popsrocks's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A520 4.2 Megapixel Digital Camera
Back in December I was the lucky recipient of my first ever Digital camera. This gift moved me into a whole new world of taking images. The camera I received was the Canon Power Shot A400 Camera. It was very simple to use.
My daughter recently picked up a digital camera and finally my wife decided to go digital. We all do enjoy having our own cameras. I will be doing a bit of comparison in this review between the A400 I have been using steadily and the relatively new one my wife and I use.
From the Box
Before I even touch the camera I spend a little time reading the information that is on the box. It's there I read that the PowerShot A520 offers 4.0 Mega Pixels as compared to 3.2 on my A400. This means better quality pictures. The box also notes this camera has a 4x Optical Zoom. 35-140mm. The camera uses 2 AA batteries that do come with it.
The back of the box lists information as to what system requirements are needed for this camera. This is important to know before even looking at the camera. This includes information as to needing a USB interface and what programs work under Windows and Mac systems.
Inside the box is a Software Starter Guide that gives more detailed information. What I don't like about the colour and print of the box is that the detail is hard to read. This is very different from the Quick Start Guide that is in the box.
Basic Information
Once opening up the box I immediately found my best friend, the Quick Start Guide. I was familiar with this book because my A400 Canon had a similar book. It was terrific and this one is too. Being I am still a beginner when it comes to digital, I am still learning my way around the camera.
Please let me state here that for me, and I'm sure for other beginners, it is just as important to know how to use the camera as to what features it may have. That is one reason I stress the importance of the quick Start Guide and the other books too.
For anyone not into digital, Canon makes it so easy with this guide. If you are like me you do not want to go through reams of pages reading detail. I get lost with too much information at one time. This Quick Start Guide is concise and very clear for all start-up needs.
What I like is that there is a chart on the one piece fold out Quick Start Guide that can lead you directly to where the information you may be seeking can be found. Many are found on the Quick Start itself but other more detailed info may not be on it. You don't have to search the whole sheet, just go to the chart and it will tell you where to look.
Again as a beginner I love the quick start. It makes me quite comfortable with the camera right away. Clear drawings and simple text makes it easy to learn the cameras features and show how they benefit you.
The Quick Start Guide opens with
1)Preparing the Camera: Here the basics like opening the battery cover and putting in the memory card is discussed. Easy to do.
2) Shooting: This gives the basics on how to turn the camera on how to change modes, setting dates, and how to focus and shoot. Also easy to follow and understand.
3) Playback: This feature is one of the reasons so many people are flocking to digital. The photo is immediately available to be seen. This section explains how to playback the images and also how to erase them.
You needn't be afraid of inadvertently erasing all your images with this camera. This part is easy to go through and very definite steps must be made to erase everything. One slip will not erase it all.
5)Printing with a Direct Print Compatible Printer. I don't have one of these but it may be in my future. I go right to the next section.
6) Preparing to Download Images to a Computer. I have been using a computer for writing and for Emails. I do use it for Internet info too. Aside from that, I am not computer savvy. I learned you don't have to be in order to get images onto the computer, in fact its very simple. I happen to have Windows and that section is broken down into Downloading the images, Checking the Images, Sending Images via Email, and even use the computer to operate the cameras shutter.
7) Downloading Images: Again this is clear and easy to follow.
It continues on some basics on editing movies and other things that can be done with the software. Some of this will lead you to the manual, but it's good to get some basic Quick Start info without a lot of digging.
The Quick Start page comes in both English and another in Spanish. I like that they are separate as this keeps just what you need in hand only. This is also true about the Camera User Guide. You won't have one huge book with different languages in it. You have a smaller book that is suited to your language English or Spanish. I'm sure other languages are available but they are not issued with the camera.
The Camera
The physical look and feel of this camera is good. It has a bit of body to it so it does not feel like a toy.
This camera 4x optical zoom can be adjusted from 35-140mm for the zoom. That's very pretty good for a basic camera. I don't happen to like where and how it is mounted on the top of the camera, but it's not terrible to use. It's just a bit too small for my "fat" fingers to feel and grab easily. I like the thumb controlled one on my A400 better but it is just a 2x2 zoom. I do have to say that it seems that the tele-photo image on the PowerShot A520 is better than that of the A400.
Different modes can be set pretty easily by turning a dial. This will take you to Portraits, Landscapes, Night Scenes, a Fast Shutter for shooting fast moving objects, and even a Slow Shutter so you can give some motion in your shots. I like that this beginner camera can be used for multi-functions similar to SLR cameras. This camera can be used as a total point and shoot or used manually. That's pretty cool stuff.
This camera also features a Stitch Assist. This is very cool so you can put pictures that are shot on this mode together as one on a computer.
I have to remember this is available as I was in Jersey City a couple of nights ago and there was a perfect and bright rainbow over the Lower Manhattan skyline. I shot a beautiful image, perhaps of the best rainbow I have ever seen, but I would have liked to continue this perfect double rainbow that was a total arch from end to end starting at Battery Park and ending near the Statue of Liberty. It was an amazing moment!
That's one thing about these cameras, there are a lot of features in them that are available and I like that I can add them to my r'epertoire a step at a time without having to learn everything all at once.
The LCD Monitor is better than the one on my A400. It's a bit brighter and a little larger, not much. 1.5" vs 1.8" There is also a viewfinder window. Not all digital cameras have these. I think it's a must. I still like to compose my images through the eye piece. I find it less distracting and more important much easier to see what you are shooting on bright days when the monitor is just not easy enough to see.
The camera has red-eye reduction modes too. The Quick Guide explains when it is not automatically on in setting like Auto, Flash-On and Flash-Off. This is shown with appropriate shapes that indicate function.
Macro shots are also available with this camera if you want to get that flower or perhaps a butterfly using the telephoto in conjunction with the macro. I won't get all technical, probably because I can't, but the books show what settings and shots can be done with the camera.
As with the A400 you can even shoot short video clips with this camera. To me that is amazing.
The 16MB SD/MMC card with this camera does not hold many images. The first thing I would suggest is upgrading to a card that holds much more. A $30-$60 investment for a start up is a good idea. I made this jump with my A400 and I like that I now always have two cards.
The shape of this camera is good for right handed people in that it conforms to that hand with its body. The A400 I have is basically a small rectangle while the A520 has a rounded shape on its right hand side. This does feel better than the A400, but does not slip into my pocket as easily as its smaller brother.
Images and Quality
In taking pictures I really do not see a big difference between the quality of the A400 and A520. When I see them side to side on my computer, they seem much the same to this untrained eye. I am happy with both cameras and we have printed photos with both to our satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
The truth is I don't use half the features this camera offers and maybe I never will. I don't know. I do know that with the Quick Start I could use my camera right away and that was very important to a guy who is still digitally getting his feet wet. The truth is, once you have a digital you can pretty much pick up the next level camera up and figure it out right away. That's what happened with this PowerShot A520. Much is located in the same areas as the A400 I had.
After using both, I do have to say the A520 is a better camera with a few extra features and feels better in the hand. At the same time the A400 is small enough that I keep it with me everywhere I go. It's small enough to fit in my pocket.
Even though the A400 is smaller it seems to eat the batteries faster. The A520 does well with battery life. Both cameras have a closed shutter compartment that opens when the camera is turned on and then the lens protrudes out the front of the camera body.
As comparing the two in looks, the A400 seems more like a toy when sitting side by side but the photo quality is nearly the same to me. I suppose the A520 with 4.0 Mega Pixels vs 3.2 there will be more of a difference when images are made larger.
All in all I think the A520 is the better camera, especially for people who know how to use better SLR cameras. The A520 gives some manual diversity that people, who like to be innovative in image taking, can still perform.
It is also a very easy camera to pick up and learn to use. The Quick Start Guide makes this so.
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