Review for the Canon PowerShot A520 Digital Camera

By Dan Feildman

Boasting a brand name in cameras, the 4- megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 is a nice little camera from all points of view. The new generation to descend from the PowerShot A85, the Canon A520 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor with a longer zoom lens and the addition of a few more scene modes.

Those both experienced and new to photography will be pleased with what the Canon PowerShot A520 has to offer. What's even tougher to beat than this camera's features is its great value-for-money appeal making it a camera to consider if in the market for a camera purchase.

The only true design change with the Canon PowerShot A520 is in its size. It is essentially a compacted version of the A85 as a result of this model operating on two double-A batteries whereas the A85 operated on four.

The only other noticeable differences are that the AF assist lamp on the front has been moved to the opposite side of the optical viewfinder and the microphone has been moved ever so slightly.

The LCD remains at 1.8 inches diagonally, but the lens has been modified to a f/2.6 to f/5.5, 5.8- to 23.2 mm (35- to 140-mm, 35-mm equivalent), 4X optical zoom lens.

It is clear that the optical system of the Canon PowerShot A520 has been thoroughly thought out to make great photos simple. A 4.2 megapixel resolution along with the 4X optical zoom is provided and the Canon PowerShot A520 also features an ISO range of 50 to 400 and a shutter speed range of 15 - 1/2000 sec. making it an impressive choice.

The Canon PowerShot A520 retains the excellent level of manual control of previous A-series models, including Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and Manual modes, accessible via the top-mounted mode dial. The dial also offers five common shooting modes (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Slow Shutter, and Fast Shutter), as well as Stitch Assist and Movie mode.

A combination of ease of use and plentiful options are still available from the unchanged menu system with the only suggestion being to illustrate the scene modes with on-screen help and sample images such as that found on Casio models like the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55.

Battery life using the two included alkaline double-A batteries is quite good in the Canon PowerShot A520, and the camera is rated for up to 300 shots according to the CIPA standard (using NiMH double-A batteries).

The Canon PowerShot A520 allows your pictures to be stored in SD memory cards. These days, its pretty standard practice to have at least a 512 MB memory card in your digital camera (or even a 1 GB card). You can also easily transfer the pictures from the camera to the PC via the USB 2.0 interface.

There have been confirmed reports that the Canon PowerShot A520 is generally quite slow. The controls are not responsive enough - frequently one had to press a button more than once to perform the desired operation.

Hopefully, this review of the Canon PowerShot A520 has been of help to you. If you're looking for a decent digital camera to start your photography adventures, the Canon A520 might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash.

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