First Digital Camera

The camera feels just right in the hand, especially with the side grip. I was surprised at the size of the camera, having been accustomed to a bigger and heavier 35mm with assorted lenses. This was the only difference and it makes the Canon a pleasure to carry. I had done extensive online research on digital cameras, utilizing consumer product guides and rating services, this was the best bang for the buck. Best feature is the view finder. The camera has more features than I could possibly understand, but I am reading the owners guide and taking a basic digital camera course to learn to finer points of digital photography.
Bottom line is I am thrilled with my purchase. I still have my Canon AE1 and some super lenses for special photo work. But my go to camera and daily user is the Canon PowerShot A590 IS.

Canon PowerShot A590 IS 8.0

PROS: size, design, printed manual, ease of use, flexibility, price, larager LCD than older models
CONS: haven't found any yet - haven't tested software

This is a power house little camera.

It has enough size to it to allow for a comfortable grip without being cumbersome. While it won't fit in a shirt pocket (What are you doing putting a camera in your shirt pocket anyway? Might as well just throw it on the ground and get it over with!) it's small enough to go wherever you need to take it with no hassle. I dislike the tiny new cameras as they are difficult to grasp if you're trying to do any adjustments to fine-tune a shot. Speaking of adjustments...

You have such versatility. You can go all AUTO or you can change a number of different settings to tailor your shot to the situation. While the MENU and FUNC buttons are Canon's standard easy-to-follow buttons, an added bonus is the printed manual that explains the functions in easy to understand language.

I chose this camera over the other Canons I looked at for two reasons in particular: 1) My hands shake a lot. The IS capability provides good correction for the shaking. 2) The A590 IS allows the addition of speciality lenses. I can pop on a macro and get stunning details on a hand-painted objet d'art or use a wide angle for large sweeping landscapes.

I've just begun to use this camera and will add to this as I find any significant additional information.

AMAZING camera, great quality pics for a small price

I LOVE this camera!!!!! It is very easy to use and easy to hold. There is a ledge to grip where cannon is written. It feels very stable in my hands!!!!!
My 17 year old son said he thinks they should start making this camera again. (He has taken classes in school on photography and enjoys taking pictures.) He said the manuel settings are easy to use. For a point and shoot he says it's pretty good. He did say the iso doesn't go very high (1600). The camera he uses goes to 3200.
My 10 year old also loves to take pictures. She shoots videos of her animals. It doesn't disappoint thats for sure!!!! This camera works great for young and old!!!!
It is bigger than other point and shoot cameras but I personally love the size. it is the best I've found. My family and friends have also bought this camera because they have seen what mine can do. I just picked up 2 more of these. One for myself as an extra, and one for my mother. Ironically, when I gave my mother the one I bought for her, she told me she just bought one for herself. Go figure!!!!! (I have bought a couple other cameras and they don't come close to this one.) That is why I bought the 2 recent A590IS's.
I have 4 VERY active kids and I am thrilled that this camera takes amazing action shots!!!! Jumping rope for example, there is no fuzz at all. It gets the rope clear as day too. I have amazing pictures around campfire coals and fantastic shots of my kids during sporting events. My high jump shots, and waves crashing over my kids at the beach are great. Just as my pictures of faces,flowers, bugs, and animals are. Oh, I also have belly flop contest pictures. They are more than amazing!!!!! You can clearly see the water droplets and great facial expressions of those landing and those near by feeling the pain. LOL!!!! Remarkable!!!!
I love that it uses AA batteries. I use rechargeable ones and they last a long time. Unfortunately regular AA don't last long. But, it is convenient to be able to grab them on the go if needed! (I have needed.) It uses SD and SDHC memory cards. I have only used the SDHC card, as I said before, the pictures and video are fantastic!!!!!
I very highly recommend this camera to everyone. You can't go wrong with this gem of a camera!!!!!!!

Great camera

I bought this camera about 3 years ago and the only reason I need a new camera is my 2 year old 'played' with it. I have taken great pics of him with it everywhere. I cannot complain at all about it. I recommend it for a general use camera due to its size and features. I like the black and white pic feature too. The software is great for the computer, too.

Excellent in its category

This is the last model of the line of this very popular canon compact digital camera.Its "full" feathered features (manual, shutter and aperture priority, optical view finder, optical stabilizer, etc) let a photograph-lover with tight budget can still enjoy the fun of creative photographing. Of course, the quality of photos and camera performance are in top of its category. That is why I bought a Canon 590A IS even it is a lightly used one.