Canon PowerShot A640

Price: $899.99 - $899.99

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Canon A64007/09/07

Pros:

high picture quality, large display, ease of use

Cons:

zoom range could be larger, no image stabilization, no information in viewfinder, no RAW setting, barrel distortion on wide angle and closeups

I teach photography in a large high school and have been taking pictures for over 40 years. I have also taught in colleges and had my own photo business. I wanted a small, walking around camera and after seeing the quality that one of my students obtained from this camera, as well as reading online reviews, I bought it. Overall, I am very pleased, but there are a few things that you should be aware of. To get the features that I mention as cons, you will have to spend more, if you can get them at all. For instance, if I wanted to spend $200 more, I could have bought the G7 and had image stabilization. I am sure that may have made me happier, but this purchase was also dictated by price. I paid $267, which I consider very reasonable and for that price it was a no brainer. You can easily enlarge photos to 11X14 and probably 16X20. However, my printer only prints to 13X19 and I leave a 1 inch border. At 11X14, the quality is outstanding. I also like the accuracy of the auto focus system. I can count on pictures being sharp as long as I listen for the audible beep. I have done numberous closeups with it held over my head or down at my feet. They are almost always tack sharp. A con that I mention is barrel distortion. It seems that almost all of the small cameras and zoom lenses on DSLR's produce it. I wish it were not so. Unless you buy a DSLR and get a lens made for close up photographs, like the 105mm Micro Nikkor, you will have it. Still, I wish it was not there. The zoom range for this camera is adequate, but modest. I wish it went out further. However, if you want to do closeups, this thing will get you in to about a half inch. All in all, I find this camera to be a modern marvel. The ten megapixels rival medium format film camera quality and exposure and color accuracy is right on the button.