ProductCritic: Canon PowerShot A540 Reviews

Steve's Digicams (88)

Bottom line – The PowerShot A540 is yet another awesome digital model from Canon. With an MSRP of only $299, we feel it offers an outstanding value and will make any family, business, or tourist user very happy, whether you’re just entering the digital age or upgrading to a newer model.

Imaging Resource (88)

Its combination of automatic and manual features make it very approachable for novices, but interesting for experienced users, the net result being a camera that will satisfy a broad range of interests and provide a good path for novice users to expand their photographic horizons as their experience grows. As with other legendary Canons, the A540 is a camera that will meet the needs of the average consumer very well.

IT Reviews (83)

The PowerShot A540 is a nice compact camera with a quality feel, and it’s easy to use on many levels. A larger memory card would have been nice, as would a rechargeable battery. However, these issues are easily overcome and the camera still has much to recommend it.

PC World (80)

It’s one of the few cameras in this class that offers full manual control as well as the usual fully automatic modes. There’s also a good selection of scene modes: 13 in all, including three that are very easily accessed on the mode dial (you access the rest through the on-screen menu by setting the mode dial to SCN).

vnunet.com (80)

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.

Trusted Reviews (80)

The A450 is a very capable camera and good value for money, and would make an excellent choice for anyone who wants to learn more about photography before moving on to a semi-pro zoom or DSLR. It may lack some features found on higher end models, but it is a good all rounder and produces top quality results.

Pocket-Lint (80)

The Canon PowerShot A540 provides plenty of meat for those wishing to buy and use an easy to operate camera but still want room to grow, as they get better at taking their snaps. So, whether you’re simply snapping or taking more studied shots, the 540 is a nice, reliable digital compact and while it may not hold the pinnacle of performance (that’s still Fuji’s crown at the moment) in terms of noise control, it is more than capable of producing some very nice images indeed.

Digital Camera HQ (78)

With all the sleek, sexy ultra-compact cameras out there, it’s hard to get excited about a camera like the A540 (or its close relative, the A700). If you’re not so superficial and hung up on looks, the A540 (and slightly more powerful A700) offers a ‘good enough’ photographic experience, and would make a good model for users who long for the days when they could hold a substantial rangefinder body in their hands.

CNET (76)

The Canon PowerShot A540’s image quality and full manual controls will no doubt appeal to advanced photographers looking for a backup to their dSLRs. At the same time, beginners will like the many scene modes and its full auto mode too. Of course, if 4X zoom isn’t enough for you, there’s always the near-identically featured A700 for just a little extra cash.

Digital Camera Resource Page (75)

All-in-all, the PowerShot A540 is a great choice for those who want full manual controls, expandability, and great photo quality, but don’t want to spend a bundle. It’s not perfect, but the positives far outweigh the negatives, so the A540 gets an easy recommendation from me.

Deep Thought (50)

All-in-all, the Canon Powershot A540 is a good consumer digital camera. It’s something you would use to record memories of your family vacation, or just mess around with. It’s something that can be broken without much loss. However if you are a serious photographer, I would advise getting a better camera that is more high-end like the digital version of the Canon Rebel.