The old one served faithfully until it was dropped four feet onto concrete

February 28, 2008 10:19 AM

Why SHOULDN'T I buy a Canon PowerShot A590?

I can finally afford to replace my old, broken digital camera, which was also a PowerShot. I think I got it about four years ago. I never had a problem with it, although friends who used it noticed some shutter lag. I'm planning to get the A590 because it's gotten good reviews and because I'm already comfortable with the Powershot. But, if it (or Canons in general) have some major defect I should know about, OR if there's a sub-$200 digital camera that's way better than a Powershot, I'd love to hear about it before I run out and buy this.

posted by showbiz_liz to Technology (6 answers total)

No reason not to. The features I look for in a camera of that class would be: 1.) can make little movies to post on youtube (incredible how often I use that feature on my wife's Sony and 2.) takes regular batteries you can buy in any store. The first digital camera I bought was a Canon S-100. I have a lot of Canon lenses and a used Canon digital SLR that I bought on e-bay, so I like the brand. For my wife I bought a Sony Cybershot (not sure which model) because it has a Zeiss lens and takes regular batteries. One of the annoyances of my old s-100 was that it only took its own special battery, which can be a nuisance while travelling (you have to make sure you are charging the spare back in your room when you are out for the day).
posted by thomas144 at 10:37 AM on February 28, 2008

You should. If you've had a good experience with your old PowerShot, go ahead and upgrade. I've had many Canons (A-Series, S-Series, SD-Series, film SLR, digital SLR) and each type has served its purpose well. There's a slight bonus of already being familiar with the controls and menus when you stay with the same brand, though that's probably not a major issue. I agree with thomas144 about the using the video features of these cameras - it has been more convenient than using a video camera to record our growing toddler, and the quality is just fine for that purpose.
posted by ellenaim at 11:05 AM on February 28, 2008

The only reason I can think of is that the A570 IS is a bit cheaper and almost the same. I think the only difference is the megapixel count.

A590 max resolution: 3,264 x 2,448 (Large)
A570 max resolution: 3,072 x 2,304 (Large)

The only issues I have had with my A570 are very high grain above ISO 200 and a tendency to blow out highlights.
posted by sindark at 11:57 AM on February 28, 2008

I have the older A530 (5MP model - purchased it at Target on clearance for only $105 a year ago) that rocks. I can't recommend these cameras enough if all you need is a good quality point and shot.
posted by internal at 2:01 PM on February 28, 2008

I've loved every canon I've ever owned (I'm on my fourth). I haven't used the A590, but I would trust the positive reviews.

w/r/t special batteries, I've always been OK with a special battery if it gives longer charges or faster re-charges. Sony's proprietary memory sticks, on the other hand, really bug me. Long live the powershot!
posted by Chris4d at 3:17 PM on February 28, 2008

The only reason is if you want more out of your camera. Personally, I moved up to an SLR, but if the compacts suit your needs fine, then run with them. They're excellent cameras.
posted by Magnakai at 7:10 PM on February 28, 2008