I have had my Canon Powershot A610 for a VERY long time, since maybe 2005. It has held up amazingly, from Alabama to Indiana to Texas to Florida and many places in-between, it has always done me well. I am not a camera guru by any means, I do not know what all of the settings are used for or how to use them, but I have taken many great pictures just on the auto setting. I am a HUGE fan of the swivel screen! It makes self-shots much more efficient (no more cropped heads or cutting people out). I also like to use the self timer feature. Using rechargeable batteries makes this camera extra convenient. Today, my camera bears a good bit of cosmetic damage. I did not take as great of care of it as I should have. It still works almost perfectly though. The only current problems I have with it is I occasionally get an error, do not recall which one but I do believe it involves the shutter not being able to open properly. The middle "ok" button also sometimes does not work correctly. I will probably retire this camera soon, and plan to upgrade to another Powershot. Had a great experience with the A610, I can only imagine how great the more current versions are! Battery Life With rechargeable ones! Portability Mine has lived in my purse for years

PiercedLady25

USA

I've taken so many great pictures with my Canon camera! It's so easy to use and so easy to transfer pictures to our computer with a USB cable. I resisted getting a digital camera for years because I was afraid I'd never use our film camera again. I was right! My only regret is that I didn't get this camera years sooner. I love the swivel screen - it allows me to take pictures at odd angles (and therefore take shots of unsuspecting subjects) and take self-portraits that actually turn out well. I also like the fact that it takes regular batteries. We keep 4 spare batteries in the case and I've never been unable to take photos. I use a 2G SD card and upload them to the computer regularly so I've never run out of space. I love how easy it is to turn off the flash quickly and the SCN mode allows me to take pictures of fast-moving objects or portraits without hassle. We bought our daughter and son-in-law the same camera (with a slightly larger viewfinder) and they love it too. We had a problem with it about a year after we bought it - the screen would just go black whenever we tried to take a picture. We sent it to Canon and they fixed it. Reading online we realized this was a common problem. We bought a refurbished model originally so it wasn't under warranty but Canon fixed it quickly. We haven't had any problems with it since.

scilisa

Marion, IA

When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child four and a half years ago, we decided to splurge and buy ourselves a digital camera for Christmas.  Up to then, I had been using a point and shot film camera, so this was a big leap for us.  I did quite a bit of research in deciding which camera to buy.  My priority was getting something reliable, functional and the best bang for my buck. I decided on the Canon powershot A610 because of all the good reviews and an assurance that it would meet our needs in capturing the special moments in our life.  I was not dissapointed.  The camera was excellent.  It took amazing photos, was quick in capturing a shot, and had great functionality in the swivel screen.  It has lasted me these four and a half years, captured many a special moment, and is still going strong.  I have had a few mishaps and now the lens shutter does not close, but it has not affected the overall performance of the camera and I still use it when those moments pop up.  I know I will be in the market for a new one soon, since it is a bit outdated, but until then I will be happy to continue to use my Canon Powershot A610.

Amanda6405

Placerville, CA

This is a great camera if all you want to do is leave it on automatic, point and shoot, AND it's also the best if you want to go completely manual, AND it also allows you to do a little in-between those two extremes: special settings galore, easy to use, and super comfortable to hold. It's not a tiny shirt-pocket camera, but it also takes better pictures because of that: more stable, and lets in more light. The best part is the var-angle, swing-out display screen, which allows you to take amazing macros right down on the ground, or crowd shots while holding it far above your head, and you can STILL SEE the picture you're getting on the screen! What's more, it's not a flimsy hinge; this thing went to Alaska, Niagara Falls, iceland, Gettysburg, and a whole lot of other places and has been swung in and out thousands and thousands of times, and still works beautifully. Why more camera models don't feature this vari-angle screen, I don't know. This model, the A610, only takes up to a 2G memory card, so that's why some people may prefer the A630. The A630 will take up to an 8 GB card, but for some reason, I think the A610 takes better pictures, especially when set to Automatic mode, which I'll do sometimes. I generally like to take indoor shots without a flash, and the A610 allows for incandescent, warm flourescent and cool flourescent lighting settings, so you can get an indoor shot without the overexposure of a flash. All around, this is my favorite point-and-shoot. Would recommend for novice or other.

sharonk81

Valley Stream, NY

This is a point and shoot camera and isn't meant to be compared to the higher end models. It doesn't take pictures like an expensive DSLR but the quality is what you would expect from this sort of camera. Quality photos are easy to point and shoot and download. We have taken this camera everywhere despite its rather bulky size. It is a little heavy but not to the point that it's difficult to use. Almost all of that weight comes from the batteries which are a definite plus. This camera does not come with a proprietary battery and being able to use ordinary rechargeable AA batteries has been very convenient. The battery life with good batteries is acceptable though it could always be better. The best thing about the camera is the detachable and adjustable viewing window which makes taking odd angle pictures very easy. A smaller camera can't do this and being able to hold the camera at weird angles while taking pictures has been very helpful on many occasions.

tonygxp

Fredericksburg, VA

  The **Canon - PowerShot A610 Digital Camera** is user friendly and produces great pictures right out of the box. I would'nt want another brand. My whole famiy, kids included and technology challenged wife, use this camera proficiently. We love the pictures involved.

tmccabe

Long Beach, CA

This is a great camera, and it also takes pretty good videos.  The only thing that has gone wrong is when my youngest child got a hold of it and broke the lens in the front that open and closes.  I went back to the camera shop and was told that it shouldn't cause any problems and so far he has been right.

kaylingrant

Jacksonville, FL

My Canon Power Shot A610 is the best camera I have ever had.  We have had a couple other digital cameras, but none compare to this one.  It is very easy to use and print the pictures.  you have so many options with this camera. 

wecare1

New Lebanon, OH

I've had the Canon PowerShot A610 for several years and it hasn't given me any major problems.  It focuses easily and shoots a great picture.  I rarely have trouble focusing on something close up, but when I do I can either zoom in from a distance or move around and that does the trick. I like how the screen folds in, keeping it safe from scratches when not in use.  It also comes in handy when I'm setting the self-timer so I can turn the screen around and easily set the camera to where I want it. The camera is somewhat heavy, but not to the extent it's uncomfortable.  The shape of the camera fits well in the hand and the buttons are well placed.  My fingers fit comfortably over the extension of the camera body on the front. It's easy to download pictures from the camera to my computer.  Depending on how many pictures I download, it can be done within a couple minutes.  It's very quick and straightforward! I wish the cover for the input/output on the camera wasn't pliable.  When I close it, I have to push its edges to make sure it closes all the way.  However, that's just a nitpicky observation which is fully outweighed by the pros of this camera, not the least of which is its ease of use! My camera came with a 16 MB memory card, so if you take a lot of pictures like I do before downloading them on to my computer, you'll want to get a bigger memory card.  I got a 256 MB card separately and it (usually) holds plenty of pictures. To conclude, I'm very pleased with the PowerShot A610!  It's a treat to take great pictures so easily!  I can certainly recommend this camera.

musicgirl

77414

This was my second digital camera. The quality of the pictures was excellent. Very clear photos and a lot of different features. The screen even flipped! This was a great camera... until it stopped working. A black screen type problem after I'd had it nearly a year and a half. From what I've read, Canon denies there is anything wrong with it, though the problem is quite widespread.

ladydaysday

Wentzville, MO