The Canon PowerShot A640 digital camera has been reviewed by DigitalCameraInfo.com The A640 is equipped with a high resolution10.0 Megapixel CCD, and a high-quality Canon 4x Optical Zoom lens, optical viewfinder as well as a 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD screen.

"The Canon PowerShot A640 has its own niche in the market that may make it priceless to some consumers. It is the only 10-megapixel compact digital camera that has manual control over shutter speed and aperture. There are a few other compact 10-megapixel cameras, but their manual controls are lacking. Consumers who are dead set on owning 10 megapixels with manual control will have to fork over the $399 retail or $350 street price. Consumers who are looking for a compact digital camera that has plenty of resolution and manual controls will probably want to look at other models though. The Canon PowerShot A630, for instance, comes with all the same modes and features as the A640, but it has 8 megapixels instead of 10. It also costs significantly less at about $250 online.

The PowerShot A640 has more pros than cons. It has a lot of resolution at 10 megapixels, but that won’t be necessary for most users of this camera. Point-and-shooters won’t need to create life-size prints since most will make small prints with an occasional enlargement. Believe it or not, the resolution isn’t what makes the A640 great; in fact, the resolution significantly hurts the camera’s performance.

What makes the A640 a solid camera is that it allows beginners to develop their photography skills by graduating from the scene modes to the manual mode without needing to buy different cameras. A few of the A640’s highlights include a rotating 2.5-inch LCD screen that has a wide view, a built-in flash with adjustable power, easy to use control and mode dial interface, and in-camera editing for simple direct printing. The Canon A640 is a bit pricey with its $399 retail. Bargain hunters can go for its PowerShot companion, the A630, though. It has 8 megapixels with the same modes and many of the same features - for about fifty to a hundred dollars less. Considering that most point-and-shooters won’t create huge prints, the A630 may be a better buy. The Canon PowerShot A640 is still a good digital camera though - if you’ve got the cash."

Read the full review here..
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A640 Features-

10-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
4x optical zoom; 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD display
ISO range up to ISO 800 for less blur in low light while hand-holding
3:2 guide masks LCD to display 4 x 6-inch print size; 16:9 format option for still images
Stores images on SD cards; powered by 4 AA-size batteries

Batteries Included: yes
Battery Description: 4 AA
Digital Zoom: 4x
Display Size: 2.5
Floppy Disk Drive Description: None
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Included Software: Yes
Maximum Focal Length: 29.2
Maximum Resolution: 10
Minimum Focal Length: 7.3
Optical Zoom: 4x

Light Metering Method - Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot Metering Exposure Control - Program Auto Exposure (AE), Shutter Speed-Priority AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Manual Shutter Speed Range - 15 seconds to 1/2500 second (settable in Tv and M) Automatic, multi-mode electronic-flash Storage Media - SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard (MMC) - We recommend purchasing an Optional 1GB SD or MMC memory card. It will allow you to store a lot more Video and images, as well as take advantage of the camera’s high Resolution abilities Shooting Modes - Auto; Creative - P, Av, Tv, M, C; Image - Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Special Scene (Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap), Stitch Assist, Movie Print/Share Button for direct connection to PictBridge-compatible printers via camera’s USB 2.0 Hi-Speed cable Unit Dimensions (WxHxD) - 4.31 x 2.60 x 1.93 inch (109.4 x 66.0 x 49.0mm); Weight - 8.64 oz. / 245g