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Canon Digital Ixus 40
by alliebeth
I've had my Canon Ixus 40 for 5 years and I'm always on the look out to upgrade to something a bit more modern, but I always seem to think that while its still going, then why waste my hard earned cash on another digital camera which may or may not be better.
I know very little about digital camera's other than point and shoot ... so when looking for a replacement I'm a little out of my depth, so this, apart from this Canon being great, is part of the reason I don't splash out on another.
When I bought this from Curry's I think I paid in the region of £250+ which at the time was a lot of money, but this camera has been really been put through some rigorous use over the years and I still find it very useful, reliable and it performs well.
It is a lovely stainless steel colour, and has a metal body. Some of the digital camera's I have been looking at in the price range I'm willing to pay are plastic. This puts me off, since I find that the metal body makes it very hard wearing and robust. It has been dropped hundreds of times and it is hardly even scratched, no dents or anything.
It is a stylish looking camera, very compact and slim, and is easy to pop into a pocket or small handbag, and takes up no room at all.
It has a 4.0 megapixel sensor which enables photos to be blown up to A3 size. I know that may not seem so good now since many cameras have way more pixels, but to me, who only uses this for holiday and family snaps, it matters very little.
It has a built in flash which is effective up to 3.5m but does reduce to 2m when using the zoom function, which is a point to note when shooting in dim conditions using the zoom. There are a few different flash settings, which range from continuously on, red eye and continously off which I find useful when trying to get the right photo in certain conditons.
There is also a timer, which I've not used before, but this is useful when the user wants to be in the shot. I'm not so photogenic, that's why I keep out of photos!
It also has a 3x optical zoom lens, which makes taking close up pictures a doddle, they still look great once processed. I don't find that the images are shaky, they look very clear and defined. I find this more than adequate for my needs, since all of my pictures are amature. The zoom is easy to use, it's on the top of the camera and is just a little tag that can easily be operated with one finger whilst using the camera.
On the reverse of the camera you will find a generous 2" high definition LCD screen, which allows the user to view the image immediately on taking the shot, therefore you can decide whether to delete the image or re-shoot.
The camera also can take up to 60 seconds of action in movie mode, which can also be played back on the screen. It shoots at 30fps I believe.
There are 6 scene modes, which allow you to choose the correct one for the conditions, whether its pets/kids, low lighting, night time, action etc. I find it easy to select the correct mode with the button on the back. The images show on the screen, then you select which one you need. It really is simple and user friendly. I was a little intimidated at first, but after playing around with it for a while I found it really simple to use. The modes really do make a difference to your photo, they make it clearer, brighter, and sharper and the focus is better.
The Canon Ixus 40 comes with a rechargeable li-ion battery, which I find to be very generous on use, one charge can seem to last forever practically. It also includes all the leads, charger and cables needed to get underway. I'm not sure if it came with a memory card, the SD type, but these can be picked up pretty cheaply.
I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants a decent quality point and shoot with some really great but easy to use features. This has served me well for the past 5 years, so I'm sure it would be just as reliable for any amature who wants a compact, but hardwearing, stylish camera for everyday use.
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Canon Powershot A430
by Geth33
I have had this camera for about five years now and it is still working just as well as it was when I bought it. However whilst it was a good camera when I bought it, there are now so many better cameras available that I would advise against buying it unless you just want a cheap basic camera. This camera is not fantastic at taking ... photos in darker conditions, and the optical zoom is only 4x. It is a 4.0 mega pixel camera, which is less than many modern camera phones; you can take perfectly good photos, but where the conditions are less than optimum, the picture quality can suffer quite a lot. However it does take decent videos (again in optimum light conditions) with clear sound. The screen is quite big allowing you to see the photos clearly before you print or transfer them to a computer. However the whole camera is a bit bulky by modern standards, so if you want to take a small bag on a night out you won't have room for much else!
This is by no means a bad camera but as technology has advanced so much you might be better buying a more recent camera for more features and better picture quality!
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Fujifilm Finepix A345
by Benjammar
I was given the Fuji Film Fine Pix A345 a while back for free by my brother. Its a few years out of date now and not so easily available as the new cameras on the market so is it still worth getting hold of?
First off, the specifications:
* Dimensions (WxDxH): 9 cm x 3 cm x 6 cm
* Weight: 0.1 kg
* ... Flash Memory: 16 MB
* Supported Flash Memory: xD-Picture Card, xD-Picture Card Type H, xD-Picture Card Type M
* Sensor Resolution: 4.1 Megapixel
* Shooting Modes: Frame movie mode
* Lens Aperture: F/2.8-4.7
* Focus Adjustment: Automatic
* Min Focus Range: 60 cm
* Focal Length: 5.8 mm - 17.4 mm
* Camera Flash: Built-in flash
* Red Eye Reduction: Built-in
* Microphone: Microphone - built-in
* Viewfinder: Optical - real-image zoom
* Display: LCD display - TFT active matrix - 1.7" - colour
* Supported Battery: 2 x AA alkaline battery ( included ) ¦ 2 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery ( optional )
The camera itself is a nice size and weight. It's not bulky and heavy but at the same time it's not as slim or as light as some of the new cameras available. It's big enough so that people who want a firm grasp (Like me) will be happy with it. It's small enough to fit into your pocket although if you have tight trouser pockets it won't be comfortable getting it in and out. However coat pockets will have no problem holding it. It is suitable for taking out and about but it's probably not appropriate for girls who want something smaller. It's also not the nicest looking camera. It's not ugly; the plain silver is quite nice but it does look very plain. Those who want a camera to look cool won't be happy here. It could do with a bit of color on it. The camera is also pretty robust; I've dropped it a few times (I seem to have a habit of this!) and there's no sign of damage to any part of the camera
The camera comes included with a 16MB memory card however at full quality (4 Mega pixels) this will only hold 7 photos. So if you do own this camera you will need to buy a larger memory card if you want to store a decent amount of photos as well as a respectful amount of video. However if you're not concerned about quality of the photos the 16MB can store quite a lot at the lower resolutions. The camera supports a variety of memory card types so you should have no problem picking up a decent memory card for it. They're also not too expensive so it won't cost you the earth to upgrade from the 16MB card. I have a 1GB card and I've never had to worry about filling it with photos or videos. The camera also comes equipped with a wrist strap so it shouldn't fall off your arm too easily. Also packaged is the USB cable to hook it up to your computer
The camera is described to have easy navigation for beginners. I have to say this is very true. The on screen menu is very easy to use. Having been given this for free I was given no manual/instruction guide with it but there is simply no need for it. Within minutes I knew exactly what I was doing. I'm normally useless with cameras but this was an absolute doddle to work with. It is kept simple with by having only a few clearly labeled buttons. Anyone who picks up the camera will have no problem switching between photos, video, saved images and adjusting all the technical details (Image quality, brightness etc). The 1.7 inch screen is a nice size and makes navigation even easier. Transporting your photos onto your computer is also very easy. Just plug in the USB cable and away you go. The time it takes to exchange your photos is nice and quick so you don't have to wait around for ages for your photos to upload.
The practicality of this camera is clearly very good but being a few years old the quality is obviously not up to scratch. Up to date cameras can hit 12 mega pixels which is 3 times greater than the max of 4 here. However that doesn't mean the highest quality for this camera is necessarily poor. The photos come out nice and clear whilst the video is also of a good quality. Yes they're not the best but if you're not a photography snob the 4 mega pixel camera here will do just fine. The second highest setting is still very good here which means you can take more photos for the same storage space. The 3x zoom is very handy and photos still come out of a good quality at max zoom.
Currently the camera is widely available due to new higher quality camera being released. It can be picked up from Amazon for about £30 at the moment which is an absolute bargain compared to current cameras. Brand new digital cameras, depending on which type you get, have prices starting at £80-£100. These often rise to £130-£150 (And these aren't the high zoom cameras)
So it doesn't look as slick as new cameras and isn't as small and slim as others but it is very easy to use and perfect for people who don't want a fancy camera. The 4 Mega Pixel quality can't compare with new cameras but it is by no means of a poor quality. Just remember a few years ago people were raving about this high quality! Not easily available but they are so cheap now it's worth it for a first camera
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