Canon A590 IS is a great buy and must have camera under budget

I have acquired an A710IS in BGN condition for $25, and an EX condition A720IS for $45; both from KEH.  The idea was backups for my wife's A710IS which is perfect for her, unavailable new, unsupported by Canon any longer, and a terrific little camera.  The A710IS in BGN condition has a ding on the ring around the lens - strictly cosmetic, and not all that bad.  If my wife's camera dies, I'll just use the ring from her camera.  I also find myself considering using one of them for myself.

I think the A710IS/A720IS is an excellent example of what you really need to take great pictures, and a stark contrast to what we are being offered today.  7-8 MP is plenty.  You really don't need a 3", 920k dot LCD to compose your shot, review it, or read the menu.  You don't need a touch screen, you don't need smile detection, and so on.

However, the A series did have adjustments for sharpening, contrast, and saturation, exposure compensation, and flash exposure compensation.  The tools you really do need to compensate for conditions.  Assuming you know how to use them, of course.

And finally, a few notes on focal length.  None of the AA using A series go wider than 35 mm.  As it happens, I very seldom use a wider focal length for anything serious.  But I do use longer focal lengths, and experience tells me I like having 210 mm available.  My one gripe with the G15 is that it only goes to 140 mm.  OK, the G15 has 28 mm available.  Do I use it?  Sure i do - mainly for travel snaps where I can't back up enough.  Your peripheral vision extends very wide horizontally - about 160-170 degrees.  But the sharpest vision, and the best sense of color only covers 35-40 degrees.  For full apreciation of wider views, you either move your head or your eyes.  So a 35 mm lens sees pretty much the way you do.  A wider lens is harder to use well and is mostly used to "cram it all in".  I think a good point can be made for not going wider than 35mm.