28th July 2010
Platform: PC, Mac
Company: Canon
Pros: Great in low-light conditions
Cons: Slow focus; too bright flash
Price: £288.92 RRP
The Canon IXUS 300 HS (also known as the SD4000 IS Digital ELPH) is Canon's latest Ixus camera. It is a premium compact camera with some advanced features that grab the attention of any discerning photographer.
These include a back-illuminated 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3.8x, 28-106mm lens with a fastest aperture of f/2.0 and optical image stabiliser, 3.7 frames per second burst mode at full resolution, 720p HD movie recording with stereo sound and a HDMI port, 240fps movies, a 3 inch LCD screen, and Aperture and Shutter Priority exposure modes. Available in blasted steel silver, matt black, glossy white or high gloss red.
As with the majority of IXUS / Digital ELPH cameras, the Canon IXUS 300 HS is stylishly designed with appealing rounded edges, an elongated width and a smooth-to-the-touch finish. The IXUS 300's faceplate is an exercise in cool minimalism, its smooth surface broken only by the mirrored circular detailing of the lens surround, a small round window for the AF assist/self timer lamp above the lens, and to the right of this a narrow sliver of a window for the on-board flash.
As this is positioned at the far right edge of the faceplate, it does tend to fall prey to being obscured by your fingertips when gripping the camera with both hands to take a shot. Tiny holes either side of the lens house the built in stereo microphone, with the speaker on the camera's left flank (if viewing from the rear).
Also appealing to the serious photographer in you are the Aperture and Shutter Priority exposure modes, which provide a level of user control not seen on many IXUS models. Although there's no fully Manual option on offer, the ability to set the aperture and shutter speed rather than let the camera take control is very welcome, with a full range of values on offer, which are set using the intuitive rear command wheel. Combined with the maximum f/2.0 aperture, it's easy to quickly throw the background out of focus, or alternatively make sure that everything in the frame is sharp by using the other end of the range. Battery life is around 250 shots from a full charge, which is adequate rather than class leading.
Hal Turley
