Canon PowerShot A2100 IS Review

August 6, 2009

Another exciting offer from the house of Canon; Canon PowerShot A2100 IS is a superb combination of cool features at a reasonable price. Canon PowerShot A2100 IS looks exactly like it’s former family member the PowerShot A200 IS but with a better built and quality.

Built and Design

The Canon PowerShot A2100 IS adorns a beautiful matt-black plastic body that is slimmer than the A200 model and easier to hold and carry around as when turned off, its only 3cms thick. This digital camera weighs only 185g thus making it a nice companion for your outdoor activities.

Another remarkable up gradation in its built is the centrally positioned metal mount given for the tripod stand in contrast to the previous models which used to have a plastic mount located on the extreme bottom left of the camera.

However, one thing will disappoint the users a little; lack of a rubberized grip that was a comfy component found in Canon models. Instead, a smooth and flat surface with the ‘Canon” logo imprinted on it welcomes your grip. This makes it highly difficult to hold the camera properly. Nonetheless, the situation is still bearable, thanks to the raised mouldings on the rear end of the camera.

Controls and Buttons

Being a simple camera, the PowerShot A2100 IS has few external controls; 11 to be exact. For beginners, this camera is splendid since it offers easy shooting with Easy and new Smart Auto modes but for those, who are well into the business, the camera may seem to be a little humble.

On the top of the A2100 IS, the Power button, Mode Dial, Zoom Lever and Shutter button are located whereas the bottom side bears the tripod mount and battery compartment and a slot for the SD Memory Card. Through the large 3 inch LCD screen, you can directly approach the focus and the flash function by just clicking the left and right on the navigational pad. Clicking upwards and downwards would set the exposure and timer features respectively.

Though there is no individual button for ISO Speed setting, the Function/Set button in the center of the navigational pad takes you to a sub menu which permits you to not only set the ISO Speed but also the white balance, colours, metering, continuous shooting and image size/quality settings.

All the buttons and control are easy to operate and extremely user compliant. The Mode dial action is rigid in this model in order to prevent any unintentional changes in the mode when kept in a pocket or a bag.

Image Quality

A 12.1 megapixel point and shoot camera with 6x optical zoom, a DIGIC 4 Processor, and an Anti Shake system- IS Mode; that’s all you need to know about the image production and quality which, if you haven’t got the hint is astounding. The blur effect is taken care of in case you are shooting at a lower shutter speed or in unstable position.

A wide ISO setting (80-800) enables the user to get rid of the Noise problem. ISO 80 and 100 gives Noise free images, at 200 it starts appearing and at 400 it is quiet noticeable 800 and 1600 are out of question!

The Auto Face Detection, Auto Face Recognition and Red Eye Effect are some of the features that make image production easier and enjoyable. Chromatic aberrations are seen but they are limited to the purple fringing effect that is observed in high contrast regions only. At night time, shutter speed increases to 15 sec that allows the user to capture maximum light. In the Macro mode, you can focus something to as close as 1cm though the image is soft and requires more sharpening which can be done by Adobe Photoshop.

Price

For UK customers, price lies between £199 and £249 which is fair since the whole market is struggling to survive the credit crunch.

Verdict

Perfect for amateurs and those who are looking for a simple point and shoot digital camera, Canon PowerShot A2100 IS is easy to handle and operate. However, one should not be expecting something exceptionally new in it. The camera has average image production in low light conditions and is not highly sophisticated but taking in account, the feasibility and compliance it offers to the user, it is highly recommended for family use.

Canon PowerShot A2100 IS Specifications

Lens:6x optical zoom, 36-216mm focal length
Image Sensor: 12.1 megapixel sensor
Processor: DIGIC 4 Processor
ISO Range: ISO 80-800
Display: 3” LCD Screen,Resolution: 230,000 pixels
Speed: 1.5 sec to capture a photo and 0.5 sec for recording,3 sec to zoom from the widest focal length to the longest
Continuous Shooting Speed: 1.1 fps
Modes: 18 shooting modes; Smart Auto, Easy modes with Scene
Detection Technology, Face Detection, Face Select
Track, i-Contrast, Motion Detection and Auto Red-Eye
Correction
Available Colour: Black
Battery: Supplied LR6-AA Alkaline batteries
150 shots allowed when Anti shake system is turned on
Price: £259.00