8-megapixel effective recording * 2-1/2" color LCD screen * real image optical zoom viewfinder * 4X optical zoom (4X digital/16X total zoom) * 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 35-140mm * optical image stabilization * top JPEG resolution: 3264 x 2448 *
Product Details Canon PowerShot A590IS
Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Camera & Photo
Brand: Canon
Model: A590IS
Released on: 2008-02-15
Dimensions: 2.50" h x 1.60" w x 3.70" l, .39 pounds
Display size: 2.5
Included Software: Yes
Features
8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
4x optical image-stabilized zoom
2.5-inch LCD screen; Face Detection
New Easy Mode simplifies operation
Captures images to SD memory cards (not included); powered by AA batteries
Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Camera & Photo
Brand: Canon
Model: A590IS
Released on: 2008-02-15
Dimensions: 2.50" h x 1.60" w x 3.70" l, .39 pounds
Display size: 2.5
Included Software: Yes
Features
8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
4x optical image-stabilized zoom
2.5-inch LCD screen; Face Detection
New Easy Mode simplifies operation
Captures images to SD memory cards (not included); powered by AA batteries
The PowerShot A590 IS will astound you with its power-packed performance and impressive value. It’s got 8 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom, an Optical Image Stabilizer, and a large 2.5-inch LCD. A range of shooting modes -- from manual to automatic, including Canon’s new Easy Mode -- make picture-taking carefree. A DIGIC III Image Processor with Enhanced Canon Face Detection assures natural-looking results, while Motion Detection Technology reduces blur. For added creativity, attach wide or telephoto converter lenses. Canon PowerShot A590IS Highlights 8 megapixels with 4x optical zoom and optical image stabilizer With the PowerShot A590 IS, dramatic, personal pictures have never been easier to shoot and share. The 8.0-megapixel design lets you create impressive high resolution images of family and friends you’ll be proud display. The genuine Canon 4x zoom lens moves you in for powerful close-ups -- like a bird in flight or a child’s winning goal -- at the touch of a button. Plus, Canon’s highly sophisticated Optical Image Stabilizer keeps every shot absolutely steady even when you’re not. 2.5-inch LCD screen The camera’s 2.5-inch LCD screen gives you the big picture, whether you’re shooting, reviewing or showing off your images. This high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear and bright picture. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. New Easy Mode simplifies operation Even if you’ve never picked up a camera before, with Canon’s new Easy Mode you can take inspiring, dramatic pictures that will impress everyone. Once you choose Easy Mode, the PowerShot A590 IS handles all the details automatically. It automatically sets every camera control including the flash to reduce blur and improve image quality. So you get pictures that are bright, clear and natural just by pushing a button. Best of all, you can relax and concentrate on what really counts -- your subject. Selectable shooting modes With 19 Shooting Modes including 7 Special Scene Modes, you’re ready for whatever shot comes your way. DIGIC III Image Processor With DIGIC III, your images boast superior quality, the camera operates at top efficiency and battery life is enhanced. What’s more, DIGIC III enables Canon’s Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction to give you better, more true-to-life people shots. Simply press the Shutter Button halfway down, and the camera automatically pinpoints the faces in the scene and chooses the ideal focus point. The camera controls exposure settings and flash to keep every face looking bright and natural. Red-eye Correction can be handled in-camera, in two ways. The entirely new Red-eye Correction during shooting uses the Face Detection Technology to recognize and remove red-eye from flash images as they're taken, before the file is written to the memory card. It's also possible to correct red-eye during image playback, using simple settings in the A590 IS's menu. iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC III Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance. Face Detection Technology Canon's powerful Face Detection Technology delivers even better results with the new A590 IS. The Face Detection Technology continues to recognize faces in a scene, and concentrate exposure (daylight or flash) and focus upon them. But the A590 IS adds more: Face Detection WB means the camera concentrates upon faces when calculating white balance for the best possible skin tones. Face Select and Track lets the A590 IS user highlight one face among several in a scene, and the camera concentrates on that person, even as they move around the scene. Face Detection Technology is a powerful contributing factor in Canon's new Motion Detection Technology.
Red-eye Correction Red-eye Correction provides three options for removing red-eye from subjects in flash pictures.
The new Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
The A590 IS can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
The user can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.
The new Red-eye Correction during shooting actually identifies and corrects red-eye in human subjects as pictures are taken.
The A590 IS can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback.
The user can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.
High ISO The PowerShot A590 IS features ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater shooting flexibility. Motion Detection Technology automatically reduces blur Life doesn’t stand still for picture-taking. That’s why Canon included its advanced Motion Detection Technology in the PowerShot A590 IS. This sophisticated feature works in the background to instantly evaluate how fast your subject is moving. Then it automatically selects and sets the optimal exposure and ISO settings to keep everything looking sharp and clear. So whether you’re shooting a bride walking down the aisle, a ballet recital or even a child’s soccer game, you can relax and shoot with confidence knowing you’ve got the picture you intended. Accepts Wide-Angle and Telephoto Converter Lenses To expand your creativity, the PowerShot A590 IS is compatible with shooting accessories such as wide and tele converter lenses, High-Power Flash designed for all of the PowerShot models. The Complete Print Solution The A590IS features a Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select Pixma photo printers and Selphy compact photo printers. The PowerShot A590 IS's Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the A590 IS to a Canon Pixma photo printer or Selphy compact photo printer or any PictBridge compatible photo printer, press the lighted Print/Share button and print! Also use the Print/Share button to transfer images to a computer (Windows and Macintosh). Print your own ID photos in 28 different sizes or use the Movie Print function to output multiple stills from a recorded movie on a single sheet with a Canon Selphy compact photo printer.
Customer Reviews Canon PowerShot A590IS
Great camera over all. I bought this camera as a stepping stone for a future SLR as I'm learning to take better pictures of our kids playing sports and scenic scenes as we travel. The camera has variety settings from Easy Mode for point-and-shooters to standard manual settings for a bit more advance photographers. The picture quality is very sharp at 8mb setting as used. Capability for optional lenses (wide & telephoto) are a plus experience if you want to consider to go with SLR's in the future. Over all, I'm very satified with this A590IS camera as I've been using it almost everyday in the last 30 days.
Not as clear as Kodak Pleased with the camera overall. I had a Kodak Easyshare camera and I think the pictures from it were more clear, crisp and bright. This one is good, but not quite as over all quality as the Kodak. On the plus side, the batteries last probably 3X's as long. I chose not buy a Kodak again because the zoom lens froze up on the one that I had and from researching on-line it appeared that it was a problem that was pretty consitant with the camera.
The Canon A590IS has it all. The A590IS, based on price, is considered to be a budget or entry level camera. However, especially at this price point, it is feature rich including many not found in more expensive models. The feature set will appeal to a wide variety of people from those who want nothing more than an auto-focus point-and-shoot to the camera buff who wants a full set of manual controls, including manual focus, and to everyone in between. I was especially pleased that Canon included a viewfinder on this model, something that is being dropped from many product lines in favor of only an LCD screen. Anyone who has ever tried to compose a shot in bright sunlight only to find the LCD screen washed out or impossible to see will appreciate this feature. I applaud Canon for developing a small camera with more attention to function rather than to style and minimal size. Many cameras can be found with dimensions smaller than a playing card or credit card but lack even basic controls, much less easy to use buttons. While the A590IS may not fit in the pocket of your jeans, it will fit into a jacket pocket or a moderately sized shirt pocket. Rather than being a flat or rounded rectangle this camera design feels good in your hand and feels secure during use. Performance and picture quality was another pleasant surprise at this price point. Picture noise is not noticeable until ISO 400 and degrades rapidly at ISO 800 and above. Translated to laymen's terms, this means your shots will be crystal clear unless you specifically set the ISO to a high number for non-flash, low-light shots. Image stabilization is excellent throughout the three settings (off is also selectable). There are three auto-focus modes plus off including face detect which will automatically detect up to 9 faces in a shot and adjust the camera settings automatically so that faces are correctly exposed in your shot. Unless one of your subjects is moving fast, the camera detects the movement and adjusts according. The 4X optical zoom is a rarity in this price range with most not exceeding 3X. Combined with the 4X digital zoom you have a camera that is capable of mild wide angle to moderate telephoto. Color rendition is excellent and I have read a number of technical reviews that place it as nearly perfect. One of your many shooting options is "vivid" which increases contrast and heightens the colors in your shot. The camera's ability to shoot movies with sound is better than expected. However Canon did reduce the performance from the A590's predecessor to only 20 fps in 640x480. To get 30 fps you must drop down to the 320x240 size. Unlike my old digital, you can continue to shoot in movie mode until your memory card is full, not in shorter segments. Redeye reduction is accomplished with two methods which can be combined or shut off entirely, a redeye light and digital correction. Unfortunately, no camera manufacturer I am away of offers something that will work with pets so their eyes will often come out glowing green or gold in a flash shot. Canon's decision to power the A590IS with AA batteries was sound. Avoiding a proprietary battery aided them in keeping the cost low. Replacement of a proprietary battery can cost upwards of $40. I would recommend purchasing a set of 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries and a good charger if you use your camera a lot. If you find your batteries dying and unable to plug in your charger, you can always pick up a set of AA batteries nearly anywhere. Battery life with the A590IS is reportedly one of the best with up to 450 shots. But if you are like I am and use all the bells and whistles as well as flash, expect battery life to be much lower, typical with any camera. As with anything, there are always some cons. Writing to the memory card is a bit slow, especially in continuous shooting mode although still respectable for a camera in this class. I found that it did improve when I upgraded to a faster SD card (class 6+). As with all of Canon's A-series PowerShot cameras, flash recycle time leaves something to be desired approaching 5 seconds. Unless you are someone who wants to take rapid-fire shots using a flash, performance is acceptable. The LCD view screen is pretty low resolution and displays a lot of noise. Much to my relief the actual shots turn out much better than what you see on the view screen. When in movie mode with sound, I found that using the zoom or other buttons translates into an audible sound during playback. In summary, I suppose it is possible to find a budget camera that will exceed the A590IS in one or two categories but the Canon has good, solid, balanced performance in all areas. I'd much prefer solid performance over stellar performance in one or two areas and below average performance everywhere else. It is by no means a high-performance SLR, but at $149 I can buy 10 of these before approaching what I paid for my SLR 10 years ago and I don't need to drag along 2 camera bags to take good quality shots. If I'd paid over $500 for the A590IS I'd probably rate it at 4 stars, but at $149 it earns a solid 5 stars for performance, features, and quality with the Pro's far outweighing the Con's. A note about using SDHC (high capacity) memory cards. The a590IS comes with a regular 32mb SD card but can utilize the SDHC format. Make sure your computer (or other device) can utilize the SDHC format before buying a SDHC card as the format is not the same as an SD card. The SDHC is idential in size and shape to the SD card which has led to some confusion. However, all is not lost. There are plenty of very inexpensive card readers out there that can read the SDHC format and upload to your computer or other device. SCHC cards are most often found in 4gb, 8gb, and 16gb capacities.
Great camera over all. I bought this camera as a stepping stone for a future SLR as I'm learning to take better pictures of our kids playing sports and scenic scenes as we travel. The camera has variety settings from Easy Mode for point-and-shooters to standard manual settings for a bit more advance photographers. The picture quality is very sharp at 8mb setting as used. Capability for optional lenses (wide & telephoto) are a plus experience if you want to consider to go with SLR's in the future. Over all, I'm very satified with this A590IS camera as I've been using it almost everyday in the last 30 days.
Not as clear as Kodak Pleased with the camera overall. I had a Kodak Easyshare camera and I think the pictures from it were more clear, crisp and bright. This one is good, but not quite as over all quality as the Kodak. On the plus side, the batteries last probably 3X's as long. I chose not buy a Kodak again because the zoom lens froze up on the one that I had and from researching on-line it appeared that it was a problem that was pretty consitant with the camera.
The Canon A590IS has it all. The A590IS, based on price, is considered to be a budget or entry level camera. However, especially at this price point, it is feature rich including many not found in more expensive models. The feature set will appeal to a wide variety of people from those who want nothing more than an auto-focus point-and-shoot to the camera buff who wants a full set of manual controls, including manual focus, and to everyone in between. I was especially pleased that Canon included a viewfinder on this model, something that is being dropped from many product lines in favor of only an LCD screen. Anyone who has ever tried to compose a shot in bright sunlight only to find the LCD screen washed out or impossible to see will appreciate this feature. I applaud Canon for developing a small camera with more attention to function rather than to style and minimal size. Many cameras can be found with dimensions smaller than a playing card or credit card but lack even basic controls, much less easy to use buttons. While the A590IS may not fit in the pocket of your jeans, it will fit into a jacket pocket or a moderately sized shirt pocket. Rather than being a flat or rounded rectangle this camera design feels good in your hand and feels secure during use. Performance and picture quality was another pleasant surprise at this price point. Picture noise is not noticeable until ISO 400 and degrades rapidly at ISO 800 and above. Translated to laymen's terms, this means your shots will be crystal clear unless you specifically set the ISO to a high number for non-flash, low-light shots. Image stabilization is excellent throughout the three settings (off is also selectable). There are three auto-focus modes plus off including face detect which will automatically detect up to 9 faces in a shot and adjust the camera settings automatically so that faces are correctly exposed in your shot. Unless one of your subjects is moving fast, the camera detects the movement and adjusts according. The 4X optical zoom is a rarity in this price range with most not exceeding 3X. Combined with the 4X digital zoom you have a camera that is capable of mild wide angle to moderate telephoto. Color rendition is excellent and I have read a number of technical reviews that place it as nearly perfect. One of your many shooting options is "vivid" which increases contrast and heightens the colors in your shot. The camera's ability to shoot movies with sound is better than expected. However Canon did reduce the performance from the A590's predecessor to only 20 fps in 640x480. To get 30 fps you must drop down to the 320x240 size. Unlike my old digital, you can continue to shoot in movie mode until your memory card is full, not in shorter segments. Redeye reduction is accomplished with two methods which can be combined or shut off entirely, a redeye light and digital correction. Unfortunately, no camera manufacturer I am away of offers something that will work with pets so their eyes will often come out glowing green or gold in a flash shot. Canon's decision to power the A590IS with AA batteries was sound. Avoiding a proprietary battery aided them in keeping the cost low. Replacement of a proprietary battery can cost upwards of $40. I would recommend purchasing a set of 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries and a good charger if you use your camera a lot. If you find your batteries dying and unable to plug in your charger, you can always pick up a set of AA batteries nearly anywhere. Battery life with the A590IS is reportedly one of the best with up to 450 shots. But if you are like I am and use all the bells and whistles as well as flash, expect battery life to be much lower, typical with any camera. As with anything, there are always some cons. Writing to the memory card is a bit slow, especially in continuous shooting mode although still respectable for a camera in this class. I found that it did improve when I upgraded to a faster SD card (class 6+). As with all of Canon's A-series PowerShot cameras, flash recycle time leaves something to be desired approaching 5 seconds. Unless you are someone who wants to take rapid-fire shots using a flash, performance is acceptable. The LCD view screen is pretty low resolution and displays a lot of noise. Much to my relief the actual shots turn out much better than what you see on the view screen. When in movie mode with sound, I found that using the zoom or other buttons translates into an audible sound during playback. In summary, I suppose it is possible to find a budget camera that will exceed the A590IS in one or two categories but the Canon has good, solid, balanced performance in all areas. I'd much prefer solid performance over stellar performance in one or two areas and below average performance everywhere else. It is by no means a high-performance SLR, but at $149 I can buy 10 of these before approaching what I paid for my SLR 10 years ago and I don't need to drag along 2 camera bags to take good quality shots. If I'd paid over $500 for the A590IS I'd probably rate it at 4 stars, but at $149 it earns a solid 5 stars for performance, features, and quality with the Pro's far outweighing the Con's. A note about using SDHC (high capacity) memory cards. The a590IS comes with a regular 32mb SD card but can utilize the SDHC format. Make sure your computer (or other device) can utilize the SDHC format before buying a SDHC card as the format is not the same as an SD card. The SDHC is idential in size and shape to the SD card which has led to some confusion. However, all is not lost. There are plenty of very inexpensive card readers out there that can read the SDHC format and upload to your computer or other device. SCHC cards are most often found in 4gb, 8gb, and 16gb capacities.
