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Canon PowerShot A540

Canon PowerShot A540
Canon PowerShot A540Canon PowerShot A540Canon PowerShot A540Canon PowerShot A540Canon PowerShot A540Canon PowerShot A540
alaScore 87

367 reviews

Nov, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 367 reviews of Canon PowerShot A540. 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. Reviews about the size and price are generally positive. The screen and image quality are also mentioned favorably. Some have doubts about the sensor and shutter, while comments about the storage and durability are different.

usability, image quality, screen, price, size

battery, flash, memory, shutter, sensor

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Canon PowerShot A540 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

See all Canon Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 367 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (47% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (40% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (7% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
  Show positive (92%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)
image quality
  Show positive (76%)Show negative (24%)(Show all)
battery
  Show positive (40%)Show negative (60%)(Show all)
screen
  Show positive (58%)Show negative (42%)(Show all)
price
  Show positive (92%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)
performance
  Show positive (53%)Show negative (47%)(Show all)
size
  Show positive (68%)Show negative (32%)(Show all)
portability
  Show positive (71%)Show negative (29%)(Show all)
durability
  Show positive (53%)Show negative (47%)(Show all)
flash
  Show positive (6%)Show negative (94%)(Show all)
zoom
  Show positive (73%)Show negative (27%)(Show all)
color
  Show positive (91%)Show negative (9%)(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (90%)Show negative (10%)(Show all)
viewfinder
  Show positive (90%)Show negative (10%)(Show all)
exposure
  Show positive (90%)Show negative (10%)(Show all)
design
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
memory
  Show positive (40%)Show negative (60%)(Show all)
lens
  Show positive (83%)Show negative (17%)(Show all)
focus
  Show positive (67%)Show negative (33%)(Show all)
low-light
  Show positive (60%)Show negative (40%)(Show all)
storage
  Show positive (50%)Show negative (50%)(Show all)
energy
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
shutter
  Show positive (25%)Show negative (75%)(Show all)
optics
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
glare
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
manual adjust.
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
sensor
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
contrast
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 160 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 10 of 160 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (207)

Expert review by : PCMag Staff (pcmag.com)

Canon PowerShot A540

 

Preview of the Canon PowerShot A540.

For additional information on Digital Cameras and product reviews, please visit our Digital Cameras product guide.

Feb, 2007
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Expert review by : Richard Baguley (pcworld.com)

Powershot A540 Digital Camera

 

The $280 (as of 6/15/06) PowerShot A540 offers a lot of features for those who want to manually set controls such as shutter speed for full creative control. It's one of the few cameras in this class that offers full manual control as well as the usual...

Many manual controls Wide-screen mode

Low battery life Lacks exposure bracketing

The A540's battery life of 191 shots, from the two disposable AA batteries, was a little on the low side. You can also use optional AA NiMH rechargeable batteries, but these cannot be recharged inside the camera. Canon sells a kit with four...

Jul, 2006
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Expert review by : Richard Baguley (pcworld.com)

Canon Powershot A540

 

Photograph: Chris Manners

Many manual controls ; Wide-screen mode

Low battery life ; Lacks exposure bracketing

Low-priced model offers many manual controls, a generous 4X zoom, and a wide-screen mode. But battery life was unimpressive.

Jul, 2006
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Expert review by : David D. Busch (cnet.com)

Canon PowerShot A540 review

 

Canon PowerShot A540

Manual and automated exposure and focus controls; solid image quality; robust burst mode; usable ISO 800 shots.

Long flash-recycle time; LCD washes out in direct sunlight.

Solid image quality plus manual and automated exposure controls make the Canon PowerShot A540 a nice low-cost option for snapshooters and photo enthusiasts.

Apr, 2006
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Expert review by : Steve's Digicams (steves-digicams.com)

Canon Powershot A540

 

Physical Views The A540 compared to an average CD disc. The Powershot A540 and the 5-megapixel Powershot A530 . Continue on to Features & Controls Powershot A540 Specifications Camera Effective Pixels Approx. 6.0 million Image Sensor 1/2.5-inch CCD...

Mar, 2006
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Expert review by (steves-digicams.com)

Canon PowerShot A540

 

Canon introduces two new additions to its affordable line of point-n-shoot PowerShot cameras, the A540 and the A530. The A540 features six-megapixels of resolution together with a retractable 4x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 35-140mm (35mm equi

Mar, 2006
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Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Canon PowerShot A540

 

Featuring a 6.0-megapixel CCD a 4x lens and a full range of exposure control, the PowerShot A540 is another fine addition to Canon's A-series of digital cameras. Built on the same long-tested design as many A-series predecessors, the Canon A540 offers...

Full Manual control (PASM) ; Vibrant, appealing color ; Good skin tones ; Auto white balance handles a wide range of lighting well ; Better than average exposure accuracy ; Good lens, generally low distortion ; Clean user interface ; Wide aspect ratio...

Only average speed from shot to shot ; Average shutter response at wide angle settings ; Contrast is a little high, tends to lose highlight and shadow detail under harsh lighting ; Battery life is rather short with the LCD enabled ; Unusually slow...

Jun, 2006
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Expert review by : Jeff Keller (dcresource.com)

Canon PowerShot A540

 

There are a few differences between the A530 and A540 (besides the resolution) that are worth pointing out. The A530 has a 1.8" LCD, compared to the 2.5" screen on the A540. While the A540 can record movies at 640 x 480, 30 frames/second, the A530's...

Very good photo quality; ISO 200 and 400 settings are usable for small prints ; 4X optical zoom gives you a bit more telephoto power than most entry-level cameras ; Large 2.5" LCD display is usable in low light (though see issues below) ; Full manual...

Poor LCD resolution ; Some redeye ; Can only record about 8 minutes of VGA video due to 1GB file size limit ; Plastic tripod mount ; No rechargeable batteries bundled; tiny memory card included

All-in-all, the PowerShot A540 is a great choice for those who want full manual controls, expandability, and great photo quality, but don't want to spend a bundle. It's not perfect, but the positives far outweigh the negatives, so the A540 gets an easy...

Aug, 2011
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Expert review by (photoaxe.com)

Canon PowerShot A540 Digital Camera Review

 

Canon Powershot A540 adds Shutter and Aperture Priority Modes to the old Canon A530 as well as 6MP instead of 5MP, and continues featuring the 4x optical zoom. Also, it enlarges the LCD screen and a 16:9 widescreen resolution option. Not only that I'm...

May, 2007
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Expert review by : Consumer Electronics Net (consumerelectronicsnet.com)

Sub $300 model with 6 megapixel resolution

 

The Canon PowerShot A540 is an entry to mid level, sub-$300 digital camera that offers six megapixel image resolution and a 4X optical zoom lens. The camera is a bit larger than the credit card sized cameras that have become popular, and is powered by...

Oct, 2006
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