Digital Camera: Canon Powershot A410 Review

Canon has always made quality cameras, but most of them are incredibly expensive, and are for advanced camera users. This is why the Powershot A410 is a great beginner camera for an incredibly low price! The camera features several different modes such as Automatic, Manual, special screen shot, and movie mode. Along with the button for playing back the pictures you just took, the different switch able modes offer special ways to take a lot of good pictures.

The camera's auto mode is extremely nice as it focuses just right for distant objects and up close using the special macro mode. And the manual mode allows you to change the color settings of the images you are going to take, including black and white, sepia, and vivid to low-color based captures. Another part of the manual mode is changing the exposure settings, size settings (post card, large print, and many others), and shooting mode. The shooting mode has Single shot, multiple shot (where the camera can take many pictures at one time holding down the capture button), 10 second timer, 2 second timer, and custom timer.

Movie mode on the camera has proved itself worthy, but lacking a microphone to capture what people may be saying or what the background may have in store in the case of ambience, it is difficult to like. At an estimated 10 frames per second, you can capture special moments that may not need words to describe. But lacking the microphone may be just enough to spend an extra 40 dollars and upgrade to a next gen. camera. It is a nice feature to have though when you just need to tape something such as after getting into an accident, and needing some evidence of where you were hit, but this should not be used as an alternative to a video camera.

The special scene mode has several settings to make an image turn out just the way you want. The settings allow you to change the image style to Indoor, Snow, Fireworks, Children and Animals, Beach, Night snapshot, and Foliage. This is a stylish advantage to help the beginner digital camera owner take the perfect picture without a lot of work!

The LCD screen, in which you can view the pictures you just have just taken, is small, but just right for those who need it to see where you're taking the picture, along with reviewing it. The camera's battery life is outstanding, as it can take up to about 200 pictures using Energizer or Duracell batteries versus Alkaline, which runs out fast. The camera can only take up to a 512MB SD memory card, so you should get at least 2 512MB SD cards if you are really into taking pictures, but with only 3.2 Mega Pixels, you should be just fine with almost 550 pictures on one 512MB SD card. A bit less if you take a few videos.

Overall, the rating on this camera is way up there. It's a great camera for someone new to owning a digital camera, or someone who is just looking for a camera to have with them in case of a special moment. Its going rate is really low for such a fantastic digital camera! With just being under $100, it's a great starter camera.