Overview
The Canon Powershot A310 is an entry level digital camera. It has 3 megapixels, but no optical zoom lens, although it does offer an optical zoom facility. It is easy to use and you can be up and running as soon as you have taken it out of the box and loaded the batteries and memory card.
If you are looking for a value for money digital camera that is great for taking holiday snaps and pictures of family and friends then the Canon Powershot A310 is certainly worth considering.
It is not the smallest of digital cameras and you will need a very large pocket if it is to slip into one. It weighs 175g so carrying in a small bag or something similar should pose a problem.
Image Quality
When you pay as little for a digital cameras as you do for the Canon Powershot A310 you might expect to find that the image quality suffers. I can assure you that this is not the case with this camera. In fact for the price I would describe the image quality as exceptional, better than you would find in a number of more expensive cameras.
Two things really stand out for me, the sharpness of the image and the depth of colour. Blue skies look exactly that and in all areas I have no cause for complaint.
Indoors, as with most digital cameras, the pictures are not perfect, but again in this price range the overall quality is more than acceptable in comparison to other digital cameras.
Features
Entry level digital cameras are not necessarily weighed down with features. For the social photographer the Canon Powershot A310 will probably have all you need perhaps with the exception of an optical zoom lens.
You can shoot short movies of up to three minutes. The movies are in colour and with sound. Sixty second voice memos can be added to still images to help you capture the memory in full detail.
When you would like to get into the picture yourself there is a self timer that can be set to either two or ten seconds, giving you time to strike your pose!
For close up shooting there is a macro function that allows you to get in as close as 5cms. That is very good for this type of camera.
For something a little different you can add effects to your photographs. The Canon Powershot A310 gives you the choice of black and white, sepia, vivid, neutral and low sharpening.
For shooting in poor light there is a built in flash that works up to a maximum of two meters.
There are a set of more advanced features too. These include being able to set white balance and exposure compensation settings. You can also choose between three different types of metering, evaluative, centre-weighted average and spot/centre.
If you need to take a series of shots one after the other the Canon Powershot A310 can shoot at a little over 2 frames per second for up to twelve images.
The camera is also PictBridge compatible. This means that if you have a printer that is also PictBridge compatible you can produce prints without the need of a computer.
That is a pretty comprehensive list, so what is missing? The main thing that I can think of is there are no scene modes. Scene modes are pre programmed shooting modes that help the camera produce the best possible shots in different lighting conditions. For example there could be a scene mode for landscapes or sports photos. This is something that would concern me if it wasn't for the fact that this camera appears to have little problem in producing very good images anyway.
Ease of Use
There are one or two little quirks as there are on most digital cameras, but that aside the Canon Powershot A310 is a very straightforward camera. Even if you are new to digital cameras or a bit of a technophobe you should still be able to get to grips with this one.
Cost
You can find the Canon Powershot A310 for around £125.
Style
The Canon Powershot A310 is designed just like a traditional 35mm point and shoot or compact camera. It is not one of the smallest digital cameras and will fit into a bag rather than slip into your pocket. The camera has quite a plasticy feel to it. The build quality appears to be one area where sacrifices have been made to keep the overall cost down.
Batteries / Memory Cards
Powers is supplied to the Canon A310 by two AA batteries. Battery life is about average for a digital camera. To keep the running costs low in the longer term we advise you to consider buying a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger. If you are planning to get a lot of use out of your camera then it will prove to be money well spent.
Compact Flash cards are used to store images on. My camera came with a 32mb card which will allow you to take around 35 pictures if you use the camera with its factory settings. Again I would advise you to buy a second much larger card unless you want to be running back and forth to a PC and uploading your images.
Conclusion
Picture quality is great. It is easy enough to use, but the big drawback with the Canon Powershot A310 is the lack of an optical zoom lens. There is a digital zoom facility, but picture quality will suffer a little when the digital zoom is used. This camera grew on me the more I used it. If you are not concerned about the zoom lens then go ahead and buy and you won't be disappointed.
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Panasonic DMC FS18 Rating 84/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FS18 is a great little camera. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, pocket sized camera that can take a good quality snapshot then this is one of the best cameras around. In terms of value for money this camera is hard to beat. Recommended.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC FS18 Review
Canon Powershot A1200 Rating 84/100
The Canon Powershot A1200 is a straightforward, inexpensive digital camera. It takes a very good snapshot and offers fantastic value for money. It is one of the few digital cameras to offer a viewfinder. It has 12 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens.
Read Review: Canon Powershot A1200 Review
Panasonic DMC S3 Rating 84/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC S3 is an excellent value for money pocket camera. It is very hard to beat when compared alongside its direct rivals. Picture quality and features have an edge over many of its competitors while the rapid response times are also a big plus point. If you are looking for a cheaper compact digital camera then you can’t go far wrong with the Lumix DMC S3.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC S3 Review
Related Pages
Canon Powershot A310 Review Canon Powershot A310 Specification Canon Powershot A310 Sample Images
