Digital Cameras Specialty Digital Cameras

What's the best reason for buying a digital camera? They say, there are only two big reasons why people buy anything. The first is to avoid pain, and the second is to gain pleasure. Assuming that your not considering buying a Canon PowerShot A460 digital camera to avoid pain, let's consider what pleasure could be gained from buying the A460. The pleasure of capturing life's memorable moments for posterity. The pleasure of creating art with the perfect shot of a sunset over the Misty Mountains. The pleasure of showing off your brilliant photography to all your admiring friends. Before we get too far Zen though, there are some things you should know before you rush off to buy a Canon A460.

The A460 looks like a bit of a throw back to my original digital camera. A Canon PowerShot S40 (circa 2001). The small LCD 2 inch LCD screen, and the sliding lens cap / power switch are almost identical designs. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I still use my S40. It's got some nice features that seem to be missing on many of todays digital cameras. Decent rechargeables, and a solid / sturdy feeling body. The one thing that has changed over the years, is image quality.

Considering, that the A460 only goes to a maximum of ISO 400, you would think that photos taken would be fairly noise free. In reality, image noise seems to be a step behind the competing products. ISO 100 images from the PowerShot A460 seem like they were shot at 200 or 400 setting. Things have improved over the years with image noise reduction in most camera models, but unfortunately the A460 hasn't quite kept up.

Another piece of new technology missing from the A460, is image stabilization. Image stabilization is pretty common fare on even the most basic of digital cameras these days. It's nice for anyone with shaky hands. Even for those with a rock solid grip, image stabilization can make the difference between a perfect shot, and one that's just a bit too blurry even for PhotoShop.

If your still intent on buying a PowerShot A460, here's a couple other considerations to keep in mind:

- flash recharge time is excruciatingly slow

- the zoom control buttons are shared with other functions

- movie are shot at 10 fps VGA or 30fps at QVGA

- a bit too big to fit in your pants

If I was feeling a bit nostalgic, I might just buy a Canon A460 for the right price. Otherwise, I'd have to take a pass. If I was writing this piece a few years ago, my recommendation might be different. But I'm not. Fear not though gentle reader, as there are more digital cameras at great prices available then your dog could shake a stick at. Keep looking, you'll find value for your money.