The Canon PowerShot A530 Digital Camera: Versatility in Digital Photography

Compact, lightweight and full of features, the Canon A530 compact digital camera is one of the most versatile cameras for under $200 in the Canon PowerShot digital camera line-up.

The Canon A530 is a great camera for beginning digital photographers and the avid hobbyist alike. The use of Canon's classic command dial makes finding your shooting modes simple. If you prefer to stay in the Auto setting it is clearly labeled in green on the dial on the top of the camera. If you prefer to go fully manual with your exposures, set the dial to "M" and use the keypad to dial in your aperture and shutter speed. Other settings on the dial include Program Mode, Portrait Mode, Landscape/Scenic Mode, Night Scene Mode, Scene (SCN) Mode and the ability to stitch photos together to create panoramic prints using the Stitch Assist Mode or take short movie clips with sound using the Video Clip Mode! Personally, I love the fact that I don't have to flip through menu after menu on the back of the camera to find the shooting mode that I'd like to use!

The Digic II processor will ensure that all scenes that you click your camera at will be vibrant and crisp. And, with the 5 Megapixels of resolution, you'll have no trouble printing out a clear 8x10 print. The Canon A530 also has a 4x Optical Zoom, which is great for wide angle pictures as well as getting close-up portrait-style shots. The zoom is equivalent to 35mm-140mm on a 35mm camera.

When venturing out of the Auto Mode, the Canon A530 allows you to set your ISO sensitivity from 80-800, allowing you to take pictures in a variety of shooting conditions. Your slower ISO setting, 80, would be great for scenic pictures on vacation, while the ISO setting of 800 would help capture clear crisp pictures of a late afternoon baseball game. For your everyday family pictures, try ISO 200 or ISO 400! Both are good all purpose settings for the majority of picture taking. Remember back to your film days when you put a roll of ISO 400 film in your camera? The ISO 200 setting on a digital camera is the closest equivalent to a roll of ISO 400 film on the Canon A530.