Canon Powershot A495 review

Can one of Canon’s cheapest compacts outshoot its higher-spec competitors?

Despite Canon boasting a certain pedigree when it comes to affordable compacts, the A495 still needs to work hard to be competitive at this highly saturated end of the market. Coming almost exactly one year after its predecessor (the Powershot A480), the A495 offers a 10MP ½.3-inch sensor that features Canon's much-vaunted DIGIC III processor. While not fantastically wide, its 37-122mm equivalent (f3.0-5.8) 3.3x optical zoom lens still offers a decent mix of reach and range.  

Before we go much further let’s address the elephant in the room - the A495 isn't the most attractive compact in its price range. Its somewhat boxy housing is almost entirely composed of plastic, including the lens barrel and its protective shutter. Its large dimensions are almost certainly a product of Canon's decision to continue supporting AA batteries, two of which power the A495 and are accessed via a rear hatch which also houses the SD card slot. AV connectivity is catered for by way of a plastic cap on the right bezel that conceals power, mini-USB and a breakout connector for analogue output.

The top bezel is home to just the power and shutter buttons leaving just the rear face for the remaining controls which we found to be laid out logically and labelled clearly. The tilt zoom is relatively responsive (though the lens motor isn't anywhere as quiet as we'd like) and the transition between optical and digital zoom is clearly flagged with a momentary lag in zoom signalling a change of gear. Beneath the zoom lies the playback button for image preview and under this is the control pad containing a central function button surrounded four directional switches. While the layout leaves a lot to be desired aesthetically, the control scheme is thoughtfully spaced and tactile under the thumb making it easy to feel your way around the camera while concentrating on composition.

Macro, flash, exposure compensation and self-timer are all catered for on the control pad directional switches, leaving the scene modes and video functions to a separate button just below it. With 16 of the most common scene modes covered, along with full auto, program and VGA-resolution video at 30 frames per second there's no shortage of options at your disposal. Canon have been far from imaginative with the mix, but the list of features and their placement becomes second nature in a matter of moments.

Turning to image quality, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the A495 doesn't let us down. It's 80-1600 ISO range has quite a high barrier to entry for noise, even considering the auto-ISO mode tends to err on the side of caution as it raises the ISO to compensate for light conditions. It copes admirably with colour reproduction and images are relatively sharp across the frame. This demonstrates the real beauty of the A495 - it doesn't need to hide behind a façade of smooth lines and glossy finish because its end results speak volumes. Providing you’re able to work within its clearly defined limits you’ll ultimately find it a reliable and dependable option.

While the lens doesn't offer the kind of wide-angles we'd usually like, its macro skills aren't nixed by its affordability. With a 1cm shooting limit its possible to get incredibly close to your subject making the quality of the screen the limiting factor where it comes to pinpointing your perfect macro composition. The A495 found focus quickly and cleanly during our macro test and the results were punchy, clean and frankly more impressive than we would have ever expected.

There are of course areas where we would have liked to see improvements over its predecessor. Firstly, the battery life is quite brief – we certainly wouldn't take the A495 on a weekend break without at least another four AA batteries to hand. Anything more would definitely require a set of high-grade rechargeables, which isn't always terribly convenient.

Secondly the quality of its 2.5-inch screen is far from perfect. Its live view in low light conditions degrades quickly and its brightness, contrast and colour reproduction is far from accurate even when light is on your side. Where screen and battery life are concerned it’s hard to achieve one without compromising the other (and would be unfair to expect the Earth when the RRP is already being undercut to the tune of £30), making it a particular shame the A495 had to compromise both. That said, if you're more interested in decent and dependable results than an attractive slim-line chassis a super-deluxe 3-inch screen, then it doesn't get much better than Canon's A495.