Epinions.com 
Join Epinions | Learn More! | Sign In   
           
Home > Electronics > Digital Cameras > Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera

Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera
Overall Rating: Product Rating: 4.0
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag

Compare Prices Read Reviews (41) View Details Write a Review
<< Back to All Reviews About the Author

Great Camera for $150

Written: May 09 '04

Product Rating: Product Rating: 4.0
Ease of Use:  
Battery Life:  
Photo Quality:  
Shutter Lag  
Pros: Excellent picture quality, good video options, pretty comprehensive features.

Cons: A little lengthy on shutter lag, BATTERY CONSUMPTION!!!!!

The Bottom Line: If you are looking to spend $150 or less and just want good quality with a decent selection of features then this is the camera for you.
Compare Prices ($110 - $110 from 1 store)
at Amazon Marketplace
jesterrace's Full Review: Canon PowerShot A300 Digital Camera
Shop around as there is a wide variation on the price. It is an outstanding camera for $150 but I would never pay $200 or more for it like some places are charging. There are a number of other cameras in the 3.2MP range that are cheaper but I have read some very mixed reviews about their picture quality which is what I think most of us would consider is the most important. Canon is always among the top for quality in whatever category. While it doesn't have every feature that pros would want, this camera has a very comprehensive list of features for the average person. It certainly doesn't compare to a Camcorder but this camera will take very short video clips. Unlike most other cameras in it's class it will take video in 640X480 Res. @10FPS while most will only take video in 322X288. Also most cameras in it's class will support video but they don't offer sound. This one does. Some have complained about it not having an optical zoom but I have found that the 5.1x digital zoom works great.

While it is an exceptional camera for the device it does have a couple of draw backs. 1. Shutter Lag there does seem to be a little bit of a lengthy gap between pictures with this thing. 2. BATTERIES!!!!! This thing is to Alkaline Batteries what the Hummer is to Gasoline. That is to say this thing will suck through batteries quite quickly. I popped in the 2 included AA batteries that came with the camera (not the greatest, I know) and I just played around with the camera for a half an hour learning it's features. I only took a couple of photos and it gave me the low battery warning after only 30 minutes of use. I tried some rechargable alkaline batteries and they lasted less than 10 minutes.

While both of these are short-comings it should be noted that pretty much any camera in the $150 or less price-range (and even higher) is going to suffer from similar drawbacks. Shutter-lag is pretty common in this price-range as is the battery drainage. Thankfully rechargable Ni-mh batteries work very well with this camera. They last longer than alkaline batteries and of course they are reusable so you won't be burning a hole in your wallet buying new batteries all of the time. I was able to purchase a 3-4 hour quick charger with 4AA Ni-mh batteries for $30 from Radio Shack.

Bottom line is that if you are looking for a camera with decent features a great quality pictures then this is the camera for you. If you are more of a professional and want a camera loaded with all of the options, built-in charger pack, etc. then this isn't for you. Fair and be warned that if you want a camera of this nature that you will be spending at least $200-$250.

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 150
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
Comments on this Review
Write the first comment on this review!
Epinions.com ID:
jesterrace
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 3 members

<< Return to top
<< Back to All Reviews

1 store Store Rating Price
Fantastic prices with ease & c... (In stock)
3.2 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 8 x 10 prints and medium-quality prints up to 11 x 14 5.1x digital zoom Up to 3 mi... More at Amazon Marketplace
Amazon Marketplace
Store Rating: 3.0
Showing 1 of 1 store
   View all deals       Why are these stores listed?
Read the Buyer's Guide   Use the Wizard  



Related Search Terms   
canon powershot a300 waterproof case canon powershot a300 canon a 300

Subscribe to More Reviews on Digital Cameras
Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: Add to My Yahoo! - Add to Google Homepage: Add to Google

Subscribe to jesterrace's Reviews:
Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: Add to My Yahoo! - Add to Google Homepage: Add to Google

Help | Member Center | Message Boards | Site Rules | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Site Index | Topic Index  
About Epinions | Careers | Contact Epinions | Advertising  

Epinions | Shopping.com | Rent.com | Free Classifieds | Price Comparison UK

Shopping.com Network © 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc. Trademark Notice

Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources,
so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.