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Canon PowerShot A630

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CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 28 reviews
See all user reviews

Product summary

The good: Lots of manual controls; flip-out LCD; accessory lenses are available.

The bad: Noisy at ISO 800; no image stabilization.

The bottom line: Though it's not a great choice for low-light shooting, the Canon PowerShot A630 is a solid, feature-rich digital camera.

Specifications: Resolution: 8 megapixels ; Optical zoom: 4 x ; Display type: 2.5 in LCD display ; See full specs

Price range: $299.00 - $323.01 check prices

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by:
Will Greenwald
Edited by:
Lori Grunin
Reviewed on: 09/28/2006
Released on: 09/15/2006

An 8-megapixel version of the 10-megapixel PowerShot A640, the Canon PowerShot A630 is otherwise identical to its higher-resolution sibling. Both share the same sturdy, chunky body; 35mm-to-140mm-equivalent lens with accessory lens mount; and broad feature set with PASM exposure controls. Both cameras even turned in nearly identical performance results in our tests. (For more, read the PowerShot A640 review.)

Aside from the approximately $75 street price differential, the real distinguishing element between the two is the photo quality. In general, both produce colorful and crisp photos, with relatively little fringing or distortion. Fine details showed up clearly in our test shots, though colors tended to appear slightly muted and cool. The A630 displays a bit less noise, however. Artifacts start to appear at ISO 400 and become a fine but visible grain at ISO 800. Images are still usable at ISO 800 for 4x6 prints but aren't as sharp as photos taken at lower sensitivity settings and display problems with color banding.

Though the A640 continues the PowerShot's history of less-than-stellar low-light shooting, it's otherwise a great camera for users who want a solid point-and-shoot with photographer-friendly manual capabilities. But unless you really need the A640's extra pixels, save yourself a few bucks and get the A630 instead.

Shooting speed
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (typical)

Casio Exilim EX-Z850

2.7

2.1

0.5

Canon PowerShot A630

1.7

1.5

0.5

Samsung Digimax L85

2.2

0.6

Nikon Coolpix P3

4.1

0.9

Note: In seconds

Typical continuous-shooting speed
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Nikon Coolpix P3

1.5

Canon PowerShot A630

1.3

Casio Exilim EX-Z850

Samsung Digimax L85

0.8

Note: Frames per second

See more CNET content tagged:: Canon PowerShot,; Canon Inc.,; Casio Inc.,; camera,; photograph

User reviews

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 28 reviews
My rating: 0 stars Write review

Showing 3 of 28 user reviewsSee all 28 user reviews
4.5 stars

28 out of 28 people found this review helpful

"WOW!! Great camera that produces excellent images"

by blplhp on November 10, 2006

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4.5 stars

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful

"Fine piece of equipment!"

by shopsmartash on November 16, 2006

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4.0 stars

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

"Great for home use and as on the go camera."

by sidewalk_bends on January 8, 2007

read more
See all 28 user reviews Write review

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Canon PowerShot A630

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Where to buy

Canon PowerShot A630: $299.00 - $323.01

store	price	in stock?
	$299.00	Yes
	$299.00	Yes
Amazon.com Marketplace	$323.01	Yes

see prices from 3 stores

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

alaTest.com

Editors' rating: 89

Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 876 reviews of Canon PowerShot A630 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 76/100 and users 88/100. Comparing these reviews to 484920 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 89/100 = Very Good.
dpinterface.com

Editors' rating: 77

Summary: The Canon PowerShot A630 is a mid-sized camera which features 8 megapixels, a rotating 2.5 inch LCD and full manual controls. The A630 has great battery life, a nice grip with easy one hand operation, very good performance and even a custom option on ...

Read full review
neocamera.com

Editors' rating: 75

Read full review
dcresource.com

Summary: In this review I'll be looking at the A630 and A640 at the same time. I'll be using the latter as the "model" for all the product shots. I will have test photos for each of the cameras

Read full review
Computeract!ve

Editors' rating: 80

Summary: An 8-megapixel compact with a flip and swivel LCD monitor

Read full review
pcmag.com

Editors' rating: 80

Summary: The 8MP Canon PowerShot A630 may be a bit bulky for a compact camera, but the great physical controls and easy-to-use features will appeal to those who appreciate a variety of settings to capture their photos.

Read full review