Canon A2100 IS Review

Name: Canon PowerShot A2100 IS
Brand: Canon

Select a Camera to Compare

Add a Camera for comparison

Main Features

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

36-216 mm F3.2-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

1.0fps continuous shooting

185g. 102 x 64 x 32 mm

CHECK PRICE

Canon A2100 IS Overview

First introduced in February 2009 , Canon PowerShot A2100 IS is a 12.0MP Small Sensor Compact camera with a 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor, built-in Image Stabilization and 6.0x zoom 36-216 mm F3.2-5.9 lens.

Canon A2100 IS Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Other Features
Lens
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Canon A2100 IS is a member of Canon's Small Sensor Compact class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Canon Small Sensor Compact Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Canon S200 Compare	2014	10.0MP - 1/1.7'	2.0 fps	100 x 59 x 26mm	181g
Canon N100 Compare	2014	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	fps	105 x 68 x 36mm	289g
Canon S120 Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	12.0 fps	100 x 59 x 29mm	217g
Canon G16 Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/1.7-inch	12.0 fps	109 x 76 x 40mm	356g
Canon N Facebook ready Compare	2013	12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	2.0 fps	79 x 60 x 29mm	195g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Canon S200 vs N100 vs S120 vs G16 vs N Facebook ready

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Canon A2100 IS PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Canon A2100 IS review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Image Stabilization

Face Detection Focusing

185g Light Body

216mm Good Tele Lens

Report a correction

Buy Canon A2100 IS from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No External Flash Shoe

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No Built-in Viewfinder

No RAW Shooting

Low Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600

Only 9 Focus Points

Low Screen Resolution ( 230kdots )

1/1600s Low Max Shutter Speed

Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps

No Manual Focusing

No Manual Exposure

No Environmental Sealing

36 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage

Slow Lens at Wide: f3.20

Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90

Report a correction

Canon A2100 IS Physical Specs

Canon A2100 IS weighs 185 g (0.41 lb / 6.53 oz) and has external dimensions of 102 x 64 x 32 mm (4.02 x 2.52 x 1.26″). Considering that the average weight of Compact type cameras is 188g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 32mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

Canon A2100 IS

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

Canon A2100 IS

Min

Average

Max

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Canon A2100 IS, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Canon A2100 IS Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Canon A2100 IS with its main competitors:

Canon A2100 IS Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs A2100 IS	Thickness	vs A2100 IS
Sony A6400 Compare	403g	218g heavier	50mm	18mm thicker
Nikon D3500 Compare	365g	180g heavier	70mm	38mm thicker
Nikon Z7 Compare	675g	490g heavier	68mm	36mm thicker
Panasonic TS6 Compare	214g	29g heavier	29mm	3mm thinner
Canon 5D Compare	895g	710g heavier	75mm	43mm thicker
Sony a5100 Compare	283g	98g heavier	36mm	4mm thicker
Casio EX-10 Compare	384g	199g heavier	49mm	17mm thicker
Canon S200 Compare	181g	4g lighter	26mm	6mm thinner

Weather Sealing

Canon A2100 IS doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Canon A2100 IS Lens

Canon A2100 IS features a 36-216 mm F3.2-5.9 6× zoom lens. With a focal length of only 36mm on the wide end, the camera doesn't have wide angle capability at all. On the plus side, 216mm reach on tele gives a lot of flexibility and satisfy most of your needs.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

A2100 IS

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

A2100 IS

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

With a max aperture of f3.20 at 36mm, we can not consider this lens fast on wide end, and it is slow at the tele end with its max aperture of f5.90.

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

A2100 IS

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

A2100 IS

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

A2100 IS is equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds.

Canon A2100 IS Sensor and Photography Features

Canon A2100 IS has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. A2100 IS has a native ISO range of 80 - 1600 but unfortunately, Canon A2100 IS doesn't have RAW file support. If you need a Compact camera with a RAW support, consider or in the same price range.

Canon A2100 IS is not the highest resolution Small Sensor camera. GoPro Hero9 Black with its 23.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Canon A2100 IS vs GoPro Hero9 Black or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Canon A2100 IS's 1/2.3-inch sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Canon A2100 IS Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Canon A2100 IS LCD

Canon A2100 IS has a Fixed Type 3.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

Unfortunately Canon PowerShot A2100 IS doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best Compact Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

A2100 IS doesn't have a viewfinder and no option for external viewfinder. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Compact camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (Lumix DMC-TZ100) (Compare) or Nikon Coolpix P7800 (Compare).
Alternatively, check here the list of all Compact cameras with viewfinder..

Canon A2100 IS Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Canon A2100 IS has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Canon A2100 IS Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Sony A6400 Compare	3840 x 2160	410shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nikon D3500 Compare	1920 x 1080	1550shots	No	Yes	No
Nikon Z7 Compare	3840 x 2160	330shots	Yes	Yes	No
Panasonic TS6 Compare	1920 x 1080	370shots	Yes	No	Yes
Canon 5D Compare	None	800shots	No	No	No
Sony a5100 Compare	1920 x 1080	400shots	Yes	No	Yes
Casio EX-10 Compare	1920 x 1080	455shots	Yes	No	No
Canon S200 Compare	1280 x 720	200shots	Yes	No	No

Canon A2100 IS Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Canon A2100 IS can shoot continuously at max speed of 1 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/1600 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately A2100 IS doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.

Focusing

Canon A2100 IS features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 9 points to choose from.

Canon A2100 IS also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Canon A2100 IS Good for?

In this section, we review and score Canon A2100 IS in 5 different photography areas.

Canon A2100 IS for Portrait Photography

Canon A2100 IS has a score of 22 for Portrait Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list and consider these alternatives over theA2100 IS.

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe

No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Canon A2100 IS for Portrait Photography

Canon A2100 IS for Street Photography

Canon A2100 IS has a score of 52 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Street Photography list.

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Image Stabilization
Small Body
No Built-in Viewfinder

No Manual Focus Mode
36 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Canon A2100 IS for Street Photography

Canon A2100 IS for Sports Photography

Canon A2100 IS has a score of 15 for Sports Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Sports We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list and consider these alternatives over theA2100 IS.

Image Stabilization
216 mm Tele Lens
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
9 Focus Points
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
No Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Canon A2100 IS for Sports Photography

Canon A2100 IS for Daily Photography

Canon A2100 IS has a score of 49 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Compact Body
185g
6.0X Optical Zoom

Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Canon A2100 IS for Daily Photography

Canon A2100 IS for Landscape Photography

Canon A2100 IS has a score of 15 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theA2100 IS.

Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
36 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage

No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Canon A2100 IS for Landscape Photography

Canon A2100 IS Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Canon A2100 IS compares with other Compact cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Canon A2100 IS alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Canon A2100 IS

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Canon A2100 IS amongst Camera Decision readers.

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Compare

Canon A2100 IS Alternatives in Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Canon A2100 IS with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Canon A2100 IS's price range.

Canon A2100 IS Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Canon A2100 IS has an Overall Score of 30/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Canon PowerShot A2100 IS is ranked #459 out of 631 in Compact cameras (Top 20 Compact), and ranked #1073 out of 1240 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#1073 out of 1240 in Top Ranking Cameras
#459 out of 631 in Top Ranking Compact Cameras
#167 out of 262 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Compact Cameras
#568 out of 740 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Sensor Cameras
#332 out of 536 in Lightest Compact Cameras with Small Sensor sensor(185g)
#754 out of 917 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras.

Frequently Asked Questions about Canon A2100 IS

Does the Canon A2100 IS have Image Stabilization?
Does the Canon A2100 IS have RAW support?
Does the Canon A2100 IS have Weather Sealing?
Does the Canon A2100 IS have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Canon A2100 IS?
What is the Sensor Size of Canon A2100 IS?
is the Canon A2100 IS a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Canon A2100 IS have Touch Screen?
Does the Canon A2100 IS have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Canon A2100 IS?
What is the Weight of Canon A2100 IS?
What are the Dimensions of Canon A2100 IS?

Canon PowerShot A2100 IS Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Canon
Model	Canon PowerShot A2100 IS
Announced	2009-02-18
Body Type	Compact
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	36-216 mm (6×)
Max Aperture	F3.2-5.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	3.00"
Screen Resolution	230k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	15s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/1600s
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	n/a
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	3.50 m
Flash Modes	Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CCD
Sensor Size	1/2.3-inch
Sensor Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Sensor Area	28.07mm²
Sensor Resolution	12 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4000 x 3000
Max Native ISO	1,600
Min Native ISO	80
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max Video Resolution	640 x 480
Video Formats	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	185g
Physical Dimensions	102 x 64 x 32mm
Battery Model	2 x AA
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HD MMCplus
Storage Slots	1

Most Popular Small Sensor Compact Cameras

Nikon P7800
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-200 mm

Canon G16
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-140 mm

Sony W800
20 MP | 1/2.3-inch Sensor| 26-130 mm

Fujifilm X30
12 MP | Sensor| 28-112 mm

Canon S120
12 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 24-120 mm

Fujifilm X10
12 MP | 2/3-inch Sensor| 28-112 mm

Leica D-Lux 6
10 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 24-90 mm

Canon G12
10 MP | 1/1.7-inch Sensor| 28-140 mm

Latest Compact Cameras

Sony ZV-1
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-70 mm

Fujifilm X100V
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | 35 mm

Sony RX100 VII
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-200 mm

Canon G5 X MII
20 MP | 1″ Sensor | 24-120 mm

Canon G7 X MIII
20 MP | 1' Sensor | 24-100 mm

Leica Q2
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm

Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm

Nikon A1000
16 MP | 1/2.3" Sensor | 24-840 mm