PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)

I'm a DSLR photographer who shoots professionally and has managed a camera store in the past. I wanted something I can take with me everywhere but still produces good quality shots. I also wanted a camera that could shoot good looking videos. I researched several models and after much deliberation decided on the Canon 300 HS. I'm very happy I did. Image Quality: I tested cameras and lenses all the time while managing the camera store so whenever I purchase a new camera or lens I always test it. The Canon 300 HS doesn't produce the quality of images my Nikon D7000 does but I didn't expect it to. The edges get a little soft with the 300 HS when looking at the image at 100% whereas the D7000 images are almost tact sharp. Comparing the 300 HS to the Canon Powershot SD1000 from a few years ago, the 300 HS blows it out of the water. The SD1000 is a 7 MP camera. Shooting the same shots on a tripod with the same focal length on the lens the 300 HS uses its extra MPs well. When looking at the images from each camera at 100%, at the wide angle zoom setting and normal zoom setting both cameras have about the same relative slight softness on the edges. However the 300 HS has more MP so it actually produces much more detail in the image. I think it was smart for Canon to keep the MP at 12 because last years models while being 14 MP (SD1400) didn't give any extra detail from what I could tell than the 12 MP version (SD1300). The SD1400 was basically just creating larger files. When zooming in the telephoto setting the 300 HS clearly produced a sharper image than the SD1000. Often cameras have sweet spots in the zoom range in which it will produce crisper images. The 300 HS has consistently good sharpness throughout it's zoom range. HS system and ISO: The image processing with the HS system truly works to reduce noise at higher ISOs enabling people to produce better quality images in low light. The improvement in image quality gets more and more visible the greater and greater the ISO. ISO 400 with the 300 HS was almost as good as ISO 200 on the SD1000. ISO 800 on the 300 HS was a tad better than ISO 400 on the SD1000. ISO 1600 on the 300 HS was between ISO 400 and 800 on the SD1000. ISO 3200 on the 300 HS produced the same quality of image (noise) as ISO 800 on the SD1000. A 2 stop in film speed improvement is big. 1080p video and slow motion: With good light, the 300 HS produces wonderful smooth 1080 videos. If you look at a lot of HD videos from compact cameras the video often looks jumpy. From what I've seen it wasn't until you got to the Canon G12 or Panasonic LX5 that the video looked smooth. Both of those cameras only shoot 720p whereas this camera shoots 1080p. The video also very good detail. It truly looks HD. If you are wanting zoom and continuous AF with your video this camera is the one you want compared to the 100 HS which doesn't allow you to zoom. The continuous AF with face recognition is stellar with this camera in video mode. I was videoing my wife while she was driving. It focused on her face. I switched to the scenery outside. It immediately focused on that. I then went back to my wife and it found her face and focused on it right away. I even videoed her reflection in the rear view mirror and it found her face in the mirror no problem and focused on it. AMAZING!!!! Commenting on a complaint I've read about the zoom being slow in video mode. If you like getting motion sickness whenever someone rapidly zooms in or out during their video this is not your camera. As smooth looking as the video is, the zoom is also. The smooth zoom creates nice looking transitions instead of warp speed ahead looks. The slow motion is a fun feature that works well. You need to have good lighting though. In low light even with high ISO's it produced very dark videos. In a review someone commented that it should have sound with the slow motion video. I honestly don't know how that could work unless you want to listen to everything at 1/5 it's normal speed. I think it's a good thing that it doesn't have sound with the slow motion videos. AF: I commented on AF partially in the video portion of the review. It does have several AF modes for various situations. The face detection works great. If you have a person in the picture but want something other than the person to be in focus you will need to change AF modes from face detection. The reviewer that had the problem with the 300 HS focusing on things he didn't want the camera to focus on likely didn't have the correct AF mode for the shooting situations. The 300 HS does have a center AF if you prefer that. Areas for Canon to improve on with the 300 HS: The camera is so well thought out that I'm surprised Canon let this slip. I love having a wide angle zoom go down to 24mm. It's great for scenery and photojournalist type shots. If you shoot at the widest angle zoom and use the flash, the lens on the 300 HS blocks the flash's exposure on the bottom right corner of the image. The corner is completely black. If you zoom in a bit so you aren't at the widest angle setting when using the flash you will be fine. Still all Canon had to do is not put the flash so close to the lens. When shooting video in lower light situations the video does start to get noisy and grainy quicker than some other cameras. Conclusion: All in all this is a wonderfully thought out camera with great image quality and image processing and it shoots stellar videos for it's compact size.

I purchased this item through Amazon and received it yesterday from Ace Photo Digital, and I am very happy with my purchase so far. The camera arrived quickly (at the early end of the expected delivery window) and was carefully packaged. I charged up the battery and 45 minutes later got to work. I got the black finish option. It isn't a smooth finish, but a little rough, like fine-grit sandpaper. I really like it because the camera is quite small in stature, and the finish allows for a sure grip at all times. After a brief initial set-up (set date/time and select language) I started snapping some shots in auto-mode. Wow, what a clean picture. I came from a 6 mega-pixel point and shoot, so 12 mega-pixel unit is a healthy upgrade. Pictures are sharp, balanced and vibrant, even in the low lighting around my place. I stepped outside and snapped a few more in the sunlight and found more of the same. Having mastered auto-mode (and who can't really?) I opened up the menu and started playing with some of the features. I've seen some reviews complain that putting the camera into a particular mode is too cumbersome, and I have a couple thoughts on that. Number one, the menu is optimally set up, easy to read and navigate. Icons illustrate the various modes, with text alongside to explain what each mode is and what it does. Selecting a mode was simple. Number two, as far as selecting a mode on the fly, any pro photographer will tell you one of the secrets to taking great pictures is planning ahead. I really don't know what Canon could do to make it any faster, other than assigning individual buttons on the camera for each mode, and that's not exactly feasible. Several features are included, so unleash your creativity! Video mode is nice as well, easy to use and shoots great video. Only two negatives I can think of for this purchase is something that plagues too many electronics when buying online. I want to know exactly what's in the box, and I couldn't find that anywhere in the product description. I ordered an SD card along with my purchase and I'm glad I did, because one is not included with the camera (that may very well be standard procedures these days, but I'm pretty sure my old Canon came with a card). So I will tell you what IS in the box: camera, manuals, cd-rom, RCA cable to connect with a tv, USB cable, one battery, and one wall-charger. The second drawback is that the LCD display screen is a bit exposed. In this small package space is a premium and it seems like the screen is pushed outward a little to compensate. I'm looking forward to the arrival of my protective case. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase. Tons of features, easy to use, excellent pictures and a great price. Highly recommended.

Just got this as a replacement for an old sony cybershot. I do a ton of research before I purchase and this was the best thing I could find in the price range. The closest thing to it is the *panasonic* DMC-FH27 but I decided on this after looking at the interfaces and menus at the store. The canon simply is much more straight forward and I was willing to sacrifice some zoom power and megapixels for something that didn't require hours with a manual and training session for my spouse. Additionally, people have posted some youtube samples of the kind of video this takes and it is far superior to anything in its price range. This is important for me because we can't afford to go out and buy a specialized video camera and this will do a great job. Menu layout is intuitive. The scene modes are AWESOME. Very well done and despite being an amatuer I feel like this thing actually improves the quality of pictures I take. I have three picky critiques: 1. If you are going through the preview function to look at old pictures there is a quirky thing about getting back to taking pictures. If you haven't done it long enough so that the lens retracts, you can hit the preview button again and it goes back to camera mode. If you do it so long that the lens retracts, if you hit the preview button, the camera turns off. This was very confusing for the first day and half of ownership. It took a while to figure out exactly why hitting the same button would not do the same thing all the time. So, if the lens retracts, you have to hit the capture button toget back to camera mode. This was the only part about the interface that I thought was extremely dumb and not user friendly. 2. I was disappointed that some scenes and features in the manual set up could not be combines. For example, you cannot do sepia and the miniatures scene simultaneously. There are some sub functions as well that are not as intuitive as I would like. For example, in the color highlight scene (takes black and white pic with one color retained), I have no idea how to choose which color I would like to keep and I'm not sure if I even can. I tried this scene the other day and it chose what it felt was appropriate but it was not what I wanted. I have yet to check the manual on that but it would be nice if it were self explanatory. 3. Battery life is a little short but recharge is only about 2 hrs. which is a third of the time it took on my last camera. It looks like this camera would accept a power cord but it would require an adapter to put into the battery slot. 4. HD video is limited to 10 minute segments. I know I have seen it said some places that this is to prevent the CMOS sensor from overheating. But riddle me this Batman, if that is the case why does the camera allow me to immediately start another 10 minute HD video right after I have recorded for 10 minutes. Would this not also overheat the CMOS sensor? If the answer to that is yes, then canon failed to put an additional safety feature requiring you to wait for the sensor to cool down before recording in HD again. Either way you slice it, there is an error in their design. Overall, however, this is a great and versitile camera and amatuer photographers will have little to no complaints. BEST BUT IN ITS PRICE RANGE. Did I mention this thing is small? Love it...

EDIT #2 (December 2011). I become more and more disappointed in this camera as time goes by. Just reviewed loads of photos from this summer/fall and I hate to say it, but -- they suck! My former Canon AS1100 (vintage 2008) took photos soooooo much better than thing. Interior shots are especially bad, whether flash is used or not. I figured to take this camera on a long international journey, but forget it. The photos are that disappointing. I did take the AS1100 on a long international journey (six months in Africa) and its photos were awesome. One even won a photo contest. The AS1100 hd a CCD sensor and the Elph 300 a CMOS -- that's the thing. So, I guess I'll be shopping for a new camera in the next few months. :( EDIT: I originally gave this 5 stars. Well, after shooting many photos under a variety of conditions during a recent vacation, I have to drop it to 4 stars. Using the camera's Auto mode, on many shots, the image quality is poor to mediocre. I assumed Auto mode image quality would be superior to the last two (and less expensive) Nikon and Canon point and shoots I have owned, but that is definitely not the case. Auto mode images tend to be soft and faint and not realistic, e.g., grass is a faint green, not the rich green of healthy grass. Pretty disappointing! To get the most from this camera, you have to use Program mode and set ISO at 100 or 200, and experiment with the manual white balance settings. Then photos come out much better, with improved quality and richness and color accuracy. Unfortunately, the camera doesn't allow you to apply custom ISO and WB settings to various scene modes, like Foliage or Fisheye. ORIGINAL: One of the best things about this camera is its 24 mm wide angle lens. This is wider than the 28mm lens that is standard on most pocket-sized point and shoots (and the Elph 100, a step down from the Elph 300) and it is very cool. If you're not familiar with how 24 mm vs. 28 mm compares, do a little Googling. It's outstanding for landscape shots and group shots and makes photos more engaging and descriptive, with no downside. Great move, Canon! The small size of the camera is fantastic. Pocketability and performance are very nicely balanced in this well built and well designed camera. It was good to see Canon back out of the megapixel war and reduce the megapixels on this model to 12.1, from 14 in its predecessor (the SD 1400). With the 5x optical zoom, CMOS sensor (vs. CCD), HD video and an impressive palette of shooting options, there's a lot to like in this little gem. One peculiarity is that the volume on video playback on the camera is extremely low. It's difficult to hear if you're playing back videos on the camera. It's a lot lower than another Canon point and shoot that I used for a few years. I think I have it adjusted to the max, though I have to take a closer look at the manual. Which leads me to ... Raspberries to Canon for not including a full user manual booklet. Since when has it become acceptable to sell a product without providing the customer with an easy means of learning how to use it? (I know, lots of mfr's do it but still). I travel extensively for months on end with a point and shoot and refer to the manual fairly often. If I want to look up some detail or just browse, I could just grab the manual from my pack over a cup of coffee. Does Canon expect me to lug around a printout of the full PDF manual? It's not always convenient to have a netbook running and use the manual on it. Nor is it as enjoyable or instructive as flipping through a book. Though I can see some logic in not providing a full booklet and am all for not wasting paper, I would be happy if Canon made available for purchase a proper user manual for $10 or $12 or whatever.

I bought the Elph 300 HS after much research and deliberation, as a replacement for another Canon camera I had owned for years, and broke through my own carelessness. I've had good experiences with Canon quality before, so I was already leaning in that direction. I also didn't want to spend more than $200. This camera has exceeded all my expectations. It is truly lightweight, I have no problem taking it with me on everyday excursions, just in case I see something I think would be worth shooting (my camera phone is woefully inadequate). It is also VERY durable. I have dropped this camera twice (not in its case), both times from about four feet above the ground. Once it landed on concrete, the other time on a wood floor. As a result, the black casing is slightly scuffed up now, although it's not hugely noticeable. AND, the camera has continued to work perfectly. Considering we live in an age where so many things are made withough much regard to quality, since it is expected that we'll re-buy/upgrade our possessions constantly, I am truly gratified to see that Canon obviously made this camera intending for it to last. As to image quality, I am an amatuer, not really even at enthusiast level yet, but I think the image quality is really great. I also appreciate all the different scene modes and filters, and it's been so interesting working with them, that this camera actually inspired me to pursue photography again more seriously. I have a Nikon DSLR, but it was too much to lug everywhere, so I kind of just abandoned photography in general. But the Elph 300 has been so much fun to use, it inspired me to buy another digicam with shutter and aperture priority modes, so I can get back to exploring photography more fully yet still conveniently (and maybe even put my Nikon to full use someday). Speaking of manual controls, that's really the only thing this camera lacks (it does have Program mode, so you do have a bit of control over white balance and ISO). The Elph 500 does have the manual controls the 300 lacks, but I despised the touch screen, which I found was not nearly as responsive as, for example, an iPhone. But, keep in mind, this camera was never intended to be targeted to people who want full manual control. It's a small, take anywhere point and shoot that takes great pictures without you having to fiddle with it or think much about it. And as I said, there is some increased flexibility with the filters and scene modes provided (and there are quite a few of them). There may be a learning curve with the menu system for non-Canon users, but nothing that a little bit of time and the manual (in PDF form, it's not printed) wouldn't take care of. Current Canon owners will find it very familiar and easy to use. I would recommend this camera whole-heartedly for anyone who wants a lightweight P&S with great image quality, that's also simple to use and still provides a good number of creative options. This would be a wonderful intro camera to those completely new to digital photography. I gave this camera 5 stars because, for the audience it's intended for, it's an oustanding choice, and one which I can't find any fault with. People who want full manual controls will need to look elsewhere (e.g. higher-end digicams and DSLRs), but for a well-built, no-fuss camera you can take anywhere and have a lot of fun with, this is an excellent choice.

I have to say this really is honestly the only camera youd really need unless you are a professional photographer. It is small enough to carry around anywhere and not have any excuse not to bring it with you when you go places and it takes good quality pictures that dont look like they were taken with a cheap consumer camera right away if framed properly. Not only that but the video quality of the camera is as good as if not better then most consumer HD camcorders out there. Now at first you may think well such camera would be useless for good videos because it being so small there is no way to really keep the video steady. Thanks to optical image stabization the camera stays very steady even handheld. Its image stabilization is actually superior to my Canon HD camcorder which i paid 3 times as much for. This is wonderful as it means you can have one device thats small enough to take anywhere that can take good pictures and excellent video and the video is at 24 frames per second which is rare for a consumer small camera that is the same rate as film so you can get a nice cinematic look. The camera has a very nice wide angle lens that really stands out as you can get more stuff in the shot like people and enviroments (is also great for taking pictures of indoor things like rooms in your house or places you visit) compared to my mothers kodak easyshare camera the view that it capture is significantly more. It also is great for video too as was the problem with my older camcorder i felt i had to back up most times to get things in the shot. I have used a Digital SLR and dedicated HD Camcoder (that used tape) and i must say this is a real joy to have. I had not been using my SLR and Camcorder that much as having an ipad now i just didnt feel like carrying them all around and switching back and forth. (the Powershot also has better auto white balance then the SLR i used) for a pro you might want a more advanced camera but for the average user this is a wonderful camera to have the only downside i saw is that sometimes apparently the battery cover may come off, but thankfully you just snap it back into place with no problem. Also battery life is a bit on the low side as if you are out on a trip or out and about for like a day and taking a lot of video and pictures the battery will not last all day , my suggetion would be to to get a spare battery from amazon and then have both so you are set! a 16 gig memory card will net you about 1 hour of HD video or about 6,000 photos (photos are only around 1 meg each ish so dont take up a ton of space which is nice) If this thing was out 6 years ago at the price it is now i would have gotten this instead of paying $2,000 for the camera and camcorder i got. It really is a great little camera (it also does non-HD slow motion video which is a neat bonus too!) the video quality is superb and picture quality is very good as well. a great camera expecally for around christmas. Yeah most cell phones have cameras now days but most cell phone cameras are so so at best this wuold easily in my opinion beat any cell phone camera and the video expecally would beat any cell phone video (or even the iphone/ipad2 video) and this in my opinion also beats the flip video devices you can get. as this camera offers more steady shots (which in my opinion is absolutely essential with HD video the steadier the video the better it is) great product! Having it means theres no excuse not to capture great pictures or video!

I liked this camera very much especially the low light photo quality and 24mm ultra wide-angel lens until I received my Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb memory card and started to play with the video functions of the camera. I found that when I was zooming in from 1x, the video was very smooth until it hited around 3.8x, it was shaking twice, and when I continued to zoom in to around 4.8x, it shaking once a little more, no matter what resolutions I used (1280, 1920, 640). Please take a look at the video. I zoomed in all the way from 1x to 5x, and zoomed out and in several times between 3x and 5x. Zooming out was no shaking at all, but zooming in was shaking at around 3.8x and 4.8x. Does anybody have this kind of problem? I don't know if I got a defective one or it is normal. Please let me know and appreciate any comment. Thanks!! [Update (4/23/2011)]: Finally I returned it because I thought it is defective and just received the replacement one this afternoon. The only difference I noticed at first is the returned one is "Made in Japan", and the new one is "Made in China". I tried to record video by zooming-in with the new camera and very happy to find out the video got perfect zooming-in without any shaking. But later I played that video file on my computer, and heard some very loud knocking sounds when the zooming-in almost reaching to the end (5x). I tried several times and the results were the same. I listened very carefully when I recorded video by zooming-in the camera, and found out the knocking sounds came from the lens' motor. That didn't happan with the returned camera!! I think Canon must have some quality assurance problems. I bought this camera to replace my two and half years old Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder that only has poor digital zoom function, so I wanted to use this camera to record video mostly and expected much from its 5x optical zoom. I don't know if I would return this replacement one too. :( [Update (4/25/2011)]: Found another person has the similar problem - clicking noise when zooming-in during video mode. Because Amazon doesn't allow to post the link directly. Please go to YouTube and put "Unboxing Canon Elph 300 HS" in the Search field. Go to the movie page posted by "whynot7891", and see the comments just below that movie. [Updated (5/2/2011)]: Finally I returned my replacement camera. Before I did that, I went to the local BestBuy, and bought another one that is made in Japan. I was happy to find out that one is free of problems. Though I still can hear the lens noise when zooming, but it is hardly audible. I am glad I didn't give up, because I really love this camera. It is very compact, fast to function, and creates great picture and video even in low light. I particularly love its 24mm wide and 5x lens. I would like to give it a 4 and a half stars if I can. Good luck to get your one! [Updated (10/4/2011)]: For your information, there is a new model coming out - Canon PowerShot ELPH 310 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Silver) . Price is $60 more as today, with same 12.1 MP, same DIGIC 4 processor, but higher 8x Optical Zoom (a plus), larger 3" LCD display (another plus), narrower 28mm lens (a minus), and with more body color options (no black though).

I currently own a 5D Mark II and was looking to replace my Canon S80 which is now 6 yrs old. While I love the S80 and the quality pics it captured, the bulkiness of this point-and-shoot (P&S) became inconvenient. My wife was adamant she wanted a more compact P&S this time around. In addition to great pics, I was looking for a P&S with 1080p video capability so I wouldn't have to get a separate camcorder. Let me say that the 300 HS is a quality camera packed into a sleek body that I can easily slip into any pocket on the run. Most Canon cameras (I am a Canon loyalist) take great shots. But what most impresses me about this camera are its low-light capabilities. It obviously can not match the image quality of a DSLR, but for a P&S, I was impressed! Indoor night shots of my kids WITHOUT flash (incandescent lighting only) come out amazingly crisp with minimal noise. Autofocus is quite impressive as it tracks faces in the frame further enhancing ease of use. Menu functions are quite intuitive (if you've owned previous Canon models). It's got plenty of preset shooting modes. And it's quick between shots for a P&S (a couple seconds with flash photography). I also compared the 1080p video vs Flip Ultra HD which shoots in 720p. The video quality is like night-and-day with the 300 HS finishing ahead by a mile. Low-light video is grainy but still watchable (unwatchable on Flip). In daylight, video looks beautiful. Video is easily imported into both iphoto and imovie. Just make sure you have a large memory card as 1080p takes up 16GB/hour of video. I bought a 32GB card. I did purchase an extra battery after reading battery life can be short. I've had the camera a week and have used it for 15-30 minutes daily (including video capture) and I have not needed to recharge yet. I'd also recommend the black body as it has a textured housing that makes holding this small camera much easier. Also purchased a Caselogic TBC - 302 compact camera case which fits this camera perfectly. It has a small side pocket that I slip the extra battery in. Overall, considering the excellent quality of the camera, easy portability, and great price, this camera is worth every penny.