Canon PowerShot A650IS - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Announced in August, 2007, the $399 Canon PowerShot A650 IS currently sits atop Canon's budget A-series line. The 12-megapixel camera improves upon its predecessor, the PowerShot A640 in several ways, including a higher megapixel count, a face ...

Verdict: Canon advertises the A650 IS as having "more features for less." It certainly has a plethora of features, though still comparable to similarly priced ultra-zoom options from competitors such as Sony and Panasonic. Image quality is impressive, ...

Review summary: The 12-megapixel Canon PowerShot A650 IS bridge camera features a 6x zoom and a vari-angle 2.5in LCD screen.

Pros: Feel in-use, vari-angle LCD, full manual control

Cons: Price - considering the price fall of DSLRs, size

Verdict: A feature-laden high-end 'compact' that is a pleasure to use despite being over-sized.

Review summary: The Canon PowerShot A650 IS has a 12-megapixel sensor, the highest resolution currently available in point-and-shoot and compact models. Its highlighted features include a tilt-and-swivel 2.5-inch LCD display, optically stabilized 6x optical zoom lens ...

Pros: - 6x optical zoom lens - Manual controls - Movie mode - Accurate coors - Good resolution - Low noise under ISO 400

Cons: - Weak flash - LCD - Poor video quality in low light - High noise levels over ISO 400

Verdict: The Canon PowerShot A650 IS is a full-featured camera that is easy-to-use and relatively affordable. The 6x optical zoom lens coupled with 12-megapixels of resolution are undoubtedly an attractive combination.

Pros: Excellent image quality ; 6x optical zoom ; optical image stabilization ; LCD screen rotates 270 degrees ; uses standard AA batteries

Cons: Bulky, heavy ; compartment door hard to open and close ; zoom sometimes delays between focal length settings

Verdict: Looking for a good compromise between a point-and-shoot and a digital SLR? Though a bit cumbersome, the A650 offers excellent image quality. Optical image stabilization and the 6x optical zoom provide added flexibility when shooting.

Review summary: This is a powerful "intermediate" user camera, more than point and shoot but a step down from a DSLR however it has 6x optical zoom and can take 12mega pixel images.

Verdict: My one gripe is that it is only plain 'AA' batteries there is an option for rechargeable but the model shown still needs the batteries to be removed to recharge. The one advantage of 'AA' is that you can always just buy a spare set anywhere