The Canon A530 combines a five-megapixel sensor with a 4x (35-140mm equivalent) optical zoom lens to deliver plenty of resolution and detail, with an ISO light-sensitivity range from 80 to 800. A 1.8" rear-panel LCD is smaller than those found in higher-end cameras these days, but nonetheless has enough resolution to offer a clear view of your images. A real-image optical viewfinder helps conserve power when the LCD isn't needed. Like most of the company's midrange models, the Canon A530 offers a wide range of exposure modes, from fully automatic to fully manual, with a healthy assortment of scene modes in between, and a "My Colors" menu that offers special effects such as Vivid and Neutral, Light or Dark skin, and Custom color adjustments.

The Canon PowerShot A530 also offers a range of metering modes, including evaluative, center-weighted, and even spot metering. In its continuous shooting mode, the Canon A530 is rated at 2.1 frames/second, a good speed for a modestly-priced camera. Its movie mode does give up a bit relative to higher-end models though, limited to 10 frames/second at 640x480 pixels or 20 frames at 320x240 pixel resolution.

Following a growing trend, the Canon PowerShot A530 stores its images on SD memory cards, which is rapidly becoming the dominant memory card format for digital cameras. A USB 2.0 High-Speed computer connection provides for speedy downloads, fast enough that most users will find no need for a separate card reader.

All in all, the Canon A530 promises to be another strong-selling model in the popular PowerShot line, well suited for both novice and intermediate photographers, a great camera to get started with, but also well-suited to situations where users of varying skill levels need to share the same camera.

Canon PowerShot A530
General
Camera Type	Compact
Manufacturer	Canon
Model Number	A530
Dimensions	3.6 x 2.5 x 1.7" 90.4 x 64.0 x 43.2mm
Weight	170.0 g 5.9 oz
Image Capture
Sensor Type	1/2.5 CCD 5.00 megapixels (effective)
Image Dimensions	2592 x 1944 (5.0 megapixels) 2592 x 1456 (3.8 megapixels) 2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels) 1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Quality	3 levels
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder	Yes
LCD	1.8"
Lens
Lens Type	4x optical zoom
Image Stabilization	No
Focal Length	5.8 - 23.2mm (actual) 35 - 140mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range	f/2.6 (wide) / f/5.5 (tele)
Focusing Range	Normal: 18" - infinity (45 cm - infinity) Macro: 2.0" - 18" (5 cm - 45 cm)
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800
Shutter Speed	15 - 1/2000 second
Exposure Modes	Manual
Metering Modes	16
Exposure Compensation	+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance	Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Underwater, Custom, Manual
Creative
Scene Modes	Portrait, Landscape, NightScene, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Indoor, Kids& Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, ColorSwap, MyColors , Stitch Assist, Movie
Digital Zoom	4x
Movie Format	640x480 and 320x240 Max. frame-rate: 0 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium	SD/MMC
File System	Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)
Connectivity
Video	Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Computer	USB 2.0 High Speed
Power
Battery Type	Alkaline, NiMH
Battery Form Factor	2 x AA
Product Bundle
Flash Memory	0.0MB
Other
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant	Yes
PictBridge Compliant	Yes
Internal Microphone	Yes
Internal Speaker	Yes
Tripod Mount	Yes, Plastic
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