Canon Powershot A640 Review

The Canon Powershot A640 is a ten megapixel digital camera with a four times optical zoom lens. The main attraction of this camera is its range of features. These include fully manual exposure and also manual focusing. This makes the Powershot A640 closer in relation to a SLR camera than the shiny, pocket sized models that are so widely available.

This camera is well suited to anyone who is looking for a step up from a standard point and shoot model, but wants a smaller, more compact camera than the larger, bulkier models.

My test shots came out more or less exactly as I had expected them to. In terms of the overall photo quality I would describe the Powershot A640 as a step above a typical digital camera. I was unable to identify any areas that I could describe as a genuine weakness and the camera has many strong points.

Looking through my outdoor scenic shots the camera is capable of setting a high standard. Key factors that go together to create a good quality test shot such as focusing and colours are very good. When it comes to focusing the levels of sharpness in the centre of each shot are someway above standard. These levels are more or less maintained as you move out towards the edges. The brickwork on the building in the first test shot is very sharp compared to the levels achieved by many rival cameras. Away from the centre the names on the boats are also in sharp focus. Focusing is also some way above normal in the third outdoor shot where the zoom lens is fully extended.

Reflection from very light objects such as the boats are handled well considering the conditions, although there is a loss of detail in the white beams under the roof of the building in the first shot. Darker areas of each shot are fine without being perfect although I would like to see more light in areas of the second shot.

Colours in all my test photos including the dedicated test for colours are strong without being overbearing. In terms of the strength of colours this camera sits somewhere in the mid range. This means that the colours are just about right. They are neither overpowering nor washed out.

The outdoor portrait shot has a very natural feel to it. The camera is able to handle any light falling on the face without over exposing the area and losing detail. I really like the skin tones and feel this is how a standard portrait should look.

Moving indoors the portrait shot is another to work well. Although the light is less than perfect the camera still manages to produce a well focused shot. Red eye in the shot is minimal and I would be surprised if it was noticeable in prints of 7 x 5" and smaller.

My other indoor test is a photo taken of beer bottles in more or less complete darkness. Again the Powershot A640 copes well with difficult conditions to produce a well lit and sharply focused shot.

Close up shots are catered for by the macro mode. This is another area where the camera performs very well and is better than many of its competitors. The camera manages to produce another well lit, sharp photo. I would say that the Powershot A640 is suitable for producing shots for Ebay and other similar sites.

The tests finish on a bit of a low note. As with many cameras the tests for higher ISO settings prove to be a disappointment. Even at ISO 400 there is clear deterioration in the shot. At the ISO 1600 setting the picture quality is seriously struggling.

I was able to take a single photo in 0.42 seconds and five photos in 9.43 seconds. These are more or less standard times, although the time to take a single photo is a little way above average.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

There are plenty of features to get to know so it is fair enough that the camera will take time to fully understand. I also feel that the division into two separate menu areas for settings that are deemed functions and those deemed standard menu options can also be confusing. Once you know what lives where this can speed up the process of finding the option you need, but it can take longer at first to find what you are looking for.

You can pick up a Canon Powershot A640 for around £220. This compares to around £200 for a Sony DSC W100, £165 for an Olympus SP-320 and £165 for a Kodak EasyShare C875.

There are not too many 10 megapixel cameras around to compare this one with. Certainly I cannot think of any other 10 megapixel cameras with the same feature set. The cameras I have price compared to offer similar features rather than the same number of megapixels. With its own niche in the market I would say the Powershot A640 is very well priced. This camera is around £30 cheaper than the eight megapixel version the Powershot A630.

The Powershot A640 has more in common with a traditional SLR camera than with a pocket sized digital model when it comes to looks and build quality. Compared to a SLR it is smaller and more compact. The camera comes in black.

Dimensions are 109.4 x 66.0 x 49.1mm and the camera weighs 245g.

Four AA batteries are required to power the camera. Canon estimates the supplied alkaline batteries should be able to take around 280 shots before they need to be replaced.

I was able to take 10 photos with the supplied 32mb SD card before it was full. This will allow you to give the camera a very quick test out, but for any serious photography you will need to pick up a larger card. The camera is also compatible with the new SDHC (High Capacity) memory cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Sharpness of the photos
Indoor photo quality
Feature set at reasonable price
Angle of LCD screen can be varied

Small SD card supplied

My first digital camera came from the Powershot A series and I would be more than happy to own the Canon Powershot A640. The cameras in this range offer a lot of features and great photo quality for the price. The A640 upholds the reputation and is a fine camera. Recommended.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Canon Powershot A640