Canon's PowerShot A570 IS point-and-shoot digital camera provides a very good mixture of features and usability for novice photographers. By shopping around a bit, you might be able to find the PowerShot A570 for around $200, which makes it a great value as well.

Probably the biggest drawback to this model is its size; the PowerShot A570 is a little larger than most recently released point-and-shoot models, measuring about 1-3/4 inches in thickness. It won't fit comfortably in most pockets. The small right handgrip makes the PowerShot A570 fairly comfortable to hold and use, however.

The feature list for the PowerShot A570 is very strong for a beginner-level model in its price range. Perhaps the model's best feature (when compared to those of similarly-priced cameras) is its optical image stabilization (IS) feature, which reduces the effects of camera shake and results in fewer blurry photos. Finding optical IS in a camera in this price range is somewhat unusual.

The PowerShot A570's 7.1 megapixels of resolution should be more than enough for most novice photographers, allowing for high-quality prints of up to 11X14 inches. This unit's 4X optical zoom lens is above average for a point-and-shoot model, and it produces sharp, vibrant photos, especially in outdoor lighting. Under low-light conditions, you might notice some problems with noise from time to time, but thanks to the optical IS, indoor photos are sharp nearly all of the time.

The 2.5-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) on the back of this model offers average quality and brightness, and you can frame photos with it or with the small optical viewfinder. The LCD is about average in terms of sharpness and image quality; the viewfinder, unfortunately, shows no more than 85 percent of the frame, but it is nice to have a second option for framing photos.

As you'd expect with a point-and-shoot camera, the PowerShot A570 is very easy to use; the menu structure makes sense and the controls are positioned smartly. Beginners will have no problems using this camera. This model also has a surprisingly high number of basic manual-control features.

Our testing reveals that response times with the PowerShot A570 are pretty good, especially considering its price point. You can shoot your first photo less than two seconds after pressing the power button. Shutter lag is not noticeable, which is great for a budget-level model. Shot-to-shot delays range from about one second without the flash to 3-6 seconds when using the flash over distances.

As with other "A" series Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras, the PowerShot A570 can run from two AA batteries, which is extremely handy if you ever run out of batteries away from home and need a quick replacement. The PowerShot A570 has very good battery life, especially if you use the optical viewfinder rather than the LCD to frame your photos.

Finally, Canon enhances the PowerShot A570's value by selling three optional converter lenses that provide additional zoom, wide-angle, and close-up photography options. Very few point-and-shoot cameras can accept converter lenses to increase usability. With this versatility at $249 (or less), the PowerShot A570 is one of the top budget-level, point-and-shoot models available.


Pros: Good value, above-average image quality, good performance, easy to use, some advanced features and options, includes optical IS
Cons: Camera is larger than other point-and-shoot models, LCD could be a little sharper

Warranty
1 year, limited