The Canon PowerShot range further expands with the introduction of the A495 and A490 models. Both affordable and user-friendly, these everyday use compact cameras replace the already popular Canon A480 – which we here at WDC awarded 90% for its excellent offerings at an affordable price point.
Both models offer 10MP, 3.3x optical zoom, Smart Auto mode and a 2.5in LCD screen. The main difference between the two models is the colour – the A490, exclusive to Argos, is available in silver, whereas the A495 is available in red or blue.

Smart Auto mode is designed for effortless shooting, where the camera automatically detects the scene at hand and adjusts to the correct exposure mode accordingly. The A495 can detect 18 scenes compared to the A490’s 13 scenes. i-Contrast technology, part of Smart Auto, detects difficult lighting conditions, ensuring both light and dark areas are captured in detail.

Face Detection technology, now a common standard on many compact cameras, is taken up a notch. The Canon A495 and A490 are both capable of recognising multiple faces and exposing accordingly. Red-eye Correction detects and removes red-eye without the need to faff around in post production, and a clever FaceSelf-Timer (A495 only) simplifies group shots by waiting until an additional face enters the frame before beginning a two second timer to shot.

Beyond stills, both models feature a video mode, which captures at a VGA resolution with sound. Add a YouTube upload function, and sharing images becomes a breeze.

And, what with it being 2010, both models are compatible with not only SD and SDHC cards, but also new/forthcoming SDXC cards – the latter due to offer capacities of up to 2TB (yup, 2000GB).
The Canon PowerShot A495 is available from February 2010, priced at £140; the Canon PowerShot A490 is available exclusively on sale at Argos, price TBC.