Release Date:February 15, 2008 Shipping:Eligible for Super Saver Shipping Promotion:Save $5.00 when you spend $25.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout.Terms and Conditions Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Features:
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8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
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4x optical image-stabilized zoom
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2.5-inch LCD screen; Face Detection
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New Easy Mode simplifies operation
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Captures images to SD memory cards (not included); powered by AA batteries
The Canon A590IS has it all.September 7, 2008 The A590IS, based on price, is considered to be a budget or entry level camera. However, especially at this price point, it is feature rich including many not found in more expensive models. The feature set will appeal to a wide variety of people from those who want nothing more than an auto-focus point-and-shoot to the camera buff who wants a full set of manual controls, including manual focus, and to everyone in between. I was especially pleased that Canon included a viewfinder on this model, something that is being dropped from many product lines in favor of only an LCD screen. Anyone who has ever tried to compose a shot in bright sunlight only to find the LCD screen washed out or impossible to see will appreciate this feature.
I applaud Canon for developing a small camera with more attention to function rather than to style and minimal size. Many cameras can be found with dimensions smaller than a playing card or credit card but lack even basic controls, much less easy to use buttons. While the A590IS may not fit in the pocket of your jeans, it will fit into a jacket pocket or a moderately sized shirt pocket. Rather than being a flat or rounded rectangle this camera design feels good in your hand and feels secure during use.
Performance and picture quality was another pleasant surprise at this price point. Picture noise is not noticeable until ISO 400 and degrades rapidly at ISO 800 and above. Translated to laymen's terms, this means your shots will be crystal clear unless you specifically set the ISO to a high number for non-flash, low-light shots. Image stabilization is excellent throughout the three settings (off is also selectable). There are three auto-focus modes plus off including face detect which will automatically detect up to 9 faces in a shot and adjust the camera settings automatically so that faces are correctly exposed in your shot. Unless one of your subjects is moving fast, the camera detects the movement and adjusts according. The 4X optical zoom is a rarity in this price range with most not exceeding 3X. Combined with the 4X digital zoom you have a camera that is capable of mild wide angle to moderate telephoto. Color rendition is excellent and I have read a number of technical reviews that place it as nearly perfect. One of your many shooting options is "vivid" which increases contrast and heightens the colors in your shot. The camera's ability to shoot movies with sound is better than expected. However Canon did reduce the performance from the A590's predecessor to only 20 fps in 640x480. To get 30 fps you must drop down to the 320x240 size. Unlike my old digital, you can continue to shoot in movie mode until your memory card is full, not in shorter segments. Redeye reduction is accomplished with two methods which can be combined or shut off entirely, a redeye light and digital correction. Unfortunately, no camera manufacturer I am away of offers something that will work with pets so their eyes will often come out glowing green or gold in a flash shot.
Canon's decision to power the A590IS with AA batteries was sound. Avoiding a proprietary battery aided them in keeping the cost low. Replacement of a proprietary battery can cost upwards of $40. I would recommend purchasing a set of 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries and a good charger if you use your camera a lot. If you find your batteries dying and unable to plug in your charger, you can always pick up a set of AA batteries nearly anywhere. Battery life with the A590IS is reportedly one of the best with up to 450 shots. But if you are like I am and use all the bells and whistles as well as flash, expect battery life to be much lower, typical with any camera.
As with anything, there are always some cons. Writing to the memory card is a bit slow, especially in continuous shooting mode although still respectable for a camera in this class. I found that it did improve when I upgraded to a faster SD card (class 6+). As with all of Canon's A-series PowerShot cameras, flash recycle time leaves something to be desired approaching 5 seconds. Unless you are someone who wants to take rapid-fire shots using a flash, performance is acceptable. The LCD view screen is pretty low resolution and displays a lot of noise. Much to my relief the actual shots turn out much better than what you see on the view screen. When in movie mode with sound, I found that using the zoom or other buttons translates into an audible sound during playback.
In summary, I suppose it is possible to find a budget camera that will exceed the A590IS in one or two categories but the Canon has good, solid, balanced performance in all areas. I'd much prefer solid performance over stellar performance in one or two areas and below average performance everywhere else. It is by no means a high-performance SLR, but at $149 I can buy 10 of these before approaching what I paid for my SLR 10 years ago and I don't need to drag along 2 camera bags to take good quality shots. If I'd paid over $500 for the A590IS I'd probably rate it at 4 stars, but at $149 it earns a solid 5 stars for performance, features, and quality with the Pro's far outweighing the Con's.
A note about using SDHC (high capacity) memory cards. The a590IS comes with a regular 32mb SD card but can utilize the SDHC format. Make sure your computer (or other device) can utilize the SDHC format before buying a SDHC card as the format is not the same as an SD card. The SDHC is idential in size and shape to the SD card which has led to some confusion. However, all is not lost. There are plenty of very inexpensive card readers out there that can read the SDHC format and upload to your computer or other device. SCHC cards are most often found in 4gb, 8gb, and 16gb capacities.
So far, so goodSeptember 6, 2008 We got this camera just before the birth of our first baby. We've found the basic usage easy to understand and have captured tons of good pictures without needing to read the manual first. There's obviously a lot more you can do with this camera if you have time to figure it out, but I appreciate the simplicity of necessary functions and potential for more too. The resolution was high enough for me to put great professional-looking shots on my business web sight as well.
great little cameraSeptember 6, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
bought this as a second, smaller camera for my husband to drag along on his different outings and pix of his construction work. He is limited technically, so this is a great choice for him. It also has the macro for his close-ups, and a little zoom so he can compose better pix. I'm also promoting the new ENELOOP batteries for all things digital/battery powered. MAJOR difference in charge length.
Canon goes cheap, in a bad way.September 6, 2008 Just a note to anyone consider the A590IS camera. I bought mine and tested for 3 hours. This is to replace my older 3.2 Megapixel Canon A510 (Which is not a perfect camera, but quite a good one!)
Short story: Stay away from the A590IS, it is not better than the 3 year old A510! Very disappointed at Canon for putting out this subpar product.
CONS:
-Pictures are soft, almost out of focus. Compared A/B with the 510 on same shots identical settings at 3 Megapixels. 510 wins hands down. -Plastic case instead of metal. Cheap and light feel. If it falls, it is toast. -Screen is larger, but also are the pixels. So, same resolution at a larger screen = very poor poor LCD image quality. -Most of the advanced features, such as focus review etc, rely heavily on the LCD, which is of poor quality, so the new features are useless! -Uninmpressed by the Image Stabilization feature. But maybe I was expecting miracles here. -No Panorama mode. (510 had a stitch mode where you could panel Left to Right and overlap the pics). I used this a lot in the old camera. -Batteries and SD card in same compartment. When I take the SD card out, the batteries tend to fall out. Its just a cumbersome process! -The so called 8 megapixels in this CCD are a bit of a joke. There wasn't a huge difference between taking a 3 megapixel pic and stretching up in Photoshop, compared to the same pic at 8 Megapixel. Very soft!
Good cameraSeptember 6, 2008 It's a point and shoot. As good or better than the competition. YOu're not going to do a National Geographic shoot with it but it's a handy little gadget to carry with.
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