Canon Powershot A480 Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

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Score 8.7/10 Read 72
customer reviews

+ This digital camera has no outstanding positive points. - It scores poorly on features.

£130 – £135 at 1 retailer out of 399 retailers checked

Canon Powershot A480: See full product description

Ease of use	8.8
Image quality	8.7
Features	8.0
Build Quality	8.2
Value for money	8.9
Overall rating	8.7

Some customer reviews of Canon Powershot A480

Most helpful reviews

Confirmed purchaser Keen amateur

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: Easy to use-my daughter, who usually takes a while to master technology, had this for her 11th birthday and she picked it up very quickly. Especially like the super macro function for taking close ups.
Bad points:: Battery life. It eats up AA batteries within minutes so now use rechargeable. Wish it had a proper rechargeable battery inside it to give longer life.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	8.0
Build Quality	7.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	8.0

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Confirmed purchase: 29 May 2010

Confirmed purchaser Point & shoot

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: Very easy for my 12 year old daughter to use. Excellent macro facility and video mode.
Bad points:: None that I have come across as yet!

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	10.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Confirmed purchase: 29 Jun 2010

Barrie, Preston Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Very good on Close up's
Bad points:: Cannon only allowing the features they offer if you sign up to share all information. Not too sure about the lens drive.

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	8.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	8.0
Value for money	9.0
Overall rating	9.0

Was this review helpful? 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 24 Jun 2010

Karen, Glasgow Point & shoot

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: I bought this camera for a family holiday in Orlando. It was excellent for our family snaps. It doesn't take up much room in your bag either. It takes AA batteries and they lasted for ages befor you had to replace them, unlike other cameras where you are changing the batteries every hour.

Great value for money.
Bad points:: None.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	10.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Confirmed purchase: 17 Jun 2010

Vanessa, Hatfield Point & shoot

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: It can in large the image of a face on the lcd screen so it makes it easy to take pictures.
Bad points:: The picture quality not brilliant but it does the job. A good handy snapper!

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	7.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	9.0
Overall rating	9.0

Was this review helpful? 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 17 Dec 2009

Confirmed purchaser Point & shoot

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: Easily understood instructions for use and linking to computer. Software recognised my old inkjet printer immediately so I bought some morre cartridges for it!
Bad points:: No carrying case which is a shame.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Confirmed purchase: 12 May 2010

mat, devon

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: easy to use
Bad points:: Reviewer left no comment

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	7.0
Build Quality	7.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	8.0

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Confirmed purchase: 12 Dec 2009

Read all 72 customer reviews

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This Canon Powershot A480 is reviewed on PC Advisor

This Canon Powershot A480 is reviewed on TechRadar

Product Features

Camera Type	Compact
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
Resolution (Megapixels)	10

Optical zoom ratio	3.3
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Optical zoom ratio	3
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen size (Inches)	2.5
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital zoom ratio	4
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	No
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Touchscreen	No
Touchscreen technology allows you to move and click things directly on the screen using your finger or a stylus pen.
3D	No

Colour	Red
The main colour of the product.
Colour	Silver
The main colour of the product.
Colour	Multi
The main colour of the product.
Colour	Blue
The main colour of the product.
Colour	Black
The main colour of the product.
Media format	SD Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media format	MMC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media format	SDHC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video recorder	Yes
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	No
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes

Weight (g)	140
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Body Only	Yes
dSLR cameras have detachable lenses and are sold in a variety of combinations. This facet lets you know whether the package your are considering comes bundled with a lens or whether it is just the body of the camera.
WiFi	No
Wifi allows you to connect your device to wireless routers or modems which allows you to connect to broadband internet.
Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/2000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/15
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Waterproof	No
If your camera is waterproof you will be able to film under water which is perfect for diving and snorkeling.
Viewfinder	LCD Monitor
USB port	No
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components.
USB port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components.
Dimensions (mm)	62x92.1x31.1
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Dimensions (mm)	92x62x31
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
RAW Format	No
GPS Receiver	No

Resolution (Pixels)	3648x2736
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f-3-5.8
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f3-5.8
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
In-built memory (Megabytes)	32

Release date	2009-02-03
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.
Height in mm	6.2

Width in mm	92.1

Depth in mm	3.1

Serial Shot Mode	Yes
Bluetooth	No
Bluetooth is a technology for the wireless transfer of data such as contacts, photos and music between mobile phones, computers and a host of other Bluetooth enabled devices. Read more about Bluetooth on Wikipedia
Autofocus	Yes
Changeable Lens	No
Highest focal length (Millimetres)	122

Lowest focal length (Millimetres)	37

Also known as: Powershot A480, Canon A480

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

Manufacturer's Description

Affordable, intuitive and fun, the PowerShot A480 uses Canon know-how to let everyone take great 10 MP photos. Available in four colours, its compact, lightweight design slips easily into any pocket. Features

10.0 MP
Compact, easy to use, lightweight design in four colour variations*
3.3x optical zoom
DIGIC III
15 shooting modes
1cm Macro shooting
Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB
Auto Red-Eye Correction
Motion Detection Technology
2.5 LCD
VGA and LP movies

Fun, pocket-sized and totally intuitive.

10.0 Megapixels
With a 10 Megapixel sensor, you can capture every scene in vivid detail ready for printing at sizes as large as A3+, or cropping to perfection without losing the detail necessary for larger prints.

Compact and colourful
Small and light enough to slip into a pocket, the PowerShot A480 has a classic, stylish design that feels great in the hand. Controlled by a simple button layout, it comes in a choice of four attractive colours.*

3.3x optical zoom
Frame every picture perfectly with a Canon 3.3x optical zoom. In combination with digital zoom, magnification of up to 13x can be achieved.

DIGIC III
As well as powering Face Detection Technology, Canons DIGIC III processor provides fast response times, superb image quality and colour reproduction. DIGIC III also delivers advanced noise reduction ensuring that images remain sharp and clear.

15 shooting modes
A selection of shooting modes – including dedicated Kids & Pets and Indoor modes – make it easy to get the right settings for any scene. Simply select the mode you want, and let the camera take care of everything else.

1cm Macro shooting
A special 1cm Super Macro mode allows you to capture small scale detail from as close as 1cm away.

Great people shots
A suite of Face Detection technologies detects up to nine faces in a scene and adjusts focus, exposure, flash settings and white balance for optimal results with natural-looking skin tones.

Auto Red-Eye Correction
Available in shooting or playback mode, Automatic Red-Eye Correction accurately removes the red-eye effect caused by flash.

Motion Detection Technology
Motion Detection Technology uses changes in scene information and scene brightness to accurately identify subject motion. The optimal ISO level is then automatically set, to minimise blur and maximise image quality.

2.5 LCD
Framing, reviewing and sharing shots are equally easy with a bright 2.5 LCD. Night Display mode aids visibility in low light, while a selectable Grid Line display helps with composition.

VGA and LP movies
Supplement your photos with smooth, 30fps VGA video clips. A special Long Play mode lets you store twice the regular amount of footage on your memory card.

Product		Retailer	Price	Total price	Buy now
Featured retailer “Purchases from third party sellers guaranteed under Amazon's "A-to-Z Safe Buying" AND at great prices”	Canon Powershot A480 Digital Camera - Red (10 MP, 3.3x Optical Zoom) 2.5 inch LCD Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£130 free delivery	£130	Go In stock
	Canon Powershot A480 Digital Camera - Black (10MP, 3.3x Optical Zoom) 2.5 inch LCD Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£130 + £5 delivery	£135	Go In stock
	Canon Powershot A480 Digital Camera - Silver (10 MP, 3.3x Optical Zoom) 2.5 inch LCD Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£130 + £5 delivery	£135	Go In stock