Are you looking for an entry-level point-and-shoot camera that comes in at an affordable price tag, yet offers nice photo and video quality? If the answer to that is yes, then relax and enjoy our full review of the Canon PowerShot ELPH 180.
This camera was announced at CES 2016 in early January and went on sale in late February. The ELPH 180 is meant to replace the ELPH 160. Included within the rather small box is a getting started guide, a limited warranty, a 680 mAh Lithium Ion battery, a battery charger (which features prongs that pop out), a small lanyard and then finally the actual camera itself.
SpecificationsSome of the basic specifications of this camera include an 8x Optical Zoom with optical image stabilization, a 20 Mega-Pixel CCD sensor with a DIGIC 4+ image processor and 720p HD video recording capabilities.
On the front side of the camera, we have the Canon Powershot logo, a recording light, the Canon zoom lens, and the flash.
On the top side of the device we have a microphone hole, an on/off button, zoom in toggle and a small speaker.
On the bottom, we have the tripod mount and a little door that reveals the battery slot and the SD card slot. Keep in mind that there is no SD card included so you will need to buy one on your own.
On the right side we have a lanyard hole and then a flap that when open reveals a mini USB port. This can be used for data transferring, however, there is no mini USB cable included, but if your computer has an SD card slot then you can just use for all of your data transfer.
Overview of Canon PowerShot ELPH 180This device really shines on photography which is good because it is a point shoot. It produces some pretty bold colors, it does a decent job producing some quality depth of field, and the autofocus is quick to adapt to its current situation.
What we really like is this camera has 8x Optical Zoom because that`s really where this budget point-and-shoot stands out in comparison to a smartphone camera from maybe an iPhone or an Android device. The photo quality produced by the ELPH 180 might be pretty similar to what you`d find with a high-end smartphone, but when it`s time to zoom in, the optical zoom found on this device is miles better than the digital zoom that you`d find from a smartphone.
The camera features a 2.7-inch display that could be a little higher in the megapixel department but gets the job done. On the front side, we have a variety of pretty self-explanatory buttons including a delete button, menu button, play button, record button and a circular toggle function with the flash auto info function set and framing.
One thing that we really like a lot is having that record button because if you want to jump right over to video mode all you have to do is hit that button and the camera will begin recording. Withing the camera software there is a variety of different options and settings to pretty much maximizing your experience. Some of the settings include the ability to change the resolution that you take pictures, including the aspect ratio, the ability to adjust the video resolution, and there`s even the option for a custom white balance setting which really is a nice feature to have if you`re planning on taking videos indoors.
ConclusionIn conclusion, the Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 is a very nice entry-level offering from Canon. This is one of the cheapest point-and-shoots that Canon offers in their current lineup and all-in-all, this camera provides a very consistent experience. This camera might not be the best for those who are really serious about photography but it`s really good for those who are kind of casual photo takers who want an easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera.