The Canon Powershot Elph 100HS | Review

This summer, as you head out with the kids to the park or go on a hike in the great outdoors, you’ll probably want a camera that’s as on the go as you are. I’d like to share with you a simple review of one of my favorite point-and-shoot cameras, the Canon Powershot Elph 100HS.

My husband and I have two little budding photographers and this spring we thought we’d purchase a couple small cameras for them to get creative with.  We looked at many different brands (there are so many on the market now) and finally settled on the Elph. And here’s why…

This little camera has exceeded our expectations. It’s the perfect size for toting around with you and its features blew me away. Let me start with one of the main reasons we chose this camera, the colors! Yes, we were looking to buy the cameras for our girls and one of the things we wanted was personality, and the colors were perfect. At the time we purchased them, the Elph came in three colors, pink, blue and silver. Since we purchased, there are more colors available, so if you’re looking for a camera to fit your personality, they’ve got you covered!

One of the most important things we were looking for in a camera was performance. The Elph is quick to focus and there is little-to-no delay when pressing the shutter button to capture the photo. It does very well in low-light conditions as well.

If you’re interested in customizing camera settings (and we highly recommend that you do!), you will be impressed with the number of settings you can adjust in the Elph. You have all the basic settings such as, resolution, image quality, aspect ratio, ISO and white balance. Plus, there are additional settings I like to call the “fun settings!”

These shooting modes include: Movie Digest, Portrait, Kids and Pets, Smart Shutter (which automatically detects faces), High-Speed Burst, Handheld Nightscene, Low-light, Fish-Eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap, Beach, Underwater (you will need a waterproof case for this setting!), Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Long Shutter, Stitch Assist (to make panoramas), and Super Slow Motion Movie. Wow, there are a lot of settings!

Photo taken with the “Toy Camera” shooting mode

As an added bonus, the Elph can record 1080p full HD video, which is a huge step up from the tiny video clips we’re all used to with the older point-and-shoot cameras. This feature has been great to have in moments when my husband and I don’t have a dedicated video camera to use. The Elph is so handy to pop into my purse when I head out the door to my girls’ school to record their special moments.

I can say that we have thoroughly enjoyed this camera. Even though my husband and I originally purchased these cameras for our daughters, we have certainly made use of them, too! If you’re looking for a small, convenient, creative camera that won’t break the bank, the Canon Elph is the perfect choice.

UPDATE: The Canon Powershot Elph 100HS featured in this post is no longer available. Check out the Canon Powershot Elph 190 IS as an equivalent model.