Canon PowerShot A460

The 5-megapixel Canon PowerShot A460 succeeds the A430 with a marginally larger LCD screen and CCD size. Its 2.0-inch LCD screen has a paltry 86,000 pixels, an in-camera flash, and a 4x optical zoom lens. It comes equipped with a full auto mode, a manual mode, eight preset scene modes and a movie mode with audio capture. Manually speaking, the camera offers a surprising number of controls considering the price. Users can adjust exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, long shutter speeds and metering. Other features include the Canon-specific My Colors mode and the ability to record sound memos to captured images. The Canon PowerShot A460 was announced in January and released in February with an initial price of $150 online.

Physical Tour

Front (6.5)
The 4x optical Canon Zoom lens is positioned on the right side of the Canon PowerShot A460. This lens is telescoping, so when the camera is not in use the lens barrel will retract into the camera body. The lens is protected by an automatically closing lens cover so users won’t need to worry about misplacing the lens caps. A polished silver ring surrounds the lens barrel and is raised about a quarter of an inch from the rest of the camera body. Above and to the right of the lens is the small viewfinder window. The in-camera monaural microphone is to the left of the viewfinder window and although users needn’t worry about stray fingers compromising audio quality, the mechanical noise made by the camera will be quite present in video recordings.

Continuing along the top of the camera body to the left of the mic, there is a horizontal in-camera flash whose off-axis position in relation to the lens will result in uneven lighting. Beneath the lower right hand corner of the flash is a small feature with triple functionality: AF-assist beam, red-eye reduction, and self-timer indicator. There is a slight raised ridge on the left side of the camera that is intended to ease handling. There is a small hole in the upper left corner and another in the upper-front corner of the camera’s right side. The included optional wrist-strap can be threaded through these holes for added security when both shooting with and carrying the camera.

Back (5.75)
The back of the Canon PowerShot A460 is a bit dull. The controls and the camera body are both constructed out of the same matte silver plastic; the controls are labeled with large text or graphic icons. While the features are minimal, the overall look and feel is cluttered and will be more confusing to beginners than it should.

The real-image zoom viewfinder is located in the upper left corner. It is sub-par as it is undersized and its poor position makes it an inaccurate gauge of how the final image will look. To the right of the viewfinder are two small LED indicators that provide information regarding shooting modes, ability to capture images or when recording, reading, erasing or transferring images. The small circular viewfinder is set directly above the extremely substandard 2.0-inch, 86,000-pixel LCD screen.

Next to the LCD screen’s upper right corner is a small mode dial. This mode dial is set into the body of the camera with the exception of the top edge, which sticks out a bit so users can rotate it. The dial makes a loud click when it rotates. Playback, auto, manual, scene and movie modes are accessible using the mode dial.

The display button is located directly beneath the mode dial. This button allows the user to switch between the LCD and optical viewfinder as well as adjust the amount of information displayed on the LCD. Beneath the display button is the menu button that opens the in-camera menu system. To the right of the display and menu buttons is a large four-way control for navigation of menu systems and other in-camera interfaces. Additionally, the up arrow engages the telephoto zoom while in shooting mode and the magnify function while in playback, the left arrow controls the macro/infinity options, the bottom arrow controls wide-angle zoom in shooting and delete in playback, and the right arrow controls the flash settings for the camera.

Beneath the four-way control and to the right of the LCD screen is the Function Set button that opens the on-screen graphic overlay that allows users to control settings like shooting mode, exposure, ISO, white balance, drive mode, My Colors options and image size/quality. The print/share LED button transfers images and videos to other media devices or to a printer. The nine small raised dots in the upper right hand corner aid in handling for one-handed shooting. But they only provide marginal improvement.

Left Side (7.0)
There is only one feature to note on the left side of the Canon PowerShot A460: a the small, unobtrusive and perhaps initially unnoticed port cover located near the bottom of the camera body. This port cover flips open to reveal the camera’s AV out port. The polished silver metallic highlight that continues onto the top of the camera body splits this side of the camera in half.

Right Side (6.75)
The right side of the Canon PowerShot A460 has a couple notable features. Already mentioned in the tour of the camera’s front face is the small hole located in the front-upper corner. This hole, in conjunction with a similar hole located on the front of the camera will enable users to attach the included optional wrist-strap for extra safety when handling.

Moving to the upper-back corner of the A460's right side is a rubber port cover that opens along its back edge. This port cover protects the DC IN and USB ports when not in use and when opened remains attached to the camera body via a sturdy hinge located along the port cover’s front edge. This cover does tend to get in the way of cables when transferring images to computer or printer but it’s good to see the durability of these features have been improved to withstand daily wear-and-tear. The memory card and battery cover is located on the bottom two-thirds of the camera face. This cover has a locking mechanism that must be simultaneously pushed down and slid forward to open. This will limit the possibility of it opening during shooting or transport. The battery and memory card slots are well labeled. The only foreseeable problem is that the only thing holding the batteries in place is the cover that protects them. When the cover is flipped open the batteries can easily pop out. On the other hand, if the camera is attached to a tripod, the user will find extracting the horizontally positioned batteries a hassle that can only be alleviated by either removing the camera from the tripod or tipping the tripod to the right in order to shake them loose. Either option for expediting the extraction process will, of course, result in the photographer having to reframe their subjects.

Top (7.25)
The Canon PowerShot A460 has a small inset power button positioned on the top of the camera body near the right edge. This shutter button has a slightly different finish when compared to the surrounding camera body and although small it shouldn’t be too hard to locate when shooting quickly. Having this button set slightly into the camera body will ensure that users won’t accidentally power the camera on when carrying it in a bag or in their hand. To the left of the power button is a large, polished silver shutter button that falls comfortably within the range of the photographer’s index finger. Finally, the in-camera playback speaker is located beneath a grid of 12 holes. A polished metallic silver strip bisects the top face of the camera and provides momentary relief from the otherwise dull camera exterior.

Bottom (5.25)
On the bottom of the Canon PowerShot A460 there is a battery compartment whose cover can only be removed with the aid of a Phillips head screwdriver. In all honesty this battery will likely outlast the camera but if it does need to be replaced the process is simple. Near the center of the bottom is a plastic tripod socket. If you plan to shoot photos on a tripod and you’re on a budget, consider a different camera. This tripod socket is plastic and strips easily and with a few miss-threaded attempts this feature will be rendered useless. The plastic easily marred when tested gingerly and one good twist with the bolt improperly placed would be disastrous.