Canon A300 Digital!
Written: Oct 25 '03 (Updated Nov 18 '03)
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Pros: We have enjoyed this light weighted camera very much
Cons: The price is a little higher at some places
The Bottom Line: Canon once again has brought smiles to our home.
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| meleahk's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera |
For several months we thought about getting a Digital Camera. We looked at many different ones. Found out that there were a lot to choose from too! All kinds of shapes and sizes and functions and prices! Of, course in the end we decided on one that would fit our budget and one that we felt was better than the rest in that same price range.
The Product
“I strongly suggest reading the user manual before starting. It was very helpful to someone who has never owned a digital camera before. I could write all about that manual but it would take up to many pages, so I have chosen some of my favorites and some basics.”
Canon® Power Shot A300™ is a lightweight compact digital camera with a 3.2 Mega pixel CCD and light quality Canon® Lens. It takes great pictures with a high performance digital imaging processor “DIGIC”, and what ever that is exactly it works! The pictures are just wonderful and full of color when printed off. And while looking at the pictures still on the camera they are just as wonderful and exciting to see.
You can also record a movie up to 3 minutes with audio and on camera movie file editing. Now, we have not done this yet but I have read the instructions as to how to do it and I am hoping that at Thanksgiving I can give that a try.
It has an autofocus f/3.6 lens (35mm equivalent of 33mm. It also provides a high resolution image with wonderful clarity. It has a 5.1 digital zoom with macro focusing down to 2 inches, which will help to record even the smallest details. There is also an advanced 5 point AIAF autofocus and the picture is always centered. I also have to say here that while I use the camera with the view finder off I can zoom in on subjects far away. Example, when we had Homecoming we had guest singers. Due to my bad health we sit towards the back of the church. So I was able to zoom in on the singers with no problems and took several great pictures of them for the church album. Really cool I thought!
I was also able to take each picture of the different families with style! All I had to do was bring them into view and click. Now I have to admit that there is a 3 to 5 second delay in between pictures and I don’t really like this at all, but, that is how it is. I have read the directions several times and am instructed that there will be at least a 3 second delay between shots in order for the camera to work properly and store the pictures where they should be and easily found.
I can always check the picture right after shooting. And I can close the lens, turn the camera on and there my pictures will be. Open the lens to shoot again. I can choose to erase or keep each photo by clicking the function button found on the back of the camera along with display, menu and set buttons. You can change from live to still pictures also, it is recommend to shoot still pictures in order to save the life of the batteries. However, I admit that I like being able to see my subjects moving around in the live form a lot better. I think you can get a better picture this way!
Speaking of “back of the camera”, you are able to set up your own personal style for your camera by clicking the menu button. Here you can set up sounds and pictures by scrolling through the available menu for these features. You can set the volume the way you like, auto power down, date/time, format, shutter volume, playback volume, start up volume, operation volume, self timer volume, File No. Reset and Language. Each one offers a choice and are self explanatory. And of course the on/off button.
On the front of the camera you will find the view finder (AIAF), the flash, the lens cover, and of course the Canon® name, name of the camera and the pixel amount. The camera is light silver in color and very light weighted. The strap was easy to connect as well.
You will need to put in the memory card and batteries. Now I have to say that normal batteries will not last very long at all, about 5 or 6 pictures then you have to change them. You are better off to buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger like I did. Then you will be able to use the camera for longer periods of time and always have a spare set.
I like that centering thing because while taking pictures at my church homecoming this past September, I was able to take great, centered pictures no matter how they were sitting.
On the very top of the camera you need to choose pictures or movie. To do this simply slide from one to the other. And of course the picture clicker as I call it is on the top.
You will also find instructions in both English and Spanish. Each language having their own books.
With the camera you get:
Digital Camera
Wrist Strap WS-200
AA-size Alkaline Battery, 2
CompactFlash™ card FC-16M
Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk
ArcSoft Camera Suite Disk
USB Intrerface Cable IFC-300 PCU
Quick Start Guide
Camera User Guide
System Map
Software for Starter Guide
For Windows® EX and Mac OS X users, a leaflet with instructions for both.
Canon Customer Support Leaflet
Warranty Card.
Printing
Printing was easier than I thought it would be. With my camera came a USB cord that I simply connected to the back of my computer and then to the printer. Then I take the connector for the camera and hook that to the camera and then I can see my pictures on my computer. The software that came with the camera was very easy to load and it’s rather self explanatory.
After you load your camera pictures to your computer you will be able to see the software come up giving you a choice of what you want to do. Since you want to add the pictures to your computer click that choice. Then the pictures come alive on your monitor. You can then choose the pictures you want to save for printing and sharing into a folder that you set up on your computer.
Then you can print all or some of them. Email to family and friends across the world! It’s really cool!
DIGIC Imaging Processor
Directly from the box: “The A300's DIGIC Imaging Processor revolutionizes how you shoot digital by allowing the camera to process images faster and improving the accuracy of the autofocus. DIGIC also reduces the effects on noise in your images.
iSAPS technology is an entirely new scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC Imaging Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.”
How I Feel
When Erica was having her hair fixed for her Senior Homecoming Dance I was able to take pictures and see them right then and there, that was just so cool. And after we got home I was able to take pictures of her all dressed up. I then loaded them to my computer and printed some off for family and friends. I have found that my Epson® printer does a very good job on the digital pictures. (New Printer review found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_98442120836 and my new computer review found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_97964428932 , both are great products.)
I have also found that I really like this camera weight! It is not heavy at all.
I had an old camera bag where my previous 200.00 Canon® camera got stolen from us and this new camera fits in it just perfect. It got stolen when Erica took it to school and someone searched her book back in her locker in the gym! Needless to say this camera is not going to school!
I also like the color, sounds and quality of the pictures I take. They are true color form and that is always so important to me. The eyes will be red if I get to close though so I learned not to do that, or if the light hits wrong when I take the picture, the eyes will be red, so I have had to learn how to use this camera properly in order to take those great pictures. Watch the light when getting close. Outside has posed no threat to red eyed pictures.
We have enjoyed our camera a lot. We paid 199.00 with free s/h at www.dell.com (review found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_97949093508 ). You can also go to www.canon.com to register your camera or get questions answered should you need to. Wal Mart does sell the camera about $40.00 less that www.dell.com. Depends on money I suppose.
I hope this helps in some kind of way!
God Bless!
©LKD 2003
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
meleahk
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Member: Leah
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 445
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Proud Mother of a US MARINE! Love Ya Jeffery!
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