Canon Powershot A3200 IS review

Canon PowerShot A3200 IS : A Canon compact for those on a budget

As digital technology advances, the price of compacts appears to be declining across the market. You can now pick up a high-resolution compact with impressive specs for under £150, and the Canon PowerShot A3200 IS is a perfect example of this.

The A3200 IS supports a 14MP sensor, 5x optical zoom and a range of alternative shooting modes. Looks-wise it’s nothing particularly special, but the safe, boxy design will appeal to a wide audience and it can be purchased in a variety of colours.

The layout of the Canon A3200 IS is simple to use and all the scene modes can be accessed through the top dial. The text is bold and clear to understand, and for further changes there are sub-menu options, which can be sourced through the Func. Set button on the back panel.

Even though the A3200 IS is a compact camera there are plenty of features and settings, plus there are even semi-manual exposure controls including an exposure compensation button. It really is impressive to see this type of feature appearing on a beginner model. It means for those who want to take their photography to the next level then they can when they’re ready to do so.

A range of fun alternative shooting modes such as a fisheye effect and toy camera mode can also be easily sourced in the scene mode section. For those who want to take on a more creative style of shooting then this is ideal.

Another feature of the A3200 is the Smile Detection setting that appears to work even when the subject isn’t smiling. The time that the A3200 takes from detecting a face to taking the image is highly impressive and not once did the model fail on this part of our tests.

It is important to note that budget cameras are budget for a reason, so the Canon A3200 IS is by no means perfect. The high-resolution sensor is impressive in theory; however, in practice the image results are not always up to scratch and in bright light the highlights are often blown out. The 14-megapixel sensor is not really necessary for a camera of this kind and all it means is the consumer will need larger memory cards as the higher resolution takes up more space.

It seems as if the small size lens is only capable of performing to a certain level, and there also appears to be a colour cast in the images that leans heavily towards magenta. Some of our test shots also appear desaturated and lacking in detail, and in low light there is noticeable noise. However, the noise issue is to be expected from a compact budget camera and it bears no great difference to its direct competitors so can’t really be faulted here.  

Another problem with the A3200 IS is the overall quality of its body build, as the buttons feel tacky to press. The face detection control and the playback button appear to be set back into the body and do not have a responsive feel. This is also true for the zoom control which, when flicked, lacks a positive response.

It’s easy to sit and rip a £130 compact camera to pieces, as there is only so much it’s going to be capable of and be able to perform to a certain level.

Overall, what the consumer gets for their money is impressive. Although the image quality is its weakest aspect, the Canon A3200 IS is a perfect camera for any beginner.