Canon PowerShot A1000 IS Digital Camera

I've had somewhat of a rough history with my Canon cameras, typically losing/breaking them on an annual or biannual basis.  Several of these misfortunes have been my fault, while others I have chalked up to receiving a "lemon" camera.  Fortunately, the price for an entry level point-and-shoot keeps dropping, which means I can purchase the current Canon Camera de jour without too much guilt.  Unfortunately, the quality of these basic models also seems to be dropping, so I may well branch out to a different brand after my most recent experience with the Canon A1000 IS.
 
Nuts and Bolts
I purchased the Canon A1000 IS after my A570 inexplicably broke less than eighteen months after purchase.  Because the cost of this model was under $200.00, it seemed to make more sense to fork over for a new camera than to pay for repair of the old one.

Those familiar with Canon's A series cameras will see nothing remarkable here.  The A1000 IS is virtually identical in shape and size to its predecessors like the A540 and the A570, although perhaps a tiny bit smaller.  This model is two-toned black and silver, apparently for snazziness.  I personally think the black plastic looks cheap, but don't care that much what my camera looks like anyway.  What I do care about is that this model feels cheap.  The battery cover, in particular, is so flimsy I am positive it is only a matter of time until it breaks and I am holding my batteries in with duct tape.  The Canon A1000 IS takes two AAA batteries and lasts a pretty long time on each set. 

The A1000 IS has 2.5 inch LCD display, which is a convenient size for viewing photos.  There is unfortunately nothing to cover this screen with unless you have a camera case.  The camera comes with a protective plastic coating over the screen and I personally leave this on as long as possible to avoid scratches.  To the right of the screen are several important buttons which allow the user to easily delete photos, set the camera's timer, or turn the flash off.  The last of these is particularly convenient, as I have often found myself struggling to quickly guarantee my flash is off when photographing, for example, an aquarium display or a "no flash allowed" museum exhibit.

The real business of the A1000 IS takes place on top, where the off/on switch, shooting mode dial, and shutter button are located.   The shooting mode options have changed a little bit this time around.  In addition to the fool-proof "Auto" button, there is also a heart-emblazoned camera called the "Easy" setting.  My understanding of the difference between the two is that for best results with Auto, the user must partially press the button to focus before shooting.  With Easy, the idea is that a person can just point and shoot, although focusing is still an option.  Other settings include Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, and Night Scene.  There is also an option to take video, although this takes up so much space on a memory card that we almost never use it.

Also on top is the zoom toggle which allows for settings of up to 4x optical zoom and 16x digital zoom.  I find things get a little dicey when I go outside the optical zoom, so I try to stick with that.

Taking Photos
I have had the opportunity to take photos in a variety of settings and light levels since purchasing this camera in mid-May.  The verdict is that the photos produced are generally good, but certainly no better than the ones I have taken with my prior cameras.  The fact that the A1000 IS offers 10 megapixels is nice but of no particular use unless one plans to blow up photos to poster size, which I do not. 

Of greater significance to me is the fact that use of this camera seems to result in more blurry photos than any other A series camera I have owned.  This could be because of the focusing mechanism, or it could be because the camera has substantial shutter lag.  The problem is definitely more pronounced with the use of flash.  It makes me wonder if the much-hyped Image Stabilization feature is even working.

Out of the fancy settings referenced above, there are several I use on a regular basis.  I do like the addition of an "Easy" button for when I hand my camera over to a less camera-savvy friend or stranger.  I have also used Landscape with extremely good results during a hiking trip at Yosemite National Park.  Indoor comes in handy in certain light levels.  For the most part, though, I stick to Auto as I have with all my prior Canon cameras.  I suspect most Canon owners do the same!  More advanced photographers will probably not own this camera but if they do, more complicated methods of photo-snapping are detailed in the instruction manual that accompanies the camera.

Using Photos
The Canon A1000 IS comes with a cable for easy computer downloading.  This feature is very user-friendly - just plug the camera in to the computer and an explanatory window will pop up.  From your computer, you can either upload photos to your website of choice for printing or print them directly if you have appropriate equipment.  Personally, I usually send mine to Walgreens.com and do my photo editing on the site before mail-ordering.

Overall . . .
The Canon A1000 IS is an okay camera in its individual capacity.  However, I am unhappy about going through four Canon cameras in about as many years and I see the A1000 IS as evidence of a slow, steady decline in the quality of the A series.  Poor design decisions combined with more blurry photos make this camera, in my opinion, a step down from the A570.  While Canon has been my go-to brand since I received my first digital camera, I will definitely be shopping around when this model inevitably poops out in a year or so.