Canon Powershot A530 Digital Camera [5MP 4 X Optical]

Average customer rating:

A bit of a disappointment

Recent acquisition - but wish it had a 'remote' like Olympus !

Very Satisfied with alround results from this camera

Great Camera!

Cheap but not chic

Canon Powershot A530 Digital Camera [5MP 4 X Optical]

Manufacturer: Canon
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

5 to 5.9 Megapixel | Digital Cameras | Photography | Categories | Electronics & Photo
Other | Office Electronics | Office Products | Computing & Office | Categories | Electronics & Photo
Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras & Accessories | Canon | Branded Stores | Special Features | Electronics & Photo
5 to 5.9 Megapixel | Digital Cameras | Photography | Travel | uk-shops
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Product Features:

5 MegapixelsISO 800, allowing flash-free shooting for longer2.5" LCD Screen4x Optical Zoom4x Digital Zoom16MB SD media card (supplied)Pictbridge function90 shot battery life1 year repair warrantyWxDxH: 90x43x64mmWeight: 170g

ASIN: B000EPBDXE
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Product Description

5 MegapixelsISO 800, allowing flash-free shooting for longer2.5" LCD Screen4x Optical Zoom4x Digital Zoom16MB SD media card (supplied)Pictbridge function90 shot battery life1 year repair warrantyWxDxH: 90x43x64mmWeight: 170g

Customer Reviews:

A bit of a disappointment.......2007-03-15

Not sure what's going on here to be honest.

I've had two of these and both have exhibited a very similar characteristic when using the flash indoors.

Taking indoor pictures using the flash shows evidence of the same darkish static uneven banding on pictures which is more apparent on uniformly coloured backgrounds. The illumination using the flash unit is therefore somewhat uneven.

Strange thing is that both cameras have been from vastly different production batches (as shown by the serial numbers) so I'm not sure if there is something wrong with the flash units Canon are using or whether it's something else ?

The other annoying thing is that the first camera actually took better indoor & outdoor pictures compared to the replacement which shows blurring towards the left hand-side of all pictures.

A shame really because if it wasn't for the above issues this unit can actually take excellent quality pictures, has plenty of functions, well designed & takes plenty of shots before bog-standard alkaline batteries begin to drain.

Not sure if I would dare to try one of the newer models for fear of ending up with the same issues.

Not sure either about the quality of Canon products as I also have a Canon all-in-one printer which has been iffy from the start & has required the print head to be changed twice because it has malfunctioned !

Recent acquisition - but wish it had a 'remote' like Olympus !.......2007-03-11

Very happy with this camera and the quality as well as the flexibility - however having seen a friends's Olympus - I 'd love to have a 'remote ' as it makes holidays and happy occasions so much nicer because you can be in the picture yourself - much better than the wretched 'timer' !

Come to think of it I haven't been able to get a case for this camera as yet !!

Any ideas ?

Peter L

Very Satisfied with alround results from this camera .......2006-09-06

The Cannon A530 is an ideal camera for both quick point and shoot enthusiasts and those wishing to experiment in photography.
Over the years I've had various cameras both SLR and compact and this Cannon A530 is my first digital.
I was impressed by the results after quickly reading the short form handbook - using AUTO setting. Both indoor & outdoor colours were true and in focus.
The camera comes with all the cables and discs necessary for computer loading and an extra disc which contains a rather lengthy in depth user handbook !
Like other reviews I would comment on the rubber socket cover being rather flimsy and likely to snap with constant use...time will tell
Overall a good sound buy.
Phil

Great Camera!.......2006-08-08

I recieved this camera as a birthday present. It's compact, fairly light and the 'bump' makes it nice to hold. Its packed with features (too many to list here) but I'll cover the main ones. It has several pre-set picture modes for different picture types, such as snow, beach, fireworks and indoor. You can use Auto mode, that works well for general snaps, but there is a manual mode if you want it.

It has a macro mode for closeups, photo-stitch for creating panorama's and you can shoot basic movies as well. The 4x zoom is good but doesn't seem to go that far. However you can bump it up to 16x if you use the digital zoom as well. Another neat feature is 'Focus Lock'. You press the shutter button down halfway, and the camera optimizes the shot for you. You then press down fully to take the picture.

The image playback function allows you to zoom in on pic's you've taken and you can also see an index of all the images on the memory card which is handy. The camera uses SD or MMC memory cards up to 2GB in size (comes with 16mb mmc). As well as choosing what size pictures to have (includes widescreen option), you can also decide how much compression to use (normal/fine/superfine).

Tv output works fine and is not 'blocky'. The supplied photo software is very easy to use and is packed with features, I was very impressed with it. My only minor complaint is with the rubber cover over the outputs, it kind of gets in the way when your plugging things in and I keep thinking it's going to snap off. I also recommend you get some NI-MH batteries for it as well.

So overall I think this is an excellent camera that anyone would be happy with. It has great features, is easy to use and the image quality is brilliant!

Here's a sample, taken with auto mode at the highest quality: http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/2087/img0015fh2.jpg

Cheap but not chic.......2006-06-13

Tested this before handing them out in the office.
Difficult to hold, my thumb strayed over the menu options to often. 7 seconds waiting for the flash to reset. Loads of settings but would you use them, video good, Zoom lens not, couldn't read a number plate in the car park outside.
Personally i wouldn't buy it.

Product Description

Product Features and Technical Details Product Features EF mount; telephoto zoom lens Great for travel and portability 80-200mm focal length f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture Micromotor autofocus Technical Details Angle of view (Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal): 25 to 10 degrees, 17 to 7 degrees, 30 to 12 degrees Lens construction: 10 elements in 7 groups Number of diaphragm blades: 5 Minimum aperture: 22 to 27 Closest focusing distance: 4.9 feet Maximum magnification: 0.16x (at 200mm) AF actuator: MM Filter diameter: 52 millimeters Maximum diameter by length: 69.0 by 78.5 inches Weight: 8.8 ounces Magnification with Extension Tube EF 12 II: 0.21 to 0.06 Magnification with Extension Tube EF 25 II: 0.39 to 0.14 Lens hood: ET-54 Hard case: LH-B12 Soft case: ES-C13, LP1014 GF Holder III (Hood III): 5 GF Holder IV (Hood IV): 4