Use your browser's "Back" button to return to the previous page, or the links at the top and bottom of this page to navigate to related information. If you have difficulty fitting the text on this page onto your printer output, simply resize your browser window to a narrower width and print again.

Dave here: Have our reviews been helpful to you? (Is this article you're reading right now useful?) Preparing this level of information on as many products as we do is incredibly hard work, not to mention expensive. Things on the Internet may look like they're free, but they're not. (As a lot of big dot.com companies are finding out these days.) Somewhere, somebody has to pay to produce worthwhile content. YOU can help us though, by remembering us when it comes time to make your purchase. Would you consider coming back to our site and clicking-through to one of our advertisers to make your purchase? Every dollar you spend with one of our advertisers helps us directly (in affiliate fees) or indirectly (the advertiser will keep renewing their ad contract with us). To make it easy for you to support us, here's a URL you can visit, to see all our current advertisers, with links to click on that will register your visit to them as having come from our site. It's up to you where you buy, but Mike, Mike, Kim, Yazmin, Marti and I would be really grateful if you'd help us out by choosing one of our advertisers to purchase from.

Back to Full Canon PowerShot A10 Review
Go to Canon PowerShot A10 Data Sheet
Go to Canon PowerShot A10 Pictures Page
Up to Imaging Resource Cameras Page

	*	1.3 megapixel CCD for 1280 x 960 images
	*	3x optical zoom lens
	*	Excellent color!
	*	Uses standard AA batteries (Use NiMH)

• 1.32-megapixel CCD delivering image resolutions as high as 1,280 x 960 pixels.
• 1.5-inch, color LCD monitor and real-image optical viewfinder.
• 3x, 5.4-16.2mm lens (equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera) with a maximum aperture setting of f/2.8-f/4.8 depending on zoom.
• 2x digital zoom.
• Automatic exposure control.
• Shutter speeds from 1/1,500 to one second, with noise reduction for speeds slower than 1/6 second.
• ISO equivalent to 100 (raised to ISO 150 in low light).
• Built-in flash with five operating modes.
• Manually adjustable White Balance setting with five settings.
• Continuous Shooting, Stitch-Assist (panorama), and Self-Timer modes.
• Images saved in JPEG format to CompactFlash (Type I) memory card, 8MB card included.
• USB cable for quick connection to a computer.
• Included software CD with Canon's Digital Camera Solution Disk (version 4.0) for Mac and PC.
• Powered by four AA batteries or AC adapter (available separately).
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compliant.

Executive Overview
The Canon PowerShot A10 features the same compact size and distinctively smooth styling as its higher-end sibling, the PowerShot A20. Though the A10 has a smaller CCD than the A20 (1.32 megapixels vs. 2.11 megapixels), it still offers the same easy-to-use menu interface and well-designed exterior features that we enjoyed on the A20. Measuring just 4.3 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches (110.3 x 71.0 x 37.6 mm), the A10 is only slightly larger than Canon's popular Digital ELPH models -- making it very portable and small enough to fit into a large shirt or coat pocket, or average-size purse. The built-in retractable lens cover slides quickly out of the way when the camera is powered on in Shooting (Record) mode, with the telescoping lens extending approximately one inch. The lens remains inside the body when the camera is powered off or when reviewing images in Playback mode.

A real-image optical viewfinder and 1.5-inch color TFT LCD monitor are provided for composing images. The LCD monitor features a detailed information display that operates independently of the image display (meaning that it is engaged whenever a control button is pushed, even if the LCD monitor's image display is not in use). The A10 is equipped with a 3x, 5.4-16.2mm lens (equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera) with maximum aperture settings of f/2.8-f/4.8, depending on the zoom position. Focus is automatically controlled, with Normal, Macro, or Infinity focus modes available. (Infinity is available only in Manual mode.) There's also an Autofocus Assist light (an orange light emitted by the flash) to aid focusing in dark situations. The 2x Digital Zoom is enabled by zooming past the 3x optical zoom range whenever the LCD monitor is activated, though it visibly reduces image quality as it enlarges only the central portion of the image.

Exposure is automatically controlled at all times, with three separate Shooting modes available on the Mode dial: Automatic, Manual, and Stitch-Assist. In Automatic mode, the user has control over Resolution, Compression, Flash, Self-Timer, and Normal or Macro focus modes. Manual mode expands the user controls to include Exposure Compensation, White Balance, Infinity focus, and Continuous Shooting. Stitch-Assist is Canon's panoramic mode, allowing you to take a series of up to 26 images to be "stitched" together on a computer.

The A10 uses an evaluative metering system to determine exposure, which is linked to the focus area (a large portion of the center of the image). Shutter speeds range from 1/1,500 to one second, with an effective automatic noise reduction system for exposures slower than 1/6 second. The camera's light sensitivity is rated at ISO 100, though it increases to ISO 150 at low light levels. Exposure is adjustable from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third-step increments, allowing you to lighten or darken the exposure as needed. White Balance options include Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, and Fluorescent settings, accommodating most light sources. The Drive button accesses the Continuous Shooting and Self-Timer modes. Continuous Shooting, which is only available in Manual mode, captures a rapid series of images as fast as 2.5 frames per second. The Self-Timer features a 10-second countdown, triggered by a full press of the Shutter button. The A10's built-in flash operates in Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, On, Off, and Slow Synchro modes, controlled by an external Flash button.

Images are stored as compressed JPEGs on CompactFlash Type I memory cards (an 8MB card is supplied with the camera). Resolution options include 1,280 x 960, 1,024 x 768, and 640 x 480 pixels, with selectable compression levels of Superfine, Fine, and Normal. You can download images to a computer via the included USB cable and Canon's Digital Camera Solution Disk software (Version 4.0), which is supplied on the accompanying software CD. The Solution Disk provides image organization and correction tools; the PhotoStitch software is for piecing together panoramic images; and a Remote Capture utility enables you to remotely operate the camera from a computer.

Four AA batteries power the camera (alkaline or NiMH), and an external AC adapter is available as an accessory. An NTSC video cable also accompanies the camera (PAL for European models), enabling you to review or compose images on a television.

Its compact size and straightforward user interface make the Canon A10 an excellent choice for consumers who want a reliable point-and-shoot digicam. The freedom of automatically controlled exposure, plus a basic range of exposure adjustments, offer consumers flexible shooting options and the ability to experiment with the camera's operation. Overall, the A10 captured nice images, with good color and quality, handling most average shooting situations well. Plus, its portable size makes it convenient for busy consumers.


Design
The Canon PowerShot A10 is a very portable point-and-shoot style digicam, measuring 4.3 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches (110.3 x 71 x 37.6 mm) and weighing approximately 9 ounces (250 grams) without batteries. Nearly identical in design to the PowerShot A20, the only aesthetic difference between the two models is the color accent on the molded polycarbonate bodies. The A10's front panel is a metallic silver, with a light blue finger grip, while the A20 is a warm-toned champagne color, with a golden brown finger grip. Compact and durable enough to travel just about anywhere, the A10 has a retractable lens cover and a telescoping lens design that eliminates the need for a separate lens cap and protects the 3x zoom while not in use. The A10's user interface is sensibly laid out, with well-marked external controls that are within reach of the user's thumbs (most suitable for two-handed control). The only difference between the two cameras' external controls is that the A10 has no Video Out terminal for displaying images on TV.

The front panel of the PowerShot A10 houses the telescoping lens, built-in flash, and optical viewfinder window. When the camera is powered on in one of the three Shooting (Record) modes, the lens is uncovered and projects about an inch from the body. A large, sculpted hand grip runs along the right side of the camera, giving your fingers a significant hold on the body. The flash also serves as an AF Assist light, emitting a soft orange light that helps the camera judge focus in low-light situations, and as the Self-Timer countdown, blinking slowly for the first 8 seconds and more quickly for the last two. Canon offers a set of auxiliary lenses that attach to the A10's telescoping zoom. A notched ring at the base of the lens barrel is loosened by the dust cap on the Canon LA-DC52 lens adapter, enabling you to attach the adapter in its place. The full adapter covers the lens mechanism when extended, and provides a set of 52mm filter threads to accommodate Canon's Close-up Lens 250D and Wide-angle Conversion Lens (24.5mm equivalent).

The right side of the camera houses the CompactFlash slot, CR2016 battery compartment, and a wrist strap attachment eyelet. The memory card slot is covered by a hinged plastic door that slides forward before opening outward. We found the door a little difficult to maneuver, as the grip pad on the front of the door was difficult to push with just one finger. We had to hold the camera with both hands, even on a tripod, and use a thumb to slide the door open. (A vertical, raised bar grip may be more effective on this door design. It's a minor gripe, but one we felt worth mentioning.) The CR2016 battery slot can only be opened when the CompactFlash slot door is open, and is most easily removed by sliding a coin or knife under the cover and flipping it upward. The battery casing slides right out with the battery inside. (The CR2016 battery powers the camera's internal clock and calendar, so that information is not lost when the AA batteries die.)

The left side of the camera houses the jack connector compartment. Protected by a soft rubber door, which is held in place by two rubber hinges, the door flips open to reveal the Digital (USB) and DC In connector jacks.

A large, silver Shutter button is the only control on the camera's top panel, located right next to the wrist strap attachment eyelet.

The remaining camera controls are on the back panel, along with the LCD monitor and optical viewfinder eyepiece. Controls along the bottom and right sides of the LCD monitor include (counterclockwise, bottom to top): the Flash / Set, Drive / Self-Timer, Macro / Infinity Focus, Menu, and On / Off buttons, and Exposure Compensation / White Balance, and Display buttons. A large Mode dial in the lower right corner controls the camera's operating mode, and a Zoom lever in the upper right corner sets the optical and digital zoom. On the left side of the optical viewfinder eyepiece are two LED lamps that report camera status. The top LED lamp glows green when the focus and exposure are set, or when the camera is ready to communicate with your computer, and it flashes green when the camera is processing an image. If the top LED lamp glows orange, the flash is charged. A flashing orange LED lamp indicates a low-light shooting situation and the potential for a blurred photograph from camera movement (this also brings up the shaking hand icon on the LCD monitor). The bottom LED lamp lights yellow when the Macro mode is enabled and the Shutter button is halfway pressed (also noted by a small macro symbol next to the LED lamp).

The A10 has a reasonably flat bottom panel, with a few minor ridges and indentations. The plastic, threaded tripod mount is too close to the battery compartment to allow for quick battery changes while mounted on a tripod, though the DC-In side access ensures that you can connect the accessory AC adapter in the studio. The battery compartment door slides forward before opening outward, with a sliding lever in the center of the door that unlocks the door before it can be opened.


Viewfinder
The A10 sports a real-image optical viewfinder as well as a color LCD monitor for composing images. The optical viewfinder window features a set of autofocus target marks in the center of the finder, which define the autofocus and exposure area. Though the optical viewfinder does not offer a diopter adjustment, it does have a fairly high eyepoint, which should accommodate most eyeglass wearers. Two LED lamps on the left side of the viewfinder eyepiece report a range of camera information. The bottom LED glows yellow when the camera is in the Macro focus mode and the Shutter button is halfway pressed. The top LED lamp lights green when focus and exposure are set, and flashes green when the camera is processing. If the top LED lamp glows orange, the flash is charged. A flashing orange LED lamp indicates a low-light shooting situation and the potential for image blurring from camera movement (using a flash or tripod is recommended).

The 1.5-inch, color LCD monitor features a low-temperature, polycrystalline silicon, TFT display with roughly 120,000 pixels. A Display button adjacent to the LCD monitor controls the image display, turning it on and off. An information display operates independently of the Display button, appearing on-screen whenever the LCD monitor is activated or a control button is pressed, even when the LCD image display is turned off. The information display reports the current camera settings, including Shooting mode, Exposure Compensation, White Balance, and Resolution and Compression, as well as Flash, Drive, Macro / Infinity modes, and the number of remaining images. After a few seconds, the display disappears, and is called up again with the next press of a control button.

In Playback mode, the Display button cycles through various levels of information display. The first page shows no information. The second reports the file number, date and time of exposure, quality setting, and the number of images on the card. A third page shows select exposure information, such as Shooting mode, Macro, Drive, Flash, Exposure Compensation, and White Balance. Also in Playback mode, the LCD monitor offers a nine-image index display and a playback zoom, which enlarges images for closer inspection. Once an image is enlarged, you can use the arrow keys to scroll around and check on framing or other details.


Optics
The PowerShot A10 features a high-quality Canon 3x, 5.4-16.2mm zoom lens that is equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera. The maximum aperture setting is f/2.8 at the wide-angle setting and f/4.8 at the maximum telephoto range. Aperture settings and shutter speeds are automatically controlled, with no settings reported on the LCD display. Focus ranges from 2.5 feet (76 cm) to infinity in normal mode. In Macro mode, focus extends from 6.3 inches to 2.5 feet (16 to 76 cm) with the lens at wide angle, and from 10.2 inches to 2.5 feet (26 to 76 cm) with the lens at telephoto. Focus is automatically determined via a through-the-lens, three-point AiAF (Artificial Intelligence Auto Focus) system, which gauges focus from three areas in the center of the frame. The Macro / Infinity button on the back of the camera not only places the camera in Macro or Normal focus modes, but also accesses Infinity focus in Manual mode, which is good for shooting fast-moving subjects from a distance. This setting decreases shooting time, as you don't have to wait for the camera to set focus.

The A10's built-in flash doubles as an autofocus (AF) assist light, which is automatically activated whenever the camera is focusing in low-light situations (though we sometimes noticed it operating in fairly well-lit shooting situations). The AF assist light emits a dull, orange light that falls on the central portion of the subject, providing additional light for more accurate focusing. We found that the AF assist worked very well, as we obtained clearly focused images in our low-light testing, even at the lowest light level. The A10 doesn't offer an adjustable focus lock, but you can manually lock focus by framing the portion of the subject you want in focus in the center of the frame, halfway depressing the Shutter button, then recomposing the shot (while continuing to depress the Shutter button halfway), and firing the shutter.

Though the A10 lens does not feature filter threads for attaching accessory lenses, Canon does offer a wide-angle and close-up lens converter kit, which attaches to the camera via a small adapter. The adapter connects to the inside of a small ring at the base of the lens. The ring features a series of small grip notches that allow it to be loosened and removed by the Lens Adapter Dust Cap, creating a space for the adapter to attach. The Conversion Lens Adapter LA-DC52, which fits over the fully extended lens, supplies a set of 52mm threads at the end to attach filters or lenses.

In addition to the 3x optical zoom, the A10 also offers a 2x digital telephoto, which is not available in Stitch-Assist mode. Digital zoom is automatically enabled by zooming past the optical zoom range whenever the LCD monitor is active. The amount of digital zoom is reported in blue numbers on the right side of the LCD display. Keep in mind that digital zoom decreases image resolution, and often increases noise levels. In our testing, we noticed that the A10's digital telephoto did a fairly good job of maintaining detail. Resolution was decreased and details softened somewhat, but the A10's digital zoom performed better than many we've seen.

Optical distortion on the A10 is moderate at the wide-angle end, as we measured a 0.62 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared much better, as we didn't even see one pixel of pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration is also very low, showing only a half-pixel of coloration on either side of the black target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)


Exposure
The A10 offers a relatively uncomplicated user interface, and a control layout that is very similar to other Canon PowerShot cameras. The numerous external controls decrease reliance on the camera's menu system, though the LCD's information display is automatically activated whenever a control button is pressed. This still saves on battery power, however, because the information display automatically turns itself off after a few seconds, shutting down the LCD monitor in the process (as long as it was previously inactive).

The Mode dial on the camera's back panel controls the operating mode, placing the A10 in Playback mode, or Automatic, Manual, and Stitch Assist Shooting modes. Exposure is automatically controlled at all times, with only limited user controls. For example, Automatic mode provides control over Flash, Focus, Drive, Resolution, and Compression settings, while Manual mode gives the user control over White Balance and Exposure Compensation, in addition to the settings available in Auto mode. Stitch Assist mode provides all of the available controls except for Auto Flash, Red-Eye Reduction, Digital Zoom, and Continuous Shooting. Basic exposure decisions, such as shutter speed and aperture setting, remain under automatic control in all three Shooting modes.

An Instant Review function displays the captured image on the LCD screen for two or 10 seconds, adjustable through the Setup menu. The Instant Review screen gives you the option of deleting an image, without recording it to the CompactFlash card, simply by pressing the Exposure Compensation / White Balance button. This pulls up the Erase screen, with an option to cancel the action. You can also turn the Instant Review function off, which should save on battery usage.

Shutter speeds range from 1/1,500 to one second, and lens apertures from f/2.8 to f/4.8 (depending on the telephoto setting), although neither setting is reported on the LCD information display. To determine exposure, the camera uses an evaluative metering system linked to the focus area, or center of the image. One notable feature of the PowerShot A10 is its automatic noise reduction for exposures longer than 1/6 second. We found this to be quite effective in our low-light test shots, which showed very low noise levels.

Light sensitivity is rated at an ISO 100 equivalency, and is automatically raised to ISO 150 in low-light situations. This boost wasn't enough to impact our low-light test shots, however, as we were only able to obtain bright, usable images at eight foot-candles or 88 lux (common street lighting at night equates to about one foot-candle, or 11 lux).

The A10's White Balance settings include Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, and Fluorescent options, accommodating most common light sources. Pressing the Exposure Compensation / White Balance button twice displays the White Balance menu, navigable with the right and left arrow buttons under the LCD monitor. A single press of the same button displays the Exposure Compensation adjustment, which allows you to lighten or darken the image from +2 to -2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third-step increments. A 10-second self-timer is accessible by pressing the Drive button twice. Once in Self-Timer mode, a half-press of the Shutter button locks focus and exposure, while a full press triggers the countdown. The Self-Timer lamp (an orange light emitted by the flash) blinks every second for the first 8 seconds of the countdown and blinks more rapidly for the last two seconds. A timer also beeps audibly in sequence with the orange light.


Flash
The A10's built-in flash has a working range of 2.5 to 13.8 feet (0.76 to 4.2 meters) at the wide-angle setting, and from 2.5 to 8.2 feet (26 to 76 cm) at telephoto. In Macro mode, Canon reports that the flash is effective for the telephoto shooting range, which is 10.2 inches to 2.5 feet (26 to 76 cm), but that the flash may be too bright for the closer shots allowed by the wide-angle lens setting, 6.3 inches to 2.5 feet (16 to 76 cm). In our testing, however, we found the flash very effective at the wide-angle Macro setting.

The flash has five operating modes, controlled by the Flash button on the camera's back panel: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, On, Off, and Slow Synchro. The Automatic flash fires the flash in low-light situations or when a subject is backlit. Red-Eye Reduction mode works in the same manner, although it fires a small pre-flash before the full flash to reduce the occurrence of red-eye effect (a red reflection from the flash in the subject's pupils). The On and Off flash modes are self-explanatory. Slow Synchro mode works with a slower shutter speeds (usually one-second), which allows more ambient light into an image to balance the background with the subject.

In our testing, we found the A10's flash brightest at 8 feet from the target, with decreased (though still fairly bright) intensity as far as 10 feet. Flash intensity continued to decrease in brightness from 11 feet to 15 feet, though the flash was weakly effective at the 15-foot distance.

The A10's flash also serves as the AF Assist light and Self-Timer lamp by emitting a soft, orange light. When used as an AF Assist light, the flash shines the orange light on the central portion of the subject, helping the camera determine focus. During the self-timer countdown, the orange light blinks until the shutter is released.

Stitch-Assist Mode (Panorama)
The A10 features Canon's popular Stitch-Assist mode, which allows you to create panoramic images by shooting a series of images and then "stitching" them together on a computer. As many as 26 consecutive images can make up a panoramic series, all captured using framing guidelines provided on the LCD monitor (to help line up each shot correctly). A shot confirmation after each image allows you to re-shoot an image if necessary. Auto and Red-Eye Reduction flash modes, as well as the Digital Zoom, are not available in Stitch-Assist mode. Canon also notes that a television cannot be used as a viewfinder when shooting in Stitch-Assist mode. PhotoStitch software is included on the software CD accompanying the camera.

Continuous Shooting Mode
Accessed via the Drive / Self-Timer button on the camera's back panel, the Continuous Shooting mode allows you to capture a series of images at approximately 2.5 frames per second. The camera snaps images continuously for as long as the Shutter button is held down, or until the CompactFlash card is full. Images are immediately recorded to the camera's buffer memory. Once the buffer memory is full, images are recorded to the CompactFlash card. The series will resume if you continue to hold down the Shutter button, but only after the buffer has been cleared. Shot-to-shot cycle times vary depending on the image size and quality settings, whether or not the LCD monitor is enabled, and the amount of image information to be recorded. The flash is available in this mode, but decreases the shot-to-shot cycle time to allow the flash time to recharge. Continuous Shooting is available in Manual mode only.


Shutter Lag/Cycle Times
When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time before the shutter actually fires. This time is to allow the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is almost never reported on, and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, we now routinely measure it using Imaging Resource proprietary testing. reported on, and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, we now routinely measure it.

• Resolution: Sets the image resolution size to Large (1,280 x 960 pixels), Medium (1,024 x 768 pixels), or Small (640 x 480 pixels).
• Compression: Determines the amount of JPEG compression, with options of Superfine, Fine, and Normal.
• Review: Sets the Instant Review function to Off, 2 seconds, or 10 seconds.
• File No. Reset: Instructs the camera to reset file numbering with each new CompactFlash card (On), or to continue in the series (Off).
• Beep: Turns the camera's beep sound on or off.
• Format: Formats the CompactFlash card, in all modes except Stitch-Assist.
• Setup: Displays the Setup menu. Pressing the Set button provides access to the Setup menu options:
  • Auto Power Down: Turns the camera's automatic shutoff feature on or off.
  • Date/Time: Sets the camera's internal clock and calendar, with a display format option.
  • Video System: Establishes the Video Out signal as NTSC or PAL.
  • Language: Changes the menu language to English, French, Japanese, German, or Spanish.
    

Playback Menu: This settings menu is displayed by pressing the Menu button in Playback mode:

• Single Erase: Erases the currently displayed image, or the currently selected image in the index display.
• Erase All: Erases all images from the CompactFlash card, except for write-protected ones.
• Protect: Write-protects individual images, preventing them from being accidentally erased or manipulated in any other way (except through card formatting).
• Rotate: Rotates the current image 90 or 270 degrees clockwise in the display (rotation is not saved with the image).
• Auto Play: Activates and deactivates the automatic slide show. Pressing the Set button once starts the slide show, and pressing it a second time allows you to review images one at a time.
• Print Order: Marks individual images for printing on DPOF compatible devices, also allows the user to set the layout and whether or not the date and time prints with the image. (This menu is fairly complicated and requires following instructions in the Camera User Guide very closely.)

Image Storage and Interface
The A10 uses CompactFlash Type I memory cards for image storage; an 8MB card comes standard with the camera. Upgrades are available separately to memory capacities as high as 128MB. The CompactFlash slot is on the right side of the camera, and is covered by a sliding plastic door that we found difficult to open at times. The card inserts with the electrodes going in first, and the front of the card (indicated by an arrow) facing the back of the camera. A small button beside the slot ejects the card by popping it up slightly, allowing you to pull the card the rest of the way out.

Although individual CompactFlash cards cannot be write-protected or locked against erasure or manipulation, the A10 allows you to protect individual images through the Playback menu. Once protected, images cannot be erased or manipulated in any way, except through card formatting. The Playback menu also allows you to rotate images in the LCD display, play them back in an automated slide show, erase them, and set them up for printing on DPOF compliant printers.

Three image resolution sizes are available: 1,280 x 960, 1,024 x 768, and 640 x 480 pixels. Each resolution size also offers three JPEG compression settings, including Superfine, Fine, and Normal. Both settings are changed through the settings menu in any record mode. The number of available images is reported on the LCD's information display, in addition to the selected size and quality settings.

The table below summarizes the compression ratios and number of images which can be stored on the included 8MB memory card with each size/quality combination.

A USB cable and interface software accompany the A10, for quick connection and image downloading to a PC or Macintosh.


One of the first things any new digicam owner will need is a larger memory card for their camera: The cards shipped with the units by the manufacturers should really be considered only "starter" cards, you'll definitely want a higher capacity card immediately. - Probably at least a 32 megabyte card for a 1.3 or 2 megapixel camera, 64 megabytes or more for a 3, 4, or 5 megapixel one. (The nice thing about memory cards is you'll be able to use whatever you buy now with your next camera too, whenever you upgrade.) To help you shop for a good deal on memory cards that fit the A10, we've put together a little memory locater, with links to our price-comparison engine: Just click on the "Memory Wizard" button above to go to the Canon memory finder, select your camera model , and click the shopping cart icon next to the card size you're interested in. You'll see a list of matching entries from the price-comparison database. Pick a vendor & order away! (Pretty cool, huh?) Video Out
The A10 does not feature a Video Out connector jack.


Power
The PowerShot A10 is powered by four AA batteries, either alkaline or rechargeable NiMH. Canon warns against using manganese or lithium batteries, which may overheat or cause explosions or leaks, and NiCd batteries, because their performance is unreliable. Four AA alkaline batteries accompany the camera, but we highly recommend picking up a couple of sets of rechargeable NiMH batteries and keeping a spare set freshly charged at all times (Canon offers a CBK100 charger and rechargeable NiMH batteries as an option). Canon estimates that a freshly charged set of Canon NB-1AH AA NiMH batteries should record roughly 350 shots with the LCD monitor on, or 1,000 shots with the LCD off (or provide 240 minutes of playback time). A red battery icon flashes in the LCD display whenever the batteries are getting low.

Because the A10 offers an optical viewfinder as well as an LCD monitor, you can operate the camera more efficiently without the LCD monitor in use. While an information display automatically appears on the LCD screen whenever a control button is pressed (even when the LCD monitor is turned off), the display quickly disappears a few seconds after the adjustment is made. There's also an Auto Power Down feature, enabled through the Setup menu, which turns off the camera after a few minutes of inactivity. Canon offers an optional AC Adapter Kit for connection to the camera's DC In jack and a standard electrical power supply. This is highly recommended for time-consuming tasks such as downloading images to a computer.

The A10 also uses a CR2016 lithium battery to power its internal clock. If the LCD monitor displays the Set Date/Time menu when the camera is powered on, the CR2016 battery is running low.

• WS-200 Wrist strap
• Four AA alkaline batteries
• IFC-300PCU Interface USB cable
• 8MB CompactFlash Type I memory card
• Software CD containing Canon Solution Disk Version 4 software
• Camera User Guide

Test Results
In keeping with our standard test policy, the comments given here summarize only our key findings. For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the PowerShot A10's "pictures" page.

As with all Imaging Resource product tests, we encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the camera performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how the A10's images compare to other cameras you may be considering.

Throughout our testing, the A10 produced excellent color, with good saturation. The automatic white balance system handled most of our lighting situations fairly well, though we noticed an orange cast in our Indoor Flash Portrait from the background incandescent lighting. On the Indoor Portrait without flash, the A10's incandescent white balance setting handled the tough lighting very well, producing a well-balanced image with just a hint of warmth to it. (The A10 left just a little more cast in the image than the A20 did, but it still did very well overall.) The large color blocks of our Davebox test target appeared quite accurate, though just slightly undersaturated, with blue tints in the red and magenta blocks. The A10 handled the difficult blues in the flower bouquet of our Outdoor test shot very well, though we noticed faint purple tints in the flowers in the indoor shots (this is a common problem for many cameras we've tested). We also noticed a slight oversaturation of red / magenta in the skin tones. As with the A20, we had only very minor quibbles with the A10's color performance, and were very pleased with its performance overall.

In our laboratory resolution test, the A10 resolved the target patterns cleanly (with no artifacts) out to 500 lines per picture height in both horizontal and vertical directions, with good detail showing to 650 lines in both directions, although artifacts became quite evident starting around 600 lines. "Extinction" of the target lines occurred at about 800 lines of resolution in both directions. Overall, a bit better than average among the other 1.3-megapixel cameras we've tested.

We found the A10's optical viewfinder to be fairly tight, showing only 75.6 percent of the final image area at wide angle, and about 79.4 percent at telephoto (at the 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution size). We also noticed that images framed with the optical viewfinder were slanted toward the lower left corner, indicating a slightly shifted CCD. The LCD monitor was much more accurate, showing approximately 99.06 percent of the final image area at telephoto (also at the 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution size). We were unable to measure the exact frame accuracy at the wide angle setting, as our standard lines of measurement were just outside of the frame in the final image, causing the LCD monitor to be a little loose at the wide angle setting. Since we generally like to see LCD monitors as close to 100 percent accurate as possible, the A10 did very well in this regard. Flash distribution is fairly even at the telephoto setting, with a small hot spot / reflection in the center of the target. At wide angle, flash distribution is slightly uneven, with falloff around the edges and in the corners of the frame.

The A10 had some difficulty with the low-light category, as the camera produced a bright, only somewhat usable image at the eight foot-candle light level (0.88 lux). Images were still usable (with post-exposure tweaking on the computer) as low as one foot-candle (11 lux), but became progressively darker from there. Noise was pretty low in all of the images, with a small grain pattern. To put the A10's low-light performance into perspective, an average city night scene under modern street lighting corresponds to a light level of about one foot-candle, meaning most night exposures will require use of the built-in flash.

The A10 doesn't get terribly close for macro shots, capturing a minimum area of 6.93 x 5.20 inches (175.97 x 131.98 mm). However, color, detail and resolution were all good, with great detail visible in the coins as well as on the brooch. The gray background showed moderate noise, and we noticed a small amount of barrel distortion from the lens' wide angle setting. The A10's built-in flash did a good job of throttling down for the macro area, maintaining good color and increased clarity. Flash coverage is a little uneven, with a large hot spot in the center of the image (a tiny reflection in the coin), and falloff along the edges and in the corners.

Despite limited exposure control, the A10 performed very well throughout our testing. Images show good resolution and detail, accurate color, and good quality overall. You'll need a flash for most low-light shots, and the camera doesn't focus as closely as some in macro mode. These minor limitations aside, the A10 should produce excellent photos under typical shooting conditions.


Conclusion
The Canon PowerShot A10 is an excellent option for novice and beginning photographers who want to make the move into digital photography. Its automatic exposure control takes the worry out of snapping quick, high-quality pictures, and it provides a fair mix of user selectable controls that allow for some creative input. The 1.3-megapixel CCD captures good quality images, with excellent color saturation and picture resolution. Despite some limitations in low-light shooting capabilities, the A10 was able to handle a variety of exposure situations, including indoor shots illuminated by available light. Overall, the A10 performed admirably when compared to the 2.1-megapixel PowerShot A20, giving up only the higher resolution CCD and video-out capabilities. This is a great camera, with good features and excellent image quality. With a list price under $400 at its introduction, it should prove very competitive in the consumer digicam marketplace. If you're a beginning digital photographer and seldom need prints larger than roughly 5x7 inches, it'd be hard to go wrong with the A10!

Reader Comments!
Questions, comments or controversy on this product? Click this link to see what other Imaging Resource readers have had to say about the Canon PowerShot A10, or add comments of your own!