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5.6 out of 10

Canon PowerShot A530

5.0 megapixels

Information found in: from 128 sources in 26 countries.

Best Price: £69.00

  • User Score (573)
    8.2 8.2 from 573 reviewers
  • Expert Score (10)
    7.7 7.7 from 10 reviewers
  • Buzz Index: 0/5
  • Activity: 1/5
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The PowerShot A530 features ISO 800 so you can enjoy flash-free shooting for longer. Combined with 5.0 Megapixels and a 4x optical zoom, this compact performer offers a lot of camera for your money.

  • 5.0 MP and 4x optical zoom
  • DIGIC II, iSAPS, 9-point AiAF
  • 17 shooting modes and My Colors
  • High-speed ISO 800
  • Widescreen image recording
  • VGA movies with sound
  • 1.8" LCD screen
  • PictBridge and Print/Share button
  • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
  • CANON iMAGE GATEWAY²

Manufacturer's Specs

IMAGE SENSOR

  • Type
    1/2.5" CCD
  • Effective Pixels
    Approx.5.0M
  • Colour Filter Type
    Primary Colour

IMAGE PROCESSOR

  • Type
    DIGIC II with iSAPS technology

LENS

  • Focal Length
    5.8 - 23.2 mm (35mm film equivalent: 35 – 140mm)
  • Zoom
    Optical 4x , digital approx. 4x (still images), 2x (movies), combined approx. 16x (still images) 8.1x (movies) ¹
  • Maximum f/number
    f/2.6 - f/5.5
  • Construction
    7 elements in 5 groups (2 aspherical elements)

FOCUSING

  • Type
    TTL
  • AF System / Points
    9-point AiAF, 1-point AF (Fixed centre)

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Review Summary

Are you looking for a camera which will be appealing to the entire family, then you should consider taking a closer look at the Canon PowerShot A530. As CNET puts it, this camera will be appealing to just about anyone that is looking for a very inexpensive camera which is actually worth the value. They also claim that this camera produces pretty good quality photos in just about each and every situation, even outdoors, which is one of the main reasons that it is so appealing. It is the perfect camera for…

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Are you looking for a camera which will be appealing to the entire family, then you should consider taking a closer look at the Canon PowerShot A530. As CNET puts it, this camera will be appealing to just about anyone that is looking for a very inexpensive camera which is actually worth the value. They also claim that this camera produces pretty good quality photos in just about each and every situation, even outdoors, which is one of the main reasons that it is so appealing. It is the perfect camera for any family picnic. Another thing that CNET likes about this camera is the color quality which it has to offer. Unfortunately, one of the main downfalls of this camera is the fact that it does take quite a long time between pictures.

CNET agrees that the Canon PowerShot A530 is an ideal digital camera for anyone who is on a budget and is looking for an affordable camera. They believe that it produces good pictures in environments that are well lit. They also feel that it has some really good features which makes it a good camera for people who are on a budget. However, they do think that there are better cameras out there which can provide you with better performance. Overall, it is safe to say that if you are looking for a great outdoorsy camera, a camera which will help you save a lot of money, or if you are just looking for a camera for beginners, then chances are that the Canon PowerShot A530 is the perfect choice for you. Those who are more interested in a camera which will give them the ability to not be able to miss a shot with high-speed performance, should look elsewhere for a digital camera, as the Canon PowerShot A530 is not an ideal choice for you.

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Pros & Cons

  • 4x optical zoom, excellent photography and video, good feel, small body, great picture quality
  • battery life, goes through batteries fast, battery memory cover awkward, short battery life, slow flash recycle time
  1. Canon Powershot A530

    Reviewer: Review Stop
    06 December 2006
    Overall 6
    6.0
    Value for money 6
    6.0
     

    Cheap but not chic Read more

  2. Canon PowerShot A530

    Reviewer: GadgetSpeak
    19 June 2006

    I am afraid to me this was a 'curates egg' unit good in parts. The best price I found on my Internet searches was £141.55 from the link below, more details from second link. Read more

  3. Reviewer: Cameras
    16 May 2006
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    The Canon Powershot A530 is a great value for money digital camera. It is available at a very reasonable price indeed. Photos are good both indoors and outside. There is also a manual mode. Although not perfect I am happy to recommend this camera. Read more

  1. A decent camera

    Reviewer: Ciao
    16 September 2008
    Overall 8
    8.0
    Value for money 8
    8.0
    Ease of use 10
    10
    Picture quality 8
    8.0
     

    A decent camera . Iv'e had it for about 2 years now and have used it mainly for holidays and some activities. In all fairness it seems to take good quality photos with no hassle. I generally use the Auto setting but for those who know what they're doing it's also possible to use the manual setting to get it just right. Other settings include: Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Video mode, Stitch assist (for taking wide photos and stitching it all together I believe!) and... Read more

  2. A bit of a disappointment

    Reviewer: Amazon
    14 March 2007
    Overall 6
    6.0
     

    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... Read more

  3. Reviewer: Jackie, Pricerunner
    09 June 2006
    Overall 9
    9.0
     

    Frankly I am not a professional photographer, hence all these functions that the camera has, a million differnt modes, lights, actions, timers, they confused me to the core. Plus I cant really carry it around everywhere. The camera captures great pictures when in the basic mode and when I could understand the differnt modes I got good pictures. So i assume it is actually a great camera for an intelligent photographer. The USB transfer system is snappy, it works really... Read more

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