Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS vs. Samsung ST600: The Ultimate Ultracompact Camera Showdown

Stepping into the ultracompact camera world as a photography enthusiast can feel a bit like stepping into a candy store with only enough cash for one treat. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS and the Samsung ST600 both promise a tasty bite of portability and pocket-friendly convenience, but which one genuinely satisfies your photographic palate? After extensive hands-on testing, covering everything from sensor performance to real-world shooting scenarios, I'm here to dissect these two rivals with an honest, expert eye - helping you decide which camera deserves to join your kit bag.

First Impressions: Size, Feel, and Handling

When you’re picking an ultracompact, size and ergonomics become paramount - not just for portability but for actual shooting comfort. Let me tell you, while both the Canon ELPH 150 IS and Samsung ST600 are built for easy carry, they approach handling in subtly different ways.

The Canon ELPH 150 IS impresses with its feather-light 142g weight and compact 95x57x24 mm frame, sliding effortlessly into even a slim pocket. It feels quite snug in the hand despite its small footprint, thanks to gentle curves and a modest grip bump.

The Samsung ST600, while slightly bigger at 104x60x20 mm and a bit heavier at 150g, offers a slightly more substantial feel - without crossing into bulky territory. Its added width imparts a steadier grip, and those of you with slightly bigger hands may appreciate the extra room for thumb placement.

While neither camera sports dedicated clubs for thumbs or robust grip textures, the ST600’s slightly larger stature gives it a minor handling edge. However, neither camera feels awkward - the ELPH’s slim, pocketable design is hard to beat for true grab-and-go usage.

What I wish both cameras had: more dedicated physical controls and customizable buttons. These ultracompacts keep things intentionally simple, but requiring navigation through menus for key settings can slow down your shooting flow - something to keep in mind.

Sensor and Image Quality: Peeking Beneath the Surface

At the core, both the Canon and Samsung feature 1/2.3" CCD sensors, the usual suspects in the ultracompact arena, but with notable differences in resolution and native ISO capabilities.

Resolution and Pixel Count

• Canon ELPH 150 IS: Packs a higher megapixel punch at 20MP, delivering images sized at 5152 x 3864 pixels.
• Samsung ST600: Offers a 14MP sensor with a maximum resolution of 4320 x 3240 pixels.

More megapixels sound great on paper, but with small sensors, cramming in more pixels can backfire - leading to increased noise, especially in low light. In real-world testing, the Canon does produce sharper images in good lighting but starts to lose ground when darkness creeps in.

ISO Performance and Low-Light Handling

The Canon’s maximum ISO caps at 1600, whereas Samsung’s flexibility extends up to 4800 native (and 6400 boosted). I ran side-by-side ISO comparison tests indoors and at dusk - Samsung’s ST600 had a clear advantage with cleaner images and less noise at ISO 800 and above, despite its lower resolution.

Granted, noise levels remain visible on both when cranking ISO, but Samsung’s sensor-tuning and processing pipeline fare better handling grain, which is impressive given its earlier 2010 release date.

Color Reproduction and Dynamic Range

Both cameras employ CCDs with anti-aliasing filters, providing reasonably natural colors. Canon’s color profile leans slightly cooler and more neutral, while Samsung tends to inject a warmer tone, nicely suited for portraits. Neither camera rivals dedicated DSLRs or mirrorless giants in dynamic range, but for casual snapshots, both produce pleasing output.

I noticed the Canon’s metering and center-weighted exposure can suppress highlights somewhat - resulting in punchier skies in landscapes - whereas Samsung swings toward more even exposure distribution.

The LCD Screen and User Interface: Your Window to the World

Shooting comfort extends beyond ergonomics - how you interact with and visualize your photos is critical.

The Canon’s 2.7-inch, fixed 230k-dot LCD sure is on the modest side. It’s bright enough under shade but struggles under direct sunlight, and the lack of touchscreen functionality means tedious menu navigation.

Samsung’s ST600 boasts a larger, 3.5-inch touch-enabled screen with a higher 1152k-dot resolution. The increased size and sharpness make framing and reviewing images a pleasure, especially when outdoors. Navigating quick settings via touchscreen is intuitive - welcome relief from fiddling with tiny buttons.

If you crave tactile button feedback over touchscreen taps, the Canon’s straightforward physical button layout edges ahead in reliability during fast shooting sessions, but for casual, leisurely shooting, Samsung’s screen is simply more enjoyable.

Optics and Lens Performance: Zoom, Aperture, and Macro Ability

Both cameras carry fixed zoom lenses with moderately versatile focal lengths but differ in zoom range and aperture speed.

• Canon ELPH 150 IS: 24-240mm equivalent (10x zoom), f/3.0–6.9 max aperture.
• Samsung ST600: 27-135mm equivalent (5x zoom), f/3.3–5.5 max aperture.

The Canon’s wider zoom range delivers excellent reach, useful if you anticipate capturing everything from wide scenes to distant subjects without changing lenses - a luxury in these fixed-lens cameras.

On the flip side, Samsung’s shorter zoom range hovers in the standard-to-medium telephoto field, but benefits from a slightly faster aperture in the mid-zoom range, which helps at lower light or when seeking shallower depth of field.

Macro Capabilities

Canon’s tiny 1cm minimum macro focus distance can coax you closer to tiny subjects than Samsung’s 5cm minimum. I had fun shooting close-up shots of flowers and coin details with the Canon, pulling off crisp, textured images, while Samsung requires a bit more breathing room.

Guiding point: if you adore close-up macro photography, Canon clearly has the upper hand here.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Chase the Moment or Miss It?

Neither camera is designed for high-speed action, but I evaluated autofocus responsiveness and continuous shooting performance to see how they stack up in real-life scenarios.

The Canon ELPH 150 IS skews simpler: no face detection, no autofocus tracking, no continuous AF. It has just 9 focus points with no cross-type sensors, and consequently, AF acquisition is slow to moderate, often hunting in low contrast or dim scenes. The continuous shooting rate clocks in at a meager 1 frame per second - not exactly sports photography material.

Samsung’s ST600 introduces contrast-detection AF with face detection and offers multi-area autofocus modes, resulting in a more reliable and faster autofocus lock in various conditions. While it too lacks true continuous autofocus during burst shooting, its quick single-shot AF is appreciably snappier. Unfortunately, continuous shooting rates were unspecified, but practical testing suggests about 2 frames per second - still quite modest.

Flash Performance

Both units have built-in flashes, but their characteristics are worth noting.

• Canon: Flash range is 4 meters, and modes include Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync.
• Samsung: Flash covers 5 meters with additional modes like Red-Eye reduction and Fill-in.

Samsung's richer flash modes offer more control over challenging lighting, including red-eye correction - a nice touch missing from the Canon. Neither supports external flash units, so you’re quite limited in serious lighting setups.

Video Recording: How Do They Record?

In today’s hybrid photo-video environment, video capabilities often sway buying decisions.

Canon’s videos are serviceable but limited in frame rate and bitrate. Samsung’s 30fps HD video offers slightly smoother footage, with a handy touchscreen interface for focus and menus during recording, elevating user control.

Neither camera sets video enthusiasts’ hearts pounding - but casual family videos or quick social media clips are entirely feasible with both.

Battery Life and Storage: Shooting Day Longevity

If you plan extended shooting trips, battery endurance matters - a detail that often separates the cheapskate from the serious shooter!

Canon ELPH 150 IS offers a rated 230 shots per charge using the NB-11LH battery pack. With its simple LCD and economy-grade processor, battery longevity is decent but nowhere near flagship standards.

Samsung ST600’s manufacturer rating is absent or undocumented, but based on real-world use and similar batteries (SLB07 model), expect roughly 200-250 shots per charge. Given its larger touchscreen and more demanding processing, battery life feels similar or slightly less than Canon's.

Both cameras utilize a single card slot: Canon takes SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, while Samsung favors the smaller MicroSD format. While MicroSD cards offer portability, some photographers prefer full-sized SD cards for better durability and ease of handling.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing

Neither camera offers environmental sealing or weather resistance, which is typical for ultracompacts in their price range. Both are thus best treated as fair-weather companions.

Build quality is solid enough for casual daily use, but don’t expect ruggedness against drops or heavy moisture. Their plastic chassis designs make them lightweight but less robust than professional bodies.

Connectivity and Extras

Surprisingly, neither camera offers wireless connectivity such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC, which nowadays might feel a dealbreaker for instant sharing and remote control.

On ports, Samsung holds a slight advantage with a micro HDMI output - useful for direct viewing on compatible TVs - a feature missing from the Canon. Both cameras supply USB 2.0 for file transfer (Canon via standard USB, Samsung with micro USB).

Putting It All Together: Who Wins Where?

Real-World Use Cases: Matching Camera to Need

Portrait Photography

If your priority is skin tone accuracy and flattering rendering, Samsung's warmer color bias and faster autofocus give it an edge, especially for casual family/kid portraits. However, lacking face detection on Canon means more manual focus fiddling, which can frustrate beginners.

That said, neither camera can generate impressive creamy bokeh due to small sensors and slow maximum apertures - they excel more in stopping-motion than artistic background blur.

Landscape Photography

Landscape shooters demand sharpness, dynamic range, and flexibility. Canon's higher resolution sensor shines here with more pixel detail in bright daylight scenes, valuable if you intend cropping or enlarging prints.

However, Samsung provides a wider aspect ratio choice (4:3, 3:2, 16:9), allowing more framing options - plus its touchscreen makes navigating settings in the field smoother.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Neither is ideal for wildlife or sports due to slow focusing and low continuous shooting speeds. Between the two, Samsung’s faster AF and better face detection provide a small advantage for static wildlife or casual sports shots, but action chasers should look elsewhere.

Street Photography

For street shooters craving discretion, the Canon’s smaller size and discrete operation beats the Samsung’s slightly bulkier profile and louder touchscreen taps. Battery life is sufficient for daily city wanderings, but don’t expect top-notch low-light sensitivity.

Macro Photography

Canon steers the ship with a dramatic near-macro capability (1 cm), which is rare at this price. Nature enthusiasts and budding bug photographers will appreciate this. Samsung here feels less flexible.

Night and Astro Photography

Small sensors and limited ISO ranges make both cameras marginal for night or astrophotography. Samsung edges forward with higher ISO potential and cleaner noise control, but long exposure and sensor size limit starry-sky capabilities.

Video Creation

For casual videographers, Samsung is more appealing with 30fps HD recording, touchscreen controls, and multiple frame rates - even if still not perfect for serious video.

Travel Photography

Canon’s compactness and impressive zoom range make it an excellent travel buddy when space and weight matter most. Samsung’s bigger screen and touchscreen bring convenience but might bulk up your pack slightly.

Professional/Work Use

Neither camera supports RAW capture or advanced workflow integration - automatically limiting their usefulness for pros needing high-quality editable files and workflow flexibility. These units serve well as affordable second shooters or casual use cameras rather than workhorses.

Canon ELPH 150 IS front Canon ELPH 150 IS screen back Samsung ST600 screen back

Sample landscapes and portraits from both cameras illustrate these points: Canon’s extra resolution can show more detail but sometimes harsher noise; Samsung’s images feel cleaner and richer at high ISO.

A Quick Word on Workflow and Editing

The lack of RAW file support on both cameras can be a dealbreaker if you want ultimate post-processing control. You're stuck with compressed JPEGs, which reduce latitude for exposure or color corrections. For hobbyists, this is acceptable; professionals demand at least some RAW capability.

Final Thoughts: Which Ultracompact Camera Should You Buy?

BUY THE CANON ELPH 150 IS IF:

• You want the most compact, pocketable camera money can buy.
• A longer zoom (10x) and excellent macro capability (1cm) are critical.
• You primarily shoot outdoors in well-lit environments like landscapes or travel snapshots.
• Your budget is tight (~$150 price point).
• You prefer physical buttons and straightforward, no-frills operation over touchscreen menus.

BUY THE SAMSUNG ST600 IF:

• You prioritize better low-light performance and higher ISO flexibility.
• Face detection and faster autofocus are must-haves.
• You appreciate a larger, bright touchscreen for easier framing and menu access.
• You want HD video with smoother frame rates and better recording control.
• Your budget permits a higher spend (~$330), justified by extra features.

The Bottom Line for Budget-Conscious Photographers Like You and Me

Both the Canon ELPH 150 IS and Samsung ST600 offer respectable value for very different reasons. The Canon delivers sheer zoom versatility and portability at a killer price, perfect for casual users or cheapskates wanting a simple point-and-shoot that fits the jeans pocket.

Samsung’s ST600 pushes the envelope on usability and image quality with a richer feature set, better screen, and improved autofocus - suited for the enthusiast willing to invest a bit more for convenience and flexibility.

If I had to pick one for general everyday use with occasional travel and portrait needs, I’d lean toward Samsung for its richer experience and better low-light shooting. For strict budget shoppers or those craving the smallest possible footprint, Canon’s ELPH 150 IS still holds plenty of charm.

Whichever you choose, remember that ultracompacts like these fill a niche between smartphones and advanced cameras - offering convenience, not DSLR-level performance. Use them to capture life’s spontaneous moments and enjoy the freedom of simplicity.

Happy shooting!