Customer Reviews

Canon Powershot A410 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Sample pictures at (snipurl com jfki) replace the spaces with a dot and a forwardslash. bandwidth maybe refreshes every hour.

Pros:
mostly over the a510:
·The video mode although choppy is still a few fps(frames per second) better than the a510.
·Auto white balancing occurs during video recording which the a510 doesn't have and it also allows you to zoom 2x while recording.
·Very fast menu navigation and picture viewing. A lot faster than the a510.
·Better shot to shot times(without flash) than the a510.
·Although it is still at USB 1.1 speed, this time Canon got it right with making the plug and play hardware standards compliant with Windows. Basically meaing when you plug the camera in your USB port, windows will show it as a drive letter allowing you to copy the pictures over to your computer without any additional software unlike the a510 which requires you to use Canon's own propietary software.
·Very slick rectangular design, curved edges, and a dark silver color, with all the buttons perfectly in the right place(if your right handed).
·Seems to conserve a lot less battery power than the a510 especially when recording videos witch the a510 would drain at.
·Battery life seems to just go on forever if you don't use the flash.
·Very sufficient manual controls for an entry level camera

Cons:
·I found the a510 , although slower, to be slighty better in picture quality because of more manual control available and less purple fringing than the a410.
·The LCD is smaller, but because of the faster digic II processor you can quickly zoom-in and pan the pictures very very fast.

ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES:
Canon included a feature not found in many entry level cameras. It is a feature I use very often in different indoor to outdoor environments. It is the EVALUATE WHITE BALANCE. Just place the small rectangle in the LCD view on what is supposed to be white and hit set and the a410 automatically adjusts the picture respectively. This drastically improves pictures taken in indoor lowlight environments so much that you don't even have to use the flash in less than adequatly lit rooms. It also keeps the your white walls looking white and not yellow. This improves indoors and night shots but you should still consider putting the camera on a solid surface and set the timer to 3 secs in order to avoid any potential blurring from trembling hands. This feature also doesn't show 'natural' whites but it is still very much pleasant.

I purchased this camera new after discounts for $100 + tax + shipping and for the price difference, smooth operation, high performance, and convenience in hookup/operation compared to the a510 it outweighs the minimal picture quality difference.

By far the best entry level digital camera currently on the market.

Please take few seconds to view the sample images or rate my review if it was helpful. Thanks.

This is a superb camera at an unbelievable price. The camera body is very attractive, it's light and portable, and the controls are very easy and intuitive to use. 3.2MP is more than enough for very high quality prints, though I did add a 512k card. Don't get all caught up with worrying about 3mp vs 5mp vs 7mp unless you plan to print lots of poster size images. Now I can take and store 400 pictures on one battery charge with the LCD on. Simply amazing technology.

I compared all kinds of cameras under $500, and this one not only does everything I need, but it's very affordable. This will keep me happy for many years to come. Now what to do with all the $$$ I saved...

Update: June 2008 I still love this camera and continue to use it frequently.

Update: May 2010 I still love this camera and see no reason to upgrade, it rocks! This baby has now been around the world and taken amazing shots everywhere, day and night.

Thank you Cannon! We need more companies like you instead of the usual cyclical consumption greedy bastard, engineered failure garbage that we usually get at WalMart.

I'm a Cannon fan for life because of this amazing camera.

I have had much experience with Canon digital cameras. Most of my experiences have been positive with them. The recently released Canon Powershot A410 combines all the positive aspects of Canon digital cameras into a well-rounded product. 3.2 megapixels is enough for any average photographer. The best thing in my opinion is the 3.2 optical zoom. Many times you don't find an optical zoom on cameras in this price range. Optical zoom is important because it allows for more clear and precise zooming as opposed to digital zoom. If you want a small camera, the size of the Canon Powershot A410 is perfect. Small enough to fit into your pocket, but not too small where the buttons become a pain to operate. The only downside to a small camera is the size of the LCD screen. However, the LCD on this camera is easy to view even in the glare of the sunlight. A bonus for a camera at this price level is the movie recording option. This is a great extra that will allow you to capture little video clips of any moment. Canon software as usual is simple and straightforward. If you want heavy duty photo editing software, you'll have to pay for something. Overall, you're getting a brand name product, an all-around excellent camera, and you won't have to lose to much money when you buy it.
You should exam the specifications of this camera and compare to other cameras in the same price range.

This relatively new (August 2005) camera is a very interesting offering from Canon, one of the top makers of digicams. As you can see from the other comments here, there are lots of positive things to say about it, given its very reasonable price.

So it will be a great camera for lots of people, especially those new to digital photography. But it has some key features that you might not notice, so be sure to consider these points:
- At 4.1 x 2 x 1.6 in, this is not a tiny camera, though not large by any means.
- The wide angle only goes to the equivalent of 41mm - lots of other cameras go to 35mm. You will likely notice, some of the time, that you have a hard time getting everything into the shot.
- Even with the great Canon lenses and electronics, the picture quality won't equal that of other cameras, as this uses a very tiny sensor chip to pick up the images.
- This won't be a great camera in low light. The "fastest" ISO setting is 200.
- Not a huge point, but it doesn't have an especially high quality video mode. (The silver lining, you probably won't need a high speed memory card!)
- The LCD is a little small by current standards, at 1.5"
- The camera uses standard size batteries. Some prefer that to buying proprietary battery packs, but it does mean you'll have to buy some NiMH (not NiCad) rechargeable batteries, and a charger, and carry them when you travel.

Being able to get a new Canon at this price is a great option, just be sure it's right for you. If you're still using a film camera, and paying for film developing and prints you don't want, it will probably pay for itself!

I picked out and received the Canon PowerShot A410 as a Christmas gift. I wanted a low to mid priced digital camera with optical zoom and the Canon PowerShot had the features I wanted at the right price. It is my first real digital camera and considering the price it has definitely exceeded my expectations.

Setup was easy and without hassle. There is a basic and an advanced manual and the basic one is all you should need to look at to get started taking pictures, even if you are not familiar with digital cameras. You can read the advanced manual later when you are ready to try other features of the camera.

The display is small, but still easy to read (and I am legally blind with 20/200 vision.) In playback mode you can zoom to 10x to check the quality and clarity of your pictures. Menu and setting text is sharp and easy to read. Some of the icons are a bit small, but when you change a non-text setting, like the flash, the icon is briefly shown larger before shrinking and moving to the corner of the screen.

There are 4 resolutions and with each you can choose either Super Fine, Fine or Normal. The Super Fine setting is the best quality and Normal allows you to take more pictures. The resolution sizes and the average number of pictures you can take with the included 16MB card are: (2048x1536 SF=9, F=16, N=33), (1600x1200 SF=14, F=26, N=50), (1024x768 SF=25, F=45, N=80) and (640x480 SF=56, F=88, N=138.) There is also a 1600x1200 postcard mode which includes the ability to embed a time/date stamp on the picture.

In addition to the 3.2 optical zoom, there is a 3.2(approximate) digital zoom. Digital zoom is off by default so you have to turn it on. When its on you can zoom to 10x. The first 3.2x of the zoom is optical, then the zoom pauses for a second and the rest up to 10x is digital. The 3.2x digital zoom is also available in the macro mode which doesn't have optical zoom.

There are several pre-defined modes for taking pictures in daylight, night, etc. And there are also some interesting effects available. One that I like is color swap which lets you substitute one color with another. It can for example let you change the color of your carpeting while leaving everything else (of different colors) the same. It works pretty well, though sometimes shades of colors like brown and red are treated the same.

There are 3 video modes to choose from. None have audio. The modes are: 640 x 480 x 10 fps, 320 x 240 x 20 fps and 160 x 120 x 15 fps. In the 640 x 480 mode you can zoom digitally to 2x while recording. Approximate recording times with the 16MB card are 640x480: 23 seconds, 320x240: 33 seconds and 160x120: 1 minute 47 seconds. With a larger memory card you can record videos up to 3 minutes in length.

For the most part, the default settings were right for the photos I take. I have found that changing the ISO setting from the default of 50 to "Auto" takes pictures which have more accurate lighting. I also use the White Balance Evaluation for some pictures. See the example (with the Furby) that I posted to see comparison pictures taken with and without white balance. Usually White Balance is not needed, but for some photos it makes a big difference.

Some cautions and cons:

You should put the camera in playback mode when it is turned off. If not and you accidently turn it on the lens will try to extend, even if in the packaging. I saw no mention of this in the manual, but discovered it myself the first time I was putting the camera away. There did not appear to be any permanent harm, however the camera did beep when it couldn't fully extend the lens.

As others have mentioned, the highest ISO speed setting is 200, which makes it difficult to take pictures in low light conditions without the flash and without a tripod (or very steady hands!)

Battery usage does seem a bit fast, especially when the camera is connected to the computer. The manual suggests getting the AC adapter for when connecting the camera to the computer which I may do. The first time I get the low battery warning on a set of batteries has always been just after having the camera connected to the computer.

The included 16MB memory card is probably too small for most people, especially if you want to take videos. But memory cards are relatively cheap, so get a 128 or 256 MB card and you can take plenty of pictures and videos.

Canon produces reliable cameras that don't eat batteries like some of the other brands, and the A410 is simple for beginners but has enough options to grow with, including a fair zoom (x3) and a macro setting for super close ups. Its small though only fairly slim, a tad thicker than a pack of cigarettes, so it won't slide in your front pants pocket but it will fit. Avoid the expensive kit you'll get offered, instead get a less expensive AA battery charger and buy the case by itself if you want one. An extra Memory card is a nice option if you are away from your computer on vacation and want to store a lot of photos but the included card is fine for around home. If you have a Mac the Canon will load photos right away into iPhoto without having to load the included software.

The handsome A410 replaces the A400 in Canon's lineup, updated with a more powerful zoom and the DIGIC II image processor. It has a few features that are kind of rare for an entry-level camera, such as an AF assist lamp and manual white balance. It also has an optical viewfinder, a feature that has become increasingly rare on point-and-shoot cameras, but which I consider essential. It lacks the interchangeable lens of the A510, but it does support the HF-DC1 external flash!

As with all Canon's A-series cameras, it uses AA batteries. I prefer cameras that use AA batteries over cameras that use proprietary lithium ion batteries because AAs are cheap and available and in a pinch you can drop in some alkalines. Not surprisingly, the A410 ate the alkalines included in the package pretty quickly, but it gets excellent life from rechargeable NiMH batteries. A set of these with a charger is a necessary purchase. I use the Monster Cable MB 4-DCRC.

The 16MB card included with the camera is just OK for a 3-megapixel camera. You'll want to get a larger capacity card. Fortunately, you can get a pretty good deal on SD cards, which are available as large as a GB! Since at the default setting file sizes are about 1 MB, you may find a 128 MB card to be more than adequate.

Canon's file numbering system is IMG_xxxx.JPG. It maintains the file numbering even if you replace or format memory cards. I don't know what happens if you take more than 9999 pictures, but I may find out -- my sister is up to 5700+ on her A95! A small watch battery in the bottom of the camera saves the time, date and other settings even when the AA batteries are taken out.

Its start-up time is very quick. Photo quality is excellent, as one would expect of a Canon camera, with accurate color, low noise, and good sharpness. In Macro mode it focuses as close as 5 cm at wide-angle and 25 cm at telephoto. In Super Macro mode it can focus as close as 1.5 cm. It has several preset shooting modes including Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids and Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Beach, Snow, and Fireworks.

As with most point-and-shoot cameras there is a bit of red-eye to deal with, but the software included in the package deals with it fairly well. The A410's controls are logical and generally well-placed. Using the zoom located in the 4-way controller seemed a little bit awkward at first, but I got used to it in fairly short order. It seems to have been placed to favor using the LCD for composing photos.

I bought this for my Mom as an uncomplicated first digital camera, and its size and ease of use has made it a winner. In all, the A410 is an excellent entry-level camera, especially for its price.

I've had a few Canon cameras over the years, all from the A series (A10, A75, A410), and have been very happy with them. My old Canon A10 and A75 cameras took great pictures and were bombproof - they survived being dropped numerous times, bouncing around in backpacks, etc.

Unfortunately, the Canon A410 I purchased just a couple of weeks ago never even got a chance to stand up to this abuse. It died after just a couple weekends of taking family photos (E18 error, see details below). No drops, no scratches, nothing - it was in my pocket the whole time.

It turns out that this Canon E18 error is well known and plagues many Canon compact cameras produced in the last year. The E18 error occurs when the lens extension mechanism becomes misaligned (or the camera thinks that the lens is misaligned). The camera then refuses to extend the lens, making it impossible to take any pictures. In my case, it appears that the camera is just crying wolf (ie, the camera thinks the lens mechanism is broken when in fact there is no real problem), but I still can't take any pictures.

Don't believe me? Do a web search for "Canon E18". It sounds like a bunch of other people have had this problem as well.

I'm bummed that Canon camera aren't as reliable as they used to be - now I'm going to have to find some other manufacturer (Olympus, maybe?)

I bought Canon S2IS for myself and A410 for our niece. To my great surprise A410 took A WHOLE LOT BETTER pics than S2IS. (In fact I sadly returned my S2IS and continued using my old faithful Canon PRO 90IS digital camera.) We took several pictures with it, not a single came out bad! All were vivid and crisp. I just loved this camera's output. Only one thing I didn't like is the zoom controls are on the back on the same dial as forward backward controls. I like zoom controls on top of the camera.

This would make a fine entry-level camera to digital photography, except for me it's replacing an early-model Sony Cybershot U with a 1.3 mp lens. The Sony was producing satisfactory images, but whenever I'd send out for prints, I'd receive lots of those orange triangles warning me that the resolution wasn't sharp enough to guarantee good results.

The Canon Powershot A410 is a user-friendly camera (I shot my first pictures, loaded them into my computer, and printed them without opening the manual), and it's only slightly larger than either my tiny Cybershot or my wife's Canon Elph SD110. It easily fits in a pants, or even shirt, pocket and is so light as to make weight a negligible factor. I considered the Canon A430 with a 4 megapixel lens until I noticed that it's a bulkier, slightly heavier camera. With the A410 you're getting a precision instrument that's practically Elph-sized. I also looked at the Canon A520, which is essentially a miniaturized version of the 400 series. The problem is that the A520 is appreciably thicker than the A410 (translating into bulging pockets). Also, the shrinking of the camera body in other areas apparently required sacrificing the newer, more efficient Digic II processor that's a feature of the A410. Contrary to the testimonials of others, loading pictures into iPhoto (with the most recent OSX) required installation of Canon's included software.

As for megapixels, the 3.2 lens is just as sharp as the 4 lens. Compare 8X10 photos shot by the two lenses and there is no difference. The 4 megapixel lens becomes a factor only if you decide to go for enlargements much beyond 8X10 or to blow up selected portions of a photo.