Canon PowerShot A710 IS 7.1 Megapixel Compact Camera

Great camera!

Strengths: Picture quality. 6x optical zoom. Compact size. Image stabilization. Ergonomics. Lots of features. Rechargable AA batteries last seemingly forever.

Weakness: Red-eye flash. Slow recycle between shots. Battery/memory card door could be better designed. No RAW picture mode.

Another fine camera from Canon. Takes very good pictures -- nice detail and color. Image stabilization really helps take pix in lower light. Camera has just about all the features that one could want in non-SLR digital camera -- except for RAW mode. The red-eye reduction flash mode could be better -- I seem to be getting red-eye in 1/2 of my flash photos even though I have the red reduction on.
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Another fine camera from Canon. Takes very good pictures -- nice detail and color. Image stabilization really helps take pix in lower light. Camera has just about all the features that one could want in non-SLR digital camera -- except for RAW mode. The red-eye reduction flash mode could be better -- I seem to be getting red-eye in 1/2 of my flash photos even though I have the red reduction on.

By Anonymous - Mar 19, 2007

My first Canon, but found controls/menus easy to learn

Strengths: 6X optical zoom, Safe Digital Zoom up to 1.9X, good movie mode, 2.5 inch LCD screen, fast f2.8 lens, 2 AA Batteries, Excellent Lens Image Stabilization that works, Excellent Canon waterproof housing

Weakness: 2 AA batteries mean a slow flash recharge, but this doesn't matter much since image stabilazation and ISO settings allow me to take pictures indoors without flash, noticeable hum in the movie mode

I've been anticipating buying one of the 12X mega zooms by Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Kodak or Olympus for the last 18 months. When i looked at this camera in a local Office Depot, i was immediately sold. While the mega zooms weren't particularly pocketable, this camer was. The image stabilzation is one of the best if not the best. The LCD viewer looks like your floating gently over the picture...
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I've been anticipating buying one of the 12X mega zooms by Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Kodak or Olympus for the last 18 months.

When i looked at this camera in a local Office Depot, i was immediately sold. While the mega zooms weren't particularly pocketable, this camer was. The image stabilzation is one of the best if not the best. The LCD viewer looks like your floating gently over the picture image rather being able to see any jerkiness. Where normally you would take handheld photos at 1/60 or faster, this allows still jots at 1/10 of a second. Because of the IS, movies come out really clear and telescopic pictures are excellent as well. The IS allows has allowed me to take a number of shots indoors without any flash, thats why the slow recharge rate of the flash (typical of 2 AA batteries) is of very little consequence. i always keep the flash locked out.

Its a small enough camera to fit into one's jacket pocket with ease, yet the bottom is squared off enough that with the lens extended, the camera is quite stable by itself on a flat surface.

The manual controls are great and much easier to learn and remember then i anticipated. I've learned that if you take indoor pictures and get odd yellow tints or other tints, its a simple matter to go to the white balance mode, click on custom, then point the camera at a white envelope or white door frame, etc, and then click the menu buttom on the case. Instantly colors indoors or outdoors assume a more normal tint. Its not like you have to use this a lot, but indoors when you want the photos just right, its easy to do. My old Olympus Stylus 410 was totally automatic and there wasn't much i could do to correct white balance.

There is a small hum that shows up on the movies during playback. Its not a deal breaker for me but it may bother some. Apparently the microphone is too close to the IS mechanism or IS screen in the camera. (Its very tough in these small cameras for the designers to find optimum places for every component - its the price you pay for portability) If you get your ear very close to the front of the camera on the battery side, you can barely hear this on the camera itself. There is software that can remove this hum from the AVI audio tape. However, i just got back from a primitive camping trip in the Olympic National Park in Washington State. I made a number of movies of us erecting tarps for a rain and wind shelter, plus paddling around on a lake during two squalls, I can't recall any hum during those movies because my brother were so blown away with the good quality of the movies. REally brought back to us all we experienced during that 3 day trip and the wives loved the movies.

Since its such a compact camera, i take it along with me most places like a good friend. Its fun to use and if it ever gets damaged or stolen, i haven't lost too much money as i got it for $275, a good price for these features.

Oh by the way, i bought an excellent waterproof housing for the camera from Canon, be sure they have one for your model before you buy if this is important. Because of the frequent rainstorms and waves during our recent kayak camping trip, i just kept the waterproof housing in the open on my kayak deck under a bungie cord, ready to use. I didn't have to worry at all about getting the camera wet. It was a drag constantly drying off the glass lens at the front of the waterproof shell but it was worth it. I got some excellent photos of a Bald Eagle sitting 40 to 50 feet up in a dead fir tree with a combination of the 6X zoom and the 1.9X Safety Digital Zoom, whats that, almost 12X. I also got a fantastic movie of us going through a squall rainstorm and the sound of the rain hitting the waterproof case was like popcorn going off.

Buy it, i think you'll like it, Phil

By philnw - Feb 23, 2007

Canon a710is Digital Camera

Strengths: Image stabilization, small size, 6X optical zoom, available manual controls, use of 2AA batteries, great macro mode

Weakness: Flash recharge time, battery/memory card compartment and door could have been designed better

Overall this is a great camera and I would recommend it. The 6X zoom is a plus over other cameras in the same size and MP range, as well as the addition of image stabilization. I have noticed the IS helps a lot when your hands are a little shaky. The flash does take time to recharge and it is frustrating to not be able to take another picture for several seconds, but most of the time this is not...
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Overall this is a great camera and I would recommend it. The 6X zoom is a plus over other cameras in the same size and MP range, as well as the addition of image stabilization. I have noticed the IS helps a lot when your hands are a little shaky. The flash does take time to recharge and it is frustrating to not be able to take another picture for several seconds, but most of the time this is not a problem if you are taking casual indoor pictures.

The cover to the battery and memory card compartment is a little flimsy, however if you are careful it is not really an issue. Just be sure not to tip the camera when the door is open or the batteries will fall out. The regular AA batteries that came with the camera were drained quickly, however performance seems to be better with rechargeable batteries. I have a 2GB memory card and this is more than enough to take a lot of pictures. A 1GB or even 512 MB would probably be fine for most users.

Overall I would recommend this camera - it has nice features, takes great pictures, and has a lot of manual controls that can give flexibility to customize your settings.

By skiorules - Jan 7, 2007

Excellent camera

Strengths: Fine 6X zoom; effective image stabilization; full range of manual controls; very good macro performance; useful movie mode; logical easy-to-use menu system; excellent PC software.

Weakness: None.

This camera replaced my Nikon 2500, so it's my second digital camera. I really wanted manual controls - I began photography 40 years ago with an SLR, but didn't want to lug a digital slr around. I wanted good available light performance for indoors - I'm not a fan of flash unless absolutely necessary. The A710IS is excellent - even at my age (64) I can handhold the camera at 3/10 of a second,...
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This camera replaced my Nikon 2500, so it's my second digital camera. I really wanted manual controls - I began photography 40 years ago with an SLR, but didn't want to lug a digital slr around.

I wanted good available light performance for indoors - I'm not a fan of flash unless absolutely necessary. The A710IS is excellent - even at my age (64) I can handhold the camera at 3/10 of a second, wide angle. The white balance is easy to use and effective.

Outdoors, at my age, I need an optical viewfinder -- bifocals & lcd panels don't mix well! While the viewfinder on the A710is is small, it works really well outdoors - there's some overscan, but, given a 7.1 megapixel camera, the cropped image is still very crisp and enlarges well. Once I've set the options the way I want them for a photo-shoot, the only times I use the lcd panel outdoors are for manual focus, macro work, or in landscape mode. The ability to shut off the lcd panel is also valuable - since I rarely use it outdoors, I'm able to extend battery life.

Having used both, I definitely prefer AA rechargeables to proprietary ones. It's easy to carry a spare set with me, and, in an emergency, AA alkalines are available everywhere.

The menu on the A710is is logically arranged and very easy to use.

Movie mode is very good, though I really wish I could use the optical zoom during a film sequence; having to interrupt the filming to change the zoom (or, for that matter, the focus) takes me back to the days of 8mm cameras with turret lenses. I have an analog Hi-8 movie camera - I think the A710is has a higher resolution image, but the Hi-8 allows zoom & autofocus during a scene. As a result, waterfalls will probably be shot with the A710is; steam trains will probably be shot with the Hi-8.

I'm a knowledgeable amateur and I love the camera. I think it would also be extremely useful for a novice, as well.

I only have 2 very minor gripes. When you set the camera to spot metering, it reverts to center-weighted if you shut off the camera. Virtually every other setting survives an on-off cycle. The other gripe is a wrist lanyard - when I'm hiking outdoors, I prefer a neck lanyard. Fortunately the attach point is large enough that I was able to use a 3rd party lanyard.

I also like the software that came with the camera (Zoombrowser). The red-eye correction is easy to use & effective - even on images shot on other cameras. I also like the ability to name a range of images on the fly during download. The export function is also extremely useful - you can set a max size for all the images you are exporting -- great for making small copies that you want to send by e-mail.

The camera fits nicely in the pocket of a sport jacket. Not having to worry about a lens shade is also helpful. I bought the camera Apr 21 (from J&R), received it within a week. This review is being written June 13, so I've had some experience with the camera.

HINT: When you buy this (or any camera) on the web, immediately after the purchase, go to the manufacturer's website & download the user manual(s). Study them while you're waiting for the camera to arrive. That way you'll be better able to use the camera once it arrives.

By siadelma - Jun 12, 2007

Great camera

Strengths: Takes wonderful pictures and has more features than I'll ever use.

Weakness: It does have a slow flash recharge, but I find the camera takes the best pictures without ever needing a flash.

My friend and I recently took a trip to Italy where I used my camera for the first time. My friend owns two cameras(Nikon and Sony) and was impressed with my camera and the quality of it's pictures. I am very happy with this camera, which took me a long time to decide upon with so many different cameras available out there.

By Kathowell - Mar 16, 2007