elph

Ultracompact megazoom cameras compared

Zoom lenses sell cameras these days, so it's no surprise that manufacturers are doing everything they can to get longer lenses into increasingly smaller bodies.

A 3x or 5x zoom lens used to be the standard for ultracompact cameras -- those measuring 1 inch thick or slimmer -- but in 2012, you can easily find a skinny point-and-shoot with a 10x optical zoom.

The frontrunner here is the sub-$250 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 thanks to its excellent features, fast autofocus, and the quality of its pictures and video (though its color accuracy could be better). Most of the category consists of sub-$200 cameras, though, so there are several options if you're just looking for a simple pocket camera with a long lens.… Read more

The iPhone 4S and Canon PowerShot 100 HS shoot it out

Camera phones get better. Point-and-shoot cameras get cheaper. Readers query. Tests must be run.

So today I shot my way around Madison Square Park with the iPhone 4S and the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS. I chose the 100 HS because it's exactly the type of camera whose existence camera phones like this threaten: inexpensive, with prices as low as $150, and a minimal feature set that doesn't offer any obvious advantages over the convenience of a single device with built-in communications. But it's also a decent little point-and-shoot that takes good photos for its class, and … Read more

Canon's ultimate soccer mom (or dad) camera?

Until recently, most point-and-shoots were too slow to capture active kids. I mean, you could get something, but probably not the shot you wanted. The switch to fast CMOS sensors, such as the one in the new PowerShot Elph 510 HS, has helped speed up capture. Add in the 510's wide, long lens with improved image stabilization, full HD, and slow-motion movie capture, and a large touch screen all in a body that's somehow less than an inch thick and you have what sounds like an ideal snapshot camera for families.

The 510 HS updates the SD4500 IS, … Read more

Canon PowerShot Elph 500 HS review: Good, but not S95 good

The Canon PowerShot Elph 500 HS is the more stylish Elph version of the PowerShot S95 enthusiast compact. The 500 HS has a similar lens with a bright f2.0 maximum aperture and semimanual shooting modes. It also has the company's HS (high-sensitivity) system for improved low-light photos. However, the S95 uses a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor that's larger than the 500 HS's small 1/2.3-inch backside-illuminated CMOS. There's also a $100 difference in price, and while the photos from the S95 are better, they won't be $100 better for a lot of snapshooters.

On … Read more

This Day in Tech: Microsoft loses patent case, Hulk Hogan at E3

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, June 9.

Daily cost of a 'promoted trend' on Twitter: $120,000 Cost of buying space in Twittersphere zeitgeist is up more than 400 percent. More

Hulk Hogan at E3 2011 (Video featuring Brian Tong) Hulkamania runs wild at E3 2011. Brian Tong flexes with the wrestling legend to talk pythons, pistols, and toothpicks. More

Microsoft loses patent case at Supreme Court Software giant loses legal battle with a small Canadian company in a decision today that will cost … Read more

Canon S90 reborn as an Elph: The SD4000 IS

Canon's PowerShot S90 continues to be one of the most popular cameras on CNET, but it is expensive and really targeted at a prosumer user. The SD4000 IS announced Tuesday brings some of the S90's features--primarily its f2.0 lens--to the masses in a body design intended to be stylish or, in other words, less serious-looking than the S90.

The camera is also the company's first to feature a high-speed backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, though it's still the typical compact camera-size sensor, 1/2.3-inch type. This sensor means Canon is finally able to offer features that … Read more

New Digital Elph offers colors, stabilization

Following up on the success of last year's PowerShot SD1000, Canon has announced the PowerShot SD 1100 IS. As the name implies, Canon includes optical image stabilization in this new camera. A 3X optical, 38-114mm f/2.8-4.9 zoom lens funnels light onto the SD1100 IS's 1/2.5-inch, 8-megapixel CCD sensor. A 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot LCD on the camera back lets you frame your shots and view them after capture. Since the Digital Elph line is made to be carried with you, Canon is offering a choice of brown, gold, pink, blue, or silver finishes.… Read more

Hot deal: Canon PowerShot SD1000 Elph for $170

As a back-pocket backup, the Elph series is well respected and widely enjoyed. Canon left off the manual controls on this snapshooters' favorite, but for what it is, it's a sound product and a great deal. It started out on the market earlier this year at $220 or higher, and sellers are starting to lower the price. On Thursday, Amazon's winning the race to the bottom, especially since in most cases they offer free shipping for this item.

According to CNET Reviews, the SD1000 Elph offers unusually good image quality, "solid build quality, speedy performance, an optical … Read more

Canon updates high-end Elphs

Some folk might not think that a simple refresh of Canon's top SD-series cameras is as exciting as its dSLR news. But as some of the top-selling cameras on the market, Canon's Digital Elph models hold a special place among compact cameras. The latest pair, called the PowerShot SD870 IS and the PowerShot SD950 IS, both include Canon's Digic III procesor, optical image stabilization, and face detection. Canon's latest version of face detection can spot up to nine faces and use them to determine autofocus and exposure.

The SD950 IS sports a 12.1-megapixel CCD imaging … Read more