The group at Imaging Resource has a review on the Canon Powershot A530 where they write, 'The Canon A530's performance is pretty good here, though in some cases it ranks among average. It starts up fairly quickly, but has an average shutter response with the lens at full wide angle, a little faster than average at telephoto. "Prefocusing" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure, results in a fast time of only 0.066 second. Shot to shot cycle times are a little above average, at about 1.62 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and it can capture 20 shots or more this quickly. Continuous-mode speed is about average, at a bit over two frames/second, and the buffer clears between shots. The flash takes about nine seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, a little slower than average. Connected to a computer, download speeds are quite fast, so you shouldn't feel a need for a separate card reader. Bottom line, the Canon A530 is zippy enough for most family and travel shooting situations, and can easily handle most average action shots with its Continuous shooting mode.'