Digital Camera Canon Powershot Review

I purchased this camera just before a 19-day trip to the East Coast and gave it quite a workout...nearly 2800 pictures taken during the trip, and only about 5 of them were unclear due to my unsteady hand. The rest were great, even zoomed out to a ridiculously large size on my computer, with crisp lines and faces, and vivid colors, far exceeding any 35 mm or digital camera I have used in the past.

The camera itself and the software included with it are incredibly intuitive. Though there are many manual settings possible, I set the camera in Auto mode and just clicked away. Many places I took pictures required me to turn off the flash, but even those were very clear and bright, and I had to do nothing but aim and shoot.

The delay time between pictures was negligible, and the rechargeable AA batteries I used were good for around 200 pictures a charge, even using flash and with frequent zooming in and out. I used a 16 GB SDHC chip and had the capacity to take 5,000 pictures! I'm still working on filling the first chip!!

The provided software is also very simple to use...as easy as plugging in the provided USB cable, and turning the camera on. All pictures are quickly and automatically saved in folders by date regardless of how many times in a day you download them, and renaming or tagging pictures is a breeze. I have not even begun making full use of the picture touch-up features, but the software includes a fun and easy slideshow application that makes sharing pictures via desktop or projector a snap.

Overall, I could not be happier that I purchased this camera! I look forward to mastering all its features, but as a user-friendly, versatile, and inexpensive point-and-click camera, it blew away all my expectations. It does all that Canon says it does and makes taking pictures fun and easy, right out of the box!

I'm an experienced photographer already equipped with DSLRs (EOS 30D, EOS 5D MKII), but these are not always pratical when you are travelling or biking (I do both on a regular basis). I try to take my DSLRs as often as possible with me but but there are occasions when I don't want to be bothered by the bulky cameras. At the same time, having already invested significantly in DSLR equipment, I wanted to limit my investment. A G10 or G11 would have been nice but for what I wanted to do, it would have been an overshoot. I'm mainly using my A1100is for candid pictures or pictures of places I know I will be coming back with my DSLRs later. Overall, I'm happy about quality of the pictures. I rarely use the full resolution, I typically shoot with medium resolution as I will rarely print large pictures (I have my DSLRs for that).

What I like:
- price
- size
- optical viewfinder (not many point and shoot cameras at this price range still has an optical viewfinder)
- slow shutter speed flash mode
- IS

What I'm missing:
- no aperture priority mode where I can choose a precise f-stop
- wish would have a wider angle

I would definitely recommend this for people on low budget but still wants good quality pictures. It has a lot of features for a camera which sells around $150.

I recently decided to upgrade from my Powershot A540 to the A1100IS. What I got was a nice, easy to use camera with many improvements from the earlier model. I find the picture quality to be very good. While other reviews indicate that it performs poorly in low-light conditions, thus far I haven't had that problem. All of the pictures that I have taken to date have been clear and crisp. There are times when the video viewfinder may appear grainy in low light when attempting to take a picture, however the pictures actually taken are not grainy at all. It is very user friendly, and the motion detection, face recognition, and image stabilization add vast improvements over earlier models. It is small and slim even though it takes AA batteries. If you're looking for a nice, small, easy to use and very sturdy camera, I would highly reccommend this one.

Bought one of these about a month ago and have taken it on two trips and shot maybe 350 pictures with it so far. I'm quite pleased, the pictures are great. The ASA 1600 setting in Program mode allows quite decent shots indoors with no flash, which in museums and many other locations is essential. I bought it mainly because of good experiences with older Powershot models, and because I insist on being able to get batteries anywhere although I use rechargeable NIMH AAs normally. The NIMHs last a really long time. The image stabilization really helped with shots of static subjects with the camera zoomed way in. The viewfinder is extremely helpful outdoors in the sun. Finally, the camera is small enough to easily fit into a pocket.

I had a Canon Powershot that I had had for the past 6 years, and much to my dismay, it finally died. It was a great little camera and I was worried about how the newer ones would perform in comparison. After extensive research on CNET and other sites, I finally decided on the A1100IS, and I have not been disappointed at all! It takes great photos, especially on manual mode and it is easy to use and nice and compact. I like that it takes only 2 AA batteries, because it makes it so much lighter and more portable than my old one. In short - a great camera, for the price.

I have had Kodak digital cameras the last few I have had, but after the last one got damp in a bag of at the beach, I needed a new one. I wanted the same kind of memory as I had in the Kodaks and a low price. I also wanted a camera that took regular or rechargeable batteries. Some of the other batteries are just too expensive. I also really wanted an optical view finder in addition to the display screen. Not many cameras provide this any more unless you go high end. I would have gone with Kodak again if they had one with an optical view finder, then I wouldn't have had to learn new upload software. The main selling point for me was that the Canon had an optical view finder. I have been happy with this camera, it only cost $130 on amazon.com. It is not that different than the kodaks I have had and easy to use. It has alot of features I probably won't use, I am basically a point and shoot photographer. But, I do find myself using the video which I rarely did with my old camera.

the Canon A1100IS is one of those cameras that invite one of those philosophical, paradigm-shift discussions about the changing nature of photography. but that seems a distraction and for the sake of a review we should talk about the camera itself. just to tell you where i come from - i compare the results i obtain with the A1100 with the 2 other cameras i have come to use the most: a Canon G9 i know isnide out, and a canon s90.

i wanted a very capable, cheap and reasonably compact point and shoot. i have enough cameras that are large, and far more complicated, and cater to my needs as a more ambitioned creative hobby photographer (which means i mainly screw around with aperture settings, demand quick optics and electronics, and use something like Photoshop Elements 8.0 -adjust version a month from now :D- for occcasional post-processing, really, if we are honest). nevertheless, let's get to the point, and make the review stand out a tad by being somewhat controversial with a guess-timate: i would venture that 90% of people buy far more camera capabilities than they'll ever need or train themselves to exploit; and as far as camera enthusiasts go, they'll just need the ambitious setting capabilities for 10% of the pictures they take. the digital revolution makes us appreciate convenience, and makes us take *most* pictures either in full or semi-auto mode. really, there is nothing to be ashamed about, we all do it. but enough about philosophy and paradigm shifts, and on to the A1100.

what i have to say is, wow, this camera takes awesome panoramic or group/people/porttrait pictures in full auto mode outside or good indoors lighting, which means traditionally low ISO settings and a distance ~8ft or so. i mean, amazingly sharp. i'll go further - go challenge your friend with an EOS 5D in such "unchallenging", good-lighting and typical subect settings. the A1100 produces great pictures by *any* price standard in very standard environments. which is what the vast majority of people will need. and, honestly - if you don't somewhat thoroughly experiment with your camera regularly, and if you haven't ready the manual cover to cover at least twice, the fact is you do fall into this category of users.

then there are the more challening environments: typically indoors, and the amount of objects, less light and artificial lighting sources and intensity and wavelengths thereof that challenge cameras. sure, like every other full auto, the Canon A1100 applies the considerable and able capabilities of the high end, latest gen Digic chip to get the job done. and it performs admirably, albeit with the typical temperamental and inconsistent nature of smart digital cameras (but it takes more good pictures in the process than anything i have experienced before, mind you). the thing is, in such settings, do yourself a favor and go for "semi auto mode". by that i mean the "P" setting along with what the A1100 calls "center based AF frame", which gives you quick control: a half-click gets the camera to evaluate your main subject in the middle, and then you can go compose and eventually go through with the shot. focus lock is your friend, and make sure to tell the camera to keep the ISO as low as you can (i limit it to 200). do that, and then... darn, does the A1100 take great shots inside too or what? pretty awesome. do *not* challenge your friend with the EOS in more contrast rich, low lighting settings, though. :-) don't get me wrong, the full auto mode seems to work pretty well inside too: this is the perfect camera to turn into full auto, hand over to someone else, and tell them to just click away. it will be hard for them to totally screw up pictures, no matter how hard they try (amazing how many people still simply pull all the way through, which may explain some of the picture quality complaints in here). i've had a 90 year old take a picture of me with this camera, and it made her day to feel like a pro photographer after she saw the results. but if you own the camera, you owe it to yourself to experiment with the semi and creative modes. and then you will really need a compelling reason to buy more camera. amazing.

the summary is: the A1100 is a very capable camera by any price standard, and a *superb* and *stellar* camera considering its value. i mean, i can take amazing pictures i can blow up to poster size, and yet given its price tag i don't have to be overly afraid to lose or subject it to some hardship given it's not asking me to burn a lot of $ to acquire it! the optics are fast enough, the electronics seem extremely capable, the camera is a perfect auto point and shooter and yet allows ambitioned users to beat those results by using semi auto modes smartly (if they bother to learn).

so, as so often, you have to know what and why you are buying it. and be honest with what you really and truly need. there is no way those who really use it well will have complaints about picture quality - it is amazing considering what you pay. if i am to mention complaints, i'd say battery life. in indoor use you'll be lucky to get ~100 shots with NiMH rechargables, but i have gone an dbought the SONY batteries recommended elsewhere. the battery door takes getting used to. other than that - very nice, simple, and reasonably compact camera considering you can just pop in AAs.

cameras like the A1100 convince me that, a few years from now, photography will not necessarily be about knowing technicalities like apertures or f-stops or the like - it will be about creativity and an eye for the right scene. hate it or love it, the digital revolution will create and egalitarian creative environment and eliminate technicalities.

and we are more than halfway there with a camera like the a1100.

i follow a dual camera strategy these days, and the A1100 is the perfect companion to anything else i own for more ambitioned stuff.

I like the picture quality, which is excellent for this point and shoot class camera. The first test of this camera was taking pictures of flowers (delia) at the Golden Gate Park in San Fancisco, including a sunny day and a cloudy day. For both days, almost all pictures are in focus. Flowers, leaves, and, yes, even honey bees all look so lively, sharp, and excellent color reproduction. I would highly recomment this camera to anyone who is looking for one in the point and shoot class.

I got this for the wife. I have an Elph that I love because it fits in a shirt or pants pocket. She likes the A1100IS because it has a big LCD screen and it takes AA batteries. She uses rechargables, but I also like the AAs because if my camera battery dies and hers also die, we can get AAs anywhere in a pinch and have at least one camera going.

My mother also has this camera and she likes the feel of the camera. The same battery compartment that makes this model bigger than the Elph is a plus in her mind because it gives her something solid to wrap her fingers around.

Anyway, other reviews are more in depth, but I have to say one thing about the reviews that say the pictures are out of focus. This is going to sound stupid, but I had the same reaction when we took a few pictures on Christmas morning. I reviewed them on the LCD screen and they were horrible. I thought I got a lemon and was very disappointed. Then I realized there was a nearly invisible plastic protective sheet over the LCD. When I peeled that off, everything was perfect.

That may not be what happened to the others who complained about fuzzy photos, but I just wanted to make this clear (no pun intended) because I almost made a big mistake. So FYI: Unlike similar protective sheets I've seen on a hundred different products (I even leave them on my cell phones and such until they peel themselves off), on this camera that sheet is not clear, it makes everything look out of focus and it was hard to detect.

I had high hopes for this compact digital camera after reading the positive reviews.....I should have paid more attention to the bad reviews. On it's first real test, which was outside on hot day, it practically inhaled batteries. (it takes 2 AA's and this day I used 6 batteries over a 4 hour period) The zoom control stopped working, but worked later when the camera cooled off....the camera repeatedly shut itself off.....

Now for the picture quality....not bad until you enlarge the image. When the images are upsized to 100%, they take on a grainy, diffused, soft focus effect that is paricularly noticeable on the subject's edges......no thanks.

In general the camera has a weak, low quality feel and performance to match. I own several digital cameras and thought it would be nice to have a high megapixel (12.1) super compact.....this camera is more like a toy......I sent it back, and will put the $$ toward something that will deliver what it promises.