Canon's 2MP early-digital compact of 2002 — 3x zoom, manual exposure, CompactFlash and AA power
The Canon PowerShot A40 was a 2-megapixel digital compact launched in March 2002 alongside the 1.3-megapixel A30, part of the early Axx line that gave Canon's budget series manual control in a fairly chunky body. It sold for around US$400 new and added a microphone so movie clips could be recorded with sound, a first for the series.
It uses a 1/2.7-inch 2.0-megapixel CCD behind a 3x optical zoom covering a 35-105mm equivalent range. Alongside full auto it offers manual exposure and spot metering, a shutter range of 15 seconds to 1/1500, ISO 50-400, and 320x240 movie recording with sound. Images are stored on CompactFlash cards, framing uses an optical finder or the 1.5-inch LCD, and power comes from four AA batteries — around 500 shots with the LCD off on alkalines.
Today the A40 mostly interests early-digicam collectors and anyone exploring the low-resolution CCD look. The manual exposure options make it more capable than most 2MP compacts of its day, and AA power keeps it easy to run, but files are small by modern standards and the camera is slow to operate.
Used checks are straightforward: AA power means no proprietary battery worries, but confirm the battery contacts are corrosion-free. It takes CompactFlash, which is still obtainable though card readers are needed for transfer. Test the lens extends without errors, the LCD is free of bleed, and sample shots show no CCD streaking or dead columns.