Rating: 
Summary: excellent value 3MP compact camera, but no optical zoom
Review: this camera is geared towards the casual photographer who is looking for good resolution (3MP) in a compact and lightweight package and doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a digicam.pros:
- great resolution for the price - 3MP!
- uses the same DIGIC processor as Canon's high-end G3 and EOS 10D - great pictures!
- you can use this as a point and shoot but it still allows a degree of manual control when you want to be more creative with your shots
- focus assist light for low-light situations
- has exposure compensation
- two autofocus modes
- ISO 50-400 range
- the interface makes plenty of useful features quickly accessible - once you get the hang of it
- voice annotation available
- VGA movie mode with sound (limited to 30 seconds)
- uses non-proprietary AA batteries; i recommend buying rechargeables though
- reasonable shot to shot time for this class of camera
- USB connectivity
- and you can get all this for less than a couple of c-notes! cons:
- no optical zoom; but if that's what you want, you should look at the next class up on cameras (there's a digital zoom, but it's better to take the picture un-zoomed and zoom in later in your computer)
- noticeable barrel distortion at the edges of the frame
- the camera is light but it's bulky, so it doesn't feel very solid
- no RAW or TIFF uncompressed format
- short flash range
- the included 16MB CF card is not enough; be prepared to shell out more $$ for more memory
- no composite video connection so you can't view on a TV for the price and for its target audience, this is a very nice camera. just don't expect the higher end features you would find in the canon s50 or g5. enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Canon A300 Digital - a decent starter digital camera
Review: This is the second digital camera that I've owned. I had a Fuji
digital for the previous 5 years and it served me well for basic
photos, just a bit weak on the megapixs (1.3), and after the first couple of years; the controls became less dependable. The Canon A300 has easy-to-use controls, takes digital movies with sound, stitches several pictures together to make a panoramic print, takes gorgeous closeups within a few inches of subject and transfers the pictures to a pc or other device in a snap with a excellent photo program that allows cropping, editing, etc... There are drawbacks to this model - the digital telephoto isn't too good past 2.5X (goes up to 7.5x), no optical telephoto, uses AA alkaline batteries as if they were candy, the battery and compactflash card door isn't located right as I keep unlocking it when I turn the camera on with the protective lenscap that slides towards it. I would strongly suggest rechargable NIMH batteries and a recharger.
There are better digital cameras out there, but for the low price and features, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to
start digital photography with an inexpensive investment.
Rating: 
Summary: A great first digital camera
Review: I've read most of the reviews about this camera. I will say for the price, it's worth every penny. The pictures are so clear. I wouldn't consider anything other than a Canon product. They last forever. This is my first digital camera. I've had this camera for almost a year and it fits my needs perfectly. Battery life(w/rechargeables) is decent. I love the included software for storing pic's and movies. My grandson (he's 2 1/2) sits on my knee and laughs and laughs when he sees himself in the movies and pictures stored in my PC. Printing digital pictures (8 x 10's ) off my Canon S-600 printer has decent quality and saves me time and money. For us older teenagers who lived in the film era of 35mm, this is a welcomed change. It's fun,versatile,and very easy to use. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Shots, but Eats Batteries!
Review: The Canon PowerShot A300 takes some really awesome pictures. It has a lot of features that are easy to figure out and is user-friendly to those new to the digital cam world. A couple pros:
-Takes great pictures, even when set to low quality (1 megapixel)
-ISO
-Great quality for price
-Many features A couple cons:
-Eats through batteries in minutes. A suggestion would be to turn off the LCD when using the camera. The LCD isnt very necessary for taking pictures, anyways. Also, buy some Canon NIMH rechargable batteries. I found some at Circuit City for $35. If you dont get NIMH batteries, you'll go through a 12 pack of regular batteries in an hour.
-Flash doesnt reach far enough. Sometimes I find that using the camera in low-light situations is pointless because the flash wont even reach the object I'm taking a picture of.
-Sometimes "automatic" features (ISO, flash, etc) make the picture come out blurry or fuzzy. Try experimenting with the features to find something that suits you. For the money, its a great camera, but dont expect miracles out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera with some minor drawbacks...
Review: I love it...It is my first digital camera but for the price it really has more features than you would expect. I would like if it were a little smaller so it could fit in my pocket, but I guess thats why you pay hundreds more to get an elph. The photo quality is excellent however it declines when doing work to the photos on the computer. The movie function is AMAZING. The quality is excellent and it is like having a home movie camera! I sometimes have trouble taking the pictures when i have to hold the button down half way and wait for the camera to focus - it takes a few seconds and sometimes doesnt focus at all and wont let you take the picture. The only really bad part about the camera is that the batteries die VERY VERY VERY VERY quickly. Definitely invest in duracell stock when you purchase this camera or NEVER use the LCD screen! Overall the camera is GREAT and I love it. Hope this helped...
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing past 20 feet
Review: I wasn't expecting a lot from this camera, but I've been disappointed with two aspects of it. Even with a higher resolution setting, I couldn't get sharp pictures indoors from more than 20 feet away. I've also found the controls slower and more complicated than most other digitals I've owned. I wish I had put this money towards a higher-quality camera (which I ended up doing anyway).
Rating:
Summary: Great for what I wanted
Review: This is my first digital camera. I wasn't looking for anything major. Mainly I wanted the camera for taking pictures that I might not want to have developed. Just everyday pictures to share with family and friends. Also, I thought it would be handy for when I go househunting. So far, I am impressed. I have been using the superfine setting for the medium-2 size. The clarity of these pictures is wonderful. I haven't used it enough to speak on the battery eating that other reviews have mentioned. But I did buy a charger and some NiMH batteries. I have had to change the battery once and that was also because we left it open. I have managed to take over 40 pictures and several movies if that means anything to you. For the price and the discount on the memory card (I went for the 128 MB version), I think this camera is a great deal and perfect for someone wanting to get their first digital camera without breaking the bank. *Updated*
I just took this camera on a weekend trip. I didn't have to change the batteries. I turned off the LCD screen (I don't like using that for pictures anyway), and I turned the camera off between pictures. Worked beautifully and the pictures look great too.
Rating:
Summary: No Battery Problems!
Review: I was reeeally skeptical about this camera, regarding the battery problems that many of the readers encountered. But I got it anyway from Target. I haven't used the enclosed batteries, rather I went to Fry's Electronics and made a purchase of a set of 4 [no name brand] rechargable batteries. To my surprise, I've had noooo problems with the camera draining the batteries! I've had the camera for 2 weeks now, I've turned it on and off at least 20 times... and have taken at least 50+ shots with the flash on, and I'm still using the the set of charged batteries. No joke. It's pretty amazing. I've had an older model of the Kodak digital camera, and the batteries it used was a Kodak factory made, and it was very disappointing to say the least. I don't know if it's a hit or miss with this Canon model, but mine's been working out just fine. Last note, yes, it's kinda strange without the optical zoom, but like another reader had stated, shoot it at the highest resolution, don't digital zoom, then just crop whatever you need [if needed], it'll come out just fine.
Rating:
Summary: If battery life is an issue, don't buy this camera.
Review: First, let me say that the camera features and quality of images are the best I have seen for a camera of this price. ....and then the batteries died.
The battery life is the worse that I have ever seen in any electronics device.....ever. Supplied AA alkalines supplied with the camera got me about 5 photos and about 15 minutes of menu playing time. The manual states I should get 75 images with the supplied alkalines. I installed Quest 1300mah NIMH rechargables, like everyone suggests, and got about 9 images and one movie before the batteries died. The manual states I should get 200 images with rechargables. I'm thinking of buying the new 2200mah rechargables, but I'm already disappointed with the camera's use of power and I'm not sure the 2200s will even get me 20+ images. I'm seriously thinking of returning this item.
... UPDATE:(2/3/04)
I did buy some 2200 mAh batteries and with the LCD defaulting to off and using the eyepiece, I can say that the camera is usable, but only for occational use. I can't see using this camera on any long trips/vacations. I still wouldn't recommend the A300 to anyone without warning them of the extra cost of a good ($50) rechargeable battery kit.
Keep this in mind if you are evaluating Total Cost.
Hope I helped.
David
Rating:
Summary: Excellent camera for the money
Review: I upgraded to this model from a polaroid pdc640, so its lightyears better than what I'm used to. I'm a bargain hunter so I got a good deal on this and a 256meg CF card. As mentioned by most all previous reviews, this thing EATS regular alkalines. Buy some decent NI-MH AAs and a charger...and save some benjamins, seriously. Here's a list of what I like about this camera: -easy to switch to movie mode and back
-15fps movies are excellent quality and have SOUND!
-easy to change picture quality (hit FUNC>left or right>FUNC)
-no drivers needed with Windows XP (just plug it in and POOF!)
-excellent quality pictures even at low-res
-changable startup image/theme and sounds
-powerful flash lights up a pitch black room
-lens protector keeps the lens cleen/unscratched
-auto focus works well in good-light conditions and easy to use Things that aren't as good
-auto focusing takes a while in low light, I turn AF off most times
-EATS batteries, buy rechargables. do it. -digital zoom...what do you expect for the money (compare a 3.2mp sony)
-no TV-out (no complaint here)
-16mb card will last you about 20 pictures at the highest resolution (fortunately CF is cheaper than memory stick, SD, MMC...) This camera is great for close-ups, short videos, any generally any type of picture that zoom is not a priority. Personally I love it, but if you want to be able to zoom in on your subjects, definitely pony up the cash and move up to a more expensive camera.
| 
