The User’s Review: Canon PowerShot A1000 IS

Introduction

I had an emergency abroad and my old PowerShot A70 had been sent back to Canon for a service, so I went to a local store to get a new digital point-and-shoot. A1000 caught my eyes since it is compact, has video function and a viewfinder (I get used to this from my film cameras). Later I found it had three color variations: brown, blue and purple. A1000 was my quick pick, and is a right one (proven by my use in the past 20 months).

Figs. Front and back of PowerShot A1000 IS. The LCD covers by the original protector. 

Materials and Methods

Canon A1000 IS, SN 7022045280, made in Malaysia (2 figures above) and released in 2/2008. The cost was $129.99 plus 7% tax in Sears on 5/2/2009. I knew it was not lower, but wanted to get ride off a shop gift card.

Different SD cards (from 2gb to16gb SDHC) used

2 Kodak Rechargeable NiMH AA batteries (HR6), ≥ 2400mAh

Results

Pros: Simple to use (with 9 commonly-used buttons beside the LCD), good image quality, autofocus under indoor light, satisfied video (up to 640x480 pixels, 30 fps) without length limit (well, as long as you card can hold), long battery life (even longer if you turn off the LCD and use the viewfinder only), zoom monitoring in the viewfinder, and user guides in both English and Espanol (for US market).

Cons: unsatisfied shutter lag, not cute (my wife’s word), plastic tripod socket (be careful not to damage it when mounted on a tripod), and thinner user guide (printed in 2008, compared to my A70’s one printed in 2003. probably A1000 is has less special accessories to explain), and wear-out prints on the camera buttons.

Conclusions

A1000 is is a well-designed camera, balancing functions and size.