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Customer Reviews for PowerShot A3100 IS
PowerShot A3100 IS
There's nothing more satisfying than taking great pictures! And with the Canon PowerShot A3100 IS, it's so effortless.
Average Customer Rating:
(30 Reviews) 30
Rating Snapshot (30 reviews)
5 stars
16
4 stars
7
3 stars
0
2 stars
5
1 star
2
23 out of 30(77%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for PowerShot A3100 IS
Review 1 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: SLC Traveler
Location: SLC UT
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Really like the camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:June 23, 2011
Pros: good battery life, excellent image quality, durable, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: slow recovery time for action shots
I got this camera because of my experience with Canons and had used my son's Elph. I have a G3 Powershot with incredible features, but it's big and heavy; I wanted a small camera with excellent image quality. I took it on a European trip and took 450 photos, charging it twice. The only thing I don't like is using the computer program and the lack of ease in grouping photos into folders. The Zoom Browser program I got with the G3 was a lot more user friendly for modifying/editing and sorting my photos. The recovery time is slow, so it isn't particularly good for action shots, but that's seldom an issue for me.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Vinny1ear
Location: Arizona
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: No
Disappointing Action Shots
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:April 18, 2011
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: long write time cycle
Got the 3100IS for those times when I didn't want to lug around my Rebel. The camera fits in my pocket, has a top notch viewfinder, good zoom and resolution. Image stabalizer is helpful on action shots, But in spite using a San Disk 4GB Ultra card, write time was very slow, which resulted in either missing or blurriing key shots at a gymnastics meet. Also, if it's in your pocket, the dial is easily changed to an unwanted mode (i.e. Video instead of Auto), so remember to check! I'm a Canon loyalist, and this camera does everything I expect from Canon - except on action shots in pt & shoot auto mode.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: baka
flash
Overall Rating
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:March 11, 2011
camera is almost new. flash doesn't work now. been treated like a baby. you do the math.
4 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: MA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: Yes
Love my camera!
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:March 8, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Love this camera. Bought it for vacation, and only "practiced" with it briefly before we went away. Very simple to use - battery lasted the whole week away without recharging. Took sunrise and sunset pictures and the whole range in between with great performance no matter the lighting conditions. No blurry shots, either. Easy step by step directions to upload to computer. Great vacation pictures - Could not be happier!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: PhotographyAddict
Location: Alabama
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
The best feature is image stabilization
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:March 4, 2011
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, easy to use
Cons: Missing features/settings, no view-finder
I had a PowerShot A530 that I was perfectly happy with. I took it with me literally everywhere in case I saw a scene I wanted to capture. When my children gave me a PowerShot A31000 IS for Christmas I was puzzled at first. I did not need or want a new camera. However, I discovered its best feature that very evening when all my indoor 1/8 s exposures with no flash turned out perfectly clear. I later learned that was due to the image stabilization feature. I also like that the flash stays turned off when the camera is turned off and on and does not default to on. Only thing I don't like is lack of viewfinder.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Happy Owner
Location: Florida/Ohio
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 11 to 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 10, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Now that I've adapted to the slimness of the camera, I appreciate it's light, thin design. I recently used it for a Panama Canal cruise and am very pleased with both the still shots I took and the video with audio. The rechargeable battery avoids the need to carry an unknown quantity of batteries, and this camera has good battery life. I would recommend it to friends, without reservation. Thanks, Canon, for another great product.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: javelina
Location: Cottonwood, AZ
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
replaced A70
Overall Rating
Features
2
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:February 10, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Poor image quality
I bought this camera just before Christmas to shoot family scenes. Comparing previous holiday pictures taken with Canon A70, 3.2 mpix (still works, just playback function failed) I found most image qualities better. Example; the A3100, using the Auto setting with Auto flash, gave me one indoor picture really blurry. Found out camera speed was 1/25 sec. With my old film cameras I never shot slower than 1/50.
Also, with camera set at "L" image size, I get jpg size of 4-5 mb, on A70, "L" gave you about 1mb .
Also, with camera set at "L" image size, I get jpg size of 4-5 mb, on A70, "L" gave you about 1mb .
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Rjand
Location: Angier, NC
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: Yes
Very Pleased
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 9, 2011
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
This little camera is awesome ! So easy to use and the picture quality is great ! Have printed some photos to 8 x 11 that were good enough to frame and display. For the price it's a real bargin. Would recommend this camera to anyone.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: old snaper
Location: Portsmouth
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great snapshot camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 9, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu
Got the 3100 for Christmas. So far I haven't been able to take a "bad" picture. It is almost fool proof. Light and easy to use. Good battery life. Excellent micro mode for those really close up pictures. Read complaints about the plastic body, but that hasn't been a problem. Very happy with the camera's performance.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: joycie
Location: Paris TX
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: Less than 1 year
Product replacement: No
I love it
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:February 9, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I love my little camera. And it's red. It's easy to use. I've been taking pictures for family, friends, & facebook. I've even learned to use the video feature. I have Parkinson's so the shake feature is important to me. I have had no trouble.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Mike
Location: California
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Canon Enthusiast: 6 to 10 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Photos from a Simple Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 16, 2011
Pros: easy on battery usage
Cons: no viewfinder
I received this camera as a gift from my employer for my years of service. I also own a Canon Digimax 420 (4 Mega Pixels) that I've been using for about 7 years. It continues to work well, but has a voracious appetite for batteries. Everytime I turn the camera on it charges the flash, whether I want it or not.
The A3100 has a feature where the flash can be turned off and it will remember this setting until it's changed. So this is a big plus for me.
My first use of the camera, aside from a few hours of experimentation was at a birthday party for one of our grandchildren. He's an active little guy at age 2 so many of the shots were of him in motion. Almost all of the shots taken of him in motion were clear - w/o flash, although taken indoors in a well lighted room.
Perhaps the thing that I was the most impressed about, aside from the battery life thus far, was the quality of the videos. I took several short (1-2 minute) videos of this active 2 year old and when I returned home and viewed the results I was astounded. The videos were clear as was the sound quality.
The only thing that I miss is not having a viewfinder. Taking photos in bright sun outdoors will be difficult as the screen is hard to see clearly.
I am completely pleased with the performance of this camera and at this point would recommend it to anyone.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: FIJIMAN
Location: LAS VEGAS/HENDERSON NEVADA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: No
CANON'S GOOD COMPACT.
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:January 14, 2011
Pros: various shooting modes, 12 mp, 4x optical zoom, 2.7 inch lcd, shoot vga movies
VERY VERY COMPACT
VERY LIGHTWEIGHT
VERY PORTABLE
EASY OPERATIONS
12 MEGA-PIXELS
2.7 INCH LCD SCREEN
4X OPTICAL ZOOM
VARIOUS SHOOTING MODES
CAN SHOOT VGA MOVIES
BUILT-IN FLASH
RED-EYE CORRECTION BUILT-IN
VERY LIGHTWEIGHT
VERY PORTABLE
EASY OPERATIONS
12 MEGA-PIXELS
2.7 INCH LCD SCREEN
4X OPTICAL ZOOM
VARIOUS SHOOTING MODES
CAN SHOOT VGA MOVIES
BUILT-IN FLASH
RED-EYE CORRECTION BUILT-IN
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: annapolis, md
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
So disappointed
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
2
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Date:January 5, 2011
Pros: Bright LCD, easy to use
Cons: Missing features/settings, Poor image quality
We bought this camera after I accidentally dropped our SD890IS on the floor and cracked the lens. I have been so disappointed. THe pictures constantly come out blurry and we have little kids, so imagine trying to take pictures repeatedly only to find they are blurry. I never had this problem with the other camera. I also tried to use the movie feature and it too was blurry unless I was 2 feet away. I am really considering ordering a different camera. Such a shame, I have only had canon cameras and been happy up until now.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: PhotoRick
Location: Los ANgeles, CA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Product replacement: Yes
Great Point and Shoot Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:January 2, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I bought this camera to replace another point and shoot digital camera I had recently broke. Since most digital point and shoot cameras have a variety of functions for different scenes, I mainly chose this one because of the Canon name and the attractive style of the camera. I have had the camera almost a month and have put it through a variety of shooting conditions including landscape, indoors, macro, moving subjects and low light. It performs real well with sharp pictures. Image stabilization works great. The Program mode has lots of options and the Vibrant Color mode and Foliage mode produce intense colors. Some things I found as cons were you can only choose long exposure for very dark scenes or you totally overexpose the whole shot. Also there is NO Panorama mode or stitch assist mode- but the software does a good job of stitching photos together without much effort. Would prefer manual control of this operation. The battery lasts a fairly long time- I took about 160 pictures on 12 different days, not including about 5 minutes of video, plus all the time I turned it on to play with the functions and settings when I bought it. The downside was the power level went from 3 bars to low level (flashing) pretty quickly. For a point and shoot, it works great and is a great value. If you want to be more creative, consider a higher priced model with more features.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Didi
Location: New York, NY
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great Camera
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:November 11, 2010
Best Camera ever, specially for seniors who are not so much familiar with modern technology. I would recommend this camera to everyone. It takes great pictures and movies.
45 of 47 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: jackhammer
Location: Florida
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
OK Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Date:September 11, 2010
Pros: nice looking camera, good price for all of the features in the camera
Cons: too many features, can be complicated for a beginner, for a replacement battery too expensive
Bought camera home. Did not work. Returned to store
11 of 46 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Sammy
Location: Georgia
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:August 13, 2010
Pros: add a pro
I bought this camera a few weeks ago and I am very,
pleased with it. What I am most thrilled about is this. In
total
pleased with it. What I am most thrilled about is this. In
total
darkness (out in my garden, no moon) I took a picture in
Auto of my flowers, the result was outstanding, just like
a beautiful sunny afternoon.no adjustments at all, I have
never been able to do that before. A great camera
indeed
Auto of my flowers, the result was outstanding, just like
a beautiful sunny afternoon.no adjustments at all, I have
never been able to do that before. A great camera
indeed
.
51 of 53 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Boston
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great Little Camera
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:August 10, 2010
Pros: size, quality of photos, ease of use, fun colors
Cons: haven't had it long enough to find any cons yet
Bought this camera as a supplement to my SLR. I wanted something uncomplicated, easy to use, but with features and quality that I could count on. Canon does not disappoint. Had this camera out on a fast moving boat on choppy water this past weekend, and got some great, stable shots. Very happy with this relatively cheap, practical, consumer friendly camera.
22 of 23 people found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: Mayr
Location: MI
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
No viewfinder!
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Date:August 6, 2010
The Power Shot A3100IS is similar to my previous Power Shot cameras but has a desirably larger view window, all of which cameras produce excellent pictures, but I seriously dislike the lack of a viewfinder (especially when there's bright images behind me outdoors that reflect in the camera window and make it nearly impossible to identify the image for the picture (I may return the camera unless I learn there's a solution to that problem). Also, I don't appreciate the re-location of the zoom controls and dislike the tiny on/off button on the top that needs a finger smaller than mine for quick and easy access - don't know why it has to be so small and so recessed - unable to to locate it by touch, must visualize it to try to push on it!. Canon technicians should have "left well enough alone" instead of making changes listed above to previous Powershot models in my opinion.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for PowerShot A3100 IS
Nickname: sunflower
Location: Maryland
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
not this model
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Date:July 10, 2010
Stick with the older Canon models (A-series, with batteries - more rugged has held up over years).
This newer model - Shutter button and power button conflict. LCD screen is poor during daytime. Had trouble with zoom lense and unit power button, took product back, traded in for same model - within a couple days, lost display (went black), camera would not take pictures, battery fully charged.
This newer model - Shutter button and power button conflict. LCD screen is poor during daytime. Had trouble with zoom lense and unit power button, took product back, traded in for same model - within a couple days, lost display (went black), camera would not take pictures, battery fully charged.
17 of 20 people found this review helpful.
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