The PowerShot S300 is Canon's long-awaited follow-up to the wildly popular S100. Not content to rest on their laurels, Canon has spent the time to address some of the shortcomings in the original Digital Elph camera.
The biggest new feature is the 3x optical zoom. While only a small step up from the original 2x, the new zoom requires a slightly enlarged body. Also added is a movie mode. The new movie mode allows up to 30 seconds of footage to be recorded at a resolution of 160 x 120. You can also record at 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 resolution, but the recording time shortens correspondingly.
The diminutive 1.5-inch color LCD screen remains small. However, the control scheme is slightly modified to incorporate the camera's new capabilities--a wheel now controls the camera mode and has a power button in its center. The S300 includes several white-balance presets, exposure compensation of +/- 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments, and a black-and-white mode. Essentially, the S300 is a classy digital point-and-shoot with enough features and control for most hobbyists.