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Canon PowerShot A3100 IS Silver Reviews
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Great design with inferior performance and/or defective detector array |
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Reviewed on 2nd September 2010:
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This camera promised superior resolution, more flexible photography, and easier handling. It met two of the three but failed in the most important aspect - resolution and image quality.
With 9.1 MPs the A3100IS should produce superior images (monitor) and photos compared with my two older cameras with fewer pixels and no image stabilization. Instead, the A31OOIS produces a dull and comparatively fuzzy image on the monitor that improves only slightly as one prepares to take a photo. In both ways, the image has two to three times less resolution than the older cameras with their fewer pixels. Further, the colors are subdued - somewhere between true color and a yellowish "black-white" image. That represents a big step backward from earlier models and is certainly not an upgrade in any sense.
Image stabilization can be nice - but it's next to useless when the image and photo are inferior to begin with.
The camera offers an outstanding array of features and a superbly "human engineered" set of controls that quickly bring order to what might otherwise be an overwhelmingly large set of features and capabilities. Alas, again, the poor imaging performance renders these features next to useless and reduces the fun of exploring their full range. Finally, in regard to easier handling, the amazingly nice and compact size of the camera makes it easy to be ready to shoot.
When my A3100IS arrived with this flaw, I returned it to Amazon for an exchange. Alas, the second A3100IS was hardly better than the first. That suggests a design flaw in optics or, more likely, the detector array. In fact, it is not unusual for manufacturers to deliver arrays with widely variable quality. Sometimes the quality is poor in a few units only, sometimes an entire production run may be flawed. That may be what happened to Canon with this model.
For the record, I returned the second A3100IS to Amazon for credit - not for exchange. I still want this camera but will wait some months or a year until they can ship units that reliably produce the kind of experience I expect from this model - which should have rated five stars.
Although design, flexibility, and ease of handling do deserve five stars, the resolution and color performance, sadly, are unacceptable and rate the minimum - one star - which is also my overall rating for this product - for now, at least. |
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Small Camera with Great Features and Easy to Use |
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Reviewed on 15th August 2010:
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I purchased this camera for my wife's birthday in early August (2010). She wanted a new point and shoot camera with a better picture and smaller size and weight than her current four year old camera. After much research on my part, I selected the Canon Powershot A3100 IS. All I can say is that she is thrilled. She loves the size and weight, as well as the ease of use, but also the many available features, especially the Image Stabilization, 4X Optical Zoom, 12.1 MP, and the 2.7" LCD.
She just loves it. Her first 200 pictures have been great as well. Very few dudes, even the ones taken in low light. She is extremely pleased, so I can recommend this camera without any reservations. And when she is happy, oh yeah, I am happy. |
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Thanks for the valuable feedback you have provided to our readers and reviewers.
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Buy now at Amazon.co.uk
: £89.99
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|
Buy now at KK Electronics
: £99.99
|
|
Buy now at Viking Direct
: £140.98
|
|
Buy now at Amazon.co.uk
: £89.99
|
|
Buy now at KK Electronics
: £99.99
|
|
Buy now at Viking Direct
: £140.98
|
|
Buy now at Amazon.co.uk
: £89.99
|
|
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Extremely easy to use. Packed with a range of clever and user-friendly features. |
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Reviewed on 12th June 2010:
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This is a compact, easy-to-use, bring the fun back to photography camera that provides Canon's photo quality in a lower cost, compact build. A little bit bigger than the digital elphs, this camera still fits comfortably in a shirt or pant pocket.
The feature set is very basic, and nothing new. It has a "Face select" feature which lets you select which person you want to focus on in a group. On the dial it has four settings: Auto, Easy, Program and movie modes. The auto mode is just as with every other camera, the camera will select the settings it determines best, but you maintain control (if you care to select it) over the white balance and flash. Easy is the same as auto, except no options. Program gives you the option to select among several "scenes": Portrait, Landscape, Night, Kids&Pets, and Indoor (buried in the menu you can also select lesser used scene settings like Beach, Long Shutter, and Fireworks).
The only negative I've encountered with the camera is the relatively slow processor. That is the power up time (the time between turning the camera on and taking the first picture) is average (about 2 seconds), however, the time between pictures is around 2 seconds without the flash to 4 seconds with the flash. If you envision having (or wanting) to take faster pictures, then this is not the camera for you. Similarly, if you want to have any control over settings (i.e. shutter speed if you want to take pictures of your running toddler) this is not the camera for you.
Bottom line:
Canon replaces control and feature selection for extreme ease-of-use. This camera is a solid option for the money, and in case you are considering the A3000 IS, this (the A3100) is well worth the extra $30 (better resolution and faster picture-to-picture time).
The picture quality is great, no blur and vivid colors. |
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Astounding little camera for the price |
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Reviewed on 28th May 2010:
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My Canon S410 Powershot gave up the ghost, even after a trip back to Canon for repairs ($100, ouch). I was tired of not having a camera and this one crossed my path at the right time and I bought it after debating for months which camera to go with.
This is MUCH lighter than my Canon S410, and far sleeker -- all the knobs and buttons and whatnot are smooth and out of the way. It won't snag on things like the boxy S410 tended to do. This camera is as light as a plastic disposable camera. I remember my first digital camera back in 1999 which weighed a pound and then some.
The LCD screen is ENORMOUS compared to my old camera(s). It takes up almost the entire back of the camera body. Amazing. The controls are scrunched together compared to the S410 controls. Having had the S410 I was familiar with the Canon layout and the way the camera works, which was nice.
An earlier review mentioned that the startup time and the time between shots was long -- I didn't find that to be the case. It powers up almost instantly, and even taking photos at the largest image size the time between shots is only a second or two. My first digital camera would tend to "submarine" for six or seven seconds between shots!
Overall I'm VERY, VERY happy to have a camera that works again, and the cost wasn't all that much, like half of what I paid five years ago for the S410. Half the cost, half the weight... I still daydream about getting a "real" camera, a digital SLR (DSLR) with a nice heavy L-series prime lens... but it wouldn't fit in my pocket, would it?
Don't hesitate -- this is a beautiful little device, thoughtfully designed and nicely manufactured. If you're traveling or if you're a parent (or both) you know you simply cannot take too many photos. I bought a 4GB card for this, one of those little big-as-your-thumbnail chips, and even at the highest resolution the photos are about 2MB apiece, so you can shoot a lot of photos and never run out of space. Included with the camera was a cable to attach to a television, which I thought was a neat idea. I'll have to play with that sometime.
My only caveat would be based on my experience having sent my S410 in for repair to Canon -- for $100 the repair didn't last long at all, I wonder if they just sent me a refurbished unit they had. Anyway, don't DROP your camera and you won't have to send it in to be repaired. |
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Buy now at Viking Direct
: £140.98
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Buy now at Amazon.co.uk
: £89.99
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My old Blackberry takes better pictures |
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Reviewed on 1st May 2010:
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I purchased my first point-and-shoot digital camera, a Pentax Optio, 10+ years ago. So when I went shopping for a new one, I expected lighter weight, better pictures, better menu navigation, etc. I was astounded to find that this Canon was not much of an upgrade from that old Pentax at all! At first I thought maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but after spending just $15 more to replace it with a fabulous little Panasonic Lumix FH20, I now know that Canon has come up way short in this price range.
The Canon is slow to start up, slow to process a picture and be ready for a second shot, horrid at taking indoor photos, and surprisingly bulky for what it offers. Compared to the built-in camera on my Blackberry, the Blackberry wins in the quality match up! Pretty unbelievable.
The navigation menus and playback took some figuring out, which I wouldn't be mentioning here but now that I have breezed through the Lumix menus without the manual I can see this is another major flaw of the Canon Powershot. It also does not come with a memory card so figure that into the price.
One final note... I like a good, sharp, well balanced photo. I have a digital SLR that I love, so this Canon Powershot (now Panasonic Lumix) was intended for every-day toting around. The Panasonic is an excellent stand-in for my full-on SLR; the Canon isn't worth the weight or bulk in the pocket. |
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Buy now at KK Electronics
: £99.99
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Buy now at Viking Direct
: £140.98
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