The Canon Powershot A3100 IS is a step up on an entry level digital camera. This is mainly due to the design and build of the camera. It can take a good picture in most situations. The features on offer are solid rather than spectacular, but I thought the Powershot A3100 IS felt good in the hand and I like the simple design.

For me the main attraction is the quality of the pictures it takes. There are very few negative points about this camera and I would be happy to own it if I was looking for a point and shoot digital camera.

12 megapixels
4x optical zoom lens
2.7 inch LCD screen
3cm macro mode
Lithium ion batteries

Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
I am very happy with the outdoor scenic shots. Focusing is consistently sharp and the photos have plenty of deep colour to them. Here and there I can detect some purple fringing and the shots can be slightly hazy around white objects that are caught by the sun. These are relatively minor issues and they are unlikely to cause much of a problem especially if you keep print sizes reasonable.

The sharpness displayed in my outdoor scene where the lens is zoomed out is much better than I am used to seeing.

Portraits
The portrait shots all work well. Perhaps the Powershot A3100 IS could have conjured up a little more warmth in the outdoor portrait, but aside from that the camera performs very well indeed. When it comes to the use of flash it is difficult to beat Canon digital cameras. In this example the amount of light emitted by the flash unit is strong enough to light the whole photo, but is subtle enough to ensure the maximum amount of colour is retained in the shot.

I am also happy with the indoor portrait taken without flash. Again the Powershot A3100 IS is able to light the shot well, keep noise levels down and produce a shot with high levels of definition.

Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro shots are another area where I am used to seeing strong results from Canon cameras. My macro test shot with this camera is crisp. The artificial lighting is handled well and the colours are correct.

The Powershot A3100 IS is capable of producing strong colours. They are vivid without overpowering the scenes. Foliage in particular seems to stand out well and I like the deeper greens on display in my scenic shots.

Noise is controlled as well as you can expect to be by a compact digital camera. There is very little noise showing in my indoor portrait shot.

Summary
The Powershot A3100 IS is comfortably above average when it comes to picture quality. It can handle most scenes and produces bright, colourful shots.

A single photo took 0.39 seconds and five took 14.7 seconds. These are acceptable rather than fast times. With flash times increased to 1.10 seconds for a single photo and 21.91 seconds for five.

It took 2.42 seconds to turn the camera on and take the first photo.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

I like the design and finish of the Powershot A3100 IS. The ends are rounded and one end is silver to give the camera a more distinctive look. It is available in blue, red and silver.

97.2 x 58.2 x 28.1 mm

155g

Lithium ion (NB-8L). Canon estimates you should be able to take around 240 shots in between changes.

The Powershot A3100 IS is compatible with SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. Canon does not supply a memory card and have not built any memory into the camera.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Good. Although the Powershot A3100 IS can be used as a point and shoot camera there are more simple models available.

Picture quality

Shutter delay with flash

If you are looking for a similar camera, but a little cheaper take a look at the Canon Powershot A495. The Powershot A495 is the entry level model in the Canon range. The main difference is when it comes to build quality. Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu


The camera used in this review of the Canon Powershot A3100 IS was kindly provided by UK Digital Cameras

Description:	12 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens
Ease of Use:	8
Features:	8
Colour:	9
Macro:	9
Indoors:	9
Value for Money:	8
Style:	8
Movie Mode:	8
Image Quality:	9
Build Quality:	8
Total:	84
Verdict:	The Powershot A3100 IS is a solid, if slightly unspectacular digital camera. It does the job it sets out to do well and takes a good quality photo in most situations. There is very little I don’t like about this camera.
Review Date:	March 2010
Related Pages:	Canon Powershot A3100 IS Specification Canon Powershot A3100 IS Sample Images Canon Powershot A3100 IS Features

	GBP 99.99
	GBP 119.00
	GBP 139
	GBP 140.98
	GBP 154.99
	GBP 166.85
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Camera	Rating
Canon Powershot A3100 IS	84
Nikon Coolpix L22	84
Canon Powershot A495	84
Fuji Finepix J250	82
Fuji Finepix Z35	82
Panasonic DMC LS85	82
Canon Powershot A480	82
Nikon Coolpix L20	81

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Canon Powershot A3100 IS