My first impression of the A630 was less than stellar. After a year plus squinting through the viewfinder of my Rebel XT, I was really looking forward to composing my shots in a big, beautiful LCD again. Unfortunately, the LCD on the A630 may be big, but it's not beautiful. It does a fine job helping you review what's already been captured and presenting menu options legibly, but a mediocre job of rendering what's coming through the lens. The color is inaccurate and interference frequently appeared on the screen when half-clicking to freeze the focus. It still beats a viewfinder for composing an image but, frankly, I'd rather have the smaller LCD on my daughter's A620.

Ultimately, though, picture quality is everything to me, and here the A630 excels. I took 60+ pictures on a recent trip to Door County, WI and not one of them was a clunker, including several taken in very tricky lighting situations. Shooting modes worked as advertised although, with good lighting, the auto mode produced identical results. Indoors, flash pictures were perfectly exposed and the flash had a surprisingly good range.

On average, and I know this is heresy, the A630 took better pictures than my Rebel XT, and I didn't feel the need to Photoshop a single one of them. If I cared more about the LCD, I would have given this camera a lower rating, but a lower rating would not have done justice to the quality of the images this camera produces.

This is one of those nice cameras that's so well done, it's easier to talk about what the camera ISN'T, rather than what it IS! This camera is not a small, shirt pocket camera, and might be a bit bigger than a woman would wish to carry in a purse. It's not a super-tele camera, but it does have a respectable, bit longer than average 4x optical zoom.

Using the camera, it has a good weight and feel for average sized hands. The use of AA batteries helps keep the cost down, and has it's own advantages, although some may prefer the longer life charges of Lithium-Ion batteries (I do). General, controls are well thought out and easy to use. The zoom is nice and smooth.

For those that prefer an optical viewfinder, Canon is probably the strongest supporter, and this is a better than average viewfinder, although it does not have a diopter adjustment. But you'll probably never use it with the tremendous 2.5" rotary screen. Yes, there are 3" screens on the market, but this dwarfs anything on a hinge! It is a great aid in composing photos at low, high, or other odd angles (photos you simply didn't take before).

Another feature that gets high praise is the flex-focus system. Today's AF cameras do a decent job, but occassionally, they just don't hit on the right focus point. With the flex system, you can determine which point to use. This is simply great for crowded rooms or nature photos where the subject may not be the closest item within the focusing areas.

Control for this price point is very good indeed. Multiple "scene" modes make it easy for the novice (ok, or sometimes lazy pro), while the semi-auto and manual modes give even experienced users all they need.

Simply put, this camera could have easily been priced $50 to $100 more. The only real competition is the A640, $100 more, 10 meg, and a bit more attractive black finish.

I just got my Canon A630 digital camera two days ago. I have to say that it is a gorgeous looking camera. The only difference with the A640 is in the color and obviously in the number of pixels (this last one has 10). Everything else is exactly the same and it is 100 dollars less that the A640.
The picture quality is neat, and I am pretty sure I will have lots of fun with it.

I have considered canon A610 and A630, and some SD brands. Finally, I chosen A630. The LCD are large, the only problem is that it has few pixels compared to the 2.5 inch LCD. However, the pictures are good!

I purchased this to replace the Canon A70 (another good camera) as I wanted more megapixels in order to take photos to be enlarged and have greater ability to crop. The camera is easy to use, has lots of useful "one-button" features such as for night shots, aperture priority and shutter priority. The camera can also be put in manual mode which permits manual settings and I've found to be very useful particularly for outdoor, backlit situations.

The clarity of the photos is very good. The movie function is also very good and far better than the A70 which was more grainy and pixilated due to the lower resolution.

The software provided is eay to use (at leat for Windows, I do not know about for Macs).

A couple of features of these Canon cameras I've found very, very useful and you might want to consider in buying any camera, particularly if you travel. First, it uses AA batteries which are easy to find, so you don;t have to worry about finding an outlet and adpator to recharge your proprietary battery. Second, it uses an SD card which are also relatively easy to find and can be used in many devices, as opposed to say a Sony memory stick.

I just recently had a baby and we were using my husbands old Kodak DX4330 (3.1 mega pixels). After making prints we were not satisfied so we decided we needed a better but afforable camera. And after researching I found this to be the one. And I was right on! Great quality pictures! Easy to use! Awesome flip screen!! Just be sure to get a bigger memory card!

I actually happened upon the A630 in exchange for an A620. I am totally please with its performance thus far. This camera was purchased as an underwater camera w/ the optional underwater housing. My "A" camera is a Canon Rebel XT & I would have to say this is almost comparable & easy to use for the high-end amateur. The preset mode for "kids/pets" was perfect as I took photos in a tour van through New Orleans. Not one of the pictures came out blurry. Other preset modes are: snow, fireworks, underwater, macro (which took great shots), and other. I would definitely purchase this camera again. I will update this review after I take the camera diving.

This camera works just fine. Good quality for little money.

My wife upgraded from her old Olympus 3030 and wow were we disappointed with this camera! Low light image noise was an order of magnitude worse than the old Olympus, and the flash was nowhere near as even as the older camera. Even though Canon has made this a fairly easy to use camera, my wife still goes back to Olympus. We are probably going to return the A630.

That being said, the camera is only $250, so we were probably expecting too much. Maybe I should have left 4 stars (Amazon site won't let me edit the rating). I own a Canon 30D SLR and several lenses, so I don't have a thing against Canon. The 30D is an incredible semi-pro camera that I highly recommend if you don't mind the bulk and price of an SLR.

I have owned several canon camera's from the a310 to the a95 and this one the a630 simply blows them all away. pic quality is excellent, especially when I compare the difference in two same shots between the a95 and the a630. the a630 is sharper,more vivid, and the features and ease of use is outstanding.AA batteries is a plus, I do recommend rechargeable batteries.
8 mp is the way to go. also get at least a 1 gig sd card.

This is the best camera, EVER!! I love this camera; the quality is amazing and the pictures are so clear. If you have any doubts, DON'T! This is the camera you want and you will not be disappointed!!

I really like this camera. It has many features of my larger and bulkier digital SLR. I like the stitching mode. The picture quality is very good. Night shots at low light performance is admirable. It is not exactly a "slim" type camera but does fit into your pocket. It servs well as camera for the starter (my wife) in the "auto" mode, or for the more experienced in the sp, or ap mode. The details in 11 by 8 prints are excellent. I am very happy with this buy.

I was hesitant to spend the money on this camera but after I did, I was very pleased and would have spent another $50-100 on it. So many options to use, great picture quality, and the rotating screen very helpful for taking pictures of yourself for webpages and other uses. If you take a picture and view it while turning the camera sideways the picture will rotate anyway you turn the camera except the upside down position. Any otherway the picture will rotate with you, it was something I was in aaahhhh about the first time I discovered it. It caught me off guard the first time I discovered it since I never read directions anyways.

I'm a amateur for sure but this camera makes me look like a pro. I'm amazed at the picture quality especially from distance. In the zoom mode while reviewing photos I can pick up detail from far away. I wish the manual had more explanations on how to use the all the features. Auto mode works good for now.

I currently own a Canon A80 (which I love) and was interested in upgrading to the highly reviewed A630. I received the camera in time for Thanksgiving and took about 200 photos with it in a variety of conditions. Everything was great until I got home and downloaded my photos to the computer. About half of them were blurry... but worse, ALL of my indoor shots had a lot of noise. I took some more test shots, and noticed that the "camera movement" icon came on every time I used the zoom on indoor shots or any time I tried to take an indoor shot without the flash. After calling customer service, I was convinced that I just had a defective camera, so I contacted Amazon and they were wonderful about sending another camera right out.

Today I received the second camera. It was no different from the first. I am a point and shoot photographer who is mostly interested in taking photos of my children... so I took a variety of photos using the same settings on both of my cameras (a80 and a630) then downloaded them to my computer for comparison. I even printed out several photos to make sure the problems weren't with my monitor. Outdoor photos were excellent on both, however there was a huge difference inside. In a well lit room with plenty of natural light from outside, the a630 still produced significant noise, while my a80 on the same setting (auto) produced clear noise-free photos. When my toddler was moving, I got mostly blurry photos with the a630 on auto as well as using the "kids and pets" mode, while my a80 produced crisp and clear photos.

I love Canon cameras, and this was my 3rd PowerShot. I really expected to love this camera as much as my previous Canons. Now I don't know whether I should even try to find a newer camera, if the inside shots are going to be like this.

Things I liked about the a630:

LARGE LCD
Nice quality movies
Scene assists
Great outdoor shots
Very accurate colors
Quick shutter response

Things I didn't like about the a630:

Poor quality inside shots with lots of noise and blurry results.

If I were a pro, I could probably figure out how to use the manual controls to fix my indoor problems... but I'm just a mom who wants some cute photos of her kids, so this didn't work for me. I'm sticking with my slow-but-dependable A80.

Aye, this camera is great. I suppose I might be biased, this being my first digital, but I have used cameras borrowed from pals in the recent past, and didn't particularly enjoy them (which is why I wasn't too interested in a digi before).

Quick startup is a big bonus. On my trip earlier this year, I missed many opportunities for good photos with my pal's HP camera, as it took a few seconds to boot, and seconds between photos. The only video I took had to be tossed due to the 15fps blurry quality (and he had no memory card). The digital zoom was horrible, and indoors photos were really crappy - especially at night.

The 30fps movie mode in the A630 is wonderful for a camera of this price - I never use the 15fps mode at all - it's blurry and the picture is 'jumpy,' although if it's done outdoors with good ambient lighting, it seems to work a bit better. I quickly learned to navigate the settings, being a complete novice, but I still need to check the manual on a couple of items that I have no idea about.

Even though it won't fit in my pocket and is heavier than many, the battery life is great. I have the camera over a month now, have taken video, stills with and without flash, deleted and re-shot stuff, and still have not changed the original batteries. If this were my pal's camera, I would have changed batteries after about 8 or so shots. Serious.

I bought a 2GB SD card for it, along with rechargeables and a charger. The only off-key thing I noticed so far is that the images can get pretty grainy on night-time zoomed indoor shots where incandescent (normal) light bulbs are used. As one other reviewer said, I don't know if I have to tinker with the settings to fix this, but that's the only issue I have had.

So basically these things do it for me with this camera:

- Excellent battery life - AA size is easy to get and keep for emergencies
- Excellent video capture with sound
- Quick boot and inter-shot response
- Excellent image quality with little or no blur
- Nice features such as color swap and pre-sets for common situations, apart from manual settings for more advanced users.
- Foldable vari-angle LCD is very very useful - the screen won't get damaged once it's folded in - unlike those with the screen showing at the back. This is great for evaluating your shots, and the quality is pretty good for a small screen.
- Image quality settings allow for maximized space utilization on you SD. (GET a 1-Gig or larger card!)

Drawbacks:

- Some grainy zoomed indoor shots (moreso in nighttime video capture)
- Larger than expected
- Haven't been able to find the correct carrying case up to December 2006! What?!
- Causes me to waste time instead of preparing for my exams! :)

Overall, an easy-to-use, excellent camera, straight out of the box. Would recommend it (and already did - 3 of my coworkers are ordering it, so Canon please organize my cut).

ML.

I had been looking for a new digital camera for over a year. I finally made this my pick. At first I wasn't happy with the menus and settings. But after testing it for a few weeks, I'm very happy with it.

I had been looking for a new digital camera for over a year. I finally made this my pick. At first I wasn't happy with the menus and settings. But after testing it for a few weeks, I'm very pleased with it.

The pictures are outstanding!! If you have never used a Canon digital(I hadn't) the menu settings and multiple picture settings can be overwhelming. Just set it to "auto" the pics come out great. Then you can slowly learn the various setting(if you want to). I'm a geek so I tested them all.

-It starts up within 2 seconds and the time between shots is just over 1 second(really).

-The flippable LCD screen is great, but, the quality of the image on the LCD is only fair. If this is important to you, this camera is not for you. It really doesn't matter to me, I prefer the optical view finder for 99% of my shots.

-There is NO information displayed in the optical view finder.

-Very comfortable in the hand.

-There is no battery meter (just tells you need to replace).

-A little larger and heavier than a "pocket" camera.

-It takes four AA batteries - which is great, can get them anywhere - no waiting for recharge.

-For a still camera it takes great videos.

I would recommend this camera. It's not perfect - but after much research, it was a good choice for the price range.

Also, I bought a 1GB memory card - so I don't have to work about running out of space.

I replaced my Canon A95 with the A630, and I have the worst case of redeye I have ever seen in a camera. The sharpness of the pictures is no different from the A95 nor is the quality of the images any better. I may go back to my A95.

I think I looked at every camera on the Amazon site and figured out and compared each one to decide which one to buy. I finally decided that I needed a camera that used AA batteries and used a SD card. So then I started comparing the Canons and reading the reviews. I couldn't figure out why the A630 cost about the same as the A620, so decided to buy the one with the most pixels. As you can tell, I am not a camera expert; but, just an ordinary person wanting to take pictures that are above ordinary.

I had a cheap digital camera before that just wouldn't take pictures inside. I could put them in a photo software program and lighten them up a bit, but they just weren't good quality.

A lot of my pictures are taken indoors of kids,people and pets. No one ever shows those pictures when they post them as an example though. I was very concerned that if I got a new camera, it wouldn't be too much different.

Thank goodness the Canon A630 takes great indoor pictures even in my low- light living room. It is absolutely amazing. I have a 14x30 ft. living room dining room combination and when I take a picture at night on on end
of the room, the other end of the room shows up well lit up too.

There are lots of digital cameras out there that don't take good indoor pictures. This camera is not one of them. I'm so happy I decided on the Canon A630. I can hardly wait to take Christmas pictures with it! I know they will be great.

This camera is amazing -- great shutter response time, excellant battery life, and tons of features and completley customizable. However, it was so bulky, we often just left it at home, rather that take it with us to parties. The same convenience of being able to use AA's (and not worrying about charging the camera, or having it die halfway through your trip) also results in a substantial bulk. Also, the camera does not accomodate one-handed operation. If portability is not a concern -- go for it. It is infinitely tweakable -- with a full manual mode and lots of creative options. But if you are looking for a point and shoot you can drop in your purse, or even your pocket, go for the SD630.

I was about to buy the extremely popular (and cheaper) A540 instead of this one until I realized that is has a number of advantages:

1) A few more pixels. This is in fact the least important advantage; ANYTHING with 2 Megapixels or more can produce great prints in standard sizes. In fact, I've done great 6"x4" prints with 1.3MP.

2) It uses 4 AA batteries instead of 2. This has two advantages: You can shoot a lot more pics and you have to wait a lot less between shots when using the flash. I bought this to take pics in my brother's wedding, so I'll need all the battery juice I can get.

3) It has a lot less audible noise when shooting video than the A540. Both the A540 and the A630 have the capability of adapting to light changes while recording movies (Something old Powershots did not have), and this process produces motor noise. In the A540, that noise is almost unbearable, but it's almost unnoticeable on the A630. Hear it for yourself: Go to Youtube and search for "A540 noises" and "A630 review".

4) It has a flip LCD. If you have ever been in a group of (amateur) photographers during an event, you know that they do not respect the line, and everything turns into a chaos. Being able to flip the LCD down and extend your arms up can be the only way to get a shot. And if you happen to own an Ultrapod II or a similar travel tripod, having a flip LCD will save you from having to lay flat on the floor just to frame your shot.

5) It accepts the new SDHC card format. This is one of the very few non-professional cameras today that accepts this format. Conventional SD cards can't be bigger than 2GB (or 4GB, I think), but SDHC can be as big as 32GB. The A630 can accept up to 4GB (Or 8GB according to Transcend's site), so even if you buy just a 2GB card with your camera today, you can wait a year for memory prices to drop and then buy a bigger card. On the other hand, if you buy the A540, you'll be stuck with a maximum card size of 1GB. And since these cameras can take Camcorder-quality video, which takes 1GB of space in just 8 minutes, I'm sure you might appreciate the extra space in the near future.

By the way, I've just bought this as a replacement of my old Canon A75, which died from the dreaded Sony sensor malfunction (Yes, Canon uses Sony CCD image sensors). I hope Sony has worked to correct this problem since they sell sensors to most major camera makers. Most websites say this problem was corrected in 2005.

This is a great camera, I bought it for my sister and she absolutely loves it! Easy to use features, and the LCD display is great. It doesn't drain batteries like most other digital cameras, and the picture quality is awesome. Definately a great buy for the money!!

I decided to replace my Power Shot A95 (5 megapixels) with the A630. In comparing the two models the enhancement to picture quality with the A630 is incredible. Pictures are sharp. Colors are vivid and true. I am a point and click person...this camera is just the ticket.

I love this camera. I only have limited experience with digital cameras but I think this camera is a great value. I especially like the rotating viewfinder (or whatever it's called). You can even turn it 180 degrees so that you can take a picture of yourself. I used it at a baseball game and turned the viewfinder 90 degrees to see around a corner - it was great. Frank Robinson never saw it coming.

I bought this Canon A630 to back up my Canon Rebel XT dSLR - both are 8 Mpixel. The A630 was intended for situations that didn't require the dSLR attributes - low light, lens interchangeability, bulkiness,and most importantly: the rapid shot-to-shot capability.

The Canon A630 is an excellent point-and-show. The image quality is nearly identical to my Rebel XT (except for low light situations and flash recovery speed).

I had to keep reminding myself this is NOT a Rebel XT (in size, speed, price, bulk, and low light situations). It is a $299 vs. $899 list camera for TOTALLY different purposes.

The swiveling lens is great for off-angle shots (e.g. over head, around corner in tight situation like an aircraft carrier deck, etc.). The 4X zoom is nice; I like 12X, but 4X is perfect for most folks.

The movie mode (640x480 at 30 fps) is very nice too - it still have some artifacts compared to a true video camera, but adequate quality for short clips. I used it for New Year's fireworks in Oahu, Hawaii and the video is pretty good with some artifacts in the dark sky areas. It beats having to carry two cameras.

The menus are very handy - selecting BW or Sepia instantly changes the view finder to show exactly how it looks.

Use of anything beyond ISO 80 is recommended only as last resort. The image noise levels are noticeable and at 400 and beyond, I consider it very bad. If you need the shot, use it, but don't expect good image quality.

I also bought the DC8 underwater housing for snorkeling in Oahu's Hanauma Bay - it allows total control of the camera from power on to ALL features and modes. The pictures I took were fantastic. It would be nice to get an underwater housing for the Rebel XT, but at $900 vs. $199 for the DC8 housing, the A630/DC8 combination is an excellent value with great underwater capability. The flash seemed to work very well underwater (unlike my Pentax Optio s4i - too much debris reflected back into the lens assembly with weird flares). The A630/DC8 underwater performance was beyond my expectations.

Make sure to switch to 'fish' mode to compensate for blueness of underwater.

The 4xAA battery capability is compatible with my battery stash. The SD cards need to be selected carefully. An 8 Mpixel camera can comfortably use a 2GB SD card. However, if you get a 4 or 8 GB card, you MUST get an SD HC-compliant card - the non-SD HC cards do NOT work. I bought/returned a Pretec 4 GB SD card - it was not SD HC-compliant and simply did not work. Canon's website says the A630/A640 are SD HC-compliant and the cards are available, but rather expensive. I made do with 2x2GB cards, but that may be a limitation underwater (as you can't easily change cards on the beach without getting sand/water in the camera). My snorkel outing did just fine with 2 GB card for 2 hours of snorkeling.

Highly recommended. If you like to crop your pictures, I assume the A640 (10 Mpixel) may be better, but the street price is about $100 more. It isn't worth it if you simply 'point-and-shoot' with zero post-processing.

END

Item was DOA out of the box because it the focal length adustment wouldn't function. Amazon quickly returned it for a full refund and I found it at another vendor for less money.

My Canon A85 was stolen from my car recently - and I needed a "point and shoot" camera of compact size when my Digital Rebel and camera bag are not needed or welcome.

Canon no longer makes a compact "PowerShot" camera with CF Memory cards - and since I have a large investment in AA rechargables - I opted for this model over Canon models with a more compact lithium battery power source.

Following the theme of the Powershot A70 - A95 - the camera is somewhat compact - except for the battery compartment holding 4 AA batteries. IT comes with 4 Alkalines - but you can go thru those in no time. Get yourself a set of rechargable 2300-2500 Amph/hr and be done with it. Additional thickness is added to the case to accommodate the swivel LCD viewer.

Memory is located in with the battery compartment - the tiny SD card is spring loaded in a slot. I chose a standard speed 1 gig card - and shoot max resolution every time. I dislike mixing batteries and memory access on the same latch - having visions of AA batteries rolling loose everywhere ... lol... The camera has a need for greater power than ever - larger LCD viewer, more powerful flash and better, faster computer...

The large LCD viewfinder is twist/movable in many directions. It is bright but strong sun will wash it out. The optical viewfinder is a good backup for strong sun situations.

The built in speedlight/flash on the A630 continues Cannon's tradition of redeye - even with redeye setting utilized. The flash is more powerful than ever - as is the computer in auto setting - fastest setting yet - with fewer 'hunting' delays in low light situations.

Picture quality is simply outstanding - vibrant oversaturation of colors - zoom lens adequate out to 4X - continue to stay away from that digital zoom past 4X...

Overall - the A630 is a grown-up version of my A85. I like the swivel LCD viewer, faster computer, and familiar controls. It enables me to utilize my investment in rechargable AA batteries - and the whopping 8MP of picture quality gives me pause to take my 'digital Rebel' dSLR on vacation.

Disappointed I am with the SD card in the battery compartment and the discontinuance of CF memory in the PowerShot line. On the positive side - I find no need to purchase the 10 MP model - the 8 MP of the A630 showing virtually no difference in picture quality in my camera use.

I have been using 35MM SLR cameras for years and this is my first experience with a digital camera,the Canon Powershot A630. I was impressed with the sharpness and accuracy of the colors. A great camera for the price.

this is an amazing camera, all of my friends want one its awsome. i love of!!!!!!

We had an A75 so the A630 was an upgrade for us. The A630 is everything we needed and more. The ONLY short coming we've encountered so far is the lack of photo quality in low light situations.

I've been very happy with Canons in general - this is no exception. This is the first digital camera I've had that doesn't suffer from a noticeable delay when shooting. The only exception is when flash is required, but that's typical of all point-and-shoots. I especially like the fact that this camera uses standard batteries. I'm using a decent set of rechargables and battery life has been quite good.

Gotta love it - easy to use, simple instructions make even the most complicated setting a breeze. Love the pivoting viewer - makes lining up the group shot easier and never a worry about scratching or cracking it. Wish it was smaller but then again the size is due to the batteries (AA) which last surprising long and for the forgetful charging impaired you are never too far from somplace that sells them. Videos are amazing - clear video and audio - sorry I didn't buy it sooner

We gave this camera to our fourteen-year-old daughter as a gift. She has been busy taking wonderful photos ever since. The controls are easy to access and she loves the moveable LCD screen. The pictures are superior in quality. Ultimately, it was a wonderful purchase.

after much research i got this camera for my daughter as a christmas gift. it takes beautiful pictures with ease and when printed out right on my computer printer, the images look great. I use it as much as she does. well, maybe more.

I'm very happy with this camera. It takes wonderful pictures and very
easy to use. It is also easy to carry and to pack.

I love everything I have so far figured out with my camera. I haven't spent the time to really look into or use any special features. But I can tell you having the flip out screen is really nice. I can have my camera up high but still see what's in my lense by simply tilting the screen down. Also it helps because I can turn it inward therefore further protecting it from scratches or the hands of my little children. I would recommend this camera to anyone, especially those that take the time to read all the info about special features. (cause I know it has lots of them)

This wonderful camera is like two cameras in one. You can set it to auto and anyone can use it as a point-and-shoot model capable of some very nice shots. If you happen to like to use manual settings and apply an artistic eye to your shots, it is very good at this as well. I have just started trying to take more artistic shots and this camera is very good for this purpose and has many helpful features. Tons of options, a high resolution, even a widescreen mode, in addition to the "stitch" feature (in which you take a series of photos, such as a panorama, and features on the camera along with the included software lets you stitch the photos together into one big photograph), the affordable price, semi-small size, and large number of add-ons and lenses make this a wonderful purchase!
It is also nice to have a camera that takes regular AA batteries instead of some kind of proprietary rechargable battery. If you ever find yourself with dead batteries and no spares, you can find AA batteries in just about every amusement park, city, or country that you may find yourself in.

Everything we could have hoped for in ease of use, and yet sophisticated enough to do all the extras! Well worth it in value.

Soooooo easy to use and beautiful quality prints. You won't be disappointed.

Great, easy to use lots of fun dose all kinds of stuff you will love it I do

First let me say I am not a big digital camera expert. I know enough to take some great photos, but some of the technical terms go beyond my range of knowledge. The camera I owned prior to purchasing the A630 was a Cannon Power Shot SD 500 (digital elph). I loved the functions on it, but it was very light and after I broke the screen for the 2nd time... well, I decided it was time for a change.

The powershot A630 uses the AA batteries which #1 let me use rechargable batteries that I keep on hand yet in a pinch I can always buy new batteries, and #2 gives the camera extra weight. I appreciate the heft of this camera. I find I have fewer blurry pictures due to hand-shake. the Elph was so light that I tended to move the camera as I took the picture.

but here's the part that just flat out sold me on the A630. the swivel screen. as a family, we often take group shots of ourselves - using the timer feature. As we set ourselves up for the photo, we can swing the screen around so we can frame ourselves as the camera is counting down. (I also purchased a tiny flexible tripod which helps with the framing too). When we're not taking pix, I just turn the screen around to help protect it! knock on wood, I haven't broken it yet!

At the highest quality setting, I can only get a few pictures on the memory card, but with 8 mega pixels, even the lower settings give great quality photos.

I have not explored all options/functions/features on the camera, but overall, I love it.

The camera is very easy to use once you get used to the buttons and choices for enhancing your pictures. It seemed a bit awkward at first, but I believe it was just my becoming familiar with it. The software loaded without any problems and downloading the pictures is a snap. I'm very satisfied with the picture quality and features that I didn't have with my old Canon. Very good choice for the casual picture taker.

I'm just starting out with a "real digital camera". This is a perfect camera for learning photography. Or for a quick point and shoot. My mother is a photographer and a friend of mine is too and they both like it alot with all of the features it has. I'm learning alot on this camera and it's been fun! The first A630 had a problem when I recieved it, the flash wouldn't work and the Canon tech support was a big help, and they were suprised that it was defective (very rare) they told me. No problem with exchange from where I got it. Battery life is excellent with plain old alkaline, but get rechargeables. Video mode is very nice and I love hooking it up to my TV. Macro shooting is the best as well as night shooting. I've made some crazy light trail shots of moving cars at night. Can't wait to try it during the Fourth of July fireworks! The LCD screen is great and the view finder is nice too, actual it zoom in as well. Like I said it is the best camera for learning on, it will show you if you make an error before you shoot. It also has a quick startup, and you have alot of custom features on it. The software it comes with is easy to use. I'm a firefighter and I can't wait to try it on a call or training. Awesome camera....get one!!

The Canon Power Shot A630 is a fantastic camera. Easy to use, and excelent shotss are not difficult to get. I had, however, a bad luck with the new feature (the turnable LCD display). It was open while the camera felt down, and it was broken in miliseconds! So be careful while handling it... :-)

I'm dentist and i'm using the camera for little details and for my personal entertainment, and i'm really surprise, the fotos are nice and i recomende it 100%! There is an better information in spanish:
Mi experiencia ha sido muy buena con esta cámara, ya que soy Odontólogo y la compre para llevar un registro de los tratamientos con mis pacientes y las fotos intrabucales salen bastante nitidas con la función macro y el zoom óptico de 4x, eso es lo más importante para esos pequeños detalles.
- Es bastante rápida entre toma y toma con el flash y más aún sin flash.
- Tiene capacidad de tomar videos, esta función la pude aprovechar más colocandole la tarjeta de memoria de 1gb, así como la capacidad de tomas más fotos.
- Añade efectos a las imágenes fijas con la función MIS COLORES.
- Puede grabar memos de sonido para las fotos.
- Es posible la edición de peliculas.
- En la toma: configura automáticamente los ajustes de disparo para adaptarlos a las condiciones concretas.
- Posee un sensor de orientación inteligente, detectando la orientación de la cámara automáticamente.
- Posee una velocidad ISO alta, evitando los efectos de sacudidas o que los sujetos salgan movidos.
- Fácil transferencia de archivos al ordenador, y es posible cambiar el formato del archivo para que no sea tan pesado.
- 21 modos de disparo
- Opción de disparo continuo, y muchas otras funciones que aún me falta por aprender! La recomiendo 100%!

i like this camera because it is easy to use. you don't have to be an expert to use it. everything is there for you. just press the button and that's it.

We chose this Canon as a gift because we are thoroughly happy with the one we have.

I love this camera. I was switching over from a 35 mm, which I've had for 20 years, and used Consumer Report as a guide. There are a lot of little picture-icons on the readout screen on the back of the camera, which take some memorizing to get straight, but at the same time, you can do as much or as little "fancy" as you like, and still get pictures that look really good. This is a camera to grow with. I am very happy with it and would recommend it to anyone.

La camara es increible. Solo que le faltaria un estabilizador de imagen.
Las fotos en lugares cerrados son espectaculares.
Muy facil de usar. Muy practica.
Totalmente recomendada

This camera is easy to use with automatic exposure settings as well as manual for loads of creative image creation. The LCD screen either flips out or folds flat against the camera. The point and shoot novice will enjoy this as well as the intermediate to advanced photographer. I highly recommend it.

I had this camera for several months, and the results are mixed. Sometimes I am very pleased with the photos, but other times they come out very blury, especially under low lighting. Sure, a tripod helps and many of the manual controls help, but I am mostly interested in taking pics of my kids, which requires a camera to snap descent pics w/o all the hassle. In the end I decided on a higher-end camera with optical stabilization --- Canon S3 and have been very satisfied with it. All the research in the world can still lead you to the wrong camera... in the end what matters is a retailer with a generous return policy.

I think it was worth every cent...
First time canon user, a little tricky at first with the multy functions, but once you get a hang of it, it's all good.
Great size, great functions, and a great price for the brand and the 8 MP.
Give it a try you will not regreat it!!

Has anyone else had this problem?.....I have an A620 and just got the A630. When taking movies with the new A630, there are a lot more rolling lines and "screen" effect than is with the A620, especially in the edges of objects.
This is in the 640 x 480 mode at 30 fps. (most popular shooting mode)

The movie quality should be at least as good in the A630 as it was in the A620, rather than objects looking like they are moving around and "rolling" the peppermint twist. Otherwise, I would have given this camera 5 stars. This is a lot less of a problem in my A620.

<----begin sillyness---->
I got my camera delivered at work, so I sat at my desk working, thinking about getting home to crack open the box and start playing with my first new camera in 3 years. The sweat pouring on my brow.

"Sir, do you mind if I go home early?" I moused to my boss.

"Did you finish the such-n-such account?"

"Yup!", with enthusiasm.

"Have fun...."

"Thanks!" As I grabbed my coat and dashed out the door before he changed his mind, I almost ran out without the camera!
<----end sillyness---->

Upon opening the package, I read the manual a bit, then started up the camera and took some sample pictures. All very easy, straightforward, and the little icons on the buttons mirror the purpose of the buttons (intuitive!). Then I followed the directions to install the software for connecting the camera directly to the computer. Unfortunately, after many hours of frustration, I could not get the software installed. However the second tech support guy I talked to about the issue was very knowledgeable and explained that I needed to reinstall Windows because I was missing a required windows file. Otherwise, the camera is way better than my old Sony Cybershot 3 megapixel, but not only because of the megapixel difference. The options available are excellent (panoramic stitch, nice video quality, etc). The reason I did not give 5 stars is because it has difficulty focusing sometimes which seems to get worse when zooming in. Perhaps all digital zooms are like this, but this is easily remedied by releasing the button, turning the camera slightly, and refocusing. After the picture is in focus, turn the camera back to the subject and it's perfect!

Overall, a much better experience than the old Sony and the memory cards are cheaper.

Upgraded from Canon A70 and have no complaints. Has lots of picture taking modes such as kids, snow, fireworks etc....Love the big, moveable LCD screen. Even takes great movies. Love my Canon A630!!

No comment. Everything is OK !
Regards,
Cristian

Thanks as I greatly appreciate the service from Amazon.com and we LOVE the features of the camera (it would have been nice if an external power supply was provided by Cannon). owpers sv

I hoped to get the product ordered in the website amazon on time, in fact, I got it earlier. Good product, good service, which are so important, I am going to order other products from this website.

I knew i was buying a good camera but the features blow me away.

It is definitely a great buy and the service from Amazon is always outstanding, it arrived faster than expect, and in the middle of the XMAS season. I had options to buy it cheaper in other sites but I decided to stay with AMAZON.

I have been quite pleased with the A630. It takes really clear pictures with vivid color. The camera is packed with features...more than I've been able to learn in the few months I've had it. I am quite happy with the battery life too. In all, I have no complaints with this camera. Overall, a good buy.

I've bought canon A630 in replacement for my A95 unfortunately lost during last December holydays (thanks God I didn't loose my pictures). Although I've not have the opportunity to explore all the possibilities of the camera, I think that people like me, who like to play manual, especially using shutter speed & aperture, will find an outstanding camera for an affordable price. In one word: Excellent!!

My wife and I received a Nikon SuperZoom 5MP camera for our wedding almost 3 years ago. While it is a great camera, it was too large to be convenient as it required a separate case and was not easy to throw into a purse or backpack. Due to this size limitation, we rarely had the camera to capture candid moments and general activities.
We also wanted a camera that ran on standard batteries if necessary. Our old camera ran on a rechargable lithium-ion, but when we went on vacation this summer my wife forgot to pack the charger. We burned through the battery in the first 2 days and had to resort to disposable cameras for the remainder of our trip.
After reading a number of reviews and hearing a few people mention their happiness, it was clear we wanted a Canon. Canon makes 2 different lines of "point-n-shoot" cameras, the SD line and A. Both received high reviews and we could have gone either way. I decided to purchase the A610 because it appeared to be a sweet spot for the number of megapixels (8), optical zoom (4x) and price. We took it on vacation over the holidays and took a number of quality shots, ranging from close-up portraits to large scene landscapes. I used the PhotoStitch feature to grab 5 shots of the desert landscape around Scottsdale, AZ and used the included software to tie it together into a great-looking wide angle shot. I hope to get the photo printed professionally because it came out too large for my home photo printer. I also liked how the LCD screen automatically rotates when shooting in landscape or portrait mode. The controls were very intuitive and easy to use. The standard SD card slot is a plus as my laptop also accepts SD, thereby allowing me to use my laptop as a transfer device and not require carrying multiple cards. A 1GB disk is certainly big enough for 1 day of photos, and if it is full, I can easily empty it onto my laptop.
All in all, the Canon A610 is a great looking, feeling and photo-producing camera.

bought for college daughter. She loves it-easy to use, super, her friends all want one. She wishes she had the tripod for steadiness on pics at night that take a few seconds to shoot.

It's a good camera, but getting used to the delay (vs. a traditional 35 mm SLR) is still bugging me a month into owning it. I'm sure I can mess with the settings somehow to shorten that, but so far I haven't figured it out. I also get red-eye in my subjects even with red-eye reduction on, unless they look directly into the lens. Both of these things take away some of the spontaneity in picture taking. I would have liked a wider lens and image stabilization, and looked at the Canon SD800, but it wasn't available on amazon when I ordered this one. But since I love the A630's grip and feel (especially the knob at the top with very facile thumb-friendly mode dial), what I lost in wide angle to "hand happiness" is really a toss-up, and I was a little afraid I'd drop the smaller SD800. The LCD & control interfaces are okay, but I wish more of the modes and icons were more intuitive. The screen is bright and clear, especially appreciated when zooming in on playback. Downloading to a Mac is easy as pie and I like Canon's ImageBrowser that came with the A630 much better than iPhoto.

I've been using this camera for a couple months and am very happy with it. The big flip screen is a great asset - and my pictures are excellent quality, although I haven't yet read the manual. No doubt they'll be spectacular once I do that. Previously I had a sophisticated "professional" Olympus digital with too many options for me, so I gave it to our son, who has more patience and understanding. This one may have the same options, but somehow it isn't as daunting.

I just bought this camera and was extremely dissappointed to find out that it will only run using alkaline batteries. Fully charged NIMH batteries will cause it to start extending the lens and then shut down with it half way out. This is completely unacceptable. Because of its high 'dead' battery voltage, you aren't able to fully use alkalines either. They are still quite useable in other things when this camera says they are dead. Besides this problem though, this camera has a lot of nice features. I am happy with everything else. Just the same, I wouldn't have bought this camera if I had realized how bad its power problems are.

I got this today for my birthday. It was way more than what I expected.The flip out screen is really cool. I did not expect something so nice. The pictures are crystal clear.
Canon is the best!!! = )

I bought this camera for my wife for Christmas 2006. We have taken over 300 photos with the camera in 2 months without a problem or flaw. We have only shot in the Automatic mode, thus far, and automatic mode is where the camera will be set at 95% of the time. The camera is great and the price is right. The camera fits nicely in my hand and is a perfect size and shape. I do not care for those "credit card" size digital cameras because they can easily be lost. The rotateable viewing screen is very inovative and useful when using a tripod and protects the screen when the screen is folded inward and not in use. The Software is very user friendly and I had no problem transferring the photos to my computer. I'd recommend this well designed digital camera to anyone. I would even buy another one.

Canon PowerShot A630 8MP Digital Camera is a nice camera. I specifically chose this camera for its rotating screen. One disappointing thing is that some of the most often used functions (such as self timer) are buried in the menu rather than manual knob or button.

This camera is more then I bargained for, Great 4x optical zoom, various picture settings. Swivel screen lets you take pictures like your operating a video camera. Video also comes out very clear and sound is great. I would give it 5 stars execpt for 2 things... 1. It comes with a measly 16mb sd card, which can hold about 7-12 pictures or about 7 sec of video. So I would suggest a 1 or 2g card. 2. I would suggest buying good quality 2500NiHm recargeable batteries, It will be cheaper in the long run. Overall, execelent!

This is my third camera in the A-series. Like its preceders, it takes crisp and clear pictures full of vibrant colors. I absolutely love the Color Accent feature, to turn all but one color black & white, which creates a professional effect of accenting one color. The zoom is also fantastic - I used the 16x to photograph some trees in the distance, and it showed a squirrel on one of the branches that couldn't be seen with the naked eye, without losing any quality. This was astounding - the Canon SD630 took blurry pictures with a 6x zoom (one of the reasons I returned it), so I was very impressed by this.

One cool feature that Powershot preceders didn't have is the large swivel screen. It's very helpful if you want to put the 10-second or 2-minute timer on and capture a picture of you and friends. You can position the swivel screen so that you can see how you look (ex: too close, too far away, off-center) and get better photos. I also liked the large size; it's high-resolution, too, so it doesn't appear grainy on the screen. My friend Nathan has a 3" screen as well, but his has low-resolution and everything always looks grainy/blurry.

One final neat feature of the A630 is it being motion-sensitive. When viewing pictures, you can turn the camera 90º and view vertical images vertically on the screen. If you try to view vertical images horizontally, you don't get a very good idea of how it turned out.

All in all, this camera takes GREAT pictures and has neat effects, but is simple enough for an amateur to use.

I really like the camera but find some of the buttons to be awkwardly placed in that I either hit them while trying to find others or I cannot hold two buttons at the same time such as when trying to take wide angle shots.

As a gift for our grandaughters graduation it has all the features and pixels that will make it very effective for years to come as she goes to college and later into her profession.

I bought this camera to use in conjuction with my Nikon SLR. It is small enough to be convenient to carry, yet takes very good pictures. The interface makes it relatively easy to use. The LCD is reasonably large and makes framing your shot pretty simple. The picture quality has been great. I'd highly reommend the camera.

I love the camara. It works really well.
My only issue, is that the battery wears out quickly. Other than that, everything's great.

I have owned the Canon PowerShot A70 for several years.. I was overdue to upgrade..

This camera is great!

- SD memory is very small, and takes less power and holds more images.. even at 8 MP!!
- The swing-away LCD is very convenient!
- Large enough to hold on with out shaking! (smaller cameras aren't steady)
optics are excellent.
- Imagery is fantastic for 8 MP.
- AA batteries can be had anywhere.. and rechargeable ones are inexpensive.
- SCN modes help lighting, Aperture, Exposure etc.

The camera's functions can be a bit overwhelming.. but offer so much control!
Summary:
Good quality camera. Point and shoot enthusiast and control fanatics!
Canon makes solid products!
Amazon Prime fantastic shipping and service!

It is easy to use, not too big, neither too heavy. High quality of a picture, very high resolution makes possible to crop pictures as much as you wish. It is possible to make a good quality portrait from a regular photo. It is close to professional level of performance, but with very prudent price.

I bought this unit basically interested in macrophotography. Up to now -over 1 week - it has fully fulfilled my expectations. It is a very good camera for its value range.

This is an amazing camera for the average amateur photographer. Nice picture and video quality. Compact enough to fit in your jeans pocket (if you wear them baggy), but not too small that it will be easily misplaced. I am not a big fan of the memory card placement (in the compartment where the battery goes), but the pictures look quite nice, and the zoom covers my basic needs.

I've only had this camera for a little under a month, but so far i have seen nothing that has been a problem. It takes great pictures, and is easy to use. So yeah overally very happy with this purchase.

Product arrived in said condition. Still working well. Shipping could have been faster, but I attribute it to the free "super savings" shipping...

I own a Canon G2 4MP camera that takes fantastic pictures indoors and outdoors. It takes fantastic indoor picture without a flash, which at times is a plus because you do not lose anything in the background like you do when you use a flash.

I just became a Grandmother and wanted a camera that also takes good video. So I ordered the A630 and I am very disappointed with the quality of the indoor pictures. It takes a fantastic video at the high setting and takes great outdoor pictures. But is poor with indoor pics, very grainy. I tried all different settings to try and see what I am doing wrong, does not matter the indoor pics just stink.

I am returning the camera and looking for a better indoor picture quality with the 640 video settings.

From what I have learned so far from using the camera, I really like the Canon. I previously owned a Sony Cybershop and loved it. I based my choice of a Canon this time on the great review in Consumer Report. I have been very happy with the pictures, but thus far I still take better pictures with my Sony. I am assuming this is because of my inexperience with the Canon at this point. It has the characteristics I need, is less complicated than my Sony and I am looking forward to taking some great pictures with it.Canon PowerShot A630 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

don't fight it. you will look around, drive yourself crazy and incessantly read reviews. there's always going to be something bigger and better but for the price, this is a sweet little (not so little i guess) camera. i'm still figuring out all of the functions, but the macro mode, color accent, and stitch assist are very neat and make creative photography a snap! also, i got a rechargable docking battery charger made by energizer that allows you to charge 8 batteries in 2 removable "pods" so you can always be prepared--battery life is excellent (makes up for the bulky size). i'm leaving for mexico in a few weeks and i can't wait to take this little guy with me. i was debating a for a while whether or not to get the a640 instead, but many reviews have said that it's not worth the 80 or so more bucks. i figured that i'd go for the cheaper, identical version (besides the MPs) b/c it's a PC magazine eidtor's choice and overall customer satisfaction is higher for the a630. i'm still toying with the idea of getting an underwater case, but i probably won't because of the design flaws and huge pricetag...we'll see though, taking the camera in the water would be amazing.

just realize that not every camera has everything (i wish this one had image stabilizaiton and a better flash), but for the price, you make out like a bandit! happy shooting:)

I bought this camera lastweek and also a 1GB Lexar media card. Products arrived in 3 days of placing the order. The camera comes with a basic manual and an advanced one, the latter is intimidating on the first look. Just go with the basic manual initially to familiarize yourself with all the controls and within 1 hour you are ready to shoot your first pictures. The quality of pictures is excellent, in both night mode and Auto mode which you will mostly be using. The zoom is so good that on one of the pics clicked on a really cloudy evening I could read the lience plate of a truck that was about 50 yards away. I must have shot only 20 pics in the last 4 days that I have the camera, mostly test pictures under various conditions and I have no reason to complain.

For a semi-pro, there are lot more options that the camera provides to control the shutter speed, aperture, pixellation and many many things which I probably will rarely ( or even never) use.

If you have Windows XP, downloading the pictures from the SD card is easy. You don't even need to install the CD that comes with the camera ( I did'nt), just use the "Microsoft Digital Image Standard 2006" s/w that comes as part of XP.

The menus are quite intutive but there is room for some improvement here. The advanced manual could have been written in a more friendly way not to scare a non-technial mind.

Super Fast! Camera is great so far....haven't really played with it yet but I will tell you the shipping was wow! I ordered this about 10:30pm on a Saturday. Got an E-mail on Monday saying it was shipped. Wednesday I had it in my hands. How fast is that!!!? Plus it was "free shipping"!!!

I did my research on this camera and it seems to be perfect for my use. Took a couple of photos and they are spectacular indoors and out! Price is right too. I amost got the A640 but couldn't part with an extra $100. just for 2 more mega pixels when 8 will do fine. The software is easy to install and my photos downloaded fast to the computer. Also this camera lets you take pics pretty fast in a row using the flash so I considered that as well. It works just like all the 5 star reviews say it does. I have had a Kodak EasyShare and that failed after 3 years so this is a great upgrade. I recomend this camera for it's ease of use, cost and great product support (software) Check out all the great reviews! All these people can't be wrong!

Having used a Sony Mavica FD83 digital camera for a long time we recently purchased this new Canon digital camera last month. We are pleased with the camera, written instructions, software, compactness and many, many features. It will probably take us some time to figure out all of the things this camera can do. I really like the automatic setting the camera provides which takes great pictures and I don't have to figure out intricate settings to get a good picture. There are also lots of add-ons we can get