Canon PowerShot A640 Digital Camera Review
By Emily Raymond
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
February 26, 2007
Newer digital cameras offer more resolution than ever and, with a whopping 10 megapixels, the Canon PowerShot A640 is at the high end. Besides its high resolution, the A640’s features are fairly standard. Like most Canon A-series cameras, the A640 has a 4x optical zoom lens and 2.5-inch LCD screen that folds out and rotates. It retails for $399.
The A640’s body measures 4.31 x 2.6 x 1.93 inches and is quite heavy at 8.64 ounces. That’s without the batteries, too. Add in four AA batteries and this camera becomes a strain on the wrist. It’s too chunky to fit in a pants pocket, but it would fit in a larger coat pocket or backpack.
With 21 shooting modes, the Canon PowerShot A640 has something for every level of expertise. It has 13 preset Scene modes and a host of Manual and Semi-Manual modes. The more manual modes allow access to controls like white balance, which has custom and auto settings and six presets. The Panasonic Lumix LX2 is another camera which has full access to Manual, Automatic, and Scene modes. It has 10 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom lens, and a 2.8-inch LCD on a lighter body.
One of the white balance presets is “underwater.” There is also an “Underwater” scene mode. These presets cater to an optional accessory: the underwater housing that costs a little less than $200. The optional housing can take the A640 to depths of 130 feet.
The Canon PowerShot A640 is equipped with a 4x optical zoom lens, an optical zoom viewfinder, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The optical viewfinder doesn’t provide a very accurate view, so the LCD screen is a much better choice. It doesn’t have great resolution with only 115,000 pixels, but it has a wide viewing angle and can be twisted and turned. This folding mechanism is fairly unique, but its resolution is subpar compared to other models like the 10-megapixel Casio Z1000 with its 2.8-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen.
The Canon A640’s pictures look great for the most part. The colors are very realistic, the resolution is definitely above average, and pictures even looked good in low light. Movies look great as well, with television-quality 640 x 480-pixel video that can be edited in Playback mode. You can accent colors, split the video file, and even replay it at five levels of slow motion. Unfortunately, there is no optical zoom available in Movie mode.
This camera won’t be known for its speed. It takes about 3.5 seconds to start up and take its first shot, so you’ll want to have it turned on and ready to go long before the action happens. In addition, your subjects will want to stay picture-perfect long after they think the picture is taken. It takes the camera’s autofocus system about 0.6 seconds to snap a picture, and that could result in a few blinked eyes in portraits.
The Burst mode does better at 1.5 frames per second (fps). That isn’t ridiculously fast, but the A640 can shoot until the memory is filled or the battery dies. Some point-and-shoot cameras, such as the Panasonic LX2, can snap 3 pictures every second. Even the A640's predecessor, the Canon A630, has a faster 1.8 fps burst rate.
Like other Canon digital cameras, the PowerShot A640 comes with a host of color filters and effects called My Colors. These can be activated in Recording or Playback modes and do everything from swapping and adding colors to adjusting saturation and contrast.
This model comes with a CD-ROM full of software to view, organize, and edit pictures. The software can also sync with the camera. You can connect the A640 to a computer with the USB cable and import an image to greet you when you start the camera, and it can make sounds to indicate when pictures are taken. The software even allows you to take pictures with a click of a mouse rather than a click of the shutter button.
The Canon PowerShot A640 is a really nice digital camera that takes great pictures, but its 10 megapixels aren’t entirely necessary unless you plan to print huge posters. The A640 has a sibling, the A630, which has the same modes and many of the same features for a fraction of the price. It has 8 megapixels, and that is plenty for most point-and-shooters’ needs. If you’re not on a budget and want a digital camera that can help your photography skills blossom, the Canon A640 is a good choice.
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