Canon PowerShot A2100 IS photos and review

The A2100 IS is almost identical in design to last year's A2000 IS. However, the A2100's black wedge-shaped body is statelier looking than the A2000's bland gray and silver. The wide part of the wedge is on the right side giving you a comfortably thick grip. Sticking it in a bigger pants pocket or jacket won't be a problem, though its weight won't let you forget it's there. And considering the A2100 IS has a 6x zoom lens and is powered by two AA batteries, the weight is forgivable. Worth noting though is how fast it'll chomp through batteries. You'll want to invest in a pair of NiMH rechargeables that brings the shot count up significantly.

At first glance, it seems as if there's a lot going on with the controls for the A2100 IS. On top are a power button, a shutter release with zoom ring, and a Mode dial with no fewer than 10 shooting options. Why so many for such a basic camera? Well, along with its P (for Program), Auto, Easy (auto without options), and Movie modes, Canon puts five popular scene selections (such as Portrait, Landscape, Indoor) and a SCN choice for accessing lesser used scene settings like Sunset, Snow, and Aquarium. While the Mode dial looks quite busy, it is actually simple. Likewise, the back of the camera is loaded up with a directional pad and six buttons labeled in white (for shooting functions) and blue (for playback functions), but even novice users should have things down pat quickly.