Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 Digital Camera w/ 12x Optical Zoom and Image Stabilization – Wi-Fi & NFC Enabled (Silver)

I was disappointed with the camera and wanted to return it. Although I had carefully read reviews and description, there was a vital piece of info missing that meant that it was not what I needed and not as good as my old Canon, although I had expected this to be an upgrade. Other companies let you return items no problem or ask you to pay return postage. Fair enough. This one requires you to pay their original postage, your return postage, PLUS a 30% restocking fee. I would have happily paid return postage and a small restocking fee, but 30% is extortion. So I decided to keep the camera rather than have them profit from my disappointment and wasted time. I will be sure not to buy from them again.

Overview

I bought this for my 5-year-old daughter. I have a 5 DSR (with a fairly extensive stable of glass) so I wrote this off as a toy. I am pleasantly surprised to be wrong on that count…

Point and shoots will never replace DSLRs for most uses…especially anything at the longer end of the focal range, but for most other instances…this thing is actually pretty good. The onboard image stabilization works well, in fact I’m a bit amazed on some of the shots my daughter takes (pretty much in constant motion) that have decent quality.

Focus speed is a bit slow (compared to what I am accustomed to) but for basic landscape & portraits it does a credible job. It even does OK on close up (although I would not consider is suitable for full on macro)

It’s the prefect first cameras for someone developing an interest, or a suitable “pocket cam” if you don’t feel like hauling around all your gear

My daughter is really big on printing (very happy about that) so I have printed quite a few 4 by 6 and 5 by 7 and they are good prints. I suspect the limitations of the platform will be more obvious on anything larger. I use an Epson P800 for prints.

Have not really tested the video capability yet…

Pros
• East to use
• Feature packed
• Good quality prints
• Versatile
• Spot on Image Stabilization

Cons
• Focus is a little slow, but still very usable

Recommendation – Would buy it again and would highly recommend.

Great little pocket camera. I own a Nikon DSLR. I own Sony mirrorless DSLR. And I own an iPhone 6. So why buy this pocket camera? I wanted something for backpacking. That pretty much excludes both DLSR’s. Too heavy, too bulky, and too expensive to risk climbing mountains and slogging through bogs, crossing streams, or in sudden rain storms.

What about the iPhone? It’s OK for shots maybe 5 to 20 feet away but, a lot of the shots you want to take while backpacking are going to be very long distance and the iPhone has no zoom. Also while these little point and shoot cameras with small sensors can’t do low light like a larger DSLR sensor, they are worlds better than the tiny sensors in a phone.

This camera in contrast to options like a DLSR or iPhone…..
1.) Is very small and comfortable to carry in a cargo pocket.
2.) Is very light which is a huge consideration when backpacking.
3.) Is very quick to deploy because it’s handy in a pocket rather than in my backpack. You don’t miss shots.
4.) Speed is very good. It boots up fast. And the zoom is responsive.
5.) Focusing is good.
6.) The 12X zoom is a very usable range and the lens is decent.
7.) The optical image stabilization is very effective for both still and video photography. Important with a camera this small.
8.) The 3 inch display is very usable.
9.) Letting sensors and software control exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO make the controls simple and fast to use. Important in a camera this small when speed matters. Fumbling through menus when a bear crosses the trail may mean you miss the shot. Wildlife is notoriously uncooperative with photography. It’s almost like they don’t care.
10.) WiFi is easy to use and fast. It works great to transfer a few photos to an iPhone so you can share with friends. It’s also great when taking selfies if I’m out on the trail solo and there’s not another person for miles. Just put the camera on a mini tripod, fire up the Canon Camera Connect app on my iPhone and frame the shot using the display on my phone then hit the shutter button when I’m ready. I’ve only tried it to about 20 feet but it gets me shots I couldn’t get otherwise. Not sure what the maximum range is.
11.) Eco mode boosts battery life from 180 to 250 shots. Important when you’re in the wilderness for a week.

The shortcomings of a pocket camera…..
1.) The sensor and lens are just not going to compete with a DSLR. Not in light gathering. Not in distortion.
2.) This is not a ruggedized camera. It is susceptible to water damage from rain or taking a dunk in a river. My cheap solution was a plastic Ziploc sandwich bag and a little felt lined pouch. So far, not one scratch.
3.) The flash does more harm than good 99% of the time. I keep it toggled off and only turn it on when I want it for a specific shot.
4.) The small size is a double edged sword. I’m a fairly big guy so, the miniaturization and light weight comes at the expense of controls that are right at the bleeding edge of what I can tolerate for ergonomics. A woman or anyone with smaller hands would no doubt find the tiny controls easier to live with. But, I have to say that Canon did a great job with the design decisions for the physical controls as well as the software on this credit card sized camera. It’s just that there’s only so much you can do at this size. Grabbing an SLR is just more comfy.

All in all, I’m very happy with this Canon product. It is very well designed for what it is and I’ll probably carry this on vacations even when backpacking is not involved. For instance, going out to dinner I don’t want to lug a 3 lb SLR. I also wouldn’t leave an SLR in a bag on a beach in a tourist trap. Ya can’t ride a roller coaster with an SLR, etc. etc. etc.

To get significantly more than this model, you’d have to step up to the $400 price range or roughly double the cost for a Canon, Sony, or Nikon point and shoot. What you get for that money with say, the Canon SX730 HS is exactly the same 1/2.3″ backlit CMOS 20 megapixel sensor. You get upgraded image processing hardware and software, DIGIC 6 vs DIGIC 4+ in this camera. You get the same size view finder at 3″ but with 922,000 pixels rather than the 461,000 pixels of this camera. Not sure the additional pixel density nets you much in a 3″ screen. The screen also flips up for selfies but that’s not a feature I’d ever use. Especially when Canon gives you the Camera Connect App that turns your phone into a remote control with a screen to frame a shot, a much better solution.

You get a 40X optical zoom for $400 rather than the 12X range of this Elph 360. But that sort of extreme zoom can be a mixed blessing. It becomes very susceptible to shake at 40X as well as distortion. And if you really need a longer range, the Elph 360 has a 4X digital zoom. Considering it also has a 20 megapixel sensor which I consider a bit ridiculous, digital zoom actually becomes useful. If you’re at the 12X optical zoom limit and you use digital zoom to double it to 24X, you still have a 10 megapixel image. Double it again to 48X and you still have a 5 megapixel image. That’s good enough for an 8X10 print or tablet / computer viewing. I’ve included photos of a shed and a hydrangea at 4 different zooms. 1.) No zoom. 2.) 12X optical. 3.) 24X using digital zoom. 4.) 48X using digital zoom. As you can see, the digital zoom is usable if not exactly optimal.

The lens on the SX730 HS is very slightly faster at F 3.3 vs F 3.6. You get full manual controls which is more usable with the larger size body. And finally, the weight doubles from 5 oz to 10 oz and the size more than doubles to 17 cu in from 8 cu in. The additional size may actually be the biggest reason for me to upgrade. It may be more comfortable to use.

Is the upgrade in specs of a SX730 HS worth doubling the price to $400 and more weight / size? It wasn’t for me. I think the Elph 360 HS hits the sweet spot for a compact camera of usability, performance, size, and price. I have much better cameras if I want to use them. This is a quick grab-n-go camera for those times when you can’t or don’t want to lug around a better camera. And it’s plenty good enough for me. The increased price doesn’t add enough value to justify itself for me.

Highly recommended!!!

I cannot review this item as it was a birthday gift for my granddaughter. She is now travelling and is using her camera with great delight.

From a day one aspect, it does what it is supposed to do. This is my 3rd Canon ELPH, previous models being the 110 HS and 330 HS.
No discernable difference in picture quality when compared to my 330.
Zoom has greatly improved, and has a bit better image stabilization vs the 330. MP4 has replaced the aged MOV format for videos.

I am NOT a camera techie, and don’t use half the features on this camera, but know a good picture when I see one, and one of the main things that impress me with the ELPH line is how great pictures and videos look when displayed on a large screen TV. That’s the test for me… I’ve purchased other models that failed, and were returned.
It’s true that today, many cellphones take WONDERFULL pictures and vids, but you are NOT going find the kind of zoom that point and shoots have. When on vacation, I’d have to say 50% of my pictures involve the use of the zoom lens. Actual cameras are still relevant in today’s cellphone centric world (at least for the time being).

The REAL reason I upgraded this go around (my 330 is in excellent working condition) was that Canon FINALLY made MP4 the format for the 360’s videos. Although previous versions took wonderful HD videos, you have no idea how frustrating it is to transfer a video to your phone, and having to convert it from MOV format first! Converting formats always involves a loss of quality, and I never understood why an Apple format had to be standard on a non-Apple device. MOV is an age old format and MP4 beats it hands down, and is playable on almost any PC or Android device.

Nit-picking… this model has a flimsier battery/card door, and using the Wi-Fi feature I had to use “manual” steps to do so, as the “auto” feature would recognize the device, but not connect…. not a big thing, but would be nice if it would connect to devices as easily as cellphones do these days.

Over all, I’m quite happy with the camera, and feel the ELPH series offer the best pictures and smallest size in the compact point and shoot category. If it didn’t….I wouldn’t be on my third model of the line. My first ELPH (110HS) is still working wonderfully 5 yrs later, the only reason I upgrade is for the improved features . I can’t recommend this camera highly enough…it’s GREAT.

A piece of good advice is when buying a case…look for a hard/semi hard “clamshell” type case. My ELPHs look and act pristine after years of use, because they are well protected when being carried or not in use. Pouch style cases won’t protect your camera from bumps or accidental drops, which I have encountered many times, and have had no ill effects due to the clam shell cases superior protection.

Update 4-24-16
Just got back from a Vegas trip, where this camera was use extensively. I had nose bleed seats at the T-Mobile Arena Guns n Roses concert. My 1080p cellphone camera could not capture stage action, as the low light filter does not work in zoom mode (all it could capture at full zoom was a blurry mess). Was able to get video with my HS 360 in zoom mode clear enough to actually capture facial expressions….GREAT video, from some of the worst seats in a 40,000 seat arena. How can you beat that from an ultra compact point and shoot? When filming in full HD, I was getting about 45 mins a battery (I took 2 extra). Low light ability is A LOT better than my Note 4’s camera. In DAYLIGHT….my cellphone takes excellent pictures and video….at NIGHT….not so much. Glad I had this camera with me.
If you are taking pictures, expect to get 300+ to a battery charge….video, around 45-60 mins. Extra batteries are cheap and quite fast to change out when filming extensively….well worth the money.