I was looking for a camera that had the following criteria:
Universal AA (not proprietary Li-ion) HD Video, lightweight, "easy to use", and inexpensive
This camera meets my criteria.
(1) Here's a further explanation of the battery issue:
The problem with Li-ion batteries is that once a manufacture no longer makes the battery it becomes hard to find. Li-ion batteries have a shelf life of about 2 years (from the data of manufacture) & if they haven't been charged in that time frame, they will not last very long. Once they are fully discharged they may not "recover". You could end up buying a new battery pack and only getting at best 4-6 shots before needing a recharge.
The Canon A1400 uses 2 AA batteries. However if you switch to NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Rechargeable batteries they will last from 3-4 times longer than Alkaline batteries. I like the Panasonic (formerly Sanyo) Eneloop batteries. They can be recharged from 1500 to 1800 times and retain 90% of their charge up to 1 year or 70% up to 5 years. I carry two in the camera and 4 as spares in a compact camera case (Case Logic DBC-302) purchased here on Amazon. The bonus is you can use rechargeable batteries and in a pinch buy alkaline batteries which are almost universally available worldwide & not be stranded.
With Alkaline batteries you can take up to 150 (screen on), 200 (ECO mode), or 500 (screen off) still shots (less if you use flash and/or zoom a-lot or playback (review) shots. In Screen off mode, you use the built-in viewfinder - which is becoming increasingly difficult to find in an "entry-level" camera.
(2) You can quickly change the default picture size from 16MP (default) to 8MP, 2MP, 0.3MP (VGA) or Widescreen using the "Func./Set" button on the back of the camera. This is helpful in low light conditions.
(3) The camera includes digital (not optical) image stabilization (IS) which is better than nothing. For still images without a tripod or slow moving scenes, it works fairly well. For fast action scenes, the camera takes 3 shots and then chooses the best one to use. Again for the price you pay it would be hard to find a point and shoot camera that uses optical image stabilization.
(4) You can record movies in 720p resolution. This was another reason that I wanted this camera. I have a larger DSLR (Olympus E-620) and lenses to go with it that is great for shooting a lot of different kinds of pictures (close-up, far away or fast action), but it does not have the ability to record a movie. So this camera fills a void for me and does so at a nice price point. It's a good daily or spur of the moment camera.
(5) I wish it came with a printed manual, a USB cable and at least a 1 or 2 GB SD card but it came with none of these items. It does come with a wrist strap and a pair of alkaline batteries. Fortunately, I was able to download the manual and use a 16 GB (class 10) SD card that I had laying around at home. The recommended speed grade is Class 6 and densities up to 32 GB work.
(6) Although it does not come with software, you can download some free software at the Canon website that allows you to import pictures from the camera with a USB cable or through a USB card reader to: Manage/Print the images, and Edit the pictures as follows: Correct Red-eye, Auto Correct, Adjust color and Brightness, Increase Sharpness, Crop Image, Insert Text, Stitch photos (to create a panoramic photo), Edit Movies, and Extract Multiple images from Movie (this feature alone makes the "free" software worthy enough of a download/install.
The software works on Windows (from 95 to 8.1), Mac OS 8 to OS X 10.9, and Linux (something for everyone). To get the software, go to the Canon website, click on Support, pick a region of the world and then a country, then "Consumer & Home office", then "Powershot cameras", then "Powershot A series", and finally scroll down & select the "Powershot A1400" camera. Once there, you'll be able to download the user manuals, guides and/or brochures as well as the software.
On balance this is a great entry level camera with a lot of useful bells and whistles (features). I recommend that you download one or both of the searchable PDF manuals. It takes decent pictures & easily slips into your pocket (but I prefer to use a compact camera case more for protection than anything else). Its a camera for all ages. You get the maximum benefit from the camera by reading the manual.
Like anything, the more you use the camera in different settings & modes the better you get at using it. The "auto" mode is nice when there is plenty of light, it's also a great learning tool as you get to see what the camera chose on your behalf. You can also turn off the digital zoom and rely only on the 5x optical zoom.
If you find that you need more flash "light" (something that extends the flash range up to 30 feet), look at the Canon HF-DC1 or HF-DC2 here on Amazon. It's triggered by the built-in flash (recall that light travels pretty fast) and can come in handy.
As with every camera product, you can spend more money and get something better but at every price point you can make that decision. For me the last criteria is that the camera was inexpensive ($62 at time of purchase) and this camera also meets that criteria. Good luck with your search & or purchase.
UPDATED 04-26-2014
This camera uses a 32-bit image processor that has a 4 GB file size limit, so when you are shooting video's (movie) continuously the camera will stop after the 4 GB file size is reached.
In HD Quality 1280 x 720p (25 fps - frames per second), the length of the movie is around 27:18.
In SD Quality 480 x 640p (30 fps - frames per second), the length of the movie is around 50:10.
Note this limit is not just a Canon limit rather most cameras have this limit unless they are using a 64-bit processor. It's generally not an issue with most people, myself included as I generally take video's from 5 seconds to 15-20 minutes.
UPDATED 05-26-2014
I purchased a 2nd A1400 because I like the first one so much and wanted to have a backup since who knows when another camera like this will be available with viewfinder. I caught it on sale for $57 after it had been running close to $100.
I've used the camera in very low light settings (using the Low Light Scene mode), taking pictures and video clips of "Disney On Ice" in a box seat some 100-200 feet away from the skaters. The booth like the arena was dimly lit: wall sconces, step lights and exit signs provide what little light there was for safety reasons. The only other lights were above the skaters where spot/flood lights of varying colors lit up parts of the arena. The camera has a 5.0x optical zoom (shows up in white) and an additional 4x of digital zoom (shows up in blue). I set the camera for 5.0x optical and would take photos that turned out nicely, but for the most part I shot video clips & used the free software to extract photos from the video clips (you can extract 25 photos per second of HD video)
When shooting video you have no additional optical zoom except for what you initially set the camera with. Any more zoom is digital (which is akin to cropping the image).
The manual is here (copy & paste the URL in a browser)
gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300010040/01/ps-a1400-a2600-cu-en.pdf
Again, this is an awesome camera and value for the money.
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This Item  Canon PowerShot A1400 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5X Digital Image Stabilized Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and 720p HD Video Recording (Black) |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $172.99 | -17% $149.00 List: $179.99 | $149.95 | -8% $183.98 List: $199.99 | $299.00 | $399.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it May 15 - 21 | Get it May 15 - 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Zoom | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Sold By | HDD Shop | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Acute Tek (We Record SN) | Willoughby's Established 1898 |
| display type | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | — |
| display size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches | 2.7 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| lens type | Zoom, Wide Angle | Wide Angle | Wide Angle | Telephoto | fixed | zoom |
| zoom type | Optical | Optical Zoom | Optical Zoom | Optical Zoom | Optical | Optical |
| shooting modes | Scene | — | Automatic | Panorama, Automatic, Easy | Scene | Scene, Automatic |
| connectivity tech | USB | USB | USB | USB | USB | HDMI, USB |
| video resolution | HD 720p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | HD 720p | HD 720p |
| optical zoom | 5 multiplier x | 25 multiplier x | 5 multiplier x | 40 multiplier x | 12 multiplier x | 35 multiplier x |
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Customer Review: Excellent extremely simple camera
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Reviews with images
good litte replacement
got it as a replacement for my Kodak EasyShare Z1485 IS Digital Camera i been using for years like fact its bare bones point an shout to go along with my Canon EOS T3i good for fast shot nice bit of sating for fast use were you cant get the big DSLR out also can take the 32GB SD cards as will adds to the canon hardware i have
Top reviews from other countries
Nyall
very happy with this powerful little camera
Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2013Carolina Gofsky
Great basic camera, awesome value for the price
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2014Conscious consumer
Great camera for its size
Reviewed in Canada on October 23, 2013