Canon PowerShot A2300 First Impressions Review

Focus

As expected for a camera like this, the A2300 is a through-the-lens autofocus model, without any manual focus capability. The only user control over the AF system is the focus range, either normal or macro (close-up) modes.

Exposure & Metering

Aperture and shutter speeds are completely automated—no user control at all. The aperture range is f/2.8 (W) - 6.9 (T), while the shutter ranges from 1/2000 to 1 second (or up to 15 seconds in long shutter mode).

The user can choose the metering mode (Evaluative, Center-Weighted Average, or Spot modes) as well as exposure compensation, ranging from +/-2 stops in increments of 1/3 EV. There’s also an auto-exposure lock option, for a tiny extra bit of exposure control.

ISO

ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1600. In Auto and most preset modes, the camera chooses the setting itself. In Program mode, users can adjust the setting themselves or leave it set to auto mode.

White Balance

White balance modes include Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and a custom setting. It can also adjust WB according to face detection.

Image Stabilization

Stabilization is digital-only. There is no optical image stabilization in the A2300.

Picture Effects

Some scene modes include Portrait, Snow, Fireworks, and Monochrome. Picture effects include Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Super Vivid, and Poster Effect. They aren’t organized into “effects” and “scene” categories like they would be in most higher-end cameras, and are instead just grouped into one long "shooting mode" menu.