canon PowerShot A630 8MP digital camera with 4x Optical Zoom
The PowerShot A630 digital camera not only provides a stunning 8.0 megapixel resolution, but is packed with a full range of high-performance features previously found only on canon’s higher-end cameras. The result is an affordable camera that produces truly superior photography. The high resolution is complemented by a 4x optical zoom that brings the world up close, and you’ll see it all clearly on the big, bright 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor.
There are 21 shooting modes that make photography easy, fun and creative, and they are joined by great functionality features such as expanded ISO settings that let you shoot in low light without blur.
Shooting Modes - Auto; Creative - P, Av, Tv, M, C; Image - Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap), Stitch Assist, Movie Exposure Control - Program Auto Exposure (AE), Shutter Speed-Priority AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Manual Shutter Speed Range - 15-1/2500 sec. (settable in Tv and M) Sensitivity - High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent Bright, 2.5 LCD viewing screen Automatic, multi-mode electronic-flash Direct connection to canon CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge compatible printers via camera’s USB 2.0 Hi-Speed cable Dimensions (WxHxD) - 4.31 x 2.60 x 1.93 in. / 109.4 x 66.0 x 49.0mm.
Quality control
The 8.0-megapixel sensor allows for creative cropping while providing enough detail for large, high-quality prints. A new Safety Zoom takes advantage of the camera’s high resolution to offer extra zoom magnification without affecting image quality–up to 16x zoom when shooting Small size images. Users can also activate the digital Teleconverter to add extra telephoto reach on all shots, similar to adding a teleconverter lens to the camera.
The 4x optical zoom lens achieves a 35-140mm focal length (35mm equivalent) while allowing the camera to maintain a compact size. The lens construction incorporates 8 elements in 7 groupings, including two aspherical elements to maximize sharpness across the whole image. With a maximum aperture range of f2.8 (wide) to f4.1 (telephoto), the lens is remarkably bright at the telephoto end.
ISO 800 mode improves results when shooting in low-light settings and enables flash-free photography indoors. The camera’s High ISO Auto setting prioritizes fast shutter speeds by automatically using the higher range of ISO sensitivities, reducing the risk of unwanted image blur.
Improved LCD and playback
A larger 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD screen enables accurate framing from unusual angles, such as those encountered when using the 1-centimeter (.4-inch) Macro mode. The enhanced user interface (UI) retains a selectable Grid Line display to assist with rule-of-thirds compositions, while users can also enable a new 3:2 ratio overlay during shooting to view the printable area for standard photo prints. Playback is enhanced with an overexposure warning feature, which indicates overexposed areas in captured images.
Flexible shooting
The PowerShot A630 offers users a range of versatile features for creative photography. A choice of 21 shooting modes includes Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and full Manual modes for complete exposure control. A Second Curtain Sync function allows for creative flash exposures, such as light trails. Artistic photo effects can be applied in-camera during and after shooting with My Colors.
Filming is also possible at a high standard–VGA quality movies can be captured with sound at a smooth 30 frames per second (fps). The AV-out connection and supplied cable allows for full screen playback on a TV.
Full range of accessories
A comprehensive range of optional lenses and accessories includes wide (0.7x) and telephoto (1.75x) converter lenses. The optional High Power Flash offers further flexibility for night time photography, while an optional waterproof case allows full control at depths of up to 40 meters. (Accessories are not included and must be purchased separately.)
canon PowerShot A630 Details:
Imaging sensor resolution: Approximately 8.0 million pixels
Recording pixels: 3264 x 2448
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: 1.6x and 2.0x; 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 = 5.0x, Medium 2 = 6.4x, Medium 3 = 8.2x, Small = 16x
Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups (including two aspherical lenses with two aspherical surfaces)
Aperture control: f2.8 (wide) to 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: 3264 x 1832 (wide-screen, 5.9MP); 2592 x 1944 M1 (5.0MP); 2048 x 1536 M2 (3.1MP); 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 inches
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 1.8 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 350 (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), camera 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
Customer Review: Amazing camera value!
This is one of those nice cameras that’s so well done, it’s easier to talk about what the camera ISN’T, rather than what it IS! This camera is not a small, shirt pocket camera, and might be a bit bigger than a woman would wish to carry in a purse. It’s not a super-tele camera, but it does have a respectable, bit longer than average 4x optical zoom.
Using the camera, it has a good weight and feel for average sized hands. The use of AA batteries helps keep the cost down, and has it’s own advantages, although some may prefer the longer life charges of Lithium-Ion batteries (I do). General, controls are well thought out and easy to use. The zoom is nice and smooth.
For those that prefer an optical viewfinder, canon is probably the strongest supporter, and this is a better than average viewfinder, although it does not have a diopter adjustment. But you’ll probably never use it with the tremendous 2.5″ rotary screen. Yes, there are 3″ screens on the market, but this dwarfs anything on a hinge! It is a great aid in composing photos at low, high, or other odd angles (photos you simply didn’t take before).
Another feature that gets high praise is the flex-focus system. Today’s AF cameras do a decent job, but occassionally, they just don’t hit on the right focus point. With the flex system, you can determine which point to use. This is simply great for crowded rooms or nature photos where the subject may not be the closest item within the focusing areas.
Control for this price point is very good indeed. Multiple “scene” modes make it easy for the novice (ok, or sometimes lazy pro), while the semi-auto and manual modes give even experienced users all they need.
Simply put, this camera could have easily been priced $50 to $100 more. The only real competition is the A640, $100 more, 10 meg, and a bit more attractive black finish.
Check Prices
This entry was posted
on Saturday, October 7th, 2006 at 7:49 pm and is filed under Review, Canon.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
