These two cameras look very similar and have very similar specs, so which should you buy? Both offer 12MP and are almost exactly the same in every respect except -

Canon Elph 100 HS	Canon Elph 300 HS	Canon Elph 310 HS
Screen Size 3″, 4x zoom(28-112mm), Mono audio recording	Screen Size 2.7″, 5x zoom(24-120mm), Stereo audio recording	Screen Size 3″, 8x zoom(28-224mm), Stereo
Buy from Amazon $129	Buy from Amazon $149	Buy from Amazon $199

Yep – those three specs, screen size, focal length range and audio recording during video are the only noticeable differences. Which one is best for you?  There is actually one more subtle difference, the 3″ screen on the 310 is higher resolution at 416K, twice that of the 100 and 300. Maybe not as a big a difference as 2x the resolution sounds but certainly worth mentioning. My Pick is the HS300, in the way that most ultra compacts get used, having the slightly wider lens start at 24mm is more important than a bit more zoom. Image quality wise all three cameras are going to give you virtually identical results. Note that thee 100 HS looks a tad smaller, it’s not- these images are not to scale. The 310 series does come in a variety of colors, the 100 and 300 stick to black, silver and red. A great soft case these is the Case Logic TBC-302 I also recommend a spare battery and of course an SD Card 8GB is fine  

Canon Elph 500 HS	Canon Elph 510 HS
Screen Size 3.2″ Touch Screen, 4.4x zoom (24-105mm), Stereo Audio	Screen Size 3.2″ Touch Screen , 12x zoom(28-336mm), Stereo audio recording
Buy from Amazon $199	Buy from Amazon $299

The big difference between the 500 series and the 300 series is the larger touch screen. The back of these cameras is domniated by the screen and the touch functionality replacing several physical buttons. The difference between the 500 and the 510 is the Zoom, with the 510 offering a fairly serious 12x zoom in what is still considered a compact and almost ultracompact body. Image quaity between all five of these cameras is going to be virtually identical- they use the same sensor and processor.

Canon Elph 300 HS Back	Canon Elph 500 HS Back
No Touch screen	Touch Screen

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