Best Reviewed
Cheap Digital Cameras
- Best budget digital camera Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS *Est. $160
- Budget digital camera with longer zoom Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH25 *Est. $155
- Best of the cheapest cameras Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 *Est. $110
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Best budget digital camera
- Sturdy build
- Full HD (1080p) video capabilities
- Very good in low-light situations
- HDMI port for TV playback
- Lots of automatic features
- Cramped control buttons
- Mediocre optical image stabilization
- No optical zoom in video mode
Most reviewers consider the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS a great little camera for the money. Although the 100 HS is the entry-level model in Canon's Elph lineup, it offers full HD video (1080p with slow-motion recording) along with a 12-megapixel, high-sensitivity sensor that gives it more latitude in low light than most compacts. These are uncommon features in a sub-$200 camera and a key selling point for critics. Editors at Which? magazine say the HD video mode produces "commendable" picture and sound quality, while editors at Steves-Digicams.com say the low-light capabilities are "unmatched" among rivals.
The 100 HS has a 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x zoom, a 3-inch LCD (230,000 dots) and an HDMI port for TV playback (the cable costs extra, however). The compact, sturdy metal camera is easy to grip, but critics say the controls are cramped. Reviewers also say the camera's optical image stabilization is mediocre, and there's no optical viewfinder or optical zoom in video mode. However, the 100 HS produces good image quality overall and offers a trove of fun features, including creative filters, stitch panorama and in-camera editing. The total package earns the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS several Best Buy awards. You can get a longer 8x zoom with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH25 (*Est. $155) , or save some money with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 (*Est. $110) , but neither of these can match the 100 HS's photo and video quality in reviews.
Technology and photo-enthusiast sites such as PCMag.com, Steves-Digicams.com and PhotographyBlog.com provide comprehensive reviews that compare the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS to class rivals. ConsumerReports.org and Which? magazine offer brief evaluations based on rigorous tests, while plenty of users weigh in at Amazon.com.
| Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4X Optical Zoom (Orange) | |
(272 reviews) In Stock. |
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"It doesn't do anything spectacularly well, but it does it serviceably and simply, and the price is definitely right," says David Pierce. The 4x zoom lens is nothing special, he says, but the 100 HS excels in low-light shooting tests, outranking the competing Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T110 and Kodak EasyShare M580.
Review: Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS, David Pierce, March 2011
Gavin Stoker says the Canon Ixus 115 HS (the U.K. version of the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS) "surpasses what one would normally expect from a budget model." The camera has a decent build, easy operation and fun creative filters, plus it excels at general snapshot photography. The downside is that the camera's small size and flush control buttons mean that your fingers can "skate around a bit," but Stoker still gives the Elph 100 HS a Recommended rating.
Review: Canon IXUS 115 HS Review, Gavin Stoker, April 2011
3. Which? magazineDetails/Subscribe
Editors at Which? magazine give the Canon Ixus 155 HS (the U.K. version of the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS) a Best Buy award. The camera garners high scores for impressive video quality, face detection and focusing, and it also excels at shooting in low-light conditions. However, the 4x zoom lens is cited for its small range and "run of the mill" optical image stabilization.
Review: Canon Ixus 115 HS, Editors of Which? magazine, As of Aug. 2011
4. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
In rigorous lab tests, the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS is put to the test alongside more than 50 point-and-shoot models. The cameras are rated for features such as versatility, image quality, LCD quality, megapixels and battery life. Editors also provide a few sentences summarizing their take on each camera.
Review: Point and Shoot Digital Camera Ratings and Reliability, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Editors say the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS delivers "awesome value," and it's a "no brainer" if you want a superior low-light shooter for less than $200. The few liabilities include a weak flash, a burst mode that doesn't live up to Canon's claims of 3.4 frames per second and a zoom that doesn't work in video mode.
Review: Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS Review, Editors of Steves-Digicams.com, March 2011
6. Amazon.com
"It is a small camera and carries with it the baggage that comes with the convenience of having to carry so little baggage," one owner says about the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS. That said, more than 85 percent of users say the 100 HS delivers great features and performance for a budget camera. A few owners, though, aren't as pleased. They pan the 100 HS for lousy image quality and poor autofocus, saying it's easy to drop because it's so small.
Review: Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS, Contributors to Amazon.com
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