The 4x zoom was a huge mistake in my opinion. At wide angle, barrel distortion is terrible. Worse yet, fringing is much worse then what I see from Steves sample images. I hate that most of all. That was the 1 reason I chased after a new Canon - they usually have great lenses but not mine. Maybe if i zoom way in (which you can only do in certain instances but what a pain and surely not indoors) the lense would get better. I noticed focal length on Steves pics is more then mine so that might be the trick but boo.

Video - No lense zoom only digital once you hit record stinks but more then that, the Audio is horrible too? Theres a loud whine (more then mine) which makes it useless unless sneaking clips at a rock concert.

Program SelectionThumb Wheel- Definitely will get turned 1/2 of the time when you hand it to someone to take your pic unless you tell them about it.

Canon you let me down.

EddieF

Can't say I've noticed any significant distortion at the A610's "wide angle" which incidently is not very wide.

Video zoom........well yes it only has digital zoom but I've never seenany sales literatureclaim it has optical zoom. Presumably you did some research before you bought the camera and would have realised thisprior to purchase. If you wanted optical zoom you should have bought an "S" Powershot.......more expensive though.

Program Selection Thumbwheel.......oh..for goodness sake. Are you in the habit of getting other people to take your shots for you all the time? Or is this only an anticipatory complaint? Such thumbwheels are pretty much prevalent wherever a camera offers a range of shooting modes, so they are all going to have this "problem".

Get real.

Zoom - I read and was aware of this, just wishing and thanks for tip on S models.

Thumbwheel - I took it to my best friends wedding 2 weeks ago. Its kind of hard to take table group shots of yourself with long time buddies laughing and take the pic at same time. Actually impossible. Add to that celebration cheer and i'll bet you $1 it happens to you. Yes it has a great programable timer. A little easier handing the camera to whoever walks by and say take a few please.

Im just letting others know info I searched for before I bought.

And one more thing to add...it blows highlights very bad unless you take everything which I do at minus 1/3. Way too contrasty. Photoshop does help this, just make sure you underexpose everything. Look at the sky in alot of pics and its white not blue.

For the $185 I got it for on sale, im sure it cant be beat. The contrast bothers me the most only because they could have tweaked it since it has a neutral mode along with many other custom settings. Canon, just turn contrast down 2 clicks.

EddieF

Hmm, I haven't had much purple fringing at all with my A85 or my new A620 - which has had very limited outdoor use due to weather here. There is going to be a bit of barreling, which is usually noted in the reviews. I agree with the blown highlights complaint (which is also noted inreviews), but, unfortunately, most consumers like overly contrasted images. It kind of reminds me of audio equipment from the last 20 years or so; amps are factory tweaked to boost high and low frequencies at the expense of midrange because it creates a better initial impression...:roll:

Batteries - Get EATEN when its off. This is annoying. Thank god i use rechargables or id be out of a dozen batteries.

If i let it sit for 2 weeks then grab it to snap a shot, its so dead that it wont even come on to tell me its dead! This is with a full charge of charged maybe 10x Energizer 2500ma's.

So now its sitting with plastic battery door open, upside down, waiting for a photo op.

EddieF

Something must be wrong with your camera, Eddie- my A620 has superb battery life, and the batteries do not diminish whether I use my Powerex rechargeables or standard Duracells.

Also, I do not get the whine in audio that you mention.

I think you got a lemon.

I have to agree with flippedgazelle my A620 is a gem compared to what you are experiencing. It has given me more than one damn good 16X20 print (done at a premium shop) so I'm really happy. I'd try to take your cam back to the store and get it replaced.

I have to admit I was wrong about Battery Life. Cause was the Rechargables.

Ive had a set of duracells in there for 3 weeks now and still has juice.

Everything else still stands including the whine sound in video mode. I did call canon and filed it so if i decide to let them take it apart, i should be ok.

I expected too much. If it had adjustable contrast i probably wouldve loved it. The thumb wheel couldve been made harder to turn and that wouldve fixed that.

cheers

Hmm........I've had a A610 since last Christmas & it has given me excellent pictures, both indoors & outdoors. I have wonderful pics of Family Christmas gathering & my son's wedding last April & have very good shots of our dog & a gathering of Monarch butterflieson an Oak tree in our yard recently. Wish I was more tech savvy, then I could post the pics, but am not. Sorry

In any case, as I stated......I am not an expert nor do I use all of the manual features & controls, but I do know & want quality pictures & I am getting that with my A610. Perhaps yours has some defects.

Beth