Canon 12.1 Megapixels PowerShot A3100 IS Review by CNET With Rating 5.9/10
2010-03-03 01:51 | Tag: CNET PowerShot Rating Canon Megapixels | SourceAverage Camera Review Rating [5 reviews]
Canon Powershot A3100 IS Camera Reviews Roundup
Canon Powershot A3100 IS Camera Recent User Reviews
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On January 5 2010, Canon announced four new PowerShot A series cameras: the A3100 IS and A495, and the A3000 IS and A490. They're the first cameras announced that support the high capacity SDXC memory cards, supporting up to 2 terabytes of pictures (theoretically, until such a high memory card is available in the market).
The PowerShot A3100 IS cameras come with a 67mm (2.7-inch) LCD screen, 4x zoom and optical image stabilization. It replace the PowerShot A1100 IS. It is also the first of the budget A range to run off rechargeable lithium-ion batteries instead of shop-bought AA batteries.
The A3100 IS comes with 12.1 megapixels and is available in blue, red and silver and is
selling for an estimated retail price of $179.99. Here is the latest review of the camera by CNET UK, giving the camera a rating of 5.9 out of 10:
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For this model, Canon's introduced a new 'low light' mode (which only produces 2-megapixel files, alas), a 'super vivid' mode and a 'poster effect' mode. Interestingly, the A3100 is compatible with the latest SDXC cards, although, with only a VGA-quality movie mode, it's not likely to need huge-capacity cards anyway.
Otherwise, this camera is very much like the A1100 before it, with the same 12.1-megapixel sensor and 4x optical zoom.
And that's the problem. The enhancements are largely cosmetic, and the technology itself is pretty old hat. It's hard to get excited about the swap to a lithium cell, since AAs are actually rather practical, especially if they have a good life (the old A1100 could take around 140 shots on a single set, which is alright).
Also, the results are actually rather disappointing, mainly because of the lens. A 4x zoom range in a camera at this price is okay, but you'd hope for a wide-angle zoom at the very least, and you don't get one. Worse is that the A3100's lens suffers from some pretty soft definition at the long end of the range, and some horrible barrel distortion at the other end. The pictures themselves are fine when you're shooting on a sunny day, but they look quite flat and under-saturated when you're indoors or under overcast skies.
This wouldn't be so bad if the A3100 were a genuine budget model, coming in at under £100, but it's not. At £160, it's in mid-range-compact territory, and it's just not good enough for that.
The Canon PowerShot A3100 IS makes a good first impression. It looks smart and has clear, straightforward controls. But the 4x zoom is both slightly limited and not very good, and neither the technology nor the results justify the price. Canon needs to make the A3100 cheaper or better, or both.
"Canon Powershot A3100 IS Sample Photos on Flickr
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Canon Powershot A3100 IS Camera Reviews Roundup
| ImagingResource: "Overall color is bright and pleasing, with only minimal oversaturation in bright reds, some greens and blues. In terms of hue accuracy, the PowerShot A3100 IS does show a few shifts, such as yellow toward green, red toward orange, and, more strongly, cyan toward blue. Darker skin tones show a warm cast, while lighter skin tones are just a hint reddish. Good performance overall though. Detail is good up to ISO 2..." - Jun 10 2010 More » | |
| TrustedReviews: "The A3100's overall performance is pretty good. The camera can start up and take a picture in well under three seconds, which is quite quick, and the consistent shot-to-shot time of approximately 2.2 seconds is also respectable. In continuous shooting mode it can maintain approximately one frame a second apparently indefinitely, which is pretty good for a what is after all a relatively cheap camera. The autofoc..." - May 07 2010 More » | |
| DigitalCameraReview: "Earlier A series models endeared themselves to photo enthusiasts who likened them to a stripped- down version of Canon's top of the line G series digicams. Canon's new style A series models are targeted to casual photographers rather than budget-conscious photography enthusiasts who bought old-style A series digicams. The A3100 IS, which replaces the popular A1100 IS, retains its predecessor's best features, but sti..." - Mar 27 2010 More » | |
| PhotographyBLOG: "The Canon Powershot A3100 IS is a sensible choice as a first digital camera. There's nothing here to get too excited about, but the combination of ease-of-use, advanced features for beginners and solid image quality is a compelling one. The usual range of scene modes are accompanied by the ultimate point-and-shoot Smart Auto and Easy modes, which really take the guesswork out of using the A3100 and make it suit..." - Mar 23 2010 More » | |
| TechRadar: "Luckily, trusting the A3100 is something we were happy to do during our time with it. Images taken at ISO 100 were the match of any compact , with excellent colour and detail reproduction. Moving the ISO up through the range inevitably reduces image , and the A3100 treads a careful path between giving image noise free rein and detail-destroying noise reduction. At its top setting of ISO 1600 our image..." - Mar 10 2010 More » | |
| CameraLabs: "The Canon PowerShot A3000 IS / A3100 IS is Canon's first A Series compact to use a Lithium-Ion battery instead of a pair of AA batteries. This replacement for the popular A1100 IS also sports a new body shape, bringing it more in line with the sophisticated styling of the IXUS range and a bigger 2.7in LCD panel, albeit at the loss of its predecessor's optical viewfinder. Canon has stuck with the 4x 35mm-140mm (..." - Mar 01 2010 More » |
Canon Powershot A3100 IS Camera Recent User Reviews
Digital Camera, Terryl L. Pugh - Jul 29 2010
This camera is great! Easy to use and takes great pictures. Having a cable to upload directly to my computer is a bonus! And no more recharging AA batteries....
So, So At Best, George S. Hoke Jr. "Fat George" - Jul 26 2010
I hate the fact there there is no optical viewfinder. It is nearly impossible in bright light to compose a decent shot using the digital display. This was really apparent yesterday at a Blue Angels air show. This thing takes decent photographs once you get used to it but not that much better than the 3MP Nikon that it replaced....
Good for the price, Annandale Martin - Jul 23 2010
This camera appears to be good value for the price. It's not a great camera, but it's small, is easy to operate and takes good pictures....
Great camera!, xxblahmuahxx - Jul 16 2010
After getting my Canon elp sd1000 (great camera btw) i was in desperate need of a camera because I was in europe so of course i needed a new camera! i was on the fence of between a sony or a canon. From the track record I had with my old canon, i picked the canon A3100 IS. It's an amazing camera! I just basically left it on Auto and it helps me macro close up pictures or what not. a...
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