Pentax Optio A40 Digital Camera

Pros: Manual mode, user-selectable ISO, movie mode
Cons: No rechargeable batteries/charger included, mediocre macro performance, average shutter lag/start-up/cycle times

The Canon Powershot A40 is the updated version of Canon’s very popular Powershot A20 digi-cam. On the surface the A40 is a virtual clone of the A20 with just a couple minor changes, but beneath the stylish polycarbonate body shell beats the heart of a...

Pros: Manual and Stitch Assist Mode, Excellent Image Quality and Noise Reduction, Great Software Bundle
Cons: Needs a Four-Directional Pad, No Rechargeable Batteries or Camera Case, Lacks Non-Lossy Image Compression

A Note to the Reader: It’s been over a year since I’ve last written a genuine review, and I undoubtedly feel odd as my fingers begin to move over the keyboard again, the way they used to. As Stephen King would say, I too, have been accused of & ...

Pros: Features galore. High quality images.
Cons: LCD too small and hard to navigate.

For under $300, this camera provides more than just basic digital imaging. After countless hours of researching the perfect match, we decided on the Canon A40 for obvious reasons.


Why I Chose The Canon A40

My...

Pros: Crisp, clear images, lightweight, compact. Loads of features. Records short movies. 2 megapixels
Cons: Price, icons on LCD screen are small, small 8mb flashcard, bought $200 accessories

This camera produces crisp, clear, well defined images in an easy to use camera. The camera is small, light weight and we use a carrying case designed to fit on a belt. A myriad of features are discussed below.

When my husband and I went on a...

Pros: Cheap entry level digital camera, sharp pictures
Cons: Heavy usage of batteries, only 2.0 megapixel

When I purchased my Canon Powershot A40 at the tail end of 2002 it was the very best the digital camera market could offer, which rather goes to show how far digital cameras have come. What was considered at the time to be a top end piece of ...

Pros: A lot of camera for a low price. Nice digital zoom up to 7.5X.
Cons: As with all digital cameras with LCD - battery life is short.

I bought this camera for my wife to replace a Hewlett Packard 215C camera, which lasted about one year (just out of warranty) before it passed on to that great CF reader in the sky. My wife had been happy with the HP camera until the LCD display no ...

Pros: Great clear images, easy to use.
Cons: Temperamental zoom control

When I purchased this camera as my entry into the digital world, I wanted to get a camera that would serve two purposes in one. I wanted something easy enough to use that the technology of the thing was not overwhelming to a first time user and I wanted...

Pros: Quality pictures, manual controls, movie mode with sound.
Cons: Poor macro shots, a bit bulky

This is my first digital camera, when I was researching prior to my purchase, I did a LOT of research on the internet on different camera review sites and discussion forums. (www.dpreview.com, www.steves-digicams.com, www.dcresource.com,...

Pros: Solid casing. Sharp, clear images. Easy to use. Good documentation. No expensive proprietary components.
Cons: The color red comes out a little too bright.

After much research I narrowed my choice down to the Canon A40. It was all-around the best camera for the price & options it provided at 2.1 megapixels. I won't bother with the specs. That can be found elsewhere. I will list my experience with the ...

Pros: Value, manual control, construction quality, panorama mode and software, image quality
Cons: slight delay in shutter, movie-mode limited to 10 seconds, sometimes frustrating focus

Canon A40 is an improvement upon its critically acclaimed predecessor A20, which is essentially identical to this new model except that it lacked microphone, had limited ISO ratings and retailed for $200 more. So when you buy A40, you're buying a camera...

Pros: quality built, manual mode, long exposure, expandable, can use AA battery
Cons: serial number erasble, auto focus problem, no 4 way controller, limited movie mode

I am not going to list all the specifications and features of A40. I firmly believe that's the job of a printed camera manual not mine.

Now comes to MY personal experience with the camera:

Built:

A40 seems to be of...

Pros: high quality images, easy to use, videos with sound, TV out, battery life, manual mode
Cons: You'll want to pick up a bigger memory card and rechargeable AA batteries

Remember Canon's advertising slogan back in the early 90s: "So advanced...it's simple"? They could revive that slogan to accurately describe the Canon PowerShot A40. In other words, if you're primarily a point-and-shoot photographer but you'd like to...

Pros: Image Quality, Manual controls
Cons: Limited accessory bundle

I must say first of all, that I am not a sophisticated camera user, these are just impressions from a normal point and shoot kind of guy.

Design:
The design of this camera is good. It's not particularly large or small. It's about the...

Pros: Two words: Manual Mode.
Cons: Comes with a small memory card, flash is a bit weak.

    The world of consumer digital cameras is going through a bit of a change at the moment. I suppose the best way to describe what the camera marketplace is going through now is to compare it to what the PC market went through a few years ago - The...

Pros: best price/performance, uses CF storage, special accessories available
Cons: not great for indoor shooting, a starter camera in some ways

This was my first digital camera. I've had it for 4 months now and I have to agree with most A40 owners here who really love this camera for its features, picture quality, and offering both ease-of-use and many creative possibilities with manual settings ...