Canon PowerShot A520 Review
Simon, March 2005
Review based on a production Canon PowerShot A520
Announced just before PMA in February 2005, the PowerShot A520 is the replacement for the PowerShot A85, and continues the line of best-selling budget models that goes right back to early 2001 with the A10 and A20. The changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary; a reduction in size and weight (it's 13% smaller and 20% lighter), the inclusion of a new four times optical zoom lens (the A85 had a three times), zoom-linked flash, a shift from CompactFlash to SD card for storage and a drop to two AA batteries from four.
- 4.0 megapixel CCD
- 4x (35-140mm equiv.) zoom lens
- Manual, semi automatic and fully automatic exposure
- 20 exposure modes
- New 'hold' function
- Zoom flash
- 9-point AiAF focus
- Optional underwater housing, external flashgun and add-on lenses
- AA battery power
Canon PowerShot A520 vs A85 (main differences)
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Canon PowerShot A520 |
Canon PowerShot A85 |
| Sensor |
• 1/2.5-inch CCD
• 4.0 million effective pixels |
• 1/2.7-inch CCD
• 4.0 million effective pixels |
| Lens |
35-140mm equiv. F2.6-F5.5
|
35-105mm equiv. F2.8-F4.8 |
| Storage |
SD/MMC card |
CompactFlash Type I |
| Dimensions |
91 x 64 x 38 mm (3.6 x 2.5 x 1.5 in) |
101 x 64 x 32 mm (4 x 2.5 x 1.3 in) |
| Weight (inc batteries) |
230 g (8.1 oz) |
300g (10.6 oz) |
| Continuous Shooting |
1.9 fps |
1.5 fps |
| Maximum Movie Size/Frame Rate |
640 x 480, 30 secs, 320 x 240, 15 fps, max 3 mins |
640 x 480, 10 fps, max 30 sec |
| LCD screen |
• 1.8-inch
• 115,000 pixels |
• 1.8-inch
• 118,000 pixels |
| Power Source |
2 x AA batteries |
4 x AA batteries |
Canon PowerShot A520 Key specifications
| Street price |
• US: $270
• UK: £175 |
| Body Material |
Metal and plastic |
| Sensor |
• 1/2.5" Type CCD
• 4.0 million effective pixelxels |
| Image sizes |
• 2272 x 1704
• 1600 x 1200
• 1024 x 768
• 640 x 480
|
| Movie clips |
• 640 x 480, max 30 sec
• 320 x 240, max 3 mins
• 160 x 120, max 3 mins
• With audio |
| Lens |
• 4x optical zoom
• 35 - 140 mm equiv.
• F2.6 - F5.5 |
| Focus |
• TTL autofocus
• AF illuminator
• 9-point AiAF or - point AF (center)
• Manual focus
• 5cm macro mode (Wide), 30cm (Tele) |
| Shooting mode |
• Auto
• Program AE
• Shutter priority AE
• Aperture priority AE
• Manual exposure
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Night Scene
• Fast Shutter
• Slow Shutter
• Stitch Assist
• Movie
• Foliage
• Snow
• Beach
• Fireworks
• Underwater
• Indoor
• Kids & Pets
• Night Snapshot
• AE compensation -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
|
| Shutter speeds |
• 15 - 1/2000 sec
• Noise reduction for shutter speeds slower than 1.3 sec |
| Apertures |
• F2.6 / F3.2 / F3.5 / F4.0 / F4.5 / F5.0 / F5.6 / F6.3 / F7.1 / F8.0 (wide)
• F5.5 / F6.3 / F7.1 / F8.0 (wide) |
| Sensitivity |
• Auto
• ISO 50, 100, 200, 400 |
| White Balance |
• Auto
• Daylight
• Cloudy
• Tungsten
• Fluorescent
• Fluorescent H
• Custom |
| Image parameters |
• Picture adjust (Vivid, Neutral)
• Sharpness (2 levels)
• Color effects (Sepia, Black and White) |
| Continuous |
• Single
• Continuous (1.9 fps, max 8 images) *
* Large/Fine with LCD off |
| Flash |
• Built-in
• Modes: Auto, On, Off
• Slow Sync: On/Off
• Red-Eye reduction: On/Off
• Range (wide): 0.45 - 3.5 m (Auto ISO)
• Range (tele): 0.45 - 2.2 m (Auto ISO)
• Zoom-linked |
| Storage |
• SD / MMC card
• 16MB SD supplied* |
| Viewfinder |
• Real Image Optical |
| LCD monitor |
• 1.8" TFT, 115,000 pixels |
| Connectivity |
• USB 1.1
• A/V out
• DC-IN |
| Power |
• 2 x AA batteries
• NiMH recommended (alkaline supplied)
• (Optional AC adapter) |
In the box*
|
• Canon PowerShot A520
• Wrist strap
• 2x AA Alkaline batteries
• AV cable
• USB cable
• 16MB SD card
• Software CD ROM (Canon Digital Camera Solutions & ArcSoft Camera Suite)
|
| Other features |
• Spot, Center-weighted & Evaluative metering
• Sound memo (up to 60 sec)
• PictBridge, Exif Print and DPOF compatible
• Playback Histogram
• Built-in speaker and microphone
• Orientation sensor
• Autofocus Illuminator
• Optional 0.7x Wide (WC-D52),1.75x Tele (TC-DC52A) & close up (250D) converters
• Optional 52mm filter adapter
• Optional waterproof case (WP-DC50)
• Optional High Power Flash (slave) |
| Weight (excl batt) |
180 g (6.3 oz) |
| Dimensions |
91 x 64 x 38 mm (3.6 x 2.5 x 1.5 in) Excluding protrusions |
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based
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