Upside: One of our few knocks on the A85 was its bulky design; According to Canon, the PowerShot A520 is 13 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor. There's also a 4X optical zoom to replace the A85's 3X lens and a new zoom-linked flash for better low-light exposures. The shift from CompactFlash memory to SD should also please the general consumers this camera is made for since SD is the type of memory card they're most likely to use in their other electronic devices.
Downside: Canon's sticking with the same first-generation Digic processor that was used in the A85. That means you'll still be limited to 30 seconds of VGA (640x480) video and 12 frames per sequence in the burst mode, as opposed to the unlimited movie clips and higher-capacity burst modes featured in Canon's Digic II cameras.
Outlook: The A85 deserved its popularity, and all of the changes Canon has made in the A520 appear to be positive ones. Digic II would have been nice, and in its absence, consumers will likely have to choose between the A520's manual features and the Digic II-enabled SD300's speedier operation. The Canon PowerShot A520 will hit store shelves in March, for a list price of AU$499.
