Canon PowerShot A3000 IS – average shooting performance
Thumbs Up:
Good picture quality and optical image stabilization as per its price tag.
Thumbs Down:
Flat and basic features; poor shooting speed.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
The Canon PowerShot A3000IS is 10-megapixel digital camera. Its CCD (charge-coupled device) optical sensor has effective resolution of 10,000,000 pixels and total resolution of 10,600,000 pixels. The PowerShot A3000 IS features 4x digital zoom, frame movie shooting mode, Optical image stabilization, and face detection. Minumum shutter speed is 15 seconds, whereas maximum is 1/600 second.
2.7 inches LCD display is based on TFT active matrix technology and has 230,000 pixels resolution. The digital camera has inbuilt flash, mono microphone and lens shield. Inbuilt flash features 1-13 ft. flash range and AF illuminator. The flash modes are Auto, Fill-in, Flash OFF, Red-eye reduction, and Slow synchro.
Ashperical lens has 6.2-24.8mm focal length and F/2.7-5.6 aperture that features 4x optical zoom. The A3000 IS digital camera includes TTL contrast detection Auto focus and 9 auto-focus point. Minimum focus range is 1.2 inch and macro is 3-60cm. Focus adjustment is Automatic, and camera has motorized drive zoom adjustment.
The exposure metering options are: Evaluative, Spot, and Center-weighted. There are two exposure modes: Automatic and Program. Exposure compensation is ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps. The digital camera has three types of white balance: Custom, Automatic, and Presets. The preset options are Fluorescent, Tungsten light, Cloudy, and Daylight.
Shooting program options are Night snapshot, Poster Effect, Portrait Mode, Landscape mode, Slow shutter, Super Vivid, Kids & Pets, Low light, Fireworks, Foliage, Snow, Beach, and Indoor. Canon PowerShot A3000 IS has special effects including Custom Effect, Vivid, Black and White, Neutral, and Sepia. Light sensitivity levels are ISO Auto, ISO 1600, ISO 800, ISO 400, ISO 200, and ISO 100.
Canon PowerShot A3000 IS supports JPEG still image format and digital video formats of AVI and MJPEG. Video capture resolution options are AVI 320×240 as well as AVI 640×480. The image storage resolution options are Large 367, JPEG 1600×1200, JPEG 640×480, JPEG 2272×1704, JPEG 2816×2112, JPEG 3648×2048, and Fine JPEG 3648×2736.
Canon PowerShot A3000 IS has self timer delay feature of 2sec and 10sec. Additional features are i-Contras (Intelligent Contrast Correction) system, Camera orientation detection, Motion and Scene Detection Technology, Face Detection Self Timer, Face Detection WB/FE/AE/AF, RGB primary color filter, Digital image rotation, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, Exif Print Support, Histogram display, Resizing an Image, Cropping an image, Direct print, Inbuilt speaker, AE lock, and DPOF support.
The connector set includes 1×USB and 1×Composite audio/video output. Canon PowerShot A3000 IS has one SD memory card slot for external storage. The operating systems supported by camera include Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP SP2 and Apple Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.
Minimum operating temperature of Canon PowerShot A3000 IS is 32-degree Fahrenheit and maximum temperature is 104-degree F. Included accessories are A/V cable, USB cable, drivers & utilities disc, wrist strap, and battery.
Razzle Dazzle:
The PowerShot A3000 IS is 3.8 inches wide, 2.3 inches tall and 1.1 inches deep and weighs 5.5 ounces. PowerShot A3000 IS digital camera has plastic body and is available in silver color with black accents. It easily fits inside small handbag and pants pocket. The A3000 IS looks much better as compared its price tag.
Inside Dope:
Canon had created a trajectory of fun and easy still photography by launching its A-series digital cameras with lithium ion battery instead of previous AA one. Now, its new product – Canon PowerShot A3000 IS continues to follow the same trajectory. The A3000 IS features 10-megapixel CCD optical sensor and costs $149.99. It does not have wide-angled lens, but has wide aperture to start with. The PowerShot A3000 IS will attract the Canon consumer base with its good photo quality, thinner build and low cost. The optical viewfinders and manual controls were not included in the A-series models in 2008 and this new change transformed to less expensive Canon Digital Elphs series. In terms of size, the A3000 IS comes in between A-series of AA-batteries and SD-series Digital Elphs.
2.7 inches LCD display of Canon PowerShot A3000 IS is bright enough to use in bright light, but its screen reflects the light. The digital camera has basic and entry level point-and-shot controls. Mode dial, shutter release and power buttons sits on the top. These buttons on the top are flush inside the body and well-spaced. We do not like that new users have to do some practice for using these controls accurately. Mode dial will be a bit difficult to use as it is stiff.
The controls and their marking at back panel are larger as compared to that on Digital Elph. Zoom rocker is at the top on back panel and followed by Canon Face Select buttons, playback buttons, four-way directional pad with middle select button, Menu and Display buttons. The Face Select buttons work with face detection function and allows selecting the person to focus even in a group. Menu button will show the two general setting tabs, whereas Select button shows shooting mode options. Overall, Canon PowerShot A3000 IS provides easy to use and simple controls.
Mini-USB/AV port is located behind a small door beneath the Mode dial. The battery cannot be charged inside the Canon PowerShot A3000 IS. Moreover, there is no locking mechanism at battery door and it can snap off easily, so you have to be careful while using the camera.
Canon PowerShot A3000 IS offers shallow shooting options, which are not so exciting to impress a professional photographer. There is a P (Program) mode that provides most of the controls over image results, Auto that automatically detects scenes, Easy that disables other options, and Movie that captures video of 640×480 pixels resolution at 30fps. There are famous five scene options- Indoor, Kids & Pets, Night, Landscape, and Portrait as well as a SCN choice to access less used settings such as Fireworks, Long Shutter, and Beach. Canon changed the name of “High ISO” to Low Light that works same to capture 2-megapiixel pictures at ISO 500-3200. The new additions are Poster Effect and Super Vivid modes.
The shooting speed of Canon PowerShot A3000 IS is slower than its competitors in same price range. Time from boot up to capture first shot is 2sec. Average shot to shot time is 4sec and 6.4sec with flash. Shutter lag is 0.7sec in dim light and 0.8sec in bright lighting. Continuous shooting speed of the camera is 0.4fps (frames per second).
Canon PowerShot A3000 IS provides very good photo quality in its price range. It performs the best up to ISO 200. You will get better quality in more light. The color noise is visible at al ISO levels and become more noticeable on full screen view. The photos are good at ISO 400; still shows softness, noise and less fine details. The pictures are good only for small size prints and Web use.
The lens produces average edge-to-edge sharpness; still little barrel distortion is visible at the widest position. It does not show pin-cushioning even at fully extended lens, but the purple fringe is visible. The overall colors are vibrant, and accurate. The white balance and exposure are good. The video quality is average and suitable for small Web usage. Obviously, you cannot use the optical zoom on the A3000 IS while video recording.
The PowerShot A3000 IS has standard lithium ion battery that has a life of 230 shots.
Nitty Gritty:
The PowerShot A3000 IS is a budget friendly compact digital camera. It offers good optical image stabilization and average picture quality as per the price tag. If you need a basic point-and-shot digital camera and does not mind some waiting time between shots, then you can purchase new – Canon PowerShot A3000 IS.
