Hi reviewing theCanon powershot A 300to put it simply - this is a great camera for those who are intending a decent investment - rely on brand names and would like to indulge a bit on experimenting with technical features of photography. This got the award ''Best consumer camera - Asian Photography Awards 2003''
Now I am sure you are looking for more info in this review than the above enthusiastic comment! Canon A300 updates the A series (A100 & A200) line with a larger, 3.2-megapixel, additional exposure options, & a slightly different body design (mainly a sliding lens cover as opposed to a rotating cover/switch).
The extra exposure features include a manual white balance setting, more extensive metering options, and sound recording. The combination of features and image quality offered by the A300 is quite unusual for an entry-level camera, yet it retains excellent ease of use in full-auto mode, making it very suitable for novice users.
Features : 3.2 Mega Pixel CCD Powerful 5.1X Digital Zoom Photo Effect Direct Print Mode Movie mode with sound recording. ummmm. Watch the pocket!!
OverviewPowerShot A300 offers the great Canon features in a very portable body. A300 features a full 3.2 megapixels of resolution, for a maximum image size of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels (suitable for printing as large as 8x10 inches). Trim enough to fit into a larger shirt pocket (to be gender neutral I must add average ladies purses; but then again girls also do wear shirts right????), the A300 is reasonably lightweight as well (so be careful and gentle). Limited camera controls and full automatic exposure mean you can literally just point and shoot most of the time, without worrying over a lot of exposure decisions.
The A300 features a 5.0mm fixed focal length lens (equivalent to a 33mm lens on a 35mm camera, a fairly wide angle), with a maximum aperture of f/3.6. A maximum 5.1x digital zoom is available, but keep in mind that digital zoom generally decreases the overall image quality, as it simply crops out and enlarges the center pixels of the raw image. Thus, detail will decrease (u don't want that ..do u??).
Focus is auto (A300 does offer several exposure features), ranges from 7.9 inches (20 centimeters) to infinity in normal mode, and from 2.0 to 7.9 inches (5 to 20 centimeters) in Macro mode. The A300 employs the five-point AiAF system used on the ELPH models to determine focus, which uses multiple points across a broad active area in the center of the image to calculate the focal distance. You can also switch to a spot AF mode, which judges focus from the center of the frame. I've always found the AiAF system to be very precise, especially with subjects that are slightly off center. Also built-in to the A300 is an AF assist light, which aids the focus mechanism in low lighting. The A300 has a reverse Galilean-type optical viewfinder, as well as a 1.5-inch color LCD monitor.
Shutter speedsrange from 1/2,000 to one second, but are not reported to the user. The camera automatically employs a Noise Reduction system for exposures between one and 1/6-second. Two main exposure modes are available, Auto and Manual (both accessed by holding down the Set button until the mode menu appears). In straight Auto mode, the camera essentially controls everything about the exposure except for file size, flash mode, and digital zoom. Manual mode provides more hands-on control, with White Balance, Exposure Compensation, ISO, and several creative effects. Camera operation is straightforward and simple. Pressing the Shutter button halfway sets focus and exposure, and the small LEDs next to the optical viewfinder tell you when the camera is ready to take the picture.
The A300 Exposure Compensation increases or decreases the overall exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments, through the Function menu (accessed by pressing the Function button). The same menu enables the White Balance setting, which offers Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Custom (manual) settings.
A Photo Effects option adjusts sharpening, color, and saturation. In Auto mode, the camera automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity setting, but in Manual mode , the available ISO range includes 50, 100, 200, and 400 values, in addition to an Auto setting. The A300's built-in flash operates in Auto, Red-Eye Reduction Auto, Forced On, Suppressed, and Slow-Syncro modes, and is effective to approximately 6.7 feet (2.0 meters). A 10-second self-timer option counts down by flashing a small LED on the front of the camera before firing the shutter, giving you time to duck around the camera and hug ur BELOVEDand get into the shot.
Stitch-Assist mode is a great feature, which lets you shoot as many as 26 consecutive images. The series of images can then be ''stitched'' together into one panoramic frame with the accompanying software. The A300 also has a Movie Record mode, which records moving images with sound for as long as 30 seconds to 3 mins per clip, depending on the resolution setting and amount of memory card space. (Movies are recorded at either 640 x 480, 320 x 240, or 160 x 120 pixels.) I have taken an additional 128 MB card and can shoot an additional 21 mins. . Finally, a Continuous Shooting mode captures a series of consecutive images (much like a motor drive on a traditional camera), at approximately 2.2 frames per second, for as long as the Shutter button is held down.
The A300 also offers Canon's My Camera menu, which lets you customize camera operating sounds and display screens, even as far as letting you use your own image as a startup display (if u r so fond of ur face). The A300 stores images on CompactFlash Type I memory cards. A 16MB card accompanies the camera, but I recommend picking up a larger capacity card 128 MB @Rs. 2800/- about or a 256 MB one, which can be found in sizes as large as a gigabyte or more. The camera utilizes two AA-type batteries or an optional AC adapter for power, and a set of single-use alkaline batteries comes with the camera.
Battery life is surprisingly good for a camera powered by only two AA batteries, but as always, I strongly recommend purchasing a couple of sets of high-capacity NiMH batteries and a good charger. It is a huge benefit in terms of peace of mind. A USB cable and interface software are also packaged with the camera, for downloading images to a computer. Software is also included to operate the camera remotely over the USB connection, organize downloaded images, stitching panoramas together and print images.
The A300 is DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatible , with detailed print settings in the Playback menu. Canon offers a selection of direct-connect printers (no computer needed to print from the A300) as well, which simplifies printing even more. InterfaceI found the A300's user interface straightforward. Most functions are controlled by the control buttons on the back panel, and the Function menu makes several important exposure settings quick to access.
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