I decided on the Canon A495 as I wanted an inexpensive camera to carry around in my purse for unexpected shots. This is a good camera for beginners - it's not DSLR quality but it's easy to learn and use; it's not my camera of choice for my shots that I want to look really professional, my Panasonic camera is for those...but for those of you who just want a good basic camera from a well-known camera company, this one should fit your needs well.
Are you trying to decide between the A495 and the next model lower, the A490? Here are the differences:
· The A495 has a Face Self-Timer feature. You can focus on a group of people, and before the camera takes the shot, run over and get into the picture yourself, with your face being detected, too. Of course, you would also need a tripod or a place to set the camera down.
· The A495 has two (2) additional Scene Modes: Poster Effect and Super Vivid Color. Nice to have the additional scenes, but how often will you use them? I plan on making some art for my living room walls with the Poster Effect scene, so I opted for the A495.
· The A495 will focus on up to 9 faces (or areas); whereas the A490 will focus on up to 5 faces (or areas).
You have to decide for yourself if you would be using any of these additional features to save yourself a few dollars by going with the A490 instead of the A495.
PROS:
· Easy to use straight out of the box - I didn't need to read the manual to start out, but I recommend reading it to learn about all the features
· Fairly durable, even though it's made of plastic
· Powers up ready to take a picture in about a second
· 2.5" LCD screen is large enough to see clearly
· Takes great close-up (macro) shots
· Program mode lets you change some settings like exposure compensation, ISO, continuous shooting, metering mode, etc.
· Larger than an ultra-compact camera, so it's easier to grip and avoid dropping
· Uses AA batteries, and I'm surprised I got over 400 shots from my rechargeable batteries (the alkaline AA batteries included did not last long) - so I recommend rechargeables
· Takes surprisingly good video with sound (not HD) and can be directly uploaded to YouTube (this is part of the included software)
· The ZoomBrowser photo editing software has always been a favorite of mine, I use it with all my cameras, no matter what brand they are. I like this more than Picasa.
CONS:
· Recovery time after taking a picture is SLOW, and even worse if using the flash (approximately 3 seconds w/flash) - this is normal with a camera that uses two AA batteries. It's still better than the Nikon L20, though.
· No optical image stabilization - but this is rare in any camera at this price point
· No optical viewfinder - again, hard to find now in any camera, but if you want one, check out this Canon: Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
· Battery door is flimsy, I have to be careful when closing it so the hinge doesn't break, and if not careful, the batteries fall out when removing the SD card
· Slightly on the bulky side, won't fit easily in a shirt pocket, should be OK in a pants pocket
I would have given this camera 5 stars if it wasn't so darn slow on the recycling time after taking a photo. It flashes "busy" on the LCD screen and it is frustrating when you are waiting to take another shot.
NOTE #1: This camera does not come with an SD card, so pick one up when buying the camera as you will not be able to use it right out of the box otherwise. This camera will accept SDHC cards up to/including 32 GB.
NOTE #2: The PSC-500 genuine Canon case Canon PSC-500 Deluxe Soft Case fits this camera perfectly, but there is no extra room for spare batteries. It's a snug fit, but it's well padded too.
NOTE #3: For those of you looking for a camera that can put a date stamp on your pictures, this one does. You have your choice of date only or date and time - or none at all. Canon PowerShot A495 10.0 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD (Silver)
The overall quality of this camera is good, however, I have had nothing but frustration since I began using this. First of all, with nearly every picture that you take using the flash, following the actual picture taking, the LCD display goes black for several seconds and gives you a message that it is charging the flash.
Second, the camera will take its time focusing in and finding the right levels of focus and clarity for the picture that you are trying to take. When it does allow you to take your photo, a review of the photo on both the LCD and later on a PC will often reveal that the picture you just took is blurry and out of focus.
In conclusion, this camera is too much high maintenance for a simple point-and-shoot camera. I have two small kids, and when I want to catch them at a particular moment to take a picture, every second is essential. Between waiting for the flash to charge and then the camera to focus, and then followed by pictures that come out with little quality, the money spent on this camera is not an investment in memories as it should be, but rather an investment in frustration. - Digital Camera - Point And Shoot Camera - Canon Digital Camera - Point And Shoot'
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