Canon PowerShot A530 Digital Camera Review
PowerShot A530 Offers impressive performance with a 5.0 Megapixel CCD, optical zoom, different shooting modes, VGA movies with sound, 9-point AiAF and ISO 800 for improved low-light flexibility. This camera offers a range of metering modes, including evaluative, center-weighted, and even spot metering and good speed for a modestly priced camera. The Canon A530 stores its images on SD memory cards, which is rapidly becoming the dominant memory card format for digital cameras. A USB 2.0 High-Speed computer connection provides for speedy downloads, fast enough that most users will find no need for a separate card reader.
| Camera Effective Pixels |
Approx. 5.0 million |
| Image Sensor |
1/2.5-inch CCD (Total number of pixels: Approx 5.3 million) |
| Lens |
5.8 (W) - 23.2 (T) mm (35 mm film equivalent: 35 - 140 mm)
f/2.6 (W) - f/5.5 (T) |
| Digital Zoom |
Still images: Approx. 4.0x (Up to approx. 16x in combination with the optical zoom)
Movies:Approx. 2.0x (Up to approx. 8.1x in combination with the optical zoom) |
| Optical Viewfinder |
Real-image zoom viewfinder |
| LCD Monitor |
1.8-inch, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD, approx. 77,000 pixels (Picture coverage 100%) |
| AF System |
TTL autofocus |
| Shooting Distance (From the front of the lens) |
Normal: 45 cm (1.5 ft.) - infinity
Macro: 5 - 45 cm (2.0 in. - 1.5 ft.)(W)
33 - 45 cm (1.1 - 1.5 ft.)(T)
Manual focus: 5 cm (2.0 in.) - infinity (W)
33 cm (1.1 ft.) - infinity (T) |
| Shutter |
Mechanical shutter and electronic shutter |
| Shutter Speeds |
15 - 1/2000 sec.
* The shutter speed varies according to the shooting mode.
* Slow shutter speeds of 1.3 sec. or slower operate with noise reduction. |
| Metering System |
Evaluative, Center-weighted average or Spot*
* Fixed to center or linked to the AF frame |
| Exposure Compensation |
±2.0 stops in 1/3-stop increments |
| ISO Speed |
Auto*, ISO 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent
* Camera automatically sets the optimal speed. |
| White Balance |
TTL auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H or Custom |
| Built-in Flash |
Auto*, on*, off
* Red-eye reduction is available. |
| Flash Range |
Normal: 45 cm - 3.5 m (1.5 - 11 ft.) (W)
45 cm - 2.2 m (1.5 - 7.2 ft.) (T)
Macro: 33 - 45 cm (1.1 - 1.5 ft.) (W/T)(When ISO speed is set to AUTO.)
|
| Flash Exposure Compensation |
± 2.0 stops in 1/3-stop increments |
| Shooting Modes |
AutoCreative zone: Program, Manual
Image zone: Portrait, Landscape, Night scene, Special Scene*1, Stitch Assist and Movie*2
1: Night Snapshot, Kids&Pets, Indoor, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Color Swap and Color Accent.
2: Standard, Compact, Color Accent and Color Swap. |
| Continuous Shooting |
Approx. 2.1 shots/sec. (Large/Fine mode) |
| Self-timer |
Activates shutter after an approx. 10-sec./approx. 2-sec. delay, Custom Timer |
| Recording Media |
SD memory card/MultiMediaCard
* This camera has been tasted with memory cards through 2 GB. Use of all memory cards cannot be guaranteed. |
| File Format |
Design rule for camera file system and DPOF compliant |
| Data Type |
Still images: Exif 2.2(JPEG)*1,Sound Memo: WAVE (monaural)
Movies: AVI (Image data: Motion JPEG; Audio data: WAVE (monaural)) *1: This digital camera supports Exif 2.2 (also called "Exif Print"). Exif Print is a standard for enhancing the communication between digital cameras and printers. By connecting to an Exif Print-compliant printer, the camera's image data at the time of shooting is used and optimized, yielding extremely high quality prints. |
| Compression |
Superfine, Fine, Normal |
| Number of Recording Pixels (Still images) |
Large: 2592 x 1944 pixels
Middle 1: 2048 x 1536 pixels
Middle 2: 1600 x 1200 pixels
Small: 640 x 480 pixels
Postcard Date Imprint Mode: 1600 x 1200 pixels
Widescreen: 2592 x 1456 pixels |
| Number of recording pixels (Movies) |
Standard, Color Accent, Color Swap:
640 x 480 pixels (10 frames/sec.)
320 x 240 pixels (20 frames/sec.)
Recording can continue until the memory card is full* (can record up to a maximum of 1GB at one time)**
Compact:
160 x 120 pixels (15 frames/sec.)
Max. Clip Length at one time: 3 minutes
* Using super high-speed memory cards (SDC-512MSH recommended).
** Even if the clip size has not reached 1 GB, recording will stop at the moment the clip length reaches 1 hour. Depending on the volume and data writing speed of the memory card, recording may stop before reaching 1 hour or before the
recorded data volume has reached 1 GB.
|
| Playback Modes |
Single (histogram displayable), Index (9 thumbnail images), Magnified (approx. 10x (max.) in LCD monitor, advance or reverse through magnified images possible), Jump (it is possible to jump to every tenth or hundredth image, to the first image of each shooting date, to the first image in each folder, or to movies. In index playback mode, it displays 9 images at once.), Sound memos (up to 1 min.), Auto Play or Movie (edit/slow motion play back possible). |
| Direct Print |
PictBridge compliant, and Canon Direct Print and Bubble Jet Direct compatible |
| My Camera Settings |
Start-up image, start-up sound, operation sound, self-timer sound, and shutter sound. |
| Interface |
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B), PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol)
Audio/Video output (NTSC or PAL selectable, monaural audio) |
| Power Source |
2 AA-size alkaline batteries
2 AA-size rechargeable NiMH batteries NB4-300 (sold separately)
AC Adapter Kit ACK800 (sold separately) |
| Operating Temperature |
0–40°C (32–104°F) |
| Operating Humidity |
10–90% |
| Dimensions |
90.4 x 64.0 x 43.2 mm (3.56 x 2.52 x 1.70 in.) (excluding protrusions) |
| Weight |
Approx. 170 g (6.00 oz.) (camera body only) |
