---
product_id: 5486318
title: "Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black)"
brand: "canon"
price: "R7495"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/5486318-canon-powershot-a1200-12-1-mp-digital-camera-with-4x
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 720p HD video capture 12.1MP sharpness 4x wide optical zoom Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black)

**Brand:** canon
**Price:** R7495
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📷 Capture your world, your way — anytime, anywhere!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black) by canon
- **How much does it cost?** R7495 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/5486318-canon-powershot-a1200-12-1-mp-digital-camera-with-4x)

## Best For

- canon enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted canon brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Zoom Into Life:** 4x wide-angle optical zoom (28mm) brings distant moments closer with crystal-clear detail.
- • **Power On The Go:** Runs on easy-to-replace AA batteries—never get stuck without power during your adventures.
- • **Discreet & Ready:** Silent Discreet Mode disables flash and sounds, perfect for capturing moments in quiet, sensitive environments.
- • **Classic Meets Modern:** Dual viewing options with a bright 2.7-inch LCD and an optical viewfinder for steady, confident framing.
- • **Effortless Precision:** Smart AUTO mode intelligently adapts to 32 shooting scenarios, so you never miss the perfect shot.

## Overview

The Canon PowerShot A1200 is a compact, versatile 12.1MP digital camera featuring a 4x wide-angle optical zoom lens and dual viewing options (LCD and optical viewfinder). It offers Smart AUTO mode for effortless shooting across 32 scenarios, 720p HD video recording, and runs on convenient AA batteries. With Discreet Mode for silent shooting and creative filters for artistic flair, it’s designed for professionals and enthusiasts seeking reliable, high-quality images on the go.

## Description

Product Description Canon PowerShot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Still Camera with 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom(Black) From the Manufacturer It’s Your Choice: LCD or Optical Viewfinder. An Optical Viewfinder makes capturing images simple and easy. WThe PowerShot A1200 digital camera gives you a choice that’s getting increasingly hard to find on digital cameras today. It’s equipped with an Optical Viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. Many photographers prefer this classic, familiar option that lets you simply hold the camera to your eye and shoot. The camera’s big, bright LCD screen gives you a wealth of important information about the shot. However, using it to compose and focus requires that you hold the camera away from your body. Many people do this with one hand, arms away from the body, effectively creating camera shake that can distort a shot. Using the Optical Viewfinder helps ensure that the camera is held steady. The great thing is that from shot to shot, whether you use the Optical Viewfinder or LCD screen is your choice. Everything’s Easy. Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper settings for the camera based on 32 predefined shooting situations. Just set the Canon PowerShot A1200 digital camera to Smart AUTO and you're ready for maximum enjoyment from your picture-taking every time. It's a relaxing and satisfying way to shoot because you can completely concentrate on your subject knowing that the camera has the technical details covered. Advanced Canon technology intelligently analyzes your situation and shooting conditions. Then it automatically selects an appropriate setting from 32 specially defined settings. So whether you're photographing flowers, a captivating sunset, or your friends at the park, you can be confident that you're getting dramatic, memorable images. Smart AUTO The camera automatically selects the best shooting settings for optimal quality based on subjects and environmental factors to provide point-and-shoot simplicity. P Program Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically. Live View Control Enables Brightness, Color, and Tone adjustments to your images using easy-to-understand controls. Creative Filters The Creative Filters mode dial setting provides easy access to special filter effect and scene modes. Fisheye Effect Add a classic photo distortion without a fisheye lens. Miniature Effect Give images a miniature look with an effect that emphasizes perspective by blurring the top and bottom of the image. Toy Camera Effect Simulates photos taken with “toy” or pinhole cameras, darkening the image at the edges to create a vignette effect. Monochrome Choose from three single-tone effects: Black-and-White, Sepia, or Blue. Super Vivid Super Vivid intensifies existing hues, saturating the scene with bright colors. Poster Effect Poster Effect combines several similar shades into one color, turning subtle gradations into eye-catching, scene-popping contrasts. Easy Keep the image quality as high as possible for fail-proof images. Blur Reduction Boosts sensitivity to enable faster shutter speeds, reducing the effects of camera shake and subject movement. Portrait The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject “pop.” Landscape For front to back sharpness, the camera sets a small aperture. Kids & Pets Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won’t miss those special shots. Smart Shutter The camera automatically takes the photo when people smile, wink, or get into frame. Low Light For high quality image capture in an amazing range of dimly-lit situations. Beach Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces. Foliage Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms. Snow Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint. Fireworks Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks. Long Shutter Use to blur moving subjects for artistic effect, ideal for urban night photography. Discreet Mode Disables flash, AF assist beam, and all camera sounds with one mode dial setting. In Still Images or 720p HD Video, Every Detail is Beautifully Preserved. Capture memories your way as either still images or in 720p HD video. PowerShot A1200 digital camera puts you in charge when it comes to saving your memories. Canon technology lets you capture beautiful still images no matter what your level of photographic experience. Portraits of people posing or in motion, outdoor shots in various weather situations, nighttime shooting and more: the camera handles them all with ease when you shoot in Smart AUTO. High megapixel counts let you blow up and crop your still images just as you please, with no loss in resolution or quality. Want to capture the good times in motion? Canon’s 720p HD video gives your memories the quality they deserve. If you’ve never shot video in high definition before, you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. 720p HD delivers stunning realism, capturing every detail with a level of clarity that, in playback, will bring you right back into the moment. Easy high definition videos from a compact still camera – now that’s value! Loaded with Features, Packed with Value. This stylish, powerful A-Series camera has 12.1 Megapixels and 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom (28mm). With the PowerShot A1200 digital camera, dramatic, personal pictures have never been easier to shoot and share. This 12.1 Megapixel camera lets you create impressive large photos of family and friends you'll be proud to display. The high-resolution images taken by the PowerShot A1200 can be enlarged up to 13" x 19". The PowerShot A1200 digital camera has a 4x wide Optical Zoom lens (35mm film equivalent: 28–112mm) that let you capture up-close and memorable images. Get the Power Anywhere! This AA battery-powered camera enables you to easily power up on the go! Conveniently, you don't need to worry about running out or recharging of batteries with the PowerShot A1200 digital camera. Since AA-size batteries can be purchased at any store, simply get new ones locally.Shoot without Distractions. New scene mode: Discreet Mode disables the sound, flash and AF beam so you can still capture images in quiet areas. How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you wanted to take a picture, but were reluctant (or simply not allowed) to disrupt the setting with noise or flash? New Discreet Mode makes picture-taking possible in museums, at performances, anywhere light and sound would not be welcome. Simply turn the mode dial to Discreet, and the camera’s sound, flash and AF assist beam will be disabled – without changing any other settings. If the camera senses low light, ISO speed will be automatically raised to get the best possible shot. You can even switch to playback mode to review still images or video, and the camera will remain muted. Photographic Artistry That’s Easy for Anyone Creative Filters offers fun and artistic ways to capture photos. Creative Filters Mode gives you lots of fun, easy ways to make your photography more creative. The camera does all the work – you simply choose an effect and shoot! Fisheye Effect imparts a fun, familiar curvilinear distortion to your image that’s ideal for kids and pets. Miniature Effect plays with perspective, giving any shot the look of a world created in much smaller proportions – great for landscapes and city shots. When you shoot in Toy Camera Effect, you get the vintage effect of a first-generation camera, ideal for giving portraits a slightly distorted, unevenly saturated look of a picture you’d come across in your attic. Monochrome lends a moody beauty to your photography, producing shots in Black & White, Sepia or Blue. Super Vivid saturates colors to heighten the intensity and impact of any shot. Poster Effect takes away transitions between objects in the frame to give your image the high-impact look of a hand-painted poster. See the Image on a Big Screen. Large, clear 2.7-inch LCD makes taking and viewing images a breeze. The PowerShot A1200 digital camera has a large 2.7-inch LCD screen that gives you the big picture, whether you're shooting, reviewing or showing off your images. This high-resolution screen offers a crisp, clear and bright picture. It also features Night Display for easy viewing in low light. 2.7-inch LCD Screen

Review: Excellent for close-up nature photography - Like it's Powershot siblings, the Canon A1200 is a heck of a nice piece of equipment for shooting nature close-ups. I've taken this camera out twice now, and so far it has taken wonderful photos. I've posted some samples from a single hike. Although the A1200 can't squeeze in on a subject as closely as the A480 (one of my all-time favorite cameras), this new Canon camera is capable of focusing just an inch and a half away from the subject in "Macro" mode. I usually carry one or two Pentax DLSR cameras as I hike through miles of woodland trails every weekend, and although they're great cameras, they simply can't beat Canon Powershots for capturing the tiniest nature subjects, in my opinion. If a subject is smaller than a quarter, out come the Powershots. This camera takes photos that easily match or beat the quality of images you'll find in typical nature guides by Peterson or Simon & Schuster. Spend a year on the trail with it, and you could easily have a full set of quality publishable photos. Unlike more expensive point-and-shoots or DSLRs, this Powershot doesn't have camera raw or enough pixels to fill a wall, but the image quality and output is suitable for small posters, so who cares? Frankly, counting pixels and foaming over camera raw are not admirable traits, and neither of those things produces good pictures. Image noise seems to be a bit improved since the A480s and A490s came out, especially when shooting in lower light. This camera has 12 versus 10 megapixels of its predecessors, so in theory you can get a larger photo now and still retain sharpness and detail. The controls will be familiar to anyone who has used a Canon point-and-shoot. I like the general layout of buttons compared to other brands, but that may be just because I'm more familiar with Canon. The A1200 has a viewfinder, which I'll never use because the thing is usually shooting photos right on the ground, and although I like the outdoors, I'm not sticking my face in the dirt and squinting through a viewfinder when I don't have to. The LCD screen is good enough. I've banged and tortured the daylights out of one A480 and killed another one after multiple assaults due to clumsiness. So far, this camera has taken a little knocking around without a complaint. The A1200 shoots HD video, which isn't nearly as good as even an inexpensive video camera, but nonetheless I was surprised that the movies looked as good as they did. When shooting video, you'll get the best results if you stabilize the camera on a tripod, the back of a chair, a railing, or tree branch, depending on where you are. Video compression is a little cleaner that way, and you can avoid making people sick from zinging the camera around like a roller coaster. Here are some tips for taking good close-up nature photos with this camera. I usually shoot with the dial in "P" mode. Most importantly, always remember to set the camera on "Macro" (the flower icon button). That allows it to focus as close as 1.5 inches away. Since the camera resets when you turn it off, Arggh!, you have to turn "Macro" on each time you restart it. On this camera, macro focus becomes dysfunctional if you zoom in, so keep it zoomed all the way out. Next, go into the menu and change the general settings. AF Frame should be "Center" so you can pick the point to focus on, AF Frame Size should be "Small" so it doesn't get confused as to where it should focus, and the Digital Zoom is garbage and should be banished forever. Unlike the "Macro" setting, these settings will NOT go away when you turn the camera off, fortunately. Since this is not an image-stabilized camera model, find some way to keep it still when shooting. When you're focused on a close-up subject, even a tiny movement is enough to blur your photo. To keep my camera still, I swear by a monopod with an adjustable pivoting head. Basically it's a one-legged tripod. A monopod can remove the worst of your hand jitters, and it doesn't even need to be extended to the ground -- just having your camera mounted to a stick helps stabilize your shot. Practice photographing coins or small subjects in your yard to get a feeling for macro photography. You'll notice that the area of sharpest focus is not as deep as it is when subjects are father away. You have to make deliberate choices on the point of sharpest focus. Check the photos on a computer if possible, so you can really see how well you're doing. And finally, shoot a million pictures. This is the digital age. You don't have to pay for dud prints any more. Be vicious when culling out the duds, because believe me, nobody wants to see 75 views of the same buttercup flower.
Review: Not a bad camera for the price!!!! - I received this camera and it had the Canon CCD disease. Nice cheap camera, but would have been nice if it had worked. Unfortunately I purchased my camera from newegg.com and it appears I will have to pay to ship it back to them! This will be my last purchase from newegg.com. If you're smart you won't shop at newegg...order from desertcart and sleep well. EDIT: 06/05/12 Ok, I've upped my review from 1-star to 4-star. Newegg came through and handled the situation nicely. Credited me back, picked up the tab for shipping back, apologized, etc.,. I did have to purchase the camera elsewhere as they were out of stock on the silver camera. I got the camera to primarily take pictures of honey bees. I didn't want an expensive camera as I new it would be in some sticky situations. :) The camera has done great and I'm still learning it. It has some features that are good for close-ups. Close-ups are very good, regular shots are good, and HD video is good. With a 12mp resolution you can crop heavily. I can't say it's excellent but it's doggone good for an $80 camera! I'm pleased with it. Two features that are very nice and that most other cameras in this price range don't have is that it actually has an optical viewfinder and that it uses two AA batteries. The viewfinder is *very* helpful in bright situations when the lcd screen washed out. If your batteries go out while on the road you can stop and pick up some regular batteries and keep going. I use four Eneloop rechargeable batteries and they work great and maintain a charge for a long time...actually better than Duracell alkalines! In a pinch, though, I'll stick some alkalines in. ;) Anyhow, it's a good camera at a good price.

## Features

- 12.1 megapixels, 4x wide-angle optical zoom (28mm), and optical viewfinder
- Smart Auto intelligently selects settings from 32 predefined shooting situations
- Record movies with 720p HD video
- AA battery power enables you to easily power up on the go
- Discreet Mode disables the sound, flash and AF beam for use in quiet areas

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B004HW73S4 |
| Age Range Description | Kid |
| Aperture modes | F2.8 |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 |
| Auto Focus Technology | Center, Continuous, Contrast Detection, Face Detection, Live View, Multi-area, Single, Tracking |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Autofocus Points | 9 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #132,833 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #1,051 in Digital Point & Shoot Cameras |
| Bit Depth | 12 Bit |
| Brand | Canon |
| Built-In Media | Battery |
| Camera Flash | Built-In |
| Camera Lens | 28 Mm |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Computers (Windows, Mac), Smartphones (iOS, Android), Tablets (iOS, Android), External Storage Devices (USB, SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HCMMCplus) |
| Compatible Mountings | Canon EF |
| Connectivity Technology | USB |
| Continuous Shooting | 1 |
| Customer Reviews | 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (484) |
| Digital Scene Transition | zoom |
| Digital Zoom | 4 |
| Digital-Still | Yes |
| Display Fixture Type | Fixed |
| Display Resolution Maximum | 230,000 |
| Display Type | LCD |
| Dots Per Screen | 230,000 dots |
| Effective Still Resolution | 12.1 |
| Expanded ISO Maximum | 1600 |
| Expanded ISO Minimum | 80 |
| Exposure Control | Automatic |
| File Format | JPEG, RAW |
| Flash Memory Bus Interface Type | SD |
| Flash Memory Speed Class | 2 |
| Flash Memory Type | SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HCMMCplus |
| Flash Memory Video Speed Class | 10 |
| Flash Modes | Auto, Off |
| Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 |
| Focal Length Description | 28 millimeters |
| Focus Features | TTL Contrast Detection |
| Focus Mode | Automatic AF (AF-A) |
| Focus Type | Auto Focus |
| Form Factor | Compact |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 04960999689715 |
| Hardware Interface | SDXC |
| Has Color Screen | Yes |
| Image Capture Type | Stills & Video |
| Image stabilization | Digital, Optical |
| JPEG Quality Level | Fine |
| Lens Type | Wide Angle, Zoom |
| Manufacturer | Canon Cameras US |
| Maximum Aperture | 5.9 f |
| Maximum Focal Length | 20 Millimeters |
| Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/1600 Seconds |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 4 GB |
| Metering Methods | Multi, Center-weighted, Average |
| Minimum Focal Length | 28 Millimeters |
| Minimum Shutter Speed | 15 seconds |
| Model Name | Powershot A1200 |
| Model Number | 5032B001 |
| Model Series | PowerShot |
| Movie Mode | Yes |
| Night vision | No |
| Number of Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Optical Zoom | 4 x |
| Photo Sensor Resolution | 12.1 MP |
| Photo Sensor Size | 1/2.3-inch |
| Real Angle Of View | 61.2 Degrees |
| Remote Included | No |
| Screen Size | 2.7 Inches |
| Self Timer | 10 Seconds |
| Sensor Type | CCD |
| Series Number | 5032 |
| Shooting Modes | Automatic |
| Skill Level | Professional |
| Special Feature | Live View |
| Specific Uses For Product | Travel |
| Supported Image Format | JPEG, RAW |
| Total Still Resolution | 12 MP |
| Total USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Total USB Ports | 1 |
| Total Video Out Ports | 1 |
| UPC | 013803133752 |
| Video Capture Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Video Output | HDMI |
| Video Resolution | HD 720p |
| Viewfinder | Optical |
| Warranty Description | ONE YEAR |
| White Balance Settings | Auto |
| Wireless Technology | Yes |
| Write Speed | 1 fps |
| Zoom | Optical Zoom |

## Product Details

- **Aspect Ratio:** 4:3
- **Compatible Mountings:** Canon EF
- **Expanded ISO Minimum:** 80
- **Image Stabilization:** Digital, Optical
- **Maximum Aperture:** 5.9 f
- **Maximum Focal Length:** 20 Millimeters
- **Metering Description:** Multi, Center-weighted, Average
- **Optical Zoom:** 4 x
- **Photo Sensor Technology:** CCD
- **Supported File Format:** JPEG, RAW

## Images

![Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mFjtpVOUL.jpg)
![Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Black) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ay6b9CrGL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Color** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Can you download picture with a ubs cable. if so what type.**
A: Yes, pictures are downloaded with a cable, which comes with the camera.

**Q: What kind of memory card do I need?**
A: I found the SD-HD ones did NOT work, and used plain (older version) SD 2 GB or 4 GB cards.  They are relatively cheap, so I store used ones as back-up for my photos, and buy 3 or 4 at a time. You'll get plenty of photos on a small card, but not a lot of video time.

**Q: Anyone else having problems getting the flash to charge?**
A: No problem here.  Possible cause that comes to mind: using NiCad batteries instead of alkaline.  Nicad batteries default voltage might be too low (1.2 volt fully charged); alkaline are 1.5 volt or higher fully charged

**Q: Does the camera come with an instruction/manual booklet?**
A: It comes with a Getting Started pamphlet and a comprehensive manual is on the included CD.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent for close-up nature photography
*by L***K on April 27, 2011*

Like it's Powershot siblings, the Canon A1200 is a heck of a nice piece of equipment for shooting nature close-ups. I've taken this camera out twice now, and so far it has taken wonderful photos. I've posted some samples from a single hike. Although the A1200 can't squeeze in on a subject as closely as the A480 (one of my all-time favorite cameras), this new Canon camera is capable of focusing just an inch and a half away from the subject in "Macro" mode. I usually carry one or two Pentax DLSR cameras as I hike through miles of woodland trails every weekend, and although they're great cameras, they simply can't beat Canon Powershots for capturing the tiniest nature subjects, in my opinion. If a subject is smaller than a quarter, out come the Powershots. This camera takes photos that easily match or beat the quality of images you'll find in typical nature guides by Peterson or Simon & Schuster. Spend a year on the trail with it, and you could easily have a full set of quality publishable photos. Unlike more expensive point-and-shoots or DSLRs, this Powershot doesn't have camera raw or enough pixels to fill a wall, but the image quality and output is suitable for small posters, so who cares? Frankly, counting pixels and foaming over camera raw are not admirable traits, and neither of those things produces good pictures. Image noise seems to be a bit improved since the A480s and A490s came out, especially when shooting in lower light. This camera has 12 versus 10 megapixels of its predecessors, so in theory you can get a larger photo now and still retain sharpness and detail. The controls will be familiar to anyone who has used a Canon point-and-shoot. I like the general layout of buttons compared to other brands, but that may be just because I'm more familiar with Canon. The A1200 has a viewfinder, which I'll never use because the thing is usually shooting photos right on the ground, and although I like the outdoors, I'm not sticking my face in the dirt and squinting through a viewfinder when I don't have to. The LCD screen is good enough. I've banged and tortured the daylights out of one A480 and killed another one after multiple assaults due to clumsiness. So far, this camera has taken a little knocking around without a complaint. The A1200 shoots HD video, which isn't nearly as good as even an inexpensive video camera, but nonetheless I was surprised that the movies looked as good as they did. When shooting video, you'll get the best results if you stabilize the camera on a tripod, the back of a chair, a railing, or tree branch, depending on where you are. Video compression is a little cleaner that way, and you can avoid making people sick from zinging the camera around like a roller coaster. Here are some tips for taking good close-up nature photos with this camera. I usually shoot with the dial in "P" mode. Most importantly, always remember to set the camera on "Macro" (the flower icon button). That allows it to focus as close as 1.5 inches away. Since the camera resets when you turn it off, Arggh!, you have to turn "Macro" on each time you restart it. On this camera, macro focus becomes dysfunctional if you zoom in, so keep it zoomed all the way out. Next, go into the menu and change the general settings. AF Frame should be "Center" so you can pick the point to focus on, AF Frame Size should be "Small" so it doesn't get confused as to where it should focus, and the Digital Zoom is garbage and should be banished forever. Unlike the "Macro" setting, these settings will NOT go away when you turn the camera off, fortunately. Since this is not an image-stabilized camera model, find some way to keep it still when shooting. When you're focused on a close-up subject, even a tiny movement is enough to blur your photo. To keep my camera still, I swear by a monopod with an adjustable pivoting head. Basically it's a one-legged tripod. A monopod can remove the worst of your hand jitters, and it doesn't even need to be extended to the ground -- just having your camera mounted to a stick helps stabilize your shot. Practice photographing coins or small subjects in your yard to get a feeling for macro photography. You'll notice that the area of sharpest focus is not as deep as it is when subjects are father away. You have to make deliberate choices on the point of sharpest focus. Check the photos on a computer if possible, so you can really see how well you're doing. And finally, shoot a million pictures. This is the digital age. You don't have to pay for dud prints any more. Be vicious when culling out the duds, because believe me, nobody wants to see 75 views of the same buttercup flower.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not a bad camera for the price!!!!
*by H***D on December 4, 2011*

I received this camera and it had the Canon CCD disease. Nice cheap camera, but would have been nice if it had worked. Unfortunately I purchased my camera from newegg.com and it appears I will have to pay to ship it back to them! This will be my last purchase from newegg.com. If you're smart you won't shop at newegg...order from Amazon and sleep well. EDIT: 06/05/12 Ok, I've upped my review from 1-star to 4-star. Newegg came through and handled the situation nicely. Credited me back, picked up the tab for shipping back, apologized, etc.,. I did have to purchase the camera elsewhere as they were out of stock on the silver camera. I got the camera to primarily take pictures of honey bees. I didn't want an expensive camera as I new it would be in some sticky situations. :) The camera has done great and I'm still learning it. It has some features that are good for close-ups. Close-ups are very good, regular shots are good, and HD video is good. With a 12mp resolution you can crop heavily. I can't say it's excellent but it's doggone good for an $80 camera! I'm pleased with it. Two features that are very nice and that most other cameras in this price range don't have is that it actually has an optical viewfinder and that it uses two AA batteries. The viewfinder is *very* helpful in bright situations when the lcd screen washed out. If your batteries go out while on the road you can stop and pick up some regular batteries and keep going. I use four Eneloop rechargeable batteries and they work great and maintain a charge for a long time...actually better than Duracell alkalines! In a pinch, though, I'll stick some alkalines in. ;) Anyhow, it's a good camera at a good price.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE absolute best camera out there
*by D***D on March 28, 2012*

This is my second Canon camera and my third point and shoot. What caught my eye with this camera was the price and the megapixels. We took it skiing this past month to Copper Mountain and took bunches of pictures and several movies. Let me digress. My first camera was a Canon S100, a 3 megapixel that took great pictures and I still have it since is it smaller and lighter. The only problem is that the early cameras used NiCad batteries that often lost its charge when you needed it the worse. My second camera was a Nikon. It uses AA batteries. My only issue with the Nikon is that the camera was difficult to use and the picture quality was not good. The Canon A1200, while a little thicker than the Nikon, is by far the better camera in both quality of the picture and the ease of use. Megapixels are not the only selling point for a camera. The quality of the camera is a combination of lens quality, megapixels, the quality of the megapixels and the speed of the lens itself, meaning how well it functions at low light and how well and fast it focuses when your shooting a moving object. The movie capabilities were exceptional. I used it several times taking pictures of my wife skiing down the hill. The camera didn't shake and the colors and pictures were excellent even when I was using it with my gloves on. It is almost HD quality. With the enclosed software or iMovie on your Apple, you can cut, transfer and mail your movies quickly. You download your movie with the enclosed mini-USB to your computer or by using your SD card. You will need to purchase a SD card when you purchase your camera. It also takes AA batteries and they seem to last longer than did the Nikon AA's. Using AA batteries in a point and shoot will make your camera larger but the A1200 will still fit in your pocket. It used to be that Nikon was king of the hill when the world revolved around SLR camera's. Now that point and shoot camera's are the norm, next to cell phone camera's, Canon is by and far the better point and shoot camera out there. As battery technology gets better, the point and shoot will become smaller and better.

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*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-23*