Canon Powershot A520 4MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (OLD MODEL)

I've just taken the first 133 pictures. They are all great! The flash is incredible for such a small camera. The picture quality is real good, even when zooming in on my computer display screen. I am really impressed with the color and light balance in the interior pictures I took, which usually challenge many 35mm automatic cameras. Outdoor pictures are not usually a problem with any. I bought a 512 MB SanDisk memory card. I took the 141 pictures on the first set of AA batteries. So I am going to get some rechargeable ones. The nice part about AA, is that if I am out somewhere, and need some working batteries fast, I can just buy them. Otherwise, recharge is cheap. I've got $214.94 in the camera plus $44.99 for the extra memory card ($265 total, including shipping). The camera comes with a USB cord to instantly download picture to the internet. It also comes with an A/V cord, so you can just show the pictures directly from your camera to a TV. This is a great feature when you are on vacation, and want to look at full size pictures before returning home to your computer. The camera screen is 2", and does fine. I had no trouble holding the camera still enough to get excellent pictures. And it is small enough to fit in my jeans pocket - although I wouldn't want it there all the time. Add a small $5 gadget bag to put the cords, extra batteries, charger, and camera in - you're ready to go! BTW, this is my second digital camera.

I tell ya, every time I use this camera I am happy I bought it. I have yet to learn more about it, so in a nutshell a new-comer to the digital camera world can operate this immediately. It has become my new toy. Downloading the pictures on the computer is a snap and they are terrific. The down side...well, I'm here because I'm looking for a new memory card. The card that comes with it doesn't hold much....10-13 pictures if I remember right. Still....this is one of my best buys for myself! January 2010 This camera is still good but now I have a bit of criticism. The biggest is the response time when I push the button to take a picture. I push it....wait for it...wait for it...yeah...that's what I mean. It is far too slow before the picture actually is taken. I take pictures of my dogs and you know how fast they move. Action photos...might be a little too late! Could be time to see about an upgrade for myself?

This camera was wonderful - it was easy and intuitive to use and provided crisp, clear pictures. I truly loved this camera. However, today, after using the camera on maybe 4 occassions for the past 2 months, the infamous E18 Error appeared on my screen - the camera started beeping loudly, and the lens will not retract. My camera is now completely inoperable. Luckily, it is still covered by the warranty, and I will let you all know how Canon responds to this problem. However, I am extremely disappointed by this malfunction. I used my camera only a few times, and I was very careful with it each time. It should not already be broken.

I purchased this Camera as a backup and I find I am using it more than my other Camera's because the pictures are so bright and the video's are out of this world. Canon is a great brand and nothing beats their quality. I have more expensive Camera's and they did not come close when it comes to the sharpness. I did not need a manual to operate because the dial is so easy to use.

Well, compared to other cameras in the market, it is actually not so little, but is still an excellent buy. The actual trend is very much directed to make digital cameras smaller every time, but nonetheless this one has a good size. It is not one of the tiny little narrow ones, but it is not bulky either. It is narrower than it's older brothers on the "A" series from Canon, because it uses two AA batteries instead of four. It will still fit in your jacket pocket. Some people call this the Canon "economic" series. I think that is true if you compare them to the Digital Elph series, and this is mostly because of the use of plastic cases and several plastic parts instead of metal. Like one reviewer stated, the tripod mount is made out of plastic, and yes, I don't understand why it is in the corner. If your tripod is very light and the tripod head is small, it might cause the camera to tilt to the side and find it difficult to make it sit straight. To me this is a major flaw which I noticed at once at the moment of using a tripod, which I do often. You have to be real careful when you screw it on and off the tripod, frequent use might wear the plastic screw receiver. You also have to be careful when you pull up the rubber strip that covers the inputs and outputs to transfer your pictures to your computer or view them on your TV screen. If you pull it too far back, this may cause the little rubber hinge that attaches it to the camera to break, with which you will loose this cover forever and beyond repair. I have seen this system before on several cameras and camcorders of different brand names and I think it is too fragile and should be changed. This are maybe the main reasons I did'nt give it five stars, because otherwise, I am very much pleased with mine. I got it about four months ago and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. I had a Nikon 3100 for two years before the Canon, and I liked it a lot, but I must say this is a better camera overall. The fact that it has a Digic processor instead of a Digic2, like more expensive models, is true; but hardly noticeable by most users, given the excellent picture quality that it delivers. The 1,8 inch display has a very nice size and is very clear under most light conditions. It does'nt scratch easily, which did happen with the Nikon 3100 (read my review on this). Battery life is great. Last weekend I took more than 200 pictures in the M1 setting which is 1600x1200 quality, the second larger available (it fills your computer screen), on a single pair of AA rechargeables, and they are still going. I very much recomend the wide angle snap-on lens that you can get from Amazon at... 20 bucks!! It makes a world of difference when you are shooting landscapes or... whatever!! Besides a memory card (I use a 256MB and it stores hundreds of pictures), a carrying case (it does protect your camera), and a battery charger (it WILL save you a lot of money), this is definitely the best accessory you can buy. The camera has a huge menu of manual settings, effects, scene modes and more that, I must admit, I haven'nt figured out or used totally yet. But, does anybody ever? I did a lot of online and offline research before I decided myself on buying this one and I am very happy that I did. You won't find a better camera for this price. Trust me.