Head to Head: Canon PowerShot A2400 IS vs. A4000 IS

Announced and released at the same time, two of Canon's new A-series cameras, the A2400 IS and the A4000 IS, are extremely similar in both design and performance, making them ideal choices for a Head to Head comparison. Both offer fairly limited performance in the grand scheme of things, but the price is right, especially for users who value portability.

To read our in-depth, hands-on review of the Canon PowerShot A2400 IS, click here.
To read our in-depth, hands-on review of the Canon PowerShot A4000 IS, click here.

Performance

The A2400 and A400 posted almost identical scores in all of our tests except noise reduction. For some reason, despite seemingly identical hardware, shots captured with the A2400 IS are considerably noisier. Otherwise, the most notable divergence is actually optical zoom. The A4000 can manage 8x, while the A2400 is limited to 5x. The more ambitious lens does cost the A4000 a bit of sharpness, but not much.

Winner: Canon PowerShot A4000 IS

Design and Handling

Rarely do handling and design represent the more important half of a value judgement, but for the A-series, that's the selling point. The A2400 is thinner and much lighter than the A4000. Neither camera has any dedicated ergonomic features, so purely by virtue of its lighter weight, the A2400 is easier to handle. Both models use a similar, cumbersome rear control panel, so no differences there. The same excellent shutter release is also used for both, as is the annoying zoom lever. So this really does come down strictly to weight. The lighter A2400 handles better.

Winner: Canon PowerShot A2400 IS

Conclusion

These two cameras are sensibly priced. The A2400 is a cheap but functional point-and-shoot, easy to slip in and out of the pocket. We think upgrading to the A4000 will get you about $40-worth of improved low light performance. So depending on your intended application, either camera is a decent choice.

Overall Winner: A2400 IS for portability, A4000 for low-light.