Canon’s PowerShot A540 features include – 6 megapixels, 4x optical zoom, 2.5 inch LCD, 9 point AiAF (auto focus), 21 shooting modes, high ISO of 800, DIGIC II images processor, and 16:9 widescreen shooting.
What’s in the box?
1. PowerShot A540 Body
2. AA-size Alkaline Battery (x2)
3. MultiMediaCard MMC-16M
4. Wrist Strap WS-800
5. Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
6. USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
7. AV Cable AVC-DC300
Canon PowerShot A540 Reviewer – Opinion Thermometer
| Consumer Electronics |
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| Digital Camera Tracker |
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| PC World |
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| DP Interface |
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| Imaging Resource |
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| Trusted Reviews |
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| Cameras UK |
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| Pocket Lint |
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| Popular Photography |
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| Computer Active |
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| DC Resource |
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| CNET |
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| Steve’s Digicams |
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| Canon PowerShot A540 Press Release | |
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Canon PowerShot A540 Spec Sheet
[Canon PowerShot A540 Spec Sheet at Canon]
Canon PowerShot A540 Owners Manual
[Canon PowerShot A540 Owners Manual]
Canon PowerShot A540 Sample Pictures
[Sample Pictures at DP Review]
[Sample Pictures at Imaging Resource]
[Sample Pictures at DC Resource]
[Sample Pictures at Steve's Digicams]
Canon PowerShot A540 User Reviews
[Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 User Reviews at Epinions]
Read More Canon PowerShot A540 Reviews
Consumer Electronics – 10/3/2006 – has reviewed the Canon’s PowerShot A540 and they write – “The use of AA batteries gives the camera an added bonus of a built in hand grip where there might otherwise not be one if the company powered the camera with its proprietary battery technology. Image quality is very good to excellent, which is no surprise considering it is a Canon camera, the menuing system is quite good, and the LCD is very bright. There are plenty of shooting modes, 21 to be exact, and you can always go manual in the event you wish to have full control. Another aspect of the A540 that you might want to consider is its capability to be accessorized. The camera features a wide array of accessories that you can purchase to enhance your picture taking capabilities, ranging from an underwater housing to wide angle and telephoto lenses. A nifty upgrade path for those who want one.”
PC World – 8/3/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and rates it 80 out of 100. They go to write – “The image quality of the 6-megapixel images is about average (though the A540’s scores match those from many more-expensive models): Colors were accurate (though they lacked the vividness of the Olympus FE-120) and the camera accurately judged exposure (it also offers auto exposure bracketing). The images were a little soft, however: Some fine details were lost in the blurriness, and the edges of objects sometimes lacked definition.”
DP Interface – 06/26/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and points out it’s a versatile, compact and affordable camera. They go on to write – “Delivering fast performance in almost all aspects – except autofocus – the Canon A540 also offers unlimited continuous shooting and a VGA 30 FPS movie mode. There’s also full manual controls plus a range of accessories as well. Still, the faster shutter speeds are available only when using smaller apertures and the movie mode is limited to 1 GB (That’s around 9 minutes at the highest settings).”
Imaging Resource – 06/08/2006 – has a new review of the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and indicates it’s a It’s an impressive offering for such a low price. They go on to write – “Built on the same long-tested design as many A-series predecessors, the Canon A540 offers a lot in its compact package. Its combination of automatic and manual features make it very approachable for novices, but interesting for experienced users, the net result being a camera that will satisfy a broad range of interests and provide a good path for novice users to expand their photographic horizons as their experience grows. You can even add accessory lenses and put it in a waterproof case. One of the more popular features of the A-series is their use of AA batteries, something we also like. I’d like to see it equipped with a more accurate optical viewfinder (the optical path is not straight through the front to the back), and its image noise at ISO 400 and 800 was on the high side, but that’s pretty normal. As with other legendary Canons, the A540 is a camera that will meet the needs of the average consumer very well.”
Trusted Reviews – 06/26/2006 – has completed their analysis of the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and rate it an overall score of 8 out of 10. They go on to write – “The A450 is a very capable camera and good value for money, and would make an excellent choice for anyone who wants to learn more about photography before moving on to a semi-pro zoom or DSLR. It may lack some features found on higher end models, but it is a good all rounder and produces top quality results.”
Cameras UK – 05/12/2006 – indicates the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 is one of the few digital cameras in this price range to offer manual controls. They go on to write – “It is becoming harder to find this type of digital camera. It is therefore a good job the Canon Powershot A540 is up to the mark. I was impressed by the picture quality both indoors and outside. If you would like a digital camera with manual controls and not break the bank then this camera is well worth looking at.”
Pocket Lint – 05/02/2006 – has published a new review of the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and here’s the verdict: “The Canon PowerShot A540 provides plenty of meat for those wishing to buy and use an easy to operate camera but still want room to grow, as they get better at taking their snaps. So, whether you’re simply snapping or taking more studied shots, the 540 is a nice, reliable digital compact and while it may not hold the pinnacle of performance in terms of noise control, it is more than capable of producing some very nice images indeed. In short, it is worth a look.”
Popular Photography – 04/26/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and here’s their conclusion – “The Canon A540 offers novice photographers and more advanced users plenty of capability to grow, and should make a great choice for families or those with widely varying degrees of photo expertise. The only major drawbacks are its 16MB memory card and the lack of rechargeable batteries in the box. Otherwise, this model is perfect if you’re after a camera with full manual controls, expandability, and great photo quality at a near-minimum cost.”
Computer Active – 04/11/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and here’s the verdict – “Despite the A540’s plastic look and feel, the build quality is high and, with batteries inserted into the grip, it feels reassuringly sturdy.
DC Resource -04/06/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and they write – What I liked: – 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 controls, unusual for an entry-level camera – Snappy performance – AF-assist lamp, good low light focusing – Very good movie and continuous shooting modes (though see issue below) – Support for add-on lenses, external slave flash, underwater case – Very good battery life – USB 2.0 High Speed support
CNET – 04/05/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and they write, “Solid image quality plus manual and automated exposure controls make the Canon PowerShot A540 a nice low-cost option for snapshooters and photo enthusiasts.”
Steve’s Digicams – 03/27/2006 – has reviewed the 6 megapixel Canon PowerShot A540 and they write – “The PowerShot A540 is yet another awesome digital model from Canon. They continue to offer great image quality, blazing fast performance, and loads of user friendly exposure modes, all at an affordable price. Let us not forget this model has some really cool features like a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen that works great whether you’re indoors or out. A Light-guided zoom flash that changes its angle as the focal length increases, and a durable metal/polycarbonate body that will ensure that it will stand the test of time. The only annoyence which I found was the flash recharge time and the fact that the LCD goes blank while the flash is charging. With an MSRP of only $299, we feel it offers an outstanding value and will make any family, business, or tourist user very happy, whether you’re just entering the digital age or upgrading to a newer model. Don’t need 6-megapixels of resolution, but still love many of the features of this model?”
Canon Announces PowerShot A700 And A540 Digital Cameras
Canon PowerShot A540 Initial Press Summary
Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February 2006: Canon today releases two new PowerShot cameras that combine ease of use with creative flexibility – the PowerShot A700 and PowerShot A540. The 6.0 Megapixel PowerShot A700 defines a new level of performance for the A-series range with a 6x optical zoom lens featuring a real-image optical viewfinder. The PowerShot A540 delivers 6.0 Megapixel resolution and a high performance 4x optical zoom lens. Both cameras feature an extensive range of creative shooting modes and are compatible with optional converter lenses for extended versatility.
The PowerShot A700 and PowerShot A540 pack a vast array of additional high-end features into a remarkably compact space, including:
* Canon’s DIGIC II image processor and iSAPS technology for fast, superb results
* Accurate focusing with FlexiZone AF/AE1 (PowerShot A700) and 9-point AiAF1
* ISO 800 shooting
* Widescreen (16:9) stills recording
* 30fps VGA movie recording
* 2.5″ LCD with Night Display and Grid Line Display
With its powerful optical performance and rich feature set, the PowerShot A700 is the new flagship of the A-series range. The versatile PowerShot A540 is the replacement to last year’s popular PowerShot A520.
“The PowerShot A-series range stands for performance, ease of use and affordability,” explains Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “By broadening the range with these fully featured cameras, Canon is putting advanced photography into the hands of the mainstream consumer.”
Optics
A 6x optical zoom lens (35mm equivalent: 35 – 210mm) on the PowerShot A700 and 4x optical zoom lens (35mm equivalent: 35 – 140mm) on the PowerShot A540 deliver crisp, bright results that make the very most of the cameras’ 6.0 Megapixel resolution. In a first for a 6x optical zoom digital compact camera, the PowerShot A700 features a real-image optical viewfinder, allowing fast framing and precise manual focusing without the LCD.
Each camera has optional Wide (0.7x) and Tele (1.75x) converter lenses to extend the focal length range, for an effective 15x optical zoom with the PowerShot A700 and 10x optical zoom with the PowerShot A540. Both are also compatible with optional close-up lenses for detailed macro photography.
Designed for creativity
With 19 shooting modes on the PowerShot A700 and 20 shooting modes on the PowerShot A540, both cameras are superbly equipped for artistic photography. Creative Zone modes on each camera include full Manual mode, Aperture Priority and Shutter Speed Priority. Special Scene modes – such as Night Snapshot and Snow – assist with tricky lighting conditions, while Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic colour effects to be applied to both images and movies direct from the camera. Users can record smooth 30fps VGA quality movies of up to 1GB with sound or create 60fps QVGA clips for sharp slow motion playback. A handy Compact mode enables shooting of small format clips of up to 3 minutes for easy sharing via email. My Colors can also be applied to movies before shooting.
The PowerShot A700 and PowerShot A540 feature a new Widescreen mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) for capturing still images in 16:9 format – perfect for viewing on widescreen television or printing wide photos with a SELPHY Compact Photo Printer.
Low light shooting
The addition of ISO 800 gives photographers the flexibility to shoot without flash indoors and in other low light environments. It also enables shooting at faster shutter speeds, increasing image stability at full zoom and reducing unwanted motion blur. The PowerShot A700 features a new High ISO Auto setting that automatically sets exposure using the higher range of ISO sensitivities. The advanced DIGIC II processor in both cameras minimises noise at higher ISO levels.
Instant photo prints
Both cameras are PictBridge compliant for instant direct printing to compatible printers, including all Canon SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printers and most Canon PIXMA printers. Users can also print ID photos and stills images from movies when connected to a SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printer.
The handy Print/Share button on each camera allows one-touch printing and hassle-free uploads to Windows or Macintosh systems. A new Print menu makes it easier than ever to organise print jobs direct from the camera.
The menu system on these cameras now features support for 23 languages, including Arabic.
