Canon PowerShot A3100 IS Conclusions

CONCLUSION
The Canon PowerShot A3100 IS is noticeably different in terms of both design and size from its predecessors and is obviously targeted to casual photographers rather than photography enthusiasts who bought earlier "A" series models. Factor in the new Lithium-ion power pack and the A3100 is actually closer to Canon's Digital Elph models than to earlier "A" series units. The A3100 IS is practically identical to its little brother, the A3000 IS, so bargain seekers can save about $20 by opting for the A3000 IS over the A3100 IS, without giving up much.

The A3100 is an almost ideal first digital camera and an excellent choice for the primary family camera. It is also a very good choice for travelers who want a tough, lightweight, "go anywhere" camera. I carried the A3100 with me (just about everywhere I went) for two weeks, and even with the changes to the basic "A" series formula, I was consistently impressed, just like I have been with every other "A" series Canon camera I've used so far. The bottom line is that you really can't do much better for under $200.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Compact 
• First rate optics 
• Excellent image quality 
• Very good feature set 
• Reasonably-priced

Cons:

• No manual exposure capability
• Battery life could be better 
• No optical viewfinder 
• No handgrip

Individual Ratings: *

Image/Video Quality 
Features 
Design/Ease of Use 
Performance 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score