Canon PowerShot A710 IS review

When people ask us to recommend a camera, we usually ask whether they want one that's small and easy to use or one with advanced controls and a big zoom.

But why should you have to choose? There's no reason why a camera can't have fantastic image quality, accessible, comprehensive controls, fast performance and a big zoom, all wrapped up in a compact case. Surprisingly few manufacturers have attempted to build such a camera, usually disregarding at least one of the above in a bid to cater for a specific type of user. However, Canon's A710 IS appears on paper as if it might just have it all, which is tantalising considering the sub-£200 price.

Admittedly, a few corners have been cut to bring the A710 IS in at this price, but they're in areas with minimal impact on the user experience or the resulting pictures. The plastic body isn't that glamorous and, at 210g, it isn't ultra-compact. The use of AA batteries means you'll need to spend more on rechargeable batteries, but this does make it cheaper and easier to carry spares.

Around the back, there's an optical viewfinder and a 21/2in screen. Despite the latter's 115,000-pixel resolution, manual focus works well. There aren't many dedicated single-function buttons, but Canon's well-conceived menus mean that key functions are close to hand, including shutter speed and aperture controls during priority and manual exposure modes.

Performance is up to scratch. The camera captured a picture just 11/2 seconds after switching on, and again every two seconds. Continuous mode captured at 1.7 frames per second (fps) and browsing pictures stored on SD card was seriously quick. The flash was slow to recharge, though, taking around four seconds, and longer when the batteries were on their last legs.

Image quality was more variable. Colours in most of our test photos were hard to fault, with the camera favouring natural rather than flattering tones and coping well with artificial light. However, Auto mode produced underexposed shots in low light, while Program mode resorted to blur-inducing long shutter speeds. A High ISO option remedied the situation in both instances, but its function isn't clearly labelled for casual users. The worst offender was flash photography, where uneven flash dispersion resulted in heavy underexposure towards the top and bottom of pictures at wide-angle zoom settings.

Images compared well for sharpness and detail against other 7-megapixel cameras' output. However, we noticed some chromatic aberration, resulting in a blue fringe around sharp, bright objects towards the right edge of pictures. Noise started creeping into the shadows at the ISO 100 setting and became invasive at ISO 400, though this and the maximum ISO 800 setting were usable for when low light demanded them.

The highlight of this camera is its 6x zoom lens. Optical image stabilisation is included to counteract blur from camera shake - a problem that's exacerbated by big zooms. We shot with a 1/15 shutter speed at the full telephoto zoom extension and achieved a 30 per cent success rate in capturing a sharp photo. This might not sound like much, but a zero per cent result is pretty much guaranteed without image stabilisation. For less-challenging situations such as wide-angle shots and telephoto photography in bright conditions, most shots suffered no signs of blur.

The A710 IS promises everything we look for in a compact camera, and nearly delivers. It lacks only fantastic image quality, but still manages to be above average in this regard, which by today's standards isn't much cause for concern. With a well-conceived set of features and an aggressively low price, it will suit many who don't want to choose between compactness and versatility.