Design and Construction

In terms of design, the Canon PowerShot 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.
 

Optics and Resolution

The optical system of the Canon PowerShot A520 has obviously been carefully thought out to enable one to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 4.2 megapixel resolution and a 4x optical zoom. It also features an impressive ISO range of 50 to 400, along with a shutter speed range of 15 - 1/2000 sec.
 

User Controls

The Canon PowerShot 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

Battery Life

The Canon PowerShot A520's 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).
 

Storage and Transfer

The Canon PowerShot A520 allows your pictures to be stored in SD memory cards. These days, its pretty standard practice to have at least a 512 MB memory card in your digital camera (or even a 1 GB card). You can also easily transfer the pictures from the camera to the PC via the USB 2.0 interface.
 

Shortcomings

There have been confirmed reports that the Canon PowerShot A520 is generally quite slow. The controls are not responsive enough - frequently one had to press a button more than once to perform the desired operation.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this review of the Canon PowerShot A520 has been of help to you. If you’re looking for a decent digital camera to start your photography adventures, the Canon A520 might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash. Happy shopping!