Canon PowerShot A640 10-Megapixel Digital Camera - An Excellent Choice For Anyone
Written: Oct 16 '06 (Updated Oct 16 '06)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag
Pros: High resolution, sharp photos with pleasing colors, features, battery life, LCD, AA batteries
Cons: Slightly flimsy construction, ISO 400-800 noisy, price a bit too high
The Bottom Line: I like the A640 a lot. I am pleased with its resolution, features and performance. I highly recommended it if you need a capable compact camera...
dkozin's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A640 Digital Camera
A replacement for the last year’s 7.1-Megapixel Canon PowerShot A620, the Canon PowerShot A640 has upgraded 10-Megapixel resolution, larger LCD screen and other improvements. As a top of the Canon A6-line, I wanted to see how it performs and purchased one as soon as it became available.
I have always liked the cameras like A610 and A620, aside from their flimsy construction and the fact that they use 4 AA batteries. Is Canon A640 a good choice and a meaningful improvement over the, already high, standard set by the A620?
What is Canon PowerShot A640?
The Canon PowerShot A640 is an 10-Megapixel compact digital camera with a 4x optical zoom (35-140 mm equivalent), large 2.5-inch articulated Vari-Angle LCD screen, zooming optical viewfinder and acclaimed Canon DiG!C II (Digic 2) Image Processor. It camera stores pictures on SD (Secure Digital) or MultiMedia memory cards (32 MB SD card supplied) and features USB 2.0 connection to PC and Mac computers.
The A640 also supports direct printing (without a computer) with PictBridge compatible printers. It is powered by four AA batteries (four disposable alkaline AA batteries are supplied, rechargeable NiMH batteries are recommended). The camera is similar to the last year’s 7.1-Megapixel Canon A620, but has higher resolution, larger LCD screen, wide range of shutter speeds and ISO and is mostly black in color.
Features
Just as the A620 and A630, the Canon A640 features a 35-140 mm (in 35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens with maximum apertures f/2.8 (wide angle) - f/4.1 (telephoto). The shutter speed range is 15-1/2,500 sec. (Note: the A620 could not go faster than 1/2,000 sec).
The A640 is powered by 4 AA-type batteries (NiMH rechargeable or Alkaline), which is the same arrangement as the other cameras of the A6xx line. Canon claims that the camera can take about 350 shots on alkaline batteries or 500 shots on AA NiMH rechargeable ones or be powered by either of them for 1200 minutes in playback mode. I use high-capacity NiMH rechargeable batteries in my cameras whenever possible (where AA batteries are required).
The A640 features selectable Evaluative, Center-Weighted and Spot metering modes. The mode is selected in the menu. The camera has a built-in flash with adjustable output and red-eye reduction mode. The camera has Auto, High ISO Auto or selectable ISO of 80-800 (ISO selection required in manual modes).
The camera has a low-light focus assist illuminator that helps it focus in low light. The orientation sensor detects if the camera is held horizontally or vertically and saves the pictures appropriately. It works well, unless you point the camera upward or downward, in which case it might get confused. The resultant pictures are printed well regardless of what orientation sensor detected, but it helps when you open the image in the image editing software. There is no need to rotate the portrait-orientation photos in software like Adobe Photoshop CS2, as it automatically rotates such pictures based on information recorded by the camera.
The camera also has a Macro mode, which can be engaged with a single push of a button, where it can focus as close as 0.4 inches (1 cm) at wide angle or 9.8 inches (25 cm) at telephoto end.
The camera has an exposure compensation, which you can engage easily to adjust exposure by +/- 2 stops in 1/3 –stop increments. The available movie mode records movies at up to 640x480 with up to 30 fps frame rate with sound.
The camera can record images at up to 10-Megapixel resolution, which is very high for a compact digital camera. Available resolution modes include widescreen 16x9 aspect ratios as well. Each resolution mode can be combined with one of three compression modes: Normal, Fine or SuperFine.
The built-in flash features a selectable red-eye reduction mode as well as an ability to be disabled, enabled in automatic mode, force on and slow sync modes.
Getting Started
Getting started with this camera is very easy and requires little effort, especially if you have used a digital camera before. I loaded four of my charged 2300 mAh Rayovac NiMH AA batteries and my SD memory card (the supplied 32-Megabyte memory card us too small and is only good for you to try out how the camera works or take a handful of pictures at full resolution).
The camera is designed to make sure you will not insert or remove the memory card while the camera is on. This could cause data corruption or a malfunction. If the camera is on and you open the memory card door, the camera turns off. This is a very nice feature.
The Canon A640 is nice-looking. Its body is made of combination metal/polycarbonate and is mostly black with some silver/metallic accents. It is rather compact and convenient to hold. The camera itself is rather light for its size, but gains weight once loaded with four NiMH batteries (NiMH batteries are heavier than Alkaline batteries or most proprietary Li-Ion battery packs).
Build Quality
The previous generation of A6xx cameras (A610 and A620) were a bit too flimsy for my taste. This model seems to be built better, but still is not as solid as the old A85. Perhaps it is a tradeoff to make the camera lighter. I am sure the camera will hold up just fine if not abused too much.
Controls
The camera has an on/off button on the top deck as well as a zoom rocker, large shutter release button and a rotating mode wheel. The mode wheel can be set to Auto mode, Program mode, multiple scene modes as well as, more advanced, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Manual mode as well as Custom setting. Set it to Auto mode, and you can just point and shoot.
The bottom of the camera has a threaded tripod mount and a battery compartment lid. The rear houses a 2.5-inch LCD monitor that can be flipped out and rotated, an optical zooming viewfinder, a review/shoot switch and control buttons. The buttons are well-arranged and clearly marked.
The side has a cover, underneath which you can find a USB jack, A/V jack and a DC power input. Below it, there is a cover for the SD card compartment. It is rather sturdy and if you open it while the camera is on, the camera turns off automatically to prevent data corruption. A nice feature that, in conjunction with some others, makes this camera fool-proof.
In Operation
The camera has a retractable lens that extends and has a lens cover that opens when the camera is powered on. This does not happen if you turn the camera on in the review mode. The first time you power the camera on, it asks you to set the time and date. It is rather easy to do.
When the camera is powered off, the lens retracts and the lens cover closes. The camera takes about 2 seconds to power on and can capture images at about 1-2-second intervals (when used with my Kingston Elite Pro SD memory card). The focusing takes less than a second and the shutter lag, when pre-focused, is almost unnoticeable.
The zooming from wide angle to telephoto (or back) takes about 2-3 seconds. I would prefer that it was smoother and more responsive, but it works well enough. While zooming, the camera makes a slight buzzing sound. Overall, the camera seem to work pretty much exactly as the A620 it replaces.
The LCD can be rotated so that it faces the back of the camera. In this position it is protected from impact and smudges. You obviously will have to rotate it so that it faces you to be able to use it.
Batteries
The camera can take more than 400 pictures on one charge of high-capacity NiMH batteries (I recommend at least 2000 mAh). I was able to take about 140 photos using my 2300 mAh NiMH batteries and the low battery warning has not appeared yet.
I prefer cameras that use only 2 AA batteries, but there are people who do not mind the fact that the A6xx models use four. And there is a nagging problem with most if not all cameras that only use 2 AA batteries: slow flash recycle time and, in some cases, LCD going blank after taking a picture. Two AA batteries are just not enough for such a power-hungry device as a digital camera to do all it needs to do occasionally.
So if you want better performance, especially indoors with flash, you either have to deal with 4 AA batteries (such as the A640) or get a camera with a proprietary Li-Ion battery pack.
Usage
The camera can be used in full auto mode (by rotating the mode dial to Auto position), where it is extremely easy to use. In this mode the camera sets all parameters automatically and you only have to point, shoot and enjoy the result.
The operation is as follows: you press the shutter release button halfway to make camera focus and the camera shows you (on the LCD screen) where it focused by displaying one or more green rectangles. Then you take the picture by pressing the shutter release button all the way.
You can go one step further and select an appropriate scene mode (e.g. Portrait, Landscape, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Kids & Pets, etc.) to let camera know what effect you want. For example, in the Portrait mode the camera will try to keep the subject sharp while keeping the background blurry, but will try to keep both foreground and background sharp in the Landscape mode.
When you are ready to take control, you can use the Aperture Priority mode (to control how much of your picture will be in focus) or Shutter Priority mode (to freeze fast motion or, on contrary, create motion blur) or even full Manual mode to control both the Aperture and Shutter Speed.
Keep in mind that in most modes you can use Exposure Compensation to make pictures the camera takes brighter or darker (+/- 2EV in 1/3 EV steps).
Focusing
You can let camera focus using its AiAF 9-area focusing system and the camera will show you green rectangles over the areas where it focused so that you can confirm the focus areas. You can also switch to the 1-point focusing or use the manual focus capability, where the distance scale is shown (in your chosen units (cm or inches)) and the central portion of the screen is magnified to help you confirm focus easier.
The arrow down button switches the camera to Macro mode when pushed once, and to the manual mode when pushed again. Manual focusing is a little cumbersome but it works. In dim lighting the magnified portion can get pretty noisy, however, which makes focus more difficult to confirm.
Manual Mode
You can adjust both the aperture and shutter speed in the Manual mode. The camera shows you the under/overexposure as evaluated by the camera once the shutter button is half-pressed. You can also adjust the flash output in the manual mode. The ISO has to be set to a specific value on Manual, Aperture or Shutter Priority modes. Other modes let you select Auto ISO or Auto High ISO.
DIGIC II
The camera uses the newest version on DIGIC processor: DIGIC II. It is the same generation that is used in expensive Canon digital SLR cameras and it has been around for a while. It makes the camera fast in operation, responsive and helps it produce excellent pictures.
Ease of Use
The A640 is very easy to use. I have not read the manual, but was able to use all of its features. If you have seen Canon menus before, your learning curve will be short or non-existent. And comparing to some other manufacturers (e.g. Fuji), the Canon menus are among the easiest to deal with.
LCD
The A640 uses a 2.5-inch LCD screen that feels very solid and well-built. The screen flips out and can be rotated in all directions. Its hinges feel very well-built. The amount of effort required to open, close or rotate the screen is a bit on the high side, but it gives impression of solidity.
The LCD screen itself features pleasing colors, has good visibility in sunlight and is very fluid in good light. It gains-up in dark environments (increases brightness) but gets a little noisy and less fluid. Still, it is useful in situations where LCD screens on other cameras would be of no use at all. And the camera has an optical zooming viewfinder as well.
The screen is larger than the 2-inch screen of the A620, but has the same resolution, which is still sufficient. The LCD coverage as about 100% - you can see exactly what will be recorded. The viewfinder, however, is tight and does not cover everything that will be recorded. This is typical for a compact digital camera like A640.
Computer Connectivity
The camera uses USB 2.0 connection to transfer pictures to a computer. It is located behind a lid on the side of the camera. You can also remove the SD memory card and use a memory card reader (if you have one), which I do. I have not tested the transfer speed of the camera’s USB interface since I am always using the card reader.
Flash
The flash has an effective red-eye reduction mode and is sufficient at up to 10-12 feet away. It has a recycle time of about 5-7 seconds (depending on output and battery status). I find the flash powerful enough for most indoor situations.
Image Quality Settings
The camera lets you select between Standard, Fine and Superfine compression levels (regardless of resolution). The Fine setting provides a good compromise between the file size and the image quality, but I suggest that you use SuperFine for photos you intend to enlarge seriously or crop before printing.
Picture Quality
I usually take photos that contain all primary colors at different focal lengths, apertures and compression ratios. Some photos are taken outdoors, some indoors with and without flash.
Sometimes, I take a bunch of photos from my balcony. Those photos features all colors: blue sky, green foliage, red curbs, yellow fire hydrant and cars of different colors.
Taking photos at different focal lengths and apertures reveals the camera's optical quality: corner sharpness, chromatic aberrations, overall sharpness.
Taking photos at different ISO settings shows how well a given camera can keep noise levels low in dim light. I mostly evaluate the image quality using my computer monitor, but I also print some photos at different sizes using either my printer or online services like Shutterfly, Snapfish and Sam's Club's online photo center.
With 10 Megapixels and sharp optics, the camera produces excellent photos that are very sharp, contrasty and have very pleasing colors. The automatic white balance worked very well outdoors and produced nice green foliage, sky and richly-saturated greens, reds and yellows. Although the colors are probably not very technically correct, they are very pleasing and will serve most consumers better than the technically correct ones.
The A640 has good detail level in both shadows and highlights. The pictures are very sharp and I can see very small detail such as individual blades of grass in the wide angle photos I took.
Just as with other recent Canon cameras, this model produces pleasing skin colors that are true to life and pleasing. This is unlike some Sony cameras that features unnaturally-pink skin tones (which are pleasing as well). And unlike some other cameras (including Canon SD Digital Elph series) that have noticeably softer edges of the frame, the photos taken with the A630 are sharp corner to corner.
The photos seem to have good dynamic range and preserve detail in both shadow and highlights well. I was able to find only small amounts of chromatic aberration (purple fringing) in the areas of high contrast.
Usually, the smaller the camera and the higher the optical zoom it can provide, the softer the image becomes, especially at the corners of the frame as it is difficult to produce compact optics with high zoom levels. But the lens of the A640 is very good, despite its compact dimensions and the 4x power and produces sharp photos at all zoom levels.
Noise and Print Sizes
The noise is rather typical for a compact digital camera. The noise is absent at ISO 80 and appears at the ISO 100 in the shadows. It gets more pronounced at ISO 200 and gets worse at ISO 400, getting pretty bad at ISO 800. Still, if you are printing 6x4 or 5x7 pictures, the noise should not be visible up to (and including) ISO 200 and barely visible at ISO 400-800. And with 10-megapixel images this model produces, you can print your photos at up to 11x14 (ISO 80-200) and even 13x19 inches with good detail (ISO 80-100).
The ISO 800 is a new setting for the A6xx cameras (A620 did not have it) and has less noise than I expected, but a bit softer overall picture because of the noise suppression. Most likely they are (Canon) using binning (combining photosites for higher sensitivity), which decreases real resolution. I am not sure, but in any case, ISO 800 is there and can prove useful in some situations.
What I Like
I like that the A640 is fast in operation, easy to use and produces excellent pictures with high resolution. It has a lot of features and manual controls. It has good size and weight and excellent LCD screen. The battery life is excellent as well. And it uses widely available and inexpensive SD memory and standard AA batteries (alkaline or rechargeable NiMH).
What I Dislike
The camera could have better build quality and use sturdier materials. Black color looks very nice, but shows scratches and smudges more easily than silver. And I usually prefer to have wider-angle lens (starting at 28mm), which is useful for indoor group photos or European-vacation architectural photos. It is also nice to have optical image stabilization, but that would add to the weight and the price of the camera. And the price is relatively high (but you can get pretty much the same functionality with only a slight loss of resolution in Canon A630 for about $80 less).
Recommendation
I like the A640 a lot. I am pleased with its resolution, features and performance. I highly recommended it if you need a capable compact camera that produces excellent photos with print sizes of up 13x19 inches or images with heavy cropping, has 4x zoom and uses AA batteries.
The camera produces sharp, pleasantly-colored photos at large resolutions (up to 10 Megapixels). The A640 provides the best of both worlds: point-and-shoot simplicity or full manual control and will be usable by any member of the family or photographers of all levels. I highly recommend it. And keep in mind that you can get the Canon A630 for $80 less if you do not need the 10-Megapixel resolution.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 340 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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