Canon A590 IS - A Preview. Review on Canon Powershot A590 IS

I own a Nikon D40 DSLR and have owned three P & S cams earlier.

Aesthetics/Styling/Ergo:

As you can see, this cam has a very conservative exterior, save for the glossy finich around the pistol grip (Hand grip surrounding the AA batteries).

If you look in detail, you can see the 5 way D pad is split and is very easy to use. The shutter trigger is placed conveniently and the zoom ring encircles it.

All the buttons were placed in the rear-right of the cam. It is easy to handle. The cam zooms in and out quite smoothly and with less grinding noise (compared to few other Sony and Nikon models).

Though compact, this cam wont fit comfortably in your trouser pockets.

The pistol grip as it is glossy, feels a bit slippery.

The Battery/Mem card door latch - you have to struggle a bit to put it back in place. however, doesn't feel flimsy. It feels OK and looks strong enough to hold your heavy rechargeables.

The lanyard loophole is placed on the right center just like in IXUS models.

You can include Converters too. I would say this is redundant. May be useful for some serious amateurs who use this cam for macro photography / wide angle shots etc. Not everyone fully utilizes the features. But, there may be few out there who love this option. In fact, I purchased converter and UV filter set for Canon S5IS earlier.

Menu:

As in all other Canon models, the menu is Tab operated. It is easier to navigate thro the menu.

One good feature I noticed is the sub-menu. Say, when you press the Up key in D pad, you get the Flash options (On or Off). From here, if you press Menu, you get Flash settings (Red eye, etc.).

In the D-pad, the left and right keys have limited usage. (In Tv. Av, Manual modes only)

Use the Fn option to get a set of additional features like Color modes (B/W, Sepia etc), White Balance control, ISO setting, Pic Quality, Size settings etc.

I miss the Color Accent feature. Wish Canon would have added it into this cam.

Playback / Live:

I hate the Slider switch to toggle between Live and playback modes (found in most other Canon models). BUT, in this cam, I have come across a great option to HOLD the REVIEW of the image taken lastly. This allows you to scrutinize the image you have just shot. I love this option. This prevents us from toggling between playback and live quite often.

You have the usual Thumbnails option too.

Pic Quality:

i am yet the explore the pic quality of this cam. however, having experienced few other cams before, I could recommend this cam as a good one. I read the macro capability to be 2cm in a certain mode.

Flash:

Flash quality is good. It evenly lits the subject. BUT, it has a very slow flash recycle time. Expect nearly 7~8 secs with drain batteries. I hate this.

One saviour is, the low light performance in Manual mode. Switch to manual exposure mode, set the max possible Aperture (say F2.8) and reduce the shutter, you can get great indoor lighting shots.

Battery life:

Depends on your Flash usage.

One main option I looked for while buying a cam is the usage of AA batteries. I dont want to run around with a battery charger. instead, I can always pocket two additional charged rechargeables.

And, you have the control to enhance the battery life by selecting a higher mAH battery. say 2700 mAH. So, I am sure that the batt. life should not be an issue here.

To summarize:

Pros:

• Manual Exposure Controls.

  
  




• 4x IS lens as compared to 3x in most other similar cams.

  
  




• Universal standard Mem card, USB cable, batteries usage. (No need to sing Properitory Song)

  
  




• Ofcourse, great price (6.5K in grey)

  
  




• HOLD image preview option, reduces PB/Live toggles.

  
  

Cons:

• POOR flash recycle time.

  
  




• Slightly slippery grip.

  
  




• Slightly bulky. Depends on your size requirement.

  
  

Actually, this cam suited my brother's requirement. Manual modes, Small size (not pocketable), AA batt. SD card, Standard USB cable (so I can use the same cable for my MP3 player and the cam).

I have given the title as preview, as I am new to this model. once iget a hands on, I will detail this review further. Hence, the picquality and battery life ratings are left untouched.

In fact, my younger brother has bought this camera. so, I got a chance to play with it.

Verdict:

I would definitely recommend this cam, if you are not looking for stylish looking pocketable camera, want good image quality for a GREAT price.

Hope this info helps.