Canon PowerShot A530 Timing
Overall good speed for a consumer camera.

The Canon A530's performance is pretty good here, though in some cases it ranks among average. It starts up fairly quickly, but has an average shutter response with the lens at full wide angle, a little faster than average at telephoto. "Prefocusing" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure, results in a fast time of only 0.066 second. Shot to shot cycle times are a little above average, at about 1.62 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and it can capture 20 shots or more this quickly. Continuous-mode speed is about average, at a bit over two frames/second, and the buffer clears between shots. The flash takes about nine seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, a little slower than average. Connected to a computer, download speeds are quite fast, so you shouldn't feel a need for a separate card reader. Bottom line, the Canon A530 is zippy enough for most family and travel shooting situations, and can easily handle most average action shots with its Continuous shooting mode.

Battery
Short battery life with the LCD on, very good when LCD is switched off.

The Canon A530 uses two AA type batteries for power. The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of, based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions. Given the short run time with the LCD enabled (especially with alkaline cells), you should definitely consider purchasing a set of rechargeable batteries and keeping spares freshly charged and on hand for extended outings.

Storage
The Canon A530 accepts SD/MMC cards, and comes with a 16MB starter card.

I strongly recommend buying at least a 256MB card for the Canon A530, preferably a 512MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.