Canon PowerShot A590 IS

Not sure how the camera works, but the softwear sucks....I had to down size my screen to load the softwear, and was told that was the only way i could use it...
The Canon tech Rep....Told i could go find other softwear if i didn't like it....Well, instead i took the camera back to Best Buy....

NONE All in the past!!!

#$^%&*())softwear

Sony

Best Buy said they could fix the problem for another $39.00....

Wide range of modes plus manual operation. Feels good in the hand for a small camera. Easy to use AUTO mode, for those quick shots. I would buy it all over again.

Light weight. AA bateries. Small size. Flexible manual settings. Optical view finder.

Battery compartment lid is light duty.

I had the difficult choice of selecting between the Canon A720IS and the A590IS for a compact camera that I can take everywhere. I also looked at other cameras from Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, but I felt these two cameras matched my criteria which included under a price tag $200, uses AA, has manual modes (AV, TV, M), 4x optical zoom or more, and an optical viewfinder. I selected the A 590IS over the A720IS because it handled better (in my hands at least), nice dark metallic color, more compact body, cheaper price, and buttons feel better when pressed. The A720IS was priced $50 more and included 640x480 video @ 30fps (opposed to 20fps of the A590IS) and 6x zoom, but for that price difference I felt it wasn't justified. I was content with a 4x zoom, and I didn't feel I would use the video mode often.

I've used the A590IS for a week and have been very impressed with the camera. The camera is compact enough for me to put into my jacket or cargo pant pocket. I can take it to places where my other bigger camera Olympus C-8080 can't go. Also, people tend to feel more at ease around compact cameras and it helps to "blend in" and not scream "I'm a photographer" when you want to take candid pictures.

The build quality is solid. The A590IS is all plastic, but it's doesn't feel cheap. Holding the camera in your hand it feels solid and comfortable. The pronounced grip really helps with ergonomics unlike the smaller subcompact cameras. All the buttons are well placed and I picked up using the functionalities right off the bat. There's really no need to read the manual it's fairly intuitive. The LCD screen looks like it can resist scratches. The mode dial has a nice solid click when you turn it.

I think this is a great travel camera. Using AA batteries is a bonus when traveling. I recommend that you use rechargeable NiMH batteries because you'll get twice the battery life compared to standard alkalines. You'll most likely only get about 150 shots with alkalines, whereas you'll get 300 or more shots with rechargeable NiMH batteries. The 590IS packs a lot of functionality and gives a wealth of manual control for the advanced beginner to intermediate photographer. You'll find that often you'll leave behind your bigger cameras in favor of this one because it is a very capable performer.

The camera is loaded with features. It has full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, various scene modes (fireworks, night, portrait), face detection, histogram review, superimposed grid lines, continuous/shooting image stabilization, evaluative white balance, macro (as close as 2 inches), and sharpness/contrast/saturation settings.

Taking pictures with this camera is fun and easy. The camera's menus are quick to access, and doesn't interrupt the flow of taking pictures. There is a dedicated exposure compensation button, and also a custom button which I assign for ISO. This makes adjustments on the fly a breeze. The A590IS has a very quick autofocus and it locks focus correctly most of the time. Shutter delay is very minimal and almost undetectable. I'm impressed with the speed of this camera. I switch back and forth between shooting and display modes regularly and there's hardly any delay. Camera processing is fast, and shooting night pictures and long exposures (where I'm sure there's some noise reduction filtering being applied in camera) it takes about a 1 second delay to write to the card. The Digic III processor in the camera seems to be doing a good job.

Flash recycling is about 2-4 seconds on fresh batteries, but might be longer as the battery gets depleted. Unless you take lots of flash photography or want increased range, the built in flash is fine for most uses. Pictures taken with flash is well exposed and skin tones are natural. You can fiddle with the flash compensation if you choose to fine tune the output.

The A590IS has various accessories like the wide angle and telephoto lens conversion kit which you can add to increase the zoom range in both directions. Most people won't buy these since they are pricey, but it's good to know that you have this option available for those who want it.

Tripod mount is placed in a weird location to the edge of the camera. They did that to accommodate the manufacturer's label which occupies the center.

The LCD is somewhat low resolution at 115,000 pixels. I would have liked something more detailed so when I zoom in at max to check pictures, I can easily tell whether images are crisp and clear.

The zoom lever is the only plastic part that feels light and cheap. I would have liked a more solid feeling lever, or at least have it metal.

Video recording has been crippled so that instead of taking 640x480 @30fps like its predecessor the A570IS, it now takes the same resolution but at more choppy 20fps. I can't understand the reasoning behind this except to say it's Canon's attempt to differentiate this model with the more pricier A720IS. I hope that Canon fixes this with a firmware update, or at least a future CHDK build can be made to unlock this feature.

Looked at other cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, and Olympus.

Haven't used it yet.