|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DPInterface Canon PowerShot A530 Review
Brad Soo - August 21st, 2006
The Canon PowerShot A530 has 5 megapixels, a 1.8 inch LCD and a 4X zoom lens it shares with the cameras above. This camera may be distinguished from the higher-end A540 in several ways, but is image quality one of those points? Let's find out more about this little budget camera now.
Canon A-series comparison
Canon has released about 5 A-series cameras, all with manual controls, over the past year and there may be some questions and confusion about these cameras going on. So here's a helpful comparison table:
|
*Current prices as of August 21st, 2006
Size and Weight
There are many entry-level cameras out there, a lot of them with more than the usual 3x zoom:
(197.6) 90.4 x 64.0 x 43.2 mm (170 g) - Canon PowerShot A530/A540
(219.9) 104.8 x 66.0 x 49.1 mm (235 g) - Canon PowerShot A610/A620
(204.4) 94.5 x 66.5 x 43.4 mm (200 g) - Canon PowerShot A700
(177.2) 90.0 x 60.0 x 27.2 mm (137 g) - Casio Exilim Z110/Z120
(183.1) 93.0 x 60.0 x 30.1 mm (145 g) - Fujifilm FinePix A600
(196.1) 104.7 x 60.6 x 30.8 mm (170 g) - Fujifilm FinePix F650
(177.8) 91.0 x 57.0 x 29.8 mm (170 g) - HP Photosmart R817/818
(192.0) 91.0 x 66.0 x 35.0 mm (150 g) - Kodak EasyShare C533
(184.9) 84.7 x 64.7 x 35.5 mm (147 g) - Kodak EasyShare C663
(177.5) 91.0 x 60.5 x 26.0 mm (120 g) - Nikon Coolpix L2
(185.0) 96.0 x 63.0 x 26.0 mm (130 g) - Olympus FE130/FE140
(199.5) 99.5 x 65.0 x 35.0 mm (180 g) - Olympus SP320
(207.0) 100.0 x 62.0 x 45.0 mm (186 g) - Panasonic Lumix LZ3/LZ5
(179.0) 87.0 x 60.0 x 32.0 mm (130 g) - Pentax Optio E10
(174.0) 89.0 x 60.0 x 25.0 mm (120 g) - Pentax Optio M10
(185.0) 96.8 x 61.8 x 26.4 mm (136 g) - Samsung Digimax S600
(169.0) 89.0 x 57.0 x 23.0 mm (127 g) - Sony Cyber-shot W30/W50
(188.7) 99.9 x 52.0 x 36.8 mm (133 g) - Sony Cyber-shot S600
As you can see, the Canon PowerShot A530 is a mid-sized camera and one of the largest. While there are some cameras which are larger, most of those entry-level cameras are quite a bit smaller. Anyhow, none of those other cameras give you full manual controls in a pocket-sized package.
Open up the Box
Inside the box, the Canon PowerShot A530 has the same bundle as the A540:
- 16 MB Secure Digital card
- 2 AA alkaline batteries
- Wrist strap
- USB and A/V cables
- User's manual
- CD-ROM
Storage and Power
Since the A530 comes with so little memory, I'd recommend at least a 512 MB SD card to start with - more if possible. A high-speed card (preferably 60X) makes things noticeably faster and lets you do indefinite continuous shooting.
300 shots - Canon PowerShot A510/A520
360 shots - Canon PowerShot A530/A540
500 shots - Canon PowerShot A610/A620
400 shots - Canon PowerShot A700
180 shots - Casio Exilim Z110/Z120
400 shots - Fujifilm FinePix A600
150 shots - Fujifilm FinePix F650
200 shots - HP Photosmart R817/818
300 shots - Kodak EasyShare C533
250 shots - Kodak EasyShare C663
325 shots - Nikon Coolpix L2
N/A - Olympus FE130/FE140
N/A - Olympus SP320
390 shots - Panasonic Lumix LZ3/LZ5
300 shots - Pentax Optio E10
640 shots - Pentax Optio M10
N/A - Samsung Digimax S600
400 shots - Sony Cyber-shot W30/W50
460 shots - Sony Cyber-shot S600
While the Canon A-series used to be known for their excellent battery life, competition in 2006 have caught up a lot. The Canon A530 can take 360 shots per charge (CIPA Standard) which is only about average. Non-rechargeable batteries are included with the Canon A530 so you'll have to go out and buy a set of 4 AA NiMH rechargeable batteries (I'd recommend 2300 mAh or better) plus a quick 15 minute charger for yourself.
Extras
Unfortunately for the A530, it cannot use conversion lenses, so only these accessories are available:
- External slave flash
- AC adapter
- Set of batteries
Camera Tour
The A530 looks exactly like the A540 except the smaller LCD and loss of the lens rim ejector button for conversion lenses. The camera feels solid (though during my experience with the A530, the lens rim got a few scratches) and the grip is big enough to hold and small enough for the camera to fit into larger pockets and bags easily.
The Canon PowerShot A530 uses the 4X optical zoom lens also found on the A540, equivalent to 35 - 140 mm, f2.6 - f5.5. The lens moves faster and quieter than on the A510/A520. The outer plastic ring around the lens is now fixed, thanks to the A530 not being compatible with conversion lenses.
The small holes forming a diamond is the microphone. Going up and there's an AF-assist/self-timer lamp and viewfinder. Then there's the "zoom flash" which zooms along with the lens. Still, the range isn't as good as you might think - reaching 3.5 m at wide-angle and 2.2 m at telephoto.
The Canon PowerShot A530 has a small 1.8 inch LCD with just 77,000 pixels. It's not sharp but at least it's useable indoors. There's a small optical viewfinder on top which you might want to use while taking photos outdoors (Since the LCD washes out).
There's a speaker on the top right; where your thumb goes - so watch it while playing back movies! There's a mode switch as well which moves you back-and-forth between shooting and playback.
Next are the exposure/delete photo and direct transfer/print buttons. The exposure button's main function is exposure compensation (±2 in 1/3 increments). Then there's the 5-way controller:
- Up - Flash setting (Auto, on, off)
- Down - Focus setting (Auto, macro, manual)
The FUNCtion/SET button confirms things and brings up a menu with almost all the settings you'll need including:
- ISO sensitivity (Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800)
- White balance (Auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H, custom)
- Drive (Single-shot, continuous, self-timer 2 or 10 seconds, custom timer)
- My Colors (Off, vivid, neutral, sepia, monochrome, positive film, lighter/darker skin tone, custom color)
- Flash exposure compensation (±2 in 1/3 increments) or in manual mode; flash output level (1/3, 2/3, full)
- Metering method (Evaluative, center weighted, spot)
- Still image size and compression
Custom color in the photo effects section allows you to customize contrast, sharpness, saturation, red, green, blue and skin tone values.
The DISPlay button which toggles the amount of information displayed on the LCD and even turns it off so you can use the viewfinder. The MENU button brings up a menu with most camera settings such as AF-assist beam, Canon's AiAF (Artificial Intelligence Auto Focus), camera time and stuff like that. You can exit the menu by pressing the MENU button again or pressing the shutter button half way down.
A mode dial is one of the few things located on the top of the A540 so I'll start with that:
- Manual - Full manual control with the following limits - aperture between f2.6/f5.5 to f8 and shutter speed between 15 seconds to 1/2000 sec. Faster shutter speeds can only be used with smaller apertures
- Programmed auto - The A540 chooses both aperture and shutter speed while you control other manual functions
- Automatic - You choose only image size and compression
- Portrait
- Landscape
- Night scene
- Other scene modes
- Stitch assist
- Movie
There's no priority modes here! For that, you'd want to check out the A540. Other things you'll find on the top is the shutter button with zoom lever and a power button.
The side of the A530 harbors three ports: USB 2.0 High-speed, A/V Out and DC-IN.
At the bottom, there's a tripod mount and a battery/card compartment with a very sturdy door to protect those 2 AA batteries. Two quirks about the tripod mount: it's plastic and not inline with the lens.
Shooting
The Canon PowerShot A530 has the pretty standard Canon display screen - The information spreads across the edges of the screen, complete and uncluttered. The only thing missing here is a live histogram.
You can select one of the Canon PowerShot A530's many image resolutions which include 5 megapixels, 3 megapixels, 2 megapixels, widescreen 16:9 and VGA plus three compression options - Superfine, Fine and Normal. I find that most users (not only me) normally use Fine for everyday shooting and SuperFine only for very important shots.
Inside the menu system, you'll find these settings:
- AiAF - Select between 9 point or center autofocus
- Red-eye reduction
- Manual focus center frame enlargement
- AF-assist beam
- Digital zoom
- Review time
- Save original
- 3X3 framing grid
- Date stamp
The scene modes here include portrait, landscape, night scene, foliage, snow, beach, fireworks, underwater, indoor, kids & pets, night snapshot, color accent and color swap. The Canon PowerShot A530 has a pretty standard 5 cm macro mode.
Then there's the setup menu:
- Mute
- Volume levels
- Power saving
- Date and time
- Format memory card
- File numbering
- New folder
- Auto rotate
- Manual focus units (m/cm or ft/in)
- Lens retract time
- Language
- Video system
- Print method
- Reset all settings
There's also the usual customizable themes (including the startup screen and sounds) for your camera.
Recording
The Canon PowerShot A530 has a mediocre movie mode - you won't be buying this camera for its video capabilities that's for sure! It can record VGA (640 x 480) sized movies at a sluggish 10 FPS. A QVGA (320 x 240) option records at a less but still choppy 20 FPS. Each movie clip is limited to 1 GB. A 160 x 120 mode records at 15 FPS up to 3 minutes which is great for e-mail purposes. At least the camera records sound!
The camera adjusts exposure automatically and allows you to use digital zoom but you can't focus while recording. The A540's movie mode is way better - it can do VGA movies at 30 FPS.
Video and audio quality were both very good.
Performance
The Canon A530 features the DIGIC II processor versus DIGIC I on the A510/A520. The Canon PowerShot A530 starts up and extends its lens in just 1.6 seconds - that's way faster than on the A520. When it comes to autofocus, the A540 takes about 1/3 to 1/2 a second to focus in typical situations though it may take a little over a second in low-light. Shutter lag is a little obvious at telephoto (especially in low-light conditions) but not noticeable at wide-angle.
Shot-to-shot speed was 1 shot every 1.2 seconds, longer if the flash is used. Flash recharge time using fully charged batteries took 8 seconds.
In continuous shooting, the Canon A530 can shoot indefinitely at 2.2 FPS till the memory card is full - you need a high-speed card for this though.
The A530's zoom lens reaches telephoto from wide-angle in just two seconds. The A530 powers down in 2 seconds from shooting and instantly in playback. Overall performance was the same as the A540 - quite snappy with the exception of autofocus.
Image Quality
Check out how the Canon PowerShot A530 fares in image quality:
ISO 80 (f2.6, 0.8 sec)
ISO 100 (f2.6, 0.6 sec)
ISO 200 (f2.6, 1/3 sec)
ISO 400 (f2.6, 1/6 sec)
ISO 800 (f2.6, 1/13 sec)
ISO 80 is clean and sharp to begin with and noise doesn't go up significantly till ISO 200. At ISO 400, noise is fairly visible but things sure look good enough for medium sized prints. ISO 800 is strictly for small prints and display since noise is obvious. Chromatic aberration (color fringing) was not a problem.
Barrel distortion is a little noticeable while pincushion distortion is not. Color accuracy was good and you can turn things like saturation down should the camera confuse colors.
Overall image quality of the Canon PowerShot A530 was good and about the same as the A540.
Photo gallery
The full set of photos, all in the Canon PowerShot A530 photo gallery.
Playback
In playback, the Canon PowerShot A530 can playback stills and movies (With sound) as well as do all this: Protect image, print marking, audio clip (Limited to 1 minute), slideshow, rotate and simple movie editing.
You can also magnify still photos by 10x and take a look around using the 4 arrow buttons. Choose to see no info, basic info or lots of info about your photos. A histogram is available as well. The amount of info displayed is plentiful and complete.
Unlike the higher end Canon cameras, you can't post process any photos with the My Colors features from the FUNCtion menu.
Then there's a new section for direct print - a commonly used feature by point-and-shoot owners.
Appeal to the crowds
Who's the Canon PowerShot A530 for? Check out the target audience rating:
Penny pinchers - The Canon PowerShot A530 is very affordable but for $50 more, the A540 with improved features seems more of a bang for your buck.
Digital camera newbies/beginners - Simple to use, having an auto mode for initial use and a full manual mode when you pick them up later, the A530 is perfect for beginners.
Everyday shooters - Everyday photographers will appreciate the full manual mode but personally, I would rather use a priority mode for quick and casual shooting.
Advanced amateurs/enthusiasts - While it has full manual controls, the A530 does not have very advanced features like bulb mode, color temperature white balance or things like that. To make things worse, the A530 (Unlike the A540) does not support conversion lenses.
Professional photographers - Sorry, the A540 does a better job as a pro photographer's compact camera - it has more features and a bigger LCD.
Upgraders - If you own an A510/A520, then it's best you go for the high end PowerShot S-series, ultra-zoom or jump to a dSLR.
Users jumping ship - Those who are using other camera brands should have no trouble upgrading though Fujifilm, Olympus and Sony camera owners who are jumping ship need to get SD cards.
Conclusion
I'll make this short and simple, the A530 is a watered down A540 which sells at a lower price. Things like battery life and image quality are still good and the full manual mode is a plus. Performance was snappy too.
Despite that, the A530 has no priority modes, a small LCD and mediocre movie mode. As an added insult, the A530 is incompatible with conversion lenses and the A540 is a better deal.
My point here is, if you're looking at the A530, then go for the A540. It's a better deal. I wouldn't mind paying a little more for the features I couldn't live without (Large LCD and shutter/aperture priority).
Camera rating upon 10 (more about this): [Category: Mid-sized]
- 7.5 - Body/Exterior
- 6.0 - Bundle, batteries and memory
- 7.5 - Lens
- 5.0 - Feature set
- 6.0 - Controls and operation
- 8.0 - Performance
- 8.5 - Image quality
- 6.9 - Overall rating
What's hot:
- Nice 4x zoom lens
- Good (not excellent) battery life
- Full manual mode
- Unlimited, fast continuous shooting
- Fast performance
- Produces good photos, low noise till ISO 400; ISO 800 useable for small prints
- Affordable
What's not:
- Small LCD with low resolution
- No priority modes; incompatible with conversion lenses
- Overall performance could be faster and better; especially autofocus
- Mediocre movie mode
Recommended Accessories
- 512 MB Secure Digital card
- A set of 4 rechargeable AA NiMH batteries with a fast 15 minute charger
Content ©2005 - 2006 Digital Photography Interface. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and images are property of their respective owners.
No part of this website may be copied, posted or used anywhere
without the written permission of the website owner.
.