Check out the Dell Store on CNET
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 60 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
42 out of 60 people found this review helpful
2.5 stars
"Certainly another great digicam ... until "E18" strikes"
Pros: Great pictures (as with every Canon camera I owned) ; and it's got all the features a non-professionnal photographer needs
Cons: The now famous lens mechanism weakness, coming with every digicam Canon makes
Summary: If Canon officially acknowledges and fixes the problem it's had with every retractable-lens model, I'd love to get an A620, and I would probably rate it 10 instead of 5.
But since all my Canon digicams (a first-generation Digital Elph, then a PowerShot S50) died with the infamous "E18" error message, I am afraid to buy one more.
ALL Canon digicams are subject to this defect (just google "Canon E18" and you'll find out) : the lens mechanism suddenly freezes and the digicam becomes useless. If still under warranty, Canon will replace the whole lens ; if not, getting it fixed is way too expensive and you're only left with your memories of a great but now dead digicam.
- 16 replies to this review
-
Ficelle wrote: "ALL Canon digicams are subject to this defect"
This is false. SOME cameras from SOME older model series were affected. Some E18 errors were due to an inherent defect, some were due to user abuse of the protruding lens (that's why there is an error message programmed into the camera to begin with). These are all discontinued now anyway.
Judging from fora where this is discussed, the A610/A620 is obviously NOT among those series where the E18 error was frequent.
Had ficelle followed his/her own advice and googled the issue, (s)he would have known this. See e.g. http://www.e18error.com
Of course googling is no substitute to OWNING or at least having USED the product when writing a "review", ficelle!
Just to add to the statistics, my own A620 has never displayed this error. -
Thank you, Ficelle, for making me aware of the fact that the E-18 error message isnt exclusive to the powershot A60, which I own and battle with nearly everytime I want to take pictures. The E-18 message started about 6 months after I bought it....I didnt realize Canon would replace the lens....I wonder how long the warranty was good....oh well. Its 3 years old now and is giving me new trouble, black static filled pictures, forcing me to use the lcd panel instead of the viewfinder, so I know when Im getting a black picture and when Im getting an actual photo. I was hesitant to buy another Powershot because of the troubles with my A60, but really thought the E-18 problem was exclusive to the model I have, assuming Canon would have corrected it by now! Now Im VERY hesitant, because I had narrowed my new camera purchase down to the A610 or the A620 and am finding out that they too have had E18 problems. I dont want to trade old E18 problems for new ones.
-
I can't believe so many people are whining about this opinion. It is absolutely valid and relevant. Just google "canon e18 error" and you will get 47,500 hits, including references to the class action suit, some potential fixes, and hundreds (if not thousands) of posts from people who experienced it. The problem seems to apply to MANY of the Canon cameras, including the A610/620. The 3 most valuable posts here are:
1. the original review
2. the comment that points to validating pages
3. the comment that points to fixes for the problem (this is the most valuable)
the rest is mostly whining (with a few fair comments). If others want to supress the truth, maybe they should seek a position with the Bush administration.
Thank you ficelle, TR63, and especially Media Guy. I can now make a more informed decision, which is undoubtedly the intent of this User Review capability. -
I'm just about ready to buy a Canon A620, but this "E18" problem makes me very hesitant! The camera seems to have a lot of features for the buck. However, since this would be my first digital camera,I'd not consider it a good deal if this problem turned my investment into a pretty looking piece of junk!What's a good alternative? SYD
-
Why would someone take the time to write a hearsay review for a product that they do not own?! This is is EXACTLY why you can't believe everything you read on the internet. People who simply regurgitate things they've heard diminish the value of these types of reports.
If you research ANY product, you will find some problem. And people like the OP can make it seem more widespread by repeating it without first-hand experience. As someone who has actually OWNED an A series camera, I can justify a different opinion of these cameras.
My old A60 ("infamous" for E18 errors) had been 100% trouble free for more than three years in a commercial level of use - over 11,000 images. This camera had been dropped, thrown, rained on, used in sub-freezing temps as well as hot, humid conditions, carried in a dusty pouch and not a single problem. Nothing. It ultimately took a face down fall from 5 feet onto a concrete floor to finally kill it. Later the same day, I bought a new A series camera - the A620.
Now, isn't that experience more valuable then a report from someone who simply heard something about these cameras?
I HIGHLY recommend the A series cameras. -
How can you submit a review when you don't even own the camera? It is hard to believe that CNET would have reviews that are so contrary to fair play
-
Just about 20 minutes ago, I was just about to click the "Buy" button on the Canon A620 at an online camera dealer. I decided to look around one last time to find more user opinions and found Cnet. I did google the E18 error like she suggested and found what does seem to be a wide spread problem with the zoom mechanism on the Canon digitals. There apparently are even some class action law suits pending against Canon regarding the issue.
If you go to this web site and investigate, you can see for yourself.
http://www.bitnet.cx/canon.html
Like others, I am very enticed by Canon image quality and the DIGIC II image processor, but... -
I'm sure it's not as wide-spread as you make it sound. For example, I've owned 3 different Canon cameras and none of them had any problems: I also know other people who have Canon and have had no problem with them. And remember, Canon cameras are so popular for a reason: they are a great value.
-
Hallelooooooya ... I'm not alone!! My beloved powershot A70 also died of E-18. The repair is listed as "uneconomical", which is babble for "your A70 is garbage". I need another digicam ... should I buy another Canon? Methinks not. I am looking at the Olympus SP 350. The worst case scenario ... it craps out after 2 years like the Canon did. I'm gonna buy the Olympus tommorrow.
-
I just bought a Casio EX-Z110 and am slightly regretting shelling out US$78 to buy a Canon A610. But my friend kept warning me about how she and 5 other Canon users (various models: A70, A95, etc.)have had their own units die on them within a year of purchase. The replacement was a hassle: It couldn't be guaranteed by Canon (or its local distributor), or they agreed to provide a totally new/diff't unit. Now we need to find out the percentage of "dead cams" that are actually being churned out by Canon. Sad, considering I'm an AVID fan of Canon's picture quality.
-
Have you ever owned a Powershot? Have you ever taken pictures with a Powershot?
First of all, every manufactured item in the world has the potential of suffering damage from delivery, and people falling asleep on the product line. Whether the entire model line suffers defects of the product you own by design, cannot be determined by you alone.
Second of all a potential problem discovered in one category of cameras has no relation to potential problems in other categories of products made by the same manufacturer.
I don't see the word 'Elph' on this product page.
Why, exactly, are we commenting on an Elph model for the PowerShot A620?
I have two PowerShots, neither of them have exhibited the problems you have accused all Canon camera's of having. Believe me, both camera's have been heavily used and abused for more than two years.
I don't know if the Elph's have problems or not, nor do I care. If I was interested in an Elph, I'd be on the Elph webpage. If I had a complaint about an Elph, I'd complain about it on the Elph webpage, and not unfairly skew the ratings on a product I knew nothing about nor remotely related to the Elph except for the three words: Canon Digital Camera.
It sounds like Canon took your problem seriously an tried to remedy it...why the feud? -
He is basing the quality of this camera from cameras made 3 years ago. he is falsly bringing down the rating
-
You have not owned this camera or a Canon thats been made in the past 3-4 years. I have an A95 which is what this camera has replaced. I know 5 other (3 A95 and 2 A620 users) Canon Powershot A-series owners and none of them have had any problems with their cameras. I also subscribe to a number of Canon user forums and the error that your talking about it never gets mentioned.
-
I have the Canon PowerShot A80 and my husband has the Canon PowerShot A610 and we have not had any problems with them and especially have not heard of this error message. We love our cameras, they produce great pictures and they are very easy to use. They are great cameras and I highly recommend them. We are looking into upgradting to the 7.1 megapixel. Dont be put off by these comments, there are always bad apples in any barrel. This person just happens to be the unlucky one to have gotten the worm.
-
the review says "...I'd love to get an A620"
does this mean the reviewer is actually writing based on experiences with previous Canon Powershot models?
if so, I cannot imagine 14 out of 15 users finding this review helpful at all
do yourself a favor... go to dpreview.com, where the real photographers are, and read their reviews of the A620... they actually own one and highly recommend it and so do I -
This website has a few easy fixes for the E18 error - check it out.
Sometimes even as simple as pluging in the TV cable to the camera have fixed the problem! http://blogs.yucs.org/~dwallach/2004/08/canon_e18_error_repair_instruc.html
- I agree that it should be fixed by canon, but at least for the most part, we now are able to keep using the camera if it happens.
Where to buy
Canon PowerShot A620:
$574.95
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon.com Marketplace
|
$574.95 | Yes |
|
