A recent article in Forbes, “Digital Cameras for the Road,” got me thinking about another strategy for selecting just the right digital camera for a family that can be hard on its gadgets: Don’t spend a lot. Then, should it need replacing, we won’t have to eat macaroni for a month. In fact, author Michael Patrick Brady recommends a specific model: The Canon PowerShot A470.

The A470 is fairly small — 4.2 inches by 2.2 inches by 1.6 inches and weighs less than six ounces without the battery or media card. It runs on two AA batteries. It shoots up to 7.4 megapixel resolution and has a 3.4 optical zoom.

You can choose from four colors, gray, blue, red and orange. And it includes something called the “Print/Share” button, which makes for easy printing and downloading. The software runs on Windows and Mac computers.

Two reviewers call the camera a bit “bulky” or “clunky.” But wcorman bought it for a 10-year-old who is having “a great time with it.” Bhagwan from CA says the picture quality is “very good” outdoors and the LCD is “bright and sharp.”

All in all, a nice little camera in a fairly modest price range ($109.50 to $163.99). Next time I’ll check out another comparably priced camera to see if this one can be beat.

Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by dian