Recommended Posts

210.jpg

My dad had emailed saying he wanted a digital camera and the budget was $200. my first hit was BestBuy and i looked at a sony camera and returned it the next day! then after looking at a few more cameras like a fuji, sony, and kodac i found the cannon. What i noticed about these low budget cameras is that they all lack one big feature. Sometimes they are loaded with features but do very poorly in image quality and vice versa. What i needed was a good quality camera with the features i wanted and a good image quality to go with it. I have found the camera for it.

I picked up the Cannon becuase at first glance it looked good compared to the fat kodaks and platic looking olympus cameras. It is just the right size and easy on your hands, you don't have to deform your fingers trying to press a button while taking a picture. the menu is easy to figure out if you havn't read the manual and has a few little "hidden" features. So far i've uncovered one which is when you want to go back to taking pictures from any mode (reviewing pictures) just pull the front sliding cover back a little and it'll switch.

Price:

$170, i should have checked newegg because they're selling it for $150

Included in the box:

32MB CompactFlash card

Manuals and warrenty/registration form

Double AA batteries (non-recharchable)

Cannon Software (i'm not going to install their software, so no review for this!) but here's a briefe description anyway.

Software supplied includes browsing and printing software ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac). Other software includes PhotoStitch, plus photo and movie manipulation software ArcSoft PhotoStudio and VideoImpression. Drivers include TWAIN (Windows 98/2000) and WIA (Windows Me). Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) support allows the camera to connect to any Windows XP and Mac OS X

Features:

Processor:

Canon DIGIC

Monitor:

1.5" TFT LCD

78,000 pixels

File Format:

JPEG

AVI

resolution sizes are:

640x480

1024x768

1600x1200

2048x1536

Quality Levels:

Super fine

Fine

Normal

Shooting Modes:

Auto

Manual

Stitch Assist

Movie

Video Clips:

640 x 480, max 30 sec

320 x 240, max 3 mins

With audio

White Balance:

Auto

Daylight

Cloudy

Tungsten

Fluorescent

Fluorescent H

Custom

Flash:

Built-in

Modes: Auto, Manual On or Off

Red-Eye reduction. On or Off

Storage:

Compact Flash Type I

Supports cards over 2 GB

Self timer (10 seconds or 2 seconds)

AF-assist beam

Digital Zoom (no optical zoom, but who cares)

Languages:

English

Deutsch

Francais

Nederlands

Dansk

Suomi

Italiano

Norsk

Svenska

Espanol

and i think it's japanesse/chinesse, koarean ? i can't tell, but there's two of them.

camera also has 3 different themes :blink: why? i don't know :laugh:

3.2 Mega Pixels

5.1x Digital Zoom

print/share button

PictBridge (compatible with pictbridge printers)

Weight:

6oz.

I like this camera a lot, i bought it for $170 and added $20 to buy 4 re-charchable batteries with the charger and a 128MB card for $45. As i had written in the begining the problem with finding a good camera at this price ($200) was that some lack the features i want or they have the features but the interface is too hard or the image quality is bad. This camera is good both in image quality and its features, i don't know if this works for everyone, but it works for me. I like this camera.

Edit:

I was playing with the camera again and i noticed something, whenever i take a picture, just before i press on the button it adjusts the focus and puts up a small green square where the center of focus is going to be, well what i noticed is that, if it is a green box, your picture will come out perfect, if it is an yellow/orange/red box that means the picture will come out blurry. basically the more red the box the more blurry the image.

I also uploaded two videos, one in color and another in black and white. here it is.

color (save target as) (10 seconds) 2.7MB

black and white (save target as) (7 seconds) 1.22MB

here's an example of a picture (1024 resolution in superfine mode)

can.jpg

house.jpg

Edited by Vice King
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/170399-canon-powershot-a310/
Share on other sites

Hmm.. That looks like a nice camera for the price. I need to get a camera, and I don't want to spend a lot (college). Now that you have had it for a while, is it what you would get again? I don't really care about features, dont need video, just want something that takes high quality pictures that look good, and isn't too picky about lighting and all that. My webcam doubles as a (crappy) camera, but it's only 640x480, and it looks horrible if you have bad light.

Hmm.. That looks like a nice camera for the price. I need to get a camera, and I don't want to spend a lot (college). Now that you have had it for a while, is it what you would get again? I don't really care about features, dont need video, just want something that takes high quality pictures that look good, and isn't too picky about lighting and all that. My webcam doubles as a (crappy) camera, but it's only 640x480, and it looks horrible if you have bad light.

yes i would buy this same brand again, more and more i'm loosing my faith in sony products as their quality is slipping a lot. i also tried a fuji camera and that also sucked.

it's a good camera, you should go and check it out at a store and then go to newegg and buy it from there it's about $30 cheaper than buying it at the store, then go to target or sav-on and buy 4 recharchable batteries with the charger for $20

yes i would buy this same brand again, more and more i'm loosing my faith in sony products as their quality is slipping a lot. i also tried a fuji camera and that also sucked.

it's a good camera, you should go and check it out at a store and then go to newegg and buy it from there it's about $30 cheaper than buying it at the store, then go to target or sav-on and buy 4 recharchable batteries with the charger for $20

Hehe, I have talked to a few friends and done a little reading and I definatly think I want to get one of these. I like photography, but I have never had a camera myself that I could take pictures whenever I wanted to, so I don't know exactly what features I would want on a nicer camera. This way I can get a cheaper one that certainly still does a wonderful job and can give me a starting point to see what is most important to me :)

And I am certainly set on batteries, I have about 15 NiMH batteries lying around :happy:

Hehe, I have talked to a few friends and done a little reading and I definatly think I want to get one of these. I like photography, but I have never had a camera myself that I could take pictures whenever I wanted to, so I don't know exactly what features I would want on a nicer camera. This way I can get a cheaper one that certainly still does a wonderful job and can give me a starting point to see what is most important to me :)

And I am certainly set on batteries, I have about 15 NiMH batteries lying around :happy:

i took some more pictures..

superfine mode, 1600x1200 resolution settings.

http://www.venezian.net/images/flower.jpg

http://www.venezian.net/images/bluerock.jpg

http://www.venezian.net/images/oceanrock.jpg

http://www.venezian.net/images/bluewaterfall.jpg

What i noticed about these low budget cameras is that they all lack one big feature.

and that one BIG missing feature is..?

For more detailed spec about the camera, check it out at DPReview

The reason you can take nice close pictures is because it has macro mode range of 5 cm minimum. However, the camera doesn't have any optical zoom. A good camera will definitely have a better result with optical zoom. Nonetheless, if you had $300 to spend, I would definitely recommend you to get Cannon A70 or Pentax Optio S4i.

the left side on the second pic (the trees especially) are really blury, did you take the shot through the glass of your window or is that how it always is?

yes, sorry, it was through the glass, didn't wanna open the door, too cold.

as for the feature it lacks. compared to the more expensive cameras, obviously, it's the mega pixels, but other than that i was comparing it to my uncles 4.0MP kodak (which i will write a review soon) and what i found was that the kodak was able to focus on more than one subject where as the cannon focus only on one subject.

it gives you the option to take a picture of someone and still be able to capture the subjects behind.

[GLOW=blue]

I had the same issue with my 10 year old daughter. The real cool feature is the video mode geves you 3 minutes to capture your favorite moments.

Great deal! :o java script:emoticon(':laugh:')

java script:emoticon(':laugh:')

yeah, and it will always record 3 min at most for each video even if you have like 512 Mb memory card in there..

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • 10 games join Xbox Free Play Days this weekend by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Another Free Play Days offer has just landed, and this one is a unique one. On top of offering 10 games to jump into for Xbox players, all the titles are from a single publisher: No More Robots. The promotion has games like Little Rocket Lab, Spirittea, Descenders Next, Let's Build a Zoo, and much more. Almost every game in the selection does need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential subscription, so keep this in mind when browsing. Many of the titles are Xbox Play Anywhere titles though, so both Xbox console and PC players can jump in. Here's how the announcement blog post described some of the available titles: There is one game that's available to all Xbox players without the need for any subscriptions, which is Descenders. Here are the announced games and the platforms they are available to play on: Little Rocket Lab (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Spirittea (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Soccer Story (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Descenders Next (Game Preview) (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Let's Build a Zoo (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Hypnospace Outlaw (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Nowhere Prophet (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) Family Man (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One) Descenders (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC) To easily find the titles on Xbox consoles, first head to the Store, then in the sidebar, find the Home section. In there, open the Subscriptions tab. The Free Play Days collection will show up in this area. This week's Free Play Days promotions will end on Sunday, June 7, at 11:59 pm PT.
    • It STILL has horrid theme support. Hard to look at for me. The white is too bright, and the black too dark. I'm using classic outlook for the Dark Grey theme. It's just right for me.
    • inb4 someone leaves the usual "what an unfortunate name" comment
    • Cuktech 10 Ultra charger review: big display, four ports, 110W total power by Taras Buria Cuktech recently announced a couple of Ultra-branded chargers, including a desktop 300W charger, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. For those who do need that much (or who do not want to spend that much on a charger), Cuktech also offers the 10 Ultra, a traditional wall charger with similar features. Four ports, a big display, and up to 110W of power output. After using it for a few weeks, here are my impressions. Disclaimer: Cuktech provided the review unit without any editorial input or pre-approval. Like the 30 Ultra, the 10 Ultra arrived in a box made of nice cardboard with quality print all over it. Inside, besides the charger, you will find a 240W 6A charger, which, this time, is fully braided. While Cuktech always bundles high-power cables with its chargers and power banks, they are usually regular and unassuming. This time, the cable is much nicer, matching the charger's $59.99 price tag. The charger itself measures 67 x 76 x 33 mm or 2.6 x 3.0 x 1.3 inches and weighs about 250 grams. Considering the charger has four ports and a big display, I would say the compact size is quite impressive, albeit a little hefty. The overall design is similar to other chargers from the manufacturer, minus the chrome Cuktech logo next to the four ports. The Cuktech 10 Ultra has retractable prongs for better portability. Its front side is covered with piano black plastic housing two elements: a capacitive button with backlight and a quite large display for various charging stats. Ports are downward-facing, and I have mixed feelings about such a design. It is not the most convenient when you frequently connect and disconnect cables. It makes you bend over to find the right port to connect, and it is a no-go with outlets mounted closer to the floor. On the bright side, design like this eliminates clutter and sagging, especially when using four cables at once. Plus, you get plenty of space for a big display. Ports include two high-speed USB Type-C ports, one Type-C for less demanding devices, and one classic USB Type-A. The first two ports deliver full 100W, while the third is capped at 45W. As for the Type-A port, its maximum output is 18W. In total, the charger delivers 110W of power, but in my testing, I managed to squeeze 117W when charging two power banks and a tablet. Quite impressive. Type-C1 Type-C2 Type-C3 Type-A Single-port 100W 100W 45W 18W Two ports 80W 20W - - Three ports 65W 20W 20W - Four ports 65W 20W 10W 10W The charger can detect handshake protocols and balance power across all four ports according to each device's needs. As such, power is not limited to the values in the table above. You can have two ports charging at 55W, three ports at 45W + 20W, and more. For some reason, Cuktech is not listing the supported protocols, but a quick test showed that it is compatible with PD3.0, PPS, QC5, DCP, and UFCS. When you connect a compatible device, the charger automatically detects its charging standard and displays it on the screen, for example, Apple 6A or Samsung 3A. Speaking of the screen. The main highlight of the 10 Ultra is its 1.57-inch display with a maximum brightness of 700 nits and 160-degree viewing angles. The display takes up most of the front, and it shows various charging-related information, including total output power, current temperature, power distribution across ports with watts, volts, and amps, a screensaver, and more. You can toggle between the different views by tapping the button, and holding it changes the screen orientation (portrait or horizontal, plus flipped) according to your socket position. The screen is very nice. It is sharp, vivid, and the fonts are easy to read. As for settings, you can change the following: Keep the screen on or off Lock the screen orientation (hold the button to change the screen orientation) Keep the USB Type-A port on Toggle power modes The charger has three power modes: AI: standard mode that automatically allocates power to each connected device. Power Priority: prioritizes power for high-demand devices, such as laptops or power banks. Balanced: splits power evenly across connected devices according to their needs I was skeptical at first, but after testing a few devices in different modes, I can see the benefit of these three modes. The most useful is power priority, which gives the first Type-C port more power. When I was charging a 100W power bank (port 1) alongside a 140W power bank (port 2), Power Priority split the total output about 75-30. Balanced mode, as the name suggests, splits the total output between the two ports more or less equally. As for AI mode, the charger uses its brain to detect which device needs more power. In my testing, it figured out that the 140W power needs a bit more juice. As I said, I expected this to be more of a gimmick, but the three built-in modes turned out quite useful. For example, you can prioritize your laptop while giving other ports a little less power, but still enough to charge at acceptable speeds. Unfortunately, unlike the 30 Ultra, this charger cannot display the battery level of the device being charged. This small feature turned out to be very useful when I was testing the 30 Ultra, as it allowed me to see my phone's battery level without picking it up. Like other Cuktech chargers I tested, the 10 Ultra one proved itself reliable and well-made. It uses Gallium nitride semiconductor technology to reduce the charger's size and improve efficiency. It is also better at dissipating heat, but I have to say that when charging two power banks at 117W total, the charger got hotter than what I would call comfortable (hold it for a few seconds, and you start feeling a burning sensation at your fingertips). However, the built-in thermal indicator remained below the temperature threshold, with the screen reassuring that the device operated at "High performance" (I tested it in a 21 °C / 69 °F room). Overall, the Cuktech 10 Ultra is a solid choice. If you need four ports and you like to nerd out on various stats, it is a very easy recommendation. It will take care of your laptop, phone, tablet, and power bank without breaking a sweat, plus the build, material, and cable quality are top-notch. The mode switcher is handy when charging different devices with different power needs, too. I cannot say a display is a must-have in a charger, especially when it makes you more conscious about where to plug it, but it is a neat addition if you have a socket at your table or bed level, so that you can actually use the display and its features. The more important fact is that despite its size and quality, the display does not make the charger that much more expensive than similarly powerful chargers from competitors. Plus, you can save 10% on the 10 Ultra with a promo code on Amazon. Buy Cuktech 10 Ultra charger - $53.99 on Amazon with a promo code As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Last week I was investigating an issue with contacts and tried using the new Outlook. In the real (Classic) Outlook, you can easily go to any Outlook folder and present it in a Table View, then customize the columns to show/sort any field, which was exactly what I needed. But of course, the new Outlook doesn't have this feature at all. I gave up. Oh, and can we possibly stop claiming the new Outlook has PST support? What it really has is the ability to use the real Outlook in the background to pretend to have PST support. There is no PST support without the real Outlook installed.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      mobandz earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Apprentice
      fernan99 went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • One Month Later
      nothanks earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      B2Proxy earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      MadMung0 earned a badge
      One Year In
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      476
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      247
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      76
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!