Is the digital camera "Canon A540" an excelent choice at $199.99 Canadian?

Question

Do you know of any faults with this camera? if so what are they? Do you have a better seletion at the same price?

Answer 1

I'm sorry to read TomTom's answer that says they are having trouble with this camera, as I have recommended it so many times. My brother has had one for almost a year without any trouble. The A550 looks nice, too, if it's available yet. Personally, I'd say to wait until the A550 comes out and then decide if you want to take advantage of the new and improved version or if you want to take advantage of the falling prices on the A540.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a540%2Ccanon_a550&show=all

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a540.html

Answer 2

Yes, I think the A540 would be a good buy and if you wait a little, I think you would be able to get it even cheaper, because the newer model A550 (successor to the A530 and not the A540) has just been announced. It's almost exactly the same as the A540, having just some minor cosmetic changes, one extra megapixel etc...but it doesn't have aperture or shutter priority.

If you can wait till mid February when the A550 is released...and you do not need the ability to select your own shutter speed or aperture, then maybe you should look the A550, which should have better performance and battery life. And it will retail for US$199 (not sure how much that is in Canadian dollars).

But if you want a camera right NOW, then the A540 would make a good choice, even though I would prefer the A640.

In regards to 'faults'...Canon recently issued a safety notice regarding the A530 & A540. (see Canon link below).
They tell you the serial model of cameras affected, but I think it would be highly unlikely you would ever have any trouble whatsoever with the A540 if you were to purchase it.

So, if you can wait till mid Feb...look at the A550 if you want point & shoot simplicity.
If you can't wait (and you also want the option to select aperture and shutter if you wish), look at the A540 (or wait for it's successor, most likely the A560)...later in the year.

Answer 3

I have this camera for about 8 months. It is a excellent camera, with very good manual controls, excellent image quality and if you need, very good automatic settings. Although my main cameras are DLSR semi professional, this point and shoot is one of the best value on the market. If you look at the reviews on the specialized sites, you will see. Hope that helps.

Answer 4

I heard they are having alot of trouble with the 540.
go to canonusa.com and see when their 2 new cameras
are coming out.
if you can wait - I would.