As far as point-and-shoot cameras go, the Canon Powershot Elph is a top choice for anyone that doesn’t want to spend bucket loads of money on a digital camera, and still wants to be able to take good-quality pictures. For less than $200, the Canon Powershot Elph offers a 20-megapixel CCD sensor that’s capable of up to 10x optical zoom, and HD video recording with a 720p resolution.
Its screen size is just shy of 2.7-inches, and since it comes with built-in Wi-Fi as well as NFC, sharing your pictures and videos will always be a cinch. The Canon Powershot camera is also small and lightweight at just about 4.7 ounces (0.3 pounds), so you can always just dip it in your pocket and go about your business.
Could it be the best digital camera for under 200 dollars? We think so. And, if you want a variety of cameras to choose from, check out this best digital camera list.
Why We Like It – Canon Powershot Elph 190
The Canon PowerShot Elph 190 is a budget camera that comes with great features like optical image stabilization and both WiFi and NFC capabilities so that sharing your pictures can always happen at the tap of a button.
- Built-in WiFi and NFC for easy media sharing
- Optical image stabilization
- Affordable
- No RAW file support
Performance
Unlike the Canon EOS 5Ds, the Elph 190 may not be the most feature-packed point-and-shoot camera on the market, but it’s got all the basic features you would want for less than 200 bucks. It has a 10x zoom lens (No match for the Sony DSCH300/B at 20x) that covers a 24-240mm field of view, and also includes image stabilization abilities to always get you a still shot. In terms of battery life, the Elph 190 has enough juice to get you through 190 pictures, and if you want to stretch this a little longer, it comes with an ECO mode that you’ll also find pretty useful.
When recording video, the Canon Elph 190 can put out 720p of HD video quality at 25 frames per second, and also gives you options in terms of what mode you’d like to shoot in, but we recommend using Canon’s Smart Auto Mode and fun Scene Modes for the best shooting settings. If you’re a pro, you can go for Program mode which lets you adjust things like white balance and exposure compensation, all to ensure you get the best image quality.
Related: Check out the Canon PowerShot A4000 IS 16-megapixel digital camera review
Design
Unlike the Canon EOS 90D, the Canon Powershot Elph is designed to be a compact camera that you can take anywhere and whip out anytime you want to take a picture or a video. It measures about 3.75 x 0.93 x 2.24 inches, comes with a 2.7-inch screen like the Nikon Coolpix A10, and is available in black, red, or blue. Its small, rectangular build is quite similar to a lot of other Canon cameras in the same category, but it does come with a wide range of easy access buttons that take the stress out of operation. For instance, its Wi-Fi button is just at the bottom right of the screen and gets it ready to share media in a snap, and its movie button at the top right switches it to recording mode in an instant.
Value
If you’ve never really owned a camera before and would like to get a handle on things as quick as you can, the Elph 190 comes with a Help button that takes you through a variety of topics which cover all the essentials that you’d need to know about how to operate it. Once you start doing so, you’ll discover features such as Intelligent IS that allow you to shoot clear pictures even in low light. In addition, the Elph 190 relies on a CCD image sensor which gives it the benefit of having fewer defective pixels and much lower noise for your pictures. Unfortunately, the Elph 190 won’t come with a memory card included, so you’ll have to get one separately.
Related: Read our Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS review
Canon Powershot Elph 190 Wrap Up
Canon cameras are known across the world as tools of high quality, and the Elph 190, despite being a budget pick, is no different. Hop over to Amazon and see what other first-time buyers had to say so that you know what to expect once you get your hands on your next new camera.
