The Canon PowerShot A1000 IS offers a balance between compact design (3.76 x 2.46 x 1.22 inch and 5.47 oz) and large feature set. Ten megapixels is on the higher end of resolutions available for consumer-level cameras, with 4x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom, and a 2.5 inch LCD viewfinder. Picture modes include options to optimize for a wide range of settings and lighting conditions like snow, fireworks, aquarium, and sunset. There is also built-in software to track faces, even as they move, to adjust for optimal exposure on faces in portraits or group shots. An image stabilizer is designed to reduce blur due to camera shake for zoomed-in shots. The image files are large enough so that only a handful can be stored on the 32MB SD card that comes with the package, but an 8GB card purchased separately can hold over 1700 of the highest-resolution pictures this camera can produce.

It comes with now-standard connectivity options, connecting to computers or TVs via USB or audio/video cables. It is also PictBridge capable, which means it can plug directly into most printers.