Are you looking for best point and shoot camera under $300?
Do you need a camera that is durable, has great battery life and shoot premium quality photos that your friends will love?
Your smartphone will never be able to shoot such sharp photos where you & your friends will look amazing even if you aren't photogenic.
I've handpicked 10 best point and shoot cameras under $300 based on my own experience, hundreds of customer reviews & other expert opinions to make a choice easy for you (updated February 2017. Five new cameras & comparison chart added).
Table of contents:
Two Most Popular Cameras
The Winner
Canon SX710 HS (easy choice)
Canon PowerShot SX710 HS was an easy choice to rank it #1 point and shoot camera (under 300). It has 20 megapixels, 30x optical zoom, great battery life and a fair price tag. If you aren't sure about your choice, get this camera. You won't regret it.
Best Value Deal
Nikon L330 - Best value for money
Nikon Coolpix L330 is considered to have highest price to value ratio. It has slightly lower performance than Canon SX710 HS but is still a great camera with great price tag ($91.00). Get it now, it's a great choice.
How to choose the best point & shoot camera
If you want to move up to a better quality of image than you are used to getting with the smart phone camera then two of the most important things to look out for when deciding which compact camera to buy are:
- Pixel count
- Sensor size
Put simply, a larger sensor gives you more area to capture your image and the pixel count (usually given in megapixels) determines the amount of detail captured. Larger numbers in both of these areas generally (but not always) lead to a better quality of image.
Other factors which might influence your choice are:
- Zoom
- Low-light sensitivity
- Battery performance
- Durability
Smart phone cameras are fixed lens, which means when you ‘zoom in’ you are really just cropping your image. This reduces the number of pixels and leads to those horrible grainy images we are all too familiar with. Having a lens which has an optical zoom capability means you can get those close-ups, intimate nature shots or portraits in crystal clarity.
Related reading: The ultimate guide to choosing photography gear for beginners (NEW)
We don’t always know what conditions we’ll be taking shots under, so low-light sensitivity can be a very useful feature, particularly shooting indoors when using a flash might lead to very harsh images.
Finally, if you’re off on that adventure trip, you don’t want thousands of dollars worth of camera, lens and filter dangling round your neck when you’re white-water rafting, so durability and toughness are factors to consider when purchasing for this reason as is battery-life. You don’t want the thing to die on you just at the crucial moment.
Top 10 Point and Shoot Cameras Reviewed
1. Canon PowerShot SX710 HS
- 30x Optical Zoom (25-750mm)
- 20.3 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with the DIGIC 6 Image Processor
- Built-in Wi-Fi allows wireless transferring of images and video to compatible mobile devices
- Capture stunning 1080p Full HD video (60p/30p/24p options) with a dedicated movie button
- Large 3.0-inch LCD with a screen resolution of 922,000 dots allows easy viewing even from a wide angle
Pros:
Cons:
The Canon Powershot SX710 HS is a great all-rounder. Not the world's biggest sensor on this (28 sq mm), or indeed on most, compact cameras, but more than enough to get razor sharp images for sharing digitally or for printing in snapshot sizes or slightly bigger. The zoom is fantastic at 30x and the image stabilization should keep those photos taken even at full zoom nice and sharp.
Not the greatest ISO range at only a maximum of 3200 but it should perform reasonably well in most light conditions. The Powershot comes with a built-in pop-up flash and offers a huge amount of control over the images you take with various priority modes as well as full auto mode for the point and shoot enthusiast. Equipped with built-in Wi-Fi the PowerShot SX710 HS allows you to share photos online right away.
User friendly, 'intuitive' menus make it easy to familiarize yourself with and use. The whole thing weighs in at 9.5oz (270g) and fits comfortably into a pocket so you can have all that imaging power at your fingertips and hardly know you're carrying a camera at all. Although at the limit of our under $300 range this camera is well worth the extra few bucks for its versatility, reliability and compactness.
Specs:
- Pixels - 20 megapixels
- Sensor - 6.17 x 4.55mm
- ISO - Auto, 100-3200
- Image stabilization - optical
- Equivalent focal length - 25-750mm
- Optical zoom - 30x
- LCD – 3 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed - 1/3200 - 15 secs
- Aperture priority - Yes
- Shutter priority - Yes
- Manual mode - Yes
- Built-in flash - Yes
- Video - Yes
- Battery - Lithium-ion rechargeable
2. Nikon Coolpix L340 Review
- NIKKOR lens with 26x optical zoom; 4.0-104.0 mm (35mm [135] format equivalent: 22.5-585 mm), f/3.1-5.9
- Digital zoom magnification Up to 4x (35mm [135] format equivalent: Approx. 2340 mm)
- Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Power sources AA-size batteries
- Includes Four LR6/L40 (AA-size) alkaline batteries, UC-E16 USB Cable, Camera Strap, LC-CP25 Lens Cap (with cord), ViewNX 2 CD
Pros:
Cons:
Easy to use camera for creative pictures and videos, Coolpix L340 provides sharp 2.0 MP photos and steady HD 1280×720 videos. It has great 28x optical zoom telephoto lens with Vibration Reduction (VR) that gets you closer to physically less available places. This camera offers you 16 scene modes that you can choose between according to a situation, or you can let the Scene Auto Selector choose for you.
The design is well thought out, everything is just right where it should be and it is comfortable in your hands. The flash is pretty good for the flash of this class and it’s also easy to use.
It takes excellent photos in adequate light but in low-light situations or for night shots you have to crank up the ISO or turn on the flash which can be a little tricky, but now that we no longer live in film days, you can immediately review a photo on 3.0 inch LCD. Unfortunately, you will find that low-light images and night shots turn out to be unsatisfying.
Specs:
- Pixels – 20.2 MP
- Sensor – 6.17mm x 4.55mm
- ISO – 80 – 1600
- Image stabilization – optical
- Equivalent focal length – 22mm – 630mm
- Optical zoom – 28x
- LCD – 3.0 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed – 4s – 1/1500s
- Aperture priority – no
- Shutter priority – no
- Manual mode – no
- Built-in flash – yes
- Video – yes
- Battery - AA batteries (It accepts alkaline, lithium and Nikon rechargeable batteries)
3. Nikon Coolpix S9900 Review
- 30x optical zoom telephoto lens with Vibration Reduction
- 60x with Dynamic Fine Zoom, an enhanced digital zoom function that effectively doubles your reach
- Swiveling vari-angle display
- 3.0-inch 921,000-dot Vari-Angle LCD
- Wi-Fi and NFC enabled for instant sharing
Pros:
Cons:
The Nikon Coolpix S9900 is another great all-rounder which has many of the same features as the Canon Powershot above and the same price tag. It has a slightly lower pixel count at 16mp and the same sensor size but this is more than adequate for most everyday needs including printing your photos. Like the Canon it has a 30x optical zoom so those close-ups are available and kept sharp by an optical image stabilizer.
The Coolpix has a slightly larger ISO range, extending up to 6400 but always remember that increasing the ISO leads to increased graininess in your images. Again you can opt to have almost full manual control over your images should you choose with the exception of manual focus.
The Coolpix too can be used for video with 1920 x 1080p resolution and has built-in Wi-Fi to allow for instant sharing.
The menu set-up is straightforward and user-friendly and with the Nikon Coolpix S990 weighing in at only slightly heavier than the Canon Powershot SX 710 HS (10.2oz, 289g) this is a great alternative to the Canon.
Specs:
- Pixels - 16mp
- Sensor - 6.17 x 4.55mm
- ISO - Auto, 100-6400
- Image stabilization - optical
- Equivalent focal length - 25-750mm
- Optical zoom - 30x
- LCD – 3 inch, fully articulate
- Shutter speed - 1/4000 - 8 secs
- Aperture priority - Yes
- Shutter priority - Yes
- Manual mode - Yes
- Built-in flash - Yes
- Video - Yes
- Battery - Lithium-ion rechargeable
4. Panasonic Lumix DMC - FZ300 Review
- 4K video & 4K PHOTO - Panasonic's exclusive 4K PHOTO technology uses 30 frames per second in high resolution 4K Ultra HD video to extract them as photos. You'll never miss that moment again
- Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens - 24x zoom (25-600mm) with full zoom range F2. 8 aperture for enhanced low light shooting meeting the stringent quality standards established by Leica
- High image quality - The 12. 1-Megapixel high sensitivity MOS sensor with the Venus engine excels in diffraction compensation, yielding images that are crisp & free from artifacts associated with small aperture settings
- Rugged camera design - splash proof/dustproof rugged camera design with tight seals on every joint, dial and button, so it stands up to harsh weather conditions and challenging
- 5-Axis Hybrid optical image Stabilizer Plus - Reduces Blur from one-handed video shooting by compensating for five types of movement. Level shot function detects horizon line & maintains it, even if the camera is tilted
Pros:
Cons:
This camera provides an excellent photo and video quality, has a full feature set and I’s perfect for those who are looking for something in between point-and-shoot and DSLR camera.
It has a small-sized sensor of 12.1 MP (usually found in premium smartphones) but it comes with 35mm equivalent of an f2.8 600mm lens. With this, you don’t have to use high ISO to get a good shot which is amazing because Panasonic is a little heavy on the noise reduction at high ISO.
Also, to avoid noise, you will probably want to shoot in raw because that way you can be in the control of detail and noise and make a good balance between them. FZ300k has many manual and semimanual shooting modes for stills and videos and also a lot of settings that allows toyto adjust almost everything. You should especially pay attention to one new setting option Panasonic added called Post Focus which actually reversed the whole process.
When you capture your image, you can then tap on the touch screen to select your focus point and then toy can save your photo. You should be extra careful with this if you don’t want to end up missing your shots or you can manually turn it off in the settings menu.
Specs:
- Pixels – 12.1 MP
- Sensor – 6.17mm x 4.55mm
- ISO – 100-6400
- Image stabilization – optical
- Equivalent focal length – 25- 600mm
- Optical zoom – 24.0x
- LCD – 2.0 inch, tilt LCD
- Shutter speed – 60s – 1/16000s
- Aperture priority – Yes
- Sutter priority – Yes
- Manual mode – Yes
- Built-in flash – Yes
- Video – Yes
- Battery – Lithium-ion rechargeable
5. Canon ELPH 360 HS Review
- 12x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer helps you capture images with flexibility and ease
- Operating temperature:32-104°F / 0-40°C.Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC allows for easy sharing and transferring of images and videos
- 202 Megapixel CMOS sensor combines with the DIGIC 4+ Image Processor to help deliver stunning image quality even in low light
- 1080p HD video capabilities. Focal length 4.5 (W) - 54.0 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 25-300mm)
- Large 30-inch LCD enables easy viewing even from a wide angle
Pros:
Cons:
Slim and sleek, Canon ELPH 360HS provides good quality 20.2 MP images and 1080p full HD videos a 30p. It has a DIGIC 4+ image processor that allows providing nice, detailed images and non-expandable ISO of 80 – 3200.
Images are great in adequate light, but when you crank up the ISO the images turn out to be disappointing, and the same thing happens when you use flash. Also, not such a great thing is that you can’t be involved much in image making process (when it comes to settings) because there are no manual control settings. You can only adjust ISO. If you aren’t a professional photographer this won’t bother you.
It’s always great when you can transfer and share your photos and videos to a smartphone or a tablet. This camera allows you to do that with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, and you even have Wi-Fi button on the back of the camera for quick and easy connecting. Overall, this is a stylish and affordable camera with an easy-to-use design and it’s lightweight so you can carry it around everywhere capturing memories.
Specs:
- Pixels – 20.2 MP
- Sensor – 6.17mm x 4.55mm
- ISO – 80-3200
- Image stabilization – optical
- Equivalent focal length – 4.5-300mm
- Optical zoom – 12x
- LCD – 3.0 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed – 15-1/2000s
- Aperture priority – no
- Shutter priority – no
- Manual mode – no
- Video – yes
- Battery – lithium ion rechargeable
6. Nikon Coolpix B500 Review
- 16MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS Sensor
- NIKKOR f/3.0-6.5mm ED Lens
- 22.5-900mm (35mm Equivalent)
- 40x Optical Zoom Lens, 80x Dynamic Zoom
- 3" 921k-Dot Tilting LCD
Pros:
Cons:
This entry-level super zoom camera includes a built-in zoom lens with twelve elements in nine groups and Vibration Reduction, 16 MP sensor and full wireless connectivity.
VR is very important not only because of the 40x zoom but also for shooting in low light. Coolpix B500 provides good quality images but it also can record full 1080p HD video at 30p or 60i and 720p video at 60fps. The lack of an optical viewfinder is compensated with 3.0 inch LCD screen that provides 98% frame coverage which makes capturing images from difficult angles easier.
Another great thing is that you can share all of your photos and videos with your friends, via built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The design is great, it looks serious and it feels solid.
The only thing that I don’t like about this camera is that aperture and shutter speed cannot be set nor prioritized and there isn’t much for a user to do to directly control the process of making images.
Specs:
- Pixels – 16MP
- Sensor – 6.17mm x 4.55mm
- ISO – 125 – 6400
- Image stabilization – no
- Equivalent focal length – 23 – 900mm
- Optical zoom – 40x
- LCD – 3.0 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed – 4s – 1/1500s
- Aperture priority – no
- Shutter priority – no
- Manual mode – no
- Video – yes
- Battery – AA (Alkaline, NiMH, Oxyride or Lithium)
7. Olympus Tough TG 870 Review
- Waterproof to 50 feet (15 meters), Shockproof to 7 feet (2.1 meters), Crushproof to 220 pounds force, Freeze proof to 14 degrees F (-10C)
- 21mm Ultra-Wide Angle Lens, 5X optical zoom
- Built-in Wi-Fi & GPS (oI Share & OI Track)
- Super Macro mode
- 13 Art filters plus Live Composite
Pros:
Cons:
The sensor is the same size as the Nikon and Canon with 16mp so photos should be more than sharp enough. It features a zoom of only 5x but even so still has optical image stabilization so those pics will stay sharp.
Without the ability to utilize aperture, shutter or manual modes it's really left to the camera to make many decisions for you which might put some people off (particularly if it's being used in place of a DSLR) but the Olympus's ruggedness means it more than adequately fulfills its primary purpose as a camera for those who wish to use it for photographing or videoing outdoor pursuits.
The TG 870 is waterproof to 50m, freeze-proof and shockproof (to an extent anyway) and although the limited zoom is a downside it has a fairly wide-angle of 21mm when not zoomed in so it's good for those wide shots.
As with most 'activity cameras' performance has been sacrificed somewhat for robustness despite being light in weight (7.8oz, 221g). In its class, the Olympus TG 870 is certainly a good buy at around $279.99.
Specs:
- Pixels - 16mp
- Sensor - 6.17 x 4.55mm
- ISO - Auto, 125-6400 (expands to 12800)
- Image stabilization - optical
- Equivalent focal length - 21-105mm
- Optical zoom - 5x
- LCD – 3 inch, tilting
- Shutter speed - 1/2000 - 4 secs
- Aperture priority - No
- Shutter priority - No
- Manual mode - No
- Built-in flash - Yes
- Battery - Lithium ion rechargeable
8. Samsung WB 350F Review
- Share your best photos instantly with Family and Friends with Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC
- SMART features - Social Media Upload, E-mail, Photo beam, Direct Link, Mobile Link, PC Auto-backup, Remote Viewfinder, All Share
- 21x Optical Zoom for great shots up front or from a distance
- 1080p HD Video
- microSD card required.
Pros:
Cons:
Going slightly further down the price range we have the Samsung WB350F. This camera has the same sensor size as most compact cameras with 16mp and has a full HD video function at 30 frames per second.
It has many of the same features as its more expensive cousins such as full manual mode, shutter and aperture priorities and image stabilization Even at the full 21x zoom the IS system should keep images clean. Despite having many of the same features as more expensive cameras the Samsung falls down a little in performance tests.
With an ISO extending up to 3200 the WB350F sadly begins to run into trouble at anything over ISO 800 so it's not really ideal for low light shooting. The lens isn't the best in the world either with some loss of sharpness in the corners of images. On the other hand the performance of the white balance is reasonably good as is as is its color performance.
The WB350F also features a panorama function which allows you to press the shutter then pan from to side side to get a wide panorama shot but the resolution on these images is low. It also features some preset filters which allow you to apply effects to your photos or deselect them as you will.
Given that it's a good deal cheaper than some of the others listed above this is nonetheless a decent entry level compact point & shoot camera for those with a limited budget or who wish to share images over the internet.
Good for travel too as it slips easily into a pocket and weighs only 9.74oz/276g. For the money you will pay this is a decent camera but not one to set the heather on fire.
Specs:
- Pixels - 16mp
- Sensor - 6.17 x 4.55mm
- ISO - 80-3200
- Image stabilization - optical
- Equivalent focal length - 23-483mm
- Optical zoom - 21x
- LCD – 3 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed - 1/2000 - 16 secs
- Aperture priority - Yes
- Shutter priority - Yes
- Manual mode - Yes
- Built-in flash - Yes
- Battery - Lithium ion rechargeable
9. Sony Cyber Shot DSC W830 Review
- 20.1 Megapixel(effective) Plus 8x Zoom and number of pixels (Gross)is approx. 20.4 megapixels
- Optical Steady Shot image Stabilization with 2-way Active Mode. Dimensons(W X H X D)(APPROX.)- 3 3/4 x 2 1/8 x 29/32 Inches (93.1mm x 52.3mm x 22.5mm)
- 720p MP4 HD Movie Mode ; This product is compatible with Final Cut Pro X and iMovie.
- Panorama Shooting: 360 Sweep Panorama; Minimum Illumination: Auto: 22.0 lux Shutter Speed 1/30
- Picture Effect: Still images: Toy camera, Pop Color, Partial Color, Soft High-key, Panoramas: Pop Color, Partial Color, Soft High-key, Movies: Toy camera, Pop Color, Partial Color, Soft High-key
Pros:
Cons:
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 is one of the better more competitively priced compacts out there. With 20mp resolution and the usual 28sq mm sensor it performs adequately when taking stills in most light conditions thanks to its Weiss lens although noise is an issue at higher ISO's.
The video function allows for 720p video at 30 or 25 frames per second so a bit less picture quality than most of the others featured here. It lacks the manual control and shutter and aperture priorities which may be a problem for more experienced photographers but the Auto controls are fairly well managed on-board.
Auto focus in low-light conditions and a relatively small, fixed LCD screen could be problematical under some circumstances. With an 8x optical zoom and optical image stabilization images should remain sharp even at full zoom although some users have complained about more blurry images than they should have.
The DSC-W830's ultra compact design make it an attractive option for those who want something small and light which does a decent job but the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity can be a downside.
Battery consumption and lack of power management can be an issue for some but overall the DSC-W830 is a good performer considering its cost and is a decent introductory/entry level camera and definitely a significant step up from the smart phone camera.
Specs:
- Pixels - 20mp
- Sensor - 6.17 x 4.55mm
- ISO – Auto, 80-3200
- Image stabilization – optical
- Equivalent focal length – 25-200mm
- Optical zoom – 21x
- LCD – 2.7 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed – 1/1600 – 2 secs
- Aperture priority – No
- Shutter priority – No
- Manual mode – No
- Built-in Flash – Yes
- Battery – Lithium ion rechargeable
10. Casio Exilim EX – ZR1700SR Review
- 16.1 million pixels / 18x optical zoom
- 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel tilt LCD (※ monitor display: Japanese / English switchable)
- Built-in memory 🙁 recording area): 27.6MB ※ capacity / external memory after formatting the built-in memory: SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card compatible
- Front shutter / lens shift system camera shake correction function / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth equipped / EXILIM Connect support
- Japanese manual URL (PDF): http://support.casio.jp/storage/pdf/001/EXZR1700_FB_160126_JA_gray.pdf
Pros:
Cons:
Easy to use camera for creative pictures and videos, Coolpix L340 provides sharp 2.0 MP photos and steady HD 1280×720 videos. It has great 28x optical zoom telephoto lens with Vibration Reduction (VR) that gets you closer to physically less available places.
This camera offers you 16 scene modes that you can choose between according to a situation, or you can let the Scene Auto Selector choose for you. The design is well thought out, everything is just right where it should be and it is comfortable in your hands. The flash is pretty good for the flash of this class and it’s also easy to use.
It takes excellent photos in adequate light but in low-light situations or for night shots you have to crank up the ISO or turn on the flash which can be a little tricky, but now that we no longer live in film days, you can immediately review a photo on 3.0 inch LCD. Unfortunately, you will find that low-light images and night shots turn out to be unsatisfying.
Specs:
- Pixels – 20.2 MP
- Sensor – 6.17mm x 4.55mm
- ISO – 80 – 1600
- Image stabilization – optical
- Equivalent focal length – 22mm – 630mm
- Optical zoom – 28x
- LCD – 3.0 inch, fixed
- Shutter speed – 4s – 1/1500s
- Aperture priority – no
- Shutter priority – no
- Manual mode – no
- Built-in flash – yes
- Video – yes
- Battery - AA batteries (It accepts alkaline, lithium and Nikon rechargeable batteries)
Conclusion
If you still can’t decide which one of these ten cameras is the right fit for you, ask yourself why you want the camera in the first place.
What do you need it for?
What will you be shooting?
If you need good quality images that you want to print later, then you should go for one of the top two: Nikon Coolpix L340 or Canon PowerShot SX710HS (or even Canon ELPH 360HS).
But, if you want something even cheaper and you actually want it just for capturing memories with your friends and family, you will probably be satisfied with any of the other 7 cameras.
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