Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 Digital Camera w/ 12x Optical Zoom and Image Stabilization – Wi-Fi & NFC Enabled (Black)

Great little pocket camera. Great little pocket camera. I own a Nikon DSLR. I own Sony mirrorless DSLR. And I own an iPhone 6. So why buy this pocket camera? I wanted something for backpacking. That pretty much excludes both DLSR’s. Too heavy, too bulky, and too expensive to risk climbing mountains and slogging through bogs, crossing streams, or in sudden rain storms.What about the iPhone? It’s OK for shots maybe 5 to 20 feet away but, a lot of the shots you want to take while backpacking are going to be very long distance and the iPhone has no zoom. Also while these little point and shoot cameras with small sensors can’t do low light like a larger DSLR sensor, they are worlds better than the tiny sensors in a phone.This camera in contrast to options like a DLSR or iPhone…..1.) Is very small and comfortable to carry in a cargo pocket.2.) Is very light which is a huge consideration when backpacking.3.) Is very quick to deploy because it’s handy in a pocket rather than in my backpack. You don’t miss shots.4.) Speed is very good. It boots up fast. And the zoom is responsive.5.) Focusing is good.6.) The 12X zoom is a very usable range and the lens is decent.7.) The optical image stabilization is very effective for both still and video photography. Important with a camera this small.8.) The 3 inch display is very usable.9.) Letting sensors and software control exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO make the controls simple and fast to use. Important in a camera this small when speed matters. Fumbling through menus when a bear crosses the trail may mean you miss the shot. Wildlife is notoriously uncooperative with photography. It’s almost like they don’t care.10.) WiFi is easy to use and fast. It works great to transfer a few photos to an iPhone so you can share with friends. It’s also great when taking selfies if I’m out on the trail solo and there’s not another person for miles. Just put the camera on a mini tripod, fire up the Canon Camera Connect app on my iPhone and frame the shot using the display on my phone then hit the shutter button when I’m ready. I’ve only tried it to about 20 feet but it gets me shots I couldn’t get otherwise. Not sure what the maximum range is.11.) Eco mode boosts battery life from 180 to 250 shots. Important when you’re in the wilderness for a week.The shortcomings of a pocket camera…..1.) The sensor and lens are just not going to compete with a DSLR. Not in light gathering. Not in distortion.2.) This is not a ruggedized camera. It is susceptible to water damage from rain or taking a dunk in a river. My cheap solution was a plastic Ziploc sandwich bag and a little felt lined pouch. So far, not one scratch.3.) The flash does more harm than good 99% of the time. I keep it toggled off and only turn it on when I want it for a specific shot.4.) The small size is a double edged sword. I’m a fairly big guy so, the miniaturization and light weight comes at the expense of controls that are right at the bleeding edge of what I can tolerate for ergonomics. A woman or anyone with smaller hands would no doubt find the tiny controls easier to live with. But, I have to say that Canon did a great job with the design decisions for the physical controls as well as the software on this credit card sized camera. It’s just that there’s only so much you can do at this size. Grabbing an SLR is just more comfy.All in all, I’m very happy with this Canon product. It is very well designed for what it is and I’ll probably carry this on vacations even when backpacking is not involved. For instance, going out to dinner I don’t want to lug a 3 lb SLR. I also wouldn’t leave an SLR in a bag on a beach in a tourist trap. Ya can’t ride a roller coaster with an SLR, etc. etc. etc.To get significantly more than this model, you’d have to step up to the $400 price range or roughly double the cost for a Canon, Sony, or Nikon point and shoot. What you get for that money with say, the Canon SX730 HS is exactly the same 1/2.3″ backlit CMOS 20 megapixel sensor. You get upgraded image processing hardware and software, DIGIC 6 vs DIGIC 4+ in this camera. You get the same size view finder at 3″ but with 922,000 pixels rather than the 461,000 pixels of this camera. Not sure the additional pixel density nets you much in a 3″ screen. The screen also flips up for selfies but that’s not a feature I’d ever use. Especially when Canon gives you the Camera Connect App that turns your phone into a remote control with a screen to frame a shot, a much better solution.You get a 40X optical zoom for $400 rather than the 12X range of this Elph 360. But that sort of extreme zoom can be a mixed blessing. It becomes very susceptible to shake at 40X as well as distortion. And if you really need a longer range, the Elph 360 has a 4X digital zoom. Considering it also has a 20 megapixel sensor which I consider a bit ridiculous, digital zoom actually becomes useful. If you’re at the 12X optical zoom limit and you use digital zoom to double it to 24X, you still have a 10 megapixel image. Double it again to 48X and you still have a 5 megapixel image. That’s good enough for an 8X10 print or tablet / computer viewing. I’ve included photos of a shed and a hydrangea at 4 different zooms. 1.) No zoom. 2.) 12X optical. 3.) 24X using digital zoom. 4.) 48X using digital zoom. As you can see, the digital zoom is usable if not exactly optimal.The lens on the SX730 HS is very slightly faster at F 3.3 vs F 3.6. You get full manual controls which is more usable with the larger size body. And finally, the weight doubles from 5 oz to 10 oz and the size more than doubles to 17 cu in from 8 cu in. The additional size may actually be the biggest reason for me to upgrade. It may be more comfortable to use.Is the upgrade in specs of a SX730 HS worth doubling the price to $400 and more weight / size? It wasn’t for me. I think the Elph 360 HS hits the sweet spot for a compact camera of usability, performance, size, and price. I have much better cameras if I want to use them. This is a quick grab-n-go camera for those times when you can’t or don’t want to lug around a better camera. And it’s plenty good enough for me. The increased price doesn’t add enough value to justify itself for me.Highly recommended!!!

I’m planning a trip to Europe in early September and was looking for a small camera that takes great pictures. I had an older Canon Powershot that I used at work, but I have since retired and was unable liberate it for personal use.This new Canon Powershot is great, and it easily fits in a pant pocket or purse. One drawback is the price, though I can justify this by thinking it will last for years.