Canon PowerShot A470 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Blue)

This is one fantastic little camera. I purchased it for my wife as a replacement for an earlier generation Sony about two months ago. It is also one of Consumer Reports recommended cameras, is simple to operate... turn it on and click. It takes excellent photographs considering its 7.1mp and 3.4X zoom. It does its best in the auto mode, which is what I think this camera was really intended for. The camera's 38-to-132mm-equivalent offers a slightly longer than usual reach. A 2.5-inch screen is the only method of framing your shot, and can be difficult to use on sunny days. Get a little peel and stick folding hood for those occasions. You won't find a lot of controls on the A470, but adjustable ISO, exposure controls, and manual white-balance settings offer some flexibility when shooting. The antishake works very well. Another nice feature is that it uses AA batteries. I use NIMH and keep a couple of extra sets charged and handy. There are many more usable pictures now than we had with the sony. One thing I have learned is that megapixels means little once you have reached a certain point except for the size of the end product. And, for an entry level point and shoot it is doubtful most of us will be making too many 11X17's for Life magazine. Even then, you could do so if you keep the ISO at 80. The other nice attribute is the capability of movies. This little camera has been used several times in the movie mode and I was delighted with the outcome. Size wise, it is not one of those slim ultracompact pocket cameras at about 2 inches thick. It can fit into a pocket with a bit of a bulge, but I really like this size better as its more substantive to hold and steady when shooting.. I have used the ultracompact, and find it more difficult to handle and the shake possibilities are greater. The software it comes with is a snap to use and makes the download process easy searching for only the most recent photos in memory. I have put 4GB SDHC in the camera, which gives it around 1000 pix at the highest resolution, or a combination of ample movie making as well as couple of hundred photos. If you are looking for a simple point and shoot and don't mind the heavier feel, then this one is for you. If you want / need more control, more manual override features, a longer zoom etc then spend another $300+ and get a SX10is, which I also own and use for more serious photographic outings or when I want to use a controlled synched flash.

Nice camera. Novice here, but I like the size, style, and easy user interface. I have just been taking pics and video using auto mode, but look forward to playing with the settings in the future. Pics and video come out very clear and vibrant. Camera does what it's supposed to do. Like the under $80 price very much. First camera I received had a hot pixel, so all images had a small white fleck midway down the right side. Return process was very easy, and I am now awaiting what I hope to be a problem free replacement from Amazon. No motion blur. I took a pic of my ceiling fan when it was on and the pic made it look as if it were stationary at the time the pic was taken. Will upload the pic if anyone wants to see. Good camera, IMO.

We purchased this camera for our business in lieu of toting our nicer camera for quick property photos. Camera takes a great picture and does video. We haven't tested the video just yet. Camera handles dim situations relatively well, not without moderate pixelation, but I am nonetheless impressed. I have not deciphered how to easily remove mass photos from the camera on my Macintosh. Camera seems to be one-by-one delete. I guess I could drop and dump when the camera is on my desktop downloading photos. Still playing around with the camera with time I don't have currently to discover all the cool features. Downloading is a snap, and similar to most cameras. I also appreciated the use of a SD memory card. You can buy them anywhere. Love the orange color! Exactly what we wanted. Fits well in our hands and pockets (a must for us). We didn't want a large camera. For the price I wouldn't be devastated to take this camera as a loss and I have been nothing but pleased to this point with this great little camera. Perfect for our needs of real estate. Clean crisp photo and not an overbearing flash. No big "blow-outs" of white to discriminate details, but again early on with the camera. Still takes a great well-sized photo and love it. I will take it also on personal trips too. Only thing I am not crazy about are the markings of how to "hit enter or accept" on the camera. It doesn't come naturally with the icons and markings Canon chose. Just something to get used to and not second nature for me yet. Still LOVE this camera. update 9/18/09: Camera is still working great. Lapse between photos for quick shots gets annoying after awhile, but it does the job and takes a decent photo. We use the video portion of camera still as well. This camera has been good to us overall for our quick business camera. There are many more fine tuning features we could be using as well to even further enhance the quality of our photos that I am still discovering. I love Canon cameras. Great for the price is still my feeling. (plus it's orange! LOL) ... please note I am not a professional, but I do take a decent photo. ;-) update: 6/10: The camera has now stopped focusing and is taking horrible photos. It's done. LAME! LAME! Two years for a point shoot's survival? That's a joke. We took such kind care of this camera. Even if it were an easy fix, I wouldn't put another dime into it. Since my 9/09 review it's been downhill and shutter time was taking longer and longer to rip off shots. I grew a strong hatred of this "easy" camera. I would rather use my Digi Rebel thank you than this hunk of junk. ~ All the more reason to do review revises people. :-) Your love has to be evaluated on the long-term.