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Canon's PowerShot S95 Digital Camera puts you in the driver's seat with this Italian sports car of a compact camera--lots of razzle-dazzle, backed up by prodigious engineering. Starting with an impressive 10.1MP sensor and the DIGIC 4 Image Processor; the S95 antes up an f/2.0-4.9 28-105mm (equivalent) zoom lens, an intuitive manual-control ring, and the superbly refined Hybrid IS 2-way image stabilization system. There's a slew of shooting modes to choose from, and RAW + JPEG capability too. The S95 delivers pretty much anything you might wish for in a compact digital camera--and a lot more.
Not only can you capture photos from ISO 80 up to ISO 3200, you can choose the degree of control you want (from total control to total automatic) over exposure, white balance, focus, and much more, from an extensive menu. You can automatically produce High Dynamic Range, panoramic, fisheye, low-light and many more specialized photos with built-in programs.
And you don't have to stop at still photographs: shoot gorgeous 720p HD video with stereo sound for up to 25 minutes--there's even a miniatures effect that blurs the top and bottom of the video frame, giving your subject the appearance of being miniatures.
The S95 is a simple point-and-shoot camera, and it's a serious image-making machine. You get to choose.
| Imaging | |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Effective: 10.0 Megapixel, Actual Pixels: 10.4 Megapixel |
| Sensor | 1/1.7" CCD |
| File Formats |
Still Images: JPEG, RAW Movies: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, MOV Audio: Linear PCM |
| Max Resolution | 3648 x 2736 @ 4:3 |
| Other Resolutions |
3648 x 2048 @ 16:9 2816 x 1584 @ 16:9 1920 x 1080 @ 16:9 640 x 360 @ 16:9 3648 x 2432 @ 3:2 2816 x 1880 @ 3:2 1600 x 1064 @ 3:2 640 x 424 @ 3:2 2816 x 2112 @ 4:3 1824 x 1368 @ 4:3 1600 x 1200 @ 4:3 640 x 480 @ 4:3 2736 x 2736 @ 1:1 2112 x 2112 @ 1:1 1200 x 1200 @ 1:1 2192 x 2736 @ 4:5 1696 x 2112 @ 4:3 960 x 1200 @ 4:5 384 x 480 @ 4:5 |
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 4:5, 16:9 |
| Image Stabilization | Optical |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens |
EFL: 6.0-22.5 mm (35mm equivalent: 28-105 mm) Aperture: f/2.0 (W) - 4.9 (T) |
| Zoom |
Optical: 3.75x Digital: 4x |
| Focus Range |
Wide: 2" (5.08 cm) - Infinity Telephoto: 12" (30.48 cm) - Infinity Wide Macro: 2" (5.08 cm) - 1.6' (48.77 cm) Tele Macro: 12" (30.48 cm) - 1.6' (48.77 cm) Manual: 1.6' (48.77 cm) - Infinity 1 Please Note:In Telephoto close |
| Exposure Control | |
|---|---|
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 80-3200 |
| Shutter | 15 - 1/1600 seconds |
| Exposure Metering | Center-weighted, Evaluative, Spot |
| Exposure Modes | Modes: AE Lock, Aperture Priority, Auto ISO Shift, Manual, Program, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Shutter Priority, i-Contrast |
| White Balance Modes | Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual, Tungsten, Underwater |
| Burst Rate | Up to 1.9 fps |
| Self Timer |
1 Second, 15 Seconds
2
Please Note:Custom: 1 to 15 sec close |
| Flash | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Flash | Yes: Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Exposure Compensation, FE Lock, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Off, Slow Sync |
| Effective Flash Range | 1.6 - 21' (0.49 - 6.40 m) |
| External Flash Connection | None |
| Memory | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Memory | None |
| Memory Card Type |
SD SDHC SDXC MMC MMCplus HC MMCplus |
| Still Images per GB | JPEG: 367 @ Highest Resolution - 10058 @ Lowest Resolution |
| Recording | |
|---|---|
| Video Recording | Yes, NTSC/PAL |
| Video | |
|---|---|
| Video Clip Length | Limited by Memory Card Capacity |
| Audio Recording | With Video, Stereo |
| Viewfinder/Display | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder Type | None |
| Screen | 3.0" LCD (461000 pixels) |
| Connectivity/System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity |
USB 2.0 HDMI C (Mini) |
| Software Requirements | Windows: XP, Vista, 7 |
| Environmental | |
|---|---|
| Operating/Storage Temperature |
Operating 32 to 104 °F (0 to 40 °C) Humidity: 10 - 90% |
| Power | |
|---|---|
| Battery | NB-6L Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack |
| AC Power Adapter | CA-DC10 (Optional) |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.93 x 2.30 x 1.16" / 99.82 x 58.42 x 29.46 mm |
| Weight | 6.0 oz / 170 g (Camera Only) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
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Most Liked Positive Review
Pocketable Greatness
Appearance/Size/Form FactorCompared to other cameras in the "advanced compact" category, the S95 is tiny. The S95 can easily slip into your pants pocket without anyone asking you "i...Read complete review
Appearance/Size/Form FactorCompared to other cameras in the "advanced compact" category, the S95 is tiny. The S95 can easily slip into your pants pocket without anyone asking you "is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?". If a compact camera body is one of your major requirements, the S95 should be at the top of your list.One plus the S95 has over its predecessor (the S90) is its textureized body. The S90 felt like a wet bar of soap which is not a characteristic I look for in a camera. This rubbery/grippy texture allows the user to gain a sold grip on the camera which is important when dealing with a camera this small. The S95 feels good in your hand although I do wish it had more of a physical grip similar to the Panasonic LX-5; I assume Canon decided against a grip to keep the body as slim and sleek as possible. I'm not too worried about the lack of grip as there are a few third party options to remedy this complaint e.g. Richard Franiec's custom grip.I'm not sure what people consider a good looking camera, but the S95 looks good to me. The all black body with silver lettering is a color scheme that should be familiar to most. The display takes up the majority of the real-estate on the back of the camera which is a good thing because it is a pleasure to use. Colors are bright and blacks look decent as well. My only complaint with the display, which is common among most point and shoot cameras, is it easily becomes washed out in bright sunlight. This is when I really wish Canon had offered an optional EVF for the S95.ControlsEasy access to controls is where the S95 really jumps ahead of the competition. I hate digging through levels of menus or having to cycle down a list of features just to change the ISO. Give me physical buttons! Luckily there are two dials on the S95, one in the front and one in the back of the camera. These dials allow the user to easily change the most frequently needed settings.Like it's older sibling, the S95 has a control ring around the lens which gives you quick access to settings like aperture, shutter speed, focal length, etc. The control ring has default settings based on which mode you are in but the control ring's function can easily be changed by a physical button on the top of the camera.On the back of the back of the camera is another function ring. By default, this ring is setup to manage the functions which are available by pushing on the top, bottom, left and right or the ring. I would say 99% of the time I use this ring to manage exposure compensation. The other 1% of the time it is used to manage shutter speed while I'm in Manual mode…I prefer to shoot in Aperture Priority when using the S95.Along with the dials is a programmable button on the back of the camera which can be assigned by the user; I have mine set to pull up the ISO. This can be set to a myriad of different functions like white balance or file type, but I find that setting this to ISO really gives me quick access to the essentials for getting a solid exposure.FeaturesLike any new camera, there are a million features that the S95 brings to the game. I could list them all here, but you would probably have better luck looking at a product page. To keep it short, I'll list a few of my favorite features of this camera:ISO max for auto ISO: Most new advanced point and shoot cameras have an auto ISO setting. The problem with this is not all of them give you a limit as to how high the camera will go when choosing an ISO setting. Thankfully, the S95 does. I personally like to set my ISO manually, but this is a nice feature if you are a beginner or if you just want to shoot and not worry about settings.Interval timer with shot # selection: This is something I wish my old 5D had. Not only can you select the shutter timer duration, you can also select how many shots in succession the S95 will take after the timer goes off. I could see this feature being helpful for family portraits or landscapes.Bright Lens: With a bright f/2.0 lens and IS, the S95 works surprisingly well in low-light conditions. I would like to see the aperture values stay on the brighter end as you move through the zoom range, sadly…this is not the case. I'm drooling over the newly announced Olympus XZ-1′s lens.In camera HDR: HDR seems to be all the rage right now and most manufactures are adding some sort of "built in" solution. Well, Canon has jumped on the bandwagon by adding in-camera HDR. Results are pretty good, nothing you would get by using a program like Photomatrix, but there are limitations. The biggest got'cha is you have to use a tripod to get best results. I don't know about you, but I do not carry around a tripod when using a P&S. Sony has figured out how to do this without a tripod (NEX series) so I'd like to see Canon work this out for their next model.Picture QualityI've had quite the time trying to determine how good the IQ is of the S95. Without fancy tests that I do not have access to, I can really only rely on my eye when it comes to IQ. You can't compare it to a M4/3rd system because they have a much larger sensor so it wouldn't be fair. But you also can't compare the S95 to a basic point and shoot camera because it has a much larger sensor and the S95 costs about double what you would pay for a mid-range P&S. Honestly, I would say the IQ falls right where it should, in between a basic P&S and M4/3rd setup. [...].For me, the S95 produces perfectly good images. I usually shoot RAW but the JPEG images are so good from the S95 that I find myself shooting more and more in JPEG. Distortion is present at both ends of the zoom range but it's nothing that can't be cleaned up with a little post processing if needed.Likes * Small, easily pocketable size * Physical buttons and dials for controling basic camera functions * Menus are intuitive and well thought out * RAW capability – not all compacts can match this…that was for you Nikon and your P300. What were you thinking!?! * Good picture quality * Focus speed. I'm actually pretty impressed with this little camera's ability to focus. This quickly goes down hill as light becomes less available but this is the case with most cameras.Dislikes * While IQ is good, I personally think it can't quite match it's Micro 4/3rd competitors. I really miss my GF-1 when it comes to overall IQ. M4/3rds has the S95 beat on all fronts (image noise, dynamic range, image detail, etc.) * Price. I understand this is an advanced point and shoot but dropping $400 on a P&S is tough. * The Lens. Don't get me wrong, f/2.0 is great but it would be nice if the aperture values didn't start to skyrocket as you zoomed to longer focal lengths. The LX-5 and the newly announced XZ-1 prove it is doable…get on it Canon.ConclusionAnyone looking for a truly pocketable camera with full manual controls and decent IQ need look no further…this is the camera for you. It's direct competitors are not truly pocketable…unless you have abnormally large pockets. I tried the LX-5…no dice on getting that into my jeans. And you can forget about fitting a M4/3rd system into your pocket. Yes, you will have to sacrifice on a few things but no camera is perfect. If camera size and physical controls are paramount on your list of requirements, then the S95 is your camera. If other requirements top your list like a large constant aperture, then something else like the LX-5 or XZ-1 may be a better choice for you.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Great for stills, flawed for video
Still Photography (fantastic, almost pro grade)
great lens; great user interface; raw + jpeg; excellent battery longevity(300+ shots with flash)
Video photography (shameful + pathetic)
Ca...Read complete review
Still Photography (fantastic, almost pro grade)
great lens; great user interface; raw + jpeg; excellent battery longevity(300+ shots with flash)
Video photography (shameful + pathetic)
Canon dropped the ball here completely:
the good:
- excellent sound; quality mics; decent wind filter
the bad:
- no manual control of aperture, shutter speed; iso (WOW, how bad is that for a high end snapper)
- manual focus (what manual focus) possible but mics record focusing ring noise hence impractical (awkward as well)
the ugly:
- constantly wondering white balance, in fact so bad, that it is impossible to override, even though there is a way to set custom "manual" white balance - it never locks no matter what; it drifts all the time (nothing wrong with the cam)
- cannot auto focus while recording; impractical at best (basically useless) manual focus
- cannot zoom while recording
- exposure behaves like it's learning to ride a mono cycle; the wildest gyration I've seen in any camera
- tries all the time to keep higher f-stop (e.g. f8.0) to compensate for lack of focus (I guess) - this results in video that looks really videoey - even at 1280x720 the video looks sharp with infinite depth of field like it's coming from a cell phone lens
- in low light, grainy with 90% of the time wrong and drifting white balance (no matter what white balance the camera is set at)
the sad:
- love Canon cameras, but the video capability on the S95 should not even be listed in the specs or features; it is more circa 2000 or on par with m.o.r cell phone lineage than with serious Canon reputation. It is insulting to spend >$400 for a high end snap shooter and get uncontrollable video behavior and a bad one at best.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Takes great pictures. Best pictures I've seen from indoors with lower light. Pity the settings dial is in the place you expect the button to take the picture. Also, the battery life is not great so I'd get a spare. There is a deal for both. Overall, I'm very impressed and delighted with my purchase
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Easy to use and great pictures
Pros
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
I purchased this camera to take backpacking and kayaking. I wanted to control exposure and shoot RAW. My 50D is a handful on a hike or in a boat so I opted to try the s95. I constantly find myself using this little camera more and more. It's extremely easy to use with it's function ring and is very compact. I keep mine in a Kata bag on my shoulder strap of my pack. Like they say... "if you don't pick it up, you won't use it". Getting use to no viewfinder was the hardest thing for me to do, Canon made a winner here. As for video... I never use it so I have no opinion on quality.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
This camera is great and definitely an improvement in image quality and control compared to my former Canon Powershot SD870. There are more settings and controls than I know what to do with and will definitely need more time to experiment with. As CNET editor review mentioned due to the button spacing, your thumb sometimes ends up accidentally pressing the picture review button mostly when trying to snap a portrait shot, but it doesn't happen every time and you quickly learn how best to maneuver with the button placement. Really my only gripe is speed. The lag on this camera is definitely long, which other reviews had warned about, and while delays are to be expected on Point and Shoots, it is much slower than my previous Canon P&S, which makes it not the best option for snapshots when just hanging out with friends, unless they hold that spontaneous pose for say 4 seconds. This is a real bummer, but I do plan to keep this camera. It's quality and control in other areas certainly make up for this shortfall and I know I can still get a lot of use out of it as long as I keep this limitation in mind.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
I use the camera along with a canon 20D and its handy and becoming easier to use each day.
The settings and shooting situation's are yet to be tested but even if there not so great the fact that I can record a raw file with this little camera is a big deal.
I'm really disappointed with the instruction manual. I falls well short of being of any use. Accessing the electronic file for information is good but if your shooting somewhere and looking for help the manual is of no value. I'm going to try and find manual on of all the functions.
That said this is a great camera for serious amateur and above but a bit complicated for the non serious.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Small, great photos, fully automatic!
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
The picture quality is great. My friend had one and recommended it to me and I would also recommend it to others.
Pros
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Convenient compact camera with RAW capability, good manual mode.
Good flash, slightly less zoom capabilities. Small so it fits in your pocket.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
I doubt this camera will be available for too much longer as the new models come out, so if you're in the market for a good quality pocket camera, add this one to your arsenal. I would go as far as to say this is a MUST HAVE for any serious point and shooter, especially if you're a Canon fan. I just bought my second one this week from B&H, just to have a back-up in case I lose my other one. Good price now too.
A few main things I like about the camera that are most important to me:
It has fast, accurate autofocus (at all distances) down to macro. It doesn't get fooled too often.
Superb, SLR quality manual control,
Excellent lens, it's great having F/2 for low light. F/4 is the lens' "sweet spot," best resolution. F/5.6 is good for best overall IQ with moderate depth of field. F/8 has really crisp DOF out to 2 feet, and maybe a little beyond. It's a good indoor camera for documenting hobby projects and close-up work. It's obviously a great outdoor camera too, does macro flowers well, but don't count on the big F/2 aperture to deliver the bokeh you get with an SLR. It's still a small sensor camera.
The zoom is modest, but it's really sharp at mid range to max telephoto, even edge to edge. At wide angle resolution is awesome for a small camera, but sharpness falls off a tiny bit in the far corners, as do most small wide angles. No complaints about this lens.
It has a really beautiful, sharp LCD screen too, almost too pretty.
It has a slightly larger sensor than an average compact—1/1.7" with an appropriate 10 MP that delivers excellent color and image quality. And again, 10 Mega Pixels with a compact camera is perfect. ("Less is more"—too true)
It's a really well made camera and just feels solid, almost heavy. The menu is a typical Canon layout, very intuitive. (I think Canon, and Nikon, have the best menus in the business) The S95's controls feel really high quality and precise. It's like a small fine tool—one of Canon's finest products.
Main Gripe:
It's harder on batteries than my other Canon cameras (like my SD980), using the same NB-6L Li-ion. People are probably tired of hearing me say this, but if the S95 used AA batteries (Ultimate Lithiums) it would be the perfect camera. And AA's would be a good reason for Canon to give it a bulging grip to house those batteries. COOL!!!
There are personal reasons why I decided to go ahead and buy another S95 instead of waiting for its S100 replacement. Mostly, I just like the controls on the S95 better. And it's 10MP too. The S100 will have the new DIGIC 5 processor though. So we'll see…
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
I use this camera for reference photos, documenting work, and as the only camera I own. It is unbelievable the amount of quality and versatility that this tiny (it really is rather small) point and shoot has. I particularly like the speed ring around the lens for control. I dont forsee needing another camera any time soon.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Very easy to use
Pros
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Used in a school and works good for student use.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
My parents also wanted to renew their camera.
After two days of using mine, I decided to buy them the same.
I realize this is the best compact camera I could buy.
INCREDIBLE LIGHT. Even in auto mode it makes fantastic photos. It can capture even more light that you can see, without need to prolong shutter speed.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Able to take great photos with a camera that fits in a pocket. Able to control all camera settings manually without extended menu navigation.
One unresolved issue I have noticed is that I am not able to simply erase data from the memory card in this camera; I must reformat every time or risk data corruption.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
This is the third S95 I have bought for my family. Mine never leaves my fanny pack. I use it a lot for video and get shots that I never would have gotten from my professional camera.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Bottom line, this is an excellent camera that fits in your pocket. I have a large Canon semi pro slr and an array of lens. This camera produces very competitive pictures is bright light and good photos in low level light. The SLR is better in low light without a flash but this camera produces very natural useable photos up to ISO 1600 which is wonderful where a big SLR won't travel.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
Although not as good the Canon SLRs, this camera is way better in low light than my other pocket cameras. The camera produces sharp images with natural but rich colors and is very easy to use. The camera supports most of the same control and flexibility of DSLRs.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
This is a fantastic camera. There's really no other point and shoot camera to consider. Great quality photos, all the features you need and plenty more and it's small enough to fit into your pocket. This often takes the place of my DSLR and I use this all the time.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
This is a great camera on many levels. For a rank amateur, it means I can take quality shots by leaving it on Auto. For someone (almost anyone else) with more experience who picks it up, the immediate reaction is surprise that it takes quite such good pictures for the size.
In essence this takes nigh on SLR quality photos with incredible ease at a terrific price.
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Comments about Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera:
I lost my camera on a plane and after talking to one of the folks at b h. They recommended this camera. I had had a new cannon elph300 and decided since I had to replace it I might as well upgrade
It is excellent
I am a garden designer and I mostly photograph landscapes. This camera is small and easy to stick into my pocket or bag when I am on a job site.
It has excellent features for shooting plants as well as video if I need to video a site while making comments.
It is so much more than a basic point and shoot I am interested in learning more about basic photography and how to use all of it's features.
Dislikes
The position of the pop up flash. And that the manual is on a disk not a book.
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