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5 Comments on “Canon PowerShot A495 10.0 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD”

1. Yarii
   August 28th, 2010 at 8:38 am

   I decided on the Canon A495 as I wanted an inexpensive camera to carry around in my purse for unexpected shots. This is a good camera for beginners – it’s not DSLR quality but it’s easy to learn and use; it’s not my camera of choice for my shots that I want to look really professional, my Panasonic camera is for those…but for those of you who just want a good basic camera from a well-known camera company, this one should fit your needs well.

   Are you trying to decide between the A495 and the next model lower, the A490? Here are the differences:

   · The A495 has a Face Self-Timer feature. You can focus on a group of people, and before the camera takes the shot, run over and get into the picture yourself, with your face being detected, too. Of course, you would also need a tripod or a place to set the camera down.

   · The A495 has two (2) additional Scene Modes: Poster Effect and Super Vivid Color. Nice to have the additional scenes, but how often will you use them? I plan on making some art for my living room walls with the Poster Effect scene, so I opted for the A495.

   · The A495 will focus on up to 9 faces (or areas); whereas the A490 will focus on up to 5 faces (or areas).

   You have to decide for yourself if you would be using any of these additional features to save yourself a few dollars by going with the A490 instead of the A495.

   PROS:
   
   · Easy to use straight out of the box – I didn’t need to read the manual to start out, but I recommend reading it to learn about all the features
   
   · Fairly durable, even though it’s made of plastic
   
   · Powers up ready to take a picture in about a second
   
   · 2.5″ LCD screen is large enough to see clearly
   
   · Takes great close-up (macro) shots
   
   · Program mode lets you change some settings like exposure compensation, ISO, continuous shooting, metering mode, etc.
   
   · Larger than an ultra-compact camera, so it’s easier to grip and avoid dropping
   
   · Uses AA batteries, and I’m surprised I got over 400 shots from my rechargeable batteries (the alkaline AA batteries included did not last long) – so I recommend rechargeables
   
   · Takes surprisingly good video with sound (not HD) and can be directly uploaded to YouTube (this is part of the included software)
   
   · The ZoomBrowser photo editing software has always been a favorite of mine, I use it with all my cameras, no matter what brand they are. I like this more than Picasa.

   CONS:
   
   · Recovery time after taking a picture is SLOW, and even worse if using the flash (approximately 3 seconds w/flash) – this is normal with a camera that uses two AA batteries. It’s still better than the Nikon L20, though.
   
   · No optical image stabilization – but this is rare in any camera at this price point
   
   · No optical viewfinder – again, hard to find now in any camera, but if you want one, check out this Canon: Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   
   · Battery door is flimsy, I have to be careful when closing it so the hinge doesn’t break, and if not careful, the batteries fall out when removing the SD card
   
   · Slightly on the bulky side, won’t fit easily in a shirt pocket, should be OK in a pants pocket

   I would have given this camera 5 stars if it wasn’t so darn slow on the recycling time after taking a photo. It flashes “busy” on the LCD screen and it is frustrating when you are waiting to take another shot.

   NOTE #1: This camera does not come with an SD card, so pick one up when buying the camera as you will not be able to use it right out of the box otherwise. This camera will accept SDHC cards up to/including 32 GB.

   NOTE #2: The PSC-500 genuine Canon case Canon PSC-500 Deluxe Soft Case fits this camera perfectly, but there is no extra room for spare batteries. It’s a snug fit, but it’s well padded too.

   NOTE #3: For those of you looking for a camera that can put a date stamp on your pictures, this one does. You have your choice of date only or date and time – or none at all.

   Rating: 4 / 5

2. Yarii
   August 28th, 2010 at 10:55 am

   I decided on the Canon A495 as I wanted an inexpensive camera to carry around in my purse for unexpected shots. This is a good camera for beginners – it’s not DSLR quality but it’s easy to learn and use; it’s not my camera of choice for my shots that I want to look really professional, my Panasonic camera is for those…but for those of you who just want a good basic camera from a well-known camera company, this one should fit your needs well.

   Are you trying to decide between the A495 and the next model lower, the A490? Here are the differences:

   · The A495 has a Face Self-Timer feature. You can focus on a group of people, and before the camera takes the shot, run over and get into the picture yourself, with your face being detected, too. Of course, you would also need a tripod or a place to set the camera down.

   · The A495 has two (2) additional Scene Modes: Poster Effect and Super Vivid Color. Nice to have the additional scenes, but how often will you use them? I plan on making some art for my living room walls with the Poster Effect scene, so I opted for the A495.

   · The A495 will focus on up to 9 faces (or areas); whereas the A490 will focus on up to 5 faces (or areas).

   You have to decide for yourself if you would be using any of these additional features to save yourself a few dollars by going with the A490 instead of the A495.

   PROS:
   
   · Easy to use straight out of the box – I didn’t need to read the manual to start out, but I recommend reading it to learn about all the features
   
   · Fairly durable, even though it’s made of plastic
   
   · Powers up ready to take a picture in about a second
   
   · 2.5″ LCD screen is large enough to see clearly
   
   · Takes great close-up (macro) shots
   
   · Program mode lets you change some settings like exposure compensation, ISO, continuous shooting, metering mode, etc.
   
   · Larger than an ultra-compact camera, so it’s easier to grip and avoid dropping
   
   · Uses AA batteries, and I’m surprised I got over 400 shots from my rechargeable batteries (the alkaline AA batteries included did not last long) – so I recommend rechargeables
   
   · Takes surprisingly good video with sound (not HD) and can be directly uploaded to YouTube (this is part of the included software)
   
   · The ZoomBrowser photo editing software has always been a favorite of mine, I use it with all my cameras, no matter what brand they are. I like this more than Picasa.

   CONS:
   
   · Recovery time after taking a picture is SLOW, and even worse if using the flash (approximately 3 seconds w/flash) – this is normal with a camera that uses two AA batteries. It’s still better than the Nikon L20, though.
   
   · No optical image stabilization – but this is rare in any camera at this price point
   
   · No optical viewfinder – again, hard to find now in any camera, but if you want one, check out this Canon: Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   
   · Battery door is flimsy, I have to be careful when closing it so the hinge doesn’t break, and if not careful, the batteries fall out when removing the SD card
   
   · Slightly on the bulky side, won’t fit easily in a shirt pocket, should be OK in a pants pocket

   I would have given this camera 5 stars if it wasn’t so darn slow on the recycling time after taking a photo. It flashes “busy” on the LCD screen and it is frustrating when you are waiting to take another shot.

   NOTE #1: This camera does not come with an SD card, so pick one up when buying the camera as you will not be able to use it right out of the box otherwise. This camera will accept SDHC cards up to/including 32 GB.

   NOTE #2: The PSC-500 genuine Canon case Canon PSC-500 Deluxe Soft Case fits this camera perfectly, but there is no extra room for spare batteries. It’s a snug fit, but it’s well padded too.

   NOTE #3: For those of you looking for a camera that can put a date stamp on your pictures, this one does. You have your choice of date only or date and time – or none at all.
   Rating: 4 / 5

3. Yarii
   August 28th, 2010 at 1:27 pm

   I decided on the Canon A495 as I wanted an inexpensive camera to carry around in my purse for unexpected shots. I purchased the red camera – it’s a deep frosted red with black trim.

   This is a good camera for beginners – it’s not DSLR quality but it’s easy to learn and use; it’s not my camera of choice for my shots that I want to look really professional, my Panasonic camera is for those…but for those of you who just want a good basic camera from a well-known camera company, this one should fit your needs well.

   Are you trying to decide between the A495 and the next model lower, the A490? Here are the differences:

   · The A495 has a Face Self-Timer feature. You can focus on a group of people, and before the camera takes the shot, run over and get into the picture yourself, with your face being detected, too. Of course, you would also need a tripod or a place to set the camera down.

   · The A495 has two (2) additional Scene Modes: Poster Effect and Super Vivid Color. Nice to have the additional scenes, but how often will you use them? I plan on making some art for my living room walls with the Poster Effect scene, so I opted for the A495.

   · The A495 will focus on up to 9 faces (or areas); whereas the A490 will focus on up to 5 faces (or areas).

   You have to decide for yourself if you would be using any of these additional features to save yourself a few dollars by going with the A490 instead of the A495.

   PROS:
   
   · Easy to use straight out of the box – I didn’t need to read the manual to start out, but I recommend reading it to learn about all the features
   
   · Fairly durable, even though it’s made of plastic
   
   · Powers up ready to take a picture in about a second
   
   · 2.5″ LCD screen is large enough to see clearly
   
   · Takes great close-up (macro) shots
   
   · Program mode lets you change some settings like exposure compensation, ISO, continuous shooting, metering mode, etc.
   
   · Larger than an ultra-compact camera, so it’s easier to grip and avoid dropping
   
   · Uses AA batteries, and I’m surprised I got over 400 shots from my rechargeable batteries (the alkaline AA batteries included did not last long) – so I recommend rechargeables
   
   · Takes surprisingly good video with sound (not HD) and can be directly uploaded to YouTube (this is part of the included software)
   
   · The ZoomBrowser photo editing software has always been a favorite of mine, I use it with all my cameras, no matter what brand they are. I like this more than Picasa.

   CONS:
   
   · Recovery time after taking a picture is SLOW, and even worse if using the flash (approximately 3 seconds w/flash) – this is normal with a camera that uses two AA batteries. It’s still better than the Nikon L20, though.
   
   · No optical image stabilization – but this is rare in any camera at this price point
   
   · No optical viewfinder – again, hard to find now in any camera, but if you want one, check out this Canon: Canon PowerShot A1100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)
   
   · Battery door is flimsy, I have to be careful when closing it so the hinge doesn’t break, and if not careful, the batteries fall out when removing the SD card
   
   · Slightly on the bulky side, won’t fit easily in a shirt pocket, should be OK in a pants pocket

   I would have given this camera 5 stars if it wasn’t so darn slow on the recycling time after taking a photo. It flashes “busy” on the LCD screen and it is frustrating when you are waiting to take another shot.

   NOTE #1: This camera does not come with an SD card, so pick one up when buying the camera as you will not be able to use it right out of the box otherwise. This camera will accept SDHC cards up to/including 32 GB.

   NOTE #2: The PSC-500 genuine Canon case Canon PSC-500 Deluxe Soft Case fits this camera perfectly, but there is no extra room for spare batteries. It’s a snug fit, but it’s well padded too.

   NOTE #3: For those of you looking for a camera that can put a date stamp on your pictures, this one does. You have your choice of date only or date and time – or none at all.
   Rating: 4 / 5

4. Andrew Siew
   August 28th, 2010 at 3:16 pm

   The Canon Powershot A495 is probably one of the most affordable compact digital cameras out there. A little bit bulky and encased in a full plastic body, including a plastic lens barrel, its design may not catch your eyes at first, but this pocket-sized, AA-battery powered digital compact will surprise you in many ways once you take it out of the box.

   With a high-quality 2.5″ LCD screen, composing shots are easy, and the auto scene detection function makes taking pictures a breeze. With the DIGIC III processor (although not as good as Canon’s latest Digic IV processor, it does a fine job here), the camera’s software is able to detect up to 9 faces within a single frame quickly and adjusts the exposure accordingly so the subjects don’t turn out overexposed or underexposed. Recovery time is amanzingly fast, again thanks to the DIGIC III processor normally only found in the more expensive IXUS models and Canon’s DSLRs, so you can go on to shoot the next picture almost immmediately. The DIGIC III processor also makes sure that the pictures come out as clean and as noise free as possible. The A495 shoots from ISO 80 all the way up to ISO 1600, and with a small 1/2.3 inch sensor, keeping the images clean and noise free is no easy feat. The white balance adjustment is nearly perfect, with the camera producing almost natural colors even under flourescent lights. Test images have been uploaded under the customer’s images section showing the color reproduction and noise performance of the camera.

   Of course, the A495 is by no means a perfect little camera, with a few disappointing features here and there, and they are 1) a slow continuous burst, at a sluggish 0.95 frame per second 2) the night mode, which shoots at 2 megapixels only, and 3) a somewhat imperfect software which always keeps the camera’s shutter speed just slow enough indoors to cause just a little blur to the images, even with the flash on. Therefore, it’ll wise for you to keep the camera as steady as possible or use a tripod when you’re shooting indoors.

   Compared to the very closely priced Sony DSC-S930 and S950 released last year, the Canon is able to produce much cleaner and sharper pictures at any given ISO (even though there is no ISO 3200), and the quality of the images closely matches those of the very expensive Sony DSC-WX1 with EXMOR-R sensor, which comes as a surprise to me.

   With its low price point and high quality images, the Canon Powershot A495 makes a perfect gift for any casual photographer, and for someone who’s just getting into photography, it has enough features to become a back-up camera with its ability to use AA batteries straight out of a convenient store.
   Rating: 5 / 5

5. rob damage
   August 28th, 2010 at 6:10 pm

   i’ve had many digital point & shoots in the past and i’ve got to say that the A495 is simply the best. here you have a camera you can take pictures with with ease in automatic mode and then further your picture taking skills with both the program mode and the settings mode. for anyone with experience in digital cameras, the aforementioned settings are familiar territory- but one should know, never has navigating the settings been easier and faster. not only is this a handy little camera to have around for those ‘just in case’ moments, but it is a great camera to grow with. i really wish that this was my very first introduction to the digital camera world! put in a little effort and viola! in no time, you’re taking pictures worth framing. at 10 mega pixels, these shots can be blown up to poster size, suitable for hanging!!
   
   the camera also comes with a video mode- great for shooting small video clips, an AV cable- to attach to your TV set to watch your pics & videos on the big screen, a USB cable- to upload your pics/vids to your computer for editing, and a disk with a pdf instruction manual, and the solid Canon Zoom browser for editing your pics.
   
   in all, a perfect pocket sized camera not only for the person that doesn’t feel like lugging around something bigger & more expensive, but for someone on a tight budget that wants something with quality and the ability to learn with.
   
   (honorable mention has to go to the ‘posterize’ camera setting. i included some of the pics i took in this mode- i’m absolutely addicted to shooting with this setting in widescreen!!!)
   
   finally, nothing is without flaws: if i absolutely HAD to find fault with this camera this would be it:
   
   1. AA battery life (definitely bring backup batteries- or better yet, rechargables)
   
   2. (another person mentioned in another review) flash recovery takes a few seconds- that could mean the difference between a decent pic and a blurry mess. although it goes without saying that this is a problem in almost ALL compact digital cameras.
   
   3. no view finder (i’m reaching here- this has never been a concern of mine, yet some people absolutely NEED one).
   
   Rating: 5 / 5