Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS Review

  The No. 1 Bestselling Canon PowerShot Digital Camera

 

If you are looking for a compact digital camera but don’t want to sacrifice video options or photo quality, then the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS may be the solution for you. This slender camera, the world’s thinnest in fact, will fit anywhere; your pocket, your purse, briefcase, glove box, you name it. There is even a wrist strap included for when you are out and about and want the camera ready to shoot in a moment.

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS comes in three colors, black, red and silver, to suit your own particular sense of style. The camera comes with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack, battery charger, a USB interface cable and an AV cable.

High Quality Photos

There is no need to sacrifice a great photo because you need a compact camera. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS boasts 12.1 megapixels. Digital cameras create images out of little dots called pixels; a megapixel is one million of these dots. Basically, the higher the number of dots used, the better the resolution of the picture will be. The number of megapixels in a photo also determines how large of a print you can make without the image becoming distorted or blurry.

While the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is a great choice for basic snapshots, it also has great versatility. The camera contains a 5x optical zoom lens and a 4x digital zoom as well as a 24mm wide angle lens and optical image stabilizer. If you are shooting in lower light but don’t want attract attention by using the flash, the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS has you covered with its 12.1 megapixel CMOS and DIGIC 4 image processor specifically designed to assure great quality in low-light settings.

Video Included

In spite of its small pocket size, the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS has 1080p HD video with stereo that can shoot multiple 10 minute video spots. A separate movie button makes switching from still mode to video a snap. You can even shoot the video at high speed and then play it back in slower motion, a feature you might only expect to find in a larger model. Do you like to keep a photo diary when on vacation? If so, you will enjoy the movie digest mode which records a short video before the still shot, and then pull all of the video clips taken in one day into a single video.

No Experience Necessary

Does this all seem too complicated? If you are a camera buff, then using these features is automatic. But the beginner can shoot like a pro as well, thanks to the AUTO feature incorporated into the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. The internal focus meter zeros in on the face or your subject or the center of the picture. The camera also has a built in automatic flash with red eye correction or reduction. If you are taking photos in a low-light situations where a flash may not be appropriate, you can simply turn the auto flash mode off, and then reset it later when flash is needed.

Accessorize

Feel free to accessorize this little beauty with a case of your choice. There is one black case specifically designed for the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS, but Canon carries an entire line of cases which will work as well. Soft cases are available in black and burgundy with a zip opening. If you prefer the protection of a semi hard case, these are available in gray, burgundy, pink and light blue.

Case Logic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case

Transcend 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card

Pros

• Auto flash - takes the guess work out of your exposures
• Convenient size - easy to take anywhere with you
• Superb picture resolution - for true to life images
• Wide angle and zoom lenses - you are ready for any situation
• Great focus - no more blurry pictures
• Easy to read display - removes the guess work from your camera settings
• Optical zoom during video - for getting really close to the action
• Image stabilization - eliminate camera shake and get pin-sharp picures every time

Cons

• 10 minute time limit on video but this can be increased by editing
• Manual shutter speed option is a bit awkward to find at first
• Selecting ISO lock or panoramic pictures requires multiple steps

What People are Saying about the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS

Most users seem extremely pleased not only with the convenient, sleek size and light weight of the PowerShot ELPH 300 HS; they are also impressed with the multiplicity of features. Some have commented that they wish the video segments were not limited to 10 minute time frame, but other users claim this is intentional to keep the mini camera cool. While the zoom is a delightful benefit, the camera is not marketed as a video cam. Most people, however, were delighted to see a video feature which included an optical zoom on a compact camera; something not generally found on the competition. One otherwise satisfied customer did comment that when using the wide angle lens at its maximum width, he saw a black spot on one lower corner, but that reducing the width slightly eliminated the problem.