The Canon Powershot A560 looks a bit like a cut down version of a digital SLR camera. It has a decent sized grip area on the front. This helps you to hold the camera steady when you are taking a shot. Being able to hold the camera still helps to reduce the possibility of camera shake and in turn makes the final photo that bit sharper.
The Powershot A560 is a seven megapixel camera with a four times zoom lens. This length of lens is just a shade longer than the standard three times. It may not sound a lot longer, but in my opinion every little helps and it can get you that bit closer to your subject. Zoom can be increased by using a feature called safety zoom. This becomes available when you are taking photos at lower resolutions than the full seven megapixels.
In terms of features the Powershot A560 is a fairly typical point and shoot digital camera. It has everything you would expect from this type of camera. In fact it has one or two features that are not always available on more basic modes. Looking at the price of this camera it is more expensive than the very cheapest cameras, but if you can afford to pay that little bit extra you will be amply rewarded in a noticeable increase in all round quality. Based on the tests I have carried out on the camera this is especially true when it comes to picture quality with the A560 offering a clear step up on many cheaper models.
Two AA batteries are needed to run the camera. The advantage of this type of battery is that they are readily available more or less anywhere. The downside is that if you are a constant user of your camera you can find yourself having to pay out for new batteries. Canon suggests you should be able to get around 140 shots from a set of typical AA batteries. The camera is compatible with standard rechargeable AA batteries as well, so picking up some of these will minimise costs.
Size wise you will struggle to fit the camera into a pocket. It is 43mm wide. Therefore I would recommend looking for a small case to carry the camera around in. Whenever I am looking for a case I take a trip to my local camera shop to see exactly what is on offer. A good sized shop should offer a range of camera bags for you to choose from. The camera weighs 165g.
The majority of digital cameras now have memory built into them. Rather than taking this approach Canon supply a 16mb card with the camera. You will be hard pressed to store many photos on the supplied card and will need to consider buying a higher capacity card. It is compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
One feature that is starting to become more common is face detection software. This camera is built into the Powershot A560 and helps it to focus for either individual or group portrait shots.
