Overview
The Canon Powershot A1100 IS is a 12 megapixel digital camera with a 4x optical zoom lens. It has one or two extra features such as a viewfinder and image stabilisation.
Why Buy The Canon Powershot A1100 IS
Picture quality! There is very little that is flashy about this camera, but it takes very good pictures.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
4x
2.5 inches
95.4 x 62.4 x 31mm
155g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
3cm
No
No
AA
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
As with so many other Canon digital cameras I can see a sharper than standard photograph. The colours and brightness combine well with each other too. There is a slight haze around the boats, a touch of purple fringing and the odd blue line taking on a purple tinge where it is caught directly by the sun. The good news is that the first two points are only noticeable if you create more or less super sized prints.
The Powershot A1100 IS does very well here. The photo is a fair bit sharper than most cameras manage. Even the more distant areas of the photo show some level of detail.
The level of definition in this shot is outstanding. It goes to show the picture quality you can get if you are prepared to either spend a bit more for a camera or if you forego slim design and more expensive metal bodies.
Based on my shots so far the Powershot A1100 IS is comfortably above average when it comes to sharpness and general picture quality. As in the first photo there is a small amount of haze around some of the reflective areas of the shot such as the windows. Again you will need to make extreme sized prints before this becomes a problem.
Portraits
Portrait snapshots should not pose much of a problem for this camera. My outdoor portrait is bright, has a good balance of colours and is pleasingly crisp.
I feel Canon digital cameras handle flash better than any other brand. If you check the features for this camera you will find it offers one or two extra features for working with flash such as flash exposure compensation. Even when you do not call up any of the additional flash features the Powershot A100 IS still does a very good job. What I like most is the way it is able to judge the amount of light required. This helps to minimalise any shiny areas on the face where the flash light bounces back to the lens.
Even without flash the camera does well. You will still need to use flash in most indoor situations, but you should also be able to produce natural looking, window light portraits when the light permits.
Macro, Colours and Noise
I always think that a good macro shot confirms the overall quality of the lens. My test shot is again above average.
The colours work well for me. As mentioned above the camera manages to add plenty of light to the shots. This helps to make vivid pictures.
Noise is always a problem with smaller compacts if you take photographs without flash in lower light. The Powershot A1100 IS performs in line with other cameras at lower ISO settings, but noise is very noticeable once you push the setting up above ISO 400.
Summary
The Powershot A1100 IS is an adaptable digital camera. It can handle most photographic opportunities. I was impressed by the overall look of the photos I took, especially the levels of sharpness.
Style
The Powershot A1100 IS is functional rather than beautiful It is made out of plastic and looks like a cut down version of a more traditional camera. It is available in silver, blue and pink.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.36 seconds
9.94 seconds
1.2 seconds
23.25 seconds
2.35 seconds
Ease of Use
If you choose to use this camera in fully automatic mode then all you need to do is point the camera and click the shutter button. It does have one or two additional features such as colour filters and different focusing areas. If you choose to make use of those then it will take you a while longer to get to grips with the camera.
Points I Like
Picture quality - viewfinder - start up time
Where it Could Improve
Shutter delay with flash
Verdict
Picture quality with the Canon Powershot A1100 IS is surprisingly good. It may not win too many beauty contests, but this is one of those digital cameras that does exactly what it sets out to do. That is take excellent pictures given more or less any photo opportunity.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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 A1100 IS Review Canon Powershot A1100 IS Specification Canon Powershot A1100 IS Sample Images Canon Powershot A1100 IS Features
Review Date
May 2009
