Canon PowerShot A580 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom Reviews

• Fine camera, but also check out the A590 IS

  
  By A10G4BPT5MGBHY on 2008-03-11
  These PowerShot "A" cameras are Canon's attempt to deliver the quality and features of its more expensive PowerShot "G" and PowerShot Pro "S" lines (such as full zoom lenses) at a budget price. The results are pretty good. (How do I know? Because I've actually gotten to use all of these cameras. I earn my living at Walt Disney World writing a travel guide, and nearly every day guests ask me to take photos of them with their own cameras, which most often are Canon PowerShots.)
  
  Here's my opinion of the top-selling "A" series cameras:
  
  7TH PLACE: Featuring Canon's acclaimed Digic III processor, the 2007-model A560 includes the company's face-detection metering system and a decent red-eye removal. It's a nice camera, but a better value is the new A470 (see below). $150 list.
  
  6TH PLACE: The A570IS is the same camera as the A560 but with optical image stabilization and the ability to shoot manually. $200 list.
  
  5TH PLACE: You can do a lot with the sweet little A630. It's a 2006 model, but has a flip-out LCD panel and lots of manual controls. The shots I've seen from this model look great. Keep your ISO under 800 and you won't get any noise. $350 list. (Canon offers a 2007 version of this camera that I haven't had much experience with yet, the A650 IS. It also lists for $350.)
  
  4TH PLACE: The 2008-model A580 (the camera on this page) is a 2008 upgrade to the A560. The face detection system works a little better than the one on its predecessor, and the new model is slightly rounder and easier to grip. A fine performer and a great bargain. $150 list.
  
  3RD PLACE: The fully-loaded A710 IS has all the toys, including a full-range zoom (35mm film equivalent of 35-210mm), adjustable flash power and optional second-curtain flash. This last feature means you can make the flash fire at the end of a long exposure, instead of the beginning, so moving subjects streak into focus instead of out. A 2007 model. $500 list.
  
  2ND PLACE: The 2008 entry-level A470 is great for kids or anyone just looking for a good basic camera. But frankly, it's better than basic. It includes Canon's face detection technology and has a zoom lens, 14 shooting modes and the ability to set exposure compensation, ISO and white balance manually. Plus it looks great. Everyone with this little camera always seems to be having fun. $130 list.
  
  1ST PLACE: The A590IS is the A580 (see 4th Place, above) with image stabilization and with the option of full manual controls. For an extra $30 those features are well worth it. I bought this model for myself. $180 list.
  
  

• A very good camera for the price

  
  By A21MWCIM7K64GF on 2008-03-08
  I didn't really have a good experience with my Canon 35mm compact camera before, so I was pretty hesitated to order this one. But compare to my ancient Sony DSC P92 & Nikon coolpix 4300, this Canon A580 is the best for the price. It has all the features of a more expensive camera & so easy to use. Came with a software and AA battery. The only bad thing from this camera is whenever I set it into night mode the picture always turned out blurred. But other than that everything is good, just have to have an extra battery with you all the time.
  I ordered this camera from Amazon & it arrived withing 3 days. The shipping was free & no sales tax even made it a better bargain.
  
  
  
  

• Great little camera

  
  By A2CL6NQU0ESFW on 2008-04-16
  We have a Cannon Digital Rebel XTI and wanted something smaller and easier to carry. This camera takes good pictures, is relatively fast, and has all the features you expect from a point and shoot.
  
  

• GREAT CAMERA for the price!!

  
  By A1KERGUY17AT8Y on 2008-06-01
  I purchased this camera as a replacement to a canon A510. I really LOVE this new camera. They improved some features like increasing the size of the review screen and made some options a lot easier to use (like turning flash on/off, timeers in a better spot, deleting pic's). It takes GREAT pic's and is very lightweight and easy to use.
  
  The ONLY DRAWBACK - the moved the SD card. Before it was in its own spot and it was very EASY to open and close. ON this model, they moved it with the batteries and to open that cover, you have to push a littler button, and push down at the same time and then slide the cover off. Doesn't sound that tough but it takes a lot more time to get that open and sometimes it takes a few tries to get it open.
  
  That is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Other than that - I LOVE this camera!!! Get a lot of features for the price!!
  
  

• Good camera for the price

  
  By A6YBIKBMW67UH on 2008-03-28
  Upgraded from the Canon Powershot A70. Good camera for point and shoot photography. Definitely less blur than on the A70.
  
  
• Canon PowerShot A580
  By A19FNFZ8N0FBTF on 2008-06-11
  Great camera at a great price...the only upgrade would be the IS feature on the next model, otherwise this is a perfect camera for the point & shooter or the pro who wants a pocket size device to take perfect, high quality pics. Buy it...
  
  
• the canon powershot
  By A20ARHRN7WWSVN on 2008-06-28
  the canon powershot was great when i first used it. it took really good pictures. However, when the battery ran out and i changed them it would not work properly anymore. It would take about two pictures and then shut off. It would say change batteries. Even when I changed the batteries it still would stay on for just a moment then shut off. I had to return it.
  
  
• What a great little camera
  By A1RH7XOW1IT3RO on 2008-07-16
  I bought this camera for my trip to the States recently, and all I can say so far is, absolutely great! Bought from Amazon.com and delivered in 2 working days - spot on!
  
  I have to admit, I am one for trying to use something without having to bother with reading instructions. Thankfully, this camera is definately user-friendly. It is so easy to use. Sure there are more sophisticated options available to use on this camera, that will I probably need to address the manual for but, for a camera that you can just pick up and shoot impressive photos straight away, this baby does the trick. Even at full zoom, the picture quality is not distorted much at all.
  
  I previously had a Samsung 8 MP camera, and the difference in quality of pictures this Canon takes compared to the Samsung are impressive. I could ramble on about how good this camera is, but if you are like me, you will just want to be re-assured that this is worth buying - IT IS!
  
  Easy and simple to use, great pictures (day or night), nice looking and compact camera. Oh and I nearly forgot, I don't know what Canon put in there batteries, but the standard alkaline ones that came with the camera are lasting ages. I have taking over 80 pictures so far and no sign of them running out (no doubt they will, now I have mentioned it!); very impressed.
  
  This Canon A580 PowerShot camera is a great buy!
  
  
• Great Snap Shooter
  By A31HCXSWHNWGGQ on 2008-06-12
  My wife wanted a camera that was easy to use and it has worked really well for her. She gets good, clear shots and even the movies are acceptable quality. Don't expect the quality you might get from a high end digital camera, but it is very good for every day use.
  
  
• Great for the price!!
  By AF5WND1MGQOPA on 2008-06-15
  I was hesitant about crossing over from Fuji to Canon but when I came across this camera on sale for such a great price I just could not pass it up. I would have to say that it is probably not the best Canon out there but you would be hard pressed to find a digital for this price that takes great point and shoot pictures. For the price you just can't beat it. I use the Sony rechargeable batteries and they work wonderful with this camera. I uploaded a few scenery pictures to show the quality.
  
  
• Would definitly purchase again!!
  By A22JIZ2C3WVB96 on 2008-05-19
  I am extremely impressed by the ease at which I was able to learn all the ways to use it. The pictures are perfect and the ability to make moives is halarious. It is soo very sturdy that it can be taken on all my excursions. Would definitly suggest all my friends to buy one.
  
  
• canon powershot a580
  By AC7P01X3F2G2A on 2008-06-02
  versitle camera, easy to use, quick learning curve. wish it displayed battery life not just when low. nice variety of features.
  
  
• excellent!
  By A2G36LVOH0KB1W on 2008-06-07
  This is my 3rd Canon, first one got stolen,second one fell into water. They just keep getting better and cheaper.No problems whatsoever.Love it.
  
  
• Great for the price
  By A17AK1Z8KN613L on 2008-07-24
  Amazing how much better (and cheaper) digitial cameras have become in recent years. The number of true pixels has increased while prices decline. What I like about this one is the autofocus capability (which makes sure that faces are in focus) and the fact that yoiu can use it like a point and shoot or play with it if one is more adverturous. Does it provide all of the features a serious photographer would want? No. But is is certainly serviceable, takes excellent pictures, and is quite handy to use. The fact that it runs on regular batteries is a plus. The memory card it comes with is insufficient, so you'll need a bigger capacity card right away.
  
  
• canon powershot A580 8mp camera w/ 4x optical zoom
  By A336R2S4WW3NPE on 2008-05-11
  it was a gift for my daughter's birthday, so I wanted something that would take great pictures (she's graduating from high school)yet be small enough to fit easily in her pocket. She loves it.
  
  
• Looking good
  By A208J57MHS8B0C on 2008-06-11
  Purchased to replace 4 1/2 year old digital camera. Thus far it is easy to use, produces excellent pictures and videos. Very satisfied with the performance.
  
  
• The LCD went out
  By AQ9KCTQIDT6OK on 2008-07-28
  Had the camera for about 5 months and used it seldomly until the LCD went all white except for a small sliver at the edge. Not having an LCD made picture review in the field impossible, and so I sent in the camera for repair under the 1-year warranty. Canon contacted me via email and stated that the repair would cost $79 plus shipping. They determined that the malfunctioning LCD was caused by impact/pressure. Upon questioning as to what kind of scenarios would lead to impact/pressure to the LCD, they cited the example of putting the camera in your front pant pocket then sitting down. With the pants becoming tighter, the pressure on the LCD could cause it to break internally. That's BS! Canon won't warranty repair the LCD, and won't accept that it was essentially defective. That was my third and last Canon. I'm switching to Sony.
  
  
• Great camera---too complicted instructions
  By AX7P7DB406OE0 on 2008-06-12
  Need to get easier instruction booklet. Very hard to get the camera to work with the p/c.
  
  
• GREAT CAMERA, GREAT PRICE==
  By A3S5V4T2B03MLR on 2008-07-24
  When it comes to digital--forget me, I am a ranked novice. But after reading the discriptive booklet, started to get a good idea of this A580. This is a great camera for the money, and the sample photos I'm taking are out of this world. My recommendation, [if looking for a good digital], BUY!!
  
  
• Great value in a small package
  By A3UC51HMHE3U8H on 2008-08-31
  The Canon PowerShot A580 was exactly what I wanted: a small camera that would fit on a belt in a case or around the neck, one with an actual optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen, decent optical zoom (4X), a brand with a good reputation, and good value for the money (about USD $150). This camera has all of these features.
  
  Because I have used Canon cameras in the past, the dials and buttons are almost intuitive now although there are some differences which were easy to learn. Adjusting for light variation in the shot (light background and dark foreground) was difficult to do quickly. Fortunately, one can easily make adjustments on the computer using Adobe Photo Shop (the less expensive version). I would recommend a larger SD memory card than the one provided or the maximum available through Canon (512MB.
  
  While I prefer my Canon Digital Rebel SLR camera for overseas travel, this A580 is perfect for city shots, candids of friends or family, and as a backup camera. I would recommend this camera without hesitation.
  
  
• Nice product
  By AYL3DI6VPQ3SJ on 2008-06-20
  very good pruduct, nice image quality, though it makes a little bit of a noise when you try to zoom in or zoom out, as long as the pictures are good I don't care.
  
  
• VERY GOOD CAMERA
  By A3QIN9DR9T070O on 2008-06-24
  The Canon Power Shot is an excellent camera for anyone to use. It is simple to use and it takes very good pictures.
  
  
• Good product, great price from Amazon
  By ALK93V0ZM8SME on 2008-06-29
  A very good camera. I presented these to my kids and both love this camera. Its better than the Sony camera I bought them 3 yrs ago.
  I got a good price at Amazon.
  
  
• Great, easy to use camera
  By A21IMQOH8ZLY33 on 2008-07-27
  This camera is so easy to use and the pictures turn out wonderful. Great if you are just looking for a point and shoot camera.
  
  
• Camera is Great
  By AHJRB7L6WX2Y2 on 2008-08-01
  I purchased the camera in June and I'm loving it. Takes great shots and is very easy to operate even though I'm a novice really. Size is perfect for me and I'm anxious to take on my cruise in January which is the main reason I bought a new one. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a nice, easy camera. My friends also have the same model and I guess that's why I chose it. Great price, great deal and arrived really quick.
  
  
• Very good camera for the price-
  By A3GYDZRKVE70BM on 2008-08-05
  I am very happy with this camera for the price. It is my first digital camera and I haven't had trouble figuring out it's basic operation. Regular batteries don't last very long so I would advise getting rechargable batteries and a charger. The memory card that comes with the camera isn't very large either, so I am looking at buying one or two more sometime soon. The only thing that has been a little bit dificult to get used to is the two click shoot. The first half click focuses the camera and the second click takes the pictures. That is a little bit different, but I am getting used to it, and overall I am very happy with this camera considring the price etc. It is also easy to upload pictures to the computer. One thing you have to be careful of is holding your hands still as you shoot pictures because this camera doesn't have image stablizer; nevertheless, I have only had a few blurry pictures because of this.
  
  
• Canon Powershot A580 8 MP digital camera
  By A27RHQ6MWMY6MW on 2008-08-10
  Canon PowerShot A580 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
  
  This camera takes excellent pictures and for a person new to digital photography, this camera is easy to use. I would recommend this camera for any person, but especially those who are looking for a digital camera for general use.
  
  
• Canon PS A580
  By AP1QSII669BCQ on 2008-08-13
  The pictures are excellent and reflect the 8.0 megapixel format. However, the time lag time between each picture ensures that this is only good for still pics and no action. But, what do you expect for under $200. You will pay three times that to get the speed.I was also disappointed that I could not use any of my former Canon memory cards or batteries.
  
  
• Canon Powershot A580 review
  By A321940QP7I7BJ on 2008-08-19
  I have had cameras like this one in the past and I have loved them all! We had to replace the one we had because it was lost. The quality of the pictures is fantastic, especially on our photo printer. I don't think I will ever go with a different brand!! Thanks!
  
  
• Great P&S
  By A3PDPYQV80J128 on 2008-08-20
  I bought this camera to replace the older version that I had that broke. It is a great replacement. It's affordable, easy to use, and takes great pictures. The video quality is much better on this camera than older A series Canon Powershots. The body is very comfortable to hold and the screen on the back is large enough for you to really see what you photographed. The only complaint I have is that the viewfinder on the camera isn't exactly centered the same as the actual image so you are forced to use the screen on the back instead to get better pictures.
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $0-$200 - Repair
• Duracell 2GB Micro SD Memory Card with Universal Adapter
• The Complete Guide to Digital Photography, 2nd Edition: Completely Revised and Updated (A Lark Photography Book)
• Energizer NH15BP-4 ACCU 2500mAh Rechargeable AA Batteries (Four-pack)
• Efilm USB MultiMedia and Secure Digital Card Reader

• Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB, Retail Package)
• Canon PSC-85 Deluxe Soft Case for Canon Powershot A650IS and A720IS
• SanDisk 2GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-2048, Bulk Package)
• Sandisk 4GB Secure Digital SD HC Memory Card (SDSDB-4096, BULK, No Reader)
• Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom