Canon PowerShot A2000 IS Digital Camera Review
Ever since their introduction, Canon A series cameras have been market leaders. With their legendary image quality, dependability, ease of use, durability and affordable price, they have always been hot sellers all over the world. The A 2000 is the replacement for the excellent A720 IS. While it keeps and improves upon all the features that made the 720 such a great camera, the A2000 is not just an upgrade but a paradigm shift in Canon’s point and shoot camera philosophy.
In looks, the A2000 bears no resemblance to any of its predecessors. Besides the appearance, the other most obvious changes are that the camera is smaller and lighter than other PowerShots, is significantly thinner and does not have a view finder, which means everything is done thorough the LCD display.
The camera offers 10 megapixel resolution which, along with image stabilization, 6x optical zoom and 17 different shooting modes, means that the picture quality is excellent and can put the results from some SLRs to shame.
The A2000 offers only auto modes with very little in the way of user selectable options. In a way this is good because most point and shoot users do not want to be worried by having to do manual settings. The 17 shooting options ensure that there is a right one for whatever you want to shoot. The menu is extremely simple to use and most functions, once they are set, can be forgotten about.
Although the A 2000 does not have Canon’s new generation Digic IV processor, the older Digic III which is fitted here is more than adequate for the cameras needs.
Even though many users may miss the view finder, having only the LCD display is the current trend and nearly all digital cameras available today have dispensed with the view finder option since most people prefer to work with the display for framing images. In fact, for candid pictures or photos taken in crowded venues it is easier to watch the picture come together in the display. Also, when taking macro and close up photos, the display makes it easier to ensure that everything is within the frame.
The display itself is bright and clear with an automatic brightness adjustment to compensate for dim light conditions.
The zoom lens is smooth in operation and very quiet so it can be used for nature photography without the lens motor noise driving the wildlife away. The lens automatically retracts into the camera body when the power is turned off and a cover locks over the lens to prevent any accidental damage or scratches.
The built in flash has enough options to suit most low light conditions. The image stabilizer works well and under most conditions will ensure blur free picture. A useful option is the panning mode which only corrects vertical shaking but does not affect the horizontal movement of the camera when taking panned landscape shots.
If you are looking an easy to use digital camera that will do everything for you and still produce great pictures, the A2000 is definitely one you need to seriously consider.