CNET Editor's rating: 7.6 out of 10
Reviewed by
Will Greenwald
Review date: 9/17/07
The good: Great picture quality; manual exposure controls; flip-out screen.
The bad: Sluggish performance; heavy and bulky; can't use a neck strap.
The bottom line: Performance issues aside, the Canon PowerShot A650 IS combines large, good-looking photos and a generous feature set into a fine midrange shooter.
Description:
The Canon PowerShot A650 is a 12.1-megapixel, point-and-shoot camera.
Compared to other point-and-shoot digital cameras on the market, it is expensive at around $360.
Pros:
Has a 12.1-megapixel resolution, which is somewhat higher than some similarly priced digital cameras.
Also, this digital camera has a 6x optical zoom, which is more powerful than some similarly priced digital cameras.
This camera also offers control of several exposure modes including shutter-priority, aperture-priority, manual, and program mode.
Cons:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
Suited for the average, casual picture-taker.
A recommended use, based on key features, is semi-professional photography.
The largest recommended print size, estimated from the camera's resolution, is 12x16 or larger.
Value:
In general, this digital camera's price seems a bit steep, with respect to its features.
JPEG 4000 x 3000,
JPEG 3264 x 2448,
JPEG 2592 x 1944,
JPEG 1600 x 1200,
JPEG 640 x 480,
JPEG 4000 x 2248
Flash memory
32 MB - SD Memory Card
Supported Flash Memory
MultiMediaCard,
SD Memory Card
Lens System
Type
Zoom lens - 7.4 mm - 44.4 mm - F/2.8-4.8
Focal Length
7.4 mm - 44.4 mm
Lens Construction
7 group(s) / 9 element(s)
Additional Features
Self Timer
Yes
Self Timer Delay
2 sec,
10 sec
Additional Features
AE lock,
AF lock,
FE lock,
DPOF support,
Face detection,
Audio recording,
Histogram display,
Resizing an image,
PictBridge support,
In-camera red-eye fix,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Digital image rotation,
In-camera movie editing,
RGB primary color filter,
Camera orientation detection
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range
1.6 ft - 11.5 ft
Type
Built-in flash
Flash Modes
Auto mode,
Fill-in mode,
Slow synchro,
Flash OFF mode,
Rear curtain sync,
Red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction
Yes
Effective flash range
1.6 ft - 11.5 ft
Features
AF illuminator,
Flash +/- compensation
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Optical - Real-image zoom
Display
Type
LCD display - Low Temperature Poly-Silicon (LTPS) - 2.5 in - Color
Mounting
Rotating
Resolution
173,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type
None
Microphone
Type
Microphone - Built-in
Mode
Mono
Connections
Connector Type
1 x USB ( Mini-USB Type B ),
1 x Composite video/audio output
Expansion Slot(s)
1 x SD Memory Card
Connector type
Mini-USB Type B
Lens Systems
Auto Focus
TTL contrast detection
Type
Zoom lens
Focal length
7.4 mm - 44.4 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera
35 - 210 mm
Focus adjustment
Manual,
Automatic
Auto Focus Points (Zones)
9
Min Focus Range
19.7 in
Macro Focus Range
1-50cm
Lens Aperture
F/2.8-4.8
Optical Zoom
6 x
Zoom Adjustment
Motorized drive
Lens construction
7 : 9
Features
Aspherical lens
Miscellaneous
Cables Included
USB cable,
A/V cable
Included Accessories
Wrist strap
Min Operating Temperature
32 °F
Max Operating Temperature
104 °F
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating system
MS Windows Vista,
MS Windows XP SP2,
Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later,
MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later
Battery
Supported Battery
4 x AA Alkaline battery ( Included )
Software
Type
Canon PhotoStitch,
Canon ImageBrowser,
Drivers & Utilities,
Canon ZoomBrowser EX
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
Labs information
All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our labs information page for information on how digital cameras are tested.
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