Strengths: AA batteries is big + .The SD cards is another big plus. In additional, this camera boost manual functions. You can change certain settings. It also has an optical view finder.

Weaknesses: The design. To switch for shooting mode, it is annoying to shift the button on the far upper right corner. When I was recording a short clip, I hear weird cluttering sounds as I replay it.

Summary: Overall, the camera is good, but I personally regret buying this instead of the Canon a710. I think I would have fare more better with more zoom than higher iso. I think the only difference between the Canon a710 is that Canon a570 has more iso and less zoom. Despite the fact that Canon a570 has a higher iso range than Canon a710, I don't see much of a difference in picture quality. I didn't think it was necessary to create a button for printing. I thought that was a waste and nuisance. Like the Canon a710, I believe you can change the lens. This is one of the reason why I liked it. In addition, Canon a570 is a newer model compare to Canon a710.

Strengths: Compact lightweight body, large LCD window, image stabilaization features, and image quality.

Weaknesses: Low-capacity SD card.

Summary: It's hard to believe something so compact and lightweight can do what the A570is is capable of. The large bright LCD is easy to see even in direct sunlight plus an optical viewfinder is included as well. I've mainly been using "auto" settings and both indoor and outdoor pictures are excellent. Image stabilization really makes a difference for longer/wider ranges. Rechargable AA batteries last a long time and it's easy to carry a spare set in the case although they haven't been needed yet. The included SD memory card is only 16MB so I purchased a larger memory card for room to store movies. Sound and image quality on videos is as impressive as still photos. I'm very happy with this camera and would highly recommend it to family and friends.

Strengths: Small size w/ AA batteries; great pictures; easy to use; gives full control of every setting if you want it; management software stores pix as jpg in directories

Weaknesses: Included memory card a joke; battery compartment a little flimsy; wish it had more zoom; management software has some usability issues

Summary: I've been using this camera for more than 2 months and taken over 1500 shots with it. I am a power user, but not a professional photographer. This little camera is fantastic. Takes great pix as a point and shoot, and allows me to force it to take great special shots (mostly night pix). It gave me some great pictures of lightning using the "fireworks" mode and a tripod. Digic III and IS do an incredible job getting a sharp focus, fast power-up, and preserving battery life. I have shot over 700 pix (no flash) on two 2500mAh rechargeables, but I usually get about 300 pix/charge. They also optimized the digital zoom for two hard settings (1.5x and 1.9x) rather than having it vary all the time (although it can still vary if you really want that). Hard setting the digital zoom makes the pictures stay nice and crisp in spite of the digital zoom. Normally I would say that a digital zoom is a waste, but not on this camera when it is hard set.The high ISO is a come-on. Anything above 400ISO is too grainy to be acceptable for me. I've been able to overcome those issues using aperture, shutter speed, and white balance adjustments. Of course, this is a non-issue if you are just shooting everything auto.Make sure you get a high speed memory card to get the best performance (that's kinda buried in the manual). It makes a difference when shooting pictures in rapid succession or shooting any video. The video is great for 640x480/320x240 and the mic does a great job picking up sound. Video format is avi.The ZoomBrowser EX software handles pictures correctly by dumping them into a directory structure in jpg format. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow standard Windows keyboard navigation like arrows, tab, and shift. Stitch Assist (for panoramics) is good enough for basic use, but the user interface is a clumsy 1,2,3 step process. It doesn't support arrows, tab, and shift navigation either.

Strengths: Small Size, great photos, good in low light, battery length, price.

Weaknesses: Had to read a large manual to understand how all the menu functions worked.

Summary: This is the second digital camera that I have owned and I had been thinking of getting a Canon for some time. Many of my friends use Canons and I have always been very impressed with the results. I chose this camera because it had lots of features and wasn't that much larger than the SD series.Since getting it, I have been very impressed with it. The camera turns on very quickly taking only about 1 second to start up. It takes pictures very fast and stores them quickly too (although I did also purchase a high speed SD card). The color of the pictures is fantastic and the camera seems to work very well in low light.About the only thing I don't like about this camera is the time that it took me to work out how all the features worked. The manual is quite chunky and can be a litttle difficult to read at times. But overall, this is a fantastic camera and well worth the money.

Strengths: 7.1 Megapixel, Image stabilizer, 4x optical zoom, red eye reduction, compact size, large lcd screen, viewfinder, ease of use

Weaknesses: No comfortable place to "rest" your thumb when taking a picture.

Summary: This digital camera is an excellent choice for the new user or even for the advanced user with it's many great features for a price under $200. Canon has a great reputation and reliability according to Consumer Reports. The image stabilizer feature is without a doubt the best feature of this camera so your "once in a lifetime" shots will come out clear and crisp.

Strengths: + Optical image stabalization+ Optical zoom+ AA battery support - no need of separate charger+ Face detection and multi-point focus

Weaknesses: - Slightly bigger than the competition- Lag in charging the flash

Summary: This is probably the best camera in its class. The image stabalization is absolutely perfect, making this piece stand apart from the crowd. AA battery compatibility makes it very universal and handy for travellers. Its video output supports both NTSC and PAL making it usable across the globe.I would recommend using a 2100+ mAh rechargable AA cells for optimum performance. You can get good ones at Amazon.comI would certainly recommend it for any traveller.

Strengths: Manual controls. 4X optical zoom, Small, IS works well, Easy to use

Weaknesses: Slow flash recycle, small sensor, no tiff or raw images

Summary: The A570 IS takes great pictures - easily. My wife has been bewildered by my camera's in the past. The 570 allows her to use full auto mode, then I can use Aperature/Shutter Priority or full manual mode. Granted the full manual is slow to use, with all the menues/buttons. Optical IS keeps images from being fuzzy due to my shakey hands. Images are very clean and colors are realistic. Battery life appears somewhat better than average. Flash is pretty weak and recycles slowly so beware of nighttime shooting. I went from a Panasonic with 12X optical zoom to this with 4X - and I don't miss the zoom (execept for bragging rights). I found I was using the zoom only to prove its power, not for great pictures. Get over the ego - you don't really need anything more than 4X!

Strengths: Image quality; true optical stabilization; uses common AA batteries and SD cards; DIGIC III; optical viewfinder; manual controls

Weaknesses: Cheap plastic construction; slow flash recharge; poor low-light performance

Summary: The compact digital camera field has become crowded with low-cost, high quality choices from a variety of manufacturers. I went with Canon because I like the image quality or "look" of their sensors at the low and mid-high end. Check the samples of the many many reviews online to get a sense of how each manufacturer's sensors perform.This camera, Canon's highest-level offering this season in the budget-level A5xx series, has a bevy of features that make it a great bargain. Notably, it has excellent image stabilization (true optical, comparable to Nikon's and Panasonics, not fake like Fuji's) and good controls - few cameras at this price point offer the user the ability to manually adjust any combination of Aperture, Shutter, and focus controls (with manual ISO of course). It's reasonable, however, to ask whether someone who needs that level of control would bring along a point'n'shoot like this instead of something along the lines of a Canon G or S class.Weaknesses include the build quality - the camera body is entirely plastic, even the buttons. I was really surprised at how chintzy it feels, even all loaded up with batteries. Right now, the cost is on par with the SD1000, which is smaller, doesn't offer the control level or IS feature of the A570. But the DigitalElph cameras feel much more solid. So even if you are set on getting a Canon, there are many alternatives out there to consider at close price points (including the A6xx and A710, which use the the older DIGIC II and are slightly larger, but have superior build and controls).The bottom line is that with so many choices (and more every day), the consumer wins. This is a good camera for its current price - so are similarly priced Panasonics and other Canons (go Fuji if you want low-light or high-ISO performance, they're including SD support in newer models). Product cycles are so short now that it's also easy to get steep discounts on prior generation models that perform quite well (and may have superior build quality).

Strengths: Small and light enough for jacket packet, but large enough for an average size male hand, works with 2x AA batteries

Weaknesses: Casing looks and feels slightly cheaper than older model

Summary: Got this to replace my A85. I want a camera operates with two AA batteries rather than four in the case of A85. In addition, with a larger LCD screen. This camera has just about the prefect specifications that I want. Light weight and quite a bit smaller than my A85, but still large enough for me to hold it comfortably unlike the ultra tiny cameras on the market. Shoot to shoot delay is much improve compare with older Canon models and with IS, it gives me a lot of confidence to shoot nice pictures. Two small complaints. First the casing is a bit cheaper than older model and pictures are more noisy in very low light condition. Other than that, IMO, it is just about what you want from a point and shoot.

Strengths: Compact size,

Weaknesses: Pictures quality is grainy - may improve as we learn the camera

Summary: Short lag when using kids/pets mode; battery cover seems delicate likely to easily break through normal use; control feature is not self evident, difficult to use, frequently escape a mode just by turning off the camera

Strengths: 4X Zoom, Image Stabilization, Face Detection, AA Batteries, Canon Technology

Weaknesses: Shot to Shot recycle time for Flash Usage a little slow

Summary: Having done much research, I was delighted to find a point and shoot that was so versatile...4X zoom, image stabilization, AA batteries, view finder and Canon's latest technology. It is very easy to use but has many extras built in that allow the user control of aperture , shutter speed, automatic white balance, ISO and multiple scene settings that allow a novice to explore the world of photography. Having just purchased a 2 gig memory card and having two sets of AA-size NiMH rechargeable batteries, I have thoroughly enjoyed using this camera. I have to say of all the features, one that should not go unnoticed is the overall size and the hand grip...There is comfort is knowing it won't slip from your hand once your ready to take a shot! I highly recommend!!

Strengths: Canon product and a good value.

Weaknesses: None noticed yet.

Summary: I bought this camera for a trip to Cambodia. I waned a camera that would offer a good range of functions and was not going to break the bank if it were lost or stolen. Checked all the others and felt this was the best buy for the money spent. Thus far I am very happy with the camera and its easy of use.

Strengths: Just the right size, image Stabilization, runs on AA batteries, fast continuous shots

Weaknesses: Not the shorting learning curve

Summary: Oh I love this camera. It is just the right size (some of the camera nowadays are too small to hold well). The image stabilization feature works as well as I expected. I took great pictures even when I intentionally shake my hands. I use it with a 120x SD card, and its speed of shooting continuous pictures is amazing. The only complain I have so far is that some of the features are not too intuitive. It comes with a couple thick manuals, which means that it would take some time to get the best out of the camera.

Strengths: Compact, IS feature, takes terrific pictures

Weaknesses: none that I have come across yet.

Summary: Bought this for my daughter as her 18th birthday present. Its also her HS Senior year and she has this camera with her everyday taking pictures and making memories. She loves it! Extremely functional and ideal for her situation. We have found it to be a better camera then our expensive SLR camera! That one doesn't have the IS feature.

Strengths: Light. Small. Handy. good size LCD. great picture. 2 AA batteries. 1 hour video with 4GB SD memory card.

Weaknesses: display resolution could be better.

Summary: I love this handy little camera that takes the best photos. It's great that it only requires 2 AA batteries: I'd recommend you use rechargeable NiHM as they will last longer. You will enjoy the weight of this camera as it doesn't weigh much. It has a nice video feature. It is wonderful to take it traveling. If you can afford it make sure you use a high speed, high capacity SD memory card. Buy it, you won't be sorry.