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Canon PowerShot A650 IS

Canon has introduced a couple new cameras the last couple of months, but one of them has made me crave for a new camera. The PowerShot A650 is a compact point-and-shoot camera with lots of features; its black and aluminum enclosure makes it a very attractive piece of equipment. A couple of features that makes this model a great choice are, 6X optical zoom, 12.1 Mega Pixels, Face Detection features, optical image stabilizer, Mac/PC compatible, among others.

The new A650 is the top of the line for the series A models, has the new DIGIC III image processor, and digital zoom features (that I recommend not to use). Remember that digital zoom and optical zoom are not the same; optical zoom provides real time zoom capabilities while digital zoom just blows up the pixels in the photo. Has a gorgeous 2.5-inch LCD screen as well as a viewfinder; the viewfinder option is something that makes it attractive too as many point-and-shoot makers are opting for eliminating the viewfinder.

The face detection feature is something that I haven’t test on any Canon camera but it’s a nice addition to play with. It has the mode dial key, standard option in almost every single camera available in the market today. You can choose to use the automatic mode for taking picture without loosing the ability of manual mode if needed. It has a very good low-light option, which I have tested on other Canon models and it should work great. While this camera is a great addition to your tech toys there are some drawbacks that you should keep in mind if you decide yourself for this model.

The first drawback is the price; it goes for about $300, which may be a little high for somebody looking to buy a point-and-shoot. The 6X optical zoom is not necessary the best in the market, many Kodak cameras in this price range comes with 12X optical zoom. The shutter speed is great but again not better than some other cameras in the same price range. The audio for movie clips is monaural only, connection only via USB. And the biggest of all issues is that it does not shoot RAW.

This list of drawbacks are not really a bad thing, the camera still is a great choice and one that I will give a serious thought. This camera will be available in September, Canon has a good track record of bringing the best cameras for its price and this time there is no exception. Have you owned any Canon Digital Camera? Have you had any issues with it? Share your thoughts with us; let us know what you think of this great little piece of equipment. Thanks for reading.