Canon PowerShot A640

Price: 899.99 - 899.99

Read all user reviews

Excellent field camera for advanced photographer1173813618

Pros:

Loaded with MANUAL features, swivel LCD

Cons:

Case is a little cheap, HATE the card in batter compartment

I am a pro, I shoot with SLR Digitals (1DS MkII and MkIIN, 30D) but I was looking for a take-along camera that I could bring with me everywhere and not be so conspicuous. Unfortunately, that meant that most snapshot cameras (i.e. elph, etc) had all auto settings and little or no control over the creative elements of photography. In a nutshell - use a snapshot camera and every shot will look like a snapshot - washed out, overexposed, etc etc. I tried the A640 and was VERY pleasantly surprised. The image out of the camera is superb for a point and shoot, as is the color saturation (with some tweaking of the white balance). Performance at higher ISO is OK. Overall I give this camera a very high rating for its manual controls, flexibility, and overall image quality. The Swivel LCD is indespensible when out in the field working in tight spots or on shots that require you to be discreet, that too is one of the best features of this camera. As someone who earns a living making pictures, I have had some very nice (production quality) shots come off the A640. This is a nice little package with good performance and a fantastic price. Complaints: None other than the Mem Card located in the battery compartment. Tips: Use either 2200 mAh NiMh rechargeables or better yet - Lithium disposable batteries and you will never complain about enough power or low battery life again. Standard Alkaline batteries are PATHETIC as power sources for electronics. Nuf Said..