The first point of note about
Canon’s competitively
priced A540 – which upgrades last year’s
Canon
A520 – is that it manages to fit in both a 2.5in screen plus, as a
battery-saving alternative, an optical viewfinder above.
Perhaps that’s why the A540 supplied with two regular AA batteries as opposed
to a longer-lasting rechargeable battery.
Despite being cheaper and less flashy than
Canon’s
IXUS range, the A540 doesn’t skimp on features. Chief among these are a
six-megapixel resolution for poster-sized prints, a 4x optical zoom lens stored
flush to the body when not in use, and functions shared with more professional
models.
These include a swift
DIGIC
II processor – meaning images are quickly committed to memory – and
nine-point intelligent auto focus, ensuring even the most hapless snapper gets
sharply focused pics.
Despite the A540’s plastic look and feel, the build quality is high and, with
batteries inserted into the grip, it feels reassuringly sturdy.
If you’re buying the camera mainly for indoor snaps but don’t like that
rabbit-in-the-headlights look, the A540 handily boasts
ISO800
light sensitivity for low light snaps without flash.
Offering further assistance are 21 shooting modes, while a full manual mode,
aper
ture and shutter priority allow for greater creativity than similarly priced
compacts.
For those with big televisions, there’s the ability to capture widescreen
(16:9 ratio) stills, as well as TV-quality 640x480-pixel video clips at a smooth
30 frames-per-second.
As expected, the A540 is easy to operate. The on/off button is slightly
recessed to avoid accidental operation, but when pressed the camera springs into
action, the lens barrel extending to maximum wide-angle setting. Similarly
there’s little noticeable shutter delay.
Photos delivered by Canon compacts are some of the best in their class and
the A540 is no exception, delivering colourful yet naturalistic shots when
plenty of detail.
However you won’t be able to take many with the measly 16Mb memory card
included, and you might also want to replace those AA batteries with
rechargeables to get more than 90 shots in total. That said, AAs are easily
replaceable should you find power flags when on your hols.
For the price it’s hard to find great fault with the A540, if you don’t mind
that its style is more B&Q than Biarritz.
Also consider
Panasonic Lumix
DMC-FX01
A slim, 6-megapixel camera that offers a greater range of features than you’d
expect for the price.
Rating: 4/5
Price: £299
Reader comments