Simply Awesome. Review on Canon Powershot A610

If you want to click rich detailed pictures in lovely colours, and blow them up, buy a high-class digital camera like the Canon PowerShot 610. It's an expensive camera, but worth your every penny. To give an example: I took a picture of the area in front of our building, an area which I thought was dull and drab, but the photo made it look like a picture post-card! Even the indoor pictures of our house have come out amazingly clear and detailed. I have made several beautiful desktop pictures for my computer just from some pretty things in our house.

As the camera comes with a software called the Zoom Browser that allows you to compress the pictures and send them in smaller files, the high resolution of the photo is not a problem while emailing. In any case, if you want low resolution pictures you can get them too, as there are options like the Superfine, Normal and Fine modes.

In fact, there are many options in this camera. Twenty different shooting modes. There are different settings for different times of the day, for different subjects, and for shooting at close range or long range.

You can shoot high quality movies at sixty frames per second, with sound. You can play back these movies on your TV or PC, or just store them on a CD.

The camera is easy to operate. The settings have picture icons so that even a child can understand them. And if you are still technology shy, use the Auto mode. You get great pictures in Auto mode too, as the camera has various self-adjusting properties. So while it has advanced features, it's also the best shoot and click camera there is!

The advanced features are wonderful for those who like to have fun with gadgets. There are special settings for cloudy and sunny days, and even a Tungsten setting which allows you to take photographs of bright light sources…and many more! The instructions in the booklet are not difficult to follow. As the camera's user interface is user-friendly, you will learn very quickly. The On-screen menus are very informative and easy to understand.

There are also excellent display options to review, edit, stitch or rotate your photos. Again, easy to follow instructions.

What I have fallen in love with is the movable LCD display screen. It can be flipped at different angles and also to face you. This not only makes taking self-portraits easy, it's very handy if you want to take a picture over a crowd or from the hip for example. And for professionals it's great news because you can click pictures without attracting attention. The camera can be placed anywhere and you can flip the screen to face you. You can even take a picture of someone behind you!

The screen also flips close, so you won’t scratch or damage it.

What I also liked is that though the camera is small, it's not tiny. It's large enough to hold comfortably in one’s hands. This helps you hold the camera steady as you shoot and also helps anyone with slippery hands!

A timer function allows self photos. Another function allows multiple shots after a delay. This is very helpful in family group photos where not everyone smiles at the same time! Later on in the review mode, you can choose the best picture.

One minor disadvantage is that the little flap covering the A/V inputs in flimsy. One has to be careful that one doesn’t rip it off by mistake.

The camera has four re-chargeable batteries and they last an incredible length of time.

All in all, it's a camera you can use if you are an amateur or a professional. Or like me, an amateur who wants to feel like a professional.

Awesome.