Canon's first A5xx compact from 2005 — 3.2MP CCD, 4x 35-140mm f/2.6-5.5 zoom, manual modes, SD, AA power.
The PowerShot A510 was the camera that launched Canon's A5xx budget series in March 2005, arriving alongside the 4-megapixel A520 in a new smaller and lighter body as the replacement for the PowerShot A75. Early A5xx models kept the manual control and conversion-lens support that the cheaper end of the line later dropped.
It used a 3.2-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD with a 4x optical zoom covering 35-140mm equivalent at f/2.6-5.5, a longer and brighter-starting range than the 3x lenses of its predecessors, processed by Canon's original DIGIC chip. Video recorded at 640x480 and 10fps, the 1.8-inch LCD carried 115,000 pixels, storage moved to SD cards and power came from AA batteries.
The A510 makes a tidy starter classic: full manual modes on a pocketable AA-powered body, with the 4x zoom giving more reach than typical 2005 budget compacts. The small sensor limits low-light work and the LCD is tiny by modern standards, but the optical viewfinder helps in bright sun.
Used examples are easy to live with since SD cards and AA cells are still universal, though SDHC support is absent so keep cards at 2GB or under. Check the battery-door latch and contacts, confirm the zoom extends without grinding, and accept that accessory conversion lenses, if offered, are collector extras rather than necessities.