift that AF point around in the frame for maximum creative control. AF performance is relatively fast and dependably accurate. In low light the A650's focus aid beam helps to illuminate the subject for more accurate focusing.
The A650 IS’s Face Detection AF/AE technology allows users to simply point the camera at the subject(s) and press the shutter button halfway - the camera will locate, lock on, and track up to nine faces in the image frame. Face Detection AF selects the optimum subject based on Canon’s ISAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology and then optimizes all exposure parameters to determine the best exposure, just before the image is recorded. Face Detection AF/AE can also be used when recording video clips (with AF and all exposure parameters adjusted continuously for moving subjects).
Enable Auto Focus Bracketing (AFB), frame the shot, and press the shutter button - the A650 IS captures three exposures in rapid succession - slightly shifting the focus for each image (one just a little in front of the optimum focus point, one at the optimal focus distance, and one just a little behind the camera selected focus distance), almost guaranteeing at least one correctly focused image even in rapidly unfolding action situations. AF and OIS work together very nicely in good light, but sometimes fail to mesh quickly in more challenging light.
Manual Focus(MF)
The A650 IS also provides a manual focus option - a fairly standard stepped scale MF system. In MF mode a distance scale is displayed on the LCD screen (to indicate approximate distances) and the center of the LCD is enlarged to aid in accurate focusing.
Flash
The A650 IS's built-in multi mode flash provides users with an adequate selection of artificial lighting options, including: Auto, Fill flash, slow synch, Rear curtain sync effect, and Red-eye reduction Canon claims the maximum flash range is just shy of 12 feet, which seems a fairly accurate assessment (based on my very limited flash use). The A650 IS also provides flash compensation capability via the flash output setting (+/-2 EV in 1/3 EV steps). There’s no hot shoe for external flash units, but Canon's (optional) HF-DC1 slave flash unit provides users with an expanded range of external lighting options and extends maximum flash range to about 30 feet.
Memory Media
The A650 IS saves images to SD/SDHC/MMC memory media, but provides no internal image storage. Canon includes a 32MB starter card in the box.
Image File Format(s)
JPEG
Connectivity
USB 2.0HS out, A/V out, and DC in (with optional Canon AC Adapter).
Power/Battery Life
The A650 IS is powered by 4 available anywhere AA-type batteries (alkaline, NiMH, or lithium). I used the camera through two weekends of fairly heavy all day shooting sessions with two sets of 2300 mAh rechargeable AA batteries and never ran out of juice. The camera seems to average around 300-350 exposures (continuous LCD use, shoot only IS, occasional flash use, and heavy review/delete) with high capacity rechargeable NiMH AA's and 100-150 exposures with over the counter alkalines.
Exposure
Auto Exposure
The A650 IS provides users with a remarkably capable and very user friendly auto exposure system. Canon’s third generation DIGIC (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) III processor runs the A650 IS’s image processing, Auto Exposure, gain control, power management, and most primary camera functions (the AF system, White Balance, Auto sensitivity, and JPEG compression). Auto Exposure options include Auto (Point and Shoot mode), Program (Auto Exposure with user input), and dedicated Scene modes including: Beach, Indoor, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Landscape, Underwater, Kids & pets, Night scene, Portrait mode, and Night snapshot.
In all Scene modes the A650 IS evaluates the scene in front of the camera using Canon’s proprietary iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology and an on-board database of standard scene types and then compares that information with the specific scene’s subject distance, white balance, contrast range, lighting, and color (just before the image is recorded) to determine the best exposure. Canon’s iSAPS technology works hand in glove with the DIGIC III processor and AiAF auto focus system to produce dependably accurate exposures in virtually any outdoor lighting, but there is a very slight tendency toward over exposure and occasional burnt-out highlights.
Manual Exposure
The A650 IS also provides users with a comprehensive range of manual exposure options including: Shutter Priority mode (users select the shutter speed and the camera selects the appropriate aperture), Aperture Priority mode (users select the aperture and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed), and Manual mode (users select all exposure parameters).
Very light or very dark subjects can often fool digital camera light metering systems into underexposing or overexposing images. The A650 IS’s Exposure Compensation function allows users to incrementally adjust exposure over a 4 EV range (+/-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments) to compensate for difficult lighting by quickly and easily lightening or darkening images.
The A650 IS’s Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) mode allows users to capture three images with one press of the shutter button, each at a slightly different exposure setting. One image slightly over the base exposure setting, one image at the camera selected base exposure setting, and one image slightly under the base exposure setting – almost guaranteeing at least one correct exposure.
Movie Mode
A650 IS users can record AVI video clips (with audio) at 640x480 @ 30 fps - up to 4GB or 1 hour. The A650 IS can also record up to 60 seconds of fast frame rate QVGA (60 fps) video clips and several lower resolution video options. Movies can be edited in-camera and then previewed – users can then opt to save the edited video clip, the original video clip, or both. The A650 IS also provides a voice-notation mode (up to 60 seconds) so users can add audio notes to their still pictures.
Metering
The A650 IS's Evaluative (default) metering assesses several areas of the image and then selects the optimum aperture/shutter speed combination. Center-weighted metering biases exposure on the central portion of frame (great for classic landscape shots and travel images - where the subject is likely to be centered). Spot metering reads only a tiny portion of the image frame allowing users to bias exposure on the single most important element in the composition. When Spot metering is enabled, the metering spot can be set at the center of the frame or linked to the active Flexizone AF point, allowing the photographer to align the AF target on the most important element of the composition and link the camera’s metering to that same spot. Casual photographers won't have to worry about metering at all, as long as they stay in one of the A650 IS’s Auto modes.
White Balance (WB)
The A650 IS provides users with an adequate selection of white balance options including TTL Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Underwater, Fluorescent, Tungsten, and a Custom (manual) mode. Like all of Canon’s consumer digicams, the A650 IS’s Auto WB setting produces slightly warm colors.
Sensitivity
The Canon PowerShot A650 IS provides an a very good range of sensitivity settings including Auto, High ISO Auto, and user selectable settings for 80,100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 ISO
In-Camera Image Adjustment
The A650 IS provides shooters with a useful range of in-camera photo tweaks including: contrast, hue (color), saturation (color intensity), and sharpening. The "My Colors" mode provides several creative color options: Positive Film (mimics slide film color, saturation, and contrast), Neutral Film (mimics print film color, saturation, and contrast), Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Color accent (shifts images to B&W, except for one user selected color), color swap (allows users to switch one color for another), custom color (users can adjust color balance for red, green, blue, and skin tones +/-2 arbitrary steps in 1 step increments), and Photo effects (vivid or neutral color saturation, low sharpening, sepia, and B&W).
Like its "A" series predecessors, the A650’s uber-practical look and somewhat chunky form factor won’t win any beauty contests. The camera is constructed of a durable combination of metal and polycarbonate with a comfortable (and slightly oversized) grip on the right hand side of the camera’s front. All controls are logically placed and all shooting functions are easily accessed. Experienced photographers will have no problem using the camera right out of the box and beginners will be able to shoot very good images after only a quick scan of the user’s manual. At almost 14 ounces (with batteries and a memory card in place) the A650 IS is noticeably heavier than the average P&S digicam – which brings me to one of my major nit picks with the A650 IS – why didn’t Canon provide the strap lugs so that a neck strap could be attached? This camera is too large and too heavy to depend full time on nothing more substantial than a wrist strap.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 12 megapixels (4000x3000)
Viewfinders: 2.5 inch camcorder style tilt-swivel TFT LCD and Real Image optical viewfinder
Lens: f2.8-f4.8/7.4mm-44.4mm (35mm equivalent 35mm-210mm) 6X all glass zoom
Auto Focus: 9 AF point Contrast Detection AiAF
Manual Focus: Yes
Flash: Built-in Multi-mode
Exposure: Auto, Program, Scene modes, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual mode, and Movie mode
Metering: Evaluative, Center-weighted, & Spot
White balance: TTL Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Underwater, Fluorescent, Tungsten, and a Custom (manual) mode
Sensitivity: Auto, Hi ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 ISO
Image Storage Media: SD/MMC
Connectivity: USB 2.0HS, AV/out, & DC in
Power: 4 AA batteries
Street Price Range - $360.00 - $400.00
Included
32MB SD card, 4 AA Alkaline batteries, wrist strap, USB & AV cables, software CD, user’s and software manuals.
Optional
Canon NiMH Rechargeable Battery & Charger Kit CBK4-300, AC Adapter Kit ACK900, Underwater Housing WP-DC8, High Power Flash HF-DC1, Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC58F
In the Field/Handling & Operation
I have an old friend who sells new and used (digital and film) cameras. He and I both enjoy playing with new digital cameras so as soon as he got his hands on Canon's new A650 IS he brought it by so I could check it out. This summer we, in Louisville, have had to contend with a record-breaking heat-wave and a severe drought. We decided to take the camera down to the Louisville Extreme Park. The Extreme Park is the go-to site for local photographers looking to capture action because boarders, BMXers, and in-line bladers are drawn to the park 24-7.
These kids make great subjects because they love showing off for the camera – so they’ll keep trying until you get the image. We were able to stand off a bit (the A650 IS’s 6X zoom gave us a little extra reach) and that’s good because getting too close to the action can be dangerous - I spent more than a month earlier this year with my right arm in a sling (broken collarbone) after getting hit in a freak accident by a 150-pound skateboarder moving at 15-20 MPH. We spent several late afternoon/early evening hours shooting skateboarders and BMXers, which may seem like a very long time. The two of us had several cameras (Olympus 790SW, Canon G9, Canon A650 IS) with us so that kept us pretty busy trying for optimal framing/timing (centering the subject in the frame and stopping the action in mid-air) with the different cameras.
The Canon’s (both with Image Stabilization) did better, capturing action, across the board, than the little Olympus - which didn’t have IS. IS isn’t magic, if you shoot lots and lots of action shots, the majority of your images will still be blurry, mis-timed shots with heads, hands, and feet cut off, or boring shots with bad body language or stupid expressions on the faces of your subjects. However, if you’re lucky and patient you may also get some super action images that you almost certainly wouldn’t have gotten without image stabilization.
For our second outing with the A650 IS we headed for Iroquois Park in Louisville's south end. This park was designed by America's most famous 19th century landscape architect - Frederic Law Olmsted - who also designed Manhattan's Central Park and Audubon Park in New Orleans. The heavily forested park covers a large hill that rises almost 1,000 feet above the Derby City's southern suburbs. Once you drive into the park it is easy to believe that you are out in the country, rather than completely surrounded by suburban residential neighborhoods.
There is small area of restored native mixed grass prairie near the top of the park and we wanted to check out the end of summer/autumnal Goldenrod, Ironweed, and Ohio Aster. We spent about four hours shooting Eliot Porter style intimate landscapes, but the harsh lighting, stiff breeze, and lack of color pretty much doomed our little expedition to failure. That said, the quiet little hilltop refuge is a great place to spend an afternoon, even if we didn’t get any killer shots.
For our final outing with the A650 IS we headed for Cave Hill Cemetery to look for some early signs of the changing season, but it is still too early for fall color here in the Ohio Valley. Cave Hill is Louisville’s unofficial arboretum and the old cemetery is filled with rare plants, trees, and bushes (in addition to thousands of 19th century grave markers, hundreds of mausoleums, and a rustic old groundskeepers cottage) so the first signs of autumn tend to appear at Cave Hill a few weeks before they are visible anywhere else. We did find a few individual trees that were starting to show some color, but overall it was just too early for dramatic fall foliage shots. After we gave up looking for Autumn landscapes we shot some pictures of the ever-present families feeding the ducks, geese, and swans at the small lake near the center of this old burial ground.
PERFORMANCE
The A650 IS is a very capable general-use digicam that offers advanced users a full slate of manual exposure options. The A650 IS will also work nicely for snap-shooters and casual photographers who want to shoot high quality digital images without having to learn basic photography skills. Outdoor images were dependably well exposed and the overall image quality was equal to or better than any comparable P&S digicam either of us has used to date.
Image Quality
The A650 IS consistently produces well-exposed images with good dynamic range - colors are hue accurate and slightly over saturated. The A650 IS produces what veteran shooters call consumer color interpolation - reds are a bit too warm, blues are a little too cool, greens are a tad bright, and Caucasian skin tones are just a tiny bit ruddy, but most amateur photographers probably won’t consider these minor color inaccuracies a fault. Contrast, is balanced, but a little flat. Shadow detail is very good and Highlight detail is also generally good, but I did notice some minor clipping (burnt out highlights). I also noticed some minor chromatic aberration (in high contrast color transition/edge demarcation areas) in a few shots.
ISO 80/100 images (there is no visible difference between ISO 80 and ISO 100) looked great with bold colors and surprisingly low noise. At the ISO 200 setting noise levels begin to rise a bit, but the images are almost as good as ISO 80/100 images. Noise at ISO 400 is lower than average - images are noticeably noisy, but still usable. ISO 800 images are very noisy. ISO 1600 images were far too noisy, effectively useless you happen to capture a money shot of Bigfoot, Nessie, or a hovering UFO.
Shutter Lag/Timing
The A650 IS seemed a bit sluggish to me - not quite as fast as its predecessor, but that’s a very subjective observation that might not be supported in the test lab. Start up time is a bit less than two seconds, which is pretty quick for a digicam that has to extend a 6X zoom. Shutter lag shouldn’t be a problem for most shooters (shutter fire is essentially real time once focus is achieved). AF speed is impressive, typically less than a second from scratch and almost real time with pre-focus. Shot-to-shot times are noticeably slower than average.
Conclusion
I think Canon’s "A" series have lost some of their edginess and much of their bang for the buck - they’re looking a little bloated and long in the tooth (the A650 IS is sort of old Elvis to the A20’s young Elvis). Some industry insiders are calling the A650 IS the G9 lite, but in my opinion the G9 is a really better deal and since the difference in price is only about a hundred bucks – I’d go with the G9.
Links
For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review.
Canon s extremely popular A Series reaches a milestone with the PowerShot A650 IS, its new top-of-the-line camera. 12.1 megapixels offers unparalleled...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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