Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD
by Canon
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CanonModel: S95
Color: Black
Product features:
- 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),Made in JAPAN
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
- Aperture 3
- Manfrotto 7302YB M-Y Tripod with Ball - Replaces 725B
- Pixelmator [Old Version]
- AmazonBasics SDHC Class 4 32GB Secure Digital Card
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD
Customer Review: Canon S95 vs. S90
Summary: 4 Stars
This review is mostly for the S90 fans who are wondering about the real life changes to the S95. I have attached most of my original review of the S90 at the bottom of this update for those who don't know much about the S80/S90/S95 series.
...
1) Let's get down to what most of you care about: The HD video. It's good. Not great, but exactly what you expected. Exactly. The 720p ability is not what everyone wanted, but it's a huge improvement and it works. Zero jellyvision and the IS stays true to form. Jaggies are minimal and sound is improved but can still be blown out by loud noise (such as a concert which I simulated with my stereo - and probably causing my neighbors to all go WT...?).
One negative is that you can still not change focal length while shooting.
Comparing the video to a Canon T2i with an 'L" series lens, the S90 frankly performs better. While not as sharp, there are less jaggies and the internal IS makes a huge difference.
Comparing the video to an HD Flip, there is no comparison. Forget 1080p, the better optics and system will make the S95 your go-to camera for easy video.
Comparing the video to an Apple iPhone 4, surprise. The iPhone is the sharpest of all four, however it's lack of IS and the jellyvision factor make the S95 far superior. Kudos to Apple though for sticking such an amazing camera in a phone (plus Apple doesn't blow out sound like the S95).
I'll see if I can post some video or a link, but believe me when I tell you that the low light video is amazing. I'm an airline pilot and I've been able to record night approaches and lightening storms that no other camera including my T2i could capture.
In conclusion, I'm very, very satisfied with the video upgrade. Very satisfied.
2) Feel & Handling The smooth texture of the S90 never really bothered me but that said, the new matte finish is definitely an improvement. While the specs say otherwise, the S90 feels heavier and more solid. This isn't a word, but everything is just more "clickier". It doesn't feel "platicy" anymore. I like it.
3) That Darn Backside Control Dial. O.K. I HATED that thing on the S90. The S95 provides an improvement, but am I the only one who thinks it's still too "loose"? While you won't inadvertently change settings by just bumping the backside, it's still pretty easy to do. I would have preferred something - again - "clickier" but it is definitely an improvement. Thank gawd.
4) A Kind of Big Negative/Warning If you buy the S95 buy a 3" screen protector at the same time. Unlike the S90, the back of the S95 is completely flat and there is no protective recess around the screen. I'm not sure if they've put Gorilla Glass on this new version, but I know I scratched my S90 almost immediately and the S95 looks like it might get scratched easier. That said, I like how clean the new controls are.
5) Eye-Fi No one really mentions this, but the S95 adds Eye-Fi card support built in to the OS. From what I can tell so far, it doesn't do much except have an on/off control for uploading but what it DOES do is NOT turn off the camera for power savings while uploading. Huge bonus. Mahalo Canon for working with Eye-Fi!!!
6) No Manual This really ticks me off. You know the small pocket sized manual that Canon always includes with their consumer cameras. No more. They refer you to a .pdf copy located on the CD-ROM (you can also downloaded from the support web page however that version has an irritating watermark). This just really ticks me off. I'm all for saving trees but if I spend $400 on a high end consumer camera, I still think I deserve a hard copy of the manual. Boo hiss Canon!
Finally, I'll amend this review when I get a better idea of the new Hybrid IS technology and HDR functions work but I can say that without a doubt, the addition of 720p video and improving (but not fixing) the control dial make this a worthy upgrade for me. Yeah, it sucks that I had to dish out another $400 but my S90 will now become a dedicated U/W camera and considering how often I flood them (at least once every two years - that's how my beloved S80 died) it's worth it to me.
For those who have never used the S90, my original review is below. The short version: You will NOT be disappointed with the S95 if you take the time to learn how to use it. Otherwise, save some $$$ and pick up the SD4000.
...
ORIGINAL S90 REVIEW:
Be warned, I am a self professed camera geek. I believe cameras are like surfboards; you need a quiver of surfboards/cameras for the right wave/job.
The Canon S90 is - by far - my new "go to" pocket camera and the one I will always carry with me in my flight bag. I have been using it for just about a month now and after a couple thousand shots, only now am I getting comfortable with its functionality. This is NOT the camera to buy your mother-in-law for Christmas. She will never speak to you again.
My other cameras are:
Canon 7D - with 'L' series lenses.
Pentax W60 (waterproof) - for surfing, sailing, biking, hiking, skiing and handing to the kids to beat each other with over the head.
Canon SD980 - which was my *quality* pocket camera but will now be relegated purely to U/W scuba photography (since I own the U/W case anyway and would live in fear that my S90 meets the same fate as my S80 and gets flooded shark diving in Tahiti).
Here's the deal with the new Canon S90: If you are willing to delve into the sub menus and experiment it will become a very, very powerful camera in your arsenal. It can do anything the G11 can do but because of the size you might have to work a little harder initially to figure out the functionality curve. It's like flying. Once your familiar with the controls (which takes awhile) the interface becomes transparent and you can make it do just about anything you want. But it will take a lot of tinkering. No lie.
I'll leave the critique on picture quality for the professional sites but will just offer this: the results are very good for the size of the camera. The low light performance is best in class, period; and I've tried them all including the LX3 (which is also darn good but noisier - love that 24mm lens though).
Bottom line, if you want SLR quality go buy an SLR. You're not going to get the same results with the S90. Duh. If you don't like small cameras or have large fingers then maybe you should look at something like the G11. The S90 is *too small* for all of its functionality but that's the dichotomy, isn't it? The functionality is all there but by design is forced into a sometimes frustratingly cramped interface. That said, this camera is very good at what it is: a pocket camera with a wide fast lens that can shoot in RAW.
Let's talk about size. I'll agree that the build quality initially seems *cheaper* than what you would expect. That said, the case, dials, and shutter are all solid in real life day to day use. Especially the shutter. To be honest, it's a bit strange but you can't deny the light weight and I love that it's smooth and flat and easily fits into your jeans. It's as small as any compact with the exception of the lens ring/bulge and while I wish the bulge weren't there, it is what it is and the functionality of that ring is surprisingly awesome. It's definitely more pocketable than the LX3. The screen is gorgeous and I don't miss the viewfinder at all.
The power up/down flash is irritating and I pray it doesn't break but I got to admit there is less red-eye than most cameras (which is supposedly why they went with the design). As long as the motor doesn't give out because I'm inadvertently holding the flash down when it tries to pop up I'll live with it and tip my hat to Canon's engineers.
The control ring functionality is awesome and the Ring Function button is very, very functional and remains customized for each "mode" you select. In this way you can set up your camera for high speed Av photography different than for say Tv photography. Nice.
On that functionality, making this camera do what you want really boils down to getting to know the camera. After a month, I can finally adjust aperture, shutter speed, and the four directional manual white balance without thinking about it. ISO, exposure bracketing, flash intensity, metering, and continuous shooting are just a button/spin/button/spin away. Once you've memorized the function layout, exposure adjustments are fairly quick and painless. And of course you've got the outer control ring and function ring give you instant access to two of your major settings wether that be ISO, exposure metering, manual focus, white balance, zoom, aperture, or shutter speed. You're really wasting the power of this camera if you just leave it in Av so you can shoot "fast".
Whew. Exhausted yet? If you are then maybe this camera isn't for you. ;) No, seriously.
However, if you are willing to commit yourself Canon has given you the tools to get the shot you want. Or I suppose you could just leave it in AUTO.
I'll see if I can figure out how to upload some sample shots but here are some real life experiences I've had. Day shots of the NYC skyline are beautiful. A little soft compared to a Canon 7D with an 'L' series lens, but like I said before, duh. The same shot at night can be accomplished without a tripod at about 1/60 of a second. No blur. At an English Beat concert the other night I was snapping away at f2.0 (wide) and 1/100 of a second. Not always fast enough but about five times what I could do with my SD980. Stepping it down from ISO100 to 800 sped it up and while a little noisier, fit the concert like feel. Ice skating at night at Rockefeller Center (well lit) I was taking photos without the flash as if it were daytime. In summary, this camera rocks.
UPDATE: Low light photos uploaded to Amazon. Look for NYC skyline and adjacent concert pics. Unfortunately Amazon resolution is limited but you'll get the idea of what you can get away with.
The one thing I don't get is the 640X480 movie mode. I ask why, why, why knowing full well that there is an engineering answer that hasn't found its way on to the Interwebs yet. Somewhere in the software/hardware mix there must be an answer because not including HD video is inexplicable to me. On the other hand, most video I take with this kind of camera just gets uploaded to YouTube anyway so 640X480 is fine. That's what I've got a dedicated HD camcorder for. One thing I will add, the sound quality is noticeably better than any other mono point and shoot I've used. I'm not sure what's up with that but it's noticeably clearer with deeper base. Kind of a nice surprise, really.
At the end of the day this is a great camera and a very worthy successor to my beloved (and flooded) Canon S80. If you want the smallest *quality* camera you can currently buy the S90 is it. There are a few issues but that beautiful fast lens makes them bearable. If you want an SLR like interface and are willing to sacrifice the size, then you should take a serious look at the G11 (or similar). This camera is too small for that kind of interface and while the top level functions are intuitive (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) you'll have to commit yourself a little to go any deeper. The beauty is, you can!
Bottom line: If I lost this camera today I'd buy another tomorrow. From a camera geek that travels the world, that says a lot.
Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch inch LCD
More Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD reviews:
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Description of Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD
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.Digital Cameras
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