25 Days of Gadgets - Day 21

Yesterday we took a look at the new Canon XSi, a digital SLR. While a DSLR allows for much more flexibility, its size is a big deterrent. For those looking for a small and easy to use digital camera that takes quality photos take a look at the Canon A590IS.

The A590 is a nice small point-and-shoot camera. It has an 8.3-megapixel sensor and a 2.5-inch LCD display. The A590 has a 4x optical zoom, and as the IS in the name implies, Image Stabilization. The A590 has optical stabilization, a feature that greatly helps remove any camera shake, a common cause of blurry photos.

Like its big brothers, the Canon DSLRs, the A590 also has the Canon Digic III processor chip. This helps create crisp, sharp, and colorful images. Built-in motion detection also helps the A590 choose the correct shutter speed, or ISO settings, to stop the action. Canon Face Detection helps with proper focus and exposure when shooting people.

The A590 has an ISO range of 80-1600 and can shoot in several different modes - Program AE, Shutter Speed-Priority AE, Aperture-Priority AE, and AE Lock. Along with shooting great stills, the A590 can also shoot video. Stills and videos are stored on either SD or SDHC memory cards.

Another feature, rare in a camera in this price range, are accessory lenses. You can attach either a wide or telephoto adapter on the A590. There is even a high-power electronic flash, that works with all Powershot models. The street price for the A590 is around $150.

The A590 IS is impressive. With features like an 8MP sensor, optical image stabilization, Canon’s Digic III processor, face detection, and a wide range of shooting modes makes the A590 an amazing camera and an amazing deal.