Canon's mid-range A-series compact — 5MP CCD, 4x zoom, vari-angle LCD, manual modes, AA power.
The PowerShot A610 was a mid-range compact in Canon's AA-powered A-series, announced in August 2005 and on sale from October that year as the replacement for the PowerShot A95. It launched alongside the 7-megapixel A620 and brought enthusiast-style handling to Canon's budget digital line during the peak of the compact camera era.
It used a 5.0-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD behind a 4x optical zoom covering 35-140mm equivalent at f/2.8-4.1, driven by Canon's DIGIC II processor. A 2.0-inch vari-angle LCD with 115,000 pixels folded out from the back, images were stored on SD or MMC cards, video recorded at 640x480 and 30fps, and power came from standard AA batteries.
The flip-out screen and full range of manual, aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes made it a flexible learner's camera, while the chunky grip and AA power suited travel without chargers. It is bulkier than the slim compacts of its day, and low-light performance is limited by the small CCD.
On the used market check the vari-angle screen hinge and ribbon cable, as the moving joint is a wear point. Wikipedia's model table lists SD and MMC support without SDHC, so cards larger than 2GB may not be recognised; a small-capacity SD card is worth having on hand. AA power means no proprietary charger worries, and CCD-era colour is part of the appeal.