Canon PowerShot A495 review

If you like taking close-up macro shots, the A495 is a great option for the money. You can get very close -- down to 10mm -- and the autofocus seems improved compared to that of the A480, which struggled to properly focus.

The movie mode shoots at a VGA resolution only, with no use of the optical zoom while recording. The video quality is on a par with that of a standard-definition pocket camcorder. It's fine for shooting a quick clip to post online, but not much else.

Slow off the mark
The A495's performance, although not dreadfully slow, is still sluggish. It takes 2 seconds for the camera to go from off to capturing its first shot. Shutter lag is rather long in bright lighting conditions at 0.6 seconds from pressing the release to capturing a shot. In dim lighting, the shutter lag is 1 second. Shot-to-shot times are mediocre, at 2.9 seconds without flash, jumping to a lengthy 6.7 seconds with it on. The camera's continuous-shooting time is only 0.6 frames per second. Basically, if you're hoping to catch shots of an active toddler, an athlete in action or a fast-moving pet, this camera isn't a good option.

The A495's photo quality is excellent for the money, and actually better than that of some more-expensive models. It produces the best results below ISO 200 -- pictures are sharp with plenty of fine detail. But, even at ISO 800, noise and noise suppression are well balanced, making prints of 4 by 6 inches possible. When photos are viewed at 100 per cent, you'll see noise, particularly in darker areas of photos. It's nothing that would prevent us from recommending this camera, however.

The lens has minor barrel distortion at its widest position and no discernable pincushion distortion when zoomed out. Centre sharpness is very good, although there is some softness in the very corners. The amount of purple fringing in high-contrast areas is average for the camera's class: it's visible when photos are viewed at full size, but unlikely to destroy a photo.

The A495's colours are great. Blues are a touch lighter than they should be, but others are close to accurate, as well as being bright and pleasing. Exposure is generally very good, although clipped highlights aren't out of the question.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Time to first shot

Typical shot-to-shot time (flash)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon PowerShot A490

2 

7.1 

2.9 

1 

0.6 

Canon PowerShot A495

2 

6.7 

2.9 

1 

0.6 

Casio Exilim EX-Z33

2.5 

3.3 

2.9 

1 

0.8 

Nikon Coolpix S220

2.2 

3.3 

3 

1.3 

0.8 

Pentax Optio E70

2.4 

4.2 

3.3 

1.2 

0.6 

Conclusion
If you're strapped for cash and want a pocket camera, the Canon PowerShot A495 is certainly worth the money for its photos alone. But, if you're not too bothered about having the A495's extra shooting modes and so on, save £15 and get the A490.

Additional editing by Charles Kloet