Canon PowerShot A400 3.2MP Digital Camera with 2.2x Optical Zoom (Orange)
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 50
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 On: 2008-05-07
I love this camera so much Im going to buy another one. my whole family loves it.
On: 2008-03-24
I have owned this camera for almost 3 years now and I have never had one complaint about it. It takes great pictures and has a lot of features. The camera is small enough that I can carry it in my pocket and easy enough to use that my 4 year old daughter was taking great pictures with it after just a few lessons. I also want to say that I have dropped this camera a few times on the hard concrete and it is very durable. It has never malfunctioned or given me any problems at all. I purchased another one for my girlfriend for Christmas because she loved my camera so much and was always using it when I wanted it. Her camera is also great and I am very happy with both purchases.
I wont bore you with all the technical stuff. You can find that elsewhere. I just wanted to say that this is a great camera and if you are thinking about getting it you should.
 On: 2008-02-06
the camera worked fine but the printer never printed out a pic. it always came out blank then the ink was empty, i just did not understand how if nothing printed how the ink could run out. if i could do it again i would just get the camera
On: 2008-02-01
owned the camera for three years with no problems, little weak indoors compared to new cameras. very durable camera, i took this thing around the world and it is still in one piece and takes good pictures.
 On: 2007-10-01
I loved this camera SO much! I had it for about two years and it never stopped working. I even dropped it one time and although it got a little crack in it, it still worked (I still wouldnt recommend dropping it though). The digital zoom was amazing, I really liked it. The only complaint I had was that it didnt hold charge for very long periods of time.
by: russelkn1 On: 2006-11-19
I love this camera. I bought it for my trip to Paris. I found it very easy to use. One feature i didnt realize it had was video with sound. I found that very useful. I bought a 2GB memory card to go with the camera. The one it comes with doesnt hold that many pictures. The software was easy to install and use. Not really small enough for a pocket but still a great camera on a budget.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-08-15
First off, let me make it clear that I am satisfied with this camera. I have had it for 8 months now and I have put it through its paces and its held up fine.
But there are few things you must know:
The camera has no zoom. I mean, practically no zoom. 2.2x may look decent but its pointless in any real-life situation. You WILL find yourself moving a lot with your camera to get a better shot, not standing in one place and using the zoom feature. You can never get a close wide shot - its just not possible with this camera. This camera is great for average stills but thats about it.
You have to click twice to take a picture or "press halfway and then fully" according to the manual. This is a major pain. Sometimes when the battery is weak, it may take a lot of time to take a picture (and a lot of frustration), so this is not a cam to capture any special pictures or "kodak moments".
Apart from these cons, the camera is great value for money and offers video and all kinds of stuff. If youre looking mostly looking to take landscape or portrait stills, this camera will do a good job!
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-07
I bought this camera six months ago for my 12 year old daughter. It was her (and ours) first digital camera. I read so many reviews prior to selecting this model. The reviews for this camera were so helpful. This camera has been so easy to use and it takes excellent pictures. Rechargeable batteries are definitely a must! This camera is the best camera for this price, no doubt about it. We have taken still shots and videos. It is so fun to have the option to take a video. We have some great clips. All I can say is we are so happy with the camera. We would definitely choose it again.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-12-21
Good camera for the $129 I paid. Does everything pretty well, and your picture modes are pretty customizable. Only qualm is it takes a second or two longer than I wish when the camera saves/loads pictures to the memory card. Might be a problem when trying to shoot consecutive pictures-- but probably wouldnt be doing it with this type of camera anyways.
by: kane715 On: 2005-12-19
This is my 3rd digital camera and I bought this one to supplement my larger 10X zoom camera. This one fits nicely into a pocket or small camera bag to easily take it to all events or for travel. Ive found that it takes nice photos indoors when the flash is used....Even when the cats or dogs Im shooting are moving around. Ive felt the life of a battery set is pretty good, but Ive been using nice rechargeable ones. Definitely get a set of 4, then you have 2 to use and 2 as a backup set. The settings are pretty easy to figure out and change and 99% of my photos were taken on the "auto" setting and came out pretty good. As others have indicated, indoors - without flash - can produce blurry photos, but thats the nature of almost all cameras, not unique to this model. Glad I bought it and would highly recommend it.
On: 2005-09-16
I really like this camera! It is fairly simple to use, takes great pictures and is packed with features. It fits nicely in the hand and is compact enough to slip in a coat pocket or purse.
We bought this camera for our daughters birthday. She is using it with ease & especially loves the movie with sound option. In my opinion, the camera is a winner for any adult or kid wanting a good all around digital camera.
My only negative is that it is a battery hog. As with most digital cameras, you will want to make sure you get rechargeable batteries and large memory card.
On: 2005-09-15
This camera is an exelent camara. It has plenty of effects, plenty of modes, plenty of scenery options. The image quality is 3.2 megapixel, but its quite good. The pictures you take without the flash do end up getting a bit blury, where as if you take it with the flash, it comes out exelent. And sometimes it takes a long time for the picture to get taken with out the flash, and sometimes it happens imediatly. But all these flaws are only with my version.
But if you are looking for a good camera with a great price, this is your best option.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-09-11
I gave this camera 5 stars because of its awesome features. This camera is the perfect size for kids and you can put a video on this camera. I love this camera. I think it takes awesome pictures!
On: 2005-09-04
Cute, compact, easy to use - these are just a few ways to describe Canons cool A400! This stylish digital camera is lightweight and perfect for snapping shots on the go. Mine is Sunset Gold.
Plus, there are perks like macro mode (which lets you snap sharp pictures from as close as 2 inches), and lots of shooting modes (like Snow and Fireworks).
And Movie Mode lets you capture video clips with sound.
This camera takes great, crisp photos. Its easy to use, and a great value. Just what you would expect from Canon.
On: 2005-08-12
I love this camera. Small enough to take anywhere and takes great pictures. Ive only had 2 issues with it that should be considered when purchasing this camera.
1) I find often I have to reshoot images because Im not still enough when taking a picture. I do my best to stay perfectly still, but the slightest twitch seems to give the photo that motion blur. Ive tried about every setting possible to adjust, but nothing has helped.
2) Not very good in dim light. The camera takes BEAUTIFUL pictures outdoors, but pictures taken inside usually end up very washed out and often the flash is too much light. I often have to take the image into photoshop and play with the image to fix it up a bit.
On: 2005-08-12
This camera takes great, crisp photos. Its easy to use, and a great value. Even close-up photos turn out great. You would think this camera had more than 3.2 megapixels! You will have to get a much larger memory card though, as is the case with most digital cameras.
On: 2005-08-12
The camera is user-friendly and provides exceptional photos in any setting(light/dark). It is a good buy for anyone looking for a camera that is not expensive but provides very good quality.
On: 2005-08-10
I really dont know much about digital cameras and Im more of a "Point and Click" photo taker. I loved the ease of using the camera, overall. What amazed me the MOST was the quality of the pictures that I received. I took a 3-week trip to Greece and using the camera captured the moments perfectly, well almost perfectly. The only types of pictures that didnt come out that well were night pictures. I guess I need to read the manual more. Otherwise they turned out AWESOME. I uploaded a few for you to preview. Like any digital camera, it does eat up batteries but Id rather that than taking pictures and them not turning out!!!! Based on the reviews I did purchase the warranty "in case" but I have had no problems! Very satisfied!
On: 2005-08-06
I bought the A400 after many hours of research, where I debated the balance of features to price. In the end I got the A400 because it looked like a low cost, basic camera that would be easy to use in the everyday life situations I wanted it for. It has not disappointed. Perfect for those quick snapshots of life, when all you want is to point and shoot, not worry about activating the superFeature 500000A.
On: 2005-07-28
I bought this camera as a gift for a relative. They were very pleased with it. Its compact size and light weight make it easy to take anywhere. The picture quality is great for taking fun snapshots of friends and family. The manual was pretty simple to understand. I guess the only problem I would have with it is the same as with almost any digital camera and that is battery life. I would definitely recommend rechargeable batteries..
On: 2005-07-28
My brother bought me this camera for my birth day but it is very inpressive. it has taken many beatings, (i dropped it alot) and nothing happened! it works PERFECTLY!!!! the quality of my pics are sweet, and it has 7 times zoom. there is a mode where you can take a spesific picture, like if you have different light sources, (like natural, florecent, and tungsten) you can adjust the white ballace to make the pic just right. and you can tell the camera that your indoors or out, or if your making a portrait or takeing a pic of foolige. this camera dose many things to make your pics perfect. dont settel for a cheep one like those 20 dolla ones at wall mart, this is MUCH BETTER!!!! the movie mode is very fun to. you can adjust the quality, for example, if your only recording a 10 second thing, it will be highter quality if you put it under that setting. it may be a little difficult, at first but than its a snap. and the lcd display is very handy to have
Over all this is the coolest camera in the WORLD!!! (other than those thousand dolla ones)
On: 2005-07-21
This camera has everything for the money. There is only one drawback - it draws too much current and uses batteries way too
fast. Its a great feature to be able to use regular size (AA) batteries, but i had to purchase rechargable ones to save money.
Other then that its a great buy.
On: 2005-07-20
Its a nice camera, easy to use, the color is orange but not so much.
On: 2005-07-17
This is my first digital camera, a Christmas gift from my parents. I think it combines what both of us were looking for: a relatively cheap price for my parents, and a reliable, easy to use camera for me. I have had little trouble teaching my parents and their friends how to use this camera, while "older" people may struggle with other technology.
Since the other reviews seem to sum everything up nicely, I just want to say that Canon has EXCELLENT customer service. I was able to get someone on the phone in about five minutes when my LCD screen broke, and they gave me clear details on what to do and how to ship it to them. The generous warantee covered the repairs, even though Im pretty sure it was my own fault that it broke (I left the camera in my car in the middle of winter and the crystals froze togeher and cracked). They sent it back promptly and fixed it for free.
On: 2005-07-16
OK, the shot-to-shot delay is a bit long, and the 640x480 video mode only goes for 30 seconds and only records at 12 fps. Also the flash is a bit weak. But consider the price, the quality of the images (very nice), the good battery life, and the fact that it is a Canon. It adds up to a great starter camera, especially for a kid. I got one for my 11-year-old grandson and he loves it. He now edits his own still and video images and is producing movies.
On: 2005-07-08
This has been a wonderful camera. It takes wonderful pictures in both the day time and at night. I have used it to mostly to send pictures to fiance in Iraq and has served its purpose. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for an inexpensive camera with a lot benefits.
On: 2005-06-13
I bought the A400 to replace my old 1 megapixel HP Photosmart 120. The main selling points were the price, picture quality, and the brand. (I already own a Canon scanner and printer.)
Pictures taken outside in bright light came out very clear with a lot of detail. The camera offered more manual settings than I expected, but not as much as one of the higher end cameras that are out of my budget.
The camera feels solid and the controls are well laid out. The lens has a cover that closes automatically when the lens is off, it has a dedicated touch button, and vibrant LCD screen.
Canon provides quite a few programs, include PhotoStitch to stitch together panoramic photos, and a remote control program to control your camera from the computer, both of which work adequately.
Overall a good compact point & shoot camera with a really nice price tag and a good reputation.
On: 2005-06-08
I teach at a middle school and we are transitioning into the digital world. I personally own a Canon Powershot A70 and love it, so when I went looking for a quality, but cheaper digital camera I looked first at Canon. It is perfect for what I want it to do. I can hand it to students to walk around school and not cringe that they are going to drop and break a $400 camera.
The Camera is just your basic point and shoot camera. I have read a lot of reviews that state the indoor pictures or zoom did not work for them, but I strongly disagree. I have used it and found the pictures turn out just great. (pictures in a gymnasium rarely turn out well unless you have a brightly light gym or a SLR camera), and the digital zooms on any digital cameras basically suck.
I am planning on buying three more next year for yearbook unless Canon releases a newer version at the same or similar price.
Bottom line, the camera is very basic, but very good at what it does.
On: 2005-05-22
This is not my first camera - I have an old sony cd mavica 200 with a low 2.1mp that is 3 years old, but wanted something smaller I could have for those "spontaneous" kid moments. This is perfectly satisfactory in some cases.
Outdoors, the photos are crisp and can produce great action shots. I have shots of my daughter in the middle of a full out run, as well as in the middle of sliding down a slide that have great clarity, even with magnification. Ive even gotten good shots in the car.
Indoors, Ive had no success with the red eye function on this camera, and anything set on zoom has fuzzy edges. I took shots of my daughters spring program that are covered with little glowing eyes in every child. All zoomed shots are gritty in appearance, and are muted in tone. I can get the color back to where it should be with software that can increase the sharpness and color, but never had to do that with my old reliable sony. I feel this is a unique artifact that may be improved with the flash as others have mentioned.
Yes, this camera has limitations, but the price is great and the shots are wonderful for outdoors.
On: 2005-05-11
This camera takes beautiful pictures when there is lots of light. You cant stay close to your subject, otherwise it wont fit in the picture. Well, when youre not close enough, flash wont be effective. Pictures taken in low light situations take a long time to process while the LCD goes blank.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Really good pictures when there is enough light
Cons:
- Weak flash and bad low light pictures
- Narrow angle lens (45-100)
- Windows does not recognize it as a storage device as it did with my old Sony P93, so no drag and drop, you have to use a software to transfer images
- Buttons and menus not very well designed unlike my P93
- Slow menu, sometimes it takes up a couple seconds after pressing a key in the menu to see the change
- Generally slow operation but ok when there is light
- Focus assist lamp not very powerful
Compared to my old Sony, color saturation and sharpness is better whereas worse in all other areas. It has to be expected because its around half as cheap, I guess (and thats why I changed it with this)
On: 2005-05-10
This is such a good deal for what it costs, Id be suprised if Canon has any competition left in this market in the next few
years. It has everything: you can make some pretty fine adjustments, yet *anyone can pick it up and shoot a picture by simply pressing the ON button and the big button on top. (I know this, my wife has taken great pictures with it.)
Rechargable batteries last forever.
I purchased an HP before getting this A400. The HP cost $20 less, but it was worth nothing. It ate batteries like we breathe air. It could not take a picture indoors that didnt come out a mess. It wasnt even heavy enough to make a good paperweight. It was a cheap toy.
The pictures from the Canon are a perfect compromise for the consumer for whom 3MP is enough: optical zoom, seamless file
transfers in XP, NONE of the features get in the way.
*PROS:
Easy
Powerful
Cheap
Efficient
Comes in like 8 colors
Did I miss anything?
*CONS:
Light weight, afraid it might not survive a fall to the floor.
B U Y - T H I S - O N E
 On: 2005-04-19
This was a wonderful camera when I first got it. Now Im the type of person who actually READS the manual completely before using any piece of equipment.Never know when youll need to troubleshoot anything. Ive owned mine for exactly 25 days before it stopped functioning correctly. The power will turn on but the camera will not operate.No taking pictures,no viewing files already on the SD card, nothing. Im hoping Canon has good service cause I made the mistake of buying it at my local Target store, which has the most atrocious customer service ever. I cannot even exchange it for the same model without paying an additional 15% of the original purchase price.
Prior to this event, the camera was amazing. The clarity of the pictures surprised me immensly. Movie mode on it was another wonderful bonus. The sound was a little choppy but hey, its a camera afterall. If I wanted stereo sound, Ill use my camcorder. The shutter speed was a little slow but hey for the price I paid it wasnt that big of a deal. Most of my shots were of subjects that didnt move.
On: 2005-04-13
I bought this camera for work because the form factor is right -- fits nicely in a cell phone holster (from Lowes or Home Depot) that I wear on my belt. I work with rotating equipment (pumps, fans, compressors, etc) and by accident I discovered that this camera will "freeze" a rotating shaft perfectly. Ive done this anywhere from 200 rpm to 7400 rpm and the detail is absolutely amazing.
As pointed out by others, the flash IS weak, but it does a good job if you are up close, even in total darkness. The auto focus is fantastic. I will quite often stick the camera into a hole where I cant even see what Im photographing, and with the camera set it multi-snap mode (or whatever its called), just snap off a few pictures. One of them is nearly always perfect.
Interestingly enough, it is not good for action (sports) shots unless you pan the camera with your subject.
This might not be the ONLY camera youd want to have, but its ONE you should have, especially if you work in an industrial plant somewhere. I like it so much (for work) that I bought a spare, because whatever they replace it with probably wont have the ability to freeze moving parts.
On: 2005-04-06
I bought this piece of junk in December, by March the LCD was history. Took excellent pictures and the videos were fine (all is relative...fine video from a 3.2MP digital camera).
On: 2005-03-21
Im not really interested in expounding in Proustian language on the pros and cons of a $149 camera, but heres what Ive learned and why I sold my A400.
Previously had a 6 megapixel camera; I sold that one because it had too many features. I just wanted to take a (...) picture. My first experience with this camera, then, was a great one: went out to a ranch, took pictures of a sunset. I didnt have to worry about setting it on sun-about-to-set mode or any number of extravagances I didnt need: just took a picture.
Well, thats fine as it goes, but it came time a few weeks ago when I needed this bad boy for a work function. Big mistake. The indoor pictures at low-light were horrific, hardly useable, and I had to explain why the pictures that we took [were bad] to a corporate sponsor. Not good.
So I went with a Nikon 5900, a little bit more difficult to use, maybe, double the price, but brilliant photos everytime. Buyer beware on this camera if you need it for anything other than meaningless photos.
On: 2005-02-10
This is a big mistake by canon. In this day and age why canon does not let you date stamp on all image resolution is beyond me. For some strange reason, Canon restricts date stamping only in the postcard mode (1600x1200 fine) which is 2 megapixel resolution. To many people this is an very important feature as we are not professional photographers. We just want to have snapshots of memories and date stamping is very important. If I want date stamping, then this A400 is not a 3 megapixel but only a 2 megapixel camera. At first I thought only the A400 does not date stamp as it is the cheapest, I was very suprised to find out the A75 and A95 also lack full-range date stamping. Nikon, Kodak and Sony all offer the unrestricted date stamping option. Why is Canon lagging behind the competition in this department? For this reason alone, I am returning this camera and buying something else.
While the shots are not blurry, they can do better. They are not as sharp as the photos I took with the sony DSC-W1 .
On: 2005-02-06
i am not a professional photographer and i dont know alot about cameras, but what ever i have taken photos of so far have been fantastic. once i read the instructions and played with it for a while, i got to know which settings are right for each situations. i have taken pics of hockey players flying down the ice and they come out looking as if he were not moving at all, i print them out 8.5 by 11 and get them autograped and framed, they look professional. indoor pics are superb and outdoor pics are superb. the zoom is great also, the pic looks grainy and not to good sometimes on the camera screen, but when i get it on the computer, its great. your going to need good batteries for it thoughi bought some duracell rechargeble batteries, it came with 4 batts. and the charger for 40.00 at best buy, they also have a car adapter for it to.
On: 2005-01-05
This camera has features I never even knew existed! Its awesome. Every picture comes out perfectly clear...you can take a picture of a car flying by and itll look like it was parked in a parking space, you can take a picture of a ceiling fan on high and itll look like the fan was turned off......Its Great!!
On: 2004-12-22
A lot of people leave feedback who dont really know much about digital photography or equipment, and thats fine, and beneficial in many cases, but in other cases it can be very misleading. For instance, a woman said she took some photos in the gymnasium of her kids and the quality of the photos was very poor so shes returning the camera. Ill bet the gym had little or no sunlight, and she was shooting at a distance OUTSIDE OF THE CAMERAS FLASH RANGE. Grain is created in by higher ISO speeds (film speeds). This cameras highest ISO speed is 400 which isnt really high enough to create grainy photos. So Im assuming her photos turned out yellowish or blurry, which some people wrongly call grainy. You need to tell the camera what kind of light source youre shooting under. She should have switched the camera mode to "indoor lighting, florescent or tungsten depending on the lights in the gym", and Ill bet she would have been quite impressed with the results as long as there was plenty of artificial light available. If there wasnt enough light she could have played with the exposure setting a little (see the user manual for that advanced feature). Or she possibly could have used her flash, but the flash range is probably around 10 feet which could be a problem in a gym.
Ok, now another person left feedback saying there is a two second lag time between when you click the button and the shutter snaps. Please dont be concerned. There is no lag time, I can assure you. There is however a two second timer on the camera (and also a 10 or 20 second timer, not sure which one). Anyway, he has the two second timer selected which is causing the lag time. I hope he reads the manual and figures out what hes doing wrong before he returns this wonderful camera ;)
Bottom line, this is a great camera. Here is why:
1. This camera uses the DiGiC image processor. All you need to know is the image processor is crucial for a high quality digital reproduction for any digital camera. Canons DiGiC processor is the best compact camera image processor on the market and this is the same one they use in their high end compact cameras costing 100s of dollars or more.
2. This camera is very flexible because it allows you to shoot in different modes by basically flipping a switch to the proper setting - indoor lighting, portrait, landscape, and so on. These settings make any photographer take great pictures. Yes, these modes are standard on pretty much any good compact camera. But this camera costs a lot less so the point is youre still getting tons of high end features.
3. The auto focus capabilities are great. Make sure you understand when your subject is in focus. This camera does all the complex focusing work for you. You just need to understand what the camera is telling you about the subject its focusing in on. Thats true for any camera, but this camera has 9 point evaluative metering, and thats an advanced focusing mode perfected by canon in even their high end cameras.
4. Automatic Exposures vs. Manual - This camera ships with automated settings selected (for best exposures without you having to understand all the technicalities of photography) to make your life easier. Yet if you want control over your exposure the camera allows you lots of flexibility for the price.
5. Display - The display on the back of the camera is superb and more expensive cameras on the market do not have as good a display.
6. *3.2 Mega pixels - Some people think more is better, but thats not true. Photos taken with this camera can be printed at 5x7 size with photo quality. If you want to print 8x10s with this camera, the quality is still excellent. Thats basically true for any 3.2 mega pixel camera. However, the quality of the DiGiC image processor combined with 3.2 mega pixel resolution means this camera will make up to 5x7 prints with better color quality, clarity, sharpness etc than that $600.00 compact camera offered by another brand (because other brands dont have Canons DiGiX image processor and optics). If you want to print really large photos, 11x14 or larger then this camera is not for you. But generally... anyone whos interested in those sized prints is going to buy a higher end SLR for at least $1,000.
This camera defies the old saying, "you get what you pay for". This is a high quality camera that Canon is able to offer for far less cost because theyve limited it to 3.2 mega pixels. But most consumers dont understand that its totally irrelevant unless theyre trying to print really large prints (11x14 or larger)
Everyone should buy this camera (and learn how to use it before leaving feedback ;)
Cons:
1. Small memory card. Youll need to buy a 128MB or higher card. Youll pay $20 + for that depending on what kind of deal you can find.
2. Batteries. Your batteries will start dying after about an hour of use or so. You should get 4 NiCad rechargeable batteries and a charging unit. That way when one pair dies the other pair is fully charged. I bought a charger kit w/ four AA batteries for about $30.00.
3. Plastic - This camera is fairly sturdy and can probably take a little banging around, but its plastic so be careful. The plastic battery door is connected to the body with hinges which is great for not misplacing/losing it, but Im concerned about the plastic hinge breaking.
4. Speed of things - The speed of this camera is fine. When you click the button a photo is take fairly quickly. If you bought a more expensive camera it would be faster. Most people just take a picture and thats it, so it doesnt really matter if the camera is super fast. When was the last time you needed to take 10 pictures in 3 seconds? Even more advanced photographers will pay more for speed and then never really need it. Yet, this camera would be improved if it was faster, but then it would probably cost more ;)
So there you go. My advice to beginners - read the manual. Try to understand when your image is in focus, and how to select for indoor and outdoor lighting. And learn the different picture modes for taking portraits, landscapes, close-up of things like a flower or insect, etc. Dont worry about complex features because the camera is smart, and can automatically choose the best complex settings for you.
On: 2004-12-21
A lot of people leave feedback who dont really know much about digital photography or equipment, and thats fine, and beneficial in many cases, but in other cases it can be very misleading. For instance, a woman said she took some photos in the gymnasium of her kids and the quality of the photos was very poor so shes returning the camera. Ill bet the gym had little or no sunlight, and she was shooting at a distance OUTSIDE OF THE CAMERAS FLASH RANGE. Grain is created in by higher ISO speeds (film speeds). This cameras highest ISO speed is 400 which isnt really high enough to create grainy photos. So Im assuming her photos turned out yellowish or blurry, which some people wrongly call grainy. You need to tell the camera what kind of light source youre shooting under. She should have switched the camera mode to "indoor lighting, florescent or tungsten depending on the lights in the gym", and Ill bet she would have been quite impressed with the results as long as there was plenty of artificial light available. If there wasnt enough light she could have played with the exposure setting a little (see the user manual for that advanced feature). Or she possibly could have used her flash, but the flash range is probably around 10 feet which could be a problem in a gym.
Ok, now another person left feedback saying there is a two second lag time between when you click the button and the shutter snaps. Please dont be concerned. There is no lag time, I can assure you. There is however a two second timer on the camera (and also a 10 or 20 second timer, not sure which one). Anyway, he has the two second timer selected which is causing the lag time. I hope he reads the manual and figures out what hes doing wrong before he returns this wonderful camera ;)
Bottom line, this is a great camera. Here is why:
1. This camera uses the DiGiC image processor. All you need to know is the image processor is crucial for a high quality digital reproduction for any digital camera. Canons DiGiC processor is the best compact camera image processor on the market and this is the same one they use in their high end compact cameras costing 100s of dollars or more.
2. This camera is very flexible because it allows you to shoot in different modes by basically flipping a switch to the proper setting - indoor lighting, portrait, landscape, and so on. These settings make any photographer take great pictures. Yes, these modes are standard on pretty much any good compact camera. But this camera costs a lot less so the point is youre still getting tons of high end features.
3. The auto focus capabilities are great. Make sure you understand when your subject is in focus. This camera does all the complex focusing work for you. You just need to understand what the camera is telling you about the subject its focusing in on. Thats true for any camera, but this camera has 9 point evaluative metering, and thats an advanced focusing mode perfected by canon in even their high end cameras.
4. Automatic Exposures vs. Manual - This camera ships with automated settings selected (for best exposures without you having to understand all the technicalities of photography) to make your life easier. Yet if you want control over your exposure the camera allows you lots of flexibility for the price.
5. Display - The display on the back of the camera is superb and more expensive cameras on the market do not have as good a display.
6. *3.2 Mega pixels - Some people think more is better, but thats not true. Photos taken with this camera can be printed at 5x7 size with photo quality. If you want to print 8x10s with this camera, the quality is still excellent. Thats basically true for any 3.2 mega pixel camera. However, the quality of the DiGiC image processor combined with 3.2 mega pixel resolution means this camera will make up to 5x7 prints with better color quality, clarity, sharpness etc than that $600.00 compact camera offered by another brand (because other brands dont have Canons DiGiX image processor and optics). If you want to print really large photos, 11x14 or larger then this camera is not for you. But generally... anyone whos interested in those sized prints is going to buy a higher end SLR for at least $1,000.
This camera defies the old saying, "you get what you pay for". This is a high quality camera that Canon is able to offer for far less cost because theyve limited it to 3.2 mega pixels. But most consumers dont understand that its totally irrelevant unless theyre trying to print really large prints (11x14 or larger)
Everyone should buy this camera (and learn how to use it before leaving feedback ;)
Cons:
1. Small memory card. Youll need to buy a 128MB or higher card. Youll pay $20 + for that depending on what kind of deal you can find.
2. Batteries. Your batteries will start dying after about an hour of use or so. You should get 4 NiCad rechargeable batteries and a charging unit. That way when one pair dies the other pair is fully charged. I bought a charger kit w/ four AA batteries for about $30.00.
3. Plastic - This camera is fairly sturdy and can probably take a little banging around, but its plastic so be careful. The plastic battery door is connected to the body with hinges which is great for not misplacing/losing it, but Im concerned about the plastic hinge breaking.
4. Speed of things - The speed of this camera is fine. When you click the button a photo is take fairly quickly. If you bought a more expensive camera it would be faster. Most people just take a picture and thats it, so it doesnt really matter if the camera is super fast. When was the last time you needed to take 10 pictures in 3 seconds? Even more advanced photographers will pay more for speed and then never really need it. Yet, this camera would be improved if it was faster, but then it would probably cost more ;)
So there you go. My advice to beginners - read the manual. Try to understand when your image is in focus, and how to select for indoor and outdoor lighting. And learn the different picture modes for taking portraits, landscapes, close-up of things like a flower or insect, etc. Dont worry about complex features because the camera is smart, and can automatically choose the best complex settings for you.
 On: 2004-12-12
I purchased this camera and then took some pictures inside Gym fo my sons Taekwondo programs. Results were bad all the pictures were grainy with flash also.
I am returning this camera.
On: 2004-11-24
I use these cameras professionally in the Architectural Forensic Business this is a great no-nonsense machine at an affordable price.
Canon cameras are like Nokia phones; once you get used to them and their Software they become very reliable. I have had this Camera for approximately 6 months and I use it a lot, its easy to carry and quick to activate it also proves sturdy and reliable (I have dropped mine a few times).
The only faults I can find with this particular model as a good all-rounder is that the on off button sometime demonstrates to be a little delicate and over responsive it is easy to turn the thing on and off again at the same time. Large cards e.g above 250mb take a while to save especially when you have over 200 snaps at 1mb each. The stitch assist feature takes a while to master.
This Camera makes high definition professional prints up to A4 and that is enough for most of the most demanding picture takers!
On: 2004-11-23
I use these cameras professionally in the Architectural Forensic Business this is a great no-nonsense machine at an affordable price.
Canon cameras are like Nokia phones; once you get used to them and their Software they become very reliable. I have had this Camera for approximately 6 months and I use it a lot, its easy to carry and quick to activate it also proves sturdy and reliable (I have dropped mine a few times).
The only faults I can find with this particular model as a good all-rounder is that the on off button sometime demonstrates to be a little delicate and over responsive it is easy to turn the thing on and off again at the same time. Large cards e.g above 250mb take a while to save especially when you have over 200 snaps at 1mb each. The stitch assist feature takes a while to master.
This Camera makes high definition professional prints up to A4 and that is enough for most of the most demanding picture takers!
On: 2004-11-12
Overall, a really good camera. Easy to use (some functions are a little difficult to get to, but nothing a little getting used to wont solve). Picture quality is great. It feels solid and well made, even has some metal parts.
Con:
Time between shots is pretty long. Like another reviewer mentioned something like 6 seconds if you are using the flash. Everything else gets a big thumbs up.
On: 2004-11-11
I sold my Canon A60 and decided to buy this Canon A400 instead. Canons product never disappointed me.
Pros:
Great printing quality
Compact size
Movie mode at 640*480 with sound
Manual control
Great battery life (2AA battries last over 100 pics with flash and screen on at all time, 2200mAh recharable battery recommended)
Little mirror in the front allows you to do portrait mode
Cons:
Very lag of shutter speed (up to 6 seconds with flash)
Battery door is very breakable
Overall, buy it. Its great cam for the price and you wont regret it!
On: 2004-11-10
After months of research, I finally made up my mind and bought this camera! Im so glad I did! It has so many great features and the metallic blue color I got it in is just so nice! I love how you can personalize it w/ your own sounds & images too! The battery life isnt the best but that wont be a problem because you can always purchase rechargeable batteries!
On: 2004-11-09
After months of research, I finally made up my mind and bought this camera! Im so glad I did! It has so many great features and the metallic blue color I got it in is just so nice! I love how you can personalize it w/ your own sounds & images too! The battery life isnt the best but that wont be a problem because you can always purchase rechargeable batteries!
On: 2004-10-29
I just brought this camera and I am very happy with its performance. I particularly liked the special scene mode and special effects. I took a shot in a low lighting condition and I could not believe to my eyes, the photo quality was just amazing. The only thing to worry about is the battery life and good rechargeable batteries should do fine. With its great price tag and amazing features, Powershot a400 is definitely a GREAT buy.
On: 2004-10-28
I bought this camera on impulse, and am very pleased with it. The flash is amazing, I took a picture in a pitch black room and it picked up every detail. Its got great shutter speed, and is very easy to use. It connected very simply to my iBook G4 and uploaded straight into iPhoto. Even though it only has 3.2MP the quality of the photos are great. I cant wait to take this camera on vacation. Great buy!
On: 2004-10-23
I have checked different digital cameras in past two years and have worked with some of them. The problem most of digital cameras suffer from one way or another is that they dont function well in indoor settings or low light situations. Powershot a400 has almost solved this problem and its function in indoor settings is really great. You just have to bear in mind to buy rechargable life long batteries and 128 MB or more memory cards.
I enjoy all features,all of them come handy under different conditions.
On: 2004-10-07
For the price you pay, this camera is very easy to use, and the quality is very good. I would recommend this to folks looking for a solid camera. The zoom is not the greatest, but not a real problem -- just make sure to turn the digital on -- I dont think that is an automatic setting. The only drawbacks I found is the short battery life, and the 16MB memory. If you buy this camera, buy longer life batteries and more memory. The 16MB only got me 13 photos.
On: 2004-10-06
For the price you pay, this camera is very easy to use, and the quality is very good. I would recommend this to folks looking for a solid camera. The zoom is not the greatest, but not a real problem -- just make sure to turn the digital on -- I dont think that is an automatic setting. The only drawbacks I found is the short battery life, and the 16MB memory. If you buy this camera, buy longer life batteries and more memory. The 16MB only got me 13 photos.
On: 2004-09-16
Just a short review to basically reinforce what the previous reviewer said about this great little camera.
I can honestly reccommend this canon very highly, all of the features that you loved
from passed canon digitals are here and it works really quickly.
There is one small qualm tho, the battery life is short (the batteries supplied are virtually useless, be sure to buy some highpowered duracell for best battery life)
I bought this camera from Frys in Austin TX, and my friend bought the canon powershot a75, and i honestly cannot see the advantage of having the a75 other than the manual settings are more accessible and the lens is interchangeable, if you are into lens then you should be buying an SLR, if you are into high quality fun photography, get the a400, its a winner, also the lcd is AMAZING quality.
The best camera i have ever bought, get it.
On: 2004-09-02
I own the Canon Powershot A80, the Olympus D-540 and just purchased 2 units of this new Canon Powershot A400 camera for my two friends 3 days ago for our upcoming journey to middle-earth (New Zealand) after reviewing its features on the internet.
The manual states that it is capable of 100 shots using 2 AA alkaline batteries with the LCD on, but rechargeables especially NiMH 2300 mAH and above, are really the way to go.
It has a 2.2x optical zoom instead of the standard 3x zoom, but Ive found that photos taken with the digital zoom (max 7x) are also quite acceptable and not too bad as one might imagine. The wideangle end at 45mm equiv. may not be wide enough for scenic shots, so the friendly Stitch Assist feature in the camera will definitely come in handy to capture panoramic scenes.
The camera has so many features similar to the A80 such as ability to customise start-up image and sounds, (similar to changing Microsoft Windows theme) until it becomes a really fun camera to use. Fancy a howling wolf as your self-timer sound, or perhaps a loud woof as your camera shutter sound? The included cd has even more selections for you to upload to the camera, and you can even upload sounds/images of your own, once you configured them to meet the required specifications.
It is an easy to use camera in the Auto mode, and the 8 new Special Scene Modes should be able to handle most situations. A Manual mode is also available, and Canon has included so many other features and options, such as 2 autofocus modes, 3 light metering modes, histogram, custom white balance, sound memos, movies with sound, AF-assist beam etc. which makes it really feature-rich. The 1.5 inch LCD screen with 115k pixels also delivers a noticeably sharper and finer image quality than the 65k pixels on the Canon A80 and the 85k pixels on the Olympus.
Over the past 3 days I have taken numerous photos with this camera to test its picture quality, and the Vivid mode reminded me of photographic slide films, since the pictures taken under this mode are really sharp and colorful.
There are 4 resolution settings (3.2Mp, 2.0Mp, 1.0Mp & VGA) at 3 compression levels (Superfine,Fine,Normal) plus a special PostCard setting (which allows date/time imprinting on photos). The 3.2Mp setting at Superfine obviously yields the best picture quality, but finishes off your SD memory card mighty quick too (76 shots on a 128Mb SD card). Since I know my friends will be mostly printing 6 x 4 in. postcard-sized prints, I have performed some tests at the appropriate 2.0Mp settings. In comparing photos of same subjects taken under the Fine, PostCard and Normal compression settings, I have noted that the difference in picture quality is hardly noticeable, and therefore the Normal setting is virtually as good as the PostCard or Fine setting. I will certainly be recommending this Normal setting to my two friends, as they will then be able to take 403 shots of middle-earth on their 128Mb SD card, instead of 212 shots at the PostCard or Fine setting.
Overall, this camera takes great pictures, and very colorful ones too under the Vivid mode. Discounting the slightly shorter 2.2x optical zoom, the rest of its features are really out of proportion to its budget price, and it is certainly one of the better buys coming from an established camera brand.
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