Canon's A-series entry-level point-and-shoot cameras are high-quality, easy-to-use, and very affordable—in short, they're a terrific value. Case in point: We were impressed with the PowerShot A590 IS's advanced features and sweet sub-$200 price. The PowerShot A580, which sells for $30 less, is nearly identical to its higher-end big brother, but without image stabilization and manual exposure controls. The A580 includes an 8-megapixel sensor, a 2.5-inch LCD, and face detection. And while I found this camera's features and image quality to be good, I kept asking myself why anyone would purchase the A580 over the similarly priced, more feature-rich, A590 IS. There's nothing wrong with the A580, but the A590 IS is simply a better camera, while still being budget-friendly at $179.99.