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Canon debuts A3100 IS, A3000 IS, A495 and A490 low-end shooters

It might not be glamorous, but if a $110 camera is all you can afford -- or all you'd trust your kid with -- then it suddenly becomes of utmost importance. The new crop of A-series cameras fits such a bill, with the 12 megapixel, 4x zoom, optical image stabilized PowerShot A3100 IS in the "high end" at $180, followed by the 10 megapixel A3000 IS at $150; 10 megapixel, 3.3x zoom A495 at $130; and similarly specced A490 at $110. The differences between the A495 and A490 are muddled, outside of color choices and fewer scene selections. The Two A3000 cameras sports 2.7-inch screens and recharageable lithium-ion battery packs (a first for A-series cameras), with the A490 units going for 2.5-inches and trotting out the AAs. All four shooters should be out sometime in late February. %Gallery-81500%