Canon PowerShot A20Canon's "value priced" 2 megapixel camera has 3x zoom, takes great pictures!<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 5/10/2001 |
Video Out
The Video Out signal is adjustable to PAL or NTSC through the Setup menu. US
and Japanese models are packaged with an NTSC video cable and European models
come with the appropriate PAL cable, for connection to a television. Once connected,
the A20 uses the television as an enlarged LCD monitor, allowing you to compose
and playback images. The only exception is the Stitch-Assist mode, which does
not work with the video display.
Power
The PowerShot A20 is powered by four AA batteries, either alkaline or rechargeable
NiMH. Canon recommends using only the Canon CBK100 charger and rechargeable
NiMH batteries (available as an option), or standard alkaline batteries. According
to the literature, any other type of battery may overheat the camera or cause
explosions or leaks. (We used other NiMH brands with no noticeable problems.)
Four AA alkaline batteries accompany the camera, but we highly recommend picking
up a couple of sets of rechargeable NiMH batteries and keeping a spare set freshly
charged at all times. Canon estimates that a freshly charged set of Canon NB-1AH
AA NiMH batteries should record roughly 350 shots with the LCD monitor on, or
1,000 shots with the LCD off (or provide 240 minutes of playback time). Canon's
runtime numbers were well supported by the power consumption we measured. (See
below.) A red battery icon flashes in the LCD display whenever the batteries
are getting low.
Because the A20 offers an optical viewfinder as well as an LCD monitor, you
can operate the camera more efficiently without the LCD monitor in use. While
an information display automatically appears on the LCD screen whenever a control
button is pressed (even when the LCD monitor is turned off), the display quickly
disappears a few seconds after the adjustment is made. There's also an Auto
Power Down feature, enabled through the Setup menu, which turns off the camera
after a few minutes of inactivity. Canon offers an optional AC Adapter Kit for
connection to the camera's DC In jack and a standard electrical power supply.
This is highly recommended for time-consuming tasks such as downloading images
to a computer.
The A20 also uses a CR2016 lithium battery to power its internal clock. If the
LCD monitor displays the Set Date/Time menu when the camera is powered on, the
CR2016 battery is running low.
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| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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The PowerShot A20 used a bit less power than average among 2 megapixel cameras we've tested. With a high-capacity set of AA NiMH rechargeable batteries, we'd estimate nearly three hours of runtime in capture mode with the LCD on, and easily four hours in playback mode. This is excellent battery life, but we (as always) still suggest always packing along a second set of batteries.
About Batteries
We've gotten so many emails about power issues for digicams, that we're now inserting this standard notice in the reviews of all AA-powered cameras on our site: Don't even *think* about using alkaline AA batteries in a digicam! Despite their being packed in the box with many cameras, they simply don't have the juice to handle typical digicam demands. (Even the "high power" ones the battery manufacturers say are designed for devices like digital cameras.) Spend the $35-40 or so it takes to get a set (or two) of high-capacity NiMH rechargeable batteries and a good charger! The few dollars up front will save you literally hundreds of dollars in the long run, not to mention the hassle of wimpy batteries running out in the middle of the action. We suggest you buy two sets of batteries, so one can always be in the charger, ready to go, and so have two sets available for longer excursions. Good brands of batteries include Maha (our favorite), GP, Kodak, and Nexcell. Also, buy the highest capacity AAs the manufacturer makes, the few extra dollars for the extra capacity is usually well worth it. Getting a good charger is critical though, almost more so than buying good batteries. We recommend the Maha C-204F (see the photo at right), the charger we use the most in our own studio. - Read our review of it for all the details. Or, just click here to buy one, you won't regret it.
Included Software
Packaged with the A20 is a software CD containing Canon's Digital Camera Solution Disk Version 4.0, which is compatible with Windows 95/98/98SE/2000/Me/NT 4.0 and Macintosh OS 8.1 or higher. The Solution Disk software provides an image browser tool that handles image downloading, manages files (displays, moves, copies, etc.), sets up images for printing, and allows you to set up images for e-mail. The included PhotoStitch software allows you to connect panoramic sequence images by automatically arranging them in the correct order. The software also assists with cropping and alignment. A Remote Capture utility allows you to operate the camera from the computer and control various exposure features remotely. Remote Capture also offers a time-lapse function, which takes a series of still images at specified intervals.
In the Box
Packaged with the PowerShot A20 are the following items:
- WS-200 Wrist strap
- Four AA alkaline batteries
- VC-100 NTSC video cable (PAL for European models)
- IFC-300PCU Interface USB cable
- 8MB CompactFlash Type I memory card
- Software CD containing Canon Solution Disk Version 4 software
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