Canon PowerShot A650 IS Digital Camera - Silver (12.1MP, 6x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD (Electronics)

Moved from Olympus to Canon Very pleased with my A650 IS. Very good value for money performance well outside tis price bracket. My favourite features are the quick start-up and the excellent battery life. I agree with the other reviewers that it is a bit plasticky and I think that the silver finish is largely to blame. To me it looks cheap and it certainly scratches easily. A friend has the previous model (can't remember the number) in black which looks fresher than mine. The basic controls are fairly intuitive, but reading the user manual is a must to get any use out of the variety of features. It would be better if the memory card could be removed without opening the battery door, as this usually causes me to drop the batteries. The USB lead is a standard size however and worked rapidly for me on XP without the need to install any software. For me the drawbacks to this model are few; overall very pleased.

Practical priorities but still GREAT pictures! I've been using the Powershot A 650 IS pretty constantly for the last 8 weeks and must say I didn't expect such quality results. My initial reasons for purchasing the 12.1 pixel compact was the swivel screen (not to watch from different angles but to put out of harms way when not working), the optical viewfinder for sunny days (when the screen can't be seen anyway)and the use of AA batteries instead of the expensive ion ones. I was aware of the experts' reservations; a tricky battery compartment (which I don't have a problem opening), bulkiness and high noise levels at faster ISO settings. All these seem a small price to pay for a camera that challenges the specs of a lot of DSLRs let alone other compacts. The colour and sharpness is wonderful and the flexible controls allow you to get great pictures in "most" situations. I find the camera VERY comfortable to hold and easy to manipulate. I've even had nice results with the 3200ISO mode when everything else failed late at night. The battery life(with rechargeable AAs) is superb and the detail allows you to blow up photos well beyond A4 size. Altogether, I've found the camera to be a thoroughly satisfying purchase

Great camera After visiting many websites and looking at reviews I decided to go with the A650. OK I didn't need the 12MP but as a buddy photographer I liked the fact that I could point and shoot or if I was feeling creative I could switch to fully manual, just like the digial SLRs but without the bulk (and expense). I'm really pleased with the shots that I've taken so far and the performance of the camera is great - quick start up, low shutter lag, etc. I really like the fact that I can move the screen to different angles and the video playback is good. My only concern is the build - it does feel a bit plastic however very robust. I really do recommend for anyone that is looking for something a little more than a point and shoot. The Crumpler Crisp-e 950 is a good camera bag

Gorgeous (little) camera I am very happy with this camera. The image quality is good at low ISO. The lens, features, and LCD are all good. I chose this instead of the Canon Powershot G9 partially because this was £80 cheaper with most of the same features. The main features this camera is missing are RAW and auto-bracketing, things I can live without. The camera is I admit a bit plasticky, not as solid as my Canon IXUS 850 IS, but if treated carefully this shouldnt be a problem!

From Pentax A30 to Canon A650 IS This is a super camera for beginners and experts, everything comes together in one package. Optical viewfinder or swing out LCD display, great for sunny days, no reflection to worry about. Buy an SDHC 4GB card and you have a video camera as well. Need extra lenses, you can have them. This camera is not light weight but it is compact. Cons. The main handbook is on the CD, this cuts down the cost of the camera as it is not printed, so you need a computer to explore its potential. Try it, then buy it.