Canon PowerShot A530 5MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (OLD MODEL)

This little camera is a gem. (I had a Fuji FinePix, which was darned unintuitive. And it broke!) It's small, lightweight (even with the batteries). Low-battery icon. Low-memory peep.Software for transfer to computer is excellent and pretty intuitive, but do read the manual for the transfer software. Cables and all that included.It takes AA batteries, which was the next-most-important criterion for me. AA batteries are easy to find anywhere, and they don't cost an arm and a leg. AAs do add weight, but this was a small matter to me bcs I didn't want to be tethered to a battery charger for proprietary batteries.Also, another deal-maker was a viewfinder. This camera has one (in addition to the screen on the back).Zoom is easy to work. Button to take picture is centered in zoom dial. Easy to manage both with the same hand.Buy an extra memory card (the one that comes with it holds about 8 pix!). The camera takes a garden-variety memory card, not a proprietary one (cf.: Fuji).Buy the case. Front pocket holds 2 extra AAs. Good, strong velcro on flap.http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PSC-60-Compact-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00009U0XI/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&qid=1360303250&sr=8-31&keywords=camera+case+canon+A530I couldn't be happier with this camera. I can even take decent pix with it. I wish the "refresh time" were shorter, but you can't get everything in one camera at this price point! And this is about the only negative I can think of. While 5 seconds to refresh seems long....aren't we all spoiled with instantaneous-ness of the world these days?!...5 seconds is not that bad!Great camera. I shopped this purchase very long and very thoroughly (many places, many brands, many types), and this one was hands-down the best for my needs and honoring my deal-makers. Don't hesitate to get this camera. mbUPDATE, 2011: Turn off the flash entirely and choose smallest length of time spent in "view" mode (where you look to see what you just took) for faster refresh. Still not as fast as I'd like it, but it's an improvement!

I am so satisfied with this purchase! Consider the info below before purchasing:1. The design to me was clearly thought through. The curves of the camera accommodate to you hands and allow for a steady grip when taking pictures.2. I haven’t yet been able to use the camera because I found out that a regular SD card is required. So before you purchase, please note that an SDHC or an SDXC is not going to work in this camera. You will need a regular SD card. It was recommended to me through many sources that a 2 gb SD card from amazon would surely suffice. (Ensure that you search up that it is specifically for old digital cameras on Amazon. They’ll know what you’re talking about :))3. My camera came with a camera case, and batteries. It didn’t come with a charger but it’s no problem! They use AA batteries so if I do want to charge this camera, I could just replace the batteries. (In case you want to know why charger it requires, it is a mini USB cable. For more information you can search up “mini usb cable for digital cameras)4. Considering the high demand for these camera at the moment, the price was actually pretty good. Typically once digital cameras are high in demand, prices shoot up!5. I was pretty annoyed when I found out that this camera uses a different sd card from what i had already bought; but from what I could do ok the camera without the memory card, I determined that the camera is pretty easy to use. The buttons and notches move really smooth and satisfying.Overall I would rate this camera a 7/10. Even considering the situation with the SD card. I cannot WAIT to start taking photos with it! Digicam girlies..your welcome in advance

I have had my new Powershot A530 for about 7 days now and this seems to be a tiny little camera that packs quite a punch. I didn't realize that it had so many options when I made the purchase! This camera has MANY more bells and whistles than I need and although I am looking forward to learning them all I feel that it is a little overwhelming right out of the box. Don't get me wrong - right out of the box you can take a great picture even if you did not want to learn anything more about the camera and its other capabilities at all! It is very easy -- insert batteries, insert memory card, push the power button and you are ready to roll but MY GOSH the options on this little thing!I really enjoy learning and using all the functions on my cameras and home electronics but this one may take me a while. You can make adjustments in the functions of this camera very similar to how you would in a regular 35mm camera! Which would be really great if I remembered ANY of my high school photography class lectures.. sadly - I don't. It feels like it is something that could take years to really get genuinely familiar with which will be a fun process in itself.I am planning a trip to Italy and I wanted to get a digital camera (my first one) in plenty of time to have a couple of months to learn how to use it properly.. WOW, I may have to postpone my trip! :-)The software that comes with it is SUPER easy to navigate, incredibly easy to install and downloading pix from the camera is a snap-snap-snap!I also picked up the 1 GB memory card, the 2 year warranty, and thanks to so many reviews talking about the short battery life I got a dozen AA batteries - so I am pretty well set! :-)I can't wait to get buckled in, take her out and really open her up.:-)A great little camera and a great value, 7 days into the experience anyway :-)

This is a great small, portable camera. If you are looking to do high end work, you might want to look at the SLRs. For everyday snapshots and photos this is more than suitable. For a carry in your pocket camera, this can't be beat. I bought one for my personal use, then two more for work. At work they get used by many people to photograph construction activities (generally not treated very gently) and have held up very well. Considerations for buying this:1. Good price.2. Uses AA batteries, so you aren't stuck with expensive proprietary batteries and you can always find replacements. I use rechargable NiMH and they last a long time (deplete faster if you use the screen and flash).3. Uses low-cost SD card. Sony and Fuji use higher cost Memory Stick or XD. I use 2GB Kingston cards, which cost about $40 each. Holds over 1000 photos at max resolution.4. The screen on the back is the right size. The later models have a bigger screen, but you lose the space in the button area. This model has a good combination of a readable screen and buttons that you can push wearing gloves.5. 4X optical zoom is a plus.6. Comfortable grip. One hand only works fine.All these small cameras have weak flashes. Don't expect more than about a twelve foot range. For low light shooting, I set to multiple shot mode at 1 second increments. Then it shoots itself with no wobbling from the finger pushing the button.5MP max resolution will get you great 10x12 prints, and decent larger prints. Anything smaller is excellent.This camera takes great outdoor pics, with good color and resolution. I don't have to do much (if any) photoshopping on those.The included shooting modes are useful. I use night a lot and it improves the photos.The little Canon carry case is well worth the $10. The camera fits right in and is well protected.My daughter has had the older A510 at college and it has worked great for her as well.

First, the pros: This camera packs a lot of nice features into a small box with easy to use buttons and a small price tag. As a rule I've found that blurriness/darkness/brightness/etc. tend to be the photographer's fault much more than the cameras, and if you use the camera a lot and get familiar with the controls you can generally find a way to take care of the problem. One feature I love is the color change: black and white shots are clear, sharp, and dramatic and can make a pretty bland subject more interesting, and portraits come out great. There's so much more detail that you would miss in a full-color photo. Sepia photos are antique-looking, and with a few props you can take photos that look just like the ones you might see in a Civil War book. For a beginning digital photographer, or someone who doesn't make high demands on a camera, this one is pretty sweet.Now, the cons: first, plan on either buying rechargeable batteries or buying a lot, because this camera burns batteries like they're going out of style. This could be because I took nearly 500 pics the first week after I bought this camera :), and probably this camera doesn't burn batteries faster than any other model in this category-I've heard digitals are notorious for spending batteries. Just thought I'd warn you. Secondly, plan on getting at least one additional memory card. The included card takes about 15 Medium photos before the you have to upload-very annoying. The zoom is ok, especially if you utilize the digital zoom, but at just 4x it's not quite enough for my taste. It's great for normal use, but to capture that shot of a bird (or something) in that tree way over THERE-you may want to look into a few more "x's". It's also a little slower than I would like-it's "point-pause-shoot." Which means someone can make a face at the camera and have looked away before you get the shot-so it's not so great for children or active pets! Also, it's not a "click-click-click" continuous camera; there are a few seconds between the time one picture is taken and the time the camera is ready for the next.Overall, despite my critism, this is a great starter camera that goes far above and beyond the conventional film cameras most amatuer photographers have (the birthday/Christmas 35mm cameras that are limited to a flash, a viewfinder, a shutterbutton, and a wriststrap) and I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't make big demands on a camera, like really fast speeds and a powerful zoom (most people don't, I expect, need pro capabilites!) and who just wants a versatile camera for taking pictures of the kids (or the parents, whichever the case may be). It's pretty simple to use, it can give clear tight closeups of objects within its range, and with a little practice it can fill most people's needs, I think.

I've had this camera for about 2 weeks. It's definately the best digital camera I have ever owned.Pros: Small, compact size, yet not so small that its hard to hold; 4x optical zoom is very effective; takes 2 AA instead of the 4 AA I'm used to - this is a good thing as long as the camera lasts a while on the two batteries; many shooting modes available, and they work well; manual shooting controls available if you need them (though I will probably not use this, the shooting modes are what I use); video mode shoots VGA (640x480 - full DVD quality) as well as a compressed mode which generates file sizes suitable for e-mail.Cons: the only con I've found so far is the SD card slot is in the same compartment as the batteries, and since the batteries are spring-loaded, it makes it a little annoying to open the battery/SD card door every time you want to get the card out to download images/video to your computer. To solve this, I've just been using the USB cable that came with the camera to download, this way the card can stay in the camera. The only drawback to this is the camera must be turned on in order to access the images/video, but it's a minor problem.Overall, this camera is excellent. You get a whole lot for the money you pay. I would definately recommend purchasing a 1 GB card; the camera only comes with a 16 MB card, which you will fill up with 20 seconds of VGA video.

There is a recall on this camera regarding the battery door which could cause a fire and drains the batteries quickly. I had it fixed by canon for free. I thought this might impact the shutter and write time. It did not. This camera takes forever to take and write to SD card. You will miss important pictures. Do NOT Buy.

I thought this Canon deserved more than an average of 3.5 stars, so I'm adding my comments.I bought the A530 for my daughter when it became available on Amazon. She had taken photos, with her three-year-old Sony 5MP, of her roses in macro mode. Most of the photos were out of focus. The Sony just seemed to have trouble focusing on the right subject in macro mode. I have found that Canon cameras take excellent photos, especially in macro mode, and the A530 has not disappointed. She (and I) have taken many sharply focused photos of flowers, up close.LIKES: Very good quality, features, and price. Sharp and colorful photos. Easy to use, small and lightweight. Improved over the A520 with 5MP instead of 4MP and MUCH faster performance.DISLIKES: Canon's decrease of LCD pixel resolution per inch on the lastest models - A430, A530, A540. A disappointment, but only a small annoyance.ADDED NOTE: Daylight photos are always better over indoor flash shots, whenever possible, with any camera.