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"Sooo NICE!" on by T-Nice
Pros: Great value, great pictures, great video, zoom!
Cons: 2 batteries probably wont last for 2GB memory card
Summary: I bought this camera as soon as it came out. We've been using a Canon PowerShot A60 for the past few years and we have REALLY got our moneys worth out of it (nearly 20,000 shots). Its on its last legs though.
I have been agonizing over what camera to buy for months. I borrowed friends nikons, sonys, olympuses, kodaks, casios and fujis.
Strangely, our A60 consistently shot clearer, nicer looking pictures.
I came to a number of conclusions about what I wanted. I debated buying a prosumer SLR or maybe the Canon S2-IS (for the zoom and camcorder quality). I played with the idea of buying a super compact like a casio. My wife was getting annoyed. But there were simply too many choices out there.
When the A700 came out, I just bought it. No reviews. No recommendations. I just trusted the PowerShot legacy.
I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS CAMERA.
Yes its big. No the LCD does not swivel out. Two batteries dont last as long as four (like in our old A60). That's the end of my gripe list.
I dont shoot sports, or constellations, i dont need it in my pocket for bar and nightclub group pics.
I like taking pictures of friends and family. I like to take pictures of places i've been and people i meet. Things are generally calm, controlled, and deliberate when I take photos.
I bought a 150x 2GB memory card. At max resolution, I can take around 770 snapshots and about 17 minutes of high resolution video. The memory card costs about $50 here in Korea - incredible.
Well, functionality and user friendliness have really improved over the A60. More importantly, the camera takes really nice pictures.
Transfer pics to your computer before you compare shots with your friends digital cameras. Camera LCDs never tell the whole truth.
I have not bought new NiMH rechargables yet. But the camera performance is still very impressive.
To reference the other cameras i borrowed and test drove over the months, I found myself consistently throwing away bad (blurry) shots at a rate of about 20-30% for the Fuji and Sony cameras. That rate drops to about 5-10% with the Canon. Other cameras record the autofocus or zoom mechanisms on the video, the Canon is very smooth and quiet.
I really cannot imagine another camera that is this good at this price.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CAMERA! -
"Great camera with two quirks" on by W6RLF
Pros: Great picture quality; intuitive menu; large LCD; good zoom; takes filters
Cons: LCD washes out in bright light; "average white balance" results in blue colors in cloudy weather; dinky viewfinder
Summary: I'm a "serious" medium and large format black-and-white photographer and writer. I wasn't looking for a digital SLR, but was looking to "modernize" from my Olympus C-4000 for general snapshooting etc. I was looking for a relatively compact camera with truly great image quality; at least 6MP; at least 2.5 in. LCD; decent zoom; at a relatively low price. The Canon SD series was too expensive, plus I didn't like the feel of those very small cameras. After a lot of research, I'm picked the A700. I'm very happy with it, but it does have two "quirks", as I'll call them.
The first was covered in the CNET review: The LCD "washes out" in bright light. Comparing it with my Olympus, it simply appears to be that they've set it brighter than some other LCDs. I can live with it because of everything else I like so much about this camera.
The second "quirk" is maybe common to many digital cameras, but it wasn't much of an issue with my Olympus: You REALLY need to use the "cloudy weather" white balance in cloudy weather: Using just "average white balance", there is a strong shift towards cooler, even blue, colors.
Neither of these "quirks" dissuade me from this camera. The menu not only has a lot of choices, but is very easy to use and intuitive. The image quality is great. I own more cameras than you want to know about, and with every camera I've ever tried, I knew within 1/2 hour (or less) whether I would like using it, whether it was "sympatico" with me. This one is. And to boot, the price is great.
One last "ding", and one additional nice feature:
The viewfinder is very dinky. This doesn't bother me, as I've come to use the LCD almost exclusively. The framing is precise, I can see the exposure effects of slightly different metering placements, and I can see the effect of filters, which leads to the last point:
It is one of the few "point and shoots" that takes an adaptor for filters. The adaptor is $25 (though you'll sometimes see it for more because it is somewhat of a "rare" accessory), and allows you to use 58mm filters. I like to use a polarizing filter at times; plus you can use an infared filter for digital infared, as they have not "blocked" infared sensitivity, as some digital cameras have. The way you tell is to turn on the camera with the LCD on, look at the LCD, point your TV remote control at the lens and press the on button. If you see the light your camera can record infared. The Hoya "72" filter is about $49 for a 58mm, not cheap, but much less than the series of infared filters that you can pay $100 for.
One thing I've learned over many years is that no camera is perfect; but this has so many great features and qualities that it is one of the best cameras for its purpose I've bought.
My apologies for these long comments, but I hope folks find them helpful and informative.Updated
Yet another really great aspect: This camera has almost NO shutter lag if you've pre-focused. Combined with the 6x zoom, this is actually a pretty neat action camera.
Last week we were on vacation at a tennis resort. Two world-class stars were playing right there on the end court. Standing there, using ASA 400 and full zoom, I was able to get some amazing shots. A friend who was shooting some publicity shots was very impressed with what this "point and shoot" is capable of!Updated
Yet another really great aspect: This camera has almost NO shutter lag if you've pre-focused. Combined with the 6x zoom, this is actually a pretty neat action camera.
Last week we were on vacation at a tennis resort. Two world-class stars were playing right there on the end court. Standing there, using ASA 400 and full zoom, I was able to get some amazing shots. A friend who was shooting some publicity shots was very impressed with what this "point and shoot" is capable of!Updated
As an addendum to my earlier comments, this is a great "action" camera, for a point-and-shoot, although you must use a higher ASA, as there is no image stabilization. With its 6X zoom and negligible shutter lag, it allowed me to get some great shots of some pro tennis players recently. Another quality I really like about this camera.Updated
In my recent addendum, I mentioned the negligible shutter lag. I should have pointed out that this is true when you pre-focus. But until recently, point-and-shoot digital cameras had longer shutter lags even when you had pre-focused (and some may still have that problem.) After you pre-focus with the A700, the shutter lag, as I've said, is negligible. -
"Nice introductory camera" on by Philcokid
Pros: beautiful pictures, simple to use, lots of features
Cons: Slow flash recycling, no info in the viewfinder and no image stabilization
Summary: I had a Kodak DX4900 with 4mp and a 3x lens. It was my first digital camera but it was four years old I wanted a longer lens and more pixels. I did some research (C-Net was a big, big help) and settled on the Canon PowerShot A700. I've had mine for three weeks and the first week it got a real workout at a social function.
The A700 has a nice, solid feel abut it but doesn't feel heavy. It's compact but not slim and while it may not fit in your shirt pocket, you can, if need be, put it in your pants or jacket pocket. One hand operation was relatively easy. The zoom was not as smooth as some other camersa I tested but that was not a deterrent.
I was aware of the slow flash recycling time from the reviews I had read but in the real world, it really became a drag not being able to capture certain moments in rapid succession as I would have liked. However, the pictures I was able to capture were sharp, well saturated and chrystal clear.
The 6x lens was a real step up from the 3x and the pictures weren't plagued with a lot of 'noise'. Overall, picture quality was excellent but there are three down sides of the camera: slow flash recycle, no viewfinder information and no image stabilization.
A camera with a zoom lens beyond 3x needs image stabilization. Trying to take pictures at the long end of the lens constantly set off the camera shake alarm/ icon. Interestingly enough, some of the shots taken at the 6x max with strong light were remarkably sharp but far too many were just on the edge of being sharp and many were just downright unusable. I wrote to Canon about this oversight and their response was to direct me to their higher end cameras. I think any camera in the $300 dollar range with a zoom lens over 3x should have IS.
I was also disappointed that there was no camera information in the viewfinder; the viewfinder is pretty small but clear although limited in its scope. Everything is displayed on the 2" LCD which is bright and clear but tends to wash out in bright light.
In spite of these draw backs, I really like the camera, especially its handling and the beautiful pictures it takes. It shoots in aperture and shutter priority, manual and host of other shooting modes.
If you're planning to move over to digital photography but not quite ready for a D-SLR, this camera, in my opinion, is a good introduction and if you can live with the 'flaws' I've outlined, give the A700 some serious consideration. -
"Good camera, bad zoom seals" on by JimSTX
Pros: color, exposure compensation controls, big screen, zoom reach
Cons: bad zoom seals eat grit -- not warranted
Summary: This is a very fine camera, in everything EXCEPT build quality. Like many of the early Canon point-and-shoots, its zoom lens attracts grit. The seals don't seal out anything. I'd only had it a week, but had to return it for non-warranty repair. Canon excludes grit as "misuse". It think it's a design flaw.
Other than that, I appreciate the color, the ease of use, the big screen, and exposure-compensation button, etc. But I can't recommend buying one until Canon fixes the problem with seals. -
"I'm jealous...." on
Pros: Huge LCD, 6x zoom, lightweight, price, a ton of shooting modes....
Cons: Haven't found any yet (and don't expect to)
Summary: I can't say too much about the camera yet, because we just picked it out for my father-in-law 2 weeks ago, but the first impression is great...and yes, I am jealous. I think it's crazy that I payed quite a bit more than this one for my PowerShot S30 just a few years ago. I love how the quality improves and prices decrease with digital cameras.
Don't be scared, just buy a Canon.
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