Canon PowerShot ELPH · on sale 2016, re-released 2025 · a retrospective
The Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS (IXUS 285 HS): the $210 compact that came back at $379
Also sold as the Digital IXUS 285 HS and the IXY 650.
In 2016 Canon sold a 20-megapixel, 12x zoom pocket camera with Wi-Fi for a suggested $209.99. In September 2025 it put almost the same camera back on sale for $379 with a microSD slot and a purple-free palette, and it sold out.
Release date and launch price: launched May 2016; launch price US$209.9923.
Quick answers
- Sensor
- CMOS, 1/2.3", 20.2 MP source
- Lens
- 25–300 mm equivalent, 12× zoom source
- Memory card
- SD, SDHC, SDXC source
- Battery
- NB-11LH source
- Also sold as
- IXUS 285 HS · IXY 650
- USB / A/V cable
- IFC-400PCU Confirmed · all Canon cables
Meet the camera
It is a small, slim compact that measures about 100 by 58 millimetres and under 23 thick and weighs about 147 grams with battery and card.12 DPReview lists a fixed 3.0-inch screen with 461,000 dots, no viewfinder and a battery rated at 180 shots.3 Imaging Resource called it a sleek and stylish, affordable compact with a lightweight, easy-to-use design.2
It had three names. Canon's museum lists it as the PowerShot ELPH 360 HS in the Americas, the IXUS 285 HS in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the IXY 650 in Japan.1 Imaging Resource, in January 2016, gave a suggested price of US$209.99, the same as its predecessor, and expected February availability in silver and purple;2 Canon's museum lists the camera as marketed in May 2016, without regional detail.1
Why this one was interesting
Not a CCD
If you are hunting for a CCD camera, this is not one: Canon's museum lists a CMOS sensor of about 20.2 effective megapixels,1 and DPReview calls it back-illuminated.3 If you are shopping for a CCD, see our glossary entry on CCD sensors and our ELPH 180, which does use one.
A very long lens for the size
The lens runs from 4.5 to 54 millimetres, equal to 25–300 mm on a 35 mm camera, at f/3.6 to f/7.0, with optical image stabilisation.12 Canon adds a digital extension that takes the total magnification to about 24x.1
Faster than the one before
Imaging Resource gave Canon's burst figure as 7.2 frames per second at full resolution against 2.6 for its predecessor, which it called a more useful 7.2 fps, while Canon's battery rating dropped slightly from 185 to 180 shots.2 It has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC with a dedicated Wi-Fi button.2
The step down in the family was the ELPH 180; the earlier ELPH 300 HS is the 2011 ancestor of the same line.
The dark: its weak point
TechRadar tested the 2025 model, which has the same sensor and lens, and found images fairly mushy under interior lights where ISO had to rise above 400, noise reduction visibly heavy by ISO 800 and colours washed out around ISO 1600.5 Its flash was small and not very powerful and tended to bleach detail.5 Camera Jabber agreed that low light was weaker, with noisier, softer results.6
Two low-light photographs taken with this camera: a truck at night and a dim interior. Credited under each picture.
On eBay right now
Live listings for this camera, supplied by eBay and updated automatically. We earn a commission if you buy through them.
The little wins
The stabiliser
TechRadar called the optical stabilisation surprisingly effective, keeping shots steady as slow as 1/25 second at the long end of the zoom.5
How it drew the picture
TechRadar scored image quality 3.5 out of 5: acceptable for point-and-shoot use, struggling in all but the best light, with accurate automatic white balance and a nostalgic feel.5 It also said dynamic range suffers from the small pixels and that the camera cannot shoot RAW.5
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Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.
Where it let you down
There is no touchscreen, which Camera Jabber called the one interface feature that feels genuinely dated, and TechRadar thought an odd omission.65 There are no aperture- or shutter-priority modes and no RAW.5 Autofocus is contrast-detect and TechRadar found it prone to hunting in low light and at close range, though it was quick in good light.54 Battery life is about 180 shots.35 DPReview adds that the battery still has to be taken out of the camera to charge, and that the USB port is for data only.4
The comeback
On 9 September 2025 Canon announced the PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A, which DPReview called a minor revision that loses some features, at $379 against the original's $209.99 launch price, available at the end of October.4 The full-size SD slot became microSD; images can no longer be downloaded to a computer over Wi-Fi or sent to a PictBridge printer, though the smartphone app still works; there is no purple model, only black and silver; and the sensor, lens and processor are unchanged.4 Canon's own press release said the 2016 model "still remains a popular compact camera".4
TechRadar wrote that the 2025 camera is indistinguishable from its predecessor, which it said went viral because of TikTok and because Kendall Jenner has one, and reported that it was sold out in most markets because of high demand.5 Neither DPReview nor Canon's release gave sales figures. For why people want cameras like this, we tell the story once, in Pictures that never left the card.
What the reviewers said
| Outlet | Date | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Imaging Resource (first look, 2016 model) | 6 Jan 2016 | A sleek, affordable compact; burst speed up to 7.2 fps; battery slightly down. No lab results: they were promised later.2 |
| TechRadar (2025 model) | First reviewed Jan 2026 | Price 4, design 4.5, performance 4, image quality 3.5 out of 5. A great smartphone alternative for casual shooting; struggles in low light, no RAW, limited manual control.5 |
| Camera Jabber (2025 model) | 12 May 2026 | Shows five stars; verdict: a trusted and reliable choice for families and travellers. Excellent results in good light for the price; no touchscreen feels dated; modest battery.6 |
We found no full contemporary review of the 2016 camera, so the image-quality findings above come from reviews of the 2025 model, which Canon, DPReview and TechRadar describe as having the same sensor and lens.45
The timeline
- 6 January 2016Imaging Resource posts a first look at a suggested US$209.99.2
- May 2016Canon's museum lists the camera as marketed.1
- 9 September 2025Canon announces the ELPH 360 HS A at $379.99; DPReview reports the changes.4
- January 2026TechRadar publishes its review of the A model.5
- 12 May 2026Camera Jabber publishes its review.6
Should you buy one now?
Buy the original if you want a very pocketable 12x zoom with Wi-Fi and a full-size SD slot, and you will mostly shoot in daylight. It launched at US$209.99;2 what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:
- The name. Search the ELPH 360 HS, the IXUS 285 HS and the IXY 650.1 The 2025 re-release adds an A, and uses microSD.4
- The sensor. It is CMOS, not CCD.1
- The battery. It uses an NB-11LH;3 a fresh one is on Amazon ↗, and it must come out of the camera to charge.4
- The card. The 2016 model takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.3 See our memory card guide.
- The cable. The USB port is for data only;4 see the cable line near the top of this page.
- The lens. Check that it extends and retracts cleanly.
See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NB-11LH battery ↗
Sources
- Canon Camera Museum: PowerShot ELPH 360 HS / IXUS 285 HS / IXY 650 (names, May 2016, specifications)
- Imaging Resource, Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS first look by William Brawley (6 Jan 2016; lab results promised)
- DPReview, Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS product page (2016: MSRP, sensor, battery, card)
- DPReview, “Canon updates a PowerShot with higher price and fewer features” by Mitchell Clark (9 Sep 2025)
- TechRadar, Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A review by Peter Fenech (first reviewed January 2026)
- Camera Jabber, Canon IXUS 285 HS review by Ali Jennings (12 May 2026; the 2025 model)
Photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.