Canon ELPH 310 HS Pro Reviews

The Canon PowerShot Elph 310 HS is certainly a recommendable camera. It takes nice photos, it's relatively simple to operate, and it's well priced for what you're getting. Snapshooters looking to improve on the photo quality of their smartphones and actually have an optical zoom without feeling weighed down should check it out.

The Canon IXUS 230 HS would be great as a Christmas present for someone in need of a new camera at this time of year and will work great throughout Christmas day documenting the family occasion from opening the presents (even in the dark when the kids have got up at some unholy hour) to the tree lights without using a flash. If you're looking for a budget digital compact camera for either yourself or as a present and you want good quality and good picture performance then you need to take a serious look at the new Canon IXUS 230 HS.

The Canon ELPH 310 HS / IXUS 230 HS sits more or less in the middle of the ELPH / IXUS range in terms of price and features. The stand-out features it offers are an excellent zoom range and versatile movie shooting options packed into a slim and attractive body. Added to these it has 'Intelligent' optical image stabilsation which makes it easier to get steady shots when shooting hand-held. It lacks any kind of manual or semi-auto exposure control and is really aimed at point and shoot photographers looking for a longer than average zoom without the added bulk and complication that often entails. The ELPH 310 HS / IXUS 230 IS includes all of the ease of use and creative features you'd expect to find in a premium compact from Canon and is especially strong on movie features with its innovative Movie Digest mode, Super Slow Motion and Miniature modes and of course a best quality mode of 1080p24. Being in the middle of the range, there are compelling alternatives in both directions; the cheaper ELPH 300 HS / IXUS 220 HS with a shorter zoom range and slightly smaller screen, and the touch-screen 12x ELPH 510 HS / IXUS 1100 HS. But if you're looking for a classy point-and-shoot with excellent video features and a longer than average zoom it's a pretty compelling proposition in its own right.

With superb photos and videos, fast performance, an 8x zoom and a stylish ultra-compact design, this little camera is pretty much perfect

We reviewed the Canon IXUS 220 HS back in May 2011 and gave it 3.5 out of 5. The IXUS 230 HS has improved on the IXUS 220 HS with more optical zoom, 3 inch LCD screen and a close focus distance of just 1cm. Although in terms of handling the cameras are both pretty similar, the IXUS 230 takes a better picture, particularly with regards to noise performance. With these improvements, plus full HD recording, creative modes and the wide range of colours it comes in, we are happy to recommend the Canon IXUS 230 HS.

A good looking and svelte camera at a more than reasonable price, the Canon Ixus 230 HS is a top performer. Once you see it, you'll want it.

Using the compact camera is so straightforward that users of any level should be able to get to grips with it. Although more manual controls beyond exposure compensation would've been good for more experienced users, that is rarely a feature you'd find at this price point. The raft of features including a comprehensive list of scene modes, filter effects and full HD video make the Canon IXUS 230 HS a camera well worthy of consideration.