Canon PowerShot A470 7MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Gray) Reviews

• A good entry-level camera

  
  By A10G4BPT5MGBHY on 2008-03-11
  These PowerShot "A" cameras are Canon's attempt to deliver the quality and features of its more expensive PowerShot "G" and PowerShot Pro "S" lines (such as full zoom lenses) at a budget price. The results are pretty good. (How do I know? Because I've actually gotten to use all of these cameras. I earn my living at Walt Disney World writing a travel guide, and nearly every day guests ask me to take photos of them with their own cameras, which most often are Canon PowerShots.)
  
  Here's my opinion of the top-selling "A" series cameras:
  
  7TH PLACE: Featuring Canon's acclaimed Digic III processor, the 2007-model A560 includes the company's face-detection metering system and a decent red-eye removal. It's a nice camera, but a better value is the new A470 (see below). $150 list.
  
  6TH PLACE: The A570IS is the same camera as the A560 but with optical image stabilization and the ability to shoot manually. $200 list.
  
  5TH PLACE: You can do a lot with the sweet little A630. It's a 2006 model, but has a flip-out LCD panel and lots of manual controls. The shots I've seen from this model look great. Keep your ISO under 800 and you won't get any noise. $350 list. (Canon offers a 2007 version of this camera that I haven't had much experience with yet, the A650 IS. It also lists for $350.)
  
  4TH PLACE: The 2008-model A580 is an A590IS (see 1st Place, below) without image stabilization and with semi-automatic instead of manual controls. $150 list.
  
  3RD PLACE: The fully-loaded A720 IS has all the toys, including a 6x zoom (35mm film equivalent of 35-210mm), image stabilization, adjustable flash power and optional second-curtain flash. This last feature means you can make the flash fire at the end of a long exposure, instead of the beginning, so moving subjects streak into focus instead of out. A 2007 model. $200 list.
  
  2ND PLACE: The 2008 entry-level A470 (the camera on this page) is great for kids or anyone just looking for a good basic camera. But frankly, it's better than basic. It includes Canon's face detection technology and has a zoom lens, 14 shooting modes and the ability to set exposure compensation, ISO and white balance manually. Plus it looks great with the color inserts. Everyone with this little camera always seems to be having fun. $130 list.
  
  1ST PLACE: The A590IS is the A580 (see 4th Place, above) with image stabilization and with the option of full manual controls. For an extra $30 those features are well worth it. I bought this model for myself. $180 list.
  
  

• Beautiful camera with one major shortcoming

  
  By A2HBWBI3TK12RL on 2008-03-30
  I was attracted to this camera as a new version of the A460, which was highly rated by PC World. It is indeed very simple to use with a large LCD display, much greater resolution than the A70 I bought five years ago, and uses a 2 GB memory chip. The drawback is that the camera has no view finder. You take a picture by looking at it in the LCD display. That works fine indoors, but outdoors the daylight washes out the display so that framing a picture is almost guesswork.Canon PowerShot A470 7MP Digital Camera with 3.4x Optical Zoom (Red)
  
  

• it's a basic camera...

  
  By A2YDDGG3UCM7TK on 2008-06-15
  i usually love canon cameras, but this camera i was not very happy with. i have no problem with the pictures coming out good. the color comes out very nice. the problem i have with it is the time that it takes to take one picture and then take another. if your batteries are not fully charged, the wait time to take another pic could be up to 10 seconds. the zoom can be blurry at times too. it's a good basic camera for someone who takes photos every now and then. but if it's for trips and you want to capture alot of moments, you're gonna miss out on alot by waiting for the batteries to charge up again to take the next pic...
  
  

• Very intuitive

  
  By A2QHEA5ITL64N6 on 2008-04-20
  I bought this camera for my 14 year old son to take on school trips. His previous camera from another manufacturer lasted barely six months and took mediocre photos. This camera however is awesome! The pictures are sharp, perfectly exposed and the camera is really simple to use. Seems the menus are designed for regular people to understand. He appreciated that a lot.
  The bottom line is he had one day to learn how to use the camera and then spent a week in Boston with his class. His photos were great and his camera experience was excellent...and I didn't break the bank for to purchase it either :)
  
  

• (Just an amateur here)

  
  By A2Z7GKUQCT28U1 on 2008-06-13
  For the list price ($129.00) I really couldn't find a better camera. I work in a photo processing lab, where I also deal with and sell cameras for most of the day, so before purchasing my own I did a lot of hands-on research playing with and reading about all the cameras that were within the price I wanted to spend. I'm still learning as far as all the fancy features, but if you're like me and just need a good camera for everyday type stuff, this one is perfect. With its 7.1 mega pixels, it takes really sharp pictures and what I really like is how fast the shutter is. There's virtually no delay between the time you focus the camera and go to snap the actual picture. That was my biggest problem with my old camera-- I'd go to focus in and then by the time I actually snapped the photo, the delay was so annoyingly long that the moment was lost. The LCD screen is a great size, not too large and not too small. At 2.5", you get a really good idea of what you're shooting, even without a viewfinder. The only complaint I have is that it's not as great outdoors in bright weather. The screen gets really washed out and makes it kind of difficult to get a good shot. This is fixable though, as they sell pop-up shade clips (about $10) you can attach to the camera so as to correct that. I haven't tried them personally, but heard they work really well. I also really like the size of the camera itself. A lot of people are attracted to the super slim tiny cameras you can fit in a pocket, but that didn't appeal to me. I wanted something I'd be comfortable holding, fit well in my hands, and didn't feel like I was going to drop it. Its like the perfect size for me, because it's still really compact but not so small that it gives me anxiety over dropping it/breaking something. Alternately, its not so big that I can't easily carry it around with me.
  
  I would consider this camera a step up from a lot of others in the price range. Along with the scene modes (which is pretty standard on most point and shoots anyway) it has a manual setting, which is fun to play around with and really easy to navigate. For someone like me who is still learning all the technical stuff it's a good first camera. You can customize a fair amount but its not overwhelming and hard to learn. At my job we are trained on what are the best selling points, features, etc, and whereas I take that into mind I also know that everyone is picky in their own way and some people care about certain features more than others. Personally I just wanted something to use on vacations, to take pictures of friends and I, my cats, etc. If you want something for fast action scenarios, sporting events and the like, you might want to skip this camera. It's only got the standard 3.4 optical zoom, which really is not that far, and even though it zooms farther digitally...it will get more blurry the further in you go. That is one thing Canon needs to improve upon-- a lot of their lower end models like this one have poor image stabilizing.
  
  Canon's face detection technology is pretty cool though. In Auto mode (and probably manual too, I'm not positive though) it actually locks onto a person's face and almost highlights it...like zooms just their face in so you can see if it's clearly focused before taking the pic. This is a feature you can turn on or off in the Menu settings. It throws you off a bit in relation to the rest of the photo, but once you get the hang of it it's really helpful (in group shots especially.)
  
  Bottom line - great deal for the price! You see a lot of Nikon's (Coolpix series) in the $89-129 price range, but in my experience this newer Canon definitely surpasses them. I had a Nikon Coolpix 5600 (probably about 2 yrs old now), and whereas it took beautifully sharp photos, the lag time was incredibly slow and that's what made me like this Canon better. Faster shutter times make all the difference! Canon's photo software is easier to navigate as well, with more custom settings to play around with when you want to edit/share your pictures on your computer.
  
  OH- And a note about the AA batteries for this Canon: Obviously if you use standard alkaline AA's your response time is going to be a lot slower. Investing in good quality rechargeables is more than worth the money, it makes all the difference. I myself prefer Energizer's Lithium batteries, the blue and silver ones, as oppose to the rechargeables...just because they are specially designed for high powered devices like digital cameras, and you don't have to mess around with a charger, or the whole rotating batteries in and out. I got a good couple months of use out of a set of two, while taking pictures frequently...on a trip, and even just in everyday daily use. It's about $5 for a two pack and $9 for 4.
  
  
• Good Camera for Price
  By A24GK18LN49W43 on 2008-06-13
  This is a good camera for the price. It is simple to use and takes clear, crisp pictures. Also, the battery life is good. And the price makes it affordable to take good pictures.
  
  Just keep in mind, that this camera works well if your subject is stationary. It is not for action shots. I have tried to take pictures of my kids playing in the yard and pictures usually come out blurry. Also, there is a bit of a lag time for the picture to be taken. Therefore, I have a tendency to miss the shot.
  
  
  
• Preordered this one before it came out, looks really cool
  By A2VT1EEO2GTAY2 on 2008-04-14
  Simple, does what it's supposed to do and the best part is that it used AA batteries. I don't even use the highest setting when I take pictures so 7.1 MP is more than enough for my use. For those who want to blow up to poster sizes, you should get an SLR, but for a normal everyday use camera this is the one to get. You could get more features for the price they are asking for but this one looks too cool.
  
  
• Awesome!
  By A3FC7NGOYT61F0 on 2008-05-05
  While I love the Canon SD series, I was looking for a camera that used regular AA batteries. I actually bought the Canon A470 on a whim- I saw it at a local store. It was within my budget and I thought it was cute. (I bought the blue one.) So far, I'm happy to say that I love this camera. I use it when I don't feel like carrying around my Canon Digital Rebel XTi. The menu and controls are easy to find and use. The pictures that it takes come out very nice! I don't use the flash very often, so the battery life is actually quite swell.
  
  
• Very good camera for the price
  By A3M1SA7CDWBO52 on 2008-05-28
  Took about 600 vacation photos with the A470 about a week after I got it and I was very satisfied with the results. On a handful of shots it didn't seem to focus properly, but by looking the shot on the screen after I took it, I know that I wanted to snap another shot in those few instances. The image stabilization worked well - I didn't have too much trouble due to camera shake, despite having to hold it at arms length to take pix, rather than look through a viewfinder which I had been accostomed to. Shot almost everything at 5 Mpixel rather than 7 MP, though I did use the widescreen mode a couple dozen times, which I was very happy with. It came in handy for some wide landscapes & tall objects that I shot. Of course, it's easy to crop a digital image, but it's also nice to have the widescreen mode built in to the camera.
  
  
• Meets our Needs
  By ACF23D0RBOP6N on 2008-05-29
  We have several Maintenance men who need cameras out in the field. We typically used Polaroid film, but with that going away, I needed something digital for the not-so-tech-minded guys. This camera does exactly what I need. It has larger buttons and is bulky in the hand, so they can use the cameras with gloves on. It takes AA Batteries, which is another plus - I don't have to follow up with a guy to make sure he charged a battery, or when something is urgent, I won't hear he forgot to charge it up. The only BAD thing about the camera is the weak battery door. It seems flimsy and looks as though it could break easily. I am not too worried about it though, as the cameras are inexpensive, and with careful operation, it should work out well. Overall, it's a great camera for what I need, simple, reliable and large (Not a lot of shooting options, but I don't want those for this purpose. It meets our needs).
  
  
• Batteries
  By A2S4TFPWW61ESZ on 2008-06-05
  I had to return this as Canon told me the camera must be defective. The batteries would drain after two to three minutes. So I got my new one today and will see how it works. I recommend getting rechargeable batteries for this camera as I have been told you only get three to four hours of use for every two you put in.
  Other than that I love it! Good color and I love that when you turn the camera a different direction the picture formats accordingly.
  
  
• Great value and performance
  By A3T1IAZR5LF8H4 on 2008-05-05
  Just got this camera and it's terrific. It's easy to use, the screen is a decent size, the image stabilization is great, and most of all, the picture quality is very good! I wanted to buy a more expensive Canon model but just didn't have the extra money, but I'm very satisfied with this one.
  
  
• Canon Powershot A470
  By A2BBW85G6I1MBO on 2008-05-02
  
  Haven't used it extensively yet but will at my daughter's graduation. So far have found it easy to use and definitely suits my purposes - it's my first digital camera. The size and style are just right and I expect to be very satisfied.
  
  
• Great camera, had to flip the date/time battery for it to save date/time
  By A249AI3QPNMYBU on 2008-06-14
  For the total price of $113 plus $10 for a Kingston 2GB memory card, this was a great bargain. You will definitely want to purchase the memory card on amazon as well because the 32MB memory card that comes with this camera will hold maybe 15 pictures or so. The 2GB memory card for only $10 holds about 1000 pictures.
  When this camera arrived to me, I turned it on and it asked for the DATE and TIME. But when I powered down the camera and then turned it back on later, it again asked for the date/time. So the camera was not saving the Date/Time. I opened the battery cover and their is a slot for the CR1220 Date battery which is as small as a watch battery. IT WAS UPSIDE DOWN. The + symbol of the battery was facing up and in reality, the - symbol needed to be facing up. After I flipped around this 'watch battery', the camera was able to save the Date/Time and it never again asked me for the Date/Time each time I started it up. I wrote to Canon and requested they retrain their staff with this issue since it caused me alot of headache. Overall, the camera works great! Large LCD screen, easy to handle, uses only 2 AA batteries and has 5 different resolutions to choose from when taking pictures, including a widescreen resolution and a Date/Time stamp selection so the date/time get stamped onto each picture you take. Great camera, the blue color looks sharp!
  
  
• Good kid camera
  By A14SPNJ9UVG42 on 2008-06-29
  Bought this camera for our 4-year-old. Really, a $100 camera for a 4-year-old? Well, I did not want to spend $85 on Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera - Blue (New Version) that is big and clunky and even though it may be a little tougher, the view screen and picture quality is no match for the Canon PowerShot A470.
  
  I got a nice small camera case and my son has taken great care of this camera. He used it on our recent vacation and he took great pictures. Have created a web site to share his unique outlook on life.
  
  This is a good camera with minimal options, but with great picture quality. The color options were fun for the kid to pick out as well.
  
  
• Beautiful camera
  By A115LZEC3IXLO7 on 2008-04-19
  I bought this camera for a friend as a wedding gift and she loves it. It is easy to use and the image is pretty clear. In fact, she wants me to buy one more for her sister.
  
  
• Good camera
  By A7E717ARD15JF on 2008-05-30
  We bought the Canon PowerShot A470 camera as a birthday gift for our teenage daughter. She loves it! The camera is compact, but it still has a big viewing screen and easy-to-use controls. She is enjoying the video capabilities and the fast shutter action. We did buy a 4 gig memory card to hold all the data, and I would recommend that as well. All in all, it seems to be a good buy for the money.
  
  
• good purchase for the price
  By A2I70SFHB91L5X on 2008-06-04
  It is a good camera for the price, cannot expect the best but it certainly does the job, it is compact, handy, lighter than my other cameras, good for quick pictures, not meant for high-quality photography
  
  
• Great camera!
  By A1PKZFD1ASRSWG on 2008-07-07
  I did alot of research before buying this camera. Being that I am not camera savy I wanted something that I could point and shoot and get brilliant pictures. I was in the market to get the Canon A560 but they were sold out at all the stores in my area. The clerk showed me the A470 and I was instantly impressed by it. The A470 was easy to learn how to use. I downloaded the pictures for the first time today and was impressed by the quality. It doesn't matter if the photos are taken inside or outdoors - the color is vibrant and the image is crisp and clear. I am having so much fun with this camera - probably even driving my kids crazy by taking pictures all the time. I think anyone who purchases this camera will be very happy with it.
  
  
• It's decent
  By A16HUIW6I1GCKJ on 2008-07-28
  We bought this camera for our boys. They had been wanting to take good pictures, but I really cringed when they used my $600 camera. We were hoping this would be perfect for them. (Ages 11, 9, & 7). I have to say, it's probably right for the price. When the sun is out, you have plenty of time because your subject isn't moving much, then it takes an amazing picture. If it is low light, it is really grainy. If there is a bit of movement (not running or on an amusement ride, just kids walking or playing,) it can be hard to get a decent picture.
  For my boys it's fine, if it was my only camera I would be incredibly disapointed. I will probably take it on field trips as it is far more compact than my big camera.
  
  
• Great Camara
  By AJ9FZXZOYDEF on 2008-05-14
  I like the camara, It is just the right size and the pictures are great!
  
  
  
• Great camera- easy to use for the "noobie"
  By A1N75ASVAMF7IL on 2008-06-04
  Got this camera for my mother who is not too techno savy. Loves it and it works great. Takes excellent pictures.
  
  
• Canon Powershot A470
  By A2QQ5VTWPHS709 on 2008-06-07
  We have a Canon Camera, but it's larger and heavier than the Powershot A470. I wanted something small that I could either put in my pocket or bag. This camera fits that description and more. It's easy to set, focus and shoot! The pictures are clear and sharp. Recently though, I downloaded pictures into a digital picture frame. I was disappointed that some of the pictures had dark background and were fuzzy, but I think that it was more fault of the picture frame than the camera. I'm returning the digital frame for a larger one. All-in-all, I love my new camera and highly recommend it for someone who just wants an easy-to-use and carry-around type of camera.
  
  
• Pretty Good Camera
  By A352L0RZQ7KNXW on 2008-06-26
  I bought this for my 15 year old daughter who had been wanting a digital for a while. I haven't gone "pixel peeping" but the pictures look good when viewed on the computer screen. She has no trouble accessing the menus to go for different effects. Battery life is decent. I recommend getting re-chargeables. All in all a pretty good little camera.
  
  
• Great Camera For The Price
  By A255TPM74887 on 2008-07-08
  Bought this camera to replace one I had that I dropped. I originally had a Canon A570, and loved it. So this time I decided to go with something a little more compact. Recieved this camera yesterday and I am very happy with it so far. Takes great pictures and good video. Its small enough to fit into my purse if need be, and I can still get the great quality from a Canon that I expect. No problems with battery life, but I do use the lithium battery in my camera, so I expect none. Would recommend this camera to anyone.
  
  
• offers more than expected!
  By AYRROUCE3I22Q on 2008-07-09
  I bought this camera after having an older Kodak 4 mega pixel. I was happy with my Kodak other than it being dropped too many times. This little camera is well worth the $130! It takes awesome photos and has video as well! We didnt realize this when we bought it, so it was a nice bonus for us! It seems easy to understand and view photos. I would get this one again! I used it to take my daughter's 5 yr. photo and am happier with them than when I took her to a prof. photographer!
  
  
• Canon Camera- Awesome!
  By A8YLJW7GASP2N on 2008-07-27
  Really great camera. It has a big display screen, great photo quality, and is very easy to use. The camera is light and compact, but not so small I would misplace it, and it fits well and comfortably in my hand. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a great, high-quality product for an affordable price.
  
  
• Good. But not great
  By A2RFTEHCHAQBYO on 2008-08-30
  I didn't like the modes that it had that sometimes darken your pictures. It's a hassle changing these modes. And the modes that don't darken your picture, the blurry shows so you have to hold the camera very steady. There's also a choice of it not being blurry even if you're shaking it, but in that case, the camera is slower to take pics and load, and/or would have to be placed back to darken mode. You can't see full screen pics by setting the view mode to "View All" so it sucks having to see them smaller or you can do the full screen but then it sets to one-by-one.
  
  And the worse part is the batteries. It's what you get for paying cheap for a camera. I had to buy a Duracell battery charger and even duracell can't last that long before I have to charge it again. I end up having to charge it over just for using it a few hours. So it eats up a lot of power from the batteries. In all, it's definitely not the kind of camera I'd stick with me for the rest of my life. In that long time, I might buy a new one soon.
  
  
• I love this camera!
  By AEM57NVIFQ8B9 on 2008-08-31
  I have to say, this camera takes INSANELY good quality pictures! For the price, and size, it really can not be beat! I am a fan of Canon Products, and this camera reassures me that I can keep trusting them when it comes to digital photography!
  
  Simple to use, lasts days and days on the batteries, and uses SD memory cards (which my laptops have readers built in for, making it very convenient). The LCD view screen is great! Big, and beautiful! This machine gets rid of the viewfinder, which rarely ever gets used due to their inaccurate nature, and leaves out other frilly features that would only cause issues or break in the future.
  
  I have had very good experience with my history f owning Canon cameras, and this one is as rugged as it should be. As long as you don't beat up on it, it should give you many years of reliable, quality use!
  
  
• Canon PowerShot A470
  By A2R8317AL563Z0 on 2008-09-02
  A really great camera,for a first time user. It is easy to use although it takes a little while to get used to how to operate and select the features. Stay away from the "Format" section - this will delete all your pictures. Also, you will need to buy a new memory card, preferably a 1G, as the one that comes with the camera only holds about 15 pictures. But other than these need to know tips you will enjoy using this camera. It will be good to buy a camera case as it doesn't come with one and you will need something to protect your camera as you carry it around.
  
  

• Digipower DPS-2500 Slim Travel Plug-In AA/AAA Battery Charger with 4 AA 2300mAh Batteries (Black)
• Vista Explorer 60" Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag
• MyStudio™ 20 Deluxe Expanded Professional Tabletop Photo Studio w/ 5000K Lighting for Product Photography, 40x20x12 inches
• MyStudio™ 32 Professional Tabletop Photo Studio Background for Product Photography, 32x32x16 inches
• MyStudio™ 32 Deluxe Expanded Professional Tabletop Photo Studio Background for Product Photography, 64x32x16 inches

• Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB, Retail Package)
• Kingston SD/2GBKR 2 GB SD Memory Card
• Canon PSC-85 Deluxe Soft Case for Canon Powershot A650IS and A720IS
• Transcend TS2GSDC 2GB Secure Digital Card
• Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom