Warning! Don’t Buy The Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera Until You Read This!
October 16th, 2010
Review of the Canon PowerShot S95
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Moments happen all the time. You look in front of you and you see something amazing, or something hilarious, or something beautiful, and you think to yourself “I wish I could take a picture and remember this moment forever.”
The best way to capture that moment is with an SLR or DSLR camera, where the quality will be high enough that the moment is captured in all its glory. Yet these cameras are enormous and heavy, and unless you planned ahead it is unlikely you were carrying this camera around at the ready. You need a camera that takes photos at the quality of an SLR/DSLR, but with the versatility of the point and shoot.
Enter the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera
The Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera is perhaps the best point and shoot camera available. It takes photos at a quality that marvels some of the best professional cameras in a size that is small enough to fit inside of your pocket. For amateur photographers and families that have a little extra cash to spend, the S95 is a worthwhile choice.
Main Features of the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera
- 10 megapixels with 3.8x optical zoom and CCD sensor.
- 720p HD video up to memory capacity.
- f/20 w/28mm wide angle lens with hybrid image stabilization.
- Equipped with Canon HS System for low lighting.
- Manual exposure control options for professionals.
Overview of Features
For a point and shoot camera, the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera is loaded. Based largely off the success of the original model (the Canon PowerShot S90), the S95 comes with an outstanding f/20 lens that captures amazing low light photos, complete with the Canon HS System for pristine image quality. Colors are deep and vibrant, and with the option of choosing both Raw and JPEG shooting modes, the depth of each image is unparalleled.
I took several photos indoors in low light restaurants and shops and was impressed with not only the image quality, but the color quality as well. The camera has a number of customizable shooting options which are useful for budding photographers but may be unnecessary for the average user. It has 1.9 fps burst capture for action shots and priority settings for shutter speed and aperture, along with over 20 different pre-programmed scene modes for different types of photography situations.
The only obvious flaw was battery life. I’d estimate that the PowerShot’s battery will last through about 200 images or a few hours of video. Compared to other point and shoots, that number is poor.
Choosing the Canon PowerShot S95
When it comes to choosing a camera, the main considerations are quality, features, and how the camera compares to other options. Let’s look at each of these separately.
- Quality
As mentioned, the image quality on the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera is spectacular. The Hybrid IS keeps each image clean, the low light capabilities made possible by the CCD sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processer are stunning, especially with the ISO 12,800 speed (necessary for capturing low light images), and the facial recognition and aperture work amazingly well. Inside or outside, the images will look like they were taken by a professional.
- Features
It is clear that the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera is a feature rich device. HD Video was a nice touch, as it was one of the few features not offered on the original S90. The S95 has a number of manual controls and options for adjusting images, including 26 pre-programmed settings which allow casual users to get some of the image quality of professional photographers. There are also Because it is a point and shoot, however, you cannot change lenses, which is why professional photographers are still going to want to use a DSLR.
- Price
The Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera was released at a starting price of $399. For casual photographers this price may turn a lot of people off. For the photo quality, the price is well justified, but for a camera that is meant for amateur users, few may be willing to splurge on such an expensive device. Don’t forget that you may also want to buy a spare battery due to the low battery life, so include that number in your financial estimates.
- Comparisons
Very few cameras on the market compare to the Canon PowerShot S95. The Canon S90 – the precursor to the S95 – has essentially the same features but without the HD Video. Also, the Canon SD980 IS is a little less expensive with comparable image quality but fewer options and settings. The S95 is one of, if not the best P&S camera available.
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Final Thoughts on the Canon PowerShot S95
No other point and shoot camera appears to match the quality of the Canon PowerShot S95 Digital Camera, with amazing images and the ability to take high quality HD video. It truly is an impressive device that I would recommend to anyone. Photography enthusiasts agree, noting:
- “The image quality is top-notch for a compact” – CNET Reviews
- “We found ourselves using the S95 more than the DSLR we carried” – Digital Trends
- “The Canon PowerShot S95 is an easy pick for our Highly Recommended award.” – Photography Blog