35% off Dell's Most Popular LaptopsCanon PowerShot A650 IS
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 2089B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Performance issues aside, the Canon PowerShot A650 IS combines large, good-looking photos and a generous feature set into a fine midrange shooter.
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CNET editors' review
Canon PowerShot A650 IS price range: $744.95
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Reviewed on: 09/17/2007
The good: Great picture quality; manual exposure controls; flip-out screen.
The bad: Sluggish performance; heavy and bulky; can't use a neck strap.
The bottom line: Performance issues aside, the Canon PowerShot A650 IS combines large, good-looking photos and a generous feature set into a fine midrange shooter.
The Canon PowerShot A650 IS proves that you don't need to invest in an SLR to get manual controls and large, detailed pictures. As the new high-end member of Canon's PowerShot A-series line of cameras, the 12-megapixel camera comes packed with manual exposure controls and other photographer-friendly features. Its bulky form won't win any beauty pageants, but the camera's substance more than makes up for its relative lack of style, and its sub-$500 price tag makes it look that much sweeter.
At 13.6 ounces with four AA batteries, the A650 IS weighs in as one of the heftiest "point-and-shoot" cameras I've yet seen. While technically a compact camera (smaller than a digital SLR), the A650 IS measures over 2.2 inches deep and fits much better in messenger bags and backpacks than any sort of clothing pocket. A camera this heavy and bulky really should include a neck strap, but the A650 IS unfortunately lacks that option. It includes only a single lanyard mount, so unless you plan to physically modify the camera, you have to choose between keeping it on the included relatively sturdy wrist strap or tucked in a bag.
All this heft and bulk adds up to a solid-feeling camera with plenty of room for its display and controls. The batteries that power the camera sit inside a prominent, deep grip that feels comfortable in large hands. Comfortably sized dials, switches, and buttons sit on the camera's back and top side, with all but the print button easily accessible to the thumb and forefinger. The camera's large design also leaves enough space for the flip-out 2.5-inch LCD screen. Like the screen found on the A640 and A630, this screen flips out and pivots 270 degrees, an invaluable boon when shooting over crowds or up from the chest or waist.
With the same 12-megapixel, 1/1.7-inch sensor and 35 to 210mm-equivalent f/2.8-4.8 image-stabilized lens as the higher-end PowerShot G9, the A650 IS sits securely at the very top of Canon's A-series line. In fact, were it not for a slightly different control scheme, a smaller flip-out LCD, and lack of RAW file support, the A650 IS would be nearly identical to Canon's pricier midrange camera.
Like most of the A-series, the A650 IS comes packed with a full complement of manual exposure controls. You can access Program, Aperture, Shutter, and Manual modes easily on the camera's mode dial, along with a selection of scene presets and a handy custom mode setting for keeping your preferred shot settings. You can even use manual focus in any of the four PASM modes and most of the scene presets. Obviously, you can get a higher level of control from the aperture, shutter, and manual modes in an SLR, but the A650 IS gives you a great platform with which to learn about photography or just a higher level of control than you'll get with a lot of compact cameras.
In our lab tests, the A650 IS performed with mediocrity, save for a particularly perky shutter. After a 1.6-second wait from power-on to capturing its first shot, the camera took an arduous 2.8 seconds between every shot thereafter with the flash turned off. With the flash enabled, that wait slightly increased to 3 seconds. Burst mode produced similarly lackluster numbers, capturing 10 full-resolution pictures in 11 seconds for a rate of 0.9 frame per second. On the bright side, the camera's shutter lagged less than 0.5 second with our high-contrast target, and just 0.9 second with our low-contrast target. The A650 IS' slow shot-to-shot and burst numbers can be best attributed to its higher resolution; processing 12-megapixel pictures simply takes longer than lower-resolution pictures. Other 12-megapixel cameras like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200, and even Canon's own PowerShot G9 each take a second or more between shots with the flash disabled. That said, some aspects of the A650 IS' performance do feel sluggish.
The A650 IS' pictures look great, especially at lower sensitivity levels. The camera's 12-megapixel photos display loads of fine detail, from fine text to pet fur, with a generous dynamic range. Noise starts to become noticeable on computer monitors at ISO 200, and begins to appear on prints at ISO 400 and higher. The noise doesn't become too problematic, however, until ISO 800, where distinct fuzz covers pictures, muddles colors, and obscures details. From ISO 1,600 to the camera's maximum sensitivity of ISO 3,200 (accessible as a scene preset that lowers the resolution to 2 megapixels, rather than through the ISO button), the pictures become downright unusable. Again, these noise levels surprise me very little, as nearly every 12-megapixel camera tested produces similar noise.
The photos aren't entirely without flaws, however. Prominent purple fringing tends to appear on contrasting edges, with higher ISO levels making them look even worse. At the widest position, the A650 IS' lens produces some barrel distortion, as well. You can't readily detect the distortion without a grid, however, and both the distortion and fringing present only minor problems in the camera's pictures. If you shoot at low ISO settings, you can count on generally excellent photos.
With its great picture quality and wealth of features, the Canon PowerShot A650 IS makes a great camera for amateur photographers who either don't want to step up to a digital SLR yet, or who simply want a secondary camera alongside their SLR. Despite its performance and noise issues, the A650 IS presents a fine choice for a flexible, high-resolution, photographer-friendly camera.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Time to first shot | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
User reviews
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Great features and 12.1 MP AND 6X optical
by bhorn1 on February 3, 2008
Pros: Great indoors with and without flash
Cons: very few, ISO above 800 very grainy
Summary: I bought this the day before leaving for the Inaugral voyage and Namimng Ceremony for the Queen Victoria in England. My primary camera is the Canon SLR Digital 5D with ...
Summary: I bought this the day before leaving for the Inaugral voyage and Namimng Ceremony for the Queen Victoria in England. My primary camera is the Canon SLR Digital 5D with three lenses which I love but after taking some 4500 pictures while on board for 26 days I would have loss half of those if I had not bought along the 650. I used it while on the bridge with the flash turned off and it got stujnning results and later at the Captain's table was invaluable due to size but still with 12.1 MP and 6X optical. The 5D was wonderful outside taking pictures of the ship but I was really pleased with my addition of the 650 IS. It really works beautifully and takes great pictures. The only thing close in a point and shoot is the G9 by Canon. I like the fact you can carry it with you anywhere and it works with AA Batteries you can get anywhere.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great P&S camera
by alexakay on February 8, 2008
Pros: Good picture quality, extensive features, rotating LCD
Cons: Memory card in wrong place
Summary: I got this camera and a Canon Printer at Costco for 340 and that's really a great price for a camera of this caliber. It has 12Mpixels which is ...
Summary: I got this camera and a Canon Printer at Costco for 340 and that's really a great price for a camera of this caliber. It has 12Mpixels which is 2 more than my Canon SLR.
Picture quality sometimes competes with my Canon 40D for good lighting conditions. It has just about all the features of its big brother. I love the flip and rotate LCD for self shots. It's light and easy to hold. Love the AA replaceable battery feature rather than rechargeables. My only complaint is the placement of the Memory. You have to open the battery compartment to remove SD memory. This is awkward and may result in spilled batteries if you are not careful. Overall though it's a great little camera for a very reasonable price.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great pictures, excellent zoom range, don't like camera build.
by ariehs123 on May 5, 2008
Pros: Excellent photo quality, pictures looks great even at full size. Very good video clip quality. Very good zoom range. Excellent image stabilization. 12 MP.
Cons: Build quality is not the greatest - feels a bit flimsy. Does not use propietary batteries - rechargables can run out with minimal warning. A bit slower than expected (due to processing 12 MP images ?)
Summary: Purchased the camera to replace my old Sony DSC-P200 P&S and complement my EOS XTi. Initially did not like the camera due to size and build, however the ...
Summary: Purchased the camera to replace my old Sony DSC-P200 P&S and complement my EOS XTi. Initially did not like the camera due to size and build, however the pictures are great - even when viewed at native size. Video clips are very good quality - albeit consuming large amount of memory. Overall, not a pretty camera but the best P&S quality I have seen.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is the best cam I had :)
by BeroTheo on January 5, 2009
Pros: Rotating LCD is the best thing about this cam because I wanted to catch every movement with different angles.
AAA batteries are plus too, we don't need to suffer for special batteries.
12 Megapixel is great.Cons: Can be really slow if there are a lot pics in the memory card.
Summary: Simple with big megapixel and enough zoom with aaa batteries and rotating LCD , what else you can want from simple cam :)
Summary: Simple with big megapixel and enough zoom with aaa batteries and rotating LCD , what else you can want from simple cam :)
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This camera rocks!
Pros: Great photos, plenty of manual settings
Cons: None that I can think of.
Summary: I've owned this camera for about a year, and it's been fantastic. Sure 12mp takes a bit to write to the card, but I expected that. So I ...
Summary: I've owned this camera for about a year, and it's been fantastic. Sure 12mp takes a bit to write to the card, but I expected that. So I bought a Sandisk Extreme SD with the camera. It's about twice as quick to write as a standard SD card. The video review was a bit lacking in not recommending a faster SD card.
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This camera is great. It is similar to a dlsr.
by SHAMANURSECAL on December 29, 2008
Pros: Easy shot set up
Great shots using super fine/large mode.
Night scene imaging gets clear night shots when camera is held steady.Cons: Sometimes has noisy pictures at night scenes.
Rather bulky and heavy for a powershot.
Gets stolen rather easily!! Beware because this camera is no longer made.
I had it stolen so I had to order another one at an auction.Summary: I have a dslr camera. I got this one for a backup and to take clear sharp pictures.
It does not dissapoint me. I recently took some great pictures of ...Summary: I have a dslr camera. I got this one for a backup and to take clear sharp pictures.
It does not dissapoint me. I recently took some great pictures of the HOLLYWOOD sign. When I shot the Hollywood resevoir it allowed me to shoot very close with very little distortion. From the hillside I could even see the Pacific Ocean very clearly once the pictures were on my computer.
This camera will give you great clear pictures on Auto. If you put it in Manual mode you can set the shutter speed and apeture very much like the dslr. This will also give you the shot you require due to lighting, speed, etc.
Some night scenes are hard to get with this camera. But it does a fair job none the less. I recently went to Sunset and Vine and took some amazingly clear shots of the neon buildings. No noise at all!! If you practice with this camera and get to know how it works you will not be dissapointed with the results. It comes very close to a professional type dslr as far as sharp pictures are concerned. My other camera has 14 mgpxs. But this comes close!!!
Enjoy this camera. it will do all you want it to and maybe a little more.
The only drawback is the heavy body once the batteries are in, and the night scene noise. I managed to circumvent this by increasing the iso mode; that seems to help. Also when using this camera at night you should be near a post or lean on something solid while taking the shot if you don't have a tripod(who carries one of those around while just walking around enjoyhing the scenery/sights.?)
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Takes excellent pictures and surprisingly great video
by singletrakmind on December 5, 2008
Pros: Takes great pictures in all types of lighting conditions. Sufficient zoom length. Video is surprisingly better than my sony handycam.
Cons: Basically the size is the only thing I can fault, but I've had several small cameras in the past and none takes pictures as good as this A650.
Summary: I decided to buy the A650 after heavily reviewing ALL brands of cameras. I wanted a good all around camera that had a good auto focus and promised great pictures ...
Summary: I decided to buy the A650 after heavily reviewing ALL brands of cameras. I wanted a good all around camera that had a good auto focus and promised great pictures in varying light conditions. That is what I got with the A650. Its not the smallest camera you can buy but its certainly not too big to pack in your pocket book or carry around in a pouch. We hike, bike, and travel with this camera and the size never bothered me. Mostly because I've had small cameras in the past that did not produce pictures nearly as good as this camera so the compromise is worth it. I dont think you'd be disappointed with this camera. The flip out screen is very useful, even if you dont think so now.
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Disappointed is an understatement
by Mags314 on October 21, 2008
Pros: I'm getting decent pictures, some are stunningly gorgeous. I've owned a few Powershot A series and this met the limited budget. I liked the A series and since the A720 is so much fun, I thought this one would be more so.
Cons: Compared to the A720 IS which I got for hubby, the A650 is a lumbering hippo - bigger, badder & slower. Unresponsive, needs a neck strap, & better processor. I need a non-glare lcd screen. Still can't read outside which is where I shoot.
Summary: This camera should have had a pop up flash after all the time Canon had to figure out that with an adaptor and filter, adaptor and lens, there is going ...
Summary: This camera should have had a pop up flash after all the time Canon had to figure out that with an adaptor and filter, adaptor and lens, there is going to be that shadow in the lower tight corner. With the weght of this camera, a neck strap was in order. It's hard to walk 2 dogs with a camera on my wrist. This camera works well in auto but I need a larger lcd screen for quick comfort. Still too difficult to see screen in the sun. There has to be a solution for that which is a Canon option and not an add on which blocks controls. I have the feeling that Canon is not listening to the basic complaints. That troubles me since there are so many fans who continue to buy and move up always in the hope that the next one have more than one or two improvements over the last.
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Most of the qualities of a G9 for a much lower price. And runs on AA batteries!
by RogerCP on July 6, 2008
Pros: Great picture quality. Runs on AA batteries. Plenty of manual controls.
Cons: Not as good looking as the G9.
Summary: The G9 is a great camera, everybody agrees. The A650IS has the same optics, sensor and processor as the G9.
The G9 runs on an expensive, hard to find, proprietary ...Summary: The G9 is a great camera, everybody agrees. The A650IS has the same optics, sensor and processor as the G9.
The G9 runs on an expensive, hard to find, proprietary battery. The A650IS runs on four AAs. The A650IS has a flip out LCD viewer, not a fixed one like the G9. And, if you like manual controls, you find them all on the A650IS.
The A650IS does not handle RAW files but that's not important to me. Sure, it´s not good looking like the G9. But it sells for much less than the G9. -
big on size and in features
by siedpe13 on July 3, 2008
Pros: great pictures, lots of features, good for non-pro
Cons: weight/size
Summary: i found that tapping the snapshot button partially after a pic would cause it to go back to picture mode instead of waiting 3 seconds, but fit that into a ...
Summary: i found that tapping the snapshot button partially after a pic would cause it to go back to picture mode instead of waiting 3 seconds, but fit that into a smaller package and this would of been a truly great camera
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 2089B001
- Description: 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 resolution for a compact camera, while the powerful 6x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer Technology delivers clear, blur-free images in low light and all through the zoom range. Hallmark A Series value includes Canon's latest generation DIGIC III Image Processor with enhanced Face Detection Technology, ISO 1600 and Red-eye Correction for sharp, superior quality images.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Width 4.4 in
- Depth 2.2 in
- Height 2.7 in
- Weight 10.6 oz
Main Features
- Resolution 12.1 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Total Pixels 12,400,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,100,000 pixels
- Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Beach, Indoor, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Landscape, Underwater, Kids & pets, Night scene, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Night snapshot
- Special Effects Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Black & White, Custom Effect
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
- Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot, Evaluative, Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- AE/AF Control FlexiZone
- Face Detection Yes
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Cloudy, Daylight, Underwater, Fluorescent, Tungsten light
- Digital Video Format AVI
- Still Image Format JPEG
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture AVI - 640 x 480, AVI - 320 x 240, AVI - 160 x 120
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory 32 MB Flash - SD Memory Card
- Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 4000 x 3000, JPEG 3264 x 2448, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 4000 x 2248
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Rear curtain sync, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 1.6 ft - 11.5 ft
- Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 7.4 mm - 44.4 mm - F/2.8-4.8
- Focal Length 7.4 mm - 44.4 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 35 - 210 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Min Focus Range 19.7 in
- Macro Focus Range 1-50cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-4.8
- Optical Zoom 6 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 7 group(s) / 9 element(s)
- Features Aspherical lens
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Additional Features AE lock, AF lock, FE lock, DPOF support, Face detection, Audio recording, Histogram display, Resizing an image, PictBridge support, In-camera red-eye fix, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital image rotation, In-camera movie editing, RGB primary color filter, Camera orientation detection
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Real-image zoom
Display
- Type LCD display - Low Temperature Poly-Silicon (LTPS) - 2.5 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 173,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB ( Mini-USB Type B ), 1 x Composite video/audio output
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Software
- Software Canon PhotoStitch, Canon ImageBrowser, Drivers & Utilities, Canon ZoomBrowser EX
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows Vista, MS Windows XP SP2, Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later, MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later
Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Certified for Windows Vista
- Included Accessories Wrist strap
- Cables Included USB cable, A/V cable
Battery
- Supported Battery AA
- Supported Battery 4 x AA Alkaline battery ( Included )
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- Labs information All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our labs information page for information on how digital cameras are tested.
- CNET Labs Flash shot to shot time 3.0
- CNET Labs Shot to shot time typical 2.8
- CNET Labs Shutter lag bright 0.5
- CNET Labs Shutter lag dim 0.9
- CNET Labs Typical burst speed 0.9
- CNET Labs Wake up time 1.6
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Canon USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon USA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://estore.usa.canon.com/
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
