Which Is The Better Camera The Canon Powershot Elph 180 Or Canon Powershot Elph 190

Canon PowerShot Elph 340 HS

MSRP $199.99

"Cameras like the ELPH 340 are a reason why smartphones are winning the compact point-and-shoot war – there only aren't enough absurd features."

Pros

• 16-megapixel sensor
• 12x optical zoom with stabilization
• Wi-Fi, NFC

Cons

• So-so paradigm quality, even when well-lit
• Specs seem a step backward
• Older ELPH 330 is stronger

Take a adept wait at Canon's PowerShot ELPH 340, because it may be the last fourth dimension we volition e'er encounter such a meaty indicate-and-shoot camera from Canon once more. With few revolutionary features to speak of, information technology seems Canon has given upwards on this category entirely. It is already phasing out the A-serial – traditionally its budget serial, but the ELPH will have over – and it'south putting more emphasis on college-finish models. In fact, as yous'll read below, it as well seems Canon has downgraded this new camera's specs, making us wonder, why even bother when there are smartphone cameras that are simply as expert? But, let's not go too ahead of ourselves on Canon's business model, and focus instead on this unfortunately lackluster meaty.

Features and pattern

If you put the 340 next to its predecessor, the PowerShot ELPH 330, you would think it'south the aforementioned camera. In terms of blueprint and form cistron, the camera remains relatively unchanged, but the 340's dimensions are slightly larger and weight is heavier. It still has that tapered design with rounded corners, and is easily pocketable, but not every bit lightweight and meaty as the smaller ELPHs. If you have large easily, you may have problem gripping onto the camera comfortably.

Despite it being the newest model, information technology feels a generation behind.

There are some minor corrective changes, if you lot await difficult enough. For example, the AF assist lamp is farther away from the flash, the button positions on the back have shifted (buttons are also not recessed, making them easier to printing down), the manner switch has moved from the back to the top (with a new manner added for Creative Shot, which shoots a scene in multiple, cocked exposures), and a Mobile Device Connection button has been added to the back (a feature taken from the PowerShot North, which gives you ane-impact access to an oftentimes-used wireless function). The 3-inch LCD is the same, rated at 461k dots (not-touch).

Under the hood there are some upgrades. The 340 has a 16-megapixel loftier-sensitivity CMOS sensor (1/ii.3 inches), up from 12.1. The lens has increased from 10x to 12x (24-240mm). Flare-up shooting has increased to iii.9 shots in Plan way, but, in full general, it's still slow. Aperture (f/three.6-f/7) and shutter speed (1-1/2,000th of a second) are automatically set, while exposure bounty tin can exist adapted in Program mode.

So, compared to the 330, the 340 has more resolution and a longer zoom, making it a stronger photographic camera, correct? Well, not exactly, and here'due south why. The 340 really uses an older image processor (Digic four+) than the 330 (Digic 5), which explains why the newer photographic camera has a smaller ISO range (100-3,200, versus eighty-vi,400 in the 330). Now, cameras like these tend non to do that well at loftier ISOs anyhow, but we would have expected a newer camera to offering a similar or higher range than its predecessor. The 340's lens, while longer, is a millimeter less wide that the 340's. Battery life has also decreased from 220 shots (in normal mode) to 190. So, on paper at to the lowest degree, the 340 seems weaker in certain areas.

What yous do get in the new camera are boosted wireless connectivity features. The Wi-Fi is the same as in the previous model, letting y'all connect directly to some other Wi-Fi-enabled PowerShot, a smartphone (iOS or Android), a reckoner or uniform printer on the aforementioned Wi-Fi network, or to the cloud via Canon'due south Image Gateway service. For the most part the system works (and much improved), but Canon's implementation is still more convoluted than Samsung or Sony's, particularly with setting up Canon Epitome Gateway (which we but can't exist bothered with). We had no issues pairing the camera with our iPhone 5S; once the two are connected directly via Wi-Fi, nosotros could view and transfer photos from the camera to the telephone (which we can use to upload to the Web), and operate the camera remotely – a much welcomed feature that was lacking in older Canon PowerShots with Wi-Fi. Remote viewing is very responsive (although there's a slight delay when zooming), although on occasion we experienced some hiccups in the live stream. When paired, you can add location data to the photograph past using your smartphone's GPS.

Photos look fine in smaller sizes, but, overall, quality is a bit disappointing.

Another new feature is near-field communication, or NFC. It allows you lot to quickly pair the 340 with another NFC-enabled device, which, right now, are select Android smartphones (and some printers and TVs). NFC takes care of the "handshaking," which ways yous don't have to bother with going through settings manually. We tested the NFC with a Sony Xperia Z1S smartphone by tapping their respective NFC logos (on the left side of the camera, on the back of the smartphone). It worked similar magic. Once contact is made, the phone searched for advisable app on the Google Play store for installation. One time downloaded, a 2nd tap opens the Canon CameraWindow app, simply, unfortunately, the two devices had trouble finalizing the pairing. Nosotros've seen this process piece of work effectively with other cameras, but it struggled here. We and so manually connected the two instead, which worked.

Every bit for video, the photographic camera records Full HD 1080 at 30 frames per second, not the 60 fps that higher-stop cameras are achieving. Like the 330, the 340 has the Hybrid Auto mode that records up to 4 seconds of 720p video each time you have a still, joining them to create a mini Vine-line video. Since this is mainly an automatic photographic camera, there are plenty of creative and scene modes that conform the settings based on the scene, such as dark handholding to time-lapse and toy photographic camera.

What's in the box

The 340 comes with a battery, battery charger, wrist strap, and some documentation. There is no software CD or instructional booklet, but those can be plant online at Canon's website.

Warranty

Catechism includes a one-twelvemonth limited warranty. Consummate details can be plant here.

Performance and use

The 340 isn't difficult to operate. While in that location's a Plan way that lets you change some settings like the ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation, it's purely an automatic bespeak-and-shoot photographic camera, and that'south mainly how nosotros tested it. Unlike smartphones, you go the do good of the optical zoom lens with image stabilization and the various creative and scene modes. For its intended user, it's aim, shoot, and forget about it. The 340 retains the same user interface as the 330, which we still remember is a fleck convoluted to navigate through at times.

Similar the 330, the autofocusing is responsive and locks onto objects and faces easily when using the camera in well-lit situations. You'll notice it'll struggle a scrap in low-light atmospheric condition, taking extra fourth dimension to grab onto something, merely that's to be expected. Low lite isn't its forte, equally, even at ISO 400 in a room lit past a lamp, our photos look noisy and blurry, with dull details on the edges. Fifty-fifty at dusk, where at that place was notwithstanding some light, our photos didn't look as clear as nosotros would have liked, exhibiting noise. If you're into action shots, say your kids' sports, you'll exist disappointed. The 340 isn't fast enough; during our testing, information technology couldn't get a still-plenty shot of a antsy cat, even when nosotros used the outburst shooting modes. This camera is all-time for notwithstanding-life, with a lot of calorie-free.

Daytime photos fared amend, simply there'due south all the same noticeable but fifty-fifty-level noise when viewed at 100 percentage and colors were a scrap muted, with edges washed out. At that place's a artistic mode for making the colors more bright, only nosotros thought the colors looked over-exaggerated. The photos all look fine if you're sharing them at small sizes or fifty-fifty viewed on the Spider web, like they are here, but you may non exist entirely happy if you desire to enlarge whatsoever of them. This is a scrap disappointing, in particular with our daytime photos, because Catechism's point-and-shoots are commonly stronger than this. The MP4 movies look fine and relatively smooth, only the colors don't seem every bit vivid and clear, and mono sound quality is then-then; it's fine for capturing short clips to remember a particular moment.

Overall, the 340 feels slower than the 330, and nosotros thought the 330'due south prototype quality was better. We are entirely sure, only information technology could accept something to do with the stronger image processor in the older model. Nosotros aren't sure why Canon decided not to use the Digic 5, simply information technology could have made a major departure.

Determination

Cameras similar the 340 are a reason why smartphones are winning the compact point-and-shoot state of war. Despite the 340 having an optical zoom lens and other piece of cake-to-use features, most new smartphones are but as good in terms of functionality and image quality, if not amend in many cases. We are shocked and disappointed that prototype quality seems to have been downgraded, no cheers to lesser specs. Throwing in Wi-Fi and NFC actually doesn't solve the convenience factor that smartphones offer. If there were an argument for not conveying two devices, it would be this.

Nosotros know that in that location's nevertheless an audience for compact cameras, even if there'south fewer and fewer of them. But at $199, we call up there are improve options, similar Canon's 330. Although it's technically an older camera, we feel the 330 is far superior in functioning. Sure, information technology lacks NFC, but NFC is not a must-have feature, nor do many devices support it; plus, for us, it didn't fifty-fifty work too, and so we don't think it's something you'll miss out on. And, at $179, you can use that extra cash saved, on a practiced memory card or camera case.

Highs

• 16-megapixel sensor
• 12x optical zoom with stabilization
• Wi-Fi, NFC

Lows

• So-so image quality, fifty-fifty when well-lit
• Specs seem a step backward
• Older ELPH 330 is stronger

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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/digital-camera-reviews/canon-powershot-elph-340-hs-review/

Posted by: williamsstalow.blogspot.com

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