Canon Powershot A640 Digital Camera

Product Report for the Canon Powershot A640 Digital Camera

Rating:

Price*: Used and New from $399.00

Introduction: The Canon A640 is a 10-megapixel point-and-shoot camera that is perfect for casual users who'd like a little extra power in their hands, and it has the highest rating from Digital Camera Product Reports. The 10-megapixel sensor is a signal that the push for more and more megapixels in smaller and smaller cameras is nowhere near over. The A640 continues the fine tradition of Canon's A series models, offering superior controls and features that are easy to understand and yield above average results. This camera is top quality.

Product Features

10-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
4x optical zoom; 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD display
ISO range up to ISO 800 for less blur in low light while hand-holding
3:2 guide masks LCD to display 4 x 6-inch print size; 16:9 format option for still images
Stores images on SD cards; powered by 4 AA-size batteries

Technical Details:

Imaging sensor resolution: Approximately 10.0 million pixels
Recording pixels: 3648 x 2736
Sensor type: Interline transfer CCD
Sensor size: 1/1.8-inch type
Lens focal length: 7.3-29.2mm (equivalent to 35-140mm in 35mm format)
Zoom ratio: 4x optical / 4x digital
Digital teleconverter: 1.4x and 2.3x; simulates the effect of a physical teleconversion lens
Safety zoom: Maximizes digital zoom image quality when shooting stills; each time image recording quality is lowered, additional digital zoom becomes available: Large = 4.0x, Medium 1 = 4.0x, Medium 2 = 5.6x, Medium 3 = 9.1x, Small = 16x (x factor is in combination with optical zoom; maximum digital zoom = 4x)
Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups (including two aspherical lenses with two aspherical surfaces)
Aperture control: f2.8 (wide) - f4.1 (telephoto)
Closest focusing distance: Wide/telephoto: 1.5 feet; macro: 0.39 inches (lens at wide setting)
Autofocus: 9-point AiAF; Single AF point (center of frame); FlexiZone
Manual focus: Yes, with enlarged view on LCD display
Accessory conversion lenses: Conversion lens adapter LA-DC58F (use with wide/telephoto converter and close-up lens); wide converter WC-DC58N; teleconverter TC-DC58N; close-up lens 250D (58mm) (additional lenses not included--must be purchased separately)
JPEG image recording: 8-bit JPEG; three compression settings ("Super-Fine," "Fine," and "Normal")
RAW file recording: None
Data recording format: DCF (Design rule for Camera Filing system); DPOF ver. 1.1 (Digital Print Order Format); EXIF 2.2 compatible
Reduced resolution options: 3648 x 2048 (wide-screen, 7.5MP); 2816 x 2112 M1 (5.9MP); 2272 x 1704 M2 (3.9MP); 1600 x 1200 M3 (1.9MP); 640 x 480 S (300K pixels)
Storage media: SD memory cards including SDHC (over 2 GB) and MultiMedia memory cards
Format function: Normal and low level format
Color space: sRGB
Shooting modes: Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Special Scene, Stitch Assist, Movie
Special scene modes: Night Snapshot, Indoor, Kids and Pets, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Color Accent, Color Swap
My Colors mode: Photo effects including: My Colors Off, Vivid, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Neutral, Sepia, Black and White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Custom Color. Available in shooting and in playback modes; when performed in playback the original file is changed permanently.
Color Accent and Color Swap: Available as a special scene mode, for both still images and movies
Noise reduction: Available when shutter speed is set between 15 and 1.3 seconds
White Balance: Three options available: Auto, Pre-set White Balance (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, underwater, fluorescent, fluorescent H), custom setting (read and set WB off of white object or neutral gray object)
Self-timer: 2-second delay, 10-second delay, and Custom Timer (user can set delay 0 to 10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds, and number of shots from 1 thru 10; camera takes shots continuously after pre-set delay)
Exposure metering: Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot (spot metering at center, or linked to AF point); AE lock is possible
Exposure compensation: +/-1/3 stop up to 2 stops
Autoexposure bracketing: None
ISO sensitivity: Auto, High ISO Auto; ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 (user-set)
Shutter speed range: 15 seconds to 1/2000 second
LCD monitor: 2.5-inch (diagonal) TFT color LCD; approximately 115,000 pixels; 100% coverage of actual image; variangle for ease of use (rotates and swivels)
Eye-level viewfinder: Optical real-image zoom viewfinder
Special playback features: Enlarged playback (2x to 10x) with free scrolling to any part of image
: Advance or reverse through magnified images is available
: Resume Playback remembers image being viewed if the battery loses its charge
: Histogram display and overexposure warning to indicate overexposed areas in an image
: Image is automatically rotated when camera is in either vertical or horizontal orientation
: Special transition effects can be added when advancing or reversing through still images
: Jump 10 images, Jump 100 images, Jump shot date, Jump to movie and Jump to folder
: Slide Show: Playback interval 3-10 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds
: Movie playback: Normal, Slow Motion, Pause, Editing (portions of clip can be erased) Performance Imaging processor DIGIC II imaging processor
Continuous shooting speed: Approximately 1.5 shots per second; continuous shooting until card is full is possible with a high-speed SD card
Camera start-up time: Shooting mode: 1.4 seconds (with flash turned off and LCD monitor on); playback mode: 2.0 seconds (with flash turned off and LCD monitor on)
Movie mode resolution: Standard, Compact, Color Accent, Color Swap: 640 x 480 at 30/15 frames per second (fps) (VGA; up to 15 minutes or 1 GB per movie clip), 320 x 240 at 30/15 fps (QVGA; up to 45 minutes or 1 GB per movie clip); compact: 160 x 120 at 15 fps (QQVGA; up to 3 minutes per movie clip)
Features during movie recording: Digital zoom (optical zoom not possible); continuous autoexposure and white balance; My Colors
Movie playback: On camera's LCD monitor (with sound); standard TV monitor using video-out cord; or within Macintosh or Windows PC using Apple QuickTime software
Flash modes: Automatic firing; Auto with red-eye reduction; Flash On with red-eye reduction; Flash On; Flash Off, Slow Flash Sync, Second Curtain
Flash sync maximum distance: 14 feet (wide) / 9.8 feet (telephoto); macro flash: 9.8 inches to 1.5 feet (wide/telephoto)
Flash sync speed: 1/500 second (maximum synchronized shutter speed)
Compatible Speedlites: None; compatible with Canon High-Power HF-DC1 flash
Direct-connection to computer: USB; via dedicated Canon USB cable IFC-400PCU (supplied with camera)
USB speed: 2.0 Hi-speed
PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol): Driver-less communication with Mac OS X and Windows XP computers
Video out to TV monitor: Yes, via audio-video cable AVC-DC300; NTSC or PAL; selectable on camera's menu
Direct printing: Compatible printers: Canon Compact Photo printers: prints directly to Canon CP and Selphy printers; Canon inkjet printers: prints directly to compatible Direct-print Canon printers; third-party inkjet printers: prints directly to PictBridge-compatible printers
Printing features: Print with shooting data, image optimizer (face brightener), ID Photo print, Movie print, Layout Print (Contact Sheet type index print) outputs 35 or 20 images per page with shooting data (Layout Print feature only available with Canon Pixma pro, and select Pixma desktop printers)
Print/Share button: Yes
Battery and power: AA Alkaline batteries (four)
Recording capacity: LCD monitor on: approximately 280 shots (CIPA standard); LCD monitor off: approximately 1200 shots (Canon testing method); with AA NiMH batteries: LCD monitor on: approximately 500 shots (CIPA standard); LCD monitor off: approximately 1500 shots (Canon testing method)
LCD playback time: Approximately 20 hours (Alkaline), approximately 20 hours (NiMH) per battery charge
C adapter (optional): AC adapter kit ACK600 (not includeded--must be purchased separately)
Dimensions (W x H x D): 4.3 x 2.6 x 1.93 inches (109.4 x 66.0 x 49 millimeters), excluding protrusions
Weight (without battery or SD card) 8.64 ounces (245 grams), amera body only: Other languages
25 languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish,: Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Romanian, Ukrainian, and Arabic

Overview:

The Canon A640 might get confused with the A630 except it has a 10 megapixel sensor, a black body, support for remote capture, and costs $100 more. But it shares the same lens, controls and body design, including a variable LCD you can swivel for a more comfortable view of your subject.

As with other Canon A Series models, the A640 has a grip you can get your hands on due to the four AA batteries that it uses for power. Although it's substantial, the grip isn't too fat though to keep it out of your pocket.

The Canon A640 doesn't cheat on exposure options either. There's green Auto for those times when you have other things on your mind. And Program when you want to have at least EV control over exposure. But there are also Shutter and Aperture Priority modes. And don't forget about a full Manual mode as well. Add a Custom mode to save a special configuration and you've got yourself a nifty camera that can do it all.

Customer Comments:

I purchased this camera the week it came out. 10Megapixels is overkill today but as with all technology overkill today is outdated tomorrow. I took this camera to a hot-air balloon festival on a sunny day. All but one photograph came out extremely sharp and clear. The only photo that came out with an issue had the sun directly in it and was overexposed (my fault). To me in that one day the camera paid for itself. R. Yanchick

I bought a Cannon PowerShot A640 last week and already have taken over 100 pictures with it. It is easy to use, the Auto mode does everything. The picture quality is outstanding and the detail in Zoom mode is impresive. This camera has far exceeded my expectations as to the quality and ease of use. I like the fact that it uses AA batteries which are readily available. My first digital camera was Sony and after 2 years I discovered that the battery was propriatary and no longer available. It also has a natural feel in your hand, Not too big and not too small. Charles T. Hoopes in York, PA

This is my first ever digital camera, but I did my research and I think I knew pretty much what I was getting into. The only reason I didn't give this camera 5 stars is it's less-than-stellar performance in low-light situations, and when the ISO was set 800. I knew about these problems before hand though so I can't complain too much. I love the pivoting lcd screen, it lets me shoot from all different angles, and also do self-portraits. If I could've found this exact camera with image-stablization, I would've paid extra, but in the end I had to make a trade-off, megapixels, and pivoting screen were more important to me. Kevin Hart in Oklahoma

Website: Canon Powershot A640 Digital Camera

*Electronic products do have occasional price fluctuations so the above price may have changed slightly since this product report was created.

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