Canon's AA-powered budget compact — 12.1MP CCD, 35-140mm stabilised 4x zoom, DIGIC 4, from 2009
The PowerShot A1100 IS was a budget compact in Canon's long-running A-series, announced in February 2009 alongside the A2100 IS. It updated the A1000 IS with a higher-resolution sensor and the newer DIGIC 4 processor while keeping the slim AA-powered format that defined the line's later years.
It combined a 12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD with a 35-140mm-equivalent 4x zoom at f/2.7-5.6, backed by optical image stabilisation. The 2.5-inch LCD carried 115,000 dots, video recorded at 640x480 and 30fps, and images wrote to SD, SDHC or MMC cards. Two AA batteries supplied power.
It suited beginners and families wanting a simple stabilised zoom compact with no manual exposure control to worry about. AA power means it can be revived anywhere without hunting for a proprietary charger, which keeps these usable long after many contemporaries.
AA operation removes battery-obsolescence worries, but open the battery door and check the contacts for corrosion from leaked cells. Cycle the zoom to confirm the lens extends and retracts without a lens-error message, and inspect the LCD for bright spots or bleed. CCD-era colour is part of the current appeal.