Canon PowerShot S95

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I have been using small digital cameras more and more lately, as I find they are one of the most useful type of cameras. They are also referred to as digicams, at least by me. The Canon PowerShot S95 is one of these and is useful due to its size and capability. Fits easily in a pocket and then performs when I need it. As such, it has been finding its way into any bag I have had with me, or a pocket in a jacket.

Recently digicams have been quite popular amongst many photographers. Most of the ones within the current trend have a common trait of a CCD sensor. Some are popular due to functionality and quality, others for a lo-fi look they produce. The S95 is the former. This is quite an advanced little camera with a full range of options and even manual controls.

Building façade in golden sunlight | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 800, f/4.9, 1/1600

Sometimes, me included, us photographers get hung up what we classify as a traditional camera type. The S95 is a very modern pack of cards type of camera, which in the film world only the APS cameras came close in form factor and size. When I pull it out, I do sometimes feel that I am snapshooting. That is until I look at the screen at the back. It is big and bright and realised this is a very capable camera.

Speaking of snapshooting, one of my favourite photographers is Daidō Moriyama. He describes his whole type of shooting as snapshot photography. While my style is a bit different to his, it reminds me that having a camera which I can carry around all the time gives me a lot more opportunities to make photographs.

Grill cook | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 800, f/4.5, 1/50

Not only more opportunities, but it is also a camera I am happy to have with me on family and friends type of occasions. It is not invasive, in-fact, I find that the Canon S95 is less invasive than the mobile phone. Everyone has been happy to be photographed with the little digicam. Maybe if they were the main camera for these occasions now, rather than the phones, it might have been different.

An aspect which surprised and excited me about this camera is the results from the ten-megapixel sensor. On paper when I looked at it initially, I fell into the trap the megapixel wars had set out for us. I thought, it is low resolution and older CCD tech. Not even that, a small sensor to boot. Boy did I underestimate it, not only are the RAW files it produces crisp and with a decent depth, but usable to about ISO 800 with minimal cleaning up. This is further bolstered now with tools like the Adobe Lightroom AI Denoise feature.

Dancing | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 80, f/5.6, 1/500

The Canon PowerShot S95 is one model within the PowerShot S range, which I was originally introduced to with the S45. Considered the second tier of PowerShots, they are very capable cameras, with an aim at being pocketable. I’ve used this camera quite a bit, and it has also been shared amongst my family, including on trips abroad.

As usual, let’s find out a bit more about the camera and then how I got on with it.

Hanging fluorescents | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 800, f/4.5, 1/200

History

The best place to start the history of this camera is in 1995. In that year the Bosnian war came to an end and OJ Simpson was acquitted of murder. Canon also released their first consumer digital camera, the PowerShot 600. PowerShot remains the branding used on their consumer digitals to this day.

The “S” series was initiated in 1999 with the S10, a two-megapixel camera. It was followed quickly with the S20 in 2000 with an increase to 3.3 megapixels. In 2001, alongside the start of the more prosumer “G” range, the S30 and S40 came to market. From that point there was a steady list of updates through to the S80 in 2005.

Moonrise at sunset | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200

For some reason Canon decided to pause the S series until 2009, but instead released a secondary prosumer model with the “SD” series of cameras. The S series was restarted with the S90 in 2009, incorporating the SD functionality, thus making it now Canon’s prosumer range, and effectively classifying the G series as more professional. SD series itself morphed into the Elph cameras, as they were already called that in some markets.

The SX cameras were also sold alongside the S cameras, which featured a super zoom aimed at travel photography.

The S95, this camera, came in 2010. S100 through to S200 cameras were released quickly up to 2014 where this line of cameras finished. Interestingly, the S200 lost the ability to shoot RAW files, thus relegating itself back to consumer model. It also reverted back to a CCD sensor, whereas from the S100 this line had moved to CMOS sensors.

Reflected | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 80, f/5.6, 1/250

Camera Specifics

The Canon PowerShot S95 is a ten-megapixel compact digital camera, aimed at the high-end consumer or prosumer in the 2010s. It has a 1/1.7” CCD sensor. While it has a pack of cards shape and size body, it also has a built-in zoom lens. Focal length is 6-22.5mm which equates to 28-105mm in 35mm equivalent focal lengths. Maximum aperture is f/2 at the wide end through to f/4.9 when zoomed out.

ISO range of the sensor is from 80 through to 3200 and can be selected in 1/3 step increments. It does have a low light mode which does allow it to shoot to ISO 12,800. While it covers JPEG format in all modes, in Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual and Custom Modes it can shoot Canon’s RAW format. The other modes, Auto, Low Light and Scene modes, only JPEG is available. JPEG is also possible in large, two medium and small sizes.

Five aspect ratios are available, 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, 1:1 and 4:5. A mechanical and electronic shutter is used in the camera. Shutter speeds range from 1/6000 to 15 seconds but limited to one second in Auto mode. Fastest continuous shooting is at 0.9 frames per second.

The mode dial is on the top, offering the modes mentioned above. There are also special scene modes that can be selected. Movie mode is also available, with a maximum 1280×720 high-definition resolution. It also records in stereo. The on/off button and the shutter release are also on top, with the zoom control ring around the shutter release.

A ring is available on the front of the camera, around the lens. The ring can be used for aperture, shutter speed and other controls, making it feel a bit more like a traditional camera. Ring functionality can be selected by a button on top of the camera.

On the back of the camera is a very impressive three-inch LCD screen with 461,000 dots. No viewfinder is included. On the monitor is where you can see all the settings, quick selections, histograms, and comprehensive menu options. Way too many to cover in this review but can be easily found in the downloadable manual.

All this is controlled by a set of buttons and one dial on the right-hand side. The information that is displayed, including the histogram, are managed with a DISP button. Access to the menu is also from a button. Above these though is the multi-control functional and set button. Selections are though a dial around the buttons. Within those buttons are also the controls for macro shooting, timer, trash, flash and exposure compensation.

Flash is embedded into the body and will pop up when set to be used. Multiple modes of flash are also available, including red eye reduction.

Photos are stored on an SD card, the camera can use SD/SDHC/SDXC and MMC cards.

Cliff | Canon Powershot S95 | ISO 80, f/8, 1/200

The Experience

I found the Canon PowerShot S95 in a charity shop that I occasionally check for cameras, well at least back when you could find them in charity shops. It was sitting there on the shelf with an Olympus XZ-1. Both in excellent condition and were without battery chargers but for only a few dollars.

I picked both up and took them home. After ordering battery chargers and some extra batteries, which are also quite cheap these days, I was pleased to see both the cameras work perfectly.

Creepy Doll | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 800, f/2, 1/40

I started to slip the S95 into my bag often, it is very handy and usable camera. The more I started to use it, the more I found that I preferred to pull it out compared to my phone. Having that little bit of extra functionality, at the rotation of the ring around the lens, gives me a greater satisfaction than struggling with virtual buttons on a screen.

As I started with the S95, Adobe released their new Denoise functionality in Lightroom. The S95 shoots in Canon RAW format, one of the requirements of the new software. I gave it a go and found I was impressed with the camera already up to ISO 400, it easily made photos noiseless up to 1600. Even at 3200 is ok at a pinch.

Lady Budha, De Nang, Vietnam |Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 80, f/4, 1/160

This has meant the camera has joined me on trips into the countryside with my wife, as a second camera at festivals, and even as a camera for the family to use on a trip away to Vietnam.

I have primarily used it in Aperture Priority mode, with the ring around the lens to choose quickly. The rest of the family have tended to use it in Program mode and auto ISO. This just shows the versatility the camera offers.

Greek Dancers | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 80, f/5.6, 1/320

One of the features I really enjoy on the S95 is the screen at the back. It is luxuriously big, clear and great to use in framing. It makes it easy to use and even in crowded environments like a Greek Festival I attended. Apart from the subject, all the information you need is also right there on the screen itself.

The zoom is in the sweet spot for a camera like this. As it is designed to be used in many situations, the long end of the zoom is more than adequate at 105mm equivalent focal length.

Hello! | Canon PowerShot S95 | ISO 80, f/5.6, 1/640

Build quality is very good on this camera. It feels solid, even though quite small, everything seems to slot into where it should smoothly. While not weather sealed, it has been quite fine in Vietnam where we encountered lots of rain.

I’ve had the Canon PowerShot S95 now for a couple of years. It has been used on and off, mainly as I have a few digicams and play around with them. One thing that has struck me is that I do keep to returning to it. The results are always very good, especially with RAW files. It has worked in all sorts of occasions and environments and not failed once. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in a digicam with above average features.