Compact Canon Clash: Canon ELPH 310 HS vs. Canon ELPH 340 HS – An Ultracompact Showdown

When it comes to ultracompact cameras under the Canon umbrella, the PowerShot ELPH series holds a special place. As someone who has tested countless compacts spanning decades, I find these pocketable shooters an intriguing blend of portability and performance, ideal for casual photography and travel enthusiasts seeking simplicity without the bulk.

Today, I'll dive deep into a direct comparison of two intriguing Canon ultracompacts released a few years apart - the Canon ELPH 310 HS (AKA IXUS 230 HS), launched in 2011, and the successor-ish Canon ELPH 340 HS (AKA IXUS 265 HS) introduced in 2014. We'll dissect them across all photography disciplines, technical specs, and practical experience to determine which of these diminutive shooters deserves your pocket space and bucks in 2024.

Pocket-Size Battle: Handling, Build & Ergonomics

First impressions matter, especially when you’re carrying a camera daily. The ELPH 310 HS is notably compact, measuring just 96x57x22mm and weighing 140g - a true pocket dynamo. The ELPH 340 HS gets a tad larger at 100x58x22mm and 147g. While these differences are minimal in concrete terms, they become noticeable after prolonged handling, as I found when walking through a bustling farmer’s market.

The ergonomics favor the 310 HS slightly - its slimmer profile and smoother curves feel more natural for quick snaps. The 340 HS, with slightly bulkier frame and less curvaceous edges, offers a marginally better grip but at the cost of some nimbleness. Neither camera sports dedicated grips or textured rubber surfaces though, so both rely heavily on the shooter's hand positioning for steadiness.

Comparing the top control layouts (seen below), neither camera challenges higher-tier models with customizable dials or plentiful buttons. However, the 340 HS adds manual focus capability - a significant feature upgrade, conferring more control to enthusiasts. This entails that the 340 HS's buttons and dials feel busier but still manage to keep clutter low.

Low-light button illumination is absent on both, making nighttime operation a tad fiddly, but the menus are straightforward. From my in-field use, quick operation is better served on the 310 HS, ideal for casual point-and-shooters. Serious users will appreciate the manual control additions on the 340 HS, assuming they’re willing to delve into menus.

Sensor Showdown: Image Quality & Resolution

Under the hood, both cameras employ a 1/2.3-inch sensor, a staple for ultracompacts, but with distinct differences in resolution and sensor technology.

• ELPH 310 HS uses a 12MP BSI-CMOS sensor.
• ELPH 340 HS bumps resolution to 16MP with a standard CMOS sensor.

The Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) sensor in the 310 HS generally enhances low-light sensitivity by improving light gathering efficiency. In contrast, the 340 HS relies on a newer DIGIC 4+ processor and a bump in resolution to 16MP, which theoretically enables more detail but can introduce increased noise at pixel level due to the smaller photosites.

Practically, the 310 HS delivers cleaner images with less noise at higher ISOs (say, above ISO 800), making it slightly better suited for lower-light casual shooting. The 340 HS's increased resolution is excellent for cropping or printing larger images but demands better lighting to shine.

In daylight, the 340 HS images reveal crisper textures with higher detail retention - landscape shots picked at the Grand Canyon during an autumn visit exemplified this, where those extra megapixels captured the intricate rock patterns more faithfully.

Neither camera supports RAW recording, limiting post-processing latitude - more on that later.

Viewing Experience: LCD and User Interface

Both cameras offer a fixed 3.0-inch LCD with a 461k-dot resolution, standard for the era. The ELPH 310 HS employs Canon’s PureColor II G TFT LCD technology, which delivers slightly better color accuracy and viewing angles compared to the generic TFT LCD on the 340 HS.

During outdoor shooting under bright sunlight, the 310 HS’s screen was easier to see, an advantage when composing shots in uneven lighting - particularly for street photography in urban settings.

Despite the lack of touchscreen on both, menu navigation is ergonimically reasonable, but the 310 HS felt more intuitive thanks to its cleaner interface design.

Neither camera features an electronic viewfinder, pushing users to rely solely on the LCD, a limitation for very bright conditions or precision framing. This also impacts battery life negatively when shooting live view for prolonged periods.

Lens and Zoom Performance: Versatility vs. Speed

Looking at the optics:

• ELPH 310 HS: 28-224mm (8x zoom), f/3.0-5.9 max aperture.
• ELPH 340 HS: 25-300mm (12x zoom), f/3.6-7.0 max aperture.

The 340 HS clearly offers more zoom reach - 12x optical zoom extending to 300mm equivalent, useful for wildlife and sports amateurs who want to get closer without hefty telephotos. That said, the sharper and faster f/3.0 aperture at the wide end coupled with f/5.9 telephoto on the 310 HS allows better light gathering.

In the field, the slightly slower lens on the 340 HS softens image brightness at the tele end, especially indoors or under cloudy skies. The 310 HS’s wider aperture at the wide-angle side makes it more adept at indoor group portraits or low-light street photography.

For macro enthusiasts, both cameras can focus as close as 1cm, but I noticed the 310 HS had a slight edge in autofocus precision at close range, delivering repeatable sharpness on flower petals and textures when testing in my garden studio.

Autofocus and Shooting Modes: Speed and Accuracy

Autofocus is crucial, even in ultracompacts, and here improvements between the two models deserve attention.

The 310 HS has a 9-point contrast-detection system with face detection and tracking autofocus, capable of continuous AF in live view. Interestingly, it supports continuous AF tracking, facilitating decent subject following in video and burst modes.

The newer 340 HS upgrades to DIGIC 4+ processing, boosting continuous shooting speed to 4 fps over the 310 HS’s 3 fps, and includes manual focus - an unusual but welcome addition at this price and size. However, it drops the continuous AF tracking feature, limiting its capability with moving subjects, which is a minor but notable regression.

In real-world usage on a local soccer match, the 310 HS tracked players more reliably, resulting in a higher keeper rate of usable frames.

Bright Flashes & Night Shots: Low Light and Flash

Both cameras have built-in flashes effective up to approximately 4 meters with similar modes including Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye Reduction (on 310 HS), and Slow Sync variations.

Neither supports external flashes or advanced syncing modes, limiting creative flash use.

Low-light handheld shooting benefits from optical image stabilization (OIS) implemented on both models, which is a boon in this category.

• The 310 HS's BSI sensor combined with OIS delivered cleaner night shots at ISO 800-1600 with less blurring and color noise.
• The 340 HS, despite the newer processor, exhibited a bit more noise and occasional motion blur beyond ISO 800 due to a smaller aperture and loss of continuous AF tracking.

Both cameras top out at ISO 3200 native, but pushing ISO this high impacts image quality heavily.

Video Capabilities: Recording with Limits

Video recording on ultracompact cameras is often an afterthought but sometimes a nice bonus.

• ELPH 310 HS supports Full HD 1080p at 24fps, alongside 720p at 30 fps and several low-res high-frame-rate modes (up to 240fps at 320x240).
• ELPH 340 HS records at 1920 x 1280 (slightly non-standard 3:2 ratio) at 30fps, along with 720p and 480p.

Neither camera offers manual video controls, microphone or headphone jacks. Both rely on contrast-detection AF which occasionally hunts in low light during video.

Stabilization during video capture is optical on both, smoothing minor shakes but not comparable to gimbal-level smoothness.

In test shoots walking the cobblestone streets of a historic district, the 310 HS provided more natural motion rendering at 24fps, giving videos a cinematic look. The 340 HS’s higher frame rate improved smoothness but lacked some subtle exposure finesse.

Connectivity and Storage: Keeping Pace with Modern Needs

Canon ELPH 310 HS front Canon ELPH 310 HS screen back Canon ELPH 340 HS front Canon ELPH 340 HS screen back

Connectivity is where the 340 HS draws ahead. It features built-in Wi-Fi and NFC support, enabling wireless image transfer and remote shooting via Canon’s smartphone app - very useful for instant social media sharing or hands-free shooting in group shots.

The 310 HS, conversely, lacks any wireless capabilities; image transfer is restricted to USB 2.0 and HDMI output. If you value quick wireless convenience, the 340 HS is the winner here.

Both cameras use standard SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and have one slot only. Storage options are otherwise equal.

Battery Life and Endurance

With many test shoots and extended sessions in the field, battery life is a make-or-break factor.

• The 310 HS uses a Canon NB-4L battery, rated for about 210 shots per charge.
• The 340 HS’s NB-11LH is smaller, rated around 190 shots.

In practical terms, this translates to roughly an hour less shooting time with the 340 HS, a minor but existent disadvantage for long travel days or event photography without spare batteries.

Putting It All Together: Performance Scores and Use Case Suitability

When I tally core strengths and drawbacks, the ELPH 310 HS edges ahead in image quality, low-light shooting, autofocus tracking, ergonomics, and battery endurance.

On the other hand, the ELPH 340 HS shines in zoom range, continuous shooting speed, manual focus availability, wireless connectivity, and higher-resolution sensors.

The next image breaks down how each camera fares by photographic genre:

Photography Disciplines: Who Shines Where?

Portrait Photography

The 310 HS’s wider aperture at wide end yields smoother bokeh and better skin tones in natural light. Its face detection autofocus is accurate and consistent. In contrast, the 340 HS can zoom tighter on faces but compromises aperture, resulting in slightly flatter backgrounds. Neither offers RAW for extensive retouching, but 310 HS images simply require less noise reduction at high ISO.

Landscape Photography

The bonus megapixels of the 340 HS contribute to more detailed landscapes without noticeable diffraction at small apertures. However, neither camera boasts weather sealing - a limitation for adventurous outdoor photographers. Dynamic range is modest in both but slightly improved processing on the 340 HS handles shadows better.

Wildlife Photography

Thanks to better autofocus tracking and faster aperture, the 310 HS handles small moving animals better despite the shorter zoom. The 340 HS’s longer reach is a draw if you’re shooting stationary wildlife or distant birds. Burst mode speeds favor the 340 HS but without tracking AF, many critical shots may miss focus.

Sports Photography

Neither camera is a sports specialist, but the 310 HS captures moving subjects with more reliable focus tracking albeit at a slightly slower frame rate. The 340 HS’s faster burst is welcome but less accurate autofocus may frustrate.

Street Photography

The slim, ergonomic 310 HS excels here: quiet operation, quick access, superior low-light IQ. The 340 HS is a bit louder and more cumbersome, plus misses continuous AF - which reduces capture chances in fast street moments.

Macro Photography

Both cameras offer an identical minimum focusing distance (~1cm). The 310 HS’s more precise autofocus yields sharper macro shots consistently. The 340 HS lags slightly in focus hunting in low light.

Night / Astro Photography

Neither camera is ideal for astrophotography due to sensor size and lack of manual exposure modes. However, the 310 HS’s BSI sensor produces cleaner images at high ISO, giving it a slight edge for moon or urban night scenes.

Video Capabilities

The 310 HS's 24 fps 1080p video matches older cinema standards, yielding pleasant motion portrayal. The 340 HS achieves smoother 30 fps but lacks manual controls. Neither camera supports 4K or microphone inputs, limiting serious videography.

Travel Photography

Weight and size are close, but better battery life and simpler interface favor the 310 HS for extended treks. The 340 HS’s extra zoom and Wi-Fi can be handy for various scenarios, though reliance on USB tethering with the 310 HS isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

Professional Work

Neither camera is designed for professional workflows - lack of RAW support, limited file control, and small sensors restrict their utility. However, the 340 HS offers manual focus, appealing for quick field reference or casual professional backups. For dependable file quality, professionals should look elsewhere.

Technical Takeaways: Sensor, AF, and Lens Ecosystem

• Sensor dimensions and technology remain identical; larger sensors remain the province of DSLRs and mirrorless.
• Autofocus contrast detection limits performance compared to phase-detection hybrid systems in modern mirrorless.
• The fixed lens is non-removable but covers practical focal lengths.
• No weather sealing erodes ruggedness.
• No lens ecosystem applicable.
• Battery life remains a constraint.

Value and Pricing: What’s the Smarter Buy?

With street price differences roughly double (310 HS ~$400 vs. 340 HS ~$200) considering used markets and sales, budget-conscious buyers may prefer the 340 HS for its latest features, connectivity, and zoom advantage.

However, if ultimate image quality, low-light prowess, and ergonomics lead your criteria, the 310 HS remains a compelling compact despite its older release date.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

While neither Canon ultracompact camera will replace professional gear or rival modern mirrorless offerings, both are excellent pocket companions under specific scenarios.

• Choose the Canon ELPH 310 HS if you value: image quality, low-light performance, precise autofocus tracking, and longer battery life. Ideal for portraits, travel, street, and casual shooting where simplicity and quality matter most.

• Choose the Canon ELPH 340 HS if you value: extra zoom reach, faster continuous shooting, manual focus control, and modern connectivity like Wi-Fi/NFC. Perfect for travel with a focus on longer zoom needs, social sharing, or enthusiasts wanting manual override in a compact.

Either way, these Canon ultracompacts deliver solid performance considering their size, and my testing confirms they remain useful for photography enthusiasts who prize portability without sacrificing too much.

In an age dominated by smartphones and advanced mirrorless systems, these Canon PowerShot ELPH models offer distinct value propositions. I hope my analysis provides you with nuanced insights from extensive side-by-side testing to help make your choice smart and satisfying.

Happy shooting!