Canon's ELPH series is their compact line, and the ELPH 520 HS lives up to their legacy. This tiny camera somehow manages to cram a 10-megapixel sensor and a 12X zoom lens into a case that is pocketable in a way that few other cameras can match. While its small size makes it a great go-anywhere camera, it costs more than its competitors and the photos it takes are not as crystal clear. Moreover, the use of MicroSD and a low-capacity battery limit its usefulness.

The Good

Tiny. No, really; the ELPH 520 HS is small. The case measures only 3.3" across by 2.1" tall by 0.8" thick with the lens retracted, making it smaller than a deck of cards and (probably) smaller than your cell phone, though a touch thicker. Other cameras can call themselves "pocket" cameras all they want, but the ELPH 520 HS makes them all look huge and unwieldy by comparison.

Durable. The ELPH 520 HS is durable despite its small size. The external case is made of metal, lending it a toughness that other models can't match. Still, it's not a good idea to go around dropping it, regardless of its construction.

12X zoom. In a camera this small, you would almost expect zoom range to suffer compared to its larger competitors. Instead, the ELPH 520 HS still manages to pack a 12X zoom lens. While it is not the equal of the 14X lens of the Nikon S8200 or the 16X lens of the Panasonic and Sony models, it is an impressive amount of reach for something so small.

The Bad

Poor controls. The downside to having such a small camera is that what space you have is in high demand. As a result, the buttons on the camera's rear panel all serve double duty. The buttons to control the self-timer, flash, and exposure compensation double as the camera's directional pad, making navigation something of an adventure until you figure out the basics.

Image noise. Small sensors are more prone to image noise than large sensors, but the ELPH 520 HS is unusually noisy even for a pocket camera.

As you'll see in this PhotoScope comparison, the ELPH 520 HS has significantly more digital noise than the S8200, despite both cameras using the same size sensor. Things really go to pot once you pass ISO 400, which is a reasonable setting to use on other cameras. For some reason, the ELPH 520 HS is just noisier than its competition. To get around this, keep the camera on the lowest ISO setting you can manage and make creative use of the flash. Noise is more obvious in less-exposed areas.

Battery life. According to industry-standard testing, the ELPH 520 HS has a battery life of only 190 shots. This is somewhat to be expected, since the camera uses a tiny little battery that's half the size of every other camera's battery. The ELPH 520 HS has a real charger, so you can always get a spare and keep it handy, but that adds expense to what is already an expensive camera.

MicroSD. The ELPH 520 HS uses MicroSD cards. A MicroSD card is about the size of the nail on your pinky finger, assuming your nails are short. It's amazing that we can fit so much data on something so small. The problem, though, is threefold. One, MicroSD cards tend to be a bit more expensive than regular SD cards with the same capacity and speed; two, MicroSD cards are rarely as fast as their regular-sized cousins; and three, it is much easier to lose MicroSD cards due to their small size.

The Verdict

The Canon ELPH 520 HS leverages its small size to appeal to people who want a tiny camera they can take anywhere. The problem is how much you have to sacrifice to get there. Image quality isn't up to snuff, and digital noise is a serious problem at relatively low ISO. The camera can't shoot for very long without a recharge, and it uses tiny, fiddly memory cards. What's more, the controls can be confusing due to the shortage of real estate on the camera's control panel. All in all, unless you need the most compact camera around, there are better options available.