The Canon Powershot A1100 IS is one of only a small number of compact digital cameras to offer an optical viewfinder as well as an LCD screen. Many people still like the idea of composing photos through a viewfinder and this can also come in handy on bright days when it may be difficult to see the LCD screen clearly. The LCD screen is 2.5 inches in size.

Standard features include 12 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens. Canon has incorporated images stabilisation into the Powershot A1100 IS.

The Powershot A1100 IS includes face detection, motion detection, red eye correction and a smart auto mode. Face detection helps the camera to take sharper portraits. It should also help to make sure the photograph is exposed correctly. This should help you to overcome common problems such as a face being too dark when a portrait has been taken with the sun positioned behind the subject. When using motion detection the camera will check for movement of either the camera or subject. It will then adjust the ISO setting in attempt to freeze the scene. Red eye correction can either be applied automatically or you may opt to manually clean up any red eye in portraits taken with flash. When the Powershot A1100 IS is placed in smart auto mode the camera will attempt to identify the type of shot you are taking based on 18 typical scenes. It will then set the controls accordingly to take the best possible photo.