Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 Camera Review

If you ask us to name a favourite point and shoot camera brand, well, we would be quick to answer Canon cameras.

The qualities of a great point and shoot can be found in most Canon compact cameras and the body has a nice, sophisticated finish which makes it look expensive even if some of the models are relatively affordable.

Canon’s latest point and shoot camera is called the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300. It is among the first Canon camera to incorporate High Sensitive technology.

CANON POWERSHOT ELPH 300 BASIC SPECS

The latest released PowerShot from Canon has 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor with a fast DIGIC 4 processor. It can capture 1080p full HD video mode. Part of its high sensitivity feature is the face detection and i-Contrast technology with optical image stabilization. The Canon PowerShot 300 uses SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot and is Eye-Fi compatible. You can view photo and take picture using the 2.7 LCD screen.
Canon loaded up the camera with new features such as the (Movie Digest, Smart Shutter, Best Image Selection, Toy Camera, Monochrome, Poster effect, etc.), along with a super slow-motion Movie Mode.

THE WORLD’S THINNEST COMPACT CAMERA

As of today (you know how fast technology gets an upgrade) the Canon PowerShot 300 is dubbed as the thinnest point and shoot camera, with an ultra wide-angle 24mm lens. When you handle this camera it like holding a cell phone.

The layout of the camera has also taken an upgrade compared to its ELPH camera predecessors. One change is Canon addition of the movie recording button on the back of the camera, so you just press the button when you want to capture a scene.

Canon PowerShot 300 HS is a sleek, sporty looking camera that feels like it is well built, a result of its partial metal construction.
Since Canon claims that the 300 HS is the thinnest camera in the world you can easily slip it in your pocket. The only problem though is that you have to be careful of denting the lens bezel.

IMAGE SENSOR AND LENS

The selling point of the 300 HS should be its image quality. The camera comes with a CMOS image sensor typically found in Canon Powershot cameras. It has a backside-illuminated sensor that ups the sensitivity performance, speed and even the way the camera consumes power.

Canon 300 HS has 5 x optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture range of F/2.7 – 5.9 (wide – telephoto). Covering a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 24 – 120mm, the 300 HS can perform well in various situations. For a point and shoot camera, the wide angle lens captures good indoor photography.

Colors produced by the 300 HS were pleasing and the exposures were acceptable. The photos were sharp images with fine details. Indoor shooting also came out good, not too sharp but mostly sharp images.

VIDEO CAPABILITIES

Canon really put work on the 300 HS camera’s video function, something that we will see in the Canon ELPH HS models to come. You can shoot full HD movies with the camera. The resolution settings of 1920×1080 (24fps), 1280×720 (30fps), 640×480 (30fps), and 320×240 (30fps). Video is recorded with sound (depending on mode used), and you have full use of the optical zoom lens.

FEATURES WE LIKE

Canon is famous for the color swap and color accent options. The 300 HS has this option for images as well as video. Pretty cool feature to have. You can shoot videos in monochrome too. Some of the setting option do not work such as the fisheye effect.

PRICE

For all that the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS offers and the way it looks, the value of the camera
is pegged at US$ 250 price point. That is a pretty sweet deal for me.

BOTTOM LINE