by Olan Pays
Canon has been well-known for the feature-rich products even in their entry level models. One of the good examples is the Canon Powershot A40 digital camera. The camera is an easy to use point and shoot that has a nice set of features and takes great pictures.
The Canon A40, as the successor to the popular Canon A20, sports a 2.0 megapixel resolution with a 3x optical zoom which is equivalent to 35 – 105 mm. Compared to its predecessor, the A40 offers the same great compact body with a few minor design changes and feature enhancements. It measures 110.3 x 71.0 x 37.6 millimeters (4.3 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches), and weighs approx. 250gr (8.8-ounces) without battery. The camera will fit in most pockets but, for me, it’s too big to be a pocket-sized camera.
To preview and line up your shot, the Canon A40 is equipped with a 1.5 inch LCD display which is a bit smaller than average, but generally the image quality is excellent. Unfortunately, sometimes the LCD gets grainy when there isn’t enough light.
Key Features:
- 2.0 megapixel CCD
- 3x optical zoom
- 1.5 inch LCD
- Optical viewfinder
- White Balance
- Built-in Flash
- Movie mode
- USB connection
- CompactFlash card compatible
Since the camera comes with an 8MB CompactFlash, you will need to buy a 32 MB card (at least) to store lots of pictures and movies. The Powershot A40 can record movies at 320 x 240, or 160 x 120, at a rate of 20 frames/second. The A40 is powered by AA-type alkaline batteries or the high-capacity NiMH AA batteries.
Overall, with lots of features including a range of auto and manual exposure controls, this entry level Canon A40 is perfect for the beginning users and experienced amateurs alike.