Canon announces A3000 IS and A3100 IS

The PowerShot A3100 IS features a 12.1 Megapixel imaging sensor, while the lower-cost PowerShot A3000 IS offers 10.0 Megapixels of resolution. Equipped with DIGIC III processing, a 4x optical zoom lens and integrated optical Image Stabilizer, both provide rich, detailed and blur-free images. A bright, 6.7cm (2.7") high resolution LCD screen offers crisp playback, enabling users to frame and review images in pin-sharp clarity.

Both new models also make it easy to capture the perfect shot, thanks to the intelligent Smart Auto mode. Smart Auto with Scene Detection Technology recognises up to 18 different scenes and automatically applies the optimum settings required to capture the best picture.   

Smart Auto also includes i-Contrast technology, which analyses images to deliver perfect exposure, adding brightness and detail to darker sections without blowing out correctly-exposed areas. Additionally, Canon’s Easy mode provides super-simple settings for beginners, deactivating most of the buttons and removing icons from the screen for straightforward point-and-shoot photography.

Smart Flash Exposure improves natural and ambient lighting in every shot, intelligently adjusting flash exposure to suit the subject and the shooting conditions. In daylight, for example, Smart Flash Exposure will detect and eliminate harsh facial shadows created when light reaches people at an angle, automatically engaging the flash to brighten up any poorly lit features. Flash power is also controlled during macro shooting, preventing over exposure and retaining image detail of subjects shot from a very short distance.

Face Detection Technology makes it easy to take pictures of friends, tracking faces and providing correct exposure and focus for the best results. Face Select & Track allows one face to be given priority over others in a group if required, while Red-Eye Correction identifies and corrects red eyes, making sure everyone looks their best. The smart FaceSelf-Timer feature allows the photographer to be included in group photos, only taking the shot when an extra face has entered the frame.

A range of creative shooting features includes the new Low Light mode, which provides improved performance in challenging lighting conditions at 2.0 Megapixel resolution. The new Super Vivid mode injects new life into subjects, adding colour to images to provide a dramatic, enriched effect. The cameras also feature the new Poster Effect mode, which reduces the number of colours to create retro-looking, poster-style images.

The PowerShot A3100 IS makes it easy to navigate menus, with on-screen Hints & Tips providing simple explanations of camera functions for superb ease-of-use.

In addition to high-quality images, both the PowerShot A3100 IS and the PowerShot A3000 IS capture video at VGA resolution with sound, offering users the ability to go beyond stills. Both models feature comprehensive software packages, including an integrated YouTube upload function, for sharing videos online quickly and easily.

For the first time in a PowerShot A series model, the new models both feature Lithium-ion battery packs. Lightweight and rechargeable, Lithium-ion battery packs are slim and easier to carry, and provide the convenience of being able to be charged on demand. Both cameras are also compatible with SDHC and SDXC storage cards, offering up to 2TB (SDXC only) of convenient and reliable memory that users can take anywhere.