Digital-Camera Reviews

As a botanist/ecologist/photographer I do a great deal of plant photography. I have used Canon products for years and swear by them and rarely at them. The Pro1, though, leaves a lot to be desired for my purposes. The EOS 10D does far better even with lower resolution. The Pro1, for the purposes I need, is not very suitable. (See my review of the PowerShot S1 IS).
But as a photgrapher who has been published around the world, mostly medium and large format photographs, I think for most people the Pro1 would be a very good choice. It has excellent construction and the image quality is superb with very true color, much better than most. If you don't want to mess with RAW image processing, you can photograph using the Super high resolution Large (gives you a JPG image) and get excellent results that compare very favorably with RAW processing and none of the fiddling with RAW. The availability of a 28mm equivalent wide angle is also very nice and not all that common.
The sharpest aperature to use is f5.6 or f6.3. The images are just a hair softer at larger or smaller apertures. Even the digital zoom will produce a pretty decent image at 14x, but gets worse at maximum digital zoom. Usually digital zoom is pretty worthless, but when you start with 8 megapixels you can still end up with a suitable pixel count after all the digital footwork that goes on in the camera. But generally you are still further ahead shooting at maximum optical zoom (no digital) and cropping, if you don't mind some additional digital manipulation antics to improve things.
So, all in all, I highly recommend this camera to anyone who needs high resolution and compact size. It is a good buy. But for really good macro photography I recommend a digital SLR and a top notch macro lens. If you only do a little macro work and are not real fussy about having razor sharp images then this camera will do fine. Sometimes it would almost match the 10D, but not quite. For all other uses, the camera is great.

The Powershot Pro1 is the best all-around 8 megapixel digicam. It is compact (unlike the Olympus 8080, Sony F828, and Konica Minolta A2); has a fast 28-200 lens (Olympus only goes to 140mm equivalent, Nikon doesn't allow wide angle); and allows for fine adjustment of focal length (Olympus and Nikon use a crude zoom lever that makes it difficult to zoom exactly as you want to). An additional important point is that the Powershot can actually be used in RAW mode: the Olympus, Sony, and Nikon cameras lock-up for a while after taking a picture in RAW mode (this means the camera is not usable for up to 12 seconds after a RAW picture is taken).

Perhaps the closest competitor to the Powershot Pro1 is the Konica Minolta A2, but the A2 has an old lens design that lacks the resolution of the Powershot Pro1, and the A2 is much bigger, lacks the high resolution LCD screen on the Pro1, and has limited movement of its LCD screen. The A2 has a very high resolution viewfinder, but with a good LCD screen (like the Pro1), using a viewfinder is not preferable (for me at least). The A2 also has been noted in online reviews to have quality control problems.

Comparisons aside, some reviewers here have suggested that the Pro1 has "slow" autofocus and that the LCD screen freezes for a moment as the autofocus operates. The conclusion given is that the Pro1 is therefore difficult to use with moving subjects. The difficulty, however, is primarily with photographic technique rather than the camera's autofocus system. Because of the sensor size and lens design, the Pro1 has a large depth of field, meaning that subjects will appear in focus over a fairly large distance. Even at the telephoto end, the depth of field for a portrait (e.g. 100mm) at f/4.5 will be sufficient that you can pre-focus the lens and follow a moving subject easily. The shutter response is very very fast when the lens is already at its focus point. This is a standard technique often overlooked by people who never used a manual focus camera. And this technique is far better than relying on the autofocus system in any of the 8 megapixel cameras: none of them is faster than intelligent pre-focusing! The Pro1 makes this even easier by allowing the user to store a focus distance in the Custom1 and Custom2 settings.

This is a terrific camera. No camera is perfect, but the Pro1 makes the best compromises in its class.

And for those worried about image noise when looking at photos magnified on screen: this is eliminated from actual prints using any of several noise reduction software packages. Don't be afraid to use 400 speed on the Pro1, put the file through good noise reduction software, and print it. The result will still be very nice.

This is my 3rd Canon Digital camera - Powershot G2 and G3 were the previous ones. Took 20,000 pics with them.

Things I love about the Powershot Pro1:
-takes excellent macro (close-up) photos. The clarity is incredible, especially when using the "Super Macro" mode.
-Color is exccellent.
-Moveable LCD panel on back. I take mostly nature shots - closeups. This allows me to take photos from positions I could never get into without the moveable panel. Shoot from under flowers, raise the camera up to shoot down onto flowers that are above my head, etc.
-battery life is superb - about 400-600 or more photos per charge.
-the 7x zoom is awesome. From 30 feet I can take a photo of a 2" diameter flower and see the details of the flower in the resulting pic.
-Many advanced features. READ THE MANUAL! You won't discover this camera's full potential until you do.

Drawbacks:
-The first Pro1 I got had dust and fibers INSIDE the lens. I was able to trade it for another one 2 weeks later after I discovered the flaw - the dust and fibers were only visible when examining the lens in sunlight. One of the replacement camera they were going to give me also had dust inside the lens.
-This second unit I had became defective after 2 weeks. The zoom lens started moving in and out with jerks - sticking. So now I am on my 3rd Pro1 unit. Hopefully the problems with the prior ones are not typical!!
-Slow focussing and composition, as mentioned in other reviews. Not as much of a problem for me, as I do mostly plant photos. But it has caused me to miss butterfly shots.
-The lens cap is a pain to put on and remove. A simple push-on one would've been MUCH better. And I am wondering if the necessary action of squeezing the two little tabs all the time caused the failure of my 2nd unit (lens movement sticking - this action may be always pushing the lens from side to side, and cause the mechanism to wear prematurely?
-Have to watch exposures. I find my photos are often overexposed. I have learned the conditions under which this happens, and have learned to compensate for it (which is easy to do). But this was an issue with the G2 & G3 also.
-Regular macro mode is poor at auto-focussing. However, the "Super-Macro" mode is VERY good at auto-focussing.

So far, I HIGHLY recommend this camera. I have taken 4000 pics with it in the 40 days I have had a Pro1, and I like it a lot.
It has very advanced features, and even has more features than the Rebel. For example, you can select center-spot metering - can't do that on the Rebel except in Manual mode (if I recall correctly). It is "pseudo-SLR" in that the vewfinder displays the same info as the LCD panel. The zoom is excellent, although some people don't like the "zoom-by-wire" aspect of it.

Many people will find it hard to believe that they're better off with the nearly identical 4 megapixel G3. Reviews by dedicated digital photo sites conclude that the G5 introduces significant noise into images causing the effect of extra resolution to be cancelled out by the degradation in image quality. Canon had to produce this camera because of our obsession with pixel count and in spite of the fact that all of the reviews of the G3 conclude that its combination of a clean sensor and excellent optics give it an edge over most 5 MP camers.
Furthermore, very few people actually need 4 megapixels, much less 5. I had a hard time accepting this myself, until I printed out a couple 8x10s from my G3. 5 megapixels will simply mean that your memory card gets filled sooner, and each image will take longer to write to the compact flash card. Unfortunately, people look at pixel count much the same way as they do processor speed in computers. This is why we see folks buying P4 machines with 15" monitors and 128MB of RAM.
The G3, with its less noisy sensor and lower price is the sensible choice. It's a better camera for less, but most won't see it that way.

The lens seen through the view finder I knew about before purchase so I cant complain about that.

The Selector icons (auto, portrait etc.,)wore off after only a couple of months!! Cannon did replace the selector gratis, and I have now protected the icons on the top of the selector with a two part slow setting resin (72 hrs), this looks good and works perfectly.

Apart from the above this is a great Camera and I have been very happy with it and have taken thousands of great pictures in the year I have had it.

My friends wish they had my Camera and when they pull out their fancy Samsungs, HP's etc., there faces soon drop when they see what mine can do.

If I could give this 4 1/2 stars, I would, but I can't. The G5 is a great digital camera for all kinds of users, however is simply too much camera for most people that will want to take snapshots; many people won't even touch on using or even understanding all of the features the G5 has unless they have some photography experience.

The lens is quite good, it's very sharp no matter the aperature used, the autofocus is of average speed, and the zoom is roughly equivalent to a 35-140mm on a film SLR - you get a pretty good range of focal lengths as long as you don't need wide angle or extreme telephoto shots. Bokeh is okay at wide aperatures, but don't expect it to compare with a good SLR lens, because it won't. Macro shots are very good, with little distortion, sharp focus, and decent bokeh.

Image quality of the pictures is excellent - colors are balanced and realistic, and edges aren't oversharpened at all, 8x10s look fantastic but I have yet to print anything larger (The G5 should be able to make a nice 11x14 print).

Featurewise, the G5 is very well rounded - it has a full auto mode, which works quite well, except the auto exposure for shots using the flash tends to overexpose the picture (This does not bug me since I usually use manual or priority modes), it had a program mode which gives you some control over the camera settings, and various manual modes including full manual, aperature priority, shutter priority, and also several scene modes for taking portraits, night landscapes, and more.

My biggest complaint with the G5 is that it takes very noisy pictures at a given ISO - ISO 400 is utterly useless for taking shots because they are so grainy, ISO 200 is usable but I wouldn't print an 8x10 with it, and ISO 50 and 100 are okay - this camera is great for outdoor shots but if you need something to work with inside without a flash, you are better off with a D-SLR of some sort.

Ergonomically, the G5 is great, it's well built, easy to hold, and all of the controls are easy to reach and intuitive. There are numerous functions however, and it will take most people a while to become accustomed to and comfortable with all of the camera's features. The flip out LCD is a very useful feature, and it has helped me take many shots that I couldn't have made otherwise.

Overall, it is a very good all around digicam, but for some people with specific needs (Long zoom, wide angle, indoor shots without flash), there are better choices. I strongly reccomend this for people with photography experience, but it is complete and total overkill for someone that wants to take snapshots.

I've had my G3 for about 10 months now, and I've taken thousands of pictures with it. The positives:
- Takes great, clear pictures under ideal conditions; often with better results than my 35mm Canon SLR!
- Easy uploads to my PC.
- Accepts my external Canon flash.
- Excellent battery life. (I've people complain about battery life with other digital cameras, but this really is a strong point for the G3.)
- The unique LCD that flips over is "cool" (and easy to protect from scratches).

- Has lots of shooting modes for a non-pro camera.
The negatives:
- The lens cap is a poor design; it falls off very easily (at least Canon provides a cord so it doesn't get lost).
- Focus is slow except under ideal lighting conditions.
- Focus is unreliable; I've learned to take 3 shots at a time, hoping that at least one of them will be in sharp focus.
- Photo quality gets noticeably worse (more "noise") as soon as you increase the exposure "speed" above the slowest setting (ASA 50).
- The design is relatively bulky and heavy for a non-SLR camera, and the controls are not ergonomically correct.
- The RAW picture format option is useless with this camera because Canon's software gives you virtually no useful options for correcting/modifying photos in RAW format. To do anything useful you have to take the time to convert your photos to JPG anyway. I gave up on RAW after the first couple of tries and have stuck with JPG format since then.
In summary... I expected a lot at this price level, and the G3 really is a great camera for family snapshots, scenery and documents. However, it is a poor camera for low-light conditions or action photography.

Yep. This is my first Digital Camera, and what a 'toy' it is!!! I am a software engineer and am very keen into technical details of everything i buy, I spend around 3 months before buying the digital camera; and i must say, G3 worth every single cent i spent on it.
Just a little overview, PowerShot G3 is the flagship of Canon's PowerShot series and its an SLR-like camera, its 4 megapixel and (alsmost) full manual control gives the pictures a touch of brilliance. Whether you are a novice or an expert, its ease of use and functionality goes together. + you can have different kind of lens if you want + flashes, etc. As its 4MP, you might need bigger storage to store high quality images and recording movies (you can record 3 minutes of video). I am using Kingston 512MB CF which works great and is very fast. A good choice could be CF type II, Microdrives that can store around 1 GB of images.
Some things that i didn't like (but hey.. nothing is perfect).
* Main dial is not backlit.
* Lens visible in optical viewfinder. (well thats only for old-school die-hard optical viewfinder fans) use LCD instead which is brilliant and you can twist around too.

Overall I'm happy with my toy. :)

First of all, if you are trying to decide between the G3 and the G5, consider that you would be paying $100 more for the G5 simply because it has an extra mega-pixel, otherwise, the cameras are identical.

Now for the praise, this camera is simply amazing for it's price. It has a ton of advanced features and it's incredibly durable. I have dropped it a few times, and accidently got it wet and guess what, it still works. Also, it satisfies pretty much any kind of photographer. Switch to Auto and your grandma can use it, switch to any of the manual settings and it will satisfy the creative photographer. The focus, white balance, aperture, shutter speed, etc, can all be manually altered.

Four mega-pixels might seem like a low number considering that high end compact digitals today have 5, 6 or more. But, 4 is more than enough to produce wonderful full-page prints. Also, because it's a 4 megapixel, it processes the photos very quickly, in about a second.

Worried that it's not a digital SLR? Well, unless you're a pro photographer, you wouldn't mind simply getting one of the lens attachments such as Wide Angle, Zoom or Micro. I have the Wide Angle attachment I bought from a 3rd party on ebay for $50 and it works great with the camera, it has a built in macro lens as well.

Anyway, if you want a compact digital, this is IT. Tons of features, durable, trusted name, ability to get lens attachments and you get awesome full page prints. Get it.

The Canon PowerShot G2 is a digital camera consumer's dream come true, and a nightmare for other digital camera manufacturers.

Make a list of features you'd expect and not expect to find from a "prosumer" digital camera, and chances are you'll find them on the G2. This is a little camera that was designed to act a lot bigger than many other digital cameras in its class.

You only have to pick up a G2 to realize that there's a lot more to it than meets the eye; this camera's significantly heavier and feels sturdier than any other camera in its class! The extra weight means better camera stabilization. The G2's sturdiness inspires confidence and makes the camera feel like a photographic tool, not an electronic gizmo.

From the tilt-and-swivel LCD, the magnification loupe for manual focusing, dedicated and fully functional flash hot-shoe, evaluative metering, IR autofocous assist mechanism, ISO 50, RAW image format, etc., etc., this camera has it all!.

Many photographers will argue that the real measures of any camera lie in the controls and results. The G2 doesn't disappoint in either of these respects. Although you'll have to familiarize yourself with the camera's controls initially, you'll soon find them very intuitive and actually use them more often than not.

The quality of images captured with the G2 is nothing short of superb! You'll get clean, detailed, very high-resolution photographs with the G2, especially if you use the camera's RAW mode at ISO 50.

The Canon PowerShot G2 is still a point-and-shoot digital camera. Anyone who's ever used an SLR will miss the optical viewfinder, true manual focus, and lens selection not available in the G2. However, this can be said for any other digital camera in the G2's class. In every other respect, the G2 rises above its inherent limitations and really challenges its competition to try and keep up!

Beyond the camera itself, Canon has really done the consumer proud by offering most every accessory that you would want included at no extra charge, i.e. an remote control unit, high-capacity rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, and remote capture software.

If you're in the market for a capable digital camera at a reasonable price, thank Canon for making the choice really very simple.

Positives:
- extensive feature set
- excellent build and design
- superb results, especially in RAW mode at ISO 50
- Excellent lens produces very little distortion and chromatic aberrations
- extremely reasonable price
- All the accessories that should come standard do come standard.

Negatives:
- Certain exposure adjustments, i.e. flash compensation, aren't available in full manual mode.
- The fact that the G2 isn't an SLR.
- Not much else.

I was looking to purchase my first digital camera and originally bought a Toshiba 3.2 megapixel which claimed to provide photos equal in quality to 35mm cameras. I was very disappointed. After tons of research, I purchased the Canon G2. I am still amazed at the quality of the pictures. It is easy to use and comes with everything you need. Many other digital cameras come with 8 or 16MB cards which don't store enough pictures. The Canon G2 comes with a 32MB card which holds about 19 high quality photos. It also comes with a rechargable battery. One of the greatest features is the wireless remote control which has the zoom feature. The LCD screen pivots out to allow you to see the picture you are composing (use the remote to zoom in or out) and snap the picture once you have arranged the perfect shot. Now I can be in group shots and vacation pictures.

The Canon G2 was about $100.00 more than the camera I originally bought which needed more memory at a cost of $60 and rechargeable batteries at a cost of $40. So, basically the Canon G2 cost the same thing, but provided much better quality and extras.

I read another review which stated the red eye reduction did not work. This only happens to me when I am taking pictures in a very dark room or outside when there is no light. If I turn the light on in the room I am taking the picture, I have no problem. If the picture does have red eye, it is easily eliminated with the software provided.

GREAT CAMERA! THANK YOU CANON.

After months of exhaustive searching, I finally decided to purchase the Canon Powershot G2 (it's a wonderfully re-designed upgrade to the Powershot G1). The clarity of the images that this camera takes is spectacular. Combine that with the list of outstanding features that aren't included on any other digital camera: ISO 50, RAW image capture, a flip out LCD screen (which is much more handy than you would think), an infrared remote for long exposures and self-portraits, and easy menu functions -- this camera is without equal in it's price range.

It's definitely not for the beginner, but, if you're familiar with photography, you'll be able to take sharp, beautiful pictures with this camera. Skin tones are perfect and the built in flash with exposure compensation does a good job for portraits. And, if you're considering a Sony, this camera uses the more inexpensive Compact Flash memory storage system. Compact Flash memory cards are cheaper than the Sony Memory Stick and are compatible with more peripherals than Memory Stick.

All in all, if it's in your price range, you will be very pleased with the Canon Powershot G2.

I'm the type of person who does their research before picking out ANY electronics item. I try to hit the "sweet spot" of features versus price that won't put me in the poorhouse. I wanted something that would give me decent picture quality as well as allow me the freedom to take pictures with manual settings. I originally was looking at cameras for a bit less money, but when I saw this sugar baby I was hooked.

To sum it up in one word - Exquisite

I've had the A80 for a week now, and I'm really psyched that I picked this baby out of the mix of cameras out there now to choose from. It's Nifty, Handy, and extremely Cool.
Number one pro is definitely the view screen. Small, but bright with great resolution. The camera strikes you at first as a bit heavy, but the four AA batteries are the majority of that, and I like the substantial feel.

Canon has done an outstanding job with sophistication and elegant simplicity. I find that photography is delightful and rewarding with this camera.

In Auto mode, you just press the shutter release halfway and the viewfinder resembles what I call the "Terminator Perspective" heads-up display. In a split second, the computer inside has analyzed the subject/environment and has outlined it's choice of f-stop, and exposure speed, as well as letting you know with a green outline the brightest area of your shot.

It's frankly amazing.

It is a heckuva photo tutor too. I'm new to digital photography, and the camera is helping me learn the different settings appropriate to each differing environment I wish to shoot in.

I work with a bunch of techies, and this one was definitely passed around with many lusty glances at the office for a while - I might be the first of my friends to buy this camera, but I won't be the last, I'm sure.

The software that comes with the camera would be worth at least $50 if you purchased it separately and it has impressive capabilities as well as being very easy to use.

Accessories!!!!

You will definitely need a bigger flash memory card. I picked up the 256 meg card from Fuji for 74 bucks (at the corner megalomart) and a fast battery charger (as well as two 4-packs of rechargeable batteries). Now you're set.

Buy these all together and put them in a gift box and put it under the tree for someone you love. They will love you for doing it. Just remember to have them open it first of all so that you can enjoy the holiday pictures they will have a kick-butt time taking with this gem.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS

I shopped around for a digital camera for a few months, 4+ megapixels is the way to go, other cameras looked nice but were too pricey, ergonomically awkward or confusing to use. Not so with this little gem! The canon A80 has all of the features I wanted, it is small (hand size), easy to use, takes HIGH quality pictures and gives me confidence to experiment and enjoy photography without wasting money on film & developing costs.

The A80 is very simple to use, the menus and function screens are navigated with ease. The camera offers a wide variety of modes for every situation and setting. The A80 can take movies, landscapes, macros, portraits, high speed action pictures, photo-stitching-panoramas, and many more. The A80 comes with software for both PC and Mac. Although I tend to use the iPhoto program that comes with my Mac.

I did buy some rechargeable batteries and charger, and a couple extra memory cards. The A80 uses 4 AA batteries, you should get some Nimh recharge batts as back up. You might also want an extra memory card, the camera uses Compact Flash (type 1) cards, this type of card is inexpensive compared to other flash storage cards, a 256mb card is a must in my opinion since the A80 is sold with only one 32mb card.

The A80's only drawback is that it does not come with a camera bag, it has a camera strap, but no bag, so I had to buy my own.

Overall, I have to give this camera 5 stars, it does everything as advertised, and the picture quality is FANTASTIC, simply follow the directions for each type of picture you are taking et voila, HUGE digital prints, the detail is phenomenal! This camera is worth every penny! SImply put, this is the best camera I have ever owned.

This is an amazing camera that never fails to come up with a great picture. I am far from a pro. but this camera's function and quality enable me to take shots that look good anyway. It even has a quality mic. that allows you to record and add sound to a picture. The only gripe I have with it is that in order to actually use it for more than a day you have to purchase expensive rechargable batteries.

Over the past several years, I've gone through a lot of Digital Cameras...Kodak DC3400 (great for its time), Minolta Dimage 7hi (good for its time), Sony DSC-F828 (terrible -- very high noise level), Canon A70 (great), Canon A75 (see below), and Nikon D70 (love the D70). For the high-end, the Nikon is incredible. For the low-end, my all-time favorite has been the Canon A70.

I liked it so much, that when my first one was stolen on vacation, I purchased another one. It has the best feature set of any digital camera under $300.

Unfortunately, my second Canon A70 took a swim at a water park...and was never quite the same. So I replaced my A70 with the A75 this month.

Almost everything appeared equal between the A75 and A70. And the Picture quality continued to be very good for both. However, this camera has one show-stopping problem that I cannot live with. It has the worst auto-focus mechanism of any digicam I've owned. I take lots of pictures of my kids, and the A75 cannot keep up with them. What I can't understand is how did Canon make the auto-focus worse in the A75 than the A70?

I compared my A75 with floor models at a local electronics chain, and discovered they were all equally poor. I've since returned the camera and am now searching for a suitable $300 replacement.

I wanted only canon after owning Panasonic, Sony & Fuji Cameras, Canon Simply does it great ! Menus are awesome & software is even better.

A lot of people didn't note this ! Canon has great video quality, with A75 you can zoom before starting to record the video. It beats my $1000 DV Camcorder !!!!!!!!!!!

Canon Pic quality requires no further explanation. Esp with Canon i960 printer, it is fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!

1. I picked A75 over A 70 becos of bigger LCD, 9-point AF, nice very useful pre-set pic modes like indoor, beach, foliage etc.
2. I picked A75 over A80 becos of better video mode (640), less heavy, brighter/bigger LCD screen, cheaper.
3. I picked A75 over S1 IS becos of AF Assist Lamp & less purple fringing.
4. A75 uses AA batteries as opposed to S50/S60. Also, S50/60 doesn't support lens attachments easily. A75 costs half of S50/60 & produces equally good pics.
5. My next replacement will be New model that replaces S1 IS with 5MP, AF Assist-lamp & cheaper Memory card of 2-4GB capacity, for now i am very happy with A75.

I've wanted a digital camera for years, but being of the older generation I am somewhat put off by technical gadgets. Besides, my 22-year-old 35mm Canon Program AE seemed sufficient for me. After a lot of online and instore research, I finally broke down and bought the Canon Powershot A75. Suffice it to say, it's a breeze to use and the picture quality is out of this world. Great product for the money.

I purchased the Canon Powershot A70 in May in anticipation of using it on a trip to Europe. After researching several online photo equipment review sites and looking at the cameras in local retail stores, I decided on the A70. The facts that influenced my decision to purchase this camera were: size, weight, type of battery, ability to shoot in full automatic or with some level of manual control. The additional advantages this camera offered, were the ability to use rechargeble batteries and add a macro or telephoto lens.

The learning curve is very fast. I didn't have time to get very familiar with the camera before leaving, but it didn't take long to learn how to make adjustments. Digital cameras tend to be much smaller than film cameras and that affects their handling and controls. The menus are easy to access and once familiar can be changed quickly. At first I thought the words on the menus were difficult to read in the LCD but this became less of a problem with time and with my glasses on. In outdoor light all LCD's tend to be difficult to see but this is a very bright LCD and indoors is fantastic for viewing pictures.

The macro worked wonderful. If you are photographing a stationary object you could use the manual focus, but to photograph insects or anything that moves, use the autofocus in macro mode to get spectacular photos.

I used a battery recharger with 2 sets of 4 rechargeable AA batteries, so I always had a spare set. I used the LCD all the time and reviewed images at night of the day's photos, the batteries seemed to last forever. As long as you have a recharger with an adapter for European current, you can plug it in at night in a hotel room and be ready for the next day. The AA batteries can double in an emergency to power up your PDA with an adapter so you won't be carrying dead weight for only one device.

The 16MB compact flash that comes with the camera is best left home. Get a 512MB CF and you can put nearly 500 photos in L mode (2048 X 1536). You can add music or a memo to your photos. I added a music memo to a picture of a band playing 60 feet away and the camera recorded it flawlessly. This camera also has a movie mode with sound.

All controls are easy to access, the camera is well-balanced, and fast to turn on and off. Don't be fooled into thinking this camera is too big. Many of the new cameras are smaller, but they are not easy to get a grip on or hold with one hand without getting your fingers in the way of the lens.

Once you get your pictures home it is easy to view them. The camera comes with a cable to view them on a TV with video and audio inputs or you can upload them to your computer via a USB cable.

This camera is much more than it might appear and for a modest price it delivers.

Canon A70 is my third digital camera experience following Fuji and Olympus 2MP models. Most Canon cameras have received nothing but praise, and I bought this one with rather high expectations. Outdoor shots in bright sunlight do not produce the sharpness and color saturation I expected based on my experience with Fuji. If you are planning to take lots of nature photos including trees and shrubbery, perhaps A70 will not be the best choice. Soft focus is very apparent with tree leaves. However, in low light and contrasting light situations, the camera produces excellent shots of people that are even better than the photos I took with my Canon SLR. It will certainly produce the 'wow' you are hoping for. Red eye in flash photos were not a major problem. Besides, the plethora of manual controls not found in any digital camera of its class will please anybody who would like to experiment. Again, the menu system were not as straight-forward as I expected.

The best thing before buying a digital camera is to go the review sites and see the pictures for yourself. I particularly like the comparometer in imaging-resource.com that will display the same picture side by side on the screen taken by two cameras for your judgement. Unlike Canon A40 and the ELPH series, price of the A70 has dropped markedly soon after the debut. Does it tell us something? In my view, Canon S400 probably takes slightly sharper and saturated pictures, but apart from the higher price, it has its own limitations like lack of high-res movie mode, lack of extensive manual control, use of special batteries, etc. I find Canon A70 to perform the best all-around in its price range.

This is my first digital camera and I absolutely love it. I am a computer guy myself, so the basic come a little easier to me than others but even my wife (not so much the computer person) is able to use it without reserve and she prefers it better than our still camera.

The shooting modes are easily accessible on the top dial. You can switch from AUTO, to camcorder, to action shots within seconds. I can get 137 pix out of one 128mb card. The battery life is great. I DEFINITELY recommend rechargables!

There are a couple little *quirks* about it like the fact that there are two menus which can be a pain if you know you saw a feature somewhere but don't remember exactly which menu had it. Plus I can't figure out a way to get a date on the print. It may be there but then I'd have to read the manual :-)

Otherwise, you simply can't beat this camera for the price. Get it now before Canon phases it out. There are two newer models out there now so the clock is ticking!

This is an excellent camera to get started with digital photography. 2.0MP is enought to print clear 5 X 7 prints (maybe larger... I haven't tried yet). The camera's battery life is good using quality brand AA batteries (standard alkaline or rechargable). There are several shooting modes; including a long-exposure mode such that you can take pictures at night if you have a tripod. However, the automatic shooting mode is good enough that you can use it for 99% of your pictures, thus you won't have to fiddle with settings if you're timid or not as knowledgeable about photography. It will take good pictures day or night, inside or out. The only disappointing feature is the limited optical zoom. Regardless, if you're a bit familiar with Photoshop or similar software, you can crop and edit your photos if the framing or the zoom wasn't quite what you wanted when you took the picture. I highly recommmend getting a 256MB (or greater) high-speed CF memory card. I upgraded my camera with a 45X 256MB CF card (Transcend USA); which allows me to take over 400 photos and/or *lots* of continuous video (thanks to the speed of the new CF card). Connects to Macs easily and works well with iPhoto. I'm looking forward to purchasing another product from Canon when I have the money to do so!

i did a couple of days of research for a digi cam. i'm not a pro photographer or anything so i didnt know all the intricacies of buying a snazzy digi cam... i just wanted something smart, cute, and simple, that would be easy to carry around with me. i wanted to buy the powereshot A 70. i couldnt get a hold of it....sold out apparently , at that time. so i bought the A 60. my second choice. i have been using it regularly for over a month..i heard that the batteries (AA alkaline ones) die out in minutes.well, i have taken 100s of pics, and mine are still goin strong! even though i did buy rechargeable Ni-Metal ion ones too, i havnt used them yet. The trick i think is not to let your camera run for too long if youre not using it. the LCD screen takes up all the energy.... it comes with a 16 MB memory card, which may be a pain if you cant upload your pictures every day...think of buying a bigger card (especially if you wanna take little movie clippets)....this camera is wonderful....for the price , its a great deal! has both optical and digi zoom (which you wont get in very many cameras in this price range)....all i can say is that i get great pictures! i love it!

I have had the Canon Powershot A60 for about 11 months now, and have taken more than 6000 pictures. This camera has given me no problems at all. I have yet to have an E18 error, even after I dropped it from more than one metre onto hard cobblestone. The A60 was my first digital camera, and it was great to learn on, but if you get past the beginner stage upgrading would be recomended.

I came to this website before I bought the A60, and read all the good and bad things about this camera. So far the only bad thing I have come across is the ocassional soft focusing, but this is not a problem unless you want professional quality photographs.

BOTTEM LINE: This is an AWESOME digital camera for beginners.