Canon PowerShot A2100 IS

Viewfinder

Like most compact cameras today, the A2100 doesn't devote scarce real estate to an optical viewfinder, a fact you might regret while squinting at the LCD screen in a glare-prone bright sunny day.
 

LCD

The LCD is a typical 3-inch screen with 230,000-dot resolution. We held the camera at a variety of viewing angles and didn't see any problems reading the display. Five different screen brightness settings are available through the menuy system.

 

The 3-inch LCD will serve both as a monitor and viewfinder.

Flash

The flash is located on the front of the A2100, in its top right corner. Since the flash is located just above the lens, your pictures will be more prone to red eye than they would be if the flash were further removed..
 

A small flash located near the lens could lead to red-eye problems.

Lens

The A2100 provides a 6x zoom lens with a focal length range from 6.4 to 38.4mm (35mm equivalent of 36-216mm), and an aperture range of f/3.2 to f/5.9. Normal focusing range runs from 50cm to infinity, while the macro mode covers the 1-50cm range. 

 

The A2100 has an above-average zoom range for a point-and-shoot.

Jacks, Ports & Plugs

The A2100's ports are located on its right side. The top port is a DC input, for use with an optional AC adapter, while the bottom one is a mini USB port.
 

The I/O ports are well protected from the elements.

Battery

The A2100 takes two AAs, which it keeps under a secret panel on its bottom. You can also use rechargeable batteries to keep costs down or invest in the optional AC adapter kit. According to Canon, a set of AA batteries should be good for approximately 160 shots, which isn't a whole lot of photos.
 

It's a good thing AAs are easy to find, since you won't get many shots for each pair you insert.

Memory

The A2100 accepts SD/SDHC memory cards along with the less popular MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus Card, and HC MMC Plus Card formats. As seen in the picture above, the memory card slot is located next to the batteries.