Canon PowerShot A560 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom by Canon
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Digital camera reviews of Canon PowerShot A560 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Digital camera Review: A great take anywhere P&S
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, maybe I don't want to take it where it's excessively wet; I hear the digital cameras don't like water, but the A560 has been flawless, lightweight, and a great camera to always have with you. I'm still a film fan, and shoot pro film in serious SLRs, but some excellent shots have come from the A560 (a last minute trip over to the coast yielded some perfect shots of starfish I would not have otherwise captured!).
With a 2GB chip, I don't think I'm likely to run out of storage on a hike (closing in on 6000 pictures possible on the lower res settings). I did find it depleting the regular alkaline batteries pretty fast, so I got rechargeable NiCads and have very pleased with those.
The price is great, and I've used Canon cameras for years. This is simply a very fine choice for a small, yet quality, digital P&S.
Digital camera Review: A little wonder
Summary: 5 Stars
This fine camaera is a little wonder that does everything you want a compact digital to do. 7 Megapixel and 4x optical zoom are enough for all but professional needs. Big bright view screen, and good sound recording for short video clips. In addition has the capacity for recording sound memo labels for individual photos, but the new little Samsung does this a little more easily. This Canon also seems to have excellent battery life, with either rechargable or disposable AA alkalines. Having a viewfinder as well as a viewscreen is a definite advantage in bright outdoor situations. It is my fourth digital camera, and I highly recommend it. (Previous digitals were Nikon, Sony, and Samsung, but this one's my favorite.)Digital camera Review: A pre-technology grandma's review
Summary: 4 Stars
When I dropped my previous digital camera at my grandaughter's birthday party and it broke, I went to Amazon.com and looked extensively for a new one. I read all the reviews and chose the Canon PowerShot A560 7. I like the camera, but the instruction manuel is not user-friendly. I had to take a class to find out how to work the camera and even the experienced instructor could not find all the information. Fortunately, he knew enough to help me. It would be really nice if they assumed you knew nothing and just started at the beginning, identifying each part and telling what it did and how to use it. The batteries that came with the camera lasted for an extremely short time, but the new ones lasted longer. However, I would recommend you always keep spare batteries with you, as they do not last a long time. Also the memory chip that comes with the camera only takes about 10 to 12 pictures, so you will need to purchase a new memory chip.
Mary Ann (a pre-technology grandma)
Digital camera Review: A+ Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fantastic camera. After a bad experience with an HP camera, I decided to go for a much nicer camera with the A560. I was certainly rewarded. The A560 is a very reasonably priced camera that takes stunning pictures. Rather than write an overall view, I have decided to break down the different settings (all 10 of them).
1) Manual Mode -- This setting doesn't do a ton, as the Canon still uses its autofocus, so you can play with the exposure, colors, and a few filters, but that's pretty much it. For a high quality manual focus camera, be prepared to spend something in the $300 and up range.
2) Auto Mode -- This is what I always used. Being a photographer who likes getting quick shots, I didn't switch settings unless I knew the specifics of what I was photographing. Auto mode proved to be very quick in getting shots as there was very little time lag. The fact that this Camera is a Powershot means you never get a bad shot.
3) Macro Mode -- This proved to be the most difficult setting, but in the end it always proved worth it. As the only setting which allows a little control over focus (lightly touch the shutter button to focus), this always took a little while to get a good shot as the auto focus would often kick in. Still, the end effect was that this tiny camera produced stunning shots of everything from nature to exotic cars.
4) Portrait Mode -- I never really found this setting too important. I always thought that the Auto setting took perfectly fine facial pictures. Still, always nice to know this setting was here.
5) Landscape Mode -- Again, I never really felt a need for this setting, but it's still a very nice feature.
6) Night Snapshot Mode -- This is great for quick shots, and the lighting is often much better when using this. Be careful not to shake the camera though, as this can be easily blurred.
7) Kids and Pets Mode -- Designed for shots of quickly moving people, animals, and everything else, I didn't use this much. Like I said before, the shots seem great even without it.
8) Indoor Mode -- Helpful setting for getting nice shots in preferably well lit rooms.
9) Night Scene Mode -- Fantastic for getting exquisite night shots, generally best when used to shoot a large amount of space. If you move the camera mid shot you get a stunning and very professional looking blur effect, great for vacation pictures, etc.
10) Video Mode -- Last but not least is video mode, one of my favorite features of the camera. This small camera produces decent videos (640x480), a helpful asset to have. For higher quality videos opt for the pricier A570. Still, I thought this setting was very reasonable.
That's pretty much everything. The no flash setting is a challenge (you need really steady hands) so let the camera decide about flash for you. The self timer is great and takes just as nice shots as when you're holding it. This is just a very good camera, that's it. One tip though, opt for pricey lithium batteries for this camera. On normal batteries this camera takes few shots. On lithium batteries you can use the same two for months. Those batteries will not only mean less "why won't it take the picture?" frustration, but also a happier wallet in the long run. For anybody who wants high quality shots on a hugh quality camera, here it is.
Digital camera Review: A560 A Great Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this camera nearly three years ago. One thing, which goes for all new cameras...it that you have to committ the time to get to know your product, how it works, settings, etc. You can't just pull it out of the box and start taking once-in-a-lifetime family vacation pics! I always take out of the box and shoot stationary/fixed objects. I will shoot my backyard shed from my kitchen door, potted flowers [red] from my front porch, the tree in the parkway, my truck in the driveway, the flag [red/white/blue]. All of these will be taken at different modes and rates of zoom. At that point I will look at on my pc screen and make adjustments to the settings etc. If a camera plain out sucks, I bring it back asap!
My first digital was a Canon A80 nearly seven years ago which has worked great. My six year old son [who I grudgingly have to say takes better pics than my wife] is using it as his first digital [he trained on disposables for about 2 yrs.]. I bought this A560 to use on job sites to take before & after construction pics etc. I wanted something good that would not cost too much since I usually keep it in my work truck. It takes AA batteries and I have only used hi-end rechargables in it which last a super long time. With a 2GB card I have it set up to take about 1200 pics, which is way more than I will ever need at one time. A large card like this is nice when you want to take video clips which this does with sound. Never had a problem, many of the things that could be improved over the years have [size/battery/processor] to keep up with the market. I know that canon has a lot of new product in their line-up and that some folks have had mixed reviews with some of their entry level models. I looked at a few in the price point I paid for this one [$100-150] and some seem "hollow" and flimsy. I am in the process of getting a new camera for my wife and I'm probably going to buy a SD1200-is, it is the least expensive ELPH with the D4 image processor [their most advanced] and at $159. And like the old A80 and A560 it is solid and feels durable.
I have looked at many, many, many... models of cameras over the years from ALL of the major makers. I like and frequent [...] for excellent reviews, I like to read other end-user reviews also. I have always choosen the Canon so far for a good balance of price/quality/performance. Everyones needs are different. And there are some Canon models I definitely would not buy. I have had/seen friends and family use Sony and Nikon models I really liked but they were the higher end [pricey] compact models.
If you can find an A560 less than $100 new or a solid refirb at a good price BUY IT. It will be a dependable workhorse. And is better than all of the sub-$100 units from any make I have seen currently.