Viewfinder (3.5)
The Canon PowerShot A620 has an optical viewfinder that zooms in and out, but is not accurate at all. The viewfinder clips the sides and bottom from the recorded image in the wide view and is even more inaccurate in the telephoto view. Users see more at the top of the frame than is actually recorded and almost a third of the bottom of the frame is completely cut off. In telephoto, the image is extremely blurry around the edges as well.

The viewfinder itself is located on a raised platform on the back of the camera and has two LEDs to its right. These indicate when the flash is ready and when the camera is accessing the memory card. Basically, the tiny optical viewfinder is there for decoration; it really is not functional. The finished product won’t look anything like the view in the window. It’s unclear why Canon calls it a “real-image optical zoom viewfinder.”

LCD Screen (6.5)
The LCD monitor is one of the more interesting features on the A620. Its folding and rotating movements are similar to those of a camcorder monitor. This type of LCD can be found on several other Canon A-series models; the Canon PowerShot A95 and A520 both have 1.8-inch LCD monitors that fold outward and rotate. The Canon A620’s LCD screen can turn to just about any angle, but is slightly larger at 2 inches. And it’s a good thing that the monitor can be turned to almost any angle because it solarizes very easily. If the user is not viewing it head-on, the screen looks white or sometimes like a film negative. Finding the right angle for an overhead shot can be a bit annoying, but the swiveling option is there, unlike many other digital camera models. The low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD has just 115,000 pixels, which really isn’t enough to check for focus or subtle details. Still, it is a much better viewfinder than the optical version because the LCD offers 100 percent coverage of the captured frame.

Flash (6.5)
The Canon PowerShot A620 has a built-in flash located in the top right corner of the front. This location isn’t very smart; it’s just where the left fingers fall on the camera and it isn’t in the ideal position above the lens. The off-axis flash placement will result in shadows cast to the side of subjects, rather than behind them. Wandering fingers can also be problematic, but the flash is otherwise pretty decent. The top of the multi-selector cycles through the three flash options: auto, on and off. Red-eye reduction and slow synchro options can be activated in the recording menu and users can choose between 1st curtain and 2nd curtain Flash Sync options.

When the Func./Set button is pushed, users can access the flash compensation with settings from +/- 2 in 1/3 increments. Users who access the macro mode often will need this setting, as anything closer than 9 inches will surely blow out normally. The flash is effective from 9.8-18 inches in the macro mode and from 18 inches to 14 ft in the normal wide mode. In normal telephoto, the flash reach shortens to 10 ft. The flash takes about 10 seconds to recycle, which is a millennium when shooting portraits of a two-year-old. There is a slight amount of vignetting, but it’s not nearly as bad as some other compact models. The A620 is compatible with accessory flashes that hook up to the power adaptor jack beneath the rubber door on the right side. I’d say the Canon A620 has a lot of flash options for a compact camera, and their quality is decent too.

Zoom Lens (7.0)
The Canon PowerShot A620 has a 4x zoom lens, offering just a bit more focal range than the average 3x lenses on many entry level models. The lens measures 7.3-29.2 mm, which is equivalent to a 35-140mm lens in traditional 35mm format. The aperture opens to a wide f/2.8 at the 35mm focal length and shrinks to a smaller f/4.1 max setting in telephoto.

The Canon lens extends in three segments and has a shiny outer ring that screws off to reveal a lens thread. This is for attaching optional wide and telephoto conversion lenses. The glass itself is protected by plastic pieces that snap together like a puzzle when the camera is shut off. While the plastic is sturdier than many cameras with the same style, it probably won’t survive a dive into asphalt – the plastic isn’t that thick.

To control the lens, users toggle a small switch that surrounds the shutter release button. The toggle doesn’t rotate very much, so zooming in and out requires a little extra work from the index finger. When users tap lightly on the toggle, there are about six focal lengths that the lens can stop at. This isn’t very sensitive at all, which is disappointing for a camera with a wider 4x zoom range. When adjusting, the zoom lens is audible. It’s not loud, but in a quiet setting, it will turn heads.

Physical Tour Page 4 of 13 Design / Layout Canon PowerShot A620 Digital Camera Review Navigation