Canon PowerShot A520

The A520's body resembles a compressed version of the A85, mostly because Canon opted to make this model run on two double-A batteries instead of four. The only other noticeable differences are that the AF assist lamp on the front has been moved to the opposite side of the optical viewfinder and the microphone has been moved ever so slightly. The LCD is still 1.8 inches (diagonal), but the lens has undergone some changes: It is now an f/2.6 to f/5.5, 5.8- to 23.2-mm (35- to 140-mm, 35-mm equivalent), 4X optical zoom lens. The greater magnification favors the telephoto end a bit, so you may have to back up to get wide-angle shots. Luckily, the camera accepts conversion lenses and filters. The shutter button is no longer tilted forward, as it is on the A85, but this isn't an ergonomic disaster. And we're still not crazy about the zoom ring around the shutter button.

Thankfully, the A520 retains the excellent level of manual control of previous A-series models, including Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and Manual modes, accessible via the top-mounted mode dial. The dial also offers five common shooting modes (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Slow Shutter, and Fast Shutter), as well as Stitch Assist and Movie mode. The menu system is also unchanged and still provides good ease of use balanced by abundant options, though we'd like to see the scene modes illustrated with some on-screen help and sample images, as in Casio's excellent menus on the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55, for example. We also wish the camera had a real-time histogram. Users access the scene modes via the menus when the mode dial is set to SCN. In Movie mode, the camera captures 640-by-480 video at a dismal 10 frames per second, or 320–by-240 video at 15 fps. VGA video clips are limited to 30 seconds, and lower-resolution clips can run for 3 minutes.

In our field testing, we noted that the A520 is generally quite slow. The controls are not responsive enough for our liking—we frequently had to press a button more than once to perform the desired operation. The autofocus system worked well for most subjects, however, and the LCD performed adequately in direct sunlight. Our informal shutter-lag testing revealed an average lag time of approximately 0.3 seconds, which we found to be acceptable for this class of camera. Battery life using the two included alkaline double-A batteries is quite good, and the camera is rated for up to 300 shots according to the CIPA standard (using NiMH double-A batteries).

On our lab tests, the A520's performance ranged from average to dismal. Its 4.1-second bootup time is an improvement over the A85's 4.8 seconds, and on a par with the Kodak LS743's 4 seconds. But the A520's recycle time is simply atrocious, averaging 9.0 seconds between shots. Compare this with the LS743's 1.5 seconds and you'll see why that model is still our Editors' Choice. The A520's average of 1,150 lines of resolution falls right between its predecessor's 1,050 and the Kodak camera's impressive 1,275.

Ultimately, our test shots tell the real story: The simulated-daylight photo was fairly well exposed, with good color accuracy and adequate saturation. The dynamic range lacked any true blacks, however, preventing any subjects from really "popping." The biggest problem we saw was noise, though there was also some minor purple fringing in high-contrast areas. The image was sharp, but textures of some objects in our still life could have used a bit more detail. Our flash shot had similar characteristics to the daylight shot in terms of dynamic range, saturation, and color, and it also displayed visible noise. Flash coverage, however, was even, and the image was sharp. Overall, both images were good but unexceptional.

If this camera weren't such a slow performer, we might give it a higher rating. It could also use a little better dynamic range, though you should keep in mind that we test using only automatic settings, so your results may vary from ours if you take advantage of the manual controls—which we really wish would be included on more cameras in this class. This camera is not a bad buy, and it's a worthy successor to the A85. But despite its flexibility, we still prefer the image quality and speed of our Editors' Choice among 4MP cameras, the Kodak EasyShare LS743.

Benchmark Test Results
Click here to view the Canon PowerShot A520 benchmark test results