Customer Reviews:
 Slow charge time for flash between shots December 29, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The pictures are great, but unfortunately the time in between shots that the camera takes to charge the flash is unbearable. It is not practical for our needs. We were not expecting DSLR speed between shots we were expecting the same time as our older Canon A95.
 From A720IS to A2000, it's still better December 28, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
As an owner of an A720IS and recently bought the A2000IS, I much prefer the A2000. By and far, it's not perfect, but what digital camera really is?
There's a complaint about the wedge shape, but the camera is far smaller than the previous A series, which has an even more unusual shape that makes it bulky and very difficult to fit in most compact digital camera bags (which for the A2000 is a TON easier, not to mention easier to fit in a pocket). I'd take smaller and unusual but sleeker over larger, bulky, and awkward.
Another complaint was the flash recycle time; what do you expect with AA batteries? When the A series used 4 AA batteries, I'm sure this wasn't as much of an issue, but the camera was ridiculously huge and heavy. If you want smaller recycle times, go buy a camera with Lithium-Ion batteries. The A2000 had at worst a little longer recycle time than the A720, but I've learned to live with it; I have to be a little more careful with my shots rather than just shooting away as if I had a SLR.
With that professional reviewer, I think he's being a bit nitpicky. I had no problems with the dial, as I use all the settings, including the manual modes very often. Unless you want perfection...well, let's be honest, if you want a monster camera, you should be looking for a SLR.
The short of it: I love my A720IS, but the size is a huge burden. If you can live with the longer flash recycle times than the SD series (which I've gotten used to, I'm sure you can too), and can take care of your camera (I don't recommend this for a teenager that'll slap this around) this is really a great camera for the price.
 excellent camera in this price range/category November 1, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
easy to use, takes great pictures, in this price range/category you can't do any better..i did a lot of research. I initially did not like the AA battery power source, but like very much now that I found good hybrid rechargeable batteries, though the shutter does lag moreso with this power source. The zoom on this camera is awesome. the 3 inch view screen is nice in size, but very hard to see in the sun..even with setting on brightest setting and the resolution is just ok. solid build quality, a little bigger than most cameras in this price range and does not fit in the hand that easy. Besides these few minor gripes, i highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a quality point and shoot with a good zoom and 10 megapixels.
 My disappointment is so high October 1, 2008
44 out of 53 found this review helpful
I am very sorry I bought the new Canon A2000 camera. I will be giving the camera to my nephew, since my disappointment is so high. I cannot express my frustration level at the amount of time it takes for the flash to recharge and at Canon for even bothering to release such an inferior "A" series replacement. I implore upon Canon to go back to the drawing board on this one.
I read all of the reviews on Amazon and I have to respond directly to that one review where the reviewer foolishly tries to justify his positive review based on the review of a camera-review Website.
One other reviewer responded in the comments section to said review, but his or her reply won't be seen in the general review section, so I will paste in what he or she said here.
(These are excerpts from a professional camera reviewer.)
"The A2000 is a bit of a new departure for the A-series. Previous models in the range have been popular with hobbyists and more experienced photographers, thanks to their robust construction, excellent handling, limited but useful range of manual exposure controls and optical viewfinders. The A2000 has none of these things, and appears to be aimed at less ambitious photographers looking not for manual versatility but for a simple, easy-to-use general-purpose compact. If this represents a new direction for the A-series then there will be some disappointed customers.
"The body is made of plastic, and although the camera does feel solidly weighty, the body panels seem to be thinner than previous A-series cameras and creak alarmingly when squeezed. There's nothing really wrong with it, but it does feel more cheaply made than some previous models in the range.
"The A2000 has no optical viewfinder, but it does have an enormous three-inch LCD monitor. However this too is not up to the high standard of previous A-series models. It has an extremely narrow viewing angle of only about 30-odd degrees vertically, making it difficult to use for over-the-head shots, and it is also highly reflective. It's the first Canon monitor in a long time that I've actually had difficulty using outdoors.
"Main shooting mode is controlled via a large dial on the camera's top panel. The dial itself feels a bit cheap and clunky, with distinct air of Fisher Price about it.
"The menu on the A2000 appears to be similar to some of the recent IXUS range, with fewer options than usual for an A-series camera.
"The external controls don't appear to be as solidly mounted as they might be, and some feel decidedly flimsy. Catch one with the edge of a fingernail and it gives an distinctly plastic `ping'.
"The zoom control is a rotary bezel around the shutter button. The control action is fairly crude; you have to turn the ring a long way to make it move, and when it does it moves jerkily and too quickly, making accurate framing difficult. Since the 6x zoom range is a major selling point of the camera I would have hoped that Canon might do a better job on the zoom control.
"Low light focusing is not as reliable as some other recent cameras.
"Verdict
The Canon PowerShot A2000 IS is a little expensive for a mid-level compact, and the overall build quality and low-angle monitor may cause some disappointment. The lack of the usual A-series manual exposure options and optical viewfinder may also put off some potential buyers.
"Yes, the review listed many positives, but with so many negatives, you can clearly see why many people would give this camera some low star ratings. Also, the low star reviews are a reflection of the huge disappointment with Canon regarding their latest A model. They could have and should have done better. They are charging $250, and it is 2008, and the flash recharge time is unacceptable. Also, when considering reviews, you have to take into consideration that one might be trying to help people decide if there are better cameras if one doesn't really care about the AA battery issue.
"I think the A2000 deserves the majority of low star ratings it has on Amazon as of today. Thank you."
I agree with the above negatives and opinion. And I would concur that the A2000 deserves a lower star rating because the scale is different with this camera. The rating is on this latest "A" series replacement camera from Canon; a camera line that takes AA batteries.
Not up to par September 24, 2008
14 out of 20 found this review helpful
I thought this 10 meg camera would blow my old Casio 5 meg out of the water! Wrong.... The zoom was nice but everything else is sub par. I returned it and purchased another cheap Casio with 8 meg. The doulble A batteries are nice except they take a full 4-5 seconds to recharge the flash. I am not a huge camera guy by any means. I keep a small easy to use camera. Pictures taken with my old Casio looked better than with this new Canon. And yes I had it on the high resolution. Save your money and buy a cheap little Casio for a great general purpose camera.
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