Price:...
Price: $418.72
Excellent image quality, full controls and pocketable, September 9, 2010
This review is from: Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch inch LCD (Electronics)
If you're looking for a pocketable camera that has reasonably high quality images, lets you control aperture, speed and focus and shoot in RAW format, this is it. I bought mine as an upgrade from a previous small but versatile camera, a Canon Powershot S70.
The Powershot S95 was introduced in August 2010 as a slight upgrade to the S90, which was widely praised for its image quality and excellent interface but criticized for being hard to hold ("like a bar of soap in the shower") and for having a control dial that turned too easily. The S95 fixes both problems and adds a couple of other features in a package that fits in the pocket of your jeans (if they're not super tight). The case is metal, and although there are no finger grips on the body, it's not slippery at all. It feels like it's covered with super-fine sandpaper (like 1000 or 1500 grit, for those you who know what that feels like).
The second major complaint about the S-90 was that the function selection ring on the rear moved too easily. The ring on the S-95 has a slight click when you move it, and it doesn't move unless you want it to.
There are a couple of other cameras of this type, including the Panasonic LX-3 and LX-5 and the Samsung TL500. They all have let you control camera functions, and like the S95 they have 10 MP sensors that are almost twice as large as a typical pocket camera, so the pixels on the sensor are larger. That lets them gather light more efficiently, which reduces digital "noise" when you shoot in dim light. Image quality is noticeably better than photos from typical pocket cameras. You can make an 8 x 10 or perhaps 11x14 enlargement, although a digital SLR will be significantly better for larger prints. They also have f/2.0 lenses at their widest angle, although the aperture closes down as you zoom in.
The Canon has two advantages over the Panasonic LX-3 & LX-5. First, you really can put it in your pocket or in a belt case no bigger than the one you use for a mobile phone. Second, the interface is a brilliant re-thinking of how a very small camera with a full set of controls should work. There's not much room for buttons on the small surface, but you don't have to get into a multi-level menu on the LCD, and yet changing settings is fast and intuitive.
For example, there's a ring around the lens that you can grip easily to control zoom, or, shutter speed, or aperture, change ISO, or manually focus. You select what you want it to do by pressing a button on the top, and when you look at the LCD screen you can see what it's programmed for. There's a selection wheel on the back for other functions, and when you move it, a clear set of choices appears on the screen. The selections are context-appropriate, so they change depending on whether you've set the camera for aperture control, "Program" control, etc.
The two Panasonics have the same sensor as their Canon equivalents, but they offer a slightly wider lens (24mm vs. 28 for the S95). The LX-3 has a much shorter telephoto - only 60 mm. The LX-5, which was introduced a couple of weeks before the S95, has a 90mm telephoto, and you can buy an add-on optical viewfinder. It also has a flash shoe in addition to the pop-up flash, although you can buy a dedicated add-on flash for the S-95 to supplement its pop-up flash The LX-5 is about 25% more expensive than the Canon S95 (and 60% more with the optional viewfinder) and while it would fit in a coat pocket, you can't stuff it into a trouser pocket.
If you want a truly pocketable camera that gives you good image quality and full control over your photography, the S95 is an excellent choice.
Technical Details
- 10.0-megapixel sensor combined with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor creates Canon's HS System
- Capture 720p HD video in stereo sound; play back on an HDTV via the HDMI output
- f/2.0 lens for low light conditions or shallow depth-of-field; control ring for intuitive manual control
- 3.8x optical zoom; 28mm wide-angle lens; Canon's Hybrid IS to compensate for angular and shift camera shake
- Capture images to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards (not included)
- 10 megapixel, 1/1.7-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD); 3.8x optical, 4x digital, 15x combined zoom
- 3.0 inch TFT color with wide viewing angle; Built-in flash; 720p HD video in stereo sound
- Optical Image Stabilizer system; DIGIC 4 Image Processor
- Shooting modes: Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Low Light; Special Scene (18 scenes); Movie (4 modes)
- USB 2.0 Hi-Speed; SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot (card NOT included)
› See more technical details
Product Details
- Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2 inches ; 6.1 ounces
- Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
- ASIN: B003ZSHNGS
- Item model number: S95
- Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required.
Product Description
From the Manufacturer
One look at Canon's new PowerShot S95 will have you moving "upgrade my digital camera" to the top of your to-do list. The ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent S95 is loaded with all a serious photographer's must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 wide-angle lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon's HS System is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light.
And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon's Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You'll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography's your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95.
Canon PowerShot S95 Highlights
Canon's HS System for improved low light performance and better image quality
The PowerShot S95 employs the Canon HS System by combining a powerful 10.0-megapixel CCD sensor and Canon's DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Thanks to this technological advancement, the S95 is dramatically more sensitive than cameras with identical megapixel counts, and delivers spectacular images with minimal noise. Increased sensitivity demands a higher ISO speed, and the PowerShot S95 delivers with a new maximum setting of ISO 12,800. Blur and camera shake are notably reduced for the ultimate in sharpness and clarity.
Shoot beautiful 720p HD video in stereo sound
The PowerShot S95 lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera also makes it easy to enjoy HD videos (and still photos) on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition TV monitor. You'll enjoy the HD experience with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, plus the ability to display up to 130 still images at once.
Control ring for intuitive manual control
Focus, Exposure, ISO, Step Zoom, or White Balance can now be adjusted more precisely than ever with the S95's control ring. It's even more intuitive and quicker than the usual 2-button control and the S95 lets you decide which function the ring will adjust.
Bright f/2.0 lens
The S95 sports an f/2.0 aperture, perfect for creating enticing portraits, by drawing attention to the face and blurring the background with its impressively shallow depth-of-field. The Macro setting lets you get even closer. The large aperture also does more. It lets you capture more nuances in low light shooting by using more of the available light. You'll be ready for anything with a lens aperture larger than even many professional sizes.
Canon's Hybrid IS to compensate for angular and shift camera shake during close-up shooting
The PowerShot S95 is one of the first compact cameras to be equipped with Canon's highly advanced Hybrid IS function, which corrects camera shake from two sources to deliver sharp, blur-free images even when you zoom in close to your subject.
Hybrid IS employs both an angular sensor and an accelerometer, enabling it to suppress both the blur caused by the angle of the camera and the "shift blur" that happens when your subject moves parallel to the camera, a problem that is especially noticeable at large zoom factors.
With the ability to produce clear, steady images in most situations and at any zoom length, the PowerShot S95 is the camera you'll want to take everywhere.
Full range of shooting and recording modes
The PowerShot S95's RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete creative control in editing. RAW images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust your images as you please. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.
Also, with 26 Shooting Modes including 18 Special Scene Modes, you're ready for whatever shot comes your way.
3.8x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, plus a 28mm wide-angle lens
The PowerShot S95 features Canon's precision 28mm wide-angle 3.8x optical zoom lens that allows you to shoot most scenes from wide-angle to telephoto. It lets you capture more in every frame, so everyone fits in a family gathering shot. When it's time to take a closer look, the Canon Optical Image Stabilizer helps minimize camera shake and reveal almost every detail.
What's in the Box - PowerShot S95 Camera body
- Lithium-ion Battery Pack NB-6L
- Battery Charger CB-2LY
- Wrist Strap WS-DC9
- AV Cable AVC-DC400ST
- USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
Product Description
Canon's 4343B001 PowerShot S95 10MP Compact Digital Camera is ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent and loaded with all a serious photographer's must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 Wide-Angle Lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon's HS System is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light. And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon's Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You'll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography's your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95.
