Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.7 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000NK3H4S
• Item model number: A570IS
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (566 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,172 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 28, 2005

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Even when the kids can’t sit still and the light is less than ideal, the amazing, the PowerShot A570 IS lets you capture life’s special moments -- perfectly. Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps images crisp even when you’re zoomed way in. The ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings reduce blur when the lights are down low. Plus, the A570 IS is packed with easy-to-use creative and convenient features you’ll love.

PowerShot A570IS Highlights

DIGIC III Image Processor DIGIC III features Face Detection AF/AE, which finds multiple faces in the frame and sets the most suitable focus point, when the shutter button is pressed halfway. And an additional new feature, Face Detection FE adjusts the flash, based on a person’s face on the screen. Exposure and flash are controlled to ensure proper illumination of both the faces and the overall scene, eliminating the common problem of darkened or overexposed faces.

Red-eye Correction detects and automatically corrects red-eye during playback for both regular and flash photography. In unusual cases where red-eye is not automatically detected, it can easily be corrected manually during playback mode from the LCD screen.

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.

Clear, high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD for easy on-camera viewing 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 picture to make shooting, playback and using the camera’s menu functions especially convenient. Clear and bright, it also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light.

ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto The PowerShot A570 IS features new ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings that reduce the effects of camera shake and sharpen subjects in low-light situations, giving you greater flexibility for shooting.

A variety of movie-making options With a highly flexible movie mode, you can create the movie that’s perfect for any application. Select from VGA (640 x 480 pixels) and QVGA (320 x 240 pixels), with frame rates of 30 fps and 15 fps for recording up to 1 hour or 4GB. Also Fast Frame Rate (QVGA; 320 x 240 pixels) recording at 60 fps for up to 1 minute, and Compact Movie Mode (QQVGA; 160 x 120 pixels) recording at 15 fps for up to 3 minutes. The PowerShot A570 IS also supports the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed standard, so you’ll enjoy the fastest possible data transfer speeds when using a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed compatible computer.

Shooting Modes Advanced presets for the best possible photos under certain conditions.

• Auto The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.
• P Program Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically.
• Av Aperture-priority You define the aperture to either isolate your subject or have clarity throughout the entire picture, and the camera will choose the corresponding shutter speed.
• Tv Shutter-priority You select the shutter speed to stop or blur action, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon’s noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise.
• Manual The ultimate in creative control, you set ISO speed, exposure compensation and white balance.
• Portrait The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject "pop."
• Landscape For front to back sharpness, the camera sets a small aperture.
• Night Snapshot Get natural-looking pictures with brighter backgrounds and subjects lit by flash.
• Indoor Reduce blur and improve color accuracy when shooting handheld indoors.
• Kids & Pets Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won’t miss those special shots.
• Stitch Assist Build awe-inspiring panoramas by neatly aligning sequential images.
• Movie Shoot in VGA and QVGA (30 fps/15 fps for up to 1 hour or 4GB), Fast Frame Rate (60 fps for up to 1 minute) or QQVGA (15 fps for up to 3 minutes).

Special Scene Modes

• Night Scene For impressive sunset or nightlife shots, the camera properly exposes the background and uses slow-sync flash for the subject.
• Foliage Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms.
• Snow Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint.
• Beach Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.
• Fireworks Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
• Aquarium Achieve proper flash-free exposure and natural hues at indoor aquariums.
• Underwater Capture underwater images with reduced backscatter effect.(Note: Optional Waterproof Case WP-DC12 required for shooting any underwater images)

Get new batteries anywhere Power on the go with two AA-size batteries. You don’t need to worry about running out or recharging batteries. Since AA-size batteries can be purchased at any store, simply get new ones locally.

The complete print solution Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with Canon CP and Selphy Compact Photo Printers. The PowerShot A570 IS's Print/Share button makes direct printing easier than ever. Simply connect the A570 IS to a Canon CP, Selphy or PIXMA 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.

For desktop large-format printing, try one of the Direct Photo Printers that allow you to print without a computer in one of two ways: plug your compatible PowerShot camera into the Direct Photo Printer using the supplied USB interface cable, or simply insert a memory card into the supplied adapter. You can also connect the printer to your computer for more options. Print high-resolution, borderless images as postcards or 8.5 x 11-inch sheets within minutes.

Compact Photo Printers let you produce versatile, fun 4 x 6-inch postcards, 4 x 8-inch wide greeting cards or credit card size prints in just two easy steps: connect and press/print. Control the printer right from your camera's LCD screen. You get durable, dye-sublimated prints quickly with or without borders. Assortedpaper types let you create mini or credit card size labels. You can even take select Compact Photo Printers to a party or an outdoor picnic using an optional rechargeable battery.

Product Description

Even when the kids can't sit still and the light is less than ideal, the amazing PowerShot A570 IS lets you capture life's special moments perfectly. Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps images crisp even when you're zoomed way in. The ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings reduce blur when the lights are down low. Plus, the A570 IS is packed with easy-to-use creative and convenient features you'll love.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1,180 of 1,197 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best gets better - perfect balance of size, speed, photo quality, capabilities, March 29, 2007

By	Paul Christensen "gadget geek" (West Chester, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Last year, after extensive research, I bought a Canon A540 to replace my trusty Olympus D40-Zoom. My goals for camera selection where (a) compact size, (b) standard AA batteries, (c) full manual controls, (d) outstanding image quality, (e) speed, (f) optical viewfinder. The A540 fit the bill almost perfectly, with a handful of limitations that I noted in my review.

This year, with Canon's release of the A570IS, I decided to upgrade, driven by the addition of optical image stabilization (IS). While the IS is impressive, I was surprised by other improvements that Canon has made. Image noise levels are significantly lower and more controlled for higher ISO captures. The Digic III processor seems to make more intelligent decisions about lighting and flash exposure, especially when its face recognition is engaged. Add a dramatically better quality LCD screen, slightly higher 7.1MP resolution, improved case, and support of high capacity SD cards, and I doubt I'll need to upgrade any time soon.

Like the A540, the A570IS is for me a perfect balance of size, speed, and photo quality. The A570IS is the same physical size as the A540. It's small enough to fit in a coat pocket or small belt case yet uses 2 AA batteries.

Like the A540, overall processing speed is very fast unless you're taking flash pictures (and then you should expect about 4-6 seconds between flashes depending on battery level and what flash strength the camera selected). Note that flash time is significantly better with high-capacity rechargeable NiMh batteries than with standard AAs. And, unlike some other cameras I have tried, the speed of the user interface (especially during playback) is very fast.

Picture quality in general is excellent, even in low light situations. Noise at higher ISO is significantly more controlled than the A540, perhaps a benefit of the new 7.1MP CCD and the Digic III image processor. According to the documentation, noise reduction is applied at slow shutter speeds of 1.3 seconds or greater, and this can slightly slow down shot-to-shot time. There is no option to disable or adjust the noise processing, but in my experience the results are very good. When noise reduction is applied, there is a slight loss of detail compared to the A540, but the results are noticeably better on the A570IS with its built-in noise reduction than post-processing noise on pictures taken with the A540.

In my own head-to-head comparisons between the A570IS and A540, the A570IS has better light metering and noticeably sharper detail on indoor shots without a flash (especially when image stabilization is engaged). The A570IS does favor slightly higher ISO in auto modes than the A540, giving generally better results without a flash. However, when taking close-up pictures with a flash, the A570IS doesn't seem to select anything lower then ISO 200, sometimes requiring a manual ISO override in Program mode.

The A570IS offers a new ISO 1600 mode, but I'm not quite sold on it. Without a tripod, under low light conditions, ISO 1600 does offer the opportunity for blur-free photographs not possible with ISO 800. But the level of noise and artifacts from the noise processing don't give a very usable picture.

The A570IS raises the bar with optical image stabilization, which only works when the camera is held horizontally. One of the biggest limitations of consumer digital cameras is the need to hold the camera steady to get a clear shot. At higher zooms and in night shots this problem can be compounded. I've taken a number of shots with and without IS, and it is useful but not a "magic bullet" for poor shots. Small details like far-away signs at night become clear when the IS is engaged. You can set the IS to run continuously during preview, only when the shutter is released (slightly lower battery drain), only on vertical movement (better for objects that are moving horizontally), or disabled (I have yet to find a reason to do so). And, unlike many cameras I've seen, the IS works in video capture mode.

Like the A540, the A570IS offers full manual controls. With the A570IS, Canon adds two more modes (Kids & Pets and Indoor) to the mode selector wheel (instead of having to find them on the Special Scene menu). The A570IS also adds a new Aquarium scene mode, while removing the useless Color Swap and Color Accent modes. Canon has also removed the "My Camera" customization menu (for changing the startup picture and various sounds) which I never used on my A540.

Although I never expected to use it, the movie mode is excellent. It's still not a replacement for a dedicated camcorder. But I have used it on a number of occasions to capture audio and video when a picture just won't do. Standard movie mode is 640x480 (VGA) quality at 30fps, but you can raise the capture to 60 fps at 320x240, or lower it to 15fps at 160x120. The A570 can now capture video up to 1 hour or 4GB whichever comes first. Video files are very large (around 1.9MB/second at 30fps) but they compress extremely well with QuickTime Pro's MPEG4 codec.

With the A570IS, Canon also addressed some of my minor complaints about the A540. Most notably, the LCD screen is much higher quality and higher resolution. The case plastics seem more solid, the small rubber door covering the USB - A/V - power ports pivots open from the side not the top, and the handle area no longer has a chrome insert which had a tendency to fall off. The ring that covers the conversion lens adapter mount has a chrome trim, making the camera more attractive but at least on my A570IS it is more difficult to remove than the A540.

Once again, I looked at the Canon A710IS which offers a 6x optical zoom, but has the same 7.1MP sensor, optical image stabilization and user interface with the older Digic II image processor. In the end, after trying both cameras in the store, I again settled on the A570IS. The A710IS is noticeably larger (about 0.25 inches wider and slightly taller), and the more complicated lens takes longer to startup and to zoom. Both cameras have a limited number of stops in their zoom range, but this is noticeable on the 6x of the A710IS where it is not noticeable in the 4x of the A570IS. For me, the larger size wasn't worth the extra zoom. And the benefits of Digic III are impressive.

In summary, Canon A570IS Pros:
- 7.1 megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom
- ISO 80 to 1600
- optical image stabilization for higher ISO or zoom, even during video capture
- optical viewfinder for shooting with the LCD off
- full manual controls (shutter priority, appeture priority, full manual)
- preset and custom white balance control
- outstanding photo quality, even in relatively low light (good color balance, very low noise at higher ISOs, almost non-existent chromatic aberation)
- Digic III processor offers face detection, makes more intelligent decisions on exposure, and flash levels
- very good results from built-in noise reduction for slow shutter speeds of 1.3 seconds or greater
- very fast startup and shot-to-shot speed (flash not withstanding)
- excellent and speedy auto-focus even in low light (although the AF assist light can slow this down)
- orientation sensor recognizes if you have rotated the camera to take a shot
- flash adjusts angle based on wide-telephoto zoom
- built-in red eye reduction during playback lets you select an area to remove red eye and save as new or overwrite the existing image
- surprisingly usable movie mode
- outstanding user interface: options are well laid out and easy to locate, very well thought-out record and playback options
- extremely fast user interface and playback performance, even zooming in on photos
- high resolution LCD screen
- well built case, very comfortable grip
- uses SD cards and supports high-capacity SDHC (takes advantage of high-speed SD)
- uses 2 AA batteries (at least 2500 mAh NiMh rechargeable recommended)
- very good battery life (approx 400 shots on 2 rechargeable NiMh AA, with the display on)
- replaceable lithium battery protects settings when changing batteries
- supports optional high-power flash, conversion lenses and underwater case

Cons (to me, all very minor):
- flash recharge time is acceptable but not great (4 - 6 seconds between shots using NiMh batteries)
- preview display blanks while flash recharges
- Auto ISO for indoor flash close-up pictures doesn't seem to select below ISO 200; you can force ISO 100 in Program or manual modes
- ISO 1600 is of questionable real-world use because of noise and artifacts from noise reduction
- noise reduction cannot be adjusted or disabled
- it is possible to insert the SD card upside down and you don't realize until you try to close the cover (would be easy to break the cover if you force this)
- the markings for the battery orientation are difficult to read
- no RAW image support, but you can select from 3 different compression ratios for image quality
- bundled 16MB card is useless - buy a 2GB card

TIPS:
1) make sure you do a low-level format before you use your SD card in this camera, even if you had formatted it for another Canon camera. It makes a significant difference in shot-to-shot speed
2) always use high-capacity (2500 mAh or greater) NiMh rechargeable batteries - the flash recharge time is much improved (though still 4-6 seconds)
3) for indoor flash close-up shots, may need to override ISO to 100 for better quality
4) for outdoor shots in bright sun, setting exposure -2/3 gives better control of bright areas
5) if you use the conversion lens adapter, don't plan on using the built-in flash which is partially obscured by the adapter. I haven't tried it, but would expect the external flash to not have this problem.

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best digital camera I've owned., July 19, 2007

By	William Kasting (Southeast Missouri) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've had this camera for about a month now and have taken well over a hundred photos in different settings ranging from indoor birthday parties to outdoor hunting photos of dogs.

Overall, this is by far the best digital camera I've owned. Previously I've used a Sony DSC-W5 and Nikon Coolpix L3 -- all were in the $200+ range.

Shutter lag on this camera is minimal. I've missed many pictures of my dogs in the past because they've run out of frame during the time from when I pushed the shutter button to when the camera actually took the shot. I've not had that problem at all with this camera. Using the kids/pets setting, it uses a fast enough shutter speed to stop the action as well.

I also like the Shutter Priority priority mode as well. It allows me to set whatever shutter speed I think is necessary for the shot, and the camera takes care of everything else. It flashes a warning if I have the shutter set too fast for available light.

Other useful features I've noticed making a difference is the "face recognition" technology and the "Image Shake" reduction. There are lots of bells and whistles on cameras that I do not use, but with these two I have had very few bad pictures.

The flash has FAR better coverage than the Nikon. I frequently had shadows at the edge even when the subject was fairly close. While not as good as a separate hot shoe flash on a SLR, this flash is the best I've had on a compact digital.

Finally, I love the optical viewfinder! I take many photos outdoors in bright sunlight that can be difficult to frame with any LCD screen. The viewfinder is a lifesafer in those situations. It is easy to compose a photo and so far they have turned out perfectly when using the camera this way.

This camera has tons of features that I have not mentioned. I just listed those most important to me and the way I take photos. I would highly recommend this camera to potential buyers.

200 of 213 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent camera, April 15, 2007

By	d-18v (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

My current camera is an Olympus SP-320. You can read my review on that product page, if you wish.

I like the pictures I take, but I'm no pro and there is always someone whose pictures I admire more. I have one friend who consistently takes great shots. When a bunch of us attended a wedding last summer, there was a vibrancy to her shots that mine couldn't quite match. Since she swore by her Canon Power Shot, I thought I'd give the A570IS a chance. This weekend I had both the A570IS and the SP-320 with me on a weekend jaunt and took half of my pictures with each camera, swapping back and forth between the two.

Both cameras use two AA batteries. Both have optical viewfinders. Both have more modes than the casual picture taker will ever need.

In my hands, the picture quality is almost indistinguishable. In some settings I prefer the Olympus; in others, the Canon, so the A570SI is going to be returned since I'm well within the return period. However, if I had the option of returning the Olympus, too, I'd keep the Canon. Here's why:

* The Canon is slightly smaller. The bulge on the Olympus makes it harder to find a suitable case.

* The Canon's mode selector dial clicks firmly into place, unlike the Olympus's which is very loose. The Olympus's dial often moves when the camera is removed from its case. Not so, the Canon.

* The Canon has 4x zoom compared to the Olympus's 3x. Also, the digital zoom is better implemented in the Canon. The Canon stops at full optical zoom. If the zoom slider is released and reengaged, the digital zoom is applied. This is true even in Auto mode. The Olympus's digital zoom is not readily available in every mode. When digital zoom is available or turned on, it lacks the Canon's pause at the end of optical zoom.pause.

* The A570IS uses a standard mini-B USB connector rather than what appears to be a proprietary type for the Olympus.

None of these--or even all of them together--are enough to make me keep the Canon and put the Olympus up on eBay or Half, but they'd be enough to get me to pick the Canon if I didn't already own the Olympus.