Canon PowerShot A75 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [2.33mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001G6U4S
• Item model number: 9350A001AA
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,243 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 9, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The successor to Canon's popular A70, the entry-level PowerShot A75 is a surprisingly advanced model with a 3.2-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, and more manual features than you'll find on most digital point-and-shoots. Featuring a high-tech design with aluminum front cover and metallic handgrip, the PowerShot A75 combines a sense of both the modern and the traditional.

Optics and Resolution
The PowerShot A75 has a maximum 3.2-megapixel resolution for images up to 2048 x 1536 pixels. You'll have the depth and detail you need to create beautiful prints and impressive online results. It also has 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 resolution modes.

It's is equipped with a 5.4-16.2mm zoom lens (35mm film equivalent: 35-105mm) for a 3x optical zoom. It also featuresa smooth 3.2x digital zoom, for a 9.6x total zoom. The 9-point AiAF is capable of focusing the 3x optical zoom quickly even when the subject is off-center and can be switched to single point (center) AF. An auto-assist beam helps to focus in low light conditions and the camera has a 5cm closest focusing distance.

Movie Mode
In addition to still images, the PowerShot A75 can also capture video with audio (and even edit within the camera). Individual movie clips are limited to 3 minutes maximum per clip, and you have three resolution options: 640 x 480 (VGA), 320 x 240, or 160 x 120.

More Camera Features
The PowerShot A75 has 12 shooting modes that not only let you take as much or as little creative control as you want, but offer perfect preset parameters for common shooting situations including portraits, landscapes, night scenes and sports. In addition, the camera has a new Special Scene Mode that delivers even under the most challenging conditions.

Offering a wider scope for photographic experimentation, Canon has also included manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority exposure modes. These modes are supported by a metering system that boasts evaluative, center-weighted average and spot options. Other features include:

• 1.8-inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD (110,000 pixels) and real-image optical zoom viewfinder
• With 9-point AiAF, focus is fast and accurate no matter where your subject appears in the frame
• Photo effects: Vivid, neutral, low sharpening, sepia, and black & white
• Continuous shooting: Approximately 2.2 shots/second
• White balance control: Auto, pre-set (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H), or custom white balance
• Built-in flash with Auto, Red-Eye Reduction ON/ OFF, Slow-Sync modes
• Shutter speed: 15 to 1/2,000 seconds

Canon Technology Features

• Digic Imaging Processor: While much technical discussion of digital cameras centers around the optics and the CCD sensor, the complex task of image rendering is the job of the image processor--the "brains" of a digital camera. Canon's latest, exclusive DIGIC Imaging Processor significantly enhances digital camera performance in numerous areas. DIGIC's high-speed signal processing is combined with high-capacity buffering to give Canon digital cameras fast response and continuous shooting capability unmatched by other digital cameras. DIGIC delivers longer battery life and beautiful, rich color rendition with far fewer white saturation problems. And DIGIC's unequaled precision delivers clear, noise-free images that are demonstrably superior.
• iSAPS Technology: Canon iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology dramatically improves the performance of AF (Autofocus), AE (Auto Exposure), and AWB (Auto White Balance). By analyzing a huge volume of photography data, accumulated over 60 years and the manufacture of over 150 million cameras, Canon engineers arrived at statistical relationships among focal length, focus distance, scene brightness, and other factors. Equipped with this "fore knowledge" Canon PowerShot cameras can optimize AF/AE/AWB settings for any given scene more rapidly and more effectively.
• Multi-point AiAF: Canon's wide-area, multi-point AiAF (artificial intelligence autofocus) automatically selects one or more focusing points based on factors, such as subject position and motion. AiAF works in conjunction with iSAPS Technology to more quickly and accurately achieve autofocus under a wide variety of shooting conditions. You get fast, accurate AF whether you hold the camera horizontally or vertically, with stationary or moving subjects, with off-center subjects, and even in low-light/low-contrast lighting.

Direct Printing/Sharing
The PowerShot A75 introduces a new Print/Share button that speeds and simplifies printing to compatible Canon and PictBridge enabled printers and one-touch image transfer to Windows XP, Me, 2000, and 98 computers for use with image processing programs, uploading to the Internet, or placement in e-mail. When connected to a Canon Compact Photo printer, a Movie Print mode divides the selected clip into equal parts and prints thumbnails of a maximum 63 equally spaced frames onto a single sheet of Postcard Size Paper.

Storage and Transfer
Images and video are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (Type I only) and the included 32 MB card holds approximately 33 images at the Large/Fine setting. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1 connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by four AA batteries (alkalines included; rechargeable NiMH batteries recommended). With the LCD on, you will get approximately 250 shots on when using alkalines, or 550 shots when using NiMH batteries. It measures 3.98 by 2.52 by 1.24 inches and weighs 7.06 ounces (without batteries).

What's in the Box
This package contains the PowerShot A75 digital camera, 32 MB CompactFlash card, wrist strap (WS-200), USB and A/V cables, and 4 AA alkaline batteries. The supplied software on the CD-ROM includes browsing and printing software ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac). Other software includes PhotoStitch, plus photo and movie manipulation software ArcSoft PhotoStudio and VideoImpression.

Product Description

With CANON PowerShot A75 you'll capture spectacular images effortlessly. Vivid, radiant, sharply detailed images equal to those of higher level cameras. Futuristic iSAPS technology ensures unparalleled photographic precision High-precision 9-point AiAF and 12 shooting modes, with new Special Scene Mode for spectacular shots in special situations New Print & Share button -- Print direct to any Canon Direct Photo Printer or PictBridge-supported printer ID Photo Print and Movie Print modes Stores images on removeable CompactFlash media (32MB card included) Image Formats - Still - JPEG (Exif 2.2 compliant); Movie - Quicktime AVI Built-in autoflash Compensation - +/- 2 stops in 1/3 stop increments Auto White Balance Direct Print Mode with CANON Card Photo & Bubble Jet Direct Printers Power Source - 4 AA batteries (included) or optional ACK600 adapter Includes - USB & A/V cables, wrist strap, 32MB CompactFlash Card, software on CD-ROM for Windows 98SE+ & Mac OS 9.0+ Dimensions - 2.52H x 3.98W x 1.24D; weighs 7 ounces w/out batteries or CF card

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

254 of 259 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I bought this and a S410 for my ~75 y.o. parents, June 2, 2004

By 

Kevin S. Moody - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon PowerShot A75 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom (Electronics)

My mother wanted something more compact (and "cute") so I sprung for a S410 for her. For my step-dad, who has Parkinson's, the A75 has turned out to be PERFECT.

The human engineering on small cameras is a feature people often overlook. I own a large Sony digicam, but I can't handle any of their compacts or their V1 without having to concentrate on where my large-ish fingers are resting. Another thing people sometimes fail to consider is how SECURE the camera is in your hands. A child could grab the S410 from my hands, but no one on Earth could get the A75 loose. My parents are in France with their cameras now and I'm sure that no jarring in a museum or crowded street will dislodge the A75 from my step-dad's weak hands.

One reason for the nice grip is because that's where the four AA batteries go. For some people (me included), this seemed like a weakness of the camera versus the custome Li-ion batteries of the competition. However, once you spring about $25 for four 1850 mAH (or stonger) rechargable batteries, you will find yourself getting double or more the bttery life of a S410 (which with it's 850 mAH battery does surprisingly well). The well-respected dpreview website has tested the A75's predecessor (the A70) in comparison with a slew of other small-format digicams and found it to have the best battery life by a wide margin. WARNING: the AAs that come with the camera only lasted one day of intermittent "training" use...so don't be disappointed.

The A75 takes great pictures. We set up a scene with lots of detail to compare all possible size and resolution settings ("L", "M1" which is 1600x1200, "M2" which is 1024x780, and "S" which is 640x480 (for e-mails)) and took a shot at each of those sizes with the three resolution settings ("Superfine", "Fine", and "Normal"). We printed them at 6"x4" at a local Kodak digital picture kiosk (recently deemed better and cheaper than Fuji's by a consumer group...Consumer Reports IIRC) and compared them with a magnifying glass. There were no easily discernable differences in quality until we got to the M1/Normal setting. Even then it was just a tiny difference in some detail in the pine needles of a distant tree. In other words, if you're starved for storage card space, don't panic -- you should be able to get fantastic prints with this camera even with the lower settings. (Another indication that there's rarely a reason to go beyong 3.2-4.0 megapixels in a pocket cam -- don't waste your money on ANY compact 5.0 cam, Canon or otherwise (ex. S500 -- forget it!).

The A75 uses the ubiquitous Compact Flash Type I cards. That's not as important as it used to be (all cards, SD included, are rapidly getting cheaper). However, you can get these anywhere for cheap in a pinch, and Amazon has GREAT deals on CF cards. I got each of my parents a SanDisk 512 card for ~80 each -- that was six weeks ago and they've dropped since. My step-dad's A75 on max size/max-resolution ("L"/"Superfine") will take just over 300 pictures on that card! (My mom's S410 will handle a bit less -- 280 IIRC).

The picture quality on auto is great, the "panorama" feature is addicting as heck (I'm looking forward to their France panoramas -- a feature offered on the A75 and the S410).

The included software is fine -- nothing special, but all you need, and it worked on my parent's old PIII running Microsoft Windows 98 (not even "SE"!). If you have a newer computer, you will have a hard time beating the Adobe Elements/Album combo that Amazon offers -- well-worth it!

We originally considered paying list price at Be$t Buy in order to get an extended warranty, but we realized that if they go bad in France it won't help, so Amazon saved me a bundle. THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE AFAIC TO BUY DIGI-CAMS AT THIS LEVEL THAN AMAZON. MEMORY CARDS, TOO.

Me, I'm waiting to see how Sony's new W1 looks (I like the huge movie resoultion it offers, perhaps Canon's only weak area compared to the compettion). If the Sony doesn't do anything for me, then I'll probably go with an A75 for myself -- the S410 is an awesome little cam, but it's a bit uncomfortable in my hands and the screen is only 1.5" which is another weakness compared to the competition. If they had a 1.8" LCD on the S410 I'd go with it so I could have a great (but not as versatile) cam I could keep in my pocket -- heavy though it is.

I hope this helped. The world of digicams is tough, and changing fast. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with the A75. The S410 is also great (weaknesses noted) but you can get something similar from the competion for $100 less (alhtough you'll sacrifice a bit in picture quality).

Good luck! (And search Amazon on weekends for CF deals -- go with a 512!!)

173 of 177 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canon has out-done themselves..., May 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Canon PowerShot A75 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom (Electronics)

A camera worth a thousand words. In the past, i have owned two digital cameras; a Fuji 2600 and a Kodak DX4330. The Canon A75 has far surpasses both of these cameras COMBINED. The camera is very easy to use, and the image quality is GREAT. It comes with a 32mb card which can hold 50+ pictures at the highest quality, and over 300 pictures in the absolute lowest. Then there are several size and quality intervals giving varing numbers of pictures. Not only are the pictures great but the batteries last FOREVER!! I purchases a set of Monster Power cells (NIMH batteries 2100mah), and put them in my camera. I then took my camera with me on a trip to new york, and they lasted from 5 AM all the way to 11:30 at night with the LCD and Redeye Flash on for every picture. Even at 11:30 when i got home again, the camera was still going strong. The best part is, that i NEVER had to change the batteries once the entire time. I got over 125 pictures, plus the added minutes of scrolling through the pictures. At first, i was sceptical that a camera with a 1.8" LCD and powerful flash could last this long but I took a chance, based on Canon's reputation. And a great payoff it was. The Canon A75 is a terrific camera, and I would recomend it to anyone who is in the market for a digital camera.

93 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely outstanding camera - amazing for its class, June 23, 2004

By 

Jordan Steele - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon PowerShot A75 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I've had a Kodak DX3400 for about 3 years now, and it came time to upgrade...I wanted a compact point and shoot that had some extra options to take creative photos. As a hobbyist photographer, I managed to get some fantastic photos out of my old Kodak, but it took horrible photos in low light and took poor action shots. After much research and comparison at some fantasic review sites, I decided on the PowerShot A75. I am NOT disappointed.

The Canon Powershot A75 is everything I wanted in a point and shoot. It's small (but comfortable in your hands), has plenty of resolution for point and shoot abilities (great prints up to 8x10) and has enough manual options to take nearly every type of shot. I did some serious experimentation, and found that even in very low light situations, the camera can either capture what it really looks like, or, by using the shutter priority, you can get vibrant, full color shots that look like they were captured in bright daylight. (I photographed my entryway at 9:45 PM, with dusk filtering in through windows 18 feet away, and got a vibrant, perfectly exposed photo...amazing)

The auto mode is good, but should really only be used by inexperienced users...the best shots come from taking advantage of the Scene modes (the indoor scene setting takes PERFECT indoor shots, with perfect exposure, white balance, and color saturation). The portrait mode opens the aperture way up to capture the subject in crisp detail while blurring the background, and it goes on and on. In addition to the Scene modes, there's also a 'fast shutter' and 'slow shutter' mode which are fantastic for taking action shots or blurring moving water, respectively, without having to worry about setting the shutter speed and aperture.

There's also a movie mode and a PhotoStitch mode. The movies are good quality for a still camera, though nowhere near the quality of a digital camcorder. The PhotoStich mode assists you in taking panoramic photos, by showing your last photo and letting you line up the next shot with the first one, so the included PhotoStitch software can automatically merge them on the computer. The panoramas work quite well, and preserve the exposure of the first shot, which limits color variation. The photo stitch software took about 10 seconds to stitch 9 photos together and create the single panorama.

The manual controls are fantastic. Custom white balance for oddly lit areas is extremely easy to use (though the preset white balances and the auto do quite well). Manual focus is outstanding, and can be used in conjunction with any other mode, except full auto. I used it to take great clear photos of my darkened treeline in the moonlight, and got a crisp, beautiful photo. Full manual is tricky if you aren't used to adjusting shutter speed and aperture together, but it will let you know if the camera settings will over or under expose the image (though you can still take the shot).

At the slower shutter speeds, you do need to be steady, so a tripod or setting the camera down helps enormously for night or time exposure shots, but that's the case with any camera. To aid in steadying the camera for these long exposures, the camera has a 2 second self timer in addition to the standard 10 second...so you can take photos without having the jitter from pressing the shutter. That said, in good lighting, the camera is fine to treat like any other point and shoot, and with a fast shutter, you can get crisp images with the camera bouncing all over the place. Shots taken while riding in a car are very crisp and clear while using the 'fast shutter' mode.

Overall, I am extremely impressed. For the price, this camera is just outstanding. In my opinion, you don't need more than 3MP for a point and shoot, so this is a great buy. One thing that I would do, though, is buy a mini tripod to put in your pocket so you can get great photos at night. A larger memory card would be nice too, but I already had a 128MB from my old camera, so I didn't need to worry about it. I'd say this is the best point and shoot for the money.