Ruggedly crafted yet lightweight, the dark silver body of the 8.0 megapixel PowerShot A590 IS camera fits firmly and comfortably into a user’s hand. Featuring an impressive 4x (35mm-140mm equivalent) zoom lens, the PowerShot A590 IS model offers a richer feature set than other entry-level PowerShot cameras.

Staking out the upper-middle tier of the PowerShot A-series, the new camera offers users the option of 19 shooting modes, from fully automatic to fully manual operation for greater creative control. The A590 IS camera also features Canon’s advanced Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). OIS significantly reduces the effects of camera shake (and the blurry pictures they cause) by actually allowing the lens to shift to compensate for camera movement or shake. Unlike electronic image stabilization systems that essentially mask the movement rather than actually compensating for it, Canon’s Optical “lens shift” system preserves the inherent quality of the stabilized image without covering up parts of the image. This OIS technology is even effective when the movement being stabilized is caused by extended telephoto or low-light shooting conditions.

The camera’s range can be expanded even further with the use of any one of three optional converter lenses: a 1.75X tele-converter, a 0.7X wide converter and a 52mm close-up lens for eye-catching and frame-filling macro photography. The converter lenses attach over the camera’s zoom lens by means of an optional conversion lens adapter.

Reviews

Trusted Reviews

Considering its low price, the PowerShot A590 IS offers an amazingly complete list of features, with high-performance optical image stabilisation, a useful range of manual controls and exceptionally good performance, especially in low light conditions.

Digital Camera Resource Page

The PowerShot A590 IS remains a very good camera for just about everyone. It’s a relatively minor update to its predecessor (the A570), with the main changes being a higher resolution sensor (naturally), auto redeye reduction, and improved battery life.

Cnet

The Canon PowerShot A590 IS’s manual exposure controls and surprisingly sharp pictures make it a great choice for almost anyone looking for a sub-$200 shooter.

Steve’s Digicams

Image quality from this 8-megapixel consumer model was excellent. The outdoor samples showed great exposure and vivid colors. Canon includes a nice 4x lens on this camera, that also features their Optical Image Stabilization system. This actually enables you to shoot at shutter speeds 2-3 stops lower than normal, helping reduce the effects of camera shake in your low-light or telephoto shots.

Digital Camera Review

In truth, there’s not a lot about the A590 that really jumps out in an initial evaluation. What impresses more about the newest Canon A is not any specific strength, but its all-around competency. Built to a price point that often entails some serious photographic compromises, the A590 IS makes relatively few: it’s fast, precise, has decent high ISO performance, meters accurately, and provides full manual control.

Where to Buy

First off, consider going to your local camera store (and I don’t necessarily mean Wolf Camera at the mall). By going to your local camera store, you’re supporting your community and you just might build a lasting relationship with people you can rely on when you need some help or answers. If you’re buying online, I recommend sticking with Amazon, B&H Photo or Adorama. These three vendors are reliable, trustworthy and generally have the best (legitimate) prices.