Canon Powershot A75 Digital Camera

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Canon Powershot A75 Digital Camera Review

by Paul Jasper

A light, compact, budget-priced camera, the PowerShot A75 comes packed with features.

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The $299 PowerShot A75 is a neat little camera. With a bulge on the left side that makes it easy to grip, it comes with features you usually find on cameras costing hundreds more, such as aperture- and shutter-priority modes, manual focus, white-balance calibration, and optional wide and teleconverter adapter lenses. It has 12 scene modes to suit almost any situation, from the beach to the mountains--and even underwater with an optional enclosure.

The successor to the PowerShot A70, the A75 offers an LCD screen size that's a bit larger at 1.8 inches (up from 1.5 inches). Canon has fixed a number of our quibbles with the earlier model, such as not being able to adjust the power-saving settings. The A75 also adds Canon's new Print/Share button, which glows blue when you connect to a PC or to a PictBridge-compatible printer. You use menus on the camera's LCD screen to set options for transfer or printing, and then you press the Print/Share button when you are ready to go.

However, whereas the earlier A70 performed well in our image-quality tests, the PowerShot A75 came out near the bottom of the class, earning an overall output score of just Fair. This 3.2-megapixel camera was unable to render crisp images--a problem most apparent in our resolution and outdoor tests. Colors in our daylight-balanced still-life photo looked good, but the focus seemed a bit off. Using flash, the A75 reproduced our model with colors that were bright but also slightly off. We took the camera out for some informal shooting, and in most cases it produced agreeable colors. Focus, however, was just as unpredictable as in our formal tests. A close-up of flowers had fine detail, while some shots of backyard scenes looked soft.

Like the other Canon cameras we've reviewed, the A75 has a better than average software bundle--a selection of Canon imaging utilities and ArcSoft's Camera Suite--and a thorough, easy-to-read set of documentation.

Upshot: Underwhelming image quality aside, the PowerShot A75 gives you a lot for your money. It's an easy-to-carry, go-everywhere kind of model.

Paul Jasper

User Reviews for Canon Powershot A75 Digital Camera

Reviewed by: ca4niagrl

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: For the first year, the camera worked great, easy to use

Weaknesses: Multiple problems with shutter sticking to black lines across LCD that never resolved

Overall Evaluation: Less than a year after receiving this camera for my birthday, the shutter began sticking, so I sent it in to Canon for repair. When I received it back, that problem was fixed but it had a new problem. There were black lines that would appear across the LCD when I would try to take a picture. When this happened, the picture would be distorted. I sent it in for repairs a second time and when I got it back from Canon it worked for a short period of time but then the same problen reappeared. I sent it in a third time for repair and again it worked for a short period of time and the same exact problem reappeared again. After having sent it in three times and the same problem coming back, I was so frustrated I gave up. I spent more time and money sending it in for repairs and hardly got to use the camera. What was most frustrating is that they couldn't get it fixed right. I recently bought a Canon SD450 with a four year performance warranty through the store so that I don't have to deal with Canon directly. Their service dept is inept!
Reviewed by: galli62

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Ease of use. Ergonomics. Small size. Uses AA batteries. Great photos.

Weaknesses: Battery door and CF door a bit flimsy. Make sure you slide out the Compact Flash door straight out, or it' can turn strangely to the side and have a danger of breaking. I'm careful.

Overall Evaluation: I decided to take the plunge and finally get a digital camera. I'm taking pictures again. My bulky old Pentax K100, with it's many lenses, is a pain if you want to shoot casually. I mostly get print 4x6 prints, so I figured a 3.2 megapixel would be just fine. I have yet to test out larger size prints. But, I'm sure the 3.2 would hold up well as an 8x10, if shot at the largest resolution and in the best compression mode. This camera is larger than the ultra compact models, but it's still small enough to take with me everywhere with the little case I bought for it. I'd highly recommend buying rechargeable batteries since it eats regular alkalines in a matter of hours. I got a Rayovac 15 -minute charger and additional batteries. They last quite a while. I keep additional 4 rechargeables at the ready in my camera bag. This camera also has some manual controls which I appreciate since I like to experiment. Auto mode would probably suit most people. You get quite a few additional modes...I like using the panoramic one and then stitch the photos together with the included software. This camera has many great features for its low price. I've only used the mini movie mode once, it's fun, I don't expect to use that very often. I love how this camera fits in my hands. I also bought an additional 256 cf card. The 32 mg that comes with the camera isn't adequate, especially when you're snapping away like crazy. To reviewers who complain about shutter lag time, just do this little trick: Press the shutter until the focus locks and then press completely when you 'really' want to take the picture. The shutter trips almost instantaneously then. Most of the lag is caused by the camera's auto focus. I tried many cameras in this pixel and price range before deciding on the A75. I have little to complain about with this camera. I LOVE it!

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