Canon A480
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
- 140g - 92 x 62 x 31mm
- Launched January 2009
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
94 Imaging
33 Features
13 Overall
25
Canon A480 summary
Canon A480 is Canon's Ultracompact digital camera initially released on January of 2009. The camera has got a 10MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a max resolution of 3648 x 2736.
The A480 is placed #142 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & over-all #1247 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should try our Smart camera finder to see camera rankings based on your customized requirements.
The following is a chart of different factors used in the rating system.
Canon A480 Gallery
You can check the A480 from various angles in the gallery underneath.
Canon A480 Pros and Cons
Below is a selection of pros and cons of the Canon A480 based on things which are typically considered necessary in a digital camera.
Canon A480 Sensor details
The sensor spec on the Canon A480 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can capture 3648 x 2736 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe CCD sensor has 10 megapixels and provides a standard ISO range of 80 to 1600. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved which means that you have less margin for error.
The image underneath illustrates the A480's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The A480 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.
Photography GlossaryTo get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.
Canon A480 dimensions
Canon A480 weighs 0.31 lbs (140g / 4.94 ounces) & the measurement of the camera is 92mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 1.2"). The weight of typical Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Canon A480 is weightier when compared to its rivals.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesDown below is a image of the Canon A480 beside a soda to help you to get a feel for its scale.
The top view under will highlight the button arrangement on the A480.
Canon A480 Lens specs
The A480 comes with an inbuilt lens featuring a focal range of 37-122mm giving it a 3.3 x zoom which isn't really exceptional but it will definitely be helpful in a few circumstances.
At the widest 37mm, it comes with an aperture of f3.0 which is really slow and not good for low light occasions and you will likely struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You would also need to increase the ISO leading to noisy photos. At the tele end, 122mm comes with f5.8 making it very sluggish and you would need to choose slower shutter speeds.
Canon A480 Connectivity
The A480 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
Digital cameras that incorporate NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to copy images and usually alter camera settings with no need to connect straight to the camera.
Some applications even allow a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it could be connected to an external monitor. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack with the USB port.
Canon A480 Video specs
The max video quality on the Canon A480 is 640 x 480 and you can shoot in file format. 480p is low for today's standards. You really should aim for at least 1080p quality for decent video. The camera does not have a microphone and / or headphone jack which means you have little control over the audio. It is probably best to consider an alternative model in case you need good audio for your videos.
Canon A480 Weather Sealing
Canon A480 does not include environment proofing so wet conditions can damage the camera.
Canon A480 Screen and Viewfinder
The Canon A480 has got a 2.5 inch fixed display supporting a resolution of 115 thousand dots.
Unfortunately the display isn't a touch screen.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe ViewFinder specifications for Canon A480 are the following:
- ViewFinder None
Viewfinders can be very beneficial during sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.
Canon A480 Shutter specs
Canon A480 continuous shooting rate is 1.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/2000s.
Canon A480 Flash and Hot shoe specs
Canon A480 comes with only inbuilt flash without external flash support. The highest flash sync is 1/500s.
Canon A480 Autofocus specs
Canon A480 comes with just Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier & precise when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.
The AF system has got 5 focus points to choose from. Canon A480 does not have manual focus. Manual focus option can be useful during low light or you want to have more exact focusing control.
Canon A480 Battery life
The usual Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the maximum (320) battery life within this group of cameras.
Here is a listing of Ultracompact cameras which have the best battery life:
Canon A480 for different forms of photography
The following graph gives a rundown of the Canon A480 for different forms of photography. To learn more, browse to the specific section underneath.
Portrait photography with Canon A480
The Canon A480 receives a rating of 25 which is low, meaning that it is simply not very good for portrait photography. Taking portrait images favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support & capability to use off-camera flash.
Canon A480 as a Street photography camera
Coming in at a average points tally of 47, the Canon A480 is relatively suited to use in street photography. A good street photography camera offers a good balance of picture quality plus portability.
Canon A480 Sports photography highlights
A low sports photography score of 16 indicates the Canon A480 is simply not very good for photographing sports. A camera really should have very good autofocus and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.
Canon A480 Travel photography factors
Portability is pretty important when selecting a camera for travel. All round, the Canon A480 gets a average 50 as a travelling camera which is reasonably adequate to buy for your holidays.
Canon A480 Landscape photography information
If you're planning to buy a camera for landscape photography, the most essential aspect will be image quality. The Canon A480 at it's low grade of 22 for a landscape camera is simply not very good within the current market.
Canon A480 as a Vlogging camera
A vlogging camera preferably should offer a moving display, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Canon A480 is simply not very good as a vlog camera as it gets a low rating of 22.
Canon A480 Alternatives
If you need replacements to the A480, below is a collection of the top scored cameras which fall in to the category of Ultracompact.
The line chart below shows you a summary of the A480 versus it's top ranking competitors listed previously.
These are various other cameras you might look into as alternatives. To look at a comprehensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.