With a sleek body design and streamlined interface, Canon's E-Series is intended to be an entry-level camera with a feature set almost identical to their A-Series. The camera is compact (3.98 x 2.51 x 1.24 inches, 5.64 oz), and a 10 megapixel resolution is on the higher end of standard consumer-level offerings. It has a 4x optical zoom (4x digital), and a 2.5 inch LCD screen. Customization options include a range of settings and lighting conditions (like Landscape, Snow, and Fireworks), and a face detection system is designed to optimize focus, exposure, flash, and white balance in portrait or group shots. An image stabilization system reduces blur due to camera shake, especially on zoomed-in shots.

The Powershot E1 comes with a revamped Easy Mode setting that helps its point-and-shoot nature by automating most of the customization and optimization adjustments. It has a 2.5 inch LCD screen and storage comes in the form of SD/SDHC, MultiMediaCard, MMC Plus, or HC MMC Plus cards. Connectivity includes a USB cable and an AV cable for TVs, and it is also PictBridge capable, which means it can plug directly into most printers.