| Picture resolution (mega-pixel) |
8.0 |
The more pixels will mean a better quality of print. Digital cameras come in a range of resolutions from 0.3 Megapixel up to around 16.7 Megapixel. |
| Image resolution |
3264 x 2448 |
Refers to the number of pixels used to either capture or display an image. The higher the resolution the finer the image detail that can be seen. |
| LCD monitor (inches) |
2.5 |
Most digital cameras have an built-in screen, which allows you to preview the image you have just taken, so you can delete the images you don't like. It also provides easy access to camera settings and features via the on-screen menu controls. |
| Optical zoom |
4x |
Unlike a digital zoom, the lens physically moves to give magnification to the image with no loss of clarity. |
| Digital zoom |
4x |
Camera feature involving enlarging the central part of the image to give a similar effect to a telephoto lens, basically working like a crop, it usually results in a drop in image quality. |
| Focal length (mm) |
5.8 – 23.2 |
Describes the magnifying power of the camera''s lens. The longer the focal length the greater the magnification. Conversely, the smaller the focal length, the more wide angle the lens. |
| 35mm equivalent (mm) |
35-140 |
Most people are familiar with focal lengths of 35mm camera lenses. Digital camera manufacturers describe focal lengths in terms of the lens length on a 35mm camera that will produce a similar area of view. |
| Auto focus |
Yes |
Most digital cameras feature an autofocus mode, by which electronics inside the camera examine the image, looking for edges and lines. They then adjust and focus the lens to make the lines as sharp as possible, all in a fraction of a second. Some systems also include a small lamp next to the flash which casts a grid pattern on to the subject for an instant to help the camera focus in low light. |
| Manual focus |
Yes |
Essential for situations when the auto focus can’t cope such as shooting through a window, when the image lacks detail or when you want to concentrate on something closer to the lens than the main subject. |
| Exposure Modes |
Auto, Manual, Easy, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Indoor, Kids & Pets, Movie, Special Scene (Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Night Scene, Aquarium) |
A digital camera can have a variety of exposure and scene modes. Exposure modes range from fully automatic to semi-automatic to full manual mode. Scene modes have factory optimised settings for different subjects and scenes. |
| Metering |
Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (centre) |
This is how the camera measures the amount of light being reflected by whatever you are trying to photograph, to determine the correct exposure for that particular scene. Different types of metering used by digital cameras include: Spot, Multi-pattern and centre weighted metering. |
| Shutter speeds (seconds) |
1/60 - 1/2000 |
Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter allows light onto the CCD. The slower the shutter speed, the more motion is recorded by the camera. |
| Maximum aperture |
f2.6 |
Ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the light rays passing through. Smaller numbers represents more light allowed to pass through. |
| Flash modes |
Auto, Manual Flash On / Off |
On fully automatic cameras, the flash fires automatically whenever the light is too dim to take a photo by natural light. On more sophisticated cameras, there are various flash modes you can choose from for more creative effects. |
| Movie mode |
Yes |
Movie mode is the ability to capture video clips on a stills camera. The Resolutions and frames per second of these movies varies from camera to camera, high-quality being 640x480 Pixels at 30fps. |
| Memory card type |
SD/SDHC |
The types of memory available are: SD card, Sony Memory Stick, CompactFlash card and SmartMedia card. |
| Supplied media card (MB) |
32 |
The memory capacity (in megabytes) of the supplied media card. |
| WI-FI |
No |
A technology that enables devices (computers, printers, keyboards, etc) to communicate without wires. |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) in mm |
65x94x41 |
Height x Width x Depth in millimetres
|
| Weight (G) |
175 |
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| Colour |
Silver |
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| Additional Information |
The PowerShot A580 has a host of features that make it simple to take great photos. Easy Mode gives you hassle-free shooting, while Face Detection Technology captures sharp faces time after time |
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