Review on 📷 Canon PowerShot A2600 16.0 MP Digital Camera: 5x Optical Zoom, 720p Full HD Video Recording, Red (OLD MODEL) by Joshua Albright

We bought the A2600 as a budget camera to complement our Canon PowerShot S100 compact digital camera. The A2600 is a great point and shoot camera that works well and produces high quality images. This is a step up from the A2500, which increases the size of the rear LCD from 2.7 to 3 inches (diagonal) and adds face recognition capabilities. It feels strong and light and weighs about 5 ounces. (S100 weighs 7 ounces). A2600 has two recording modes: automatic and program; It lacks advanced modes like manual mode and the preferred aperture and shutter speed modes found in pricier compact cameras, which is normal for this tier of cameras. Overall, given the lower price and knowing this isn't my main full-range camera, I'm happy with the performance and photo quality. General Comments: The 3 inch (2-3/8" x 1-3/4") LCD screen is bright and sharp and easy to read in daylight. Also, darker scenes are rendered with enough detail (albeit very grainy) to frame the frame. The lens exhibits slight barrel distortion at wide, medium and 5x zoom. comparable to the S100 lens. Zoom range (35mm equivalent): Optical 28-140mm, up to 560mm equivalent with optional digital zoom. Auto mode detects what type of image you're capturing (people? bright/dark scene? motion?) and adjusts exposure and focus quickly and correctly. In program mode, you can easily adjust exposure (via Exposure Compensation) and image quality (ASA, image contrast). on more expensive cameras, as well as several special effects modes. non on the A2600 product page under Brochures and Manuals. Pros: After reading the quick start guide, basic operation was easy. The manual contains more detailed information, in particular on the "Auto" and "Program" modes. The color saturation looks good, comparable to the best S100. The color of the picture looked realistic and accurate. I saw little or no chromatic aberration such as R, G or B bleeding on high contrast edges. I like the flash and the fact that it's not a popup. It's bright enough to provide good fill lighting in bright environments and provides good, even lighting for low-light scenes without blowing them out. With movies, the lens can be zoomed in during recording. The zoom works smoothly, but the zoom motor is carried away by the microphone. The record button on the back makes starting a movie quick and easy. You can "stop" the recording with the shutter button, it's easier than stopping with the record button. Cons: Maximum ASA equivalent is 1600 (6400 in "Low Light" mode - grainy). The image will be "noisy" (looks grainy and blurry) in typical indoor lighting conditions when operating the camera with an ASA 800 or 1600. This is due to the 16MP sensor - a 10-12MP sensor will usually give better results. So picture quality is decent, but not fantastic in low light. A bit of grainy noise is also seen at ASA 250, resulting in a slight loss of clarity, fine detail, and edge definition. Post-capture image processing is much slower than the S100. After pressing the button, it takes 2 seconds for the camera to be ready for the next shot (tested with settings 8MB (M1) and 16MB (L).) S100 takes less than 1 second. Many of the fancier features are hidden in the menu, making these modes less likely to take time to use. You probably won't switch to Low Light mode to capture someone blowing out a candle in a dark room, but take a risk with Program or Auto modes. Luckily, these easily accessible modes deliver excellent results in most cases. When recording movies, lens noise (slight scratching and hissing) is heard during recording. The microphone is in the center of the top of the camera, just above the lens. Zoom switch "clicks" can also be recorded. Summary: This camera is a great point-and-shoot and has enough "automatic" features to let you focus on your composition. It's not the best camera for printing large posters, but it's great for email, small photos, calendars, photo books, and even 8" x 10" pictures. Have fun with the camera - take your own test shots in the different modes you are likely to use and find the quickest way to get the shot you want.