Canon A3500 IS
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
- 135g - 98 x 56 x 20mm
- Launched January 2013
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
96 Imaging
40 Features
35 Overall
38
Canon A3500 IS overview
Canon A3500 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Compact digital camera initially released on January of 2013. It includes a 16 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 4608 x 3456.
The A3500 IS places at #49 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all around #773 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can test our Advanced camera finder to find camera ratings based on your personal criteria.
Here is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.
Canon A3500 IS history
The Canon A3500 IS comes with a history of related cameras. Below, you can look at all previous and more recent models along with key specifications.
F2.8-6.916MP1/2.3"2013
Canon A3500 IS Gallery
You can view the A3500 IS from various angles in the gallery here.
Canon A3500 IS Pros and Cons
Here is a checklist of advantages and disadvantages of the Canon A3500 IS based on aspects that are usually seen as important in a digital camera.
Canon A3500 IS Sensor features
The Canon A3500 IS is powered by the DIGIC 4 processor chip. The sensor spec on the Canon A3500 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe CCD sensor boasts 16 megapixels and features a standard ISO range of 100 to 1600. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported therefore the user has less margin for error.
The picture below shows the A3500 IS's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The A3500 IS sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is shown in green.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsTo get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.
Canon A3500 IS dimensions
Canon A3500 IS weighs in at 0.30 lbs (135g or 4.76 ounces) and features outer measurements of 98mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g and the Canon A3500 IS is lighter compared to various rivals.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banListed below is a visual of the Canon A3500 IS alongside a soda so you can have a sense of its size.
The top view here will show the button layout on the A3500 IS.
Canon A3500 IS Lens features
The A3500 IS has got a built-in lens giving a focal range of 28-140mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which is definitely not ideal however it can be helpful in a few situations.
At it's widest 28mm, it will have an aperture of f2.8 and that's quite sluggish and not great in low light occasions and you will probably find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will probably also have to raise your ISO setting producing noisy images. At the long end, 140mm comes to f6.9 which is pretty slow and you may have to apply slower shutter speeds.
Canon A3500 IS Connectivity
The A3500 IS has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- GPS Yes
Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to copy images and oftentimes alter camera settings without connecting straight with the camera.
Certain apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external screen. A lot of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.
Canon A3500 IS Video features
The highest video resolution on the Canon A3500 IS is 1280 x 720 and it can save in H.264 file format. 720p is low by today's requirements. You should really target a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The body doesn't include a mic and headphone jack which means that you have got zero control over your sound. It is perhaps best to find an alternative camera if you require better sound in your videos.
Canon A3500 IS Weather Sealing
There is no weather sealing on the Canon A3500 IS so you have to be cautious in rainy and dusty situations.
Canon A3500 IS Screen and Viewfinder
The Canon A3500 IS includes a 3" fixed screen with a resolution of 230k dots.
Moreover the screen is touch friendly which means you can easily switch focus point as well as change settings by using your fingers.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe View Finder specifications regarding Canon A3500 IS are below:
- ViewFinder None
In those bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders can be quite helpful.
Canon A3500 IS Shutter features
Canon A3500 IS continuous shooting speed is 1.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.
Canon A3500 IS Flash and Hot shoe features
Canon A3500 IS boasts just inbuilt flash with missing external flash ability.
Canon A3500 IS Autofocusing features
Canon A3500 IS boasts only Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot snappier and exact compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detection making it handy for taking portraits of people.
It includes 9 focus points to select from. Canon A3500 IS has touch to focus. You are able to use your fingers to change focus points. It also comes with Tracking Autofocus for subjects that move. Canon A3500 IS has no manual focusing. Manual focusing mode can be good in low light or you need to have more accurate control on focusing.
Canon A3500 IS Battery life
The battery power (NB-11L) on the Canon A3500 IS is built to last for 200 clicks based on the CIPA measurements making it lower as compared to its rivals. The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has got the highest (470) battery life in this type of cameras.
Below is a collection of Small Sensor Compact cameras which have the best battery life:
Canon A3500 IS for varying types of photography
The following bar chart shows a summation of the Canon A3500 IS for varying types of photography. To find out more, visit the specific paragraph below.
Canon A3500 IS Portrait photography highlights
The Canon A3500 IS receives a points total of 35 which is horrible, meaning that it is not really very good to use for portraits. Shooting portrait images favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support in addition to the potential to utilize off-camera flash.
Canon A3500 IS Street photography features
Coming in at a very good score of 67, the Canon A3500 IS is a respectable option to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera has a fine balance of image quality plus portability.
Canon A3500 IS Sports photography factors
A horrible sports photography score of 38 indicates the Canon A3500 IS is not really very good for shooting sports. A camera needs to have good tracking and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.
Travel photography with Canon A3500 IS
Size is very critical when choosing a camera for travel. On the whole, the Canon A3500 IS gets a nice 68 as a travelling camera which is a good option to buy for your trips.
Canon A3500 IS Landscape photography info
For anybody who is looking to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most significant factor will no doubt be image quality. The Canon A3500 IS at it's horrible score of 42 for a landscape camera is not really very good within the current marketplace.
Canon A3500 IS as a Vlogging camera
A camera for vlogging really should have a moving display, microphone port and if possible image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Canon A3500 IS is not really very good as a vlog camera as it receives a horrible rating of 34.
Canon A3500 IS Alternatives
If you are shopping for replacements to the A3500 IS, here is a range of the top rated cameras which fall into the category of Small Sensor Compact.
The diagram down below provides you a summary of the A3500 IS vs it's top scoring rivals listed previously.
There are more cameras you might look into as alternate options. To go through a full comparison, simply click the "compare" link.