Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Digital Camera Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification



The A3400 IS was launched in February 2012 as part of Canon's range of PowerShot cameras, as well as the A810, A1300, A2300 and A2400 IS. It is available in black, bronze, pink and white for around £120.00.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Features

The A3400 IS has a 16 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom lens, which is a 35mm equivalent of 28-140mm. It has Intelligent Image Stabilisation (IS) in order to combat camera shake to ensure photos and videos are as sharp as possible.

For the novice photographer there is Smart Auto which chooses the correct scene from 32 variables and adjusts the camera settings automatically. If you get stuck at any time there is a help button which gives guidance on using your camera and its different functions.

There are a number of creative modes such as Fish-eye effect, Super Vivid, Poster, Toy Camera, Miniature and Monochrome. Live View Control allows you to experiment with picture settings like brightness and colour intensity, then preview the results while framing. Face Detection Technology detects up to 35 faces in a single frame making sure they remain in focus with optimum brightness. Face Detection White Balance ensures natural skin tones even in unusual lighting conditions with Auto Red-Eye Correction eliminating red-eye.

The A3400 IS records videos at 720p HD which also has Image Stabilisation.

Key Features

• 16.0 megapixel sensor
• 5x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 28-140mm)
• Intelligent Image Stabilisation
• 3.0 inch touch LCD screen
• Smart Auto (32 scenes)
• 720p HD video recording
• ISO 100-1600
• 3cm minimum focusing distance
• Several creative modes
• Available in black, bronze, pink and white

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Handling

The A3400 has a slim body with a metal front and plastic rear, but there isn't anything which makes it easier to grip. The buttons are easy to press and fairly typical for a compact camera with dedicated movie and help placed on the rear. The camera also has an easy to use menu system which is cycled through using the d-pad and func set button. When it is switched off, the playback button can be pressed to view your pictures and videos. The screen is well sized at 3 inches, which can also be used to set the focus and release the shutter, although the screen was difficult to see when outdoors.

The battery has a CIPA rating of 180 shots, we managed over 200 during testing before the battery showed any sign of draining. We tested the camera's performance at focusing, shutter response, shot-to-shot time, continuous shooting etc. and have posted the results below. To test this we took 6 or more shots and calculated the average, so that consistent results were produced.

Shutter Response		0.125 secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response		0.4 secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response		0.7 secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo		2.4 secs
Shot to Shot (without flash)		2.8 secs
Shot to Shot with Flash		5.2 secs
Continuous Shooting		0.7 fps
Continuous Shooting (with flash)		0.4 fps

Continuous shooting records at full 16 megapixel resolution.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review and product ratings.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Images are well exposed with superb colour reproduction. Portraits have pleasant skin tones, but do have a hint of red-eye.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images are fairly well detailed, but there's not enough if you want really impressive large prints. With the impressive colour reproduction the images are great if you like to share them on the web on your favourite social networking site. Macros are fairly good, particularly as the lens has a minimum focusing distance of 3cm.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Images are free of noise at ISO 100 but there is a slight touch appearing at ISO 200. At ISO 400 there are some white dots appearing, but a decent, fairly sharp image is produced. There is a loss of detail in places at ISO 800, with a slight softening, ISO 1600 produces images which are even softer with black and white dots now appearing, but will still produce images which are good for web sharing.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - When using the AWB preset under the incandescent lights an orange cast is present, with the incandescent preset producing a good image. The AWB preset copes really well under the fluorescent lighting, with the fluorescent preset also doing a pretty good job.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Other sample images

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Digital filters

Digital Filters - The A3400 doesn't have digital filters as such, but these are listed amongst the scene modes, which allow you to be more creative with your pictures.

Video - Below is a video shot at 720p HD, there is no optical zoom during recording but you can use digital zoom.

Value For Money

The Canon PowerShot A3400 is available for around £120.00. Other cameras with a similar spec include the Pentax Optio LS465 at £89.95, Nikon Coolpix S3300 at £99.95, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS45 at £109.95 and Sony Cybershot W630 at £119.00. You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Verdict

The A3400 IS is an easy to use, pocketable camera available in a range of good colours. Images produced have excellent colour reproduction which will look great when sharing them on sites like Facebook. Detail isn't good enough for large prints, but there are a number of creative modes available to help you take unique pictures. The camera is also easy to use, with built-in help guides if you do get stuck.

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Pros

Built-in help guide
Available in a good range of colours
Good creative modes
Images have really good colour reproduction
Easy to use

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Cons

Only 720p HD video recording
No fast continuous shooting
Image detail isn't sufficient for large prints
Screen difficult to see in bright conditions

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Canon PowerShot A3400 IS Specifications

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