Product Reviews

It's no surprise that cameras aimed at enthusiasts cost more than those aimed at casual users, but now that £120 cameras can give excellent image quality, you shouldn't need to pay much more for one that adds full photographic control. Canon's PowerShot A630 is the first camera we've seen that fits the brief. It's an 8-megapixel camera with a 4x zoom lens and a full set of manual focus, exposure and priority modes. Canon has made sacrifices in the LCD screen, which despite its 2in size has a meagre 115,000 resolution. However, it's hinged to aid shots at awkward

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angles, and along with the optical viewfinder, the A630 doesn't lack visual feedback. Its use of four AA batteries is another cost-cutting measure, so you'll have to budget for rechargeables. Our final gripe is that the camera is bulky compared with most 3x and 4x zoom models. Still, the large battery compartment doubles as an ergonomic handgrip, and there's plenty of space at the back for a generous collection of buttons.

Fortunately, Canon gets the most important aspects of camera design spot on. Manual exposure is extremely well implemented, with clear visual feedback and accessible controls. The camera is fast too, at two seconds between shots and with a 1.8fps continuous mode. The real highlight is image quality. Colours were vibrant and accurate, if not quite in the same class as those of the best compact cameras we've seen. However, detail was up there with the best, showing a distinct advantage over Panasonic's DMC-FX3. Low-light images at ISO 400 looked great, and we'd be happy to use the A630 at ISO 800 when lighting conditions demanded it.

It's not perfect, but such high quality and versatility are extraordinary at this price.