Canon PowerShot A550 Digital Camera - Silver (7.0MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 2.0" LCD

Got this as an upgrade from my Nikon Coolpix 5600, and an upgrade it really is. In comparison, the photos are much more crisp and clear, and the camera itself is so much more responsive. Hit the power button and you're ready to take a photo in less than 2 seconds. Not only that, but compared to the Nikon, the pickup is much more sensitive; enough so that blurred shots are the exception rather than the norm as it was on the coolpix. Colour is great, and the fancy "AiAf" shows you clearly on the (admittedly small) screen where it's concentrating on for focus. The other shocker for me is battery life. I've taken a couple of hundred shots since I bought it, and still haven't had to change the batteries. It just keeps going and going.

The only real downsides for me are that the plastic enclosure feels a little tacky (though don't get me wrong, it's plenty solid), the screen's a bit on the small side, and (as with seemingly all cameras), the menus could do with more help/advice/documentation. Overall though, for a handy, budget camera that you can carry around without really worrying about it getting damaged, it's fantastic. Obviously it's no DSLR - you only get a limited set of manual controls - but its size and price mean that it'll get used more often than a camera you have to carry in a kit bag.

This camera is compact, light but feels good quality build.
It has easy to use manual functions and a good ISO range of 80-800.
I have taken shots in a variety of lighting conditions and it performs very well.
The depth of field is excellent, which you would expect with compact lenses, but compared to other cameras i have the Canon is sharper and retains excellent contrast and colouring in your backgrounds when shooting in good outdoor light.
Shots taken indoors without flash, on Auto ISO setting,were excellent. It fits nicely in the hand and all the controls are accessible when you get used to them without taking your eye off the subject. On a 2GB SD Card, on full resolution, the camera will take 647 shots, which should be ample for most people.
The 2" LCD screen is also very good and is viewable in all but the brightest light. The 4x Optical zoom is a good feature, but forget about the digital zoom, as it reduces the quality of the shots significantly (as with most cameras) and is a waste of time.
The video capture function has 3 settings, fast capture for sports and action (60fps), standard for normal conditions (30fps) and compact, for sending as an e-mail file or viewing on a small screen (15 fps).
The sports mode is good, but disables the zoom function. Standard mode is best and still allows you to zoom in and out from your subject. The compact mode is around the quality you would expect from the average mobile phone and is a little pixelated when your subject starts moving.
Sound is recorded in mono but is good quality and the camera picks up sound well, even when used outside.
The movie capture in standard mode is the best compromise and provides good quality (similar to the old 8mm camcorders) which is viewable on full screen when played back on your PC screen at good quality, and acceptable quality on a normal TV when played back using the lead provided (just be sure to change the settings to PAL not NTSC if playing througha standard UK TV).
I understand there are a number of teleconverter and telewide converter lenses for this camera which will increase the zoom or give a wider angle of view respectively. The ones i have looked at though, made by Canon are expensive at £100+. I expect that they will be of superior quality though, but if you are to spend that sort of money it would be better to look further up the powershot range for something to take serious hobby shots without having to lump an SLR or large bridge camera about.
At between £100-£150 to buy, i think this camera is a bargain, and is ideal for either the keen amateur / pro user as a convenient, great quality pocketable compact, or for the novice user who just wants to point and press and achieve good results. Highly recommended.

Having dabbled in around with chemical based photography for many years, I finally took the plunge and bought my first digital camera, and I am not disappointed with the Canon PowerShot A550. This 7.1 mega pixel pocket camera from Canon is a real gem.

The 2 inch screen is very adequate for all casual point and shoot applications, and as with all LCD screens, if the outside ambient light level does make things difficult: then just revert to the classic eye viewfinder. The camera controls are very well laid out, and within 10 minutes or so you will be ready to shoot your first picture. Everything is very intuitive.

The autofocus works fine, and the focus zones can be adjusted for best results. However, I have found no reason to tinker with this. The "Auto" function delivers great results, and takes the fiddling out of the process, letting you concentrate on the real business of taking photos.

Leaving the best till last, and that is that this camera is powered by two AA batteries, no fancy custom battery packs that need recharging. Any store almost anywhere in the world will gladly sell you a pair of AA's, which will, with this camera easily provide 150-200 shots before they need replacing. You can of course opt for AA rechargeables; if these die on you, then buy your replacement AA's in the field.

In short, this camera will not disappoint.