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Canon PowerShot A3200is
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The Canon PowerShot A3200is measures 9x5.5x2.5cm with the unit off. With the lens fully extended the last figure the thickness extends by another 2.5cm. The total weight of the unit is 146grams. My unit was orange but they do more sober colours as well.
The unit has 5x optical zoom and can capture images up to 14.1MP. The 35mm equivalent lens setting is 1.28 – 5.9.
The bar flash is mounted to the right and above the lens with it being at least 2.5cm away from it. The right side has the wrist strap anchor point and a rubber bung covering the A/V out. The left side is clear. The base has the solid battery insertion point as well as the same point being where any SD card you use being inserted. There is also the obligatory tripod screw.
The top has the microphone, on/off lozenge, shutter release around which is the telephoto/wide angle adjuster and finally the eight position wheel. This leaves the back to tell you about. As always with small cameras this is dominated by the 5.5x4.2cm TFT. To the right of this are two well marked buttons above the ubiquitous five position joystick and another two well marked buttons below it.
Once you have charged the lithium battery and inserted it into the base along with an SD card switch on and set the time and date. Unless you are used to this sort of camera turn the wheel at the top right to ‘Auto’ and take a few images just to get used to the action of the controls.
Press the ‘Func Set’ button in the centre of the joystick and you can change the image size. Simply displayed as L, M1, M2, S and W when in Auto mode. In other modes 4320x3240, 3072x2304, 1600x1200, 640x480 and 4320x2432 the actual sizes are displayed for a limited time. In whatever mode a number on the right side shows the available number of images in that mode your card has capacity for, you can compress images using fine or normal mode.
The Video options are 1280x720, 640x480 or 320x240; there are a range of specialised features including blurs.
I was more than happy with the images I took in fact I took some at M2 1600x1200 mode that I printed at A4 and they were fine, the documentation suggests at least M1 mode 3072x2304 for this and indeed should you want to print a portion of the image this would be a better choice. Of course to print only a minor part of the image use the L mode 4320x3240.
I was recently given the chance to have an image printed on a printer that produces images 24x18inches and I took one taken in M1 3072x2304 mode, stunning in the word but of course that was a specialised professional printer.
The 28mm wide angle lens allows you to capture greater detail when closer to the subjects great for indoor group shots where moving back further is not an option.
Part of the image quality is done to the DIGIC 4 internal processor; a large MP number does not always mean wonderful detailed images so the processor quality is very important.
Doing my Internet searches I found the Canon PowerShot A3200is at a best price of £107.50 with free p&p.
www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/PowerShot/PowerShot_A3200_IS/
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