Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot A510 3.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This camera is my 3rd Canon digicam. My first Canon digicam was Canon a60 which was great but it was a bit too bulky for me. I bought this camera as a alternative option next to my canon a400 and I'm definitely satisfied.

Pros:
-4x Zoom ( Can't beat that!...many digicams only come with 3x)
-Big and bright 1.8 screen which gains light in the dark
-It's canon! Great lens and brand. Very reliable
-A bit faster shutter speed compared with Canon A400
-Very Comfortable to hold and very firm (has hand grip)
-Movie mode at 640x480 for 30sec and 320x240 for 3 mins max
-Use only 2 AA batteries. Last over 100 pics with flash and screen on at all time(I tested it with 2300mAh rechargable batteries)
-Fast start-up time(less than 3 second once you turn the camera on)
-Easy to use for anyone who familiar with canon digicam(same board which is Digic!...too bad this cam does not come with Digic2 which works faster and allows user to record longer movie clip)
-Great printing quality as usual for Canon

Cons:
-Still has slow shutter speed when taking picture at best quality with flash(up to 5 secs which isn't so bad compared to Canon A400)
-A bit bigger than other brand for the same price and pixels(but you get canon camera that uses AA battery + 4x zoom)
-The dial swich and capture/view switches are a bit hard to turn at first but it got easier after a month)

Overall, I love this camera as Canon seems to know what they are doing when they make their cameras. I'm one happy canon's customer. Buy it and you won't regret it.

Also, you can buy canon case psc60 which designed for A60-A95 models, it sure fits this canon a510 just fine. Or else, try the psc65 which designed just for Canon A510 and A520.

Hope this review will help someone who is deciding which camera to buy. Cheers!

Canon has fully redesigned the Powershot A series to make it lighter (uses only 2 AA batteries now), smaller and with 4x optical zoom.

Pro's,
1. Very good image quality.
2. 3 MP and 4x optical zoom is the perfect combo for most people.
3. Priced right, unlike some overpriced digicams out there.
4. Works on 2 normal AA batteries (buy rechargeable ones for extra life and lower cost), unlike expensive & hard-to-find propreitary batteries.
5. The menu on the Canon cameras is light years ahead of most other manufacturer's. Lots of manual options and scene modes.
6. Battery and SD card doors seem to be of above average quality.
7. 1.8" LCD screen is bright and fluid.
8. Uses standard SD cards, unlike propretary memory cards like Memory Stick or xD card.
9. Can attach extra lenses if one buys the adaptor for it.
10. Actual LCD screen looks nicely protected below a plastic plate.

Con's,
1. The camera is still quite thick (although not bulky).
2. It uses Digic instead of Digic2 processor in other new Canons.
3. Tripod mount is on the corner and made from plastic.

I guess you gotta spend more money to buy Elph series for more pocketability. I am almost sure this will be THE best selling camera of 2005, just like A60 and A75 in past. With a price this low for a fully loaded A510 there really is no reason to buy slightly cheaper but vastly inferior cameras from HP, Kodak, Olympus, Fuji or Samsung.

This camera is an incredible value for the price.

Let me begin by saying that Canon makes exceptional digital cameras; the best in the market right now. This is because they have always used high quality components since they began manufacturing digital cameras. This one is no exception.

The Axxx series is the successor to the excellent Axx series, with a few very useful upgrades, such as the switch from 4AA to 2AA batteries (with no decrease in camera life!), and the 4x optical zoom.

A510 vs A520 vs SDxxx

First off, the A510 and A520 are identical except for the 3.2 megapixel sensor in the A510 and 4mp on the A520. Today, megapixel ratings are similar to Ghz ratings in the computer world: They used to mean a lot, but with today's cameras, it doesn't mean that much anymore. More megapixels do NOT mean a better image. They mean a larger printable image. In this case, the A510 has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, or an 8.5x11 picture. The A520 has a max resolution of 2272x1704 pixels, or a picture slightly larger than 8.5x11.

Unless you need a slightly bigger picture, the A510 is a better buy.

When it comes to the Axxx or an SDxxx, it depends on what you need. The Axxx series will give you a better picture quality, manual controls, and standard AA batteries which actually last twice as long as the SDxxx series' proprietary batteries. The SDxxx series will give you better movies, the new Dig!c 2 processor, and a compact, cool looking camera, at a higher cost and with a very fragile exposed LCD screen.

Features:

Pros:
-Beautiful image quality, better than any other camera at this price range (no purple fringing like on the SDxxx)
-4x optical zoom! It's very hard to find another camera in this class. This alone makes the camera superior to most of the competition
-Excellent, intuitive manual controls
-Easy to hold naturally - no fingers in the way of the lens
-Beautiful 1.8 inch lcd that looks great under various lighting conditions
-The lcd is protected by a plastic layer, unlike the exposed and easily broken SDxxx lcds.
-Uses AA batteries, which are cheap and easy to find instead of expensive proprietary batteries
-Uses widely available and cheap SD or MMC cards (SD are faster)

Cons (most of these are minor quirks):
-Movie mode isn't as good as the SDxxx series
-Only USB 1.1 transfer speed (SDxxx have usb 2.0)
-Uses the still good, but outdated Dig!c processor, instead of the Dig!c 2 in the SDxxx series and some newer Canons
-A historical problem for Canons still shows in this camera in the flimsy battery/Memory card covers

If you do choose this product, the first thing you should buy is a larger SD memory card. The camera comes with a 16mb MMC card, which is pretty much useless. MMC cards are slower than SD, and 16mb will fill up very quickly.

You should also consider a case, such as the very affordable and custom fit PC-65.

Also, as with any camera, rechargeable NIMH batteries are a must. You don't need to pay for the expensive Canon set however, similar offerings from Energizer, Rayovac, etc. will work fine.

If you were wondering which one to buy - Canon A510 (the compact) or Canon SD200 (the ultra-compact), here is the bottom line - A510 takes a bit sharper pics, has manual controls and longer battery life than SD200. On the other hand, SD200 is tinier and its movie mode is superior. Details below:


++ A510 is about $50-$100 cheaper than SD200 (get lowest prices with www.pricegrabber.com).

++ A510 has manual controls for focus, aperture and time of exposure (shutter speed); SD200 doesn't have any of these.

++ A510 takes a bit sharper pics than SD200. A510 doesn't have blurry pic conrners or pirple fringing, SD200 has both. The white balance on both cams is equivalent. The above differences would matter ony to experts - for most consumers both cameras produce really excellent pics - low noise, proper exposure and white balance even in dim light without flash or at night.

++ A510 uses two AA bateries (rechargeable or not); SD200 uses rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-4L);
According to Canon, the battery life of two rechargeable AA's in A510 is:
......300 shots (LCD on, CIPA test standard)
......800 shots (LCD off),
......300 minutes playback time.

The battery life of NB-4L in SD200 is:
......140 shots(LCD on, CIPA test standard),
......400 shots (LCD off),
......180 minutes playback time.

From the above data A510 has two times longer battery life.



-- A510 is compact (like a wallet full of cash lol) and you can carry it in your jacket or purse but not in your pants pocket. SD200 is ultra-compact (like a pack of cigaretts or a deck of cards) and you can really carry it in your jeans pocket but that is not advisable cause you may damage it - many people complained of easily cracked LCD screen.

-- A510 has 1.8 inches LCD, SD200 has 2.0 inches LCD.

-- A510 uses the older processor DIGIC I; SD200 uses the newer and faster DIGIC II, hence the differences below ...

-- A510 is a bit slower in responding and autofocusing than SD200 but the difference is less than 1/3 sec and doesn't matter much.

-- A510 records movies with limited length (30 sec at 640x480 resolution, 3 minutes at lower resolutions); SD200 records till the memory card is full.

-- A510 records movies with 10 frames/sec (at 640x480 pixels) and 15 frames/sec (at 320x240 pixels). SD200 lets you choose 30 frames/sec or 15 frames/sec (at both 640x480 and 320x240 pixels). If you are recording at 320x240 and 15 frames/sec, then the size of the file is about 230 KB/sec for both cameras.

-- A510 can produce a properly exposed movie ONLY if lighting conditions remain relatively CONSTANT during recording - the exposure is locked to the first movie frame and if you move around to a little darker corner or a little brighter lit room, the A510 movie will get unacceptably dark or bright correspondingly. SD200 doesn't have that problem since it adjusts the exposure continuously to match the changing light conditions during recording.

--- A510 uses USB1.1 to download pics/movies to a computer (download speed is 450 KB/sec on my computer), SD200 uses USB2.0 that is two times faster (900 KB/sec on my computer).

This is my 3rd digital camera, purchased after my previous camera was lost. I got the A510 because all of the more expensive models didn't really satisfy my needs and wants - so if I was going to replace the camera in a year or two (when the new Canons, Nikons, or others catch up to my expectations of them), then why spend too many $$$ now? I wanted compactness & portability, point-and-shoot plus manual control capability, a longer optical zoom (more than 3X), a wide-angle that was really wide angle (at least 35mm using the old "35mm camera equivalent" scale). Also, I'm doing glorified snapshots of the family, so really high resolution and pixels were not so important to me; 3.2 Megapixels is enough. This Canon A510 met all of the above criteria, at a bargain price, and had the full manual operation capability (which is a bit rare to find) in case I ever wanted to get really serious about one or the other photo situation. It's big brother the A520 was overpriced for the amount of improvements it gave me. After purchase, I find that the A510 is basically "as expected; sometimes even better". I have not noticed any significant lag after shooting as others have reported, but then I am not doing action sports photos, and do have some good NiMH batteries. Things I would like to improve: (1) the zoom can be jerky at times (not so great for fast changes and action photos), (2) when the battery indicator starts to say "low" you are very nearly "inoperative", (3) in video mode the zoom and exposure are locked at the beginning and will not adjust during "filming" (a very common failing of still cameras doing video). Also, you do need to be careful with the little doors that cover the memory card and the batteries, since they are a bit fragile. They're plastic on metal hinges; abuse them, and they can break a bit too easily. (I have seen this, but not experienced it myself.) If your needs are like mine, then you should be very satisfied with this camera. I am.

In the entry level class of digital camera, Canon A serie is the best for design, quality, feature and price.

Design - Canon redesigned the A serie to be smaller, lighter, thanks to the use of SD memory card and only 2 AA batteries instead of 4 previouly. The battery compartment allows the camera to be a little bit thicker on the right side and it allows you to have a firm grip on the camera with one hand. The shooting mode dial on the top of the camera allows you to switch modes quickly, no need to navigate thru menus to switch modes.

Quality - Even thought the camera body is plastic, I find the fit and finish excellent. And of course Canon legendary lens quality. Start up time seems faster than the previous A serie generation.

Features - Starting with a 4X optical zoom, most other brands give you only 3X optical zoom. The A510/520 gives you a full range of shooting modes (Full Manual, Semi Manual - Shutter & Aperture, Automatic, Presets), no other brands give you the manual mode. Macro mode can snap pictures as close as 2 inches. A wide range of accessories, particularly the external flash which allows to extend the flashlight to 30ft.

Price - The A510 is cheap for what it is capable of doing. I got mine for $160 at OfficeMax. Is it worth spending more to get the 4 megapixels A520? Not unless you want to print picture size bigger than 8x10.

So far my A510 takes very sharp pictures and I don't have any problems with this camera. An excellent price/value purchase.

This is my sixth digital camera. Though I am not taking pictures for a living now, I used to at one point of my life, and still know, humbly, better than many people that I encountered in the profession. I am now a web developer and often have to take pictures for the albums of the sites I manage; one is for a local newspaper, and the other is for a church governing body. I wanted a camera that I can carry with me all the time and I want it to be able to take good pictures in the meeting rooms without flash. A510 meets both of my needs.

Some meeting rooms are not well lit. I like to take lots of pictures, then choose the best ones out of them. (Most high end magazines choose one picture out of a thousand. That's my style.) So if I use flash, the room will be flashing like a news conference. They don't like it. If I don't use, I need a $1000 camera to get good pictures. But A510 gives me good indoor picture without flash.

This should provide enough of my impression of this camera. As for other features, other reviewers have already done a great job.

As I researched digital cameras I strongly considered the nikon d70 dslr, but since my primary goal was to have something with me as I travel around china I thought any dslr would be too bulky in comparison to a point and shoot. The canon a510 is a nice compromise for me in that it provides a number of options I'm only beginning to get into, in addition to the automatic mode in which most everything comes out surprisingly well.

The only time I've seen automatic mode not work well is when I've taken pictures of tall trees in the shade. It starts off light and then gets too dark as I reach the top of the tree with the lens. Once I learn to adjust settings manually that may change. I've actually taken pictures 20 feet away, down a hall, in total darkness, and with the flash you can't even tell the lights are off.

I'm turned off by the long wait I get between taking pictures, but have learned to minimize this by turning off the preview settings after each shot. Much of the wait is from the flash having to recharge, and even that can be turned off.

I routinely walk around and take over 100 pictures in about an hour, filling a 256 meg card much more easily than I expected. The battery life is good for at least a few hundred pics, though I usually rotate before then.

So overall it's a good camera for the price, with the only other small camera brand I'd consider right now being the Casio Exilim EX-S100 or a similar model. Remember that megapixels are largely insignificant, with higher numbers often meaning more noise. If you want anything better, go for a dslr (starting around a grand), you're unlikely to see a real difference in picture quality otherwise.

If you are looking to buy your first digital camera at a good price, buy this one.

The Quick Start Guide is very easy to read and got me up and running immediately. In less than 15 minutes I was able to load the batteries, insert the memory card, turn the camera on, set the date and time, take my first picture, load the software onto my computer from the CD, download the image to my computer, and finally e-mail it to a friend.

Documentation that is included in the box:
- Quick Start Guide (2-sided, poster size, step-by-step pictorial)
- Camera User Guide (160 pages, pocket-size)
- Direct Print User Guide (49 pages, pocket size)
- Software Starter Guide (102 pages, larger pocket size)
- System Map (2-sided, A4 size, diagrams how all the accessories fit together)
- Warranty Card (postcard)
- "For Windows® XP and Mac OS X Users" Leaflet (2-sided)
- "Canon Customer Support" Leaflet (2-sided)

Two accessories you should definitely buy are a larger memory/SD card and NiMH batteries with a battery charger. The 16 MB card that comes in the box does not hold many images. (I want to purchase a 256 SD Card, but the documentation does not specify how many recordable images it would hold.) Also, you will save money and trips to the store in the long run by using rechargeable batteries.

As someone who has been using a six year-old 35 mm camera, I am writing this as a novice user without the ability to compare other digital cameras. However, at this price and with 3.2-megapixels, I am happy to finally get away from my 35 mm camera.

My folks wanted a digital camera but are not technology saavy people. Also, they are getting up there in age and not enthused about taking alot of time to learn something new. I did a lot of research and found that the Canon A510 got high marks on both the quality of pictures and the ease of use. So we took a chance and bought on for my folks. I am impressed! I was able to load the batteries and the memory card and show my folks a few basics to get them off and running. They are able to take clear, vibrant pictures without any hassle. (For the first time ever, my mom hasn't cut heads off of any of her photo subjects!) I have shown them how to upload their photos and my dad has been e-mailing pictures to all his relatives. I was so impressed that I bought one for myself and have been having a blast! I have taken short videos of my puppy with it and some fantastic action shots of him and was able to create a little video of the photos and movie set to music with the Zoom Browser software that came with the camera. Next week I might even open the instruction manual to see what else can be done....so far the interface has been intuitive enough that I haven't even opened the plastice bag the manual came in. The pictures printed off my folks plain laser jet printer look fabulous! If you are a beginner and not looking to print wall sized photos with a lot of fancy stuff, this camera is a perfect start!