Rating: 
Summary: Yes!, it's what I want.
Review: I just had a chance to test my friend's A60. After taking several pictures, here are what I came up with....Goods:
- Fast start up time: less than 3 seconds. You are not gonna miss a quick shot. 3x optical zoom is also fast and quiet. The other nice thing is...it doesn't have a separated lense cap. This is what I hate about my Olympus C3040.
- Good picture quality: A60 produces properly exposed pictures and saturated colors in several different light conditions.
- Aperture and Shutter priority modes: you probably need this feature to take advanced shots.
- Great macro capability: you can take a picture of flowers as close as 2-3 inches. Focus is also fast. Compared to my minolta f100 and olympus c3040, I love A60's macro better.
- Improved night/indoor mode: this is what I don't see in canon s200 and the only reason I returned that little S200.
- Movie w/sound record: this camera records and playbacks movie with sound in AVI format at 15 frames/second. It runs pretty smooth.
- Lens adaptor: This camera can accept external wide-angle, tele, and filters.
- Use standard AA batteries: I think A-series is the only canon line that support AA batteries. If you don't wanna spend [money]for a second propietary battery, get A-series. Four fully charged batteries seem to last very long. I took about 100 pictures with LCD turn on, it's still full.
- Fast and easy USB connectivity: Compared to Olympus c3040 and Minolta F100, it takes very short for my windows xp to recognize this A60. In addition, you DON'T NEED a software at all.
- Feels: this camera is not too big or too small. It just comfortably fits in my hand. The body looks like metal and the handle is plastic. It's a good combination since you don't wanna touch a cold metal camera in winter.
- Low price Bads:
- Ocassionally, purple fringe is visible in very high constrat shots.
- Poor auto white balance under tungsten light.
- No 1280 x 960 resolution. It has 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480.
- Small LCD: could be 1.8" instead of 1.5".
- Rubber USB/AV port cap: with frequent uses, it can be broken soon.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic digital camera at a low price
Review: I bought the Canon PowerShot A60 as a replacement for my two year old Fuji Film 4700 Zoom, and I am extremely impressed. The camera at its highest resolution (1600x1200) takes gorgeous photos, with rich warm colors. No pixilation and very little purple fringing appear on the images. The camera itself includes some very advanced features for its price, all of which can be adjusted in manual mode. However, most users will never touch these options, instead opting for the simple Auto mode, which automatically chooses the perfect settings. The only downside to the camera itself is that instead of using metal, the casing is plastic, and therefore feels somewhat cheap. Nonetheless, the build quality is generally good and the buttons and ports are conveniently located. The camera is small, but is by no means one the smallest and lightest digital cameras on the market. Along with the camera, the box includes an industry standard puny 16MB Compact Flash card, that should be immediately replaced, and four alkaline batteries. The battery life is very good; the camera can operate for several days of heavy use without replacement. Nonetheless, I recommend Ni-MH Rechargeable batteries, which provide an even longer life. The included 'Zoom Browser EX' software very easy to use and incorporates some fairly powerful features. If you don't want to spend much money and want an easy to use digital camera with great image quality, look no further than the Canon PowerShot A60. However, if you want a camera that can take larger photos and has more powerful features try the Canon S45, S50, or the Canon G3. If you want a smaller camera you might want to consider the Canon S400 or the S200.
Rating:
Summary: Out of box impressions
Review: I'm writing this review maybe 20 minutes into owning and operating my A60, to provide some very out-of-box feedback for anyone looking for a "first impression" of the camera. And yes, this review is definately for casual photographers and starters. -2 megapixels? Not a problem. I've already snapped quite a few pictures, and I'm pretty pleased with the quality. As stated, our family's other digital is 3megs, and there's not much difference. I'm keeping it in highest resolution (1600x1200 Superfine), and at this resolution a 64 meg card will hold 61 pictures- which is more than I'm going to need at one time. Not to mention the camera itself comes with a spare 16meg card if you haven't gotten one for it. On our refridgerator we have word magnets (not much larger print than the text you're reading). I took a picture from across my kitchen and was able to read them off the image (note that this was in max quality). Unless you want to blow up portions of images or print off wall-size posters... this camera seems to have enough quality for most applications. If you're comparing cameras and the difference between numbers can save you some money, go with this one. -Software: With a few exceptions, it can be said that digital imaging devices tend to come with horrible software. For someone like me who has a little knowledge of photo editing, most all image programs perform the one necessary task- getting images off the camera and onto the computer. I personally probably won't even try the onboard software since I already have a means to edit and share my photos. If you really haven't ever edited photos before, then using the prepackaged software might be your only choice. And if you're a very casual user, the onboard software is probably going to do everything you need it to do. But if you have any software at all that you enjoy using for editing photos, it probably has an Import feature to get your pictures for you. Stick to that. -Overall saisfaction: All I was looking for was a replacement for the countless instant cameras I've gone through with my fiancee. What I got was a smart little camera that's more than worth what you pay. The assortment of features also makes it obvious that there's plenty of room to grow if you ever want to learn the finer arts of adjusting your pictures. With the excellent price, relatively simple startup, and overall quality, this camera is definately perfect for a beginner- while still having a little room for the more advanced photographer.
Rating:
Summary: A superb value
Review: Those of us who do what we think of as "serious" photography often find ourselves caught up in the quest for more and more megapixels. Is 4 enough? 5? 12? Certainly if you're trying to produce exhibition-quality 8x10s and 11x14s you need as many pixels as you can stuff into a camera. But 90% of what I photograph never makes it to print; most of it goes on the web. And for the 72 dpi images that your web browser likes to display, 2MP is more than enough. There are a lot of 2MP cameras out there, as it's a perfect size for web, email and the 4x6 prints that are a standard for familay snapshots. It's a very competitive area pricewise, too. The A60 caught my for a number of reasons, not the least of which was my previous good expreience with my Canon G2: 1. It takes AA batteries. Dedicated rechargeables are expensive, and there's no assurance you'll be able to get replacements a few years down the line. But rechargeable AAs are common and inexpensive. 2. Manual controls. The A60 has nearly the same range of manual controls as my G2 or the newer G5. About the only thing it doesn't have is provision for off-camera flash. 3. Video. It'll take video clips in a choice of resolutions 4. Availability of underwater housing. You can get an underwater housing for almost all the Canons (the exception being, oddly enough, the semi-pro G series). I'm not a diver, but I do like to take cameras out kayaking and hiking in all sorts of weather. Until now I've used a Nikonos or *very* carefull taken my digital camera out of its protective case to take a few quick shots. 5. Image quality. Canon has consistently been one of the top names for digital image quality, along with Nikon, Fuji and (to a lesser extent) Minolta. 6. Ergonomics: It fits the hand nicely, with all the controls right where you need them. The viewfinder is sharp and clear. 6. Price. All this comes at a price that is amazingly low when compared to the competition. In summary: An excellent value with excellent image quality and excellent ergonomics that will handle all the imaging needs of most people. You really can't go wrong buying one.
Rating: 
Summary: Buyer Beware!!!
Review: Used this camera for 8 happy months and would echo many of the positive comments listed here. But then, the dreaded E18 error, where the lens gets stuck and the camera won't operate. Try an internet search for "Canon" and "E18" and see the dozens and dozens of comments that pop up. If this doesn't happen to you, then you'll probably be very happy with this camera. If it does, then don't expect them to honor the warranty. In my case, they wanted to charge me $105.00 to fix it, claiming there was "impact damage" to the camera (there was no impact). What's really annoying is that, even in this day and age, the only way to contact the service facility is to phone, wait on hold for 15 minutes, then have to leave a voice mail that they promise to "promptly" return. I left 3, they returned one (2 business days later) and left me a voice mail. My letter to company headquarters has been totally ignored for over a month. Apparently, they're just going to keep my camera unless we send them money. Can you believe that you can't even e-mail a tech company like Canon? I have owned Canon cameras for over 30 years and thought their workmanship was superb. I will never buy one again due to this shabby, shabby customer service. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: If this camera is on your short list, it's the right choice
Review: If you're reading this review, you're probably like me, a novice user buying his first digicam. And like me, after having read and re-read reviews of several dozen cameras, this camera keeps showing up your short list. Still, there's so many options out there you keep obsessing about making the right choice. I finally decided to take the plunge and order this camera, and I'm amazed how correct my choice was. Here were my main areas of concern while I was trying to decide on whether to buy this camera (they'll probably sound familiar) and how my actual experience stacked up against my concerns: 1. "Low" resolution of 2 Megapixels: Unless you plan to blow your shots up to poster-size, 2MP is ideal. Don't get caught up in the "my MP is bigger than yours" race, as another reviewer said 2MP is the sweet spot for photos. Just leave the camera at its max settings and it's perfect, the file size is reasonable yet you'll still get every amazing detail. For example, I took a shot of my cat and you can see every hair and every whisker, even a little bit of "sleepy stuff" in the corner of her eye since she had just woken up from her nap. And this was just the third shot I took after removing it from the box. Yes, it's that good. 2. "Not enough zoom": I'll admit, this was a huge issue for me. I was bound and determined that i wanted a camera with a higher zoom capability, like one of the Olympus 10x models. But actually having gotten a chance to use it, i've found the zoom capability, while nice, isn't the holy grail I thought it would be. Certainly not enough to spend a couple hundred dollars more to get. 3. Size - The photos make the camera look tiny. I thought it might be better to get a bigger camera with big Tonka-toy buttons and that it would be easier to handle. Don't worry, the camera feels great in my hands, and i'm over six feet with big stubby fingers. I'm sure it will fit your hands just fine as well. 4. Other competing models in the Canon line: This was another problem area. The A-series and G-series cameras all seem so good, that i wanted badly to get one of the more fully-featured (and expensive) models like the A80 or G5 to make sure i wasn't missing out on anything. And looking back now, most of the features I thought would make a huge difference don't seem to matter now. What seems important to you now when you're trying to make a buying decision probably won't be when you're actually out there using the camera. Out in the field, you'll want something which is relatively straight-forward and not tediously complex, but flexible enough to change a setting if absolutely necessary. This camera offers exactly that. Trust me, when you're out in a picture taking environment, you're not going to be telling yourself (or wanting to tell your photo subjects), "hold on for a couple minutes while I put on the wide-angle lens." 5.Controls and the learning curve: For a novice, the controls look a bit intimidating. And they can be, if you don't read the manual at all or spend any time going through the settings. But thankfully, the camera controls are well set-up, intuitive, and easy to learn. Yes, you can start shooting straight out of the box, but if you spend as little as 15-30 minutes reading how to operate the controls before you begin, it'll be well-worth your time. That won't be enough to learn everything the camera can do, but is enough to get you started on the right foot, and will put you weeks or months ahead of the game. I spent about 20 minutes learning about my camera after I got it, and my first pictures already looked better than the ones my father takes with his Canon G5 that he's owned nearly a year but never bothered to read the manual for. THE BAD: Shutter lag is perhaps my biggest gripe. Depressing the shutter fire button half-way focuses the camera, then depressing it the rest of the way fires the shutter. There's a brief but noticeable lag between depressing the button and the photo being taken, perhaps a half-second or so. Not a huge issue, but sometimes annoying, and can definitely get frustrating if you're trying to get just the right shot of a non-cooperative subject. Like with my cat, I'd wait for the exact moment when she was looking at me, I'd press the button, and the lag meant that she was no longer looking at the camera when the photo actually gets captured. I'm sure it would be more of the same if you were trying to take photos of an infant or child. Not a deal-breaker, but it can make for some frustration. Inserting batteries in the dark can be a pain, unless you have memorized the pattern for which batteries go in which direction. Again, not a huge issue, but can be frustrating. CONCLUSION: If you're trying to decide between the A60 and either another manufacturer's offering or another Canon A-series, get this camera. This is a better camera than the competing Nikon, etc. and if you're thinking you'll need the additional features or MP of a more expensive model, you likely won't. If you did, you'd know that already and wouldn't be looking at this camera. So save your money and get this instead, it will MORE than meet and surpass your needs. You'll be very happy you did. I already have my Dad thinking she should switch cameras with me, and considering his costs about triple what mine did, that tells you that this little gem is a winner.
Rating: 
Summary: low resolution LCD
Review: The biggest problem I have with this otherwise perfect camera is its relatively low resolution LCD screen. It isn't bad in general, but problem comes when sometimes the camera's auto-focus doesn't work properly, which is the nature of being "auto." You take a picture, and it looks ok on the LCD. But when you come home and transfer the picture to your computer, you find out it's out of focus! If I had waited a bit longer, I would have opted for the A75, not for the 3M pixel sensor but for the higher resolution LCD. Another minor problem is the "low battery" indicator. Once it starts blinking, you can get only three or four more photos before the batteries actually die. Wish it can give more advance notice.
Rating:
Summary: All around great camera for price and features.
Review: Ok I've been looking for a digital camera for about a year now, I'm cheap so I waited until I found a product that had what I want for the price I wanna pay. .... the 2 mega pixels is just fine for ANYONE taking pictures and printing them.. 2MP Cameras print out great 8x10 photos so if you dont need to print anything bigger than that save your money and stay with a 2 mega pixel. In less than 10 mins i had this thing out of the box and taking pictures. It has some advanced manual features that I probably will not use because Im not a professional. The control are eays to use, the LCD display is fast and looked just like tv looking at the screen, the compact size fits great in your hand and doesn't take up much room.. Amazingly the batterys last for an very acceptable amount of time. I have a set of hi cap recharagable batterys from radio shack and i've been using it for a week taking movies and pictures and its just now getting low on batterys.. This is my first digital camera and Im very satisfied that I made a good choice first time around. There are many cool accessories (tho they are not cheap) like telephoto lenses and underwater cases too.. ....
Rating:
Summary: The best and cheapest digital camera I've ever owned
Review: This camera has given me no problems. The software that comes with it is great as well. I highly recommend it! My friends from work have to buy for themselves too after seeing how this little machine works. It gives good video (3 mins with awesome sound) unlike other expensive cameras that does not really capture good sound.
Rating:
Summary: Downsides of Canon Power Shot A60
Review: Since there are already plenty of positive reviews, I will focus on the few lacks of this camera. - Impossible to record the "date picture taken" on the image.
(Trying to pass for professional camera? :) Many simplier models have this useful feature).
- Zoom lever is not most conveniently located. It would be easier if it was on the back of the camera.
- Navigation buttons look strange being round instead of arrow shaped. This is changed in Power Shot A80.
- Power on/off button is easy to be accidentally activated. Sliding type would greatly decrease the chances.
-Every time the camera is turned on, a lot of energy is used to mechanically extend the telescopic lenses. If they were fixed with attachable cap, battery performance could be improved; size, however, would definitely suffer. Reliability of lenses moving motors is naturally limited, which possibly could be the the cause for the famous Error 18.
-Ergonomics. "Set" button, could be better positioned somewhere near the side navigation buttons - on the right, as set up on most cameras.
-Camera also doesn't come with sufficient memory card and reliable battery/charger, requiring spending additional money on accessories. This is, however, what keeps the price at its level.
-Side rubber cover can break if used repeatedly over a long period of time. Design could be more reliable if the cover would open freely.
-Very important issue - batteries have to be removed every time they need to be charged, which places great strain on the plastic battery cover that would eventually break with extensive use. Cameras that enable batteries to be charged without removing them, greatly exceed the durability in the long period of use.
-Plastic tripod thread, less durable compared to metal ones. Despite all the listed cons, this is a very modern camera with superior image quality and outstanding set of features and controls. I am very pleased with PowerShot A60 so far and would not hesitate to recommend it to many photo enthusiasts.
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