AtlantaGreg's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera
It's amazing how much prices have dropped on digital cameras over such a short time, and the A300 is a great example of progress (mostly). So what will $199.00 (US) get you these days? More...
WHAT IS IT?
The A300 is a point-and-shoot camera aimed primarily at the beginner (though it would be fine in experienced hands as a second casual-use camera, too). In the box you'll find the camera of course, a USB cable to transfer images into your computer with, software for image transfer, video clip organization, and drivers for your computer. You get a 16 meg Compact Flash card, wrist strap, well-written instruction manuals, and two alkaline batteries.
Note: You will immediately want to purchase a much larger memory card (you'll see why in the review below), and buy some NiMH rechargeable batteries and a charger. Alkalines do not last long in most digicams, and this is no exception, though they'll work in a pinch.
I hate to throw in a negative comment so soon, but I will admit I was disappointed at the build quality of the camera when I first took it out of the box. Though the finish looks nice (almost metal-like), it feels VERY plasticky... not higher grade plastic either, but "Tonka Toy" plastic. I doubt this camera will survive a drop (use the wrist strap!) Once the batteries are in it adds weight, but empty, you can tell corners were cut in production to bring the price so low.
FEATURES, ETC
This is a 3 megapixel camera. It will allow you to take photos in various sizes from 640x480, 1024x768, 1600x1200, and 2048x1536 pixels. The largest of these sizes will allow you to produce really good 5x7 prints, and good 8x10 prints too (using good photo paper, a good printer, or commercial lab). Three quality settings or normal, fine, or superfine, allow you to adjust the amount of space the images take on the card, and adjust their quality from "for web use" to "print photo quality".
Sliding the front to the side turns the camera on. It's ready to take photos in about 3 seconds. Using the LCD or small optical viewfinder, you compose your image, half-press the shutter button to allow the camera to focus, and snap your photo. The shutter button on my unit made an odd "spring" sound if pressed quickly, but it didn't seem to affect the camera operation. The A300 has 5 areas it uses to focus on, and will show you a green box on the LCD screen showing you where it's focusing. You can disable this feature if it's missing things too often, and then the camera will only focus in the center of the frame. The LCD is bright and clear, and can be used in all conditions except direct sunlight where it gets faded.
When you're done taking shots, you slide the lens cover to turn the camera off. There is an "on" button on the back, which is used to power the camera on for viewing photos only. From there, you can view them on the LCD and keep or delete them. I like this second power option, as it puts less wear and tear on the sliding power switch on front if all you want to do is view photos.
In low light, there is an "auto focus assist light"; it is an orange bulb that glows (located in the flash) to light up an area to the focus can work in lower light. I applaud Canon for including this feature (few makers do), but the bulb is pretty weak - I only got about a 3 foot effective range out of it at best. Nice to have... just don't rely too heavily on it.
The movie clip mode is super. Most digicams only take short movie clips at a size of 320x240 pixels. The A300 does this too, but also has a 640x480 sized movie mode which also records sound. MUCH more practical than tiny clips. Two words of caution however: One, the microphone is on top of the camera where your finger rests, so watch this or you'll cover it up. Second, this large movie clip mode uses A LOT of memory; a typical 30 second (max time) clip will use around 20 megs of space. Even on a 64 meg memory card you could only take 3 clips before the card is full! Prices are low now on memory - if you're going to use this feature heavily, I strongly suggest buying a 128 or even 256 meg memory card. You won't regret it.
There is no optical zoom on this camera. There is a digital zoom of up to 5X, but please note that digital zooms degrade an images quality, so use sparingly. Up to 2X and the image is fine - after that, and you'll see it rapidly blur.
For those in the know of photography, the A300 also allows you to adjust exposure, ISO (50 through 400), white balance, and offers black and white modes, and more. Many of these will never be used by "newbies", but they're there once you learn the basics and move on.
IMAGE QUALITY & CONCLUSION
I didn't expect much considering the overall build quality and price, but was very pleased with the photos. Colors are good, sharpness fine, and exposure usually spot-on. Very nice. In terms of photo quality I think most users will be very happy with the camera.
Sample: Copy and past the URL below to see a sample image taken with the A300.
http://www.mindspring.com/~gregory-h/park.jpg
See? Wowsa for this price range!
So - if you can live without a zoom, can put up with the cheap plastic build, and can spring for much more memory, I think you'll be a happy A300 owner. If not, then do keep in mind that for around $299, you can get the Canon A70, which is also 3 megapixels, offers a 3X optical zoom, and has the same movie mode.
Happy snapping!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 279 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
3.2 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 8 x 10 prints and medium-quality prints up to 11 x 14 5.1x digital zoom Up to 3 mi...More at Amazon Marketplace
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