Review on 📷 Canon PowerShot A4000IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, 28mm Wide-Angle Lens, 720p HD Video Recording, 3.0-Inch LCD (Blue) - Improved SEO-friendly Version (OLD MODEL) by Sean Andrews

I was looking for something to replace my old Fuji 3800 FinePix, which has 3 megapixels and 6x optical zoom. The Fuji actually shoots very sharply (the main reason being the low, non-adjustable ISO setting of 100), but it's a little clunky. I wanted something compact, that I could slip in my shirt pocket and that wasn't expensive, but had a reasonable zoom and took at least as good photos as the Fuji. I think I found it in the Canon A4000. I've only been using it for about a week but am very happy with it. First, forget about using it in Auto mode, as it determines the ISO setting (what used to be called the ASA number for film). The higher the ISO, the grainier and less sharp the image. For normal photography you need to set the ISO to the lowest setting (100 for this camera). You do this by choosing P (programmed auto exposure) mode. Auto mode photos will be less sharp if the camera automatically sets the ISO above 100. Even though you can't set the ISO in auto mode, you know what the camera is selecting by half-pressing and holding the shutter button, and you can see its indicator in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Very often, despite the apparently well-lit situation, the photo is taken with an ISO above 100 in automatic mode, which explains the less sharp image than when it was taken in P mode with ISO 100. Of course in lower situations, you'll want to go for higher ISO settings to get the right exposure, even if the result isn't as sharp. The disadvantage of choosing the lowest ISO setting in P mode is that the shutter speed is often slower than in auto mode, which can result in blurry images. However, this should be compensated for by the automatic image stabilization function. Interestingly, despite the camera's 16 megapixel resolution, the image quality at ISO 100 is no better than my old Fuji with 3 megapixels. So I can't say I'm dissatisfied, although you'd expect photos with the A4000 to be more than 5x sharper than the old Fuji at more than 5x the pixel resolution. which tells me that the advertised number of megapixels is an exaggeration - I'm sure a lot depends on the camera's image processor (CMOS or CCD) and its other technical characteristics. In any case, for a little over a hundred euros, I have nothing to complain about and the photos are well sharp and the color reproduction is excellent. Plus, it fits comfortably and conveniently in a shirt pocket. I recommend it. By the way, the Canon Image Browser EX software that comes with the camera is fine and free. It's not Adobe Photoshop by any means, and it does have some nice features like image sharpening, but the ease of use is fair.