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Canon A3500 IS

 
Canon PowerShot A3500 IS front
 
  • 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
Portability
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.

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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.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-A1400 front thumbnailCanon A1400
A3500 IS vs A1400
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-A2500 front thumbnailCanon A2500
A3500 IS vs A2500
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
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Canon-PowerShot-A3500-IS front thumbnailCanon A3500 IS28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Canon-PowerShot-A2300 front thumbnailCanon A2300
A3500 IS vs A2300
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A2400-IS front thumbnailCanon A2400 IS
A3500 IS vs A2400 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A1300 front thumbnailCanon A1300
A3500 IS vs A1300
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
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Canon-PowerShot-A4000-IS front thumbnailCanon A4000 IS
A3500 IS vs A4000 IS
28-224mm
F3.0-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A3400-IS front thumbnailCanon A3400 IS
A3500 IS vs A3400 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A810 front thumbnailCanon A810
A3500 IS vs A810
28-140mm
F2.8-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Canon-PowerShot-A2200 front thumbnailCanon A2200
A3500 IS vs A2200
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A3200-IS front thumbnailCanon A3200 IS
A3500 IS vs A3200 IS
28-140mm
F
14MP1/2.3"2011
Photography Glossary
Canon-PowerShot-A3300-IS front thumbnailCanon A3300 IS
A3500 IS vs A3300 IS
28-140mm
F2.8-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A1200 front thumbnailCanon A1200
A3500 IS vs A1200
28-112mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A800 front thumbnailCanon A800
A3500 IS vs A800
37-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2011
Canon-PowerShot-A3000-IS front thumbnailCanon A3000 IS
A3500 IS vs A3000 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A3100-IS front thumbnailCanon A3100 IS
A3500 IS vs A3100 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A490 front thumbnailCanon A490
A3500 IS vs A490
37-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A495 front thumbnailCanon A495
A3500 IS vs A495
37-122mm
F3.0-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2010
Canon-PowerShot-A2100-IS front thumbnailCanon A2100 IS
A3500 IS vs A2100 IS
36-216mm
F3.2-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Canon-PowerShot-A1100-IS front thumbnailCanon A1100 IS
A3500 IS vs A1100 IS
35-140mm
F2.7-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2009

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.

built in zoom lens (28-140mm 5.0 x zoom)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
decent sized screen (3")
good min ISO (100)
has built in flash
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors in class (135 grams)
rather wide (28mm)
supports face detection focusing
supports focus by touch
supports tracking autofocus
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
focusing manually not possible
has no phase detect AF
has no RAW files
low battery power (200 shots)
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
manual exposure not available
max frames per second very slow (1.0 frames/s)
max zoom aperture not good (f6.9)
no aperture priority
no external microphone jack
no HDMI support
no headphone jack
no shutter priority
no Timelapse function
pixelated screen (230 k dot)
screen does not articulate
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
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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.

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The 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.

Canon PowerShot A3500 IS sensor size Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

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.

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Listed below is a visual of the Canon A3500 IS alongside a soda so you can have a sense of its size.

Canon PowerShot A3500 IS dimensions scale

The top view here will show the button layout on the A3500 IS.

Canon PowerShot A3500 IS topview buttons dials

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Canon PowerShot A3500 IS screen and viewfinder Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The 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.

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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.

Photography Glossary

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.

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decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
features face detection focusing
lack of manual focus
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support

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.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
includes touch focus
lighter than average in class (135g)
screen is fixed
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

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.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
provides tracking focus
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
low battery life (200 per charge)
has no phase detect AF

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.

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lighter than competition (135 grams)
boasts touch focus
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (28mm)
missing Timelapse mode
not so great battery (200 per charge)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)

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.

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reasonably wide (28mm)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
manual mode not available
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
no RAW files
low battery life (200 CIPA)
does not have Time Lapse mode

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.

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rather wide (28mm)
touchscreen functionality
image stabilization (Optical)
has face detect focus
lighter than others (135g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing microphone port

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.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Canon
Model type
Canon PowerShot A3500 IS
Class
Small Sensor Compact
Launched
2013-01-07
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Powered by
DIGIC 4
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW files
Highest native ISO
1600
Min native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture
f/2.8-6.9
Macro focusing distance
3cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen diagonal
3"
Resolution of screen
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
15 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
3.00 m
Flash options
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (25 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1280x720
Video format
H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
Optional
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
135g (0.30 lbs)
Dimensions
98 x 56 x 20mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8")
Other
Battery life
200 images
Battery format
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NB-11L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots
One
Launch pricing
$115