The 14 megapixels, which brings the little jewel, is more than you need for most applications. Who does not ever want to print posters, should set a lower resolution and therefore has several advantages: it fits more in the memory or on the card, everything goes a little faster, and if you look after the photos on a computer or a digital photo frame, they must not be permanently back so strong small expected. I take pictures of everyday life with 5 megapixels and also experience so not long "rest periods", which are required at high pixel values before the next recording. Various scene modes make the perfect shot even easier - but I have found in myself that I stay in most cases more on the standard automatic because that would be sufficient for beautiful results.
The picture quality is, as I said, properly, and the controls are very useful and appropriate to use intuitively. With the included Quick Start Guide on paper to get a hobby photographer back already, because the more often develops by trial and error. Very pleasant I find the display, which is almost 7 cm in size and have a very clear image playback provides. Much better than my previous camera, which also had a good quality - but also quite a few years under their belts. Since the technology is now but much further. The image stabilization, face and smile I had not ... and I think the last two for a little gimmick, as you well get to grips with the also in a conventional manner. Stabilization is but in difficult lighting conditions very valuable. Incidentally, I am also very pleased with the flash, the like as a fill-in flash gives good results both at full load and does not lead to the typical bleach flash pictures. I was pleasantly surprised.
The video resolution (HD) is also significantly better than in my previous model - of course not the same, what a real video camera has, but for that size (and price) is very presentable. The zoom ratio falls to 5 even lower than with my old camera, which is sometimes the case with the flat design ... and the tangible Wide rips the back out: he makes life a lot because you large motifs or groups much easier on the picture can ban without having to go only 50 meters to the rear. Of course, long jump and telephoto meet any professional needs but with such a kind of camera you do not have well say that it is intended as a good take-along camera to amateur photographers.
Among the useful little gimmicks that still has the piece, including the possibilities of reworking by draws about from one image copies and converts to black and white or sepia images and the like - all in the camera, mind you, not only after loading to the computer. Of course, since we come to the limits of the screen display, but the possibilities are impressive.
I think if you do not approach it with unrealistically high expectations for a camera in this price range, you will be very satisfied with the S3100.
