Canon A95 reviews (164) Perfect Camera for beginners on Digital Photography! I have a Canon SLR and I decided to get my wife a Digital Camera so that we will have a choice. I decided to go with Canon Powershot A95 because of the vast features it provides. Its like a small SLR camera! Last year I saw my friend's A80 and fell in love with it. Although I found a bit shutter lag in A80, A95 was quite ok. The features were very easy to understand and the setup was too. I love the moving LCD although its a bit small. But hey you can take your own pictures without asking anyone to do that for you. I had a bit problem in taking pictures at start. Was finding it hard to focus and the pictures were coming a bit blury. But after some time I got used to the half press to focus and full press to take picture. Its not that good as my SLR though. Pros: 1. Big enough to not get lost, Small enough to fit in my wifes purse. 2. Love the moving LCD, although its a bit small. 3. Pictures are really good once you learn how to focus and use the features of the camera. 4. AA batteries, easy to find anywhere in world. Althougn canon should have packed rechargable batteries/charger with it. 5. So many shooting modes. One for every ocassion. Cons: 1. Purple fringing on some pictures. Especially if you take pictures of white objects. 2. 32MB CF is too small. Need to get a bigger capacity CF card. I had to buy a 512MB CF. 3. The CF Card door is loose, flimsy. 4. Canon should have switched the places of the A/V output and USB output. We use USB to connect to the computer a lot. Excellent follow-up to A80 If someone wants to buy a compact digital camera, most of the times it's enough to choose from Canon models. Canon offers different types of cameras to different people needs. Let's take a look at them if you don't mind, I will try to give a helping hand for those who just cannot decide. Basically there are six line of Canon compacts: 1. The G-series - Pros: fast lens, 4x optical zoom, all manual controls, flip-out LCD, hot shoe, optional converters, RAW mode, microdrive support, long battery life (despite of the lithium type!), professional feeling, great hand-grip Cons: weighty, big size, lithium batteries (from a point of view), pricey 2. The Sxx-series - Pros: wider angle then average (28mm to S60/S70), portability, light, RAW mode, microdrive support, full manual controls, elegant look Cons: fixed LCD, slow lens, PF (CA), lithium battery 3. The Sxxx-series - Pros: portability (small size), very light, sexy look Cons: fixed LCD, slow lens, PF (CA), lithium battery, lack of real manual controls 4. The Axx-series - Pros: long battery life (due to AA's), flip-out LCD, great hand-grip, full manual controls, optional converters, many scene modes for beginners (on A70 and now on A95), cheap Cons: slow lens, PF (CA) 5. The Axxx-series - Pros: cheap, uses AA's, portability Cons: slow lens, PF (CA), no real manual controls 6. The NEW Sx-IS series - Pros: big zoom, best video, great hand-grip, long battery life (due to AA's), full manual controls Cons: weighty, slow lens, PF (CA), lack of AF-assist lamp, noisy images That's it, at least at the date of this quick review. As you can see from the above - The G-series has the fastest lens and a hot shoe - The Sxx-series has the wider angle zoom (28mm to 100mm) - The Sxxx-series are the more portable ones - The Axx-series has the best value for it's price - The Axxx-series are the cheapest ones that are also very portable - The Sx-IS-series has the biggest zoom and the best video to date All of them - except for the G-series - suffer from purple fringing. The G-series has them also, but not much. All of them has more shutter lag, compared to competition (new Sony and Fuji models). But pls don't forget the high detail in the images that only CANON compacts can bring. A very important issue for me. First, it's a question of money. Second, it's a question of needs. Lastly, it's a question of taste. How much can you afford? What are the most important things you need? What shape/size do you prefer? My suggestion is: decide what are the things FOR YOU that are important when choosing a cam. The decision lies beneath your NEEDS: - Need big zoom or best video? Get an Sx-IS cam. - Need portability? Get an Sxxx-series cam. - Need fast lens, a hot shoe and RAW? Get a G-series. - Need wider angle zoom or RAW? Get an Sxx-series cam. - Do you want to print in big size? Get the highest MP one - You are on the budget? Get an Axxx-series cam. None of the above? Get an Axx-series camera then! The top of the A-line cameras now is the A95 that is a geat, but not perfect cam. There are no perfect ones. Every of them has it's flaws. Pls don't be a maximalist otherwise you won't enjoy the beauty of your own cam. Choose the right cam for you based on your needs. An IMPORTANT advie: don't let the megapixel drive you if you don't need big size prints. It's only marketing, more megapixels doesn't mean better image quality. Keep this in mind always! So I got the A95. I love the LCD, the battery life, full manual controls, shape, hand-grip and the optional converters of the A95. I miss the fast lens, the wider angle and the hot shoe. Weight could be less, but it's quite tolerable and the camera is portable enough for me, if there is a belt-case with you then you won't miss the IXUS. Bigger than the Sxxx-series but much smaller than the G-series. I had an IXUS before (S400) but missed the manual controls and the flip-out LCD, so I had to change. I had an A80 before. The difference is not that much. The A95 has 5 megapixels and a bigger LCD with higher resolution. These are the main differences. They are not much, but enough for me to change, I am one of those people who don't think just buy. :) Do you have an A80? Wait for the next model. Do you have an A60/A70/A75/A85 model? Buy this! That flip-out LCD is a bless. It has a bit more noise - probably due to the more megapixel - than the A80. BUT: it has nicer LCD and a bit faster response times. I don't know why because normally it should be slower because of the bigger file sizes (5mp vs 4mp on the A80). But it's not. It's quicker, but not much. Still, another plus for the A95. The Flexi-zone feature is very useful, ususally found only on higher end cameras. It let's you choose the focus point anywhere in the frame, though I use mine with Center Focus AF most of the time. The extra scene modes are great, I just don't use them so often. I don't like when the camera sets the ISO above 50 when there is no need to. The VGA video is quite useless since it records only 30 secs. What a shame, I really miss that unlimited video! But it's not a deal breaker for me, since it's a camera not a camcorder. The print/share button is not that exciting - at least for me. I know I will never use it. All in all: a great cam. Such as Canon's other models. All of them are great, I started with an A40 and loved that much, that was my first cam. The A95 is the close-to-perfect family cam, I highly recommend it to everyone. It's image quality is top-notch in many ways, it only has a bit higher than average PF that's all, otherwise it takes excellent images out of the cam without any post-processing. Buy it, it's a CANON. Excellent camera, great value The A95 is an EXCELLENT follow up to the A80, and offers some very nice improvements. The most noticeable is the jump to 5 megapixels at $100 lower MSRP than the A80 when it came out! Then there is the larger rotating LCD that is now useable in low light, scene modes for those who don't like to tinker with the settings, and the print/share button to make things easier. For those who don't know, scene modes are easy-to-access presets of a combination of manual adjustments, optimized for shooting in different situations such as when you are indoors, at the beach, taking shots of kids, shooting at night, or shooting fireworks, etc. There is also the addition of the Flexi-Zone feature, which lets you choose one of the 9 autofocus spots, so you can focus on non-centered objects! This is usually a feature only found on much higher priced cameras. The camera features full manual controls over shutter speed and aperture, manual focus, saturation, exposure compensation, custom white balance, ISO, metering, and a histogram in playback mode. I know most people think they won't ever use some of these, but when you have an important shot that just isn't coming out, you'll be really glad you have it (or wish you did). For those who don't know, control over shutter speed means you can use a fast shutter speed to capture fast action or you can use a slow shutter to avoid using a flash or for taking shots of night scenery like a city-scape. The areas where the Canon A75, A85, and A95 really excel at are: Being fairly small(small price tag too!) for a camera with this many features and having picture quality this good. Creative shooting: this is a great camera for those who want to do creative shooting but can't afford to plop down $600+ for a Canon G6 or more for a Digital SLR. It's got all of the most important controls, and with your memory card, you can do all the creative shooting and experimenting you want virtually free compared to using film. It's even expandable with telephoto, wide angle, or close up conversion lenses and there's also the waterproof casing. One other plus is the flip-out rotating LCD screen, which is VERY useful when your camera is on a tripod, is low to the ground, or when the camera is pointed up but below shoulder height, because you can simply flip the LCD screen to the proper viewing position instead of getting down behind the camera. You can also use it to shoot over peoples' heads and use it to get a preview when you are doing self portraits. All Canon cameras also come with an excellent software package that lets you stitch panoramic photos, retouch photos or rescue those that came out wrong, add special effect, and view thumbnails of pictures so you don't have to open them up to see what the picture looks like (good for those who are using an older version of windows, I know there are still a lot of you out there). The best part is that it's free! It does more than Kodak's software(which is pretty decent), you have to pay $20 to get the better version of Olympus's software, and Sony's editing software is pretty much non-existent. Those who already have Photoshop won't be excited. For those of you who are concerned that the camera doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, don't worry, it's really not a big deal. Good rechargeable AA's, type NiMH are super cheap at around $10-$15 for 4, compared to $50 for Lithium Ion battery packs, and at that price, everyone can afford a spare set, which is really important to have. I've seen people who bought much crappier cameras at the same price, just because they came with rechargeable batteries - not a smart choice in my opinion. Yes, there is the problem with purple fringing, but it's not a very common problem and most people either don't know what it is or don't even know think it's much of a problem when they see it. Some people think it looks cool. With full control over aperture, you have the ability to get rid of it or at least reduce it. Compared to the problems that other manufacturers have with their cameras, I'd take a bit of purple fringing over noise, soft/fuzzy images, and over-sharpening any day! If you are looking to spend much less but want to get pretty much the same camera at 4 megapixels, check out the Canon Powershot A85 or the 3 megapixel A75. you lose the rotating LCD though. I love It! I purchased this camera- my first digital- not knowing what to expect. I am impressed by the fact that the screen can be turned to face you or to the one being photographed, and it can be turned in towards the camera itself, keeping it from being scratched. The features are awesome, and the photo quality- printed photos on plain everyday paper, and they were just incredible. My daughter's Sony doesn't even come close to this one! This is an amazing camera! I recommend it to anyone looking - a first time user, or someone replacing one. Great camera for the price! The A95 is a great value and performer for the person who is looking for a feature rich, relatively compact 5mp camera, that accepts standard AA batteries, and takes great pictures. Since it accepts standard AA's, there are no rechargeable batteries or charger included; only 4 alkalines. I also own a Canon s60, and in side by side tests, the A95 slightly underperforms it, but is still great nonetheless. Given the choice between the s60 & the A95, I would probably go with the s60 (or now the s70). However, when you factor in cost, the A95 is a winner, and that is why I still gave it 5 stars. The only real "cons" I have with the camera are the usual Canon complaints everyone has that the compactflash and battery access door is flimsy and cheap. This is the case with the A95 more than with the s-series Canon cameras. Since the A95 takes AAs, the battery door is under tension when you try and close it, and the trick is to use two fingers and press the door down evenly. If you do this, it works flawlessly. If you don't, you will not be able to slide the door into the closed position due to the fact the door itself will deflect under pressure and prevent the catch from fully inserting into the track it rides in when closing. Also, if you plan on frequently removing the compactflash card to download images, instead of using the USB, then you may want to consider a different camera. The compactflash door on the A95 is really difficult to open, and feels like you might break it off when it does open. This is probably more of a "feel" than anything else. All in all, the A95 is a great camera for the price. Nice Camera We just got these cameras in the store and they are amazing. Everyone enjoys the LCD screen on the back. Instead of the typical fixed LCD it has a swivel one much like your Camcorder. It pops out so you can have it hang to the side, or you can flip it over to take pictures of yourself and your family if you don't have a cameraman handy. It can also flip back into the body to function just like previous LCD screens. Amazing innovation in digital camera's. Overall nice camera from Canon. A95 review - my first digital camera After doing a lot of research I choose the Canon A95. This is the first digital camera I've owned, although I've used other digital cameras in the past. It was purchased for a three-week trip through France and Italy. I used two different memory cards during the trip to take roughly 800 shots. The first card was a 1GB Viking, the second a SanDisk UltraII 1 GB. There was no noticeable difference between the two cards, although I never did a specific comparison. Camera Pros: *The rotating LCD view finder is great. I used the view finder again and again to get shots at odd angles. I would hold the camera over my head with the view find angled down to see the shot. Same thing, holding the camera out through a fence to get a shot looking down. The view finder also worked great to get shots of my wife and myself by holding the camera at arms length. My only complaint with the view finder is that in bright light, not just direct sunlight, it became difficult to see the image. *AA batteries - this was important for us. We didn't want a special lithium battery that would be impossible to find out on the road. We purchased Kodak 2100 mAh NiMH batteries with the camera. The camera takes four batteries, so we got eight. I can't tell you exactly how long the camera operates on these batteries, but it's a while. We took at least 1200 photos, reviewing and deleting bad ones each night. During 23 days on the road, I went through three sets of batteries, plus an hour on a fourth set. I was happy with the performance. *Size - we wanted a camera that was small enough to easily carry, but not so small that it was difficult to hold. Both my wife and I (with very different hand sizes) were happy with the feel of the camera. My wife didn't care for the location of the on/off button, as she frequently accidently hit it, but I didn't have any problems. *Menu/interface - I see lots of complains about how difficult cameras can be to operated. I thought the Canon interface was fairly intuitive and easy to use. Of course, I also read the user guide on the airplane, so I'm sure that helped. *Picture quality (during the day) - most of the pictures I took duing the day look good. I have not printed any of the images yet, the digital images look great. Color reproduction looks good and the detail with the 5mp is great. I'll be having a bunch of images printed shortly, including some larger 8x10's. If there's a problem with the image quality, I'll post it. Here are a couple cons: *Viewing the LCD in bright light (not just direct sunlight, but any direct light) *Speed - I know this is a general disadvantage of digital cameras of this type and I can't make a direct comparison to other cameras, but after using a standard 35mm film camera, it seemed like capturing a shot took a long time with the camera. *Night shots are very difficult to get without a tripod or stationary object to rest the camera on. A lot of churches and museums don't allow flash. We took a lot of blurry, low light pictures. Whenever possible, I set the camera on something to take the shot, but it's not always possible. Without a direct comparison to another camera, I can't say if the A95 is better or worse than others. *By default, the camera is set to large rather than superfine resolution. I changed the setting on the camera to superfine right away, knowing that I had plenty of CF memory. Unfortunately, I didn't realize (even though I ready the manual) that you need to change the resolution setting in each shooting mood independently, so I ended up taking a bunch of pictures in less than the best resolution setting accidently. *Part way through the trip, the camera reset itself to all default settings. I don't we did anything to reset it, and we weren't changing batteries when it happened. It only did it once, but it was kind of a pain since I needed to go back through and turn the sound, resolution, and other options back to the way I liked them. *No raw or TIFF capture. I knew this when I bought the camera, but it would be nice to have under certain circumstances. Overall, I was very happy with the performance of this camera during the first month of use. Another Satisfied Customer I bought this camera for a trip to Yosemite, and it didn't disappoint. This is my second digital camera - my first was an Olympus 2MP that I've had for a few years. The Canon blows it away in features and picture quality. I like the size of the camera - it's easy to carry and store (like in my wife's handbag), without being too heavy or bulky. I had considered an ELF, but I didn't want the compromises that the sub-compacts make in features and useability. I had also considered a digital SLR, but that would have precluded the use of the wife's handbag as a storage container. I also thought the SLR's were overkill for someone who's a fairly casual amateur photographer. Don't get me wrong, I've been taking pictures for over 40 years and have used some very sophisticated equipment. But, these days, I want something easy to carry and easy to use. If you're serious about photography, by all means go for the big guns. I won't go into a littany of the Canon A95's features, since others have done a good job of that. Suffice it to say that, except for real photo enthusiasts and professionals, this camera has everything you'll ever need, and more. I took about 200 pictures and a few movies, and viewed them both digitally and in print (Ofoto). They are, almost without exception, excellent. Being new to the camera, and having forgotten the manual while I was on vacation, I didn't come close to using all of its features. I used the built-in scene modes extensively (easily accessible using the rotating wheel that surrounds the shutter button - nicer than having to navigate menus), and they worked as advertised. Some of the scenery shots of Yosemite are really spectacular, rivaling some of the professional shots I've seen for sale (if I do say so myself). I've blown some of them up to 8x10 and printed them myself, and the resolution is more than adequate. I'm sure I could go up to 11x14 or 16x20 and still get excellent prints (if I only had a printer that could do that - it's on my wish list). I especially liked the panoramic mode - after you take a shot, the previous picture is displayed immediately beside the shot you're lining up, letting you line up the shots almost perfectly. I printed a panorama that I took from one of the Yosemite overlooks on 3 8x10 sheets and it blew me away. Boot-up time is very quick, and the shutter delay wasn't at all offensive. Like most point-and-shoots, you have to hold the shutter button down 1/2 way to get it to set focus and exposure, but once you do that, the camera takes the picture quickly. The delay while the camera stores the image to the memory card is also not excessive (tha camera displays "busy" on the LCD while it's doing that). Battery life was excellent. I've been using the I-C3 15-minute rechargable batteries with great results (Amazon carries the Ray-O-Vac batteries and charger, they're also available elsewhere in those electronic shops you find in malls and shopping centers). The swivel LCD is a great feature. I agree with others that talk about it being a little hard to see in brightly lit areas. Of course, you can always use the viewfinder. You'll definitely need a bigger memory card - I bought a 1GB, which seems to hold about 700 pictures at the default resolution. The price of CF cards of this capacity has recently dropped, so I'd highly recommend one or two of these. I didn't change the camera to the super-fine mode, so I don't know what effect that has on capacity. I was able to take all the shots I wanted, as well as some 10-30 second movies and I still had plenty of memory left. My only other minor complaint (other than the LCD visibility problem), is that the maximum optical zoom range is only 3x. If you use the digital zoom, you can go up to 12x, but you lose resolution. Take this into consideration if you need a high-powered zoom. The camera does have interchageable lenses, so that's one way to overcome this limitation (I haven't priced any of the other lens options). Overall, I highly recommend this camera. Great Camera. Great Value This Camera is really great product, which for the price is a really good value for money. What I Like: + Picture Quality + Software bundle + Easy to use + Lot of Manual and automatic controls + Uses standard AA Batteries + Swirl LCD Screen + Portable size, solid feel Could be improved by Canon: ~ Higher MB CF Card with the package ~ Rechargable Batteries & Charger ~ Case My Canon A95 Shopping Saga & Comparison to the Sony T1 I spent about an hour and a half last night debating between the Sony T1 5 MP and the Canon Power Shot A95. I'm sure my friend and I drove the poor sales clerk crazy - but he was very patient and we examined each extensively. I walked into the store primarily considering three cameras -- the Nikon CoolPix 5200, the Cybershot DSCP 100, and the Canon A95. Going in I'd done a lot of research and found the A95's reputation is outstanding. But Sony's general reputation -- and especially on the Cybershot DSCP 100 -- is outstanding too. The store was out of the Nikon, and since it had been the camera I was least impressed with after reading the reviews, I didn't worry about it too much. The DSCP 100 had all the right numbers and features, but didn't feel right to me for some reason. Maybe the shape threw me off? Honestly, I'm not sure. But the vibe wasn't right and so I asked to see the A95. By this time, the clerk and I had started chatting, and he pulled out the T1. Honestly, I had not come across the T1 in my research, so when the store clerk pulled out this little gem from behind the counter, I was blown away. The thing is tiny. And oh-so-beautiful. The LCD screen on the back is almost the same size as the screen on my Treo 600 -- on other words, huge. The camera felt great in my hands. And a Zeiss lens -- wow. That's top quality there. As soon as I touched it, I began lusting after this mystery camera. But was it any good? But let me digress. The A95 is solid. Just pure solid. Nice quality. Good build. Picture quality looks good. Screen is ... well, small -- especially compared to the T1. The A95 is physically a much larger camera -- though surprisingly, the weight felt about the same as the T1. Controls seemed intuitive and it's got lots of settings to play around with, but that don't get in the way of taking a simple snap shot. But the T1 has the sex appeal. So I kept going back to it. Without reviews, I was flying a little blind, but the fit and finish felt good. And, did I mention the sex appeal? But as I kept looking, practicality began creeping into the deliberations. For instance, the T1 uses a Sony-proprietary battery and memory system. The A95 uses AA batteries and SD memory. There's no way of easily protecting the T1's super-large (and super fragile) LCD screen. The A95's LCD flips around so that the screen is protected by the camera body. The T1 has no view finder and no way to take pictures if you aren't using the LCD. The A95 can be used with or without the LCD (which increases battery life). The T1 has a 3x optical zoom. The A95 has a 3x optical zoom, coupled with a digital zoom. The T1 has no tripod mount. The A95 does. "Weighing" in favor of the T1 are the A95's larger size, smaller screen, and the "cool" factor of the T1. As I played with both cameras (until the store just about closed), I noted a couple of other things about the T1 in the back of my mind. It wasn't until I read many of the reviews here that these perceptions began to crystallize. Holding the T1 steady is a major issue. (With the A95 I was able to take handheld low-light, no-flash pictures with minimal blurring.) The flash on the T1 was ho-hum. And despite the large LCD screen, telling which images were crisp and which were blurry was a major challenge with the T1. Really, the only way to tell would be to download the images to your computer before deciding which pictures are keepers and which are deleters. In the end, I listened to my wallet and my brain. I bought the A95. I needed reliability and quality more than glamour and glitz. The SD storage cards are about half the price as the Sony cards -- and that issue of the proprietary batteries is a big one. So far so good -- picture quality on the A95 looks good, although I can tell that I'm going to have to learn to use the different "scene" settings in order to get the best out of the camera. Even so, the A95 is easy to use. (It even fit perfectly in a cheap generic camera case!) I'll have to post again as I get to know my new camera better. Hopefully you'll find this review of use. In the end -- both cameras are keepers in my opinion. Which one you pick is probably more a matter of personal preference than anything else. Good luck to everyone in picking out the right camera! I have made my decision - A95 I sold my Canon PowerShot A40 yesterday... after much thought of course. The A40 had been my first digital camera and I made my decision after reading hundreds of reviews in 2002. Took thousands of pictures always at the highest resolution. Canon was obviously the right choice for me. Everyone wanted to have my pictures and wanted to get my camera. Perfect little friend, printed images were superb at 4x6. I always took them to a developer, would not invest in a printer. I think it's a bad idea, especially after seeing some street photographer having trouble with it and giving a would be customer a dismal print. Maybe it was running out of ink, don't know. Anyway.... a friend got the A80 last xmas and the moving LCD feature just blew me away. Still I did not upgrade. Now it is the right time, I have sold my A40 and looks like I am going to treat myself to the new A95, 5 MP, improved and BIGGER LCD... can't go wrong with canon. The most beautiful images, freedom to MAKE your own pictures how you want them, AA batteries, this is a great feature. I would never get those propietary lithium batteries. The brilliance of this feature is that you can be almost anywhere on earth and if you somehow run out of power, you just go into the next store and get 4 AA batteries and voila, you're on. This actually happened to me and it's one of those things you never forget. The only thing I dislike about the A series is the size... then again , the grip is perfect thanks to the battery compartment. I have been using a Case Logic belt case, and it feels great, but I just wish I had all these features and could still put the camera in my shirt pocket. Can't always get it all folks. Am sticking to CANON POWERSHOT and getting the A95 this week. Best Digital Camera I ever had!! I recieved this camera four days ago and am completely happy for owning one. I purchased a Powershot ELPH 4.0 MP, which gave clear pictures, but returned it because it doesn't have all the 14 shooting modes the A95 model has. The PowerShot A95 gives me great clear, sharp picutures when it comes to enlargements (11X16). The ELPH 4.0 MP showed some blurrness whenever I printed 8X10 photos. In addition, the PowerShot ELPH 4.0 MP doesn't even compare to all the manual functions the A95 contains. All in all, I highly recommend the PowerShot A95 5.0 MP for its greats results in photo quality and is packed with great features. Great Camera This is a great camera. i m extremely happy with its performance. Only one regret is that i ordered it thru dell. it took abt 19 days to recieve my packet. my word " never order anything from dell or get things shipped from DHL" they r the worst. Thanks Excellent camera.... I have only had this camera for a week, but I have had the opportunity to shoot photos in many of the modes available. The photos are sharp with true colors. I have not noticed any purple fringing the the reviews speak of...at least yet. The camera feels solid to hold and feels very well made. The swivel display is sweet!! My old camera was a Kodak DX3900 which served me very well but the A95 is in a whole different class. I have a Canon ip4000 printer and the photos come out excellent. I paid $309 on Amazon, a great price for such a feature rich 5 MP camera. Great first camera to grow with I purchased this camera as a Christmas present for my son. As an advanced amateur (I'd also done some pro wedding work 25 yrs ago) I'm pretty demanding about cameras. My son wanted a small shirt pocket camera to take along with him, but to me these are one-trick ponies that only frustrate you as you get familiar with pictures and want to do something beyond mere snapshots. That's where my son is at right now, so I wanted a camera that would do that well, and offer intermediate controls to grow into. Here's why I chose this camera: * Excellent size/feel of camera in hand. This is very important to me, that the controls and feel/weight of the camera is good. This had a good "feel" to it, and the controls are logically laid out and easy to find even without looking. * 5 megapixel translates to a good 11x14 photo, and the ability to crop and print large photos (5x7, 8x10) * Comprehensive range of automatic picture modes- including settings for beach, snow, foliage, underwater, indoor, night snapshot, fireworks, kids and pets- that you usually can't find on most cameras. Helpful for the beginner to get a good shot with minimum muss and fuss * Easy to find AA batteries. I bought a set of 2500 mAh NiMHs that should last longer than regular alkalines (which can be found in a pinch anywhere worldwide). * Swiveling LCD viewfinder. Great for taking pictures overhead or waist level, even self-portraits. The added benefit, you can turn the screen toward the body so it doesn't scratch when carried. * Intermediate controls allow you to to manual, aperture or shutter priority, and program in addition to the automatic. White balance can be customized for better color control (crucial if you can't shoot in RAW). * While start-up isn't particularly fast (2 sec), you can shoot continuously at 1.5-2 frames per second for as long as you have space on your card * 38-114 (35mm equivalent) good for most photos, although a 28 mm wide angle would be much better. Given the mild barrel distortion at 38mm though, I think compromises were made to keep this package affordable. * AF illuminator. This is crucial when focusing in low light situations, and is not available in all cameras. * Optional adapters for wide or telephoto, and filter capability. Again, an intermediate plus. Trade-offs: * Only USB 1.1, slow downloading from camera to computer (though easily remedied with 2.0 flash card reader * LCD only 1.8". While bigger than the 1.5" on the A80, even small cameras are now using 2" or larger screens * No RAW or TIFF mode, but cameras that have that capability are not generally classified as beginner or 'point-and-shoot'. * Pictures noisy at higher ISO speeds. Not uncommon problem, and unless a photo is enlarged a lot, isn't generally noticeable. Isn't a problem for me because I use Photoshop with a noise reduction plug-in to edit pictures. Easy to show my son how to do that. * Lack of a flash shoe for a true flash unit. This shouldn't be a problem for most snapshots though, and a flash unit would be awkward on a camera this small. * Slow and short video (can't shoot 30 fps, time limited to 15-30 sec). I don't use it often, but it's nice to have. I didn't find the CF door troublesome like some people did. There is a definite way to open and shut it, and when it's done properly, it clicks into place easily. The build quality is excellent, and I think this camera will last a few years and give good service. It's a good value for the price. I hope my son agrees. Value, Quality and Power thTat Will Turn Your Pics into Art! Pros: Larger LCD screen with enhanced resolution, loads of manual/creative photography options, AA Batteries, terrific ergonimics, outstanding picture quality, versatile controls, Price vs. Features/Quality is unbeatable. Cons: Some minor chromatic aberration (purple fringing) and very high noise levels at ISO 400, no RAW mode, the camera eats batteries (with LCD use); included flashcard is too small for enthusiasts. Summary: The A95's 3X lens exhibits some minor barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, but no visible pincushion distortion at the telephoto end. There is also some noticeable chromatic aberration in high contrast color transition areas, but that is pretty much par for the course with all digicam zooms. My only real complaint with the A95 is the horrible noise levels at ISO 400, noticeably worse than the noise levels of the A80 at ISO 400. My friend says he's heard that the A95 has significant redeye problems, but we didn't shoot any portraits and only used the flash in fill mode so I can't address this issue. Basically, the A95 is a truly worthy successor to the nifty little A80. At this point in time, the A95 is an almost ideal digital camera, so if you've been searching a "does it all" general use five megapixel digital camera, the A95 is probably your best option. Great Purchase--Great for Beginners You don't have to be a PROFESSIONAL to take great pictures. This camera has a lot of different modes for pictures (i.e. "Special Scenes mode enables beginners to take pictures in Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Night Snapshots, Indoors, & Underwater)--all of these enhance the quality of the picture. It has a great flippable LCD & an even better battery life. What I really love about this camera is that I can use rechargable batteries. Unlike other digitals it uses four AA (some may use lithium ion). Anyways, you don't have to spend a ton on batteries if you just invest in a recharger--the Panasonic BQ390 is the one I have and it is also great. Really the only thing I don't like is the flimsiness of the CF cover. Great Camera; Plenty of features; easy to use; Good Software This camera is really good; First off it is fairly easy to use; and hand someone when you want someone else to take the picture. The display is really clear; the pictures come out in great quality. The zoom is good as well as the ability to swivel the screen for pics at any angle.The software is also good it installs what it needs and doesn't start any garbage @ boot up. It is also a good size not to small as to slipp out of your hands but not to big. (although it doesn't fit in a pocket) Overall it is a good camera that takes quality pictures. A perfect Gift for some one you adore A perfect Gift for some one you adore.. I have given this gift to some one ..whom i can never forget After a lot of consideration... I decided the A95 was the best choice after looking seriously at Sony cameras and Fuji ones. The prices may initially be similar, but Canon used Compact Flash, which is much cheaper than Sony's memory, Fuji's is even more than that... The camera is great, lots of MPs and great quality. One of my favorite features, simple as it may be, is the rotating LCD screen. It makes picture taking a lot easier, and you can take pictures at angles you once couldn't (accuratly). The movie mode also worked surprisingly well, I didn't really expect much from that at all. Another cool feature, perhaps useless, is that you can attach audio memos on pictures you like. Battery life is really good as well, much better than my last camera. The camera is good for lots of other reasons too... but I'm sure you've read most of them. All in all a great camera. But if its too much, the A85 and A75 trade down only the MPs and the rotating LCD... but still good deals. Superb Great machine. Fabulous pictures. The detail, but above all the level of color make this a very happy choice. The color is subtle and vivid. Great features and control for a point-and-shoot price I've had the A95 for about 2 months now and I've been extremely pleased. It is one of those rare cameras that can serve as an excellent and simple point-and-shoot (for my wife) or can be used in such a way so as to satisfy people wanting more control over their photography (for me!). I have owned and used several digital cameras (mostly Nikon, Olympus, and Kodak) and I am continually awed by the amount of options that this camera allows you to mess with to get your perfect picture. A few comments on some of the many benefits of the A95: - Picture quality. This camera has great picture quality. What more can I say? I suppose there is some of that famed Canon "purple-fringing" but it is never really an issue for me and the kinds of pictures I generally take. - Vari-angle LCD. I was a little skeptical of the swivel "Vari-angle" LCD probably because I thought it would be flimsy or just be a hassle, but now I don't think I could ever own another camera that doesn't have it. It gives you so many options! You can just flip the LCD around to be used just like any other digital camera, or you can maneuver it to take perfectly-aimed photos from above your head, or holding it to your side, or to take a picture of yourself, or even to look around a corner ;). Even if you only use it to turn the LCD inward to protect the screen when you store the camera, this feature is worth the money. - Uses AA batteries. You can buy rechargable AAs and a charger, but you also have the freedom to not have to use expensive propritary batteries. Our batteries went dead while sight-seeing on vacation, so we just bought a pack of AAs at the first store we saw. It's hard to think of any store that doesn't sell AA batteries. - 5 MP. This camera is such a great value for a 5 megapixel camera. When I was shopping for a new camera, I figured I'd have to settle for 3 or 4 MPs for the price range I was looking for. My 8 x 10s look amazing! - Compact Flash Cards. This still seems to be one of the cheapest formats of flash storage media and it also seems to be the sturdiest. SD is smaller, but generally more expensive and flimsier. MS is proprietary to Sony so nobody else uses them. I'm able to use CF cards for many things other than just my camera so they are an even bigger value to me. - Fast startup and picture taking. - Well-written and easy-to-understand manual. Some relatively minor gripes: - It is rather large and heavy for a point-and-shoot camera. The weight doesn't bother me at all and I'm willing to sacrifice smaller size for more functions/control. - CF cover is flimsy and kind of tricky to close. You get the hang of it, but I still worry I'll accidentally break it one of these days. The camera won't operate if the CF door is open (although it seems you could easily "trick" the camera into thinking the door is closed). While I worry about this, I've yet to hear of anyone actually breaking it. - Battery cover is also a little awkward to close, but it's not flimsy where I think it'll break or anything. In short, this is a great all-around camera that offers you a lot of control over your pictures. In this price range, no other camera even comes close. Extremely versatile camera. Fairly easy to learn. I bought the camera for myself with the intent of showing my parents how much more useful it is than the old style film devleoping camera. Nut shell: old dogs sometimes would rather you peddle your tricks somewhere else. I do think it would have taken a large amount of work to teach them even if they were willing. My parents don't exactly keep up with technology. My mother is still only playing solitare on the computer I bought her last year. Though there are a large number of configuration options, I was able to learn quickly how to take night time pictures with exposure adjustments. The pivotal screen makes the camera twice as useful. Much easier to take difficult photos like using a tripod (for a tall person like myself) This camera will likely be a bargain in another 9 months when the price drops to $250. I love this camera Before purchasing this camera, I read and studied reviews and product descriptions. I have had it about 3 weeks and I love it. I haven't spent much time learning all the features, just figure them out when the need arises. I have made some great photos without really reading the manual. These include a lot of indoor shots made without flash. Pluses: ease of use, rotating lcd, inexpensive batteries, and great photos. Do NOT get this if you want to take pics of your Kids! I hate to write this review b/c i was very excited to get this camera. I had high hopes for it. BUT UNFORTUNATLY it let me down big time.... I researched for weeks to find the best digital camera. i researched all over the web on Olympus, Kodak, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony ... all of them. I decided on a Canon b/c they seem to get such great reviews, especially here on Amazon. The praise on here for the Canon A95 really helped sway my decision. I love digital photography and take a lot of pictures though i am by no means a professional. I mostly wanted a nicer camera than my HP435 (a cheap 100 dollar cam). I bought this powershot a95 based on all the great reviews. i mostly take pictures of my children, who are young. I wanted a good sized megapixel (not too high but more than 3 b/c i print 8x10's often). i teetered on the thought of a higher zoom camera. still debating on the Kodak 7590 which has a 10x optical zoom and 5 or 6 mp. that cam doesnt have any stabalizer like the canon s1 has (and a 10x zoom but a small mp). I eventually decided against a higher zoom camera and on this a95 b/c everyone said how great it was. i thought i would be able to take quality photos of my kids. Unfortunately the cons of this camera are a big deal for me. It has the problems i was trying to AVOID. CON #1 : in a lot of my shots, everyone has red eyes. i read the instruction booklet page by page and turned on the redeye reduction but to no avail. red eyes. up close were okay but when the subject got 3 feet away...red eyes. i know i can photo edit them out but i shouldnt have to. a 400 dollar camera should do that for me! CON #2: (the most important thing to me) the time from me pressing the button to take the shot to the time it actually takes the picture is ridiculously long! my kids make a cute face and by the time the camera takes the shot, they have changed faces and/or moved out of the shot. In this respect, my old 100$ hp did a way better job. it was very quick to take the picture. i pressed the button and the picture was taken. not on this camera. i press the button and i guess it is getting the shot perfect b/c it pauses for literally SECONDS then snaps. The picture i do get of say the top of my kids head or the sides of their faces (b/c they MOVED) is a very clear nice shot though. i would say that if you want to take pictures of a still object then this camera does a Great job. BUT---> if you are looking for a camera to take pictures of your small toddlers who won't sit still, do not get this camera. the worst part too is that i bought this at Best Buy and it came with a restocking fee sticker of 15%. SO if i return it, they charge me a good 60 some odd dollars to return it. ridiculous! they didnt tell me about that! so Avoid purchasing at Best Buy unless you are absolutely sure OR you dont mind paying a restocking fee. My sister recently bought the Kodak 7590 and i am going to play with it for a week or so and review it as well. We go down to Florida alot and play w/ the dolphins. (the animals not the team haha) I dont think this camera is going to do a good job taking pics of them either b/c of its slow picture taking time. I imagine i will press the button in time but by the time the photo actually TAKES, the dolphins will be back under water. i will end up with a photo of bubbles where dolphins WERE. This camera DOES have great color and sharp imaging. Lots of buttons and options. It isnt junk by any means. It just isnt what I need. Good luck with your camera shopping. I had a hard time deciding and ended up doing exactly what i tried to avoid: buying the WRONG camera! The perfect point-and-shoot camera with the extras This canon is a decent point-and-shoot digital camera. Its size is great you can pretty easily, stuff it in a pocket. Now the price of this bad boy is getting up there about $350 at the time of this review. If you need a point-and-shoot only look into the A85 for about a hundred less. The benefit of this camera is the flip out LCD screen, which is great if you want to shoot around corners and take self-portraits. The Nikon that I own all have this. I considered a must-have. But is it worth an extra hundred that's for you to decide. The camera also has all the extras that make a little more powerful than your standard point-and-shoot. It is aperture priority and shutter priority selection, which is great. If you're new to cameras, shutter speed allows you to control how long the shutter stays open. So the picture you took his dark too dark to use. Just drop your shutter speed from 1/250 of a second to 1/125 of a second this will let in more light. And maybe salvage the picture. That's what makes these cannons so powerful and great if you want to go beyond the basics of point-and-shoot, but it still will be a great point-and-shoot camera. And the price in these cameras just can't be beat. you can't go wrong, one last bonus to note is that this uses four AA batteries and not a battery pack, which is totally important. If you're on the go and out of juice. No matter what camera you got your not taken pictures. You can buy AA batteries anywhere bonus! It has awesome case for only $5.95. Search for Amazon item number: B00009U0XI Have fun and get it done! A lot of camera for the price. I bought this camera for the holidays and made my decision based on reviews from both consumers and professionals. It is not my first Digital Camera but I am not a professional. I was interested in having more control over my camera. My last one was an older Fugi. It was a fine camera but it was a "point and shoot" model, designed for simple snapshots. I wanted more of a challenge and the ability to try more creative photography. My new Canon A95 is everything I had hoped it would be. I have taken about 600 shots with it and I am very pleased with the results. Not all of my pictures are great but I am learning and they are getting better. I bought a great book with my camera and I recommend it to any one who is new to digital photograpy or upgrading from a simpler model. The book is Digital Photograpy Hacks by Derrick Story. Armed with my camera, I have not been able to put the book down. It helped me understand the power of the Canon A95 and how to use all of the options it gives me. My son just got me the companion to Story's book. It is called Digital Photography Pocket Guide. I feel like this camera has what is necessary to let me get serious about photography with out having to put out the kind of money that being a professional photographer would require. Value for Money! Best value for money camera. I like the pre-programmed scene selections. I don't have to worry about the settings and still capture that "kod*k" moment. The photoprints are superb! You definitely need to get more CF memory though. The 32Mb that comes with it is definitely not enough. It would also have been better if the lens came with a wider angle. I love this camera! Someone on the review earlier said there were some reviews written by Canon salesman, but I doubt it. I'm not a Canon sales person, I'm writing a review just because I like this camera. Some people said there's some redeye problems, and I agree with that, specially with blue or green eyes seem easy to get redeye results. Some people worried about the shutter lags, but you can actually change the shutter speed. "Kids and Pets" option is set with faster shutter speed, so it works as well. It took me for a bit to get used to the shutter speed, but once you learn how to control the camera, it works great for you. If you are looking for a camera to take snap shots, you might want to look around a little more. It's been over 2 months since I got this camera. I have very poor skill of taking pictures, but this camera helps me to make the pictures look great! Everytime I take pictures, I set it as a desktop wallpapar on my computer. It's easy to use, and I love the fact that I can fold in the LCD screen. I throw it in my bag, but I don't have to worry about getting it scrached or dirty. I also got a case for that for $5, so I'm taking the camera everywhere I go. I did a lot of research for digital camera shopping, and I'm glad that I bought this. I paid less than $300 including shipping. [...] : ) The perfect camera for those who seek it I am not too technical on cameras, and Im an average photographer. I usually take pictures at parties or the holidays. This camera really is an excellent one. It takes some of the clearest pictures! The options on it are great, just like the more expensive ones, but they're made easy. For landscape pictures, you just move it the landscape icon, for portrait pictures, you move it to the portrait icon. Its that simple and the quality is superb. For general pics here and there, just leave it on auto. Id recommend you browse the manual for the basic settings, such as your resolution and such. I bought a 128mb compact flash card and it works fine. So my point is if you have to have a digital, this is it! You can take some nice deep pics like a photographer would, and you can take your regular old fun pictures and enjoy yourself whichever mode you feel you're in! I used to have a Minolta Dimage for 6 years before I upgraded, so you can tell how excited I am! Great camera, great price I chose between the A95 and the new Sony DSC-T1 and decided on the Canon because I'd had good luck with their equipment in the past (SLRs and 1st gen digicams). Also I wanted to keep the cost down. I also bought an underwater case, so total cost was $500 -- it would have been at $750 for equivalent Sony equipment. I am happy with the A95, though I wished it shot a little faster (some delay in standard mode). Color, resolution, and features are great. Interestingly, while on Christmas vacation I ran in to a guy who had chosen the Sony set-up. We were both doing underwater photography and he'd just shot a turtle in video mode. He as so excited! His images were nice, too and it was easy for him to show them to me on the Sony's big view screen. It's harder to shoot underwater video on the A95 since the screen is smaller, but the results are as good as the Sony. The Sony definitely has the cool factor though! Still, I can use standard AA batteries and standard memory (I got a SanDisk 1 GB, great!). That made travel easier (no charger) and I don't worry as much about damaging a $300 camera as I might a $500 one. Camera for Animation This is a good camera to use for animation if you will be downloading the pictures and compiling them in the computer. Meaning, the camera alone does not have animation capabilities, but it has several features that make it ideal for shooting a sequence of images to later turn into animation video. 1. Auto power shut-off disable: You can set the camera so that it doesn't automatically go to sleep when you haven't taken a picture for a few minutes. This is a big deal for animators--who need time to arrange their art in between frames and can't afford to lose the zoom settings lost in shut-off. However this shut-off disable feature is itself disabled when using the analog video output to see the images on an external monitor. I suspect Canon did this to discourage professional use of a consumer-level camera. 2. The screen: It flips out, twists around, and allows you to see the shot from any angle without standing on a chair, craining your neck, etc. Especially great for downshooting flat artwork. If you do get this camera for animation use, be sure to get a power adapter or you'll go through batteries way too fast. Significant Mistake Canon does not pack rechargable batteries and charger which is really bad because 1. The alkaline batteries that come with the package die in no time. 2. The rechargable batteries and charger come for 32$ from sony [NiMH batteries]. Canon's are far costlier in comparison. Also, I find the camera somewhat slow in operation. I mean it takes time to record images into the sandisk cf card. The camera is not as easy-to-use and sleek as I had thought it would be. I have a sony dscp72 camera which came in cheaper and was more handy. The zoom in and out using the semi-rotating switch is not as handy as the two buttons for zoom in and out were in sony camera. Also, the camera buttons (up and down) etc are not easy to get used to. Sony scored far better at this. The camera has not given me any problems as such but it was not quite up to my expectations of easy to use and sleekness. I am still exploring it's many functions which the sony camera lacks and so can't comment on them. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I researched almost every 5MP camera out there, and in comparison the canon A95 powershot surpasses all others. Although the only complaint seems to be weight, I believe this is attributed to the fact that it takes four AA batteries. However, if you purchase the rechargables, they last forever. I took 12 rechargable batteries with me to my colorado ski trip, and in 7 days not once did I have to replace them! Also, using regular batteries or rechargables is a lot cheaper and more convenient then having to buy the customized batteries for other cameras. What I LOVE about this camera: - there are numerous not-so-happy comments about how long it takes for the canon to take/record the picture. You can change this setting!!!! It's in the manual. ALSO, if you have the factory default setting of "record time" of a pic, you can still take a picture while the camera is recording the previous one. FOr instance, you take a pic, it's on the LCD screen.... you can take another shot right away using the viewfinder. For pics that would involve high speeds where you would like to take a series of shots, you can change the shutter speed manually, or use the fast/slow shutter speed option on the dial - the flip-panel LCD screen is an excellent feature. No worries about scratching the screen especially when extreme skiing and you've got this bad boy in your jacket pocket =) - rechargable battery life is extremely long - the optical combined with the digital zoom allowed for extreme close-ups of the farthest of objects... add the macro function and the quality becomes even better - easy to understand and use even for those unfamiliar with different shutter speeds, aperture values,etc. - quality quality and more quality of photos - color and contrast using various settings amazed me! - I like when previewing my picture that I can see what functions were used when the picture was taken, the histogram display, the white balance effect used, and the date - I love the fact that I don't have to fumble with a lens cap! - it's pict-bridge compatible - the "up to 20" panaramic shots that you can take blew me away! The camera allows you to line up the second picture of your panaramic to the first one you took by showing you the edge of the first panaramic photo! The not so positive effects: - as I sit at my desk pondering my camera, ... I really can't think of a single thing that I didn't like about this camera! I absolutely recommend it!!! Fabulous pictures...easy to use I got my new Canon A95 for Christmas and I love it! I won't go into go into all of the technical details of the camera here because you can read the product description or other reviews. What I will say is this...THIS IS A GREAT CAMERA! Bottom line: the camera is extremely easy to use and takes crisp, clear, colorful pictures. It offers 14 different picture-taking modes and works well in daylight and with the flash. The movable LCD screen is crystal clear (and is cool to show off to your friends, too!). The camera seems pretty durable and I have not run into the problem with battery life that other reviewers have. The software accompanying the camera is easy to use, also. An excellent choice for a "casual" photographer who simply wants to capture her/his memories to share with family and friends. even better than we expected buying the a95 was one of those rare purchases that far exceeds what you had hoped for and expected. the other reviews on this camera explain enough of the detail of its workings and quality, but i will mention what impressed me with this one. - the fold out lcd (makes taking photos of yourself easy) - the macro zoom function (i can get decent shots at less than 6 inches with this) - the picture effects (sepia, black and white, vivid colour etc) - f.stop, iso speed and shutter speed (you can adjust these all manually!) - uses 4 AA batteries (cheap as chips to buy rechargeables and when they get old, just get some new ones - no mucking around with dodgy internal batteries - and you get about 400 pictures per charge, even more in low power mode) - panoramic images (can take a bunch of shots in panoramic mode, then the software included, which i think is great, stitches them all together beautifully to make great panoramic images!) you can even turn then into quicktime vr movies! - easy to use - plenty of preset lighting situations to select from the only downside to this camera is the 3x zoom, but i'm not a nature photographer or a hunter, so it doesn't matter to me. buy it and be well pleased! My $0.02 This is my first digital camera and after doing my research I made my choice. This camera is REALLY easy to use. The directions are easy to read and understand. I took my first picture withing 5 minutes of opening the box. Another reviewer mentioned that you couldn't take pictures of moving objects very well. I completely agree. The first pictures of my two Beagles were mostly of their tail as they left. So little kids and active dogs are difficult. However, with some practice I learned to be ready for the picture and now they aren't so camera shy. Great little camera. Fits right in my hand. Purchase the accessory kit too. That way you get the recharger, a nice case and an extra set of batteries. The software which comes with the camera is also very very easy to load and use. I say: Buy It! Colors pretty good, but... I got the Canon A95 -- the camera is okay, really. I am mostly satisfied. Most shots are in focus and clear, but i think the examples taken by Amazon customers show the problem I am having. The colors seem washed out sometimes. My friend's camera (a newer model Kodak) seems to have richer, deeper colors. She was printing on a Kodak printer at home. Maybe I am too picky?? I may have the Canon checked at a local repair shop to see if they can make the colors more rich. Overall, I recommend a Canon for a digital camera. Easy to Use for typical family photographer Bought A95 in January and have been enjoying it ever since. This is our first digital camera and I love the fact that the pictures we print out are all quality pictures....not pictures of the back of a head....or someone looking away. I don't think that you can go wrong with this camera. Purchase it; read the manual take an hour to get familiar with the camera and the software and picture taking/editing is very simple. Movie mode good - fine for quick movies to send to relatives...recorded some of my son's fist steps and sent them out to friends... Battery life bad for AA batteries...have to buy rechargeable batteries....I actually bought the Cannon rechargeables - after actually visiting Circuit City and seeing that only the cheap batteries were really cheap. Red-eye does exist, but it is very simple to remove it when editing...simply zoom in and remove..... Software NIGHTMARE The camera promises a lot of solid features, but I wouldn't know first hand. I haven't been able to save any photos to my computer. I have a Dell Inspiron 8600 with Windows XP. I have experience installing software and hardware. This camera has completely thrown me off. I've had driver conflicts and can't get the computer software to work with the camera. Usually it does not find the camera or it reports the camera "in use" when it does. And good luck if you do have trouble. Tech support at Canon doesn't exist. Dell has helped me repair bigger problems (driver conflicts) and I've had to restore system settings at least three times. Bottom line...it ain't working. I have a $350 paperweight. Fantastic little camera After receiving a gift certificate at work, I did a lot of research on available cameras. The Canon Powershots had a great rating on another web site, so I went to store to check them out. I have very large hands for a woman, so I was very concerned about the size of the small digital cameras, and if I would be able to use one comfortably. This camera rocks! It is so easy to use! I'm not a beginner, but if I were, I could still use this camera the first time out. I love the flexibility of the screen and the transfer to e-mail is flawless. Buy a card scanner though...makes it much safer for the camera. Crisp, clean shots and small enough to drop in a jacket pocket...vacation heaven. Get extra media cards...the A95 gives you a few less pictures for the space, but the quality is worth it. Down side? The cover on the media card doesn't feel sturdy. You will need to be careful opening it. Still trying to find where to get an attachment lens at a good price. (yes, you can add on just like an SLR) Also, would have been nice if rechargeable batteries were included. You'll want them if you shoot a lot at one time. Actually, there are almost too many options on the A95. Unbelievable how much you can do with it for this price. Very good looking camera, very easy to hold and use, great advanced features for someone past the beginner stage and after using it for a month, I am very pleased with it! Top Reasons We Got This Camera I did tons (too much) research, so I thought I'd share the main reasons I pulled the trigger on this camera and not others: 1) Price/Rating Balance--it's well reviewed at many sites, including being the #2 rated 5 megapixel by CNET 2) The flip out LCD. Means a few things: your LCD is protected when closed (thats a big deal); multiple people can look at it since you can angle it (like you and your spouse); and depending on the light you can angle it to see the screen better. Also, you can shoot with it closed of course. 3) The batteries. Using your own rechargeable or even disposable is an advantage, not disadvantage! Gives you flexibility and 6 months from now you aren't buying another $80 special battery like you will with other models. Thats why Canon does that with some models--people like the flexibility. We bought a nice rechargeable set for $25 from a local camera store complete with car charger. (We don't belive you have to use Canon rechargeables) 4) The features. I have already mastered the basics but the abilites this camera has are probably more than we will ever need, but are there if we want. Like one review site said, this camera will grow with you. 5) Size and handling. Its big enough that you feel comfortable with it in your hand, and the controls are great. Its not the lightest due to the batteries, but for us its more of a family camera, not some little matchbook I wanted to take out to bars with my friends. The only thing is that it would probably not be comfortable hanging around your neck if you wanted that. But on a waist no problem! A steal at twice the price I love this camera! The price is fantastic for the feature set -- which rivals that of cameras hundreds of dollars more expensive. Color rendition is near perfect, but I've noticed it tends to underplay a little unless you've got very good light. (say a sunset or bright daylight) Purple fringing is a problem when shooting bright objects in bright sun, but you can avoid that most of the time. The camera is a very nice size, and unlike some who find it heavy, I find the weight just makes it seem like it's worth every dime I paid for it. The battery compartment forms a very nice handhold - often non-existant on other models. The controls are very clear, very user friendly, and very ergonomic. The buttons are where you expect them to be. The LCD screen is big and bright - though not so useful in very bright light. One warning about the LCD screen -- it's often *better* than the conditions you're photographing. Because it's so well lit, it can make you think the scene you capture is that bright, and you might be disappointed to get home later and find the picture very dark. (enter Photoshop...) The scenes provided to help the amateur/novice photographer are almost universally good, though indoor shots still need a little correction. Image quality is terrific, but I'm a sharpness freak and find myself doing post-process sharpening quite often. I suspect the average user will be pleased with the camera as is. You could spend 300 - 5000 more for a higher mp rating, but you'll be hard pressed to find one this good, for this little money. It's a steal at twice the price. If you own a Rebel you love the A95 I had big huge description on what was so wonderful about the A95 then I realized I was just repeating what all the other reviews were saying about this camera. Here something different I can add.... I bought and return 4 different digital cameras before I got the powershot A95. The Reason I went through so many digital cameras was because I own a SLR Canon EOS Rebel (I paid $500 for it 8 yrs ago) I absolutely Love my Rebel all my picture come out beautifully clear and I'm Never disappointed but it's not digital. I was so stuck on my rebel that when I used the Kodak, Minolta, Nikon & HP digital cameras (in same price range as canon) they just didn't measure up to my Rebels different setting & photo quality and that is why I would return them!!! Finally I realized I need to try a canon digital and pick the powershot A95 (because of it's small size). I LOVE this camera you won't see me returning it!!! What I like the most about this digital over the others I've owned is that it has all the setting my rebel has, Plus 8 more setting my rebel doesn't. ****For those who have used a Rebel before, if you haven't it's not as hard to use as it sounds below**** With my Rebel to get a better blur free photo of my kids moving, I usually had to set the aperture myself, then adjust the ISO then set the filtration (which you can also do on powershot A95) But with the A95 you just set your dial to SCN then pick "kids & pet" & it does all the work for you, the picture will come out Blur free every time & you won't have to mess with any apertures, ISO or anything. It also has "indoor" setting, if you have a Bright lamp on (like 4-- 100watt bulb fan light) on in the house you can turn the Flash OFF (trust me turn it off and you won't have to worry about red eye either) and the indoor setting will make your picture come out like you used a flash, it's better then Auto setting!!! I agree with the others reviews that the powershot A95 does get red eye sometime (just like you will with any digital with a Built in flash). Here is a tip to keep in mind, the ONLY way to guarantee zero red eye in every picture is you'll need to buy a Digital with an -------Attachable flash------- (means you can take the flash off the camera) attachable flashes have more power, more light and better reflection against red eye but those type of digital cost about $1,400+ !!! For under $300 for powershot A95 you won't be disappointed. Excellent camera but approaching end of life cycle. A95 is an excellent choice for a 5MP digital camera on it own. But Canon has fully redesigned the Powershot A series to make it lighter (uses only 2 AA batteries now), smaller and with 4x optical zoom in A510/A520. Its a tough choice between A520 and A95 now. Pro's, 1. Very good image quality. 2. 5 MP and 3x optical zoom (A520 is the new 4MP/4X version). 3. Priced right, unlike some overpriced digicams out there. 4. Works on normal AA batteries (buy rechargeable ones for extra life and lower cost), unlike expensive & hard-to-find propreitary batteries. 5. The menu on the Canon cameras is light years ahead of most other manufacturer's. Lots of manual options and scene modes. 6. Battery and SD card doors seem to be of above average quality. 7. LCD screen is bright and fluid. 8. Uses standard SD cards, unlike propretary memory cards like Memory Stick or xD card. 9. Can attach extra lenses if one buys the adaptor for it. 10. Actual LCD screen looks nicely protected below a plastic plate. 11. Flip out LCD for hard-to-shoot shots. 12. Better build quality, IMO, than newer A510/A520. Con's, 1. The camera is very thick & bulky (uses 4AA batteries). 2. Only 3x optical zoom, compared to 4x on newer A series. 3. Doesn't have that cool-ness like iPod or Elph series. 4. Weak flash and redeye remain an issue, a compromise for small overall size. You gotta spend more money to buy Elph series for more pocketability & style. This will be replaced with smaller, lighter 5MP/4x A series camera soon. However if you find this for an attractive price, go ahead. You can't go wrong with Canon. Just check out the top sellers list right here on Amazon! Excellent step up from my S400 Elph I recently replaced my Canon S400 4MP Elph with the Powershot A95. Right away, the main differences are: Larger size, partly due to the use of 4 AA batteries. the compartment where the batteries are stored make the camera have an excellent grip which makes the camera friendly for larger hands then the Elph series does. (I'm a woman in my 20's, and I have small hands so this doesn't really affect me) The batteries, being AA's, not a rechargable Lithium Ion like the Elph, can be easily be bought at any store that sells AA's cheap if you run out while you're on vacation (which will happen often, as digital suck the life out of normal AA batteries) Saying that, I STRONGLY encourage you to purchase rechargable Ni-MH batteries. I bought the Sony Super Quick BCG34HC charger, which also comes with 4 2300 Ni-MH batteries. The batteries lasted about a week and a half of heavy picture taking with the the flash on and off, along with the display on. For and extra twenty bucks on Amazon, it's worth it. The LCD is slightly larger. In addition, the LCD also flips out and around! You can easily frame and take pictures of you and a friend without having to use the self timer. The manual features are far supieror to the Elph series. The A95 Powershot allows manual focusing! And aperature settings! This is a far improvement and gives you a little more creative control over images. The camera still has a complete auto setting should you just want to use it as a simple point and shoot. The lenses on the Powershot A95 are interchangable. You can buy telephoto lenses for it (though you must also purchase an adapter for any interchangable lenses for this camera) I think the idea is cool, but the lens and the adapter are NOT cheap. If you bought the camera and the lenses and the adapter, you could spend an extra fifty or hundred dollars and then just get the digital rebel which would allow total creative control with fully manual settings. Again, a fun idea, but maybe try to find the lenses used at a cheaper price. The camera turns on quickly like the Elph, and has the same small shutter lag. It's not bad, but in low light it takes extra time to focus. The only qualm I really have with this camera is the LCD screen is WAY too bright. Images look washed out and have innaccurate colors on the LCD screen then when you get them on the computer and print them out. And the worst part about it is, you can't fix it. There is NO way to adjust the brightness level of the LCD screen. On the S400 Elph, you could adjust the brightness level of the LCD screen, on the A95 you cannot. I like seeing my images how they will look when I am changing controls so I gett a correct picture the first time (the whole point of a digital camera!) I think this is an oversight on Canons part and the brightness option should be included on future models. Basically, what it comes down to is, if you want a camera just for keeping in your purse and using it at parties and simple settings and the like, I would always reccomend the Canon Digital Elph Series. They're small and have incredible image quality. However, if you want more createive control and the ability to use some manual controls, by all means buy this camera. It can be easily used as a point and shoot, but it really is so much more. All in all, I'm very happy with the camera and all of the scene modes and extra controls. It's a nice step up from the camera I was using. More than I thought you could expect from a point and shoot. This camera is fantastic. I always thought that with a point and shoot, you were stuck with poor lighting and strange hues. However, the manual settings on this camera make it relatively easy to make your pictures look less like disposable film camera snapshots and more like photographs. At first, I thought the rotating LCD was a little silly and extravagant, but it is wonderful for two reasons. First, you can fold it away when you store the camera in a bag (or pocket) and save your screen from the scratches and dings that normally happen when you use a digital camera. Second, it works really well for taking self portraits or shots from over your head (say, if you're in a crowd of people.) The scene modes are a bit of a novelty, but a good place to start. The manual mode (where you can actually control the flash intensity) is far more useful. Another great feature is the custom white balance. If you really can't be bothered figuring out the difference between incandescent, fluorescent H and regular fluorescent light, just point the camera at a white t-shirt and press a button. The camera is now set for your lighting. If you want to get artsy, do the same thing with something blue or pink and get effects similar to color infrared film. Anyway, the only complaint I have is that I paid for Amazon 2 day shipping, and it took 4 business days to get my camera (3 of them in transit via UPS ground.) CANON Delivers I had various film cameras and digital cameras. This one is newest addition and my first 5 MP Digital. As with my experience, my hunch is right that I can trust Canon. Excellent picture quality and ease of operation and handling. I like camera of this size in hand. Overall, I am highly satisfied with this product great camera I got this camera a couple of months ago and I am very pleased with it. The quality of the photos is nice for the price. It's not terribly small or lightweight but that wasn't a major concern for me. I love the rotatable LCD. It's nice to be able to take pictures of me and my son together when no one else is around! This camera also takes videos, something that I wasn't aware of when I purchsed it. The videos include sound and you can make one for as long as you like so long as you have a large enough memory card. This has been a great feature for me to send videos to my son's father who is currently deployed in Iraq. My one recommendation if you buy this camera is that you get rechargeable batteries. It only took me a couple of weeks to go through a set of normal batteries and my rechargeable ones have lasted much longer and are still going strong. I definitely suggest checking out other online vendors of these cameras as I got mine for a lot cheaper on another site. Incredible!!!! The best digital camera that I have ever used and I had many Olympus cameras that are way bellow the image quality of this digital camera. Pictures are incredible, life like and very colorful. The only bad picture that this camera produces was at night where there where street light and it tried to take a picture of the moon. The light compensation was bad but considering that I was taking the picture without a tripod it was really good. It has a feature for every type of lighting, and you can also choose to go fully manual and change everything at your hearts content even the focus can done manually. You can by al lens if you want more zoom but it cost almost as much as the camera so I don't really recommend to buy the lens, specially because the zoom that it gives its not that much. The amount of megapixes is the perfect one because it's over 3MP that is more or less the quality of the film cameras and is does not produce pictures that are too big for any memory card lick the 7MP cameras. The choice of form factor for the memory card is perfect because is one of the cheapest and its one of the type of flash cards that can have more memory. Overall its the best mid range digital camera that you can find on the market and the price is fare considering all of the features that the camera has, the software that it comes with and the fact that you can rotate the screen close it so it can be protected by the camera not the other way round. Sorry, I don't like it. Sorry about my opinion is different. I ordered this camera from Dell.com after I read these reviews. But, to be honest, I'm disappointed with this camera after I compared the pictures I took with my Fuji FinePix 2650, which is only 2Meg. the pictures taken by my old Fuji are much much more sharp, clear and pure. the pictures taken by this canon camera look like some mist on it. So I decide to return this and buy Fuji E550 (6.3M), also don't need pay much more money. you also can visit "fatwallet" to get what some customers heard from tech. Overall, a good camera. I have had this camera for about three months now and have taken a variety of shots and used all of the different settings and features that come packed in it. There are some good things and bad things about it, but overall I am satisfied with what it has to offer and the price tag that comes along with it! The Good Things: - Small, light weight - Different modes and features - Manual Mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority - Slow Shutter Speed Effect - Kids & Pets Mode - Vivid Mode to make the colors really stand out - 5 MegaPixels and size resolution to blow up prints to 8 x 11 / 11 x 14 in size - Good for beginners and those that are just beginning to delve into the technical side of photography (good for practice) - Flip out screen. You may think, why do I need that? Believe me, it comes in handy for shots where you find it hard to see the screen. And for travel, it protects the LCD from getting smudged and banged around. And... helps protect it from fingerprints! - Hand grip- very nice and comfortable in your hand. Not really tiny and small like some other cameras where you can't get a nice grip and you feel like you're going to drop it! The Bad Things (in my honest opinion): - If you shoot your children (or even moving people) in Auto Mode on a cloudy day, you are going to get blurred pictures. To be safe, always use the Kids and Pets setting. - Noise - this camera has a noise problem, which will make your print out look `grainy'. I am not sure why it has so much noise, I am thinking that it's because of the small sensors packing that 5 MP together when it saves to your card, but I can't be sure. This is the biggest disappointment for me. With my SONY Mavica 2 MP camera, noise barely existed. If you make a jump from a small MP camera to a larger one, this is going to be an issue, especially in low light situations. - Purple fringing. On a bright day, if your subject is white and the sky is bright, or there are lights nearby and the subject has on a bright shirt, you will find that along the edges of their clothing will be a small purple `haze' effect. You may be the only one to really notice it, but others might. - Red eye. Unless your subject is looking directly at the `red beam' on the camera when taking a picture using the flash, you are more than likely going to get red eye. This can be easily taken out with a graphics program, but it is still a pain in the butt to deal with. - ISO only going up to 400- and at that, the noise is awful! For normal picture takers, if you plan on taking pictures at a sporting event, don't even mess with the ISO Setting. Just use the Sports Mode on the Dial. And make sure the game is outside in the day time. Otherwise, noise is going to be in your prints and you may be disappointed with the results. - Zoom is only 3x, you might not get as close to your subject as you would like when zooming. ---- Like I said, there are good things to this camera, and some bad, but all in all, I think that it's a good investment for those who want a higher megapixel camera with more features to play around with. I've uploaded some pictures I've taken in the "Customer Images" section, but all the photographs there are helpful. For the price, an Amazing Camera Ok a brief intro and then onto pro's and cons: For the price, this is an amazing camera. I have been studying photography for a while now and was quite the newbie when I originally purchased the A95. After 4 months, and after taking several hundred pics, I can safely say that I have learned very well the strenghts and weaknesses of this camera. It has the size of a point and shoot, but the flexibility of a SLR. So in point, for the 300+ dollars you pay for this camera you are DEFINETELY getting something of better quality that others in the same bracket of price. However, what you are not getting is DSLR quality by any means. (At least $1000.00 for one of those) The powershot series from Canon is fantastic, and the A95 is currently at the top of that series. PRO's: (just to name a few) -Its lightweight, activates quickly with very little lag, and has better than average performance. -Has ISO 50 (rare) through 400 -Full manual options -Rotating LCD with auto gain is such an awesome thing I cant even begin to tell you. -Has the ability to take an adapter lens which lets you accesorize with telephoto, macro, and wide angle lenses, as well as an assortment of filters to really get those amazing shots. (which i own and put to good use) -Takes rechargeable AA batteries ! Vs special batteries that cost an arm and a leg. -Its a still pic camera, not a video camera, I am not even going to commment on the shortcomings of the movie feature, its not even relevant to any photographer. -White balance, and autofocus are great and the Canon's DiG!C matrix produces clear and beautifully colored images. -Lets just say it has a TON of options and features that really make this camera a powerhouse amongst its competitors in the same price bracket. Cons -Anything higher than 100 ISO produces a lot of 'noise' in your pics. -The zoom is really weak -The flash should be in a different position and causes a good deal of 'red eye' even with the red eye reduction feature on. However the software that comes with it removes it easily. -Metering options are close to DSLR, but honestly when you see an SLR pic and features you really become aware of the limitations of this camera. -only comes with a 32mb memory card, pretty much forcing you to get a larger one. Overall as a mid-range camera between a standard point and shoot and a DSLR I give this a 4 Star rating. 5 would be perfect and since there are cons a perfect score is just not going to happen. If you are going to buy a digital camera just to have one, this camera is going to have more options than you will ever want or use. If however you want to get into photography and dont want to start off with a 1,200.00 price tag this camera is definetely for you ! P.S It will take you a good month to really understand the 'concept' of the options in this camera, and another 3 to be able to really use them and take great pics. Expect to fumble around for a while before you really grasp digital photography. I recommmend "Complete Digital Photography third edition" by Ben Long as a necessary accessory to this camera. Without that book it would have taken me 4 years verses 4 months to grasp digital photography and digital cameras. Hope that helps. =) Excellent value I did some (infact a lot of) research on buying a digital camera. For a beginner with lot of enthusiasm to experiment with photography, choosing the right camera is the toughest part. I started evaluating basic 3MP cameras and extended my evaluation upto Nikon D70 and Canon EOS20. After more than a month's research, I decided upon Canon A95. It has been three months since I purchased this camera and I am completely satisfied with the product and I can recommend it unequivocally for beginner and amateur shutterbugs (thanks to A95 I am evolving into an amateur from beginner). The best features are it is 5MP, crisp and swivel LCD, a whole range of Manual controls and a whole range of pre-configured shooting modes (including b&w and sepia), faster focussing, excellent night shooting capability, runs on 4 AA batteries (yesterday I took more than 200 pictures and the batteries are still ready to go) and many more (don't be lazy; find out the other features yourself ;-)) Performance: - Excellent picture quality (yes much much better than Sony cameras and Nikon non-DSLR cameras) - Excellent color quality - easy learning curve - I can't stop myself from over-stressing the point - "ABSOLUTELY no red eye". I can't imgaine why people pay bunch of additional bucks to Sony (I was Sony fan too, but Sony cameras Su**) to get those Devil eyes. Yes I tested with flash in low light conditions as well, but red eye is not at all there when you shoot with A95 - Excellent battery life (I purchased the energiser 15 min charger with 4 rechargeable batteries for 27 bucks and the only complaint I have about the 15 min charger is - it takes 18 minutes for charging 4 batteries :-) ) - Excellent macro mode capability - Excellent flash performance (When I decided about this camera, the only point that was pushing me back was non-availability of hotshoe on this camera. I thought I would buy an L-flash set if required, but now I am sure I don't need an external flash) Let's come to bad news - Purple fringing. It is very obvious when you have a bright light focussed onto a shiny surface. It's almost like you can reproduce it at your will. But let me tell you, any 5MP (or more) non-DSLR camera suffers from purple fringing (I am sure you might have heard about DSC F828 and it's infamous purple fringing.). The options to avoid purple fringing are - - Go for a lesser MP camera (and lose some cool features that A95 has to offer) - Go for a Digital SLR camera (and lighten your wallet) - buy some UV filters - use photoshop to reduce the PF from your pictures. Though I have been thinking about buying UV filter, I haven't tried it yet because I have been avoiding PF by selecting different shots. Don't get frightened by all those horror stories about the "flimsy CF Card door). I agree, Canon could have built a better door, but as long as you are a grownup you can handle the door smoothly. I have a canon optura 20, so I haven't evaluated the mpeg recording mode on A95. Conclusion (ofcourse it is my conclusion) - If your skill level is beginner-amateur and you are enthusiastic about photography, do yourself a favour and buy this camera. For those who consider themselves above this level, you can also add this camera to your armory as you don't need an SLR for every shot. Just one thing... Like one reviewer noticed this in his experience, the only thing that bothers me too is the fact that the pics look simply fantastic in the LCD but when seen on a monitor later look kind of washed-out. I know, smaller screens show a crisper image and a difference in quality is to be expected when viewing the same image on a big monitor. But after the enthusiasm that lovely and vibrant image you just took has generated, it's a sudden let-down when you see it on a monitor, where most people really see images anyway. Haven't printed an image yet. A brightness/contrast control for the LCD would sure help to get a better judgement of what's seen on the LCD and what to expect on a monitor later. Otherwise, the camera is a delight ! Solid Canon Entry Canon's A95 is another mixed bag from Canon. It's main goal is to try to be a G series camera for 300.00. In this regard it falls short in both speed and sharpness, but not by much. As with all P&S cameras of any price, the A95 poses quite a few obstacles to the shooter. Focus lag, limited F-stop range, punchy flash are among them. On the other hand it has excellent color balance (a big problem for cameras like the Nikon 8800, ALL Panasonics, Konica Minolta Z5 and so on). Sharpness is average for a camera in this class. For sports, kid photography and any highly critical use, most advanced shooters won't be happy with anything less than a DSLR. I bought the A95 for use on the job and as a backup camera. On the other hand the average shooter will probably LOVE the A95. It's a remarkably well made camera capable of taking great shots with some practice. If you don't need giant prints 11X14 or larger, a camera like the A95 is probably a smarter buy than many of the prosumer units currently available. Also keep in mind that those long zoom cameras do best outdoors in bright light where their contrast based focus systems work well. The A95 works best OUT of it's full auto modes. Learn to use the manual settings and you'll be taking plenty of great pictures. I highly recommend the Canon A95, but do your homework carefully and try one if possible. It's a solid pick for a family camera, enthusiast seeking a well priced starter camera or as a backup for your DSLR. Pros > Superior handling and ergonomics compared to compacts > Reasonably sharp for mid size camera > VG AF system > Bayonet lens system for additional lenses > Nice viewfinder > Great swivel LCD > Easy manual control > Amazing color balance for a P&S > Excellent macro mode > usable manual focus > Powerful flash > Solidly built Cons > Noise above ISO 100 as with all P&S is limiting > Focus lag as with all P&S limits use for getting fast kiddy pics and such. > Dual menu system sucks > Limited F-stop range just like most P&S cameras > Camera is heavy with 4 AAs > mediocre movie mode > Flash blows highlights in AUTO modes in certain conditions > AF assist should be brighter > No remote option! C'mon! Compared to: The 8800: The Canon can't match the Nikon 8800's quality and lens no way-no-how, but it shoots faster and will get more shots in focus. It also has far better color balance than the 8800 by a royal mile. Outdoors the Canon can't compete at all. Indoors I'd rather shoot with the Canon. The Pentax Optio S5i: The tiny Pentax lens did very well by comparison, but the Canon has the edge for color and sharpness. Pentax had better low light AF, but longer focus lag. The Sony L1: I love the L1. It fails in ergnomics but it's a ultra compact anyway. If not for the memory stick pro I might have bought one. At 199.00 its a steal! The A95 won out due to being able to share my D70 cards. The Nikon D70: The Canon's only advantage over the D70 is it's size. For some applications, the Canon's swivel display might also give it a leg up. The D70 has no movie mode of any kind. Beyond that the D70 simply takes better pics than any P&S/Prosumer. Happy shooting! A Winner Having owned a canon a40(nice camera but only 2 mega-pixel), I bought a canon a75 and was fairly happy with it until it was stolen. Now I bought the Canon A95, and it's a big improvement on the A75, much clearer pictures, better color saturation in the pictures, better build quality, and a few more mega-pixels which is nice for cropping pictures. So I my humble opion I would recommend this camera without reservation. And those looking at the A75 I would recommend spending the extra money for this model. BEWARE - NO WARRANTY Camera used to take pictures in coastal area of Brazil. NEVER exposed or immersed in liquid. However, Canon will not warrant due to Moisture Damage. ACTUALLY told by Cust Support that taking a camera from outside to an inside air conditioned environment can cause condensation and VOIDS the warranty. Would have expected better quality and more than a couple days use for my $300 investment. Turns out this camera is disposable. If you purchase, avoid humid environments such as Florida, all of the South, etc. This camera was taken great care of and stops working just because I take pictures on a humid day. Pictures don't look good on the Computer Screen I did a lot of research before actually settling on this A 95 from Cannon. The pictures look great on the LCD screen and if you hook them up on the TV, but when you download them on the PC and look at them, they kind of look dull. It was so disappointing to see the same pictures that were so vibrant and colorful on the LCD screen and on TV, look dark and lifeless. I played with the camera by increasing the resolution and the compressoin of the picture, but to no affect. I took with many different lighting (indoor and outdoor) but I still couldn't get the pictures to have some life when I downloaded them on the PC. I finally returned the camera. I am back to my Nikon SLR and Film rolls until I get a good Digital. I am now thinking of trying for the Nikon Digital SLR. The only thing is those are not easy to carry.. Amazing little gem! I surfed and "googled" and read all sorts of reviews (including here at Amazon) before settling on the Canon A95. Boy, am I glad I did! This little gem takes gorgeous pictures, under a wide range of conditions, and with no fussiness. The controls are relatively easy to figure out (even for me, a digital virgin!), and the camera is just the right size to slip into a fanny pack and take on a trip. It's got enough heft to help you avoid camera shake, too, which I appreciate. And the swiveling LCD screen is a beaut! So far, I've just experimented in the AUTO mode but, for now, that's more than enough to get the job done. And I'm very pleased with the results. FWIW: a previous reviewer grumbled about the dull look of pictures on the computer screen. You can easily adjust that with the software that comes with the camera. Bottom line: Canon knows what they are doing, and they are doing it supremely well! This is my third Canon -- I also have a Rebel SLR and a SureShot point and shoot -- and this just reaffirms for me that they are simply the best. Read the reviews, look around -- and come back to the one little camera everyone is crowing about. You'll be glad. Like me :-) wow! I just got my A95 after a lot of research. If you are still researching, look no further, it doesn't get any better than this all in one camera. I will post some photos later that I took on "auto" as an amateur right out of the box...my wife and kids think I'm a great photographer now! There are no real downfalls to this camera that I've found. I read about ppl complaining about shutter lag and focusing problems, rest assured, unless you are a tecno/digital camera geek you won't notice anything. I tried out the Nikon 5200 and others and they take longer and have a hard time in dark rooms. I was slightly surprised that the included CF card filled up after a couple photos. I was sure glad I bought a 512 mb cf on ebay for $27 to go with the camera. I also bought ni/mh 2500 aa rechargable batteries and was slightly dissapointed that the charge only lasted me a day and a half of leisurely shooting. but thats why its recommended to get an extra set. I am mostly interested in close-up's. I own a nursery and sell plants online and I needed something good for macro. If you have been wondering about this, stop here. This takes superb close-ups once you learn the easy macro-mode button and practice a little. Overall, all I can say is "wow". Also the best place to buy right now is beach camera. buy the accessories through ebay though. I am now 100% outfitted now for $330! Nice work Canon! Used on my Honeymoon I loved using this camera! It's so easy to figure out and all the explanations are right on the flip out screen so there's no guessing which setting you are on. I used it to shoot fast moving waterfalls, and acrobats. It worked well at night and even caught fireworks and pyrotechnics perfectly. The 14 different shooting modes allow for any type of picture taking. All my wedding pictures look like they were done professionally and that makes my husband and I very happy with this camera (the first item we bought together). Great Camera! I hestitated to move from an SLR film to digital, but was getting my film digitized anyway when it was developed. I did the numbers on the expense and decided that the camera would pay for itself in a year! I have not been disappointed. The camera takes sharp pictures at a resolution that approaches publishing quality. Memory Card: I bought a 256mb card with the camera and it will hold 176 full resolution pictures. That's seven rolls of film worth of pictures! Battery life: I bought Energizer NiMH batteries and recharger with the camera. I have yet to run out of battery power while shooting. I took a full card of pictures (176) over several days and reviewed my shots several times and still had battery life. Not only that, but the batteries recharge in 15 minutes! Features: I have yet to use all the features (14 settings), but took pictures of a soccer game using the sports setting and the pictures were sharp. The macro takes great shots and have had some of my pictures published in a magazine. The panorama feature let's you take multiple shots and "stich" them together on your computer. The first time I used the panorama feature I did a 12" x 72" panorama of Sedona that is breath-taking. I'm trying to upload some of my shots. Bottom line: There is no longer a reason to hang onto film. The quality is there to please all but most discriminating amateur. It's nice to see the shot immediately and try again if you blew it. You can delete the bad ones and just print what you want. And if you get the "shot of a lifetime," know that the quality is there to have it enlarged or published! Best Digital Camera for its Price Like all these guys who wrote reviews for this item, I too did my homework and did a lot of research. I wanted nothing but the best value for my money and I never regret buying this camera. Pictures are excellent, esp. if you know how to maximize the capability of this camera. The swiveling screen is very convenient not only to protect the LCD screen but for viewing odd-angled shots. It uses standard size AA battery which is very handy if you run out of battery along the road and find yourself with no charger at hand. One more thing, you can even add attachments to its lens if you want to inscrease its zoom power. Canon is the best... I can blindly purchase Canon's Digicam, they are so reliable. I was looking for a camera that can provide me the a resolution together with a proper zoom. This camera comes my way as it provides 3x optical zoom solving my purpose and a good resolution with 5MP at a pretty reasonable cost. Best camera on the market in price-range After weeks of research on the web (here at amazon and at other places) reading reviews, comparisons, etc. I came to the conclusion that this is the best camera on the market for the price. I bought mine here through amazon about 10 days before I was to leave for a long road trip from Oregon to Hollywood through many great stops such as the Redwood Forest, Yosemite National Park, Disneyland, and other great sites. Thus I was very anxious for my camera to arrive. One week after ordering, I checked to see how far along the way it had come - I was hoping (and expecting) to get it any day. To my disappointment, it had only been shipped the day before (5 days after I placed the order) and I was certain it wouldn't arrive on time for my trip. To my great surprise and relief, the camera was delivered by UPS only a few minutes before I was to leave. (I was packing up the car and seriously on my way out the door when he came.) The point of my long story is that I had no time to read the instructions before leaving, so I had to rely 100% on the camera being self-explanitory and very easy-to-follow for people like me who had frankly never used a digital camera before. Suffice it to say that it was VERY easy to learn, and I was able to get by on my 3,000 mile trip using only the auto functions. Take a look at my pictures (uploaded to the images section for this camera) to see the results. The only features I couldn't find (without looking it up in the manual) were: 1) the self-timer. 2) speed-shooting multiple pics pushing the button once (a series of pictures only miliseconds apart from each-other). As you can clearly see, I am not very experienced with cameras and I don't even know what half the features are called. But I was able to take magnificent pictures without even opening the manual! :) The things I learned that I wish I knew earlier on are: 1) when taking night shots, use a tripod or lower the ISO. It was very hard to keep might shots from becomming very blurry. (The shutter is generally opened for longer to allow in more light.) If you are taking pictures of moving objects (such as people) in the dark, and don't want to use a flash (to keep more of the background in or for whatever other reason) you can lower the shutter speed beforehand. Look it up in the manual because it's not easy to explain or very intuitive. 2) Most of the time pictures will look better without the flash, but (as mentioned above) you need a steady hand or a good tripod. Sports mode helps a bit as it lowers the shutter speed some. 3) When you take a landscape picture where the mountains (or whatever) are dark and the sky very bright, you will notice that the exposure tends to be lighter, taking out much of the detail from the mountains. To fix this, you lower the frame a bit (focus on the mountains with the sky barely visible in the shot) and then lightly press the shoot button and hold it down while the camera focuses. Then (still holding the button half-way down to keep camera focused) slightly raise the camera so your frame is now half landscape and half sky. Then finish pressing the shoot button completing the picture. The exposure stays locked to the darker mountains allowing for more detail in the shot. 4) For landscapes or anything more than 10 meters from your camera, everything will automatically be in focus so there is no need to worry about it. (In Yosemite I was often worried that if I focused on a waterfall, rather than the rocks around it the shot might turn out strange, but it all was crisp and beautiful regardless of which I chose to use as the focus point.) Last minute advice: Make sure you... 1) get one (or more) 256 or 512 flash card as the measly one that comes with the camera only allows for about 20-30 pictures. I recommend SanDisk 512 which Amazon currently sells for under $40. 512 Mb will give you well over 350 pictures on the default settings. (I believe I got 385 or so on mine.) 2) get 2 sets of rechargable batteries and a car-charger. 3) get a case with a silky lining that snugly fits your camera so as not to scratch anything. And make sure it has an outside pocket for extra batteries and an extra flash card. I recommend one that closes completely (with a zipper) so it will get protected from rain or if you drop it in a puddle or something. That's all. Happy photo-shooting! :) hope this one don't break! Well, just got my A95 in the mail. I was VERY reluctant to buy it, since I bought the Powershot A70 only a year and a half ago and already it is broken. The only reason I went for the A95, after feeling burned by the A70 (same at A95, except with 3.2 MP and no flip LCD) was because I had already spent lots of money on Compact Flash cards and this was one of the few that still uses CF. Frankly, I'm really pissed off at Canon for making a camera that didn't even last 2 years under normal usage. Now all my shots have these horizontal lines across it that ruin every photo. The guy at the camera shop says it must be some problem with the chip and I can send it back to Canon for $160+!! I had heard such good things about these cameras, but I guess durability is not one of them. I'm hoping I was just unlucky with the A70 and my A95 lasts longer. Camera burnt internally after 3 months This camera was good for 3 months. I had taken it to LA last week and took a few snaps at the beach. I did NOT drop it in the water or anywhere else. After some time I started hearing clicking noises and after that there was a louder noise along with a burning smell. Maybe the other review about moisture affecting the camera is true. It would be pathetic if you can't take pictures on the beach or near the pool etc. Not sleek but great pictures! If you want to have everyone ooh and ahh over how "cute" and tiny your little silver camera is -- then this is not the camera for you. Stick to the Elph. But you will pay more for that cuteness and size. This camera strikes a balance between convenience, picture quality, size and features that is unmatched in this price range. Like all digital cameras it won't make gorgeous pictures with bad lighting. Take that as a fact of life. Unless you carry 10 1k lights around with you - you're going to get some flat, fuzzy and perhaps slightly unfocused pictures in low light settings. If you want great night shots go for the Prosumer type Canons and buy a tripod so you can use a wide aperture and long shutter speed. In the point and shoot realm you will have to just take a bunch of pictures and know that you will need a good program to really make them shine. I recommend Photoshop Elements. You won't find a better consumer level program. This camera takes normal AA batteries so it is a bit heavier than those that recharge the tiny battery in the camera. With my Energizer rechargeables I never once ran out of charge in a day. That is with taking hundreds of pictures and turning the camera on and off. That is very good power management! This camera has a flip out screen for a viewfinder. It is not the biggest screen you will find on a camera and that is one of the negatives -- but you couldn't have a flip out with a 2 or 2.5 inch screen. Don't underestimate the usefullness of that flipout! I can't tell you how many times I was able to get a shot because I was able to orient that every which way. It is more than just flipping it out -- you can rotate it back and forth too. And when you flip it around you can put it back in the camera just like all the others with the screen on the back -- plus the image flips to compensate! Image Quality - this is where this camera truly shines. Colors are vibrant. Details are crisp. As long as you have enough light. Under cloudy conditions or night time then you won't get as good of shots but most can be corrected after the fact if you know how. I have a Sony camera which cost me over $1000 and this camera beats it for quality of photos. I was also watching a guy in front of me at a concert taking pics with his brand new sleek flat Sony and every picture was blurry. Mine weren't exactly pro quality but they were better. Again -- low light is tough for a little point and shoot. You can fit this camera in your pocket if you have big pockets that are loose. Tight jeans -- forget it. But you won't scratch this screen like I've heard Elph owners complain about. I suggest going to a store and trying to put it in your pocket. Bottom line - If you want a great quality camera and don't mind it not being the latest and thinnest camera out there you can't go wrong with this. To get the same image quality you would have to buy other cameras for several hundred more. Amazon has a really great price for it too. Avoid Canon Cameras - E18 Errors I've had three Canon digital Elph cameras in four years. Each has failed with a E18 error, likely because of the fragile telescoping lens. Canon did replace the first one as it was less than a year old. But the 2nd and 3rd each failed shortly after the year-long warranty ran out. I'll never buy another Canon product. Great Value....Great Camera! Bottom line....this is the camera for you! I sold my old cannon and upgraded to this camera. Its battery life was overwhelmingly better than the previous camera I owned, which was a major perk. The picture quality is outstanding, clean and clear. Thecamera for all its many functions is actually very easy to use. I cannot begin to tell you how great of a value this digital is. You will be very happy that you will have a strong and reliable camera for a long time! Great Camera!!! I did tons of research looking for the best digital camera, and as it was to be my first camera of this type, I wanted the most "bang for my buck" and something I could grow into as well as use right away. This was the best choice I could have made! I received the camera on Friday evening, by Saturday evening I was taking great, clear pictures. And by Monday was taking pictures like a professional. I love how I have so much control over the settings, or can just let the camera do it. My favrite favorite use of the camera has been the macro setting, and the flowers shots I have been able to take are incredible!! I had been sceptical about the folding view screen, but as was predicted in other reviews, it is a great feature. One last note, a number of reviews mention a "flimsy battery door, and Flash Card door". I have found neither one to be as bad as was said, and feel it should hold up to much wear. I would without hesitation recommend this camera to everyone, it seems to do everything that was said about it and more! technology is cool I take this camera almost everywhere I go to take home memories. It comes out very good. Like real people are inside the picture. I also love putting it on the computer. canon A95 review I've had this camera for about eight months now and I have not faced many problems with it. It has very good features that are also easy to learn and understand. The only thing I was not quite satisfied was the night mode shooting. The pictures appear bluury and shaky and it is always better if you reduce your ISO speed and if possible keep the camera on a tripod or on any fixed surface as the shutter speed is slow in this mode. Apart from that, I have never had any problems with the camera. All my pictures have come out well: clear and crisp. If you read the manual well; understand its varied functions and know how to operate it, this is a really nice camera and a good investment. Have fun with your camera. Canon PowerShot A95 5MP Digital Camera I purchased this camera a few weeks ago and I love it. This is my first digital and it is very easy to use and the pictures come out beautifully. Definitely a nice camera for the inexperienced photographer.