Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4X Optical Zoom (Blue)

The Canon ELPH 100 HS is beautiful, and the Smart Auto feature takes great, no-stress photos for the user who has little or no experience with camera equipment. Before buying the Canon ELPH 100, I read reviews and did a lot of research online to find a point-and-shoot camera that I would enjoy within the under-$200 price range. There are a lot of good products from which to choose. I next went to Best Buy, Office Depot, and Sears to hold different point-and-shoot cameras made by the major producers: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, etc. For me, these visits to different retailers is an important part of the process of buying a point-and-shoot digital camera for the first time. Another important step is to learn whether or not the camera's software is compatible with your desktop computer. Because my computer is old (2006), I had to research compatibility with the different cameras that I liked. You can find the information at the product websites. Canon has a very user-friendly website that influenced my purchase considerably. I had XP Service Pack 2 on an older Dell Dimension E310. For the Canon, I had to download XP Service Pack 3. I ordered the camera from Amazon.com. From the moment I opened the box of the Canon ELPH 100 HS, I liked everything that I saw. The instructions are clear and organized well. Finally, I love the pictures that I am taking. No, they are not the same quality as those taken by friends and family members who own thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment. However, these photos are beautiful and fun to take. I am practicing now so that I will be ready to take photos at baby showers and graduations in the next couple of weeks. Is it easy to learn how to use the Canon ELPH 100 HS? It is VERY easy to learn how to use Smart AUTO. The sliding Smart AUTO button is on the top of the camera: you slide the latch to Smart AUTO, and you are finished. The camera "decides" whether or not to activate flash and also determines other settings. To learn to use all of the optional features (P mode) is fun but not essential to photographing great photos right away. Another reason that I bought the Canon ELPH 100 is that it is considered to be among the best in its price range -- and possibly THE BEST -- in low-light conditions. The only time the colors seemed to be distorted somewhat was when I took photos of pets sitting in a semi-darkened room while they were directly under the strong light of a table lamp. I found that the bright light from the lamp washed over all objects close to the lamp; the objects outside of the lamplight were fainter in color. Since then, I've taken the precaution of composing photos more carefully so that I am not creating a spotlight effect. I read that the ELPH 300 could be a better choice if you plan to use the video features a lot. For me, the video features on the ELPH 100 are fine. While in Playback (viewing photos that I have taken), I am learning how to use the displayed menus to select options such as Slideshow and Erase -- so far, so good. While not as easy as Smart Auto, the menus are fairly intuitive. I have been very pleased. The sheen of the dog's coat, the warm expression in her eyes, and the mysterious, bold gaze of the cat -- all captured beautifully.

I loved this camera and it's functions, and it took good photos. About one week after use, the camera dropped from a low standing chair to a wooden deck. Thinking not much about it, I went to charge up the battery, and to my shock, the LCD was a horrible mess. It was not cracked (not even a scratch) but the LCD has lines and black-outs, all over it. The camera is still functional, but we cannot see the images. I have dropped ipods, cell phones, other cameras from a much higher height, and to a much harder surface (the road) and the only resulting damamge was a scratch or dent. This camera cannot withstand the softest of drops. It's made of cheap plastic, and I just cannot believe how fragile it is. I would never buy a Canon again - money down the drain!

This is an excellent little camera. In many situations, it takes pictures of comparable quality to my Rebel XS. The optical image stabilization puts it solidly above most point-and-shoot cameras I've used. I bought this because it's just about the smallest real camera I could find, and I wanted something I could easily carry with me. The only drawback to this is that the buttons on the back are quite small and can be a pain to use. On the plus side, the interface is very straightforward and there's no selection wheel full of options I'll never use. Another refreshing change from other cameras I've used is that the camera explains the significance of most settings, so even those you don't use very often won't confuse you. Video quality is also pretty good. It'll take 1080p videos, but only at 24 frames per second, which generally looks jerky. I much prefer the results at 720p. Zoom and autofocus do not work during video recording, but you aren't stuck with webcam-style fixed focus, you simply have to set zoom and focus before starting to record. I think this has something to do with the microphone picking up the noise caused by the moving parts in the lens. You can also take slow-motion video at up to 240 frames per second, which is a neat trick - although 240fps is not always fast enough to capture a whole lot of detail you can't see anyway.

This is the second time I had to buy this camera, due to thievery. Was contemplating upgrading to a newer model of the ELPH HS, the upgraded models include a bulkier design, or a touch screen that barely works. I looked high and low for the exact same model for the slimmer size, and actual buttons, as the touch screen does not respond to 2/3 attempts to press the same option whether in the automatic settings or the more advanced settings. Too bad Canon discontinued selling this product in stores, if you find a Canon ELPH 100 HS, I would suggest buying this product!

I bought this to replace an Ixus 780, & they're both very similar in appearance & size. However, what is gained in picture quality (pixels mostly) is lost in usability & construction. The Elph 100 is, I suppose, clad in metal, but the feel is rather flimsy, like an empty pop can. It doesn't have the solid feel of the earlier model. Nor is it as ergonomic. The necessarily small buttons don't have that finishing touch to inspire confidence, such as a slight shaping of the touched surfaces, & less slippery-ness than the rest of the body. But my worst complaint is with the rocker switch, which is very poorly executed. It is shaped so your finger just slips off before you actually press. Previous models had a lovely chrome ring around the outside of this selector ring, which kept your fingertip in place while pressing, but not here, so it smacks of thoughtlessness in search of economy. On the other hand, the price is right, & was about $100 less than the earlier model. But in retrospect, I wouldn't buy this again if I knew what I know now. It's just not very user friendly, so I am rather reluctant to pop it out of my pocket & snap away, knowing I'll have to struggle with the adjustments I want to make when selecting preferences from the pleasantly laid out menu.

How can you go wrong with products made by companies like Canon, etc.? They are top notch! I am a Pentax lover from way back, but I never found a Pentax "point and shoot" camera that packs the features of the Canon Elph series and especially at the price I got on my 100 model ($139 Ca including delivery). Once again I was impressed with Amazon.ca and do not hesitate to advise friends and family to buy on line for great product, price and service! It has a long lasting lithium rechargeable battery, uses standard SD cards, and is just so darn handy to use, and so "user-friendly" to learn how to use that you barely need a manual of any kind! I especially like the slow motion and simulated fisheye features as they are a lot of fun to play with, and there's more: like the toy affect, etc. You will not be disappointed with this camera, and I'd be very surprised if anybody did not like it--it's that good!

I'm really not an expert with cameras, but this camera is exactly what I was looking for. It's easy to use, the pics come out really great and it's small. Even in low light with no flash the pictures were in focus. The video quality is great too. Definetly the best point and shoot camera I've ever owned.

Canon demonstrate me again that is the best on the market for digital cameras. Even if is discontinued the ELPH 100, is a very good deal as price and quality. Definetly will share my impression with friends and will buy another in couple of years when this one will get old. By the way, i still have the PowerShot SD 450 ELPH that work perfectly after 7 years of usage.