Customer Reviews

Canon PowerShot A300 3.2MP Digital Camera with 5.1x Digital Zoom

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

The jury is still out on this one. I purchased this with high expectations of Canon's experience and reputation for digital cameras. I grew up in a family of professional photographers so I am fussy.

PROS:
1) You can't beat the price considering this is 3.2 megapixel camera.
2) Picture quality is excellent.
3) This can take short movies, with sound. Again, excellent quality.

CONS:
1) No optical zoom. The 5.1x digital zoom is fine if that's what you want. However, there is a huge difference. If zooming is not important to you, then this is fine.
2) The button choosing between still pictures and the movie setting is a hair trigger and can be easily shifted by accident. Both my father and I inadvertently took movies when we wanted to take stills. We didn't know it until we downloaded the images.
3) Buy stock in a battery company. At least you'll get some of your money back in dividends when you become the company's best customer. Digitals consume batteries like water, but this one devours batteries like Niagara Falls. In fact, this is probably the single biggest limitation of this camera. Getting a rechargeable package is the way to go, and you'll be using it a lot. Also, be careful of battery consumption when connected to the computer -- it's a killer.
4) The instructions in the manual, and the controls on the camera itself, are very complicated. Plan to spend a lot of time reading the manual over and over again, and practicing with the camera to get the hang of things. This is far from a "take it out of the box and start taking pictures" kind of camera. The function and display controls on the camera are, in my opinion, very frustrating. If you have patience and can spend some time concentrating and practicing, you can master it.

All in all, while you may never use half of the cameras capabilities (either because you don't need them, or will never understand how to use them), you can take great pictures. The primary decision making factor here is price. Why spend $500 when you can get this camera for less than half?

Here it is in a nutshell. I bought this camera for photos of my students' activities at school, and trusted the Canon name to give me more than my money's worth in a [$...] camera.

The positives are:
1. It's [relatively inexpensive], 3.2 megapixels, and it IS a Canon!
2. It has a focus assist light, which helps in low light.
3. It's simple to use, though with many advanced features such as white balance adjustments, manual exposure, sound effects, etc.
4. It takes really good photos (excellent color saturation).
5. It takes two AA batteries with pretty good battery life.
6. It's small enough to slip in a pocket!
7. It uses inexpensive compact flash memory.
8. It's easy to transfer to your computer via USB cable and Canon software.

The negatives:
1. Onlydigital zoom--very handy, but degrades quality.
2. Flash is only average.
3. If you do any cropping or enlarging, quality degrades quickly.
4. Not attractive, but is sturdy (I've dropped it a few times!)

I like this camera--there's not much NOT to like. It does not have the enduring 'draw' of the Nikon 2500/3500 (see my review), but it has many more features, and the pedigree of the legendary G3, and S-50 Canon cameras.

If you want just a basic, compact, point & shoot digital camera that's [relatively inexpensive] for a 3 megapixel unit, this one is THE one. As a bonus, you find it offers a whole lot more under that generic, unspectacular appearance!

this camera is geared towards the casual photographer who is looking for good resolution (3MP) in a compact and lightweight package and doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a digicam.

pros:
- great resolution for the price - 3MP!
- uses the same DIGIC processor as Canon's high-end G3 and EOS 10D - great pictures!
- you can use this as a point and shoot but it still allows a degree of manual control when you want to be more creative with your shots
- focus assist light for low-light situations
- has exposure compensation
- two autofocus modes
- ISO 50-400 range
- the interface makes plenty of useful features quickly accessible - once you get the hang of it
- voice annotation available
- VGA movie mode with sound (limited to 30 seconds)
- uses non-proprietary AA batteries; i recommend buying rechargeables though
- reasonable shot to shot time for this class of camera
- USB connectivity
- and you can get all this for less than a couple of c-notes!

cons:
- no optical zoom; but if that's what you want, you should look at the next class up on cameras (there's a digital zoom, but it's better to take the picture un-zoomed and zoom in later in your computer)
- noticeable barrel distortion at the edges of the frame
- the camera is light but it's bulky, so it doesn't feel very solid
- no RAW or TIFF uncompressed format
- short flash range
- the included 16MB CF card is not enough; be prepared to shell out more $$ for more memory
- no composite video connection so you can't view on a TV

for the price and for its target audience, this is a very nice camera. just don't expect the higher end features you would find in the canon s50 or g5. enjoy!

This is the second digital camera that I've owned. I had a Fuji
digital for the previous 5 years and it served me well for basic
photos, just a bit weak on the megapixs (1.3), and after the first couple of years; the controls became less dependable.

The Canon A300 has easy-to-use controls, takes digital movies with sound, stitches several pictures together to make a panoramic print, takes gorgeous closeups within a few inches of subject and transfers the pictures to a pc or other device in a snap with a excellent photo program that allows cropping, editing, etc...

There are drawbacks to this model - the digital telephoto isn't too good past 2.5X (goes up to 7.5x), no optical telephoto, uses AA alkaline batteries as if they were candy, the battery and compactflash card door isn't located right as I keep unlocking it when I turn the camera on with the protective lenscap that slides towards it. I would strongly suggest rechargable NIMH batteries and a recharger.
There are better digital cameras out there, but for the low price and features, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to
start digital photography with an inexpensive investment.

The other reviewers have covered this beginner's digital camera extensivesly. I just want to give you my two cents regarding two issues.

1. Lack of optical zoom. For my primary digital camera I demand optical zoom, and no less than 3x of optical zoom. If you travel a lot like I do, optical zoom is a must. If, on the other hand, you shoot a lot of party pictures, it's not as important. The A300 lacks optical zoom, so it's better used as a secondary camera, which is how I use it, kinda like a pocket camera. Two advantages of no optical zoom: 1) the camera operates more quickly, and 2) the lens mechanism won't break as fast.

2. Three megapixels. Nowadays even 5MP models have become immensely affordable. A lot of people overlook the facts that 1) most digital pictures never get printed, and 2) you can get great 6x4" prints from 2MP, not to mention 3MP. In fact, you can get great 5x7" or even larger prints from 3MP. On most photo printers, too many megapixels are wasted anyway. What's more important is the overall image quality. There are 5MP cameras that take underexposed and ugly pictures. The A300 continues Canon's tradition of superior image quality.

For this price, the A300 is a must-have for gadget lovers and people looking for an easy-to-use starter digicam.

I love it...It is my first digital camera but for the price it really has more features than you would expect. I would like if it were a little smaller so it could fit in my pocket, but I guess thats why you pay hundreds more to get an elph. The photo quality is excellent however it declines when doing work to the photos on the computer. The movie function is AMAZING. The quality is excellent and it is like having a home movie camera! I sometimes have trouble taking the pictures when i have to hold the button down half way and wait for the camera to focus - it takes a few seconds and sometimes doesnt focus at all and wont let you take the picture. The only really bad part about the camera is that the batteries die VERY VERY VERY VERY quickly. Definitely invest in duracell stock when you purchase this camera or NEVER use the LCD screen! Overall the camera is GREAT and I love it. Hope this helped...

The Canon PowerShot A300 takes some really awesome pictures. It has a lot of features that are easy to figure out and is user-friendly to those new to the digital cam world.

A couple pros:
-Takes great pictures, even when set to low quality (1 megapixel)
-ISO
-Great quality for price
-Many features

A couple cons:
-Eats through batteries in minutes. A suggestion would be to turn off the LCD when using the camera. The LCD isnt very necessary for taking pictures, anyways. Also, buy some Canon NIMH rechargable batteries. I found some at Circuit City for $35. If you dont get NIMH batteries, you'll go through a 12 pack of regular batteries in an hour.
-Flash doesnt reach far enough. Sometimes I find that using the camera in low-light situations is pointless because the flash wont even reach the object I'm taking a picture of.
-Sometimes "automatic" features (ISO, flash, etc) make the picture come out blurry or fuzzy. Try experimenting with the features to find something that suits you.

For the money, its a great camera, but dont expect miracles out of it.

I bought the Canon A300 knowing full well that it doesn't have optical zoom. To me, a typical 3X optical zoom simply doesn't do much. Further, the added moving lens of a zoom camera is prone to mechanical problems. It is simply NOT worth the [money amount]or more for this feature. What the Canon A300 offers is a compact camera that takes shockingly detailed pictures, especially in outdoor light. In macro mode, the fine detail that I see in the pics is astounding! They are better than my Nikon SLR film camera. Indoor shots with flash do not turn out as sharp as outdoor shots, but still very good nevertheless. Sure there are negatives. Do not use this camera for action shots or sports photography. The auto-focus and light-metering will be too slow for that. However, for general use, such as scenic shots, this camera is more than adequate. Don't let the complaints about excessive battery drainage scare you away! It is simply not true! The original alkaline batteries did NOT last very long, but the NiMH batteries I got seems to last longer each time I recharge them! I can get at least 60 shots using these batteries with the camera in full function. One negative is the very tiny icons. They are hard to see and they are not very intuitive. Navigating the menus is also confusing at first. But once you get it, it is quite easy. Suggestion: go through the very long owner's manual first to see WHAT the camera can do, then go through it again to see HOW to do it! The software that comes with the camera is also very nice and easy to use. I did not have to read the manual for the software before using it. But I did later because I did not want to miss anything. In summary, this is a very competent camera and a great value. At [money amount], there is simply nothing close to it in terms of features, quality, and value.

This is my first digital camera. I wasn't looking for anything major. Mainly I wanted the camera for taking pictures that I might not want to have developed. Just everyday pictures to share with family and friends. Also, I thought it would be handy for when I go househunting.

So far, I am impressed. I have been using the superfine setting for the medium-2 size. The clarity of these pictures is wonderful. I haven't used it enough to speak on the battery eating that other reviews have mentioned. But I did buy a charger and some NiMH batteries. I have had to change the battery once and that was also because we left it open. I have managed to take over 40 pictures and several movies if that means anything to you.

For the price and the discount on the memory card (I went for the 128 MB version), I think this camera is a great deal and perfect for someone wanting to get their first digital camera without breaking the bank.

*Updated*
I just took this camera on a weekend trip. I didn't have to change the batteries. I turned off the LCD screen (I don't like using that for pictures anyway), and I turned the camera off between pictures. Worked beautifully and the pictures look great too.

The alkaline AA that came with the package lasted a few hours for me (several photos, a few videos). Then I bought some MAHA Powerex NiMH rechargable batteries and they last me 3 occasions spanning more than a week even after taking a lot of pictures and nearly an hour of video. I also use a Viking 256MB CF Card, and I don't have to worry about storage. It stores more than 150 photos at the higest resolution, and I could take a lot a lot of videos without having to worry about space. The video quality is superb. Pictures are a bit tricky; you have to hold it a bit longer to capture the image properly, plus you get blurs at the edges, but it's barely noticable at the highest resolution and almost undetectable for amateurs like me. ...