Review 1 of 6
Price Paid:
$300.00
from eBay Summary: The camera takes excellent quality pictures, and has a ton of built-in features to take advantage of. Definitely the best digital camera I've owned (so far).
Camera is best suited to still pictures, or those with only minor movements occurring. Good lighting (or at least, enough light for the flash to make up the difference) is a must. So far, I have not had good results with it in low-light or with fast-motion subjects.
Considering the price, the feature set, and the ease-of-use, this is a GREAT camera for beginners to intermediate level photographers. Strengths: +++ Resolution: 5.0 megapixels, with optical (and digital, for what it's worth) zoom
+++ Rotating / swivel-out preview LCD (this is a very nice feature!)
+++ Takes short-duration videos with sound (at relatively low resolution & sound quality)
+++ Great close-ups possible with manual-focus feature (default is auto-focus)
+++ Easy to copy photos from camera to computer (camera shows up as a USB drive, then drag-and-drop; or remove the CF card; Print/Share button)
+++ Built-in flash
+++ Zoom lens
+++ Easy to browse / delete photos while they're still on the camera
+++ Numerous shooting modes
+++ Numerous menu options and features I haven't even figured out how to use yet!!!
+++ Cost is low, and is more than offset by the high quality of photos, and the rich variety of features. Weaknesses: - Low-light shots are *probably* going to turn out poorly (unless you use a tripod)
- Shots of moving subjects are *probably* going to be blurry
- Takes 4 @ AA batteries, and battery life is relatively short -- always keep a spare set on hand, and use rechargeable to save $$
- Size and weight are significant -- similar to an old-time point & shoot 35mm. In other words, this is NOT a camera you just slide into your pocket and carry around for extended periods of time.
- Shutter lag is a bit tedious...I don't know what the published shutter delay is, but if your subject is fickle (e.g. a child), you need to press the shutter EARLY and hope it finally clicks the picture when your subject is cooperating. Similar Products Used: Rollei D41 Com, 4.1 megapixel; Zeiss lens; similar (but fewer) features than the Canon A95 -- also took great quality photos. Only real problems I had with the Rollei were:
* the shutter lag -- the Canon has a comparable issue.
* the software and/or driver that came with the Rollei was horrible. The A95 is MUCH easier to use.
* feature set on the Rollei was limited, compared to the A95.
AGFA ePhoto -- this is the very 1st digital camera I bought, back in 1999. Not really fair to compare it to the Canon, as the ePhoto was a non-zoom camera, with a top resolution of 1024 x 768...not even 1.0 megapixel! Needless to say, the A95 runs circles around the ePhoto, in all areas! Customer Service: N/A --> I have not had any issues with the A95 that would require me to contact Canon for service or support. I have taken good care of the A95, and it is still behaving nicely after the approx. 1 year I've owned and used it.
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