Customer Reviews

Canon Powershot A Series Accessory Kit for A710 IS, A700, A640, A630, A620, A610, A570 IS, A560, A550, A540, A530, A520 and A510 Digital Cameras

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This "kit" is not worth its current price.

It's not much of a kit to begin with; it's only 2 items.

First off, you should skip the overpriced canon batteries and charger altogether. Canon doesn't have a patent on NiMH batteries. Older Canon manuals seemed to indicate that you have to use Canon rechargeables, but that's simply not true. While NiMH batteries are a definite must for battery hungry digital cameras, there are better options out there which are completely compatible with your camera.

For half the price of this kit you can get a charger and batteries that charge in as little as 15 minutes, and have a higher mAh rating. I'd recommend the Energizer 15 minute kit.

The canon case is quality, and an excellent choice for your camera. A case is not something you should cheap out on: it is an absolute necessity.

However, when this case is available separately for less than ten dollars (currently $6.39!) on amazon, you should really just buy it separately and choose a better charger.

[...]Better yet, spend a bit more at Radio Shack for a system that will handle different size batteries as well. This is a scam for suckers who think there is something uncompatible about one AA-battery versus another; thinking Canon makes a "special" battery only compatible with their camera (ha), they spend more than twice what they should. Don't be fooled.

There is nothing defective or wrong with the kit. The case is nice (except that you will only be able to carry camera and maybe another card). The main issue is the batteries and charger which are very generic (nothing special). I would recommend not going with the Canon batteries and instead purchasing another readily available brand. In the end you will probably be much happier and will have saved money.
I agree with most others that Canon really should have included these items with the A80.
*Also... if you are purchasing a Canon camera and expecting it to be made in Japan... watch out! They have been switching production to China mid-stream. Mid-2004 all the A80s were showing up with Made in China labels. Many displays show the one made in Japan, but the box you get will probably contain one made in China. It may be perfectly fine, however just be informed.

This kit is priced way too high. If you shop around you can find other NIMH battery chargers for a lower price and the batteries that are included often have a higher mAH rating. Some of the chargers even have a quick charge mode so you don't have to wait overnight for them to charge.

There are also camera cases for specific model cameras that should fit those camera much better. The case for the Canon PowerShot A400/A410 is (at the time of this review) priced on Amazon at just under $6. It fits my PowerShot A410 camera perfectly and is well worth the price.

It is a waste of your money to spend $40 for Canon Battery Charger.
Best Option is to buy Sony Charger which comes with 4 AA batteries and buy the Camera cover which totals around $25 so that shipping is free.

This bundle package includes a battery charger, 4 rechargable batteries and a soft camera case. The case is a must to protect your camera and the ability to recharge the batteries certainly comes in handy.

Though I am happy with each of these products, I would recommend buying them individually on Amazon. Currently you can purchase the case for around $6 and the batteries and recharger for about $38. So you save a few bucks and get the same thing.
You may also want to consider purchasing a different compatible battery and charger brand and economizing there.

The case is quite nice, at about 4 by 3 it doesnt take up much space. There is a tiny mesh pocket in the front to hold either batteries or a memory card. Velcro closure keeps your camera secure. The back has a belt loop.

The battery charger plugs directly into the wall. Its a sturdy plastic holder with a plug that folds in or out. Charges only double A batteries.

Overall, good to have for the camera but shop for the most economical way to buy them.

For $45 its really not worth buying this, when you get sony's nimh AA batteries and charger for $18-$23 range with various options, with 4 AA NimH rechargable batteries. And camera case canon it self is selling it for $5-10.

Bought this back in June of 2004 (price was slightly lower than now). The case is fine, but would have preferred a belt clip rather than loop. The batteries appear to be fairly good quality (unlike the junk set of 2100mAhs I bought from Radio Shark which couldn't hold a charge in a lightning storm).

The charger is decent, barring a couple weaknesses: the batteries don't seat securely in the bay, so I always worry that they'll pop out (partially) during charging; the flip-out prongs on the back tend to flip-in while you're trying to insert the charger in the outlet; and, just last week, I plugged it in overnight to charge the Canon batteries, and woke up the next day with the charger still blinking away, apparently having blown one of it's "intelligent circuits."

Well, now I'm off to buy a replacement (Sony BCG-34HD4). Wish me luck....

I think it's a bit of a rip-off to make you buy this separate from the cameras. The case is attractive and well-made, but all it holds is the camera and maybe some extra batteries, although I suspect 4 extra AA's will be a tight fit in the one pocket in front, or in lieu of batteries, an extra compact flash card. My A70 came with 4 rechargeable AA's. They should really just put the case in with the camera and either include the charger too, or let people fend for themselves with buying some other manufacturer's battery recharger. Seems like a ploy to sell battery chargers to me. I could have bought a charger with batteries for the same price as this kit. I only bought this to get the case.

The litmus test of a good product (typically) is it's availability (not always, but in this case, for certain!). Well, as I attempted to find the A Series accessory kit, I became incredibly frustrated with the following messages: "Out of Stock," "Backordered," "Arriving Soon." Whether my theory of "everyone with an A Series wants one" or whether Canon just doesn't produce enough of these these kits is really irrelevant; if you own an A Series, this kit is a must.

First, the compact case is a streamlined and perfect fit; not a bulky case. And, every camera, particularly these expensive digitals, must have some kind of protection. Okay, preliminaries out of the way, the case is just the cherry. The real beef to this kit is the charger and NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Depending on your use of your camera (and disregarding its powersaving features), AA batteries do not have abundant life. My solution is to have an extra set of non-rechargable AAs with me at all times (which can be conveniently stored in the front pouch of the accompanying case) while using the rechargables. By using this scheme, I'll always be prepared when taking photos. After I get home, I pop the rechargables in the charger, which is very compact and can be plugged in nearly any convenient outlet, and use the non-rechargables. To recharge all four batteries is something less than 4 hours; not bad, all-in-all.

At the price, this is an accessory kit that all A Series owners should strongly consider.