The Canon Powershot A610

A Forgotten Gem!

Oh what a camera this was! I have used a lot of cameras since and in my opinion this was the perhaps best compact ever made. I was rapt with it at the time, (2005), but it wasn't until a couple of years later that it became clear that it was really a high water mark for compacts. Everything since has been far inferior in terms of image quality, although photographer's compacts were making a comeback in 2010 with the G11, LX3, S90 and EX1.

At the time I was a little self deprecating about this gem with respect to SLRs because I didn't own one and didn't realise the problems they have. Now that I have had significant experience with various digital SLRs I am more sanguine. Yes, in some areas, such as low-light and narrow DoF shots, the SLR can do what the A610 could not, the same goes for shots requiring specialty lenses such as true macro and telephoto, but for most everyday applications, so long as you don't need a poster sized output or 50% crop, this camera produces as good a result as a quality SLR. Not only that, but in some respects, such as reliable focus and great DoF, it actually outperforms any SLR.

There were other cameras around at the time that had superior specs, in particular the G3 (2002), G5 (2003) and G6 (2004) which preceded this unit, all of which had an f/2.0 lens and the ability to shoot raw. I own a G5, and although the fast lens is a great boon, sadly the sensor is inefficient compared with that of the A610 (discounting the lens advantage), the auto focus is less reliable and the Digic 1 is much slower than the Digic 2, making photography less responsive. In the end, despite the G5's superior specs the A610 took the better pictures.

The compact digicams that came after the A610 all fell victim to the megapixel race offering too much resolution on too small a sensor. The image quality of all these is inferior.

Sadly, after 18 months and 7,000 shots it ceased working. A sensor/lens module fault that many, (perhaps most?), of these cameras developed around the same time. Thanks Canon! Cost to fix was half the price of the camera. Too much! So I moved on to SLRs. But at times I miss this great little unit and wish I had a little compact that worked like the A610. Due to the idiot megapixel race such a camera doesn't exist, although in 2010 the S90 was getting close.

Anyway, for those lucky enough to have owned the A610 here is a reminder of what made it such a great camera:

It had the flip-out, articulated screen. For above the crowd shots, low-down shots, glare avoidance and self portraits this was simply brilliant. Believe me, this was truly useful. Few cameras have this fantastic system now.
It gave the photographer as much control as he wished over all the main parameters, all the way from full auto to full manual. It even had a custom mode like some pro SLRs, really useful! The only thing missing was raw, but you could get this with a 3rd party bios add on.
It had the 1/1.8" sensor producing 5 MP, a pixel pitch of 7.6 µm2, not far from my ideal compact pitch of 9 µm2. This pitch was only equaled by a very few compacts at the time and by none since, and is the main reason for the unit's unbeaten, class leading IQ.
It had a lens that opens to f/2.8. Well most compacts do, but the amateur has no idea that this is quite fast! Look at the prices on SLR f/2.8 zooms. They are the Pro gear dude!
It had an optical viewfinder. Don't underestimate the importance of this. Sure it's only a little optical tunnel unit but it was clear enough and you could use it with ease out in the hot sun where an LCD screen is unreadable. If you live in a hot, sunny place like Australia, you NEED an optical viewfinder! Few compacts today have this facility.
It took 4 NiMH AA batteries, so you got cheap battery replacement, fast flash recycle time and around 500 shots before recharging. This also gave the camera a useful bulge to hang on to and a more satisfying weight than today's lighter crap. Excellent!
It had the Digic 2 processor. Processor speed has increased since but this was fast enough to do the job, and lag was never an issue.
It had a quality 3x zoom lens. Sure, this is just par for the course, and for good reason: 3x gives the lens designer the chance to maintain low distortion throughout and keep the cost down. It would have been nice had the lens been a little wider, but that is true for most compacts. At all focal lengths the lens was sharp and geometric distortion well under control.

In March 2006 it was available for $200 US and $370 AU. Most of these features were not available in its competition in the price range, making it a clear class leader at the time. Today you can't buy a compact with these features no matter what you pay.

Announced August 2005, discontinued February 2006.
A short life but a sweet one.
RIP.

Most of these features were deleted by Canon on the replacement models in order to keep costs down. Most deplorably they went to a smaller sensor with more MPs, so it was goodbye to the excellent picture quality, at least in low light.

Sad for those who come after, but good for those of us lucky enough to buy this while it was around.

Anyhow... you can sift through my galleries and check out the shots I have taken with this little camera. (Hint: Look for the earlier shots).
Naturally I only put my best up here, they're not all this good!

BTW. Canon don't provide ISO data in their EXIF if the aperture is set automatically, (as most of these are), but you can assume it is 50 or 100.