Cheaper than the previous model, the Canon PowerShot A710 IS also adds optical image stabilization, higher resolution and more style to the, already impressive, 6x optical zoom of the A700. I just had to get one.
I do admit that although Canon makes virtually no mistakes and manages to produce cameras that are uniformly good (and charge a premium comparing to competition), I do dislike their cameras that use 4 AA batteries. Four batteries are heavy, bulky, inconvenient to replace. But I like cameras that use 2 AA batteries. And Canon A710 is one of them.
The Canon PowerShot A710 uses 2 AA batteries, features 7.1-Megapixel resolution, 6x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The A710 proved to be a great camera overall, but with the same issues that other 2 AA battery equipped cameras have.
What is Canon PowerShot A710?
The Canon PowerShot A710 is a compact 7.1-Megapixel digital camera that features 6x optical zoom (35-210 mm equivalent, f/2.8-f/4.8) with optical image stabilization, a large 2.5-inch LCD screen and an optical viewfinder. The camera is powered by two AA batteries (alkaline batteries included) and stores images on compact Secure Digital cards (SD). A 16-Megabyte card is included.
The camera has full automatic as well as manual modes, including Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. It has a built-in flash, a tripod mount and is compatible with lens adaptors. The ISO goes up to 800 and digital zoom takes overall zoom number to 24x (with loss of resolution).
Getting Started
I put two of my NiMH rechargeable batteries and an SD card into the camera and was ready to shoot in under a minute. You have to set the date and time first, since otherwise the camera will bother you asking for the date and time every time you power it on. The A710 has a conventional shape, but it is curvy and stylishly modern.
Major Features
The A710 is quite impressive when it comes to features. If has powerful 6x optical zoom (most compact cameras have 4x or less), coupled with optical image stabilization that prevents hand shake from making pictures blurry in dim light or at full zoom. The camera features a large 2.5-inch LCD screen, real aperture control, shutter speeds 15-1/2,000 sec and maximum apertures f/2.8 at wide angle, f/4.8 at telephoto. You set the mode of operation by rotating the mode selection dial on the top deck. Along with full Auto mode there are Program mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and even Full Manual mode.
In other words, you can set the camera to Auto mode and then just point and shoot. Easy to use and very good results. Or you can use more advanced modes to get the effect you want.
The camera lets you select some parameters (or just leave them in Auto/Default settings): ISO, White Balance, resolution, compression/quality, drive mode, color settings. There is a separate button for exposure compensation that lets you make your photos brighter or darker. There is a macro mode (available at a push of the arrow down button). The same button lets you engage manual focusing.
Controls
Just like the A700, the A710 is switched from shooting to review mode and back by the switch on the back panel (I prefer buttons). The zoom control and the shutter release button have well-calibrated feel. Buttons have good tactile response. The buttons are located logically and the ergonomics are great.
The menus are easy to use and appear fast.
Performance
The camera takes less than 2 seconds to power up. Zooming is responsive and takes about 3-4 seconds from wide angle to full telephoto or back. Impressive, considering that the zoom is 6x.
The camera has a focus-assist light that helps it focus in low light. I was impressed by the focusing speed: the camera focused in under a second at either wide angle or telephoto, even in dim light. Even at dim light at telephoto focusing on objects 15 feet away took less than a second.
The camera shows you where it focused by displaying green rectangles over that area. Sometimes it fails to focus in dim light at telephoto, which is not a unique issue among compact cameras.
You can also use manual focusing, during which the center portion of the screen gets magnified to help you obtain better focus and the distance scale is displayed.
The camera can take photos at about one every two seconds without flash. There is a burst mode that lets you take photos at about two per second (Canon claims 1.7 fps).
However, taking photos with flash is very slow. Once you take a photo with flash, it takes 7-10 seconds for the camera to recycle its flash. The photo you took appears on the LCD briefly, then the screen goes blank until the flash is charged. Which means you cannot frame the next shot or focus for 7-10 seconds. This is, undoubtedly, a result of using only 2 AA batteries instead of four (cameras that use 4 AA batteries, e.g. Canon A640 and A630 recycle their flashes much faster). At least the battery life is decent.
Image Settings
You can select different combinations of resolution and quality/compression. I used full 7.1MP resolution and played with all three quality settings: Normal, Fine and SuperFine. 7.1MP Fine JPEGs were close to 2 Megabytes in size, whereas Standard were just under 1 MB. I was surprised to see very little artifacts in Standard mode. The Standard mode is definitely a good choice for prints up to 5x7, perhaps even 10x8, but with flash memory prices as low as they are now, why compromise?
Photo Quality
I usually take photos that contain all primary colors at different focal lengths, apertures and compression ratios. Some photos are taken outdoors, some indoors with and without flash.
Oftentimes, I take a bunch of photos from my balcony. Those photos features all colors: blue sky, green foliage, red curbs, yellow fire hydrant and cars of different colors.
Taking photos at different focal lengths and apertures reveals the camera's optical quality: corner sharpness, chromatic aberrations, overall sharpness.
Taking photos at different ISO settings shows how well a given camera can keep noise levels low in dim light. I mostly evaluate the image quality using my computer monitor, but I also print some photos at different sizes using either my printer or online services like Shutterfly, Snapfish and Sam's Club's online photo center.
The image quality of the Canon A710 is very impressive. All photos were sharp, contrasty, had pleasing colors and saturation. The photos are sharp from corner to corner with only very minor amount of softening in the very corners, which are cut-off when printing anyway. There is virtually no chromatic aberration (purple fringing) in areas of high contrast. The lens is sharp even at its full telephoto setting of 210 mm (full 6x optical zoom).
The situation with noise is quite typical for a compact digital camera. The noise at ISO up to 100 is virtually invisible, increases slightly at ISO 200 and becomes worse at ISO 400 and higher. ISO up to 100 lets you print good-looking photos at up to 13x19, sharp at 11x17 or smaller. ISO 200 is good up to 10x8, whereas ISO 400-800 is suitable up to 5x7.
Overall, the A710 provides excellent image quality for an advanced compact digital camera.
The image stabilization proved effective at suppressing blur form shooting handheld in dim light or at full zoom. I was consistently able to shoot 2 stops faster than I would be able without it. And 6x optical zoom is very versatile, but I wish it started at 28mm equivalent focal length. Too bad that not many cameras do that thought.
LCD and Viewfinder
The A710 has a large 2.5-inch LCD, which is fluid in good light, slightly less so in dim light. The LCD coverage is 100%. The viewfinder has a smaller coverage (80-90%). The viewfinder has decent (but not excellent) resolution.
Battery Life
Canon claims 100 shots with supplied alkaline batteries, more than 300 with high-capacity NiMH rechargeable batteries. I have no reason to doubt this claim. I shot more than 120 photos, some with flash, and my NiMH batteries still had power left.
6x Zoom
Usually, the 6x optical zoom is useful in bright light, at higher ISOs or indoors with flash. Or if you use a tripod. This camera uses optical image stabilization, which lets you use the camera handheld in dim light or at high magnification with no blur. Usually, when shooting handheld, you have to make sure that the shutter speed is faster than a reciprocal 35mm-equivalent focal length. Which means shooting at speeds faster than 1/200 sec at full telephoto, which is not always possible. The optical image stabilization of the A710 helps it be used handheld at slower shutter speeds with no blur.
Alternatives
For optically-stabilized 6x zoom (but less manual control), see
Panasonic LZ3 and
Panasonic LZ5. They are much cheaper too, but have no optical viewfinder.
Conclusion
The Canon PowerShot A710 is an excellent camera with one exception. Its flash recycles slowly (up to 10 seconds), meaning you cannot take photos with flash in sequence as fast as with some other cameras. If you mostly intend to use the camera indoors with flash, check out Canon A630 and Canon A640. They use 4 AA batteries, have articulated LCDs and their flash recycling time is much better. Otherwise, the A710 is an excellent, easy to use and inexpensive camera with great 6x optical zoom and lots of useful features, including optical image stabilization that works.
