Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

The Canon PowerShot A400 is a new addition to the PowerShot line. It comes in four stylish colors with sleek silver accents, and has a compact, low slung body made to fit snugly into the palm of the user’s hand. The A400 comes equipped with a 1/3.2-inch, 3.2 MP CCD; a 2.2x optical/3.2x digital zoom; and a 1.5-inch LCD display that’s affixed to the back of the camera body. There are eight scene settings, available via an onscreen menu, as well as manual control of exposure, white balance, image effect, size/quality, ISO, internal flash settings and macro/infinity settings. The A400 also contains hybrid shooting capability, allowing for both video and still images to be captured and the possibility of adding sound memos after shooting. The camera retails for US $179.99. With this reasonable price, it is a strong candidate for a consumer searching for a low-cost digital camera with manual control as well as strong video options.
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Connectivity
Software (6.0)
The following image editing software is included when the Canon PowerShot A400 is purchased: ArcSoft Camera Suite 1.3 and Digital Camera Solution Disk. Interestingly, and thankfully, Canon has included a manual for Direct Printing, an appreciated addition in the digital camera market that allows for easier installation and use.

Jacks, ports, plugs (5.0)
The following ports are located on the back of the Canon PowerShot A400 underneath a plastic port cover: USB digital, DC in, and A/V out.

Direct Print Options (6.0)
This camera is direct print capable with CP compatible printers or compatible Canon Bubble Jet Printers.

Memory (5.5)
The memory for the Canon PowerShot A400 is controlled via an SD memory card. An SDC-16M memory card is included when this camera is purchased. The number of images or footage that can be garnered is primarily dictated by card size and image quality/size chosen by the user. If video is going to be shot, it is recommended that a larger memory card be chosen by the user as the stock card will only hold about 30 seconds when shot in full resolution.

Other Features (7.0)
Quick Shot This feature allows for faster shutter speeds and is selected through the Rec. Menu once the Menu button has been pressed.

Direct Print User Guide To have a digital camera company include an entire manual dedicated to this feature is appreciated. It allows for users to determine proper compatible printers, and once engaged, how to have both pieces of equipment interface properly.

Stitch Assist These features are located in the same menu subsection in the Functions menu on the Canon PowerShot A400 as the Automatic and Manual control settings. Stitch assist allows for panoramic shots to be recorded by the user without a lot of estimation. This feature detects overlapping subjects, and aligns the camera to record these moments appropriately. It is possible to choose between Left-Right or Right-Left Stitch Assist settings.

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