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Canon PowerShot A630

Manufacturer: Canon USA   Part number: 1288B001
$509.78 at 1 online store.
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CNET Editors' rating: 7.6 out of 10
Average user rating: 8.2 out of 10


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CNET Editors' review - Canon PowerShot A630
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Very good

7.6

out of 10
CNET Editor's rating: 7.6 out of 10
Reviewed by Will Greenwald
Review date: 09/28/06
Release date: 09/15/06

The good: Lots of manual controls; flip-out LCD; accessory lenses are available.

The bad: Noisy at ISO 800; no image stabilization.

The bottom line: Though it's not a great choice for low-light shooting, the Canon PowerShot A630 is a solid, feature-rich digital camera.

An 8-megapixel version of the 10-megapixel PowerShot A640, the Canon PowerShot A630 is otherwise identical to its higher-resolution sibling. Both share the same sturdy, chunky body; 35mm-to-140mm-equivalent lens with accessory lens mount; and broad feature set with PASM exposure controls. Both cameras even turned in nearly identical performance results in our tests. (For more, read the PowerShot A640 review.)

Aside from the approximately $75 street price differential, the real distinguishing element between the two is the photo quality. In general, both produce colorful and crisp photos, with relatively little fringing or distortion. Fine details showed up clearly in our test shots, though colors tended to appear slightly muted and cool. The A630 displays a bit less noise, however. Artifacts start to appear at ISO 400 and become a fine but visible grain at ISO 800. Images are still usable at ISO 800 for 4x6 prints but aren't as sharp as photos taken at lower sensitivity settings and display problems with color banding.

Though the A640 continues the PowerShot's history of less-than-stellar low-light shooting, it's otherwise a great camera for users who want a solid point-and-shoot with photographer-friendly manual capabilities. But unless you really need the A640's extra pixels, save yourself a few bucks and get the A630 instead.

Shooting speed
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Typical shot-to-shot time  
Time to first shot  
Shutter lag (typical)  
Casio Exilim EX-Z850
2.7 
2.1 
0.5 
Canon PowerShot A630
1.7 
1.5 
0.5 
Samsung Digimax L85
2.2 
2.2 
0.6 
Nikon Coolpix P3
3 
4.1 
0.9 
Note: In seconds

Typical continuous-shooting speed
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Note: Frames per second

(Originally posted on CNET Reviews)
Product brief - Canon PowerShot A630
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Intro: The Canon PowerShot A630 is an 8-megapixel, enthusiast's camera.Compared to other enthusiast's digital cameras on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $290.

Noteworthy Features: Has a 4x optical zoom, which is more powerful than some similarly priced digital cameras.Also, this digital camera has an 8-megapixel resolution.This camera also offers control of several exposure modes including aperture-priority, shutter-priority, program, and manual mode.

Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.

Suitability: Suited for those who consider image quality and performance more important than ease of use.A recommended use, based on key features, is framed photos for the home.The largest recommended print size, estimated from the camera's resolution, is 12x16 or larger.

Value: Overall, this digital camera's features are in line with its price.

Suggestions: For more help in deciding if this is the best digital camera for you, visit the buying guide for digital cameras at CNET Reviews.

User opinions - Canon PowerShot A630
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Excellent

8.2

out of 10
Average user rating from 26 users

Sort 26 user opinions by:

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
WOW!! Great camera that produces excellent images
I received my A630 about two weeks ago and have taken many indoor and outdoor photos. WOW!!! That's all ... Read more
by blplhp (see profile) - November 10, 2006

28 out of 28 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 comments posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Fine piece of equipment!
I purchased this camera to replace my old Powershot a75, which was a great point and shoot camera, but getting ... Read more
by shopsmartash (see profile) - November 16, 2006

9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Great for home use and as on the go camera.
I rate this camera a solid 8, but not higher. Here's why:

My previous camera was a Canon G2

...
Read more
by sidewalk_bends (see profile) - January 8, 2007

5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Great camera for the price.
When I looked at cameras at our local retail box store, the Canon units seemed to confuse me because they ... Read more
by hickory89 (see profile) - November 24, 2006

5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Sharp 'perfect' photos, quick response. Best in it's class
After many hours of *extensive* research reading all of the main expert reviews, plus hundreds of user reviews (for the ...

Updated
The information on my web site is taken from a variety of sources (mid July 2007) and are mostly 'User Reviews' with some info from 'Expert Reviews'. I spent several days reading everything I could find - so the following will save you many hours of research. Go here to see the equivalent of 10 printed pages:

http://digcams.page.tl/
Updated
I was incorrect thinking that the A630 can do an optical zoom while in video mode - it cannot do optical but will zoom digitally. Viewing the results on a 29 inch TV, any zoom beyond 2x the optical looks fuzzy although it would probably be OK on small screens such as on YouTube. What I mean is zooming while filming. Before recording a video, you can zoom optically; for instance, you can start with 4x optical, record, and then zoom 2x digitally (equals 8x total) and it will look OK.

High pitched audio noise: it seems most Canons have this problem. But keep in mind that most all videos have some background noise such as traffic, kids playing, wind, ocean waves, etc., and this effectively masks the high pitched noise.

There are at least two YouTube clips on this topic. One is for the A710 and the other is for the A570. With the A570 there is noticeable clicks and clanks when the light balance adjusts. I cannot recall which Canon can zoom optically while recording but if they can there would be rather loud whirring noises from the lens motor.

In the end, the high pitched noise was not a concern to make me buy another brand besides Canon. If videos are ever shot with no background noise - and the high pitched whine is audible, then it can be removed with software or the speakers can be shut off. The high pitched noise is not always evident - I suspect it depends on the light conditions.

It is strange that non of the expert reviews make any mention of audio noise with video mode.
Read more
by nz_man (see profile) - July 29, 2007

3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Exellent Camera
Overall a very good camera, if you like taking video with your camera it takes excellent video for a snapshot ... Read more
by xxIchiKokoxx (see profile) - November 26, 2006

3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Great Camera
I am upgrading from a Canon Powershot A70. The A70 was a good little camera but died after four years ... Read more
by mannybonline (see profile) - March 25, 2007

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Good Price, Pics and Look
Overall this is a good digital camera for the price. I like the quality, look and pictures the camera takes. ... Read more
by eduardovasquez (see profile) - February 20, 2007

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
love this camera
I love this camera!! This is the first time a manufacturer packed a lot of features into an affordable product. ... Read more
by gabe74 (see profile) - October 15, 2006

2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Great camera, good quality images, loaded with usable features, easy to use (with practice)
This is a great camera and I don't regret my purchase at all, but sometimes I wonder if I ... Read more
by robbtuck (see profile) - July 6, 2007

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.





Full specifications - Canon PowerShot A630
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Manufacturer: Canon USA
Part number: 1288B001
General
Product Type Digital camera
Weight 8.6 oz
Width 4.3 in
Depth 1.9 in
Height 2.6 in
Main Features
Resolution 8 megapixels
Sensor resolution 8 megapixels
Optical Sensor Type CCD
Effective Sensor Resolution 8,000,000 pixels
Total Pixels 8,300,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/1.8 in
Light Sensitivity ISO 200, ISO 800, ISO auto, ISO 400, ISO 80, ISO 100
Digital Zoom 4 x
Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs Landscape, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Color accent, Beach, Portrait mode, Night snapshot, Kids & pets, Underwater, Color swap, Night scene, Stitch assist, Indoor
Special effects Vivid, Black & White, Lighter Skin Tone, Sepia, Positive, Custom Effect, Neutral, Darker Skin Tone
Max Shutter Speed 1/12500 sec
Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
Exposure Metering Center-weighted, Evaluative, Spot
Exposure Modes Aperture-priority, Automatic, Program, Shutter-priority, Manual
Exposure Compensation ?2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
White Balance Custom, Automatic, Presets
White Balance Presets Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (warm white), Cloudy, Fluorescent light (daylight), Underwater, Daylight
Digital video format MJPEG
Still Image Format JPEG
Continuous Shooting Speed 1.8 frames per second
Color support Color
AE/AF Control FlexiZone
TV Tuner None
Video Capture AVI - 320 x 240, AVI - 640 x 480, AVI - 160 x 120
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory 16 MB Flash - SD Memory Card
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage JPEG 3264 x 1832, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 3264 x 2448, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 2048 x 1536
Flash memory 16 MB - SD Memory Card
Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 7.3 mm - 29.2 mm - F/2.8-4.1
Focal Length 7.3 mm - 29.2 mm
Lens Construction 7 group(s) / 8 element(s)
Additional Features
Self Timer Yes
Self Timer Delay 10 sec, 2 sec
Additional Features USB 2.0 compatibility, DPOF support, Audio recording, PictBridge support, AE lock, RGB primary color filter, FE lock, Built-in speaker, AF lock, Direct print, Camera orientation detection, Auto power save, Date/time stamp, Histogram display
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range 1.5 ft - 14 ft
Type Built-in flash
Flash Modes Flash OFF mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction Yes
Effective flash range 1.5 ft - 14 ft
Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation, Flash exposure bracketing
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type Optical - Real-image zoom
Display
Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
Mounting Rotating
Resolution 115,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None
Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Lens Systems
Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
Type