Canon PowerShot A3100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Red)

I've taken pictures before, but usually on other people's cameras when they wanted someone else to take a picture of them. I'm not a photographer at all. I do love post-processing, though, and so I decided that I should probably learn how to shoot pictures. After a lot of research into point-and-shoot models under $300, I decided on this one, and I'm not sorry. The pictures are crisp with good colors. The auto setting works well, and there are manual settings for ISO and white balance. The macro setting works beautifully. Turning the knob activates settings like kids/pets (fast shutter speed) and portrait (shorter depth of field? I'm not sure). I haven't tried to shoot video, but that's the last mode on the knob. There is also a setting on the knob for ultra-beginners or for children that "locks out" most buttons and shoots on full auto.The flash isn't very strong, but that's what I'd expect from a little camera like this. Obviously no viewfinder, which is not a problem for me. The LCD screen has adjustable brightness settings and seems durable enough.Transfer of photos is via USB, and the camera acts like a drive. No problems on my older Vista machine. I didn't install any software for the camera except maybe a driver that installed automatically.My 8 y/o dropped the camera from about two feet and it didn't seem to take any damage. I doubt it is super durable but normal use with kids doesn't seem to hurt it.Overall, I strongly recommend this camera. No problems so far.

I am a mom and bought this camera to take quick quality EASY pictures of my toddlers. It worked well for a month (super-clear pictures), but now the settings are all funky (the kids pressed some buttons???) and I am left needing to read the owner's manual to figure out how to change all the settings and fix it back. I just want to be able to switch it to the "kids and pets" setting on the dial and have it automatically correct to where the shutter speed is fast, IS is on and red eye fixes automatically. I'm sure I could figure out how to do this from the manual, but right now it's on my to do list and I am DREADING this task!! UPDATE: I read the manual...there's not a lot to it. Switching the setting to AUTO and taking a picture then flipping it back to "kids and pets" seemed to reset everything...however I realized that the blurry/fuzzy pictures are due to a low battery. I love the way this camera looks, but I just can't say I'm in love with the camera b/c I can't seem to get "professional" looking pictures of faces with it, but that probably has more to do with me than the camera as I am not a professional...who knows.

Bought this based on these reviews, and Consumers Reports review. The price was right - saw the same price in other places over Thanksgiving 2010 weekend, but as a prime member, Amazon was the best place to get it (not to mention has the Chase Visa card and getting the triple points).Bought this for my wife, who prefers simplicity to full featured content. For her purposes, this camera has everything that it should. Set everything to Auto and the pictures will be fine. If she wants to get creative, the facility is there for that as well.Amazon was including a memory card for free with the purchase, which took out one user's objections. Only thing that I needed to buy was a carrying case, which I picked up locally (6th Ave electronics always has a god selection of these).Anyone looking for a simple point and shoot camera needs to look no further - one hint - price seems to vary with the color, so if color is not an object, look for the cheapest one.

This is the third Canon "A" series that I have purchased. For those of you unfamiliar with the Canon line, they are targeted at users who value simplicity and ease of use. Clearly, they are also focused on a price point that is quite low. If you are looking for greater sophistication and higher quality (both photographic and build), there are many other choices. However, given its mission, the A3100 succeeds.First, ease of use is well thought out. The user is presented with icons intended to be intuitive. However, there is a safety net for those perplexed by that approach: the software provides a running, written commentary on the purpose of the available options. The designers have attempted to make this device as palatable and non threatening as possible.Second, even for users accustomed to more sophisticated cameras, the image quality is more than satisfactory. When purchasing a digital camera, one should not concentrate on "pixels". Digital imaging is dependent upon lens quality and the processor, in this case Canon's Digic III. I have felt that Canon's processors were among the best, for years. However, it is fair to say that the technology has improved to such an extent that many of the major brands are competitive with one another.My primary concern and criticism is build quality; the battery and memory card door is flimsy (another review mentioned this), as is the USB port cover. Only time will tell if this is a problem.Another review has mentioned dark images and less than satisfactory results with the zoom. While I have not utilized the digital zoom, yet, I find the optical zoom and image stabilization to operate quite well.This is not an advanced SLR or a Leica; nor is it intended to be. However, within the scope of its designers' intent, it performs admirably, rewarding the user with photos above "snapshot" quality. For approximately $150.00, it is difficult to imagine a better performer.