Canon PowerShot A630 Review Roundup and Sample Photos

Camera.co.uk - 1/11/2007 - takes you on a video tour of the 10 megapixel Canon PowerShot A640 digital camera and they write - “I like the Canon Powershot A630. It offers something different to a lot of digital cameras on the market. This is mainly because of the manual exposure features it offers.”

DPInterface - 12/26/2006 - reviews the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “The Canon PowerShot A630 is a mid-sized camera which features 8 megapixels, a rotating 2.5 inch LCD and full manual controls. The A630 has great battery life, a nice grip with easy one hand operation, very good performance and even a custom option on the mode dial.

I’ve got a few quirks about the A630 as well, though they are minor ones: the LCD has rather low resolution, there’s no live histogram and unlike the entire camera which feels solid, the tripod mount is plastic. The movie mode is excellent save for the per clip limit and inability to focus and optical zoom.

Despite those minor cons, the Canon PowerShot A630’s feature set and price make it an excellent value for money with above average image quality and controls for everyone; from beginner to an expert. This one definitely deserves a thumbs up from me.”

CameraLabs Bottom - 12/6/2006 - “The bottom line though is the A640 doesn’t only deliver slightly higher resolution images, but also appears to do so with lower noise than the A630. Again it’s a pretty subtle difference, but from the results above, you certainly shouldn’t be concerned of compromised noise levels if you opt for the 10 Megapixel PowerShot A640 over the 8 Megapixel A630.”

ImagingResource - 11/26/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “The Canon PowerShot A630 continues in that tradition of dependability, sporting an 8.0-megapixel CCD, a very good quality 4x optical zoom lens, and a big 2.5 inch swiveling LCD screen. It offers everything from full automatic to full manual exposure control, with a healthy set of Scene modes thrown in to make it easy to bring back great-looking photos from what might otherwise be challenging situations. It has a great movie mode, and its superb lens delivers great sharpness across the frame. Thanks to its high-speed DIGIC-II processing chip, it’s also very responsive, and its movie capability is impressive as well. Bottom line, like its brother the A640, the Canon A630 is a classic; just an excellent all-around digital camera.”

DenGuru - 11/2/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “In our tests, we found that the ISO 800 mode added so much noise to the picture that it was practically not usable. And using ISO 800 in a telephoto mode only worsened the apparent noise. We also discovered that while the ISO speed appeared on the information display on the histogram playback view for pictures shot in some, but not all modes, the ISO speed did not get properly recorded into the EXIF file information. We were unable to find the ISO speed that we shot using Photoshop CS2 or Corel Paint Shop Pro. Most other cameras we’ve reviewed properly insert the ISO speed into the EXIF data.”

DCResource - 10/24/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “The Canon PowerShot A630 is a very capable digital camera that is suitable to beginners and advanced users alike. Ity offers far more than most cameras in this price range, which is why it earn my enthusiastic recommendation. I would recommend the A630 for most people, as it performs as well as the A640 in most situations, and it costs $100 less. The only reason to get the A640 would be if you’re doing a lot of high ISO shooting, printing REALLY large-sized prints, or if you want to control the camera from your computer. Whichever camera you end up with, I think you’ll enjoy using it.”

PCMag - 10/18/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “Put simply, the Canon PowerShot A630 is a balanced, well-featured compact digital camera. It may not be the cheapest on the market, but it’s well worth the investment. Because of its great versatility and dependability, it’s my newest EC for a compact digital camera.”

Cameras.co.uk - 10/18/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “The Canon Powershot A630 represents something of a dying breed of digital camera. With a wide range of features in a relatively compact body this type of digital camera is becoming increasingly hard to come by. The performance of the camera is good and the price is very reasonable.”

Computer Active - 10/11/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “Picture quality is above average, with good, natural rendition of colours, both pastel and vivid. Our test shots were sharp and well detailed, with reasonable depth of field and the camera was good at differentiating shadow in mixed light conditions. Low light photos showed some noise, but no more than most cameras in this price bracket.”

Steve’s Digicams - 9/30/2006 - has reviewed the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “Last year we said “Canon has struck gold” with the A620 and A610, and this year they have done it yet again. With an MSRP of just US$299, I feel the Canon PowerShot A630 offers and outstanding value for such a capable 8-megapixel model. Therefore, we feel it will make an excellent choice for anyone in the market for an affordable model with excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a wealth of exposure modes, all packed in a stylish, yet rugged metal/plastic shell. If you need a bit more resolution, and like Canon’s Remote Capture feature, then check out the 10-megapixel A640, which can be had for about $100 more.”

CNET - 9/28/2006 - reviews the 8 megapixel Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera and they write - “Though the A640 continues the PowerShot’s history of less-than-stellar low-light shooting, it’s otherwise a great camera for users who want a solid point-and-shoot with photographer-friendly manual capabilities. But unless you really need the A640’s extra pixels, save yourself a few bucks and get the A630 instead.”

Canon PowerShot A630 Initial Press Release

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 24th August 2006: Canon today launches two PowerShot A-Series compact cameras with the highest resolution in the range to date - the 10.0 Megapixel PowerShot A640 and 8.0 Megapixel PowerShot A630. Replacing the highly popular PowerShot A610 and A620, both cameras feature a rotating 2.5″ vari-angle LCD, 4x optical zoom lens and a vast array of creative shooting modes.

The PowerShot A640 and PowerShot A630 pack a vast array of advanced features into a remarkably compact space:

• 10.0 Megapixels (PowerShot A640) /8.0 Megapixels (PowerShot A630)
• 2.5” vari-angle LCD screen and real-image optical viewfinder
• 4x optical zoom
• DIGIC II, iSAPS, 9-Point AiAF, FlexiZone AF/AE
• Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom1
• 21 shooting modes

“These two new cameras epitomize everything the A-Series stands for,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “Combining user-friendly design with advanced functionality, they will appeal equally to novice users and serious photo enthusiasts.”

Quality control

The 10.0 Megapixel (PowerShot A640) and 8.0 Megapixel (PowerShot A630) sensors allow for creative cropping while providing enough detail for large, high quality prints. A new Safety Zoom takes advantage of the cameras’ Megapixels to offer extra zoom magnification without affecting image quality – up to 16x zoom when shooting Small size images. Users can also activate the Digital Tele-Converter to add extra telephoto reach on all shots, similar to adding a tele-converter lens to the camera.

The 4x optical zoom lenses achieve a 35-140mm focal length (35mm equivalent) while allowing the cameras to maintain a compact size. The lens construction incorporates 8 elements in 7 groupings, including two aspherical elements to maximise sharpness across the whole image. With a maximum aperture range of f/2.8 (W) to f/4.1 (T), the lenses are remarkably bright at the telephoto end.

ISO 800 mode improves results when shooting in low light settings and enables flash-free photography indoors. The cameras’ High ISO Auto setting prioritises 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” vari-angle LCD screen enables accurate framing from unusual angles, such as those encountered when using the 1cm 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 A640 and PowerShot A630 offer 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 on both cameras 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 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 Tele (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 metres.

Accessories

• Conversion Lens Adapter (LA-DC58F)
• Wide-Converter 0.7x lens (WC-DC58N)
• Tele-Converter 1.75x lens (TC-DC58N)
• Battery Charger Kit (CBK4-300)
• High Power Flash (HF-DC1)
• Soft Case (DCC-300)
• Waterproof Case (WP-DC8)
• Waterproof Case Weights (WW-DC1)
• NiMH Batteries (NB4-300)
• AC Adapter Kit (ACK600)

Technologies Explained

DIGIC II

Canon’s purpose-built DIGIC II (DIGital Imaging Core) image processor links all primary camera functions for maximum efficiency. DIGIC II processes signals at high speeds, resulting in outstanding responsiveness, rapid auto focus and extended continuous shooting ability. Advanced image processing algorithms deliver superb image detail and colour reproduction with accurate white balance and minimal noise. DIGIC II operates efficiently to extend battery life, for longer shooting on a single charge.

iSAPS

iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) automatically optimises key camera settings before every shot. Each scene is analysed and cross-referenced against Photographic Space – a vast in-camera library of photographic data. This enables the camera to make optimal adjustments to auto exposure, auto focus and auto white balance before image capture occurs.

9-Point AiAF

Canon’s 9-point AiAF (Artificial Intelligence Auto Focus) automatically scans and selects subjects from a set of nine focusing areas across the scene. This ensures accurately focused images even when subjects are not in the centre of the frame.

FlexiZone AF/AE

FlexiZone AF/AE lets users manually select the focus point from almost any point in the frame by moving the auto focus window in the viewfinder. Exposure can be linked to the focus point to ensure that the chosen subject is accurately focused and the scene correctly exposed.

Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom

Similar to placing an accessory lens on the front of the camera, Canon’s Digital Tele-Converter adds a constant digital zoom to every shot (PowerShot A640: 1.4x /2.3x, PowerShot A630: 1.6x /2.0x). While optical converter lenses cause a reduction in aperture and consequently require a slower shutter speed, the Digital Tele-Converter maintains aperture size, reducing the risk of image blur. Safety Zoom protects the image from interpolation at high levels of digital zoom, allowing users to extend zoom magnification without sacrificing image quality.