Canon PowerShot A1200 Digital Camera, 12.1 Megapixel, 4x Optical/4x Digital Zoom, 2.7 inch LCD Display, Black

SKU: ICAA1200BK

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Questions & Answers

Tom C : Does this camera have a view finder and how does it work for you. Do you use it?JOHN B : Yes it does include an optical viewfinder. It is the low end of the Power Shot line that has this feature. (The other is the G-12). I use the optical viewfinder when it is to bright to see the LCD dispaly. The viewfinder moves with the opitcal zoom but not the electronic zoom. I am glad that Canon has kept this feature in their Power Shot line of cameras. I also wish that Canon included a printed manual with the camera but alas that has be left out to cut costs.ROBERT A : Interestingly, I had a Canon A 590 and I wanted a replacement that used AA batteries and had a viewfinder. This camera did both. When I received it, however, it did not feel good in my hand. I am a former professional photographer and this camera just did not "fit" me. I traded my son for his old A 590. He likes the A1200 because it fits in his pocket and I like the A 590. We both made out well.JOHN H : I have used it sparingly, however it does have a viewfinder and uses AA batteries (never obselete) I was satisfied with the results obtained using this camera J.H.ARNOLD W : Yes camera has viewfinder...I use it in bright light and for quick shots of groups and get togethers.DELILAH N : I didn't notice until after my first answer that your question concerns the viewfinder. I use the viewfinder when I'm taking shots of a faraway subject, it's very useful and works like they did on film cameras. :)DELILAH N : Yes. I use it often. It's easy to use, and efficient. It also only takes 2 AA batteries, and they don't drain as fast I expected them to. The battery life is much longer than any of the other cameras that I have used. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me. :)GAREGIN M : Yes, this camera has a tunnel type optical viewfinder. Of course, it is not perfect, but it is very helpful in both low light conditions and especially under the bright sun when its screen is pretty useless.FRANK S : Yes this camera has an optical see thru type viewfinder. This feature is main reason I bought this camera. Unfortunately image quality was not very good. Thus I ended up returning it and instead getting another brand/model camera. Hope this helps.ANDREW N : It does have a viewfinder. It's great, though it does have shutter lag issues (not uncommon for "low end" point and shoot cameras. I do like the additional feature of having fish-eye and other special effects. Good camera for toting around.MATT M : Yes it has a viewfinder. I prefer using the LCD screen but it does have it and works good.
macy w : is there a white or blue camera like this one?TIMOTHY S : I have only seen it in black and matte silver finish. But Adorama has the Canon catalogue, and I don't, so they would be more likely to know for sure.HANNAH S : I've only seen this model in black and silver. I bought the black one. It's a great camera. I researched a lot of models and this is one of the best in its class. I also own a Canon DSLR, but this is my quick go-to for on-the-go photo ops.TOM D : I think this model only comes in black and silver.
LYC T : Is this model better or equal to the canon A510 ?RUSSELL B : Yes the camera is compact and seems just as good a product.WARD H : Hi, LYC T -- I bought the Canon A1200 for one principal reason: it's a nice small camera with a viewfinder, which nowadays is a small-camera feature that is as rare as a unicorn! Years ago I bought a compact Canon A460, which also had a viewfinder; but that camera is clunky and has only 5.0 Megapixels. I haven't had my A1200 very long, but it performs wonderfully, fits into a shirt pocket, and has that all-important viewfinder. I'm not familiar with the Canon A510. Good luck with your buying decision. Ward

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2018-05-20T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Probably the best point and shoot ever made.

I used this camera for years. Took it all over Europe and got some great pics. It excelled for macro phootography and the ability to "play" with the settings was a big plus.

gelboy

2012-06-03T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good P&S with a viewfinder

I had one that was my pocket camera that I usually took everywhere with me. I loaned it to my almost 9 year old granddaughter. She loves it so I bought this one for her birthday. It's being replaced by an A1300, but it's still a good camera and it's less expensive than the A1300. I bought the A1200 because it's the only P&S less than around $400 that has a viewfinder. The viewfinder is especially good for shooting in bright daylight when the LCD screen is hard to see. It lacks stabilization which is another reason to use the viewfinder which is more stable than holding the camera out in front of you. But even if you use the LCD screen to compose the camera usually sets a high enough shutter speed when you use Auto ISO to prevent blur. Using the flash indoors also helps prevent blur.

Mark D.

2012-05-09T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good value

Nice to keep in car or in pocket.

Fotophan

2012-04-22T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great camera for the price

I brought this camera for my wife. She wanted a small point and shoot camera that did everything for her. Our old camera was seven years old and it was hard for the wife to use. I showed my wife a few things about the camera and she started using it immediately. She loved the size and how easy it was to use. The picture quality was wonderful. My wife has used the camera outside and indoors. Shots with our old camers indoors, we would have to use the flash. With the cannon, we didn't have to. I think for my wife's needs, this camera is perfect. The only thing I found against the camera was the viewfinder. It is so small, it's hard to use. It's better to just use the LCD screen. Overall, I think this would be a good camera for anybody just getting into digital photography or for a backup camera.

LW

2012-04-16T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Awesome camera!

I have a Nikon SLR digital camera, yet wanted something small that would fit in my purse and take great pictures when my friends and I go out to lunch, etc. This is it! The picture quality is excellent, the size and weight is fabulous! One of my girlfriends wants to get one herself, even though she already has a small camera. This is easy to use, lightweight, just fantastic!

Liane C.

2012-04-15T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Worth the money

I brought this camera for my wife. She wanted a simple point and shoot camera that she didn't have to make a lot settings like on our older digital camera. It was very easy for her to learn and she was teaching me things it didn't tell about in the user's guide. I found the image to be very clear. My wife was very happy with the camera. The only thing I found against the camera was the viewfinder needed to be bigger and I wish it had a self-timer, but all and all I found the camera to be well worth the money.

LW

2012-04-15T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good camera with viewfinder

Can use viewfinder to cut battery consumption to almost nothing.

SJC

2012-03-11T21:00:00

Rated 2 out of 5

OK FOR THE PRICE

I USE THIS CAMERA UNDER CONDITIONS THAT I DO NOT WANT TO USE MY "REAL" CAMERA.

SONGSTER

2012-01-08T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Value for money

Small and compact. We could carry it easier during all our trip to a amusement partk

RT

2012-01-08T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

I like this product.

It is easy to operate but it give a good pictures based on the price.

tommy

2011-12-18T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great value.

Handy when carrying my DSLR is impractical.

ARNO W.

2011-12-11T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Uncomplicated companion to my DSLR.

Handy viewfinder. Nice colors for an inexpensive camera.

Fotophan

2011-12-05T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Even Better Than Expected!

Great product at an awesome price!

DELILAH N.

2011-11-20T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Solid Camera great price! (AA Batteries)

We have three of these cameras in use at our mechanical engineering firm. They are checked out by employees going to do measure ups at a customer or otherwise needed to document a system. For us the AA battery option was the clincher. We wanted a good camera that could be used if the battery was dead. Being able to install two AA batteries and go back to work was a clincher. The quality of the images and video is 100% acceptable for documenting equipment. The camera appears rugged and easy to use for first timers.

Discwog

2011-11-20T19:00:00

Rated 1 out of 5

Poor results

The image quality was so poor that I din't use much else AND SENT IT BACK.

Gene

2011-11-20T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good point&shoot camera

I used the camera on a Ukraine vacation cruise & obtained good photos. One of the main reasons that I bought this camera was that it had a viewfinder which was very useful in bright light conditions.

ROBERT P.

2011-09-10T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

comes with viewfinder

Do not like using the screen to take photos but prefer the viewfinder. I use it as a backup for my Nikon DSL and as an emergency camera. Small, .light and compact and easy to carry in pocket.

Jerry D.

2011-09-08T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

A very good P&S with a viewfinder

I bought the A1200 for its viewfinder, but it's also a very good little P&S. I use it for family pictures and events when I don't want to bring a DSLR. The image quality for a low priced P&S amazes me. Its major weaknesses are noise at ISO 800 and above and a weak flash, but these are commom problems with P&S's. All in all, Im very happy with the A1200. My 5 star rating is for a camera in its price range.

MARK D.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

Pocket camera

For when you don't want to haul your SLR but don't want to miss those "I wish I had a camera with me" pictures

CZMOregon

2011-09-03T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

An awesome little camera!

An awesome little camera for the price. As a fire investigator, I keep it in my turnout gear, and it's performed extremely well under adverse conditions. I liked it so much that I donated one to my FD to keep on on first response Engine. Interestingly it's taken the place of my Sony A330 35mm digital for most routine work. The Canon is a good value, excellent performace.

Elizabeth W.

About Canon A1200

FEATURED REVIEWS

A very good P&S with a viewfinder

By MARK D.

I bought the A1200 for its viewfinder, but it's also a very good little P&S. I use it for family pictures and events when I don't want to bring a DSLR. The image quality for a low priced P&S amazes me. Its major weaknesses are noise at ISO 800 and above and a weak flash, but these are commom problems with P&S's. All in all, Im very happy with the A1200. My 5 star rating is for a camera in its price range.

An awesome little camera!

By Elizabeth W.

An awesome little camera for the price. As a fire investigator, I keep it in my turnout gear, and it's performed extremely well under adverse conditions. I liked it so much that I donated one to my FD to keep on on first response Engine. Interestingly it's taken the place of my Sony A330 35mm digital for most routine work. The Canon is a good value, excellent performace.

Sleekly redesigned in classic Black, the new PowerShot A1200 digital camera is all about capturing your memories your way. An Optical Viewfinder gives you an easy, familiar alternative to composing shots with an LCD screen. Smart AUTO takes care of all the details while you focus on getting the shot you want, by intelligently selecting the proper settings for the camera based on 32 predefined shooting situations. And now you can preserve your memories exactly the way you see them in incredibly true-to-life 720p HD.

With 12.0 Megapixels, you'll be able to blow up your shots without losing a single detail and the 4x Wide-Angle (28mm) Optical Zoom gets you close to the action quickly. The camera uses AA batteries, so you'll have power anytime, anywhere. New Discreet Mode lets you shoot where you never could before, by disabling sound, flash and AF beam. Looking to put a little artistry in your photography? New Creative Filters mode makes it easy with appealing options like Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Monochrome and more.

What's in the box:

  • Canon PowerShot A1200 Camera Body
  • 2 x AA-Size Alkaline Batteries
  • Wrist Strap WS-800
  • USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
  • Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
  • Canon 1 Year Limited Warranty