- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Canon PowerShot S95
- 10 MP
- 3.8x f/2.0
- 1/1.7" CCD
- 3" LCD
#2 in Canon digicams
Released August, 2010
Rated 80% by by c|net (Sep, 2010)The colors are similarly overwrought in videos, but overall the movie quality is pretty good, and despite being tiny, the stereo mics produce a surprisingly full-bodied sound for a compact.
Conclusion Check out the Canon PowerShot S95
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Canon PowerShot S95
10 MP
1/1.7"
Rated 100% by by Edgar-Betancourt--HD-Lover (Feb, 2011)Even the video mode is well executed and tkes very good 720p video!
megapixels
| 0 MP | 20 MP    | 20 MP |
PowerShot S95 by T.-Propp (Jan, 2012)A lot of other brands will boast 5 zillion megapixel resolution, but this camera takes way better pictures under any conditions.
PowerShot S95 by J.-Vierra--Joe (Dec, 2010)10 megapixels on the S95 is plenty of megapixels and shots look very good at the pixel level so you have enough resolution for large prints.
sensor size
PowerShot S95 by D--wiredrabbitI don't want to see Canon turn this into some sort of super zoom - or movie maker (unless they can keep the size the same with a bigger sensor) I don't want GPS or any idiot modes.
PowerShot S95 by Tony-J. (Sep, 2011)One of the main reasons why DSLRs look so much better than compacts is the size of the sensor.
wide angle lens
PowerShot S95 by gallup (Nov, 2011)The image quality is SO IMPRESSIVE!!! I really love this compact camera!!!The only drawback that I can think of is that S95 has a wide-angle of 28mm, which is not as good as S100's 24mm.
PowerShot S95 by David-Chan (Oct, 2010)Both cameras have their strengths and weaknesses but the S95 won me over with better pricing, colors in jpeg, HDR, good low light capability and portability although I would have liked the 24mm wide angle on the Panasonic.
aperture size
PowerShot S95 by Coug-Moog--s_gil (Dec, 2011)I find for most of what I do, the big zoom is unnecessary, and I try to shoot at full wide when indoors to take advantage of that fast lens.
PowerShot S95 by Darren (Jan, 2012)Others like more zoom and are willing to trade off for size and f-stops, while others want a lower price and are willing to trade off on f-stops.
zoom range
| 0x | 20x   | 40x |
PowerShot S95 by David (May, 2012)Overall the price was a little high, and zooming was sub-par but the quality and customization more than made up for it.
PowerShot S95 by J.-Vierra--Joe (Dec, 2010)I can't figure out why you'd have a huge manual control ring that could give you fantastic manual control, and then ruin it by making is so jumpy and discreet.
body size
100 x 58 x 30 mm
123 x 87 x 116 mm
117 x 81 x 65 mm
PowerShot S95 by Konacoffee (Mar, 2011)This camera has many wonderful manual features and easy to carry around when I don't have my heavy dsrl gear.
PowerShot S95 by Olga (Nov, 2010)I think this is a very good compact camera; however, it doesn't provide DSLR quality.
Performance Real world tests of Canon PowerShot S95
shutter lag
PowerShot S95 by M.-Holt--Intrigued (Jan, 2011)A super feature is the fast startup and cycle time between shots.
PowerShot S95 by Edgar-Betancourt--HD-Lover (Feb, 2011)It also has almost instant startup and almost no shutter delay, it even has a usable 2 FPS frame rate!
battery life
200 photos
700 photos
500 photos
PowerShot S95 by D.-Knauth--dkny2001 (Aug, 2011)Battery life has been fantastic, coupled with an 8gb card this camera can seemingly go forever.
PowerShot S95 by Bluelondon (Jan, 2011)So as long as things like the slow operational speed and limited movie mode don't bother you (other cons like flash location and battery life can be worked around, not a deal breaker) then I think you will really enjoy this camera, especially if you are looking for a compact camera to help you understand photography better and move away from the green auto mode.
max continuous shooting
PowerShot S95 by Adrian---ACB (Dec, 2010)Is ready to take a picture super quick and it can do almost 2fps in burst mode - continuously.
PowerShot S95 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)Continuous shooting performance has been considerably improved however, and can now maintain approximately two frames a second.
DxOMark low light performance
PowerShot S95 by A.N.-Other (Dec, 2010)I was looking for a high quality pocket camera that could shoot without flash in low light, and the S95 definitely fits the bill.
PowerShot S95 by Adrian---ACB (Dec, 2010)Low light pics are amazing for a camera in this size class - and yet it's super fast and handles wonderfully.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
Contrast detection focusing system -
HD video -
10.36 s -
For that film look -
86.91% -
Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas -
193 g -
30 mm -
100 x 58 x 30 mm
cons
-
610 ms -
1/1.7" -
HD video -
461 k dots -
47.0 -
Aug, 2010 -
1.9 fps -
200 -
10 MP -
2,200 ms -
The screen is fixed in place -
No automatic stitching -
1/1600 s -
15 s
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 538 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Liam-H-Dooley (Oct, 2010) Rated 100% by by Cicada (Jan, 2011) Rated 100% by by skipper42 (Dec, 2010) |
Lens
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 60% by by M.-Reynolds (Jul, 2011)Other than that - it is a nice camera and takes good pictures - but if you are really just using it as a point and shoot on Auto, the lens is a bit short for the price.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The S95 retains the unusual control ring around the lens barrel, which can be set to control any one of a number of parameters, including manual focus, zoom control, ISO, white balance, exposure compensation and more.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The telephoto end of the zoom range is equivalent to 105mm.
Image quality
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by JAZ (Apr, 2012)The pictures I have taken with this camera are awsome, color balance, sharpness, lights, everything is just perfect.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Ryan-G (Oct, 2011)No issues so far, but the picture quality is stunning, and the startup time and shot-to-shot time (when you turn review off) are incredible - something like 5 frames per second.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Oleg-S (Dec, 2010)Images come clean and sharp, and the night/indoor party pictures are perfect.
Sensor
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 20% by by Mark (Apr, 2011)I was very interested in the fact that the Canon s95 had the ability to produce "raw" files and shoot in low light with a relatively fast lens.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 60% by by M.-Reynolds (Jul, 2011)I upgraded from an older point and shoot and moved to Canon from Nikon just to get the RAW and the easily adjustable aperture - since I love having a camera in my pocket when I travel on business - and not having to carry the D300 I use when I'm a tourist.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Omar-Diab--Sebastian (Feb, 2012)In general, there is very little noise and pixelation in images even at relatively high ISOs, and colors are represented very well.
Video
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by llisandro (Jan, 2012)We shot videos on this and displayed it on a 50 inch 1080p flatscreen and they looked awesome.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 60% by by G.-Jimenez (Jan, 2011)I'm happy to say that the dial is much improved, the surface has more grip, and it now offers HD video.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Hutch (Dec, 2011)the 720p video it takes can look amazing if shot from a tripod.
Flash
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Weihao-Lu (Dec, 2010)I have taken shots without flash and it comes out very clear and sharp with minimal noise.
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Ryan-G (Oct, 2011)It was my 4th digital camera from Canon, and it had far more problems than any other Canon I'd owned (dark spot on lens; flash state issue; loose battery connection issue; and PC connection issues).
Canon PowerShot S95 | Rated 100% by by Roger-James--DocThe flash works well and overall the camera could be the best there is in the subcompact field.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Canon PowerShot S110 Fastest to start up PowerShot S110 vs PowerShot S95 |
 | 2 | Canon PowerShot SX230 HS 2-way tie: Includes a GPS SX230 HS vs S95 |
 | 3 | Canon PowerShot G1X Best image quality as rated by DXOMark PowerShot G1X vs PowerShot S95 |
 | 4 | Canon PowerShot SX260 HS OK contrast-detection focus points SX260 HS vs S95 |
 | 5 | Nikon Coolpix S8200 Highest resolution screen Nikon Coolpix S8200 vs Canon PowerShot S95 |
 | 6 | Samsung NX300 Largest sensor Samsung NX300 vs Canon PowerShot S95 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
April 5, 2012
Inside pictures of grand kids and dogs. need less time between pics but not burst
Not a beginner but no where near an expert. I enjoy taking pictures and making movies for the little ones to watch. I usually mix snapshots and videos so I want something that can do both pretty...
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2
Answers May 8, 2012
I tend to take a lot of outdoor landscape shots.
I want the ability to shot landscape shots and zoom in on mountains and such.
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Answers November 22, 2012
Low light with no flash, Better autofocus?
I have the S95 and find it takes excellent low-light pictures. I do not like flash at all, and this camera is much better than my previous one at capturing low light pictures without that blue in...
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November 27, 2012
Low Light Pix
Most of our pix are low-light indoor settings. Since they often are of grandchildren (babies), we don't like to use the flash for those pix.. Considering our needs, is there any significant in a...
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Taking close up photos
I will need a camera for taking models. Something that can really capture in interior of a model.
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Answers October 22, 2012
Low-light indoor photography, quiet/discreet running, good quality
Hello - I'm shopping for a p&s to take with me on a business trip to a science conference. I've been advised that iPhone-quality cameras aren't sufficient for my future needs, which will involve...
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