Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS [With Reviews]

A Post By: Darren Rowse

Today I was surfing through the best selling cameras list on Amazon and noticed that the Canon Powershot Elph 300 HS was ranked as the #1 best selling camera on the site at present. I thought it might be worth taking a bit of a closer look at what the #1 selling digital camera on the world’s biggest online store is. Below we’ll look at specifications as well as what reviewers around the web are saying about Canon’s Elph 300 HS.

Introduction to the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS (Specifications)

Released early in 2011 – the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is a compact 12 megapixel digital camera with a 5x optical zoom (updated from previous models) and a 2.7 inch LCD display.

This camera is certainly not pitched at the top of the compact camera market – when compared to its big brother the Canon Powershot S95 (which is our most popular Secondary camera and currently ranked #2 on the Amazon Best Seller List) you’ll certainly notice less features – but you’ll also notice a significant saving in terms of cost – the Elph 300 HS is around $160 cheaper.

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS has a very slim profile of just on an inch and weighs just under 5 ounces – so it certainly fits the ‘take it anywhere’ criteria. It’s 5x optical zoom is fitted with optical image stabilization. Video is Full 1080p HD with stereo sound. You can also shoot slow motion video (it shoots at high speed so when you play it back it slows everything down).

Burst mode shoots at 8 frames per second and there are something like 32 different scene modes to choose from – including smart Auto.

Colors: the Elph 300 HS comes in Black, Silver and Red.

What Reviews Say about the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS

As you’d expect for such a well selling camera – the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is getting pretty good review. Nobody is saying it’s the camera of the year or a camera that Pros or even serious enthusiasts must have – but for the price it is positioned at it is being very well received.

It is being noted by many reviews as having good ergonomics and design, an excellent lens and great video.

“If you’re looking for a small, fast camera that takes good pictures thanks to its upgraded lens, the Canon PowerShot Elph 300 HS is an excellent choice.” – PC Mag<

“If you’re looking for a nice, simple ultracompact for use indoors and out, you’ll want to strongly consider the Canon PowerShot Elph 300 HS.” – CNET

“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.” – Steves Digicams

“We can safely say that the Canon PowerShot Elph 300 HS is a substantial upgrade from last year’s PowerShot SD1400 IS. We’d say it’s definitely worth the extra 20 bucks. Long live the Elph!” – Infosyncworld

“The Canon PowerShot 300 HS is a very capable camera that captures 24mm wide-angle images, yet slips into a pocket with ease. Its 12-megapixel sensor doesn’t quite deliver what last year’s 12-megapixel CCDs did in terms of print size, but it still produces a big print, and captures Full HD video. You can spend more and get more from cameras like the Canon S95 or G12, but not at so wide an angle; and the image quality pretty well matches what you pay for the $250 Canon ELPH 300 HS. For the targeted consumer of this super-thin camera the Canon 300 HS performs well with its elevated Smart Auto option. Casual shooters will even love the excellent performance at high ISOs, especially if they venture into Handheld NightScene mode. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 300HS is a good quality everywhere camera for not a lot of money” – Imaging Resource

“If you are looking for a sleek take anywhere type of compact camera that offers a practical wide angle zoom range, provides dependable performance, and delivers sharp and well exposed images under most conditions, we have no hesitation in recommending the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS.” – Digital Review

Like the reviews say – the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is a pretty safe bet if you’re looking for a point and shoot camera. If you’re looking for something with more manual control, that shoots RAW, with larger aperture and a larger sensor – consider investing in the S95 (its currently 9% off at Amazon).