Canon PowerShot A3300 IS replaces the older A3100 IS and offers several upgraded features which will tempt photographers looking for their first digital compact camera. Though the camera has been targeted towards beginners, yet it offers some 
more functions than other basic compacts in the markets. The camera features a 16 MP image sensor, 5x optical zoom lens and comes in different colors. The camera is also capable of recording 720p HD movies and there are 32 shooting modes. Check out our Canon PowerShot A3300 IS review to know whether the camera deserves its rightful place at the top of the Canon A series range.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Looks and Feel
The first thing which you will notice about the camera is its compactness. At dimensions standing at 95 x 57 x 24 mm, the camera easily slips into your pocket. The camera is equipped with a zoom ring around the shutter buttons the front of the device; you will find the 5xoptical zoom protruding out the camera body along with a slim flash sitting above it. The build quality of PowerShot A3300 IS looks very the much as that of lower models and there are same features in the camera. On the top of the camera you will a best shot dial which gives users quick access to functions such as video, landscape, scene modes etc. There is no grip as such on PowerShot A3300 IS and overall we can say that it is very well sculpted camera.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Controls
Thanks to the two-tone design of the camera, the controls are organized in their own manner. On the top of the camera from left to right, you will find a tiny one-hole microphone, a three-hole speaker, power button, mode dial and the shutter button. On the back panel, you get a 3inch LCD which displays pictures of 230k-pixel. Above the navigator one gets Face Select button while below the navigator lies the display button.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Lens
The camera is equipped with 5x optical zoom lens which ranges from 28 to 140 mm in 35mm equivalents. It includes a good wide angle which can capture an entire room and acts as an adequate telephoto for distant objects. The lens is extended by a 4x digital zoom for a total of 20x zoom range. At wide angle, the focusing range extends from 1.2 inches to infinity while at telephoto the range extends from 3 feet to infinity at telephoto. At telephoto the maximum aperture is f/5.9 while at wide angle it is f/2.8. The shutter speed ranges from 15 to 1/1600 seconds depending on the mode selected. In our lens quality we found that the lens to be slightly soft in corners, both at telephoto as well as wide-angle along with some chromatic aberration.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Specs
Here are some of the technical specifications of PowerShot A3300:-
General
- Model Number: A3300 IS
- Camera Format: Ultra Compact
- Weight: 148 grams
- Size: 95 x 57 x 24 mm
Image Capture
- Continuous Mode: 0.8
- Movie Resolution: 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240
- CCD Sensor: 16.40
- CCD Size: 1/2.3″
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3, 16:9
- Focal Length: 28-140mm
- Zoom Ratio: 5.00x
- Digital Zoom: Yes
- LCD Size: 3.0 inch
- LCD Resolution: 230k
Lens
Display
Click here to get full specifications of PowerShot A3300 IS.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Features
Modes
For a simple camera PowerShot A3300 IS is equipped with several modes such as
- Program Mode
- Live Mode
- Easy Mode
- Smart Auto
- Scene Mode
- Discreet Mode
- Movie Mode
Menu System
The menu system of the camera is quite simple and users will get familiar easily with the traditional menu system of the camera. There are four-way navigator arrow buttons which provides nice shortcuts.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Memory Card
We were quite disappointed to note that Canon A3300 IS has no built-in memory for storing images. Hence you have to rely entirely upon SD card in the memory card compartment. The camera supports Multimedia Card, SD/SDHC/SDXC and MMCplus Card. If you are looking for HD video capture then you need to use Class 4 card.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Image Quality
We were quite happy to note that the images captured by PowerShot A3300 had the details we wanted. Though the camera struggles to balance between noise suppression and details, it performs quite well than some of the other higher priced cameras. We observed that there was a small amount of oversaturation in bright reds, green and blues. Hue accuracy was quite better than average and overall the performance was quite good.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Video
The camera is capable of capturing HD clips of resolution measuring 1280×720 pixels at 30 fps. One can also capture SD clips at 30 fps. The videos captured gave us good amount of details and were quite smooth.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Battery Life
The camera is powered by a 3.6 volt, 740mAh lithium-ion battery which Canon estimates to last for approximately 230 shots or for 5 hours as per CIPA testing standards. We have no issues with the battery life of the camera and since the charger has folded plugs hence you do not need a cable or cord and therefore the camera is perfect for travel.
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS In the Box
While unboxing PowerShot A3300 IS we found the phone to be equipped with the following stuffs:-
- PowerShot A3300 IS Digital Camera
- Battery Pack
- Battery Charger
- AV Cable
- Wrist Strap
- USB Cable
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Recommended Accessories
The recommended accessories with PowerShot A3300 IS are:
- Protective Case
- Large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card
- Extra Battery Pack
Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Price
Price of PowerShot A3300 is approximately $ 160 while price of the camera in India is approximately Rs 15,000.
If you are looking for a camera which will suit your general needs then you can look forward to PowerShot A3300 IS. It is simple, elegant, cheap and most importantly has high specs to suit your photographic needs.