Canon PowerShot A610 Digital Camera Review

I owned a simple Canon camera when 35mm used to be in. The camera took great pictures and more than ten years later it was neither broken nor malfunctioning. So when I decided to upgrade to a digital camera, Canon was the brand. Since I'm not a professional photographer, I wanted a digital camera that could take great landscapes and portraits for personal use. What I found was the Canon Powershot A610. Here's why you should check this camera out if you want better family and friends photos.

Flip LCD Screen

This Canon model is a 5.0 mega Pixel digital with tons of useful features for the average photographer. The unique feature of this camera from other Canons' of similar specs, is the flip LCD screen. The LCD screen actually flips out so that you can see the picture if you are holding the camera lens facing you. This feature is particularly useful for taking personal portraits or 'buddy' photos without an extra person to take the picture. If you are pretty clumsy, this feature is great for you also; the flip LCD aspect will allow you to protect the LCD screen from scratches or smudges when not in use. The LCD screen is a decent-sized two inches, so you don't have to squint to see what your picture looks like.

Zoom Capacity

With the 4X optical zoom, you can get extremely close to objects that are far away, or an object you would like to see fine details on. This camera will pick up textures of clothing, wood, and even plastic with extraordinary accuracy. The "My Colors" mode will give you perfect colorations on brightly hued subjects. One of the most difficult color variations to pick up is black compared to dark purples or blues. But with this color mode, that is conveniently located on the top dial options, you can distinguish from even the darkest colors. If you are an ebay seller, this camera would be great for picking up the subtle variations of your item and very closely match the real colors of clothing in particular.

Modes

The "Portrait" mode, also located on the top dial, is ideal for portraits of friends and relatives without outlining every pore on their face. This mode will blur the facial pores a bit and give you a more flattering photo, which can be difficult at close range with a 5.0 mega pixel camera. Also available on the top dial is "Night scene" which will provide enough light in the unadjusted flash to show people, landscapes, or objects in wonderful clarity. And for those that aren't very camera savvy, you can leave it on the "Auto" mode and get decent pictures of anything without adjustments.

As far as ease of use is concerned, this isn't simple enough for those that don't know the workings of photographs. There are so many menus for each mode that you may have trouble navigating. The basic functions are easy to figure out, but if you want to fully utilize every function the camera has to offer, than you will need to experiment with the manual as reference.

Design

Canon's PowerShot A610 is designed well. The front has a place to grip with your right hand so you can better steady your photos. On the bottom there is a place to put a tripod, which is necessary if you want to use landscape or fireworks modes. These modes take the picture slowly for the best possible photo and thus require a steady hold that cannot be imitated by your hand.

Other Features

The memory card is inserted in a cover slot on the right side of the camera, so you don't have to open the battery cavity to replace the card. But one of the best features of the camera is actually the fact that it takes "AA" batteries rather than the more expensive lithium batteries that are most common for this type of digital. Other notable features include video mode, where you can take short videos, and stitch assist that allows you to take panoramic photos that can easily be 'stitched' together after they are loaded onto your computer.