Canon PowerShot A2300 is 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5X Digital Image Stabilized Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens with 720p HD Video Recording (Black)

I have owned the same Olympus camera for the past 12 years. I refused to get rid of the big and bulky older model because it took such high quality pictures. I didn't think any camera out there could top it but I was wrong. This little camera packs a lot of bang for the buck. My old camera didn't zoom in very closely but I can get great close ups with my new PowerShot. I was looking for a less bulky smaller camera and I have to admit that when I pulled it out of the box my first reaction was that it's definitely smaller and I hope it takes good pics. This camera is slightly larger than a deck of cards. I took it to a festival and hoped and prayed that the pictures would take. I downloaded them as soon as I got home. The quality is superb! It's even better than my old Olympus. My husband was so impressed with my tiny camera that now he wants to get rid of his 10 year old model Cannon for one. His words "I can't believe that little bitty camera took those great shots." Pics are not grainy, dim or distorted and true to colors. I carry it everywhere with me now in my purse which is something I would not do with my bulky older model. I love the color of the camera too. I ordered the red but it actually looks more pink to me which is what I was hoping for any way. You will not be disappointed with this camera. I am a point-and-shoot picture taker who doesn't want to mess with shutters, settings or anything else and this camera is absolutely perfect for me. I highly recommend it for other point-and-shooters as well. The price just can't be beat. I should also mention that it was a toss up between purchasing a Canon and a much more expensive Nikon Coolpix. I chose the Canon after reading the reviews here and I'm glad I did. I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Worth mentioning: It was packaged very well and arrived quickly. I ordered it two days before the festival, next day service, hoping that I might I get it in time. I did and was able to load the memory card, charge the battery (another feature I love - rechargeable battery) and read the operator's manual before the next morning.

Love the battery pack. I've noticed that any camera with a battery pack tends to last a lot longer on a charge than those that just take batteries. The downside of having to recharge a battery pack is pretty obvious though as you can't just change the batteries on the fly if you want to, unless you've planned ahead and bought an extra battery and charged it up ahead of time as well. I suggest a higher quality SD card than the standard. The pictures save a lot faster, though it's not terrible with a standard SD card either. SD's are just so cheap though, that you might as well opt for a high speed card and not have to worry about missing out on a second shot during a critical moment where you're trying to capture something that you know is only going to last for seconds. It's pretty frustrating when you're first shot looks like crap because you shook too much and you didn't get a chance to take a second shot because you're camera is busy saving! I don't mean to be too harsh though because this camera doesn't take longer than the average to save an image. It's just a drawback of digital cameras at this price point in general. The quality and clarity of the photos are amazing, except in low light situations. In these situations it still does a lot better than any other camera at this price point. If you're overly concerned about this, you're going to have to spend at the very least another $50 to go with a camera with a CMOS sensor. The best cheap CMOS camera I've seen is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 at $130. I can't hold this Canon's low-light shortcomings against it though because as I said, it does better than anything else at this price point that I've seen. The only genuinely frustrating thing I've experienced so far is that the camera relies pretty heavily on you either knowing what you're doing, or on you pressing the "auto" button before snapping each shot. The camera takes really nice pictures when the settings are right and it does a good job of selecting the right setting for you if you hit the "auto" button before each picture, but taking a picture on the wrong setting can result in some gruesome photos. Overall I don't know that there's anything better on the market at this price point right now. Give it a month or two though!

I purchased this point and shoot for an elderly relative who was taking a couple of vacations to see relatives - she wanted an easy to use camera that would take decent pictures, and this really seemed to be a decent choice for the small amount spent. I am a semi-pro photographer, so it's tough for me to review a consumer camera, but I'll do my best! I would like to point out that this camera seems to change price daily here on Amazon. We spent less than eighty dollars on it, and that's really about all I would spend on a camera of this quality. The hundred+ bucks it sometimes jumps to makes i not totally worth it, in my opinion. Just something to watch out for. BUILD This camera is TINY, and not just coming from someone that lugs around fast zoom lenses for DSLRs! It can easily fit into any pocket which will definitely be a positive for many people looking for a small camera. This also means that you should probably purchase a case to keep this safe, and though I won't be testing, I assume that the small and light build won't stand up to dropping or other abuses. Still, it's not badly built, and overall has a very nice feel to it! The buttons all give a satisfactory response when pressed. The screen is mostly clear and sharp, a pleasant surprise. IMAGE QUALITY Overall, with the right conditions this camera is absolutely capable of taking some very decent pictures. Shooting with natural light is always preferable anyway, but this camera will always work best outside or near a decent source of light. In darker conditions, or when zoomed in, image quality is greatly affected with noticeable digital noise in both of these situations (see cons below). Again, not unexpected, but something that should be pointed out. Still, for family snapshots and impromptu pics of the dog/cat, it should be satisfactory for most casual users. MINOR ANNOYANCES The first little thing that is a little bit irksome, is that the camera only has a general "mute" setting. While this will mute any system sounds (something I prefer to do), it will also not allow you to play any audio associated with a video you have recorded, forcing you to unmute every time you want to watch a video. I have also found that the battery release mechanism can be a bit fiddly - again not a huge deal but something to be aware of. CONS One real disappointment is the low-light performance of this camera, which is pretty rough even for this price category. Without the flash, normal indoor lighting results in grainy images, full of digital noise. Again, I'm trying not to be too nitpicky, but the low-light quality of this camera is comparable to my iPhone 4, which has a much smaller sensor. I have used several other sub-$100 cameras recently, and I have to be honest and say that the low-light/zoom performance of this camera is at the bottom of the list. HD VIDEO I was pretty pleased with the quality of the HD video (720p) setting of this camera. Though it of course suffers from the same caveats as still images, it really performs VERY well overall. As a plus you can use this as a webcam with the right software installed, and it makes for very nice video chatting. I have added a link to a video in the comments of this review that displays the video quality of this camera (not my video, found on YT). Though it suffers from focus issues when zoomed in, overall it does pretty well. OVERALL For a small and inexpensive camera, the powershot is capable of taking some nice pictures. There are several caveats, but I suspect that people spending less than eighty bucks on a camera really won't mind too much. My elderly relative really enjoys the ease of use and image quality, so that should be a good gauge on how it fairs overall. Recommended as a good competitor in this price range and class.

I was in full excitement waiting for this product through the mail, then opening it up on Christmas. When I tried the camera out for the first time, it was in my basement and the lighting was pretty poor. For this reason, the camera was so fuzzy and grainy, my heart started pounding. What did I get myself into? Of course, I knew my location and I knew this was a factor, but I was still uneasy. However, I realized after a few snaps (okay a lot, I couldn't help myself) the camera just appears to be grainy, the photos come out so clear and nice! It's weird, but I don't mind it. The photos get even better in more/better light, and even better when taken outdoors. The close up pictures are astounding, I couldn't believe the quality. I was even happier because that's what I wanted. The zoom is great, but with 5x, you can't expect to zoom in on the little things. I bought this camera for $80 and let me just say, it was a steal. No device is perfect, and you can't expect a high quality professional camera for this low price. However, you can expect very nice quality, an easy use, and durable design! I recommend this product if you're on a budget but still want to take great pictures. (keep in mind this is a $140 camera that I only payed $80 for, I'm happy.)

Before technology became so advance. This was 1 of the best cameras I have owned.

I bought this camera thinking that It is a great price for a 16.0 MP digital camera and I really did not expect too much. I just want a pocket size camera to take pictures when I wander around, but in the end, It still does not satisfy me. On the good side, the camera does take great pictures in sunny days, the pictures look sharp and bright. The camera has solid build, light and good battery life, there is a lot of interesting functions that you might want to try when you take pictures of friends in a gathering. However, since I am not such a big fan of special features and all I want is a camera that gives pictures with colors about just 80% in real life (sceneries, landscapes,...), this camera does not really satisfy me. I just took some pictures of the Chicago night scenery from the Willis Towers and when I got home, I found all the pictures in a shaky state. Overall, I think It is a good camera to people who just want to take pictures of friends, family, pets, .... and have basic needs.

Very easy to use point and shoot. I use it for wildlife, parties, house construction, and other random events and it performs very well. It has a great auto focus feature that recognizes faces and the object of the photo. This works flawlessly 95% of the time, which is quite high for this price range. The battery lasts an exceptionally long time. I am fairly diligent about recharging, but used to run my batteries out with Kodak cameras - that has yet to happen with this camera. Plugging it into the computer, it reads the pics right away for easy transfer. One more bonus, the video function has exceptionally good resolution and sound. I was shocked that you can even hear my breaths while holding it and recording videos - it's that good. Highly recommend for the average picture taker. Ernest photographers will of course need a tier or two above this.

I have my big Canon that I just don't wanna drag around with me all the time, I bought this camera just to throw in my purse and go... It's small, lightweight and takes amazing pictures for a small camera. I take it everywhere with me, to the park, lake ect and don't worry about damaging it. Very inexpensive for what it is but well worth it! I love the Canon so much more because it has it's own battery and it lasts 1000 times longer then the camera's with the double A batteries, this battery lasts me a whole few days using it almost all day. I haven't bought a 2nd battery yet and really don't see a reason to have one. The Canon rechargeable batteries sure do hold up and I am very impressed! It's a gotta have camera for the kids, for the enthusiast, for anyone really, like I said, the price is great, the camera takes very impressive pictures and it's so much more lighter weight than my $1200.00 I usually took everywhere with me and it takes pictures that come out as good as my big camera!

Excellent and easy to use. Small enough to keep in my purse and pull out at a moment's notice. Takes good photos, even at very close range taking pics of small flowers. I had bigger fancier cameras before but they mostly sat on the shelf, and only were pulled out for special occasions. Not this one, it is on me all the time and records all the little wonderful moments that come up. No more having to say, "Wait everyone, I have to get my camera". 2017 Update - This little camera is still going strong. It has been all over the world and taken thousands of pictures. The original battery is still charging fine and lasts all day. What a little gem.

Great camera, simple to operate, has good battery life. Also, has better design than other Canon cameras in the same price range.

still nw looking and love it

bought it last min for my trip to Vegas took beautiful pictures both at night and the day very compact and easy to use. would recommend this little camera to everyone get price to..

I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a basic camera. It takes good resolution pictures, the battery lasts a long time (rechargeable), and it's easy to use.