Digital Camera Reviews Just another DIGITAL CAMERA NEWS

Canon PowerShot A570 IS review :

A few weeks before the PMA 2007 in Las Vegas, Canon’s new collection of digital compact cameras, including the new Canon PowerShot A570 IS, were launched worldwide. Not all the new models have undergone revolutionary changes, but they regularly have a Megapixel update, the odd new feature and small aesthetic changes. The new Canon A570 IS camera is a compact camera from the PowerShot A-5xx series. It is actually a luxurious version of the PowerShot A560 camera. An important addition is the integration of the optical image stabilizer, a feature that distinguishes the Canon PowerShot A570 IS from its competitors in its class.

Canon A570IS – PowerShot Digital Camera Series

Last year’s Canon PowerShot A710 IS was the first digital compact camera in Canon’s A-series equipped with optical image stabilization. Now there’s the Canon PowerShot A570 IS; a 7,1 Megapixel camera with a 4x optical zoom, an image stabilizer, DIGIC III processor, face detection, an ISO speed up to 1600 and a 2,5-inch LCD monitor. The Canon A570 IS’ features are impressive, especially for a camera in the novice class, for which the Canon A-series cameras are known. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS has a uniquely large selection of functions and setup possibilities for this class.

Canon PowerShot A570 image stabilizer

The optical image stabilizer, IS named by Canon, is made up of several moving parts in the lens that neutralizes camera shake. In practice, this has proven to be a very effective form of stabilization. Indisputably, this is a very valuable feature, because it allows you to capture an image with an optical zoom without having to worry about shutter speed or poor lighting. Additionally, the Canon A570 IS has a high ISO speed, which actually provides a double stabilization.

Canon A570 IS – 4x optical zoom

Although the Canon PowerShot A570 IS does not have a large optical range – 4x optical zoom – the optical stabilization application is a great advantage. The range is equivalent to a compact camera’s 35-140mm, which is a good range for landscapes, portraits and everything in between. Possibly Canon may integrate a wide-angle lens in the next generation of cameras, which leaves something to be desired. However, a wide-angle or a telephoto range can be achieved by attaching optional camera converters. That this is possible with a camera in this class is certainly a luxury.

Canon DIGIC III processor

Another remarkable improvement is the integration of the new DIGIC III processor, which enables the improved face detection and advanced noise reduction technologies. By applying new algorithms, faces can be detected at a greater distance. DIGIC III also allows for a high ISO speed, up to 1600. This is a first in the Canon PowerShot A-series. The images are shown on the large 2.5-inch LCD screen, which can unfortunately no longer be tilted or rotated. The need for a movable monitor is no longer necessary now that the screen is larger, although this is a feature valued by photographers, and which they would prefer not to do without.

Canon PowerShot A570 review

PowerShot A-series is a unique series on the current digital camera market. Although they are novice level cameras, their functions and features make them appealing for daily use consumers as well as experienced photographers. This means that the Canon PowerShot A570 IS leans towards the PowerShot G-series. We have tested the Canon PowerShot A570 IS digital camera for some time. Our findings can be read in the next Canon PowerShot A570 IS digital camera review.

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Camera

Canon PowerShot PictBridge support

The large 2.5-inch monitor on the back of the camera makes up most of the camera. Unfortunately it is not possible to tilt or rotate the LCD display, but this would compromise the camera’s compact size. On the one hand it is too bad that we have to miss this feature in the Canon A570 IS, but on the other hand the screen is a large enough alternative for most users. As mentioned above, the camera has an optical viewfinder above the monitor. Two LEDs indicate the focus and flash status. To the right of the monitor there is a round, multifunctional switch, with the FUNC setting in the centre, a prominent position, as it is used frequently. Above and below these buttons are the switches which operate the camera’s menu and activate the PictBridge support. The last three buttons are the loudspeaker, the record button and the display button.

Canon A570IS Digital Camera

The presentation is clearly well-organized, which has become an absolute must. Canon has many years of camera experience, Canon turns 70 this year! The Canon PowerShot A570 IS camera is ergonomically sound, and the handy FUNC button as well as the programme wheel will please the beginner as well as the experienced photographer alike.

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Control

Canon A570 IS – Large LCD screen

The 2.5-inch format of the LCD display is the standard measure for digital cameras nowadays. Although 2-inch monitors appear on cameras now and then, as do 3 and even 3.5-inch monitors, (such as the Sony Cybershot DSC-G1), the 2.5-inch monitor is the most popular. The 115,000 pixel screen is not the sharpest on the market, but it is sufficient to display the saved images. The display can be arranged according to your own preferences, depending on the display or recording position. For the more experienced photographer there is a histogram function, with which the dark and light parts of the image can be assessed.

Canon Face Detection

A very handy and popular feature is the face detector. The Canon A570 IS has an improved face detector which uses algorithms. It is difficult to measure, but it appears as if faces are detected faster and more accurately. The resulting lighting makes the face the main subject, and prevents it from being whitened by the flash. The test shots show that the system truly works ingeniously and also allows for easy red-eye reduction on the camera itself, without having to use a computer.

Canon PowerShot A570 IS – Camera speed

The shooting speed is also quick. Delay or lag time between pressing the shutter release and the image capture is not an issue for the Canon A570 IS. The image is almost instantly captured and written to the flash memory card. During test shots we found that the fastest cards were not required. A standard, average speed card such as SanDisk’s Ultra II Secure Digital is sufficient. A downside is Canon’s solution for image review; you have to physically move a switch in order to go from capture mode to review mode and vice versa, in order to continue shooting. A user-friendlier alternative would be to press the shutter release halfway in order to review. This solution is given by the competitors, perhaps Canon could be charmed by such a solution?

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Adjustments

Canon A570IS – Photography settings

Let it be known, the Canon A570 IS camera is very versatile, not only in the scene selection, but also in the photographic settings such as light metering. Although a standard metering is enough for the average shot, with the Canon A570 IS it is possible to do centre-weighted metering as well as spot metering. Spot metering is especially applicable in situations where a high amount of accuracy is necessary and where the composition is made up of high contrasts. Of course it is up to the photographer to recognize these situations, but after some experience and a lot of practice with the different light meter settings, it will be clear to anyone that the settings will increase in quality according to their values. It will predominantly be the creative and experienced photographer that will actually make use of the selection in the end.

Canon PowerShot A570 – ISO range

The downside to a camera is always the quality and speed of the ISO function. The Canon A570 IS offers a wide range of ISO speeds, from 80-1600. This high ISO speed is no longer an exception for compact cameras, 3200 ISO and 5000 ISO are possibilities nowadays. Image quality ranges from good to excellent up to 400 ISO. At 400 ISO noise is already visible on the screen, but this does not affect the print quality. The print looks really good, which proves again that one cannot judge the quality of an image as it will appear in print by the way in which it appears onscreen. At 800 ISO and certainly 1600 ISO noise becomes a problem, although a shot can be made. But if we compare it with the performance of Fujifilm’s Super CCD HR VI, we can see that more is possible. This is an aspect which Canon can improve.

Canon PowerShot Image Quality

If we look at the entire image quality of the Canon A570 IS, we can only be satisfied. The colours are bold and appear natural, with strong saturation now and then. The automatic white balance is not entirely reliable for artificial lighting, which results in a strong yellow cast, but by adjusting the white balance manually, a better result is achieved. For the novice photographer this may be difficult to recognize or deduce, but by getting to know all the possibilities of the FUNC button, you will learn to solve these problems quickly. The images are also richly detailed and have a good dynamic range. The shadows allow for sufficient detail, even in high contrast situations.

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Storage and Energy

SanDisk Extreme III Flash Memory

The Canon PowerShot A570 IS digital compact camera can shoot images at a speed of approximately 1.7 frames per second. This is remarkable for a camera that is not extraordinarily fast, although we cannot classify it as a camera meant exclusively for action photography. You don’t need a super-fast memory card, such as SanDisk’s Extreme III. An Ultra II SD card will suffice and results in continual shooting until the card is full. With a standard card there is a chance that your data will not record as easily, so I would recommend an average speed memory card.

Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connection

An advantage of a faster memory card is the possibility of faster data transfer, if the computer and the transfer equipment have a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connection. If this is not the case, we recommend that you try a card reader. This is a handy gadget that is connected by a USB port and is able to read a memory card really quickly, and it can save data as well. The card reader acts as an external hard disk for the computer. An extra bonus is that this saves energy.

Canon A570IS – AA Alkaline batteries

The Canon PowerShot A570 IS requires two AA Alkaline batteries. In the early days of digital photography these batteries were depleted after making only a few shots, but nowadays it is possible to make about 120 shots. This is fairly good, but if you go for the NiMH type, it will last you a bit longer, about 400 images. If you keep the LCD screen switched off and shoot with the optical viewfinder, you can make about three times as many photos with your Alkaline batteries, and with the NiMH, twice as many. An added advantage is that this camera always comes with an optical viewfinder!

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Test-images

 

 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/13 sec

ISO : 400

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/30 sec

ISO : 800

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/50 sec

ISO : 1600

Focal length : 6mm

 

 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.8

Exposure time : 0.8 sec

ISO : 80

Focal length : 7mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/4 sec

ISO : 200

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/15 sec

ISO : 800

Focal length : 6mm

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Test-images

 

 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/4

Exposure time : 1/400 sec

ISO : 1600

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/60 sec

ISO : 125

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/60 sec

ISO : 160

Focal length : 6mm

 

 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/13 sec

ISO : 200

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/2 sec

ISO : 80

Focal length : 6mm
 

here

Resolution : 3072 x 2304 pixels

Aperture : f/2.6

Exposure time : 1/40 sec

ISO : 200

Focal length : 6mm

Canon PowerShot A570 IS | Digital Camera Review | Conclusion

Canon PowerShot A570 Review Conclusion

Canon can congratulate itself with the PowerShot A-series cameras. For the past few years cameras in this class have been extremely popular, because of their versatile qualities. It’s amazing to see that the Canon PowerShot A570 IS has more to offer in terms of functionality than its competition, or even cameras in a more expensive class. This is remarkable and probably explains the PowerShot A-concept success story. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS is at the top of its class and its details on paper will even entice the novice but certainly also the experienced photographer.

Canon A570 IS – Optical image stabilizer

It is difficult not to be enthusiastic, but the first encounter is a completely positive one. For example, take the optical image stabilizer (IS). This system has so many benefits, that once you have used it, you will never want to go without. The IS system gives the photographer direct advantages while shooting, not only in poor lighting conditions, which is what stabilization is meant for. The light weight of the compact camera combined with a shutter speed that is equated to the focal distance (1/125 = 125mm) gives me the feeling that camera shake is no longer an issue. This is caused by two things: the photographer’s ‘steady’ hand and the light weight of the camera. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS gives me the ease of a lightweight camera and the pleasure of unobstructed shooting without having to worry about camera shake. It’s perfect!

Canon PowerShot A570 IS Test

Next to its versatility which is expressed in its many lighting settings, such as aperture and shutter speed options, there are also diverse optional accessories available. It is possible to attach a wide-angle or a telephoto converter. These can be mounted on the front of the camera after removing the ring around the zoom lens. It’s even possible to attach an external flash to the Canon PowerShot A570! I am especially positive about the growth potential that the Canon PowerShot A570 IS offers the novice photographer. Those that want to stick with the compact camera have a great camera, but for those that get a taste for photography and want to evolve, it is a perfect forerunner to an SLR camera.

Canon A570 IS – Image quality

The image quality of the Canon PowerShot A570 IS camera is great. The colours are saturated and appear natural. The saturation is a bit strong for my taste, but that is a personal preference. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS may not perform perfectly in extreme artificial lighting, but a simple white balance correction will resolve this problem immediately. The images are rich in detail, and even very high contrast situations are no problem. Canon can improve by reducing the amount of noise for high ISO speeds. The competitor (see Fujifilm) demonstrates that 800 and 1600 ISO should no longer be a problem, and this is where Canon fails slightly. The noise values are fine up until 400 ISO, but at 800 and 1600, they are pushing it.

Canon PowerShot A570 IS – Digital Camera Rating

Let it be clear: the Canon PowerShot A570 IS satisfied me all around. The compact format invites you to carry it with you at all times. The light weight combined with the optical image stabilizer ensures great user-friendliness, and add image quality to the mix and the Canon PowerShot A570 IS is a great camera. The Canon PowerShot A570 IS offers great value for money, I highly recommend it!

Sphere: Related Content

Posted under Digital Camera Reviews