Canon PowerShot A1100 IS review (blue)

Sample photos:
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS

As mentioned earlier, for the money the A1100 IS has very good photo quality. Color, contrast, and white balance are particularly good, though there is some highlight clipping. Characteristic of point-and-shoots, photos are best in bright lighting at sensitivities below ISO 200. Graininess/noise becomes readily noticeable at ISO 400, but for the most part details remain decent enough for use at 8x10 or smaller sizes. The camera goes up to ISO 1,600, but photos at that setting or even at ISO 800 aren't what we'd consider usable for much more than small prints and Web use. There is some slight barrel distortion at the lens' widest setting and there is an average amount of purple fringing in high-contrast shots.

For a low-cost point-and-shoot pocket camera, the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS gets the job done. It delivers better photo quality than other cameras at its price point and if you like the convenience of AA batteries and the availability of a viewfinder, it's a smart choice.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Time to first shot

Typical shot-to-shot time (flash)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS

1.4 

3.2 

2.1 

0.7 

0.5 

Canon PowerShot A1100 IS

2 

6.6 

2.1 

0.8 

0.6 

Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS

2.8 

1.4 

1.2 

1 

0.5 

Nikon Coolpix S230

3.5 

3.3 

3 

1 

0.5 

Pentax Optio E70

2.4 

4.2 

3.3 

1.2 

0.6 

Find out more about how we test digital cameras.