Canon PowerShot A520

Manual Control Options
The manual controls on the PowerShot A520 couldn't be better - there isn't anything users are locked out of. Few cameras in this class offer this level of manual control so conveniently. Using the A520, users can set white balance, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

The manual mode is as accessible as the more automated, snapshooter-friendly modes most users will more commonly engage. When the mode dial on top of the camera is set to M, the exposure settings appear on the LCD screen. The left and right buttons on the four-way controller operate the aperture, or, after the SET button is pressed, the shutter speed. For a compact camera, it's a convenient setup.

The A520 also offers aperture-priority and shutter-priority exposure modes, which allow the user to set either the aperture or the shutter, while automating the overall exposure.

Focus
Auto Focus (8.0)
The A520 offers a pretty sophisticated autofocus system. It's capable of evaluating focus in nine different areas of the frame, and it indicates which of the nine are in focus. When the camera is set to 'AiAF,' the camera evaluates all nine sites for focus, and decides which of the nine should be the priority. When AiAF is turned off, the camera focuses on whatever is in the center of the frame.

In practice, the A520 snaps into focus quickly and accurately, using either AiAF or standard modes. AiAF performed well in my testing, and would be extremely useful for snapshooting. In either AiAF or standard mode, holding the shutter release down halfway will lock the focus.

Manual Focus (5.0)
Manual focus on the Canon PowerShot A520 is available in every shooting mode except AUTO and 'Stitch Assist' mode. It's easy to activate manual focus; when the camera is ready to shoot, pressing the bottom of the multifunction dial once puts the camera in close-up mode, and a second press puts it in manual focus. Then, pressing the right and left sides of the dial focuses the lens on closer and more distant subjects. Manual focus runs continuously from close-up through normal distances.

Metering (7.5)
The PowerShot A520 offers Program, Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and full manual modes, and in those modes, the user can choose three meter patterns, which determine what parts of the image get metered and how the readings from various parts are evaluated.

With the Spot pattern, the camera measures light in only the center of the frame. It’s useful for subjects posed in front of a background that’s either much lighter or darker than the subject. The Center-weighted pattern measures the whole image, but places an emphasis on the center of the image. The Evaluative pattern measures light in several segments of the image, and then attempts to figure out which portions of the image are most important. The Evaluative pattern works well, usually realizing that very bright patches in the upper corners of an image are probably sky or other light sources, and directs the emphasis to other parts of the image.

Exposure (7.0)
The PowerShot A520’s exposure compensation control allows users to lighten or darken images in the typical +/-2 EV range, moving in 1/3-stop increments. It’s often useful if the camera’s light meter is fooled. The feature is easily accessible, coming up by default when the "FUNC." is pressed; however, it is not available in AUTO mode or full Manual.

The A520 also includes a range of exposure modes to select from, enabling users to determine the amount of control they wish to have over the image. These include Manual, Auto, Program, Shutter Priority, and Aperture Priority settings.

White Balance (7.5)
The PowerShot A520 offers both fully automatic and custom white balance settings, in addition to five preset options. The five presets are: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten (lightbulbs), Fluorescent, (for warm-white, cool-white or warm-white three-wavelength) and Fluorescent H (for daylight fluorescent and daylight fluorescent-type three-wavelength). In Auto white balance mode, the camera chooses from the presets. To set a custom white balance, the user calls up the Custom setting, points the camera at a white object, and presses the SET button.

While five preset options is not an overwhelming selection (it would be nice to have a setting for shade, for instance, and it’s useful to have two tungsten settings, one for dim lights and one for bright) the custom setting should compensate when proper color calibration is sought. Anybody fussy enough, like me, to want two tungsten settings wouldn’t mind setting a custom white balance.

The white balance setting is automated in AUTO and Scene modes.

ISO (7.5)
The PowerShot A520 offers ISO settings of 50, 100, 200 and 400, and AUTO. The lower settings, 50 and 100, offer better quality, but require lots of light. 200 and 400 are lower quality, but allow shooting in darker places without flash, or with flash but of more distant subjects. The A520's ISO range is typical of cameras in its class, but the low ISO 50 rating should help ensure that clear images are attained in extremely bright lighting.

Shutter Speed(7.0)
Manual shutter speeds run from 15 seconds to 1/2000 of a second. That’s a reasonable range for cameras of this type -- 1/2000 is standard at the quick end, and the long end ranges from 2 to 30 seconds. Extending the range wouldn’t add to the camera’s usefulness.

Aperture (7.0)
The PowerShot A520 has an aperture range from f/2.6 to f/8.0. The automated modes and the manual mode can adjust the lens through that entire range. Aperture is related to the size of the lens opening, and it controls how much light gets through the lens.