Canon 12.1 Megapixels PowerShot ELPH 300 HS Review by StevesDigicam

On February 7 2011, Canon announced four new PowerShot Digital cameras - the PowerShot SX230 HS, ELPH 500 HS (aka IXUS 310 HS), ELPH 300 HS (aka IXUS 220 HS) and ELPH 100 HS (aka IXUS 115 HS) models. 

The PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is the world's thinnest 24mm wide angle, 5x Optical zoom model, along with 12.1 Megapixels High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. It comes equipped with Canon's HS SYSTEM for exceptional shooting in low-light, Full 1080p HD video, new Movie Digest Mode and 32 Smart AUTO scenes.

The PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is available in red, black and silver and is currently selling at around $246. Here is the summary of review by Steve's Digicam:

"Like all of their new HS series PowerShots, Canon equipped the 300 HS with a CMOS type image sensor, compared to the CCD unit found in most digicams. This is a backside-illuminated sensor, which offers increased sensitivity performance, speed, and lower power consumption. Canon has paired this unit with a nice 5x optical zoom lens, which boasts a faster than average 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. The wide angle extremes are great for indoor photography, especially in cramped spaces, not to mention work great for vast landscapes and large group shots. The telephoto capabilities won't zoom across the basketball court, however they will help you tightly frame your portrait or close-up subjects. Image quality from the above combination was pleasing for a camera of this size. The auto exposure system did well in most lighting, producing acceptable exposures. Colors are very pleasant, especially when using Smart Auto mode. Like many digicams, it produces a brighter image with increased saturation when compared to running with Program mode instead. Either way, the camera is able to produce a nice sharp image with plenty of fine details. When zooming in to 100% for critical inspection, you will see very little edge softness along the left and right hand sides of the frame. We also saw a few traces of purple fringing along edges that had extreme contrast (which is common). Overall, I was pleased with the performance of this sensor/lens combo outdoors. 

Moving indoors, we saw similar results. Images are relatively sharp, and the flash does well when using the Auto setting with the ISO set to Auto as well. Just remember that the flash is tiny, so do not expect to illuminate a large group or room, especially if you are using the zoom at all. Red-eye was well controlled, with very few instances in our people photos. When the camera, or you, choose a higher sensitivity setting, the 300 HS is able to produce a usable image right on up to 3200 in my humble opinion. While the best quality will be had at ISO 800 and below, the 1600 and 3200 settings still retain a good amount of detail. When viewed at fullscreen resolution (typically between 20-25%), they look pretty darn good. Obviously, the amount of light on the scene will effect the outcome, but our M&M man photos look very good, which are under typical overhead fluorescent lighting. For 2011, Canon has upped the ante on video, with their new ELPH HS models sporting full HD capabilities. you now have resolution settings of 1920x1080 (24fps), 1280x720 (30fps), 640x480 (30fps), and 320x240 (30fps). Video is recorded with sound (depending on mode used), and you have full use of the optical zoom lens. While recording, the zoom moves very slow to help keep noise down and allow the AF system to keep everything in focus: which it did well for this type of camera. Canon has also added some new modes to keep things fun. On top of the Color Swap and Color Accent options of old, the camera will not apply most all of the scene mode effects to your video too. So, if you are shooting in Monochrome mode and decide to start filming, your video will also be in monochrome. Some settings do not work, like Fisheye for example. Along with this new functionality, there's also two new movie mode options for you to choose from; Super Slow-motion and Movie Digest. With all of these features, the 300 HS offers some of the most impressive video options in a compact camera date (03/15/2011). When using the Full 1080p setting, the 24fps frame rate offers a cinematic look, which played back smoothly on my PC. Because the 300 HS has an HDMI port, you can easily connect it to your HDTV; with the optional cable of course. Overall, I was very pleased with the video quality from this tiny little camera, which rivals that of most compact cameras on the market; just don't expect digital camcorder quality and you'll be very happy.

Bottom Line - The PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is one awesome little ultra-compact. This model builds off of two of my favorite Canon pocket cameras (the SD780 and SD940), with much appreciated improvements in both the still image and video categories. With speedy performance, excellent image quality, awesome low-light performance, and pleasing full HD video, the 300 HS is tough to beat. Not to mention it retails for only $250 US or less."