Review on Canon PowerShot A3100IS Stabilized 2 7 Inch Camera & Photo by Tim Jenkins

This is the third Canon "A" series that I have bought. For those of you unfamiliar with the Canon range, they have been designed for users who value simplicity and ease of use. Obviously, they also aim for a relatively low price. If you are looking for something more advanced and of higher quality (both photographic and mounting), there are many other options. However, given its mission, the A3100 pulls it off. First, the usability is well thought out. The user is presented with symbols designed for intuitive understanding. However, there is an airbag for those who wonder about this procedure: the software provides a written comment on the assignment of the available options. Designers tried to make this device tasteful and non-threatening. Secondly, the image quality is more than satisfactory even for users who are used to more demanding cameras. When buying a digital camera, don't settle for "pixels". The digital image depends on the quality of the lens and the processor, in this case Canon Digic III. I believe that Canon processors have been among the best over the years. However, it's fair to say that technology has improved enough for many big brands to compete with each other. My main concern and criticism is the build quality; The battery and memory card covers are flimsy (mentioned in another review), as is the USB port cover. Only time will tell if this is a problem. Another review mentioned dark images and poor zoom results. Although I haven't used the digital zoom yet, I find that the optical zoom and image stabilization work quite well. This isn't an advanced SLR or Leica; and shouldn't be. However, as intended by its designers, it performs admirably and rewards the user with better-than-snapshot quality photos. For around $150, it's hard to imagine better performance.