Canon PowerShot A710 IS First Impressions Review

by Richard Baguley
Published on October 09, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design / Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion

The A710 IS has a full auto mode where the camera takes control of most of the functions, leaving the user to set some basic functions (such as drive mode) only if desired. In our brief tests, it seems that this auto mode does an effective job of controlling the camera, leaving the photographer with little to worry about.

Movie Mode

Like its A-series predecessors, the A710 can record videos at a top resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at 30 or 15 frames per second. Videos recorded at the 320 x 240-pixel resolution can get frame rates of 60, 30, or 15 fps - although the fast 60 fps rate lasts for only a minute. The smallest 160 x 120-pixel size shoots 15 frames per second for up to 3 minutes. Unlike previous A-series cameras, the Canon PowerShot A710 IS has optical image stabilization which really helps keep the video smooth. Movies are saved as Motion JPEG AVI files, with mono sound from the built-in microphone.

 

A reasonably good continuous shooting mode is available, which can continuously take photos at a rate of 1.7 per second until the SD card is full. There are no first or last shooting modes, though: the camera keeps capturing all of the images in continuous mode until you release the shutter. The speed of the A710's burst mode isn't very impressive, but its endurance is.

Playback Mode

The A710 IS offers a variety of playback modes, including the ability to create slideshows, set up favorites and do basic video editing.

A wide variety of scene modes are offered, including Shutter and Aperture priority, plus modes for Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Stitch Assist and Movie.  From the special scene menu, you can choose Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Color Accent, and Color Swap modes.