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Canon PowerShot A520

Canon PowerShot A520
Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520Canon PowerShot A520
alaScore 87

545 reviews

May, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 545 reviews of Canon PowerShot A520. The average rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Reviewers are impressed by the image quality and portability. The price and performance also get good reviews, whereas some have doubts about the energy efficiency and low light performance. There are mixed comments on the control panel and screen.

usability, performance, price, portability, image quality

memory, flash, shutter, low-light, energy

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Canon PowerShot A520 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 545 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (45% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (42% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (8% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (2% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
  Show positive (87%)Show negative (13%)(Show all)
performance
  Show positive (65%)Show negative (35%)(Show all)
price
  Show positive (89%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
portability
  Show positive (63%)Show negative (37%)(Show all)
battery
  Show positive (51%)Show negative (49%)(Show all)
image quality
  Show positive (81%)Show negative (19%)(Show all)
size
  Show positive (86%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
zoom
  Show positive (86%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
screen
  Show positive (54%)Show negative (46%)(Show all)
durability
  Show positive (70%)Show negative (30%)(Show all)
design
  Show positive (89%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
lens
  Show positive (88%)Show negative (13%)(Show all)
memory
  Show positive (43%)Show negative (57%)(Show all)
flash
  Show positive (33%)Show negative (67%)(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (72%)Show negative (28%)(Show all)
shutter
  Show positive (13%)Show negative (88%)(Show all)
color
  Show positive (86%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
low-light
  Show positive (25%)Show negative (75%)(Show all)
exposure
  Show positive (88%)Show negative (13%)(Show all)
focus
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
optics
  Show positive (83%)Show negative (17%)(Show all)
energy
  Show positive (33%)Show negative (67%)(Show all)
storage
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
glare
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
control panel
  Show positive (50%)Show negative (50%)(Show all)
viewfinder
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
More features

Showing 182 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 58 of 182 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (316)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Canon PowerShot A520

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 20 user reviews of Canon PowerShot A520 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. People really like the size and portability. The usability and price also get good reviews, but there are some mixed views about the battery.

performance, price, usability, portability, size

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Canon PowerShot A520

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 28 user reviews of Canon PowerShot A520 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.1/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the size and performance. The portability and battery are also appreciated, whereas there are some critical opinions about the reliability and durability. Opinions are divided on the price.

usability, battery, portability, performance, size

durability, reliability

89% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Expert review by : David D. Busch (cnet.com)

Canon PowerShot A520 review

 

Canon PowerShot A520

Versatile manual and automated controls; strong image quality; zoom flash; quick burst mode; available lens converters and underwater housing.

Not as compact as many pocket cameras; many common settings require trip to menus; long flash-recycle time.

Strong image quality and a good mixture of manual and automated exposure controls make the Canon PowerShot A520 a low-cost option for snapshooters and enthusiasts alike.

Jun, 2005
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Expert review by : Eric Butterfield (pcworld.com)

Canon Powershot A520 Camera

 

The $300 Canon PowerShot A520 is an affordable point-and-shoot for the budding photography student. This camera is essentially a 4-megapixel version of the $200 PowerShot A510 (a 3.2-megapixel camera that won a Best Buy in our May 2005 issue). The two...

Many manual controls and features

Very limited battery life

Canon offers a variety of accessories for the A520, including wide-angle ($99), telephoto ($129), and close-up ($120) converters. To attach one of these, you have to remove a plastic ring around the lens and attach a $20 lens adapter tube. Also, you...

Jun, 2005
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Expert review by : Mike Kobrin (pcmag.com)

Canon PowerShot A520

 

A single drop in the deluge of Canon cameras in the past two years, the A520 neither impresses nor innovates, but it's a decent buy.

Excellent manual controls. Accepts conversion lenses. Smaller and lighter than predecessor. Good battery life.

Very slow recycle time. Analog controls aren't responsive enough. LCD could be a bit bigger. Disappointing movie mode. No on-screen help.

More digital camera reviews:• Ricoh Theta SC• Sony a9• SeaLife DC2000• Nikon Coolpix W100• Canon EOS M6• more

Apr, 2005
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Expert review by : Simon Joinson (dpreview.com)

Canon PowerShot A520 Review

 

Announced just before PMA in February 2005, the PowerShot A520 is the replacement for the PowerShot A85, and continues the line of best-selling budget models that goes right back to early 2001 with the A10 and A20. The changes are evolutionary rather...

Good resolution Bright, vivid - though natural - color Good edge-to-edge sharpness Useful new 35-140mm equiv. 4x zoom lens Reliable focus and exposure Lots of manual controls Excellent build quality for a budget camera Very little purple fringing...

High noise at ISO 400 Focus can be slow - especially at the long end of the zoom Flash recycle way too slow Minimum two-second shot-to-shot time Slow start-up

It would be hard to find a more suitable first digital camera for the novice digital photographer than the PowerShot A520. No matter what the situation, the A520 turns out perfectly exposed and focused results shot after shot. And the fact that as well...

Mar, 2005
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Expert review by (steves-digicams.com)

Canon PowerShot A520

 

Canon's PowerShot A520 compact digital camera combines the simplicity of a family-focused camera, a high resolution four megapixel image sensor and a powerful 4x optical zoom to produce pictures that you can be proud of with the image quality Canon is ren

Sep, 2005
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Expert review by (letsgodigital.org)

Canon Powershot A520 review

 

in February 2005 the new Powershot family member was introduced; the Canon Powershot A520. This model, the little brother of the Canon A510, and successor to the PowerShot A85, is an extremely compact 4 Megapixel digital camera with a 4x optical zoom....

The Canon Powershot A520 is available in the market for a few months now and is enjoying a lot of attention from the consumer. The camera deserves it too! Despite the low entry character of the camera, the A520 features a huge potency and due to its...

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Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Digital Cameras - Canon PowerShot A520 Digital Camera Review, Information, Specifications

 

Featuring a 4.0-megapixel CCD, automatic, partial, or fully manual exposure control, and a wide range of preset shooting modes, the PowerShot A520 is another fine addition to Canon's A-series of digital cameras. Built on the same long-tested design as...

Mar, 2005
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Expert review by : Jeff Keller (dcresource.com)

Canon PowerShot A510/A520

 

The two cameras have the same resolution as the old models: 3.2 Megapixel for the A510 and 4.0 Megapixel for the A520. The only other difference between the two cameras is the color of their bodies

Excellent photo quality ; 4X optical zoom lens ; Full manual controls, unusual for a camera in this price range ; Compact body feels solid for the price ; Support for optional conversion lenses, external flash, underwater case ; Above average battery...

Poor low light focusing, despite having an AF-assist lamp (worse than old models) ; Redeye (worse than old models) ; Movie mode still needs some work ; Noisy images at ISO 200 and above ; LCD doesn't "gain up" very much in low light ; Including...

If you're trying to decide between the A510 and A520, note these tradeoffs. The A520 will let you make larger prints and gives you more flexibility when cropping your photos. However, images are slightly noisier, especially at high ISO sensitivities....

Dec, 2011
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Expert review by (photoaxe.com)

Canon Powershot A520 and A620 Digital Camera Review

 

First of all I confess that for me, Canon has the best image quality I've experienced. A520 and A620 make no exception at all. The Canon A520 is just slightly smaller and definitely lighter than the A85 it replaces (A520 only uses 2 AA accumulators,...

Jan, 2007
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Expert review by : Loren Crannell (photographyreview.com)

Canon PowerShot A520 Digital Camera Pro Review

 

I have been impressed with Canon's digital camera quality for some time. Two years ago I took a Canon G3 on a trip to Paris. And I use Canon digital SLRs for my professional photography work. The Canon PowerShot A520 is the first Canon consumer...

Lightweight and compact, Manual controls, Readily available AA batteries, Anti-shake technology

No ISO info in EXIF data, Shutter lag very noticeable, Monitor is small compared to comparable cameras, Noise at higher ISO settings, Plastic body

The Canon A520 is lightweight camera with credibility. When you are out-and-about, it can go with you without slowing you down. For the money, it will give you great shots of your family and personal events. The thing I liked the best was its...

Dec, 2005
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Price comparison for Canon PowerShot A520

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