Canon PowerShot S · on sale December 2011 · a retrospective

The Canon PowerShot S100: the enthusiast pocket camera, now with a grip and GPS

In 2011 Canon replaced the beloved S95 with a bigger zoom, a CMOS sensor, a faster processor, Full HD video and a satellite receiver, and charged a lot more for it.

Compiled from 2011 coverage by PhotographyBLOG, Expert Reviews and Cameralabs, and Canon's own launch text · we have not tested a unit yet

Meet the camera

Cameralabs described it as a pocket-sized camera aimed at enthusiasts who want a compact model that doesn't compromise on features, announced in September 2011 as the replacement for the S95.⁴ It measures 99 by 60 by 26.7 millimetres including protrusions and weighs 198 grams with battery,⁴ and Expert Reviews noted it is genuinely pocket-sized next to the Nikon P7100, which uses the same size of sensor but weighs 395 g.³

Canon's museum lists it as marketed in December 2011 and gives one name for every region: PowerShot S100.¹ PhotographyBLOG's UK price was £439, with €509 and $429.99 elsewhere, which it called eye-watering,² and Expert Reviews listed £382 on its review date.³

Why this one was interesting

A longer lens that stayed bright

Cameralabs noted that the 28–105 mm 3.8x zoom of the S90 and S95 was upgraded to a 24–120 mm 5x range while keeping the fast f/2.0 aperture when zoomed out.⁴ Canon said the new f/2.0 lens allowed faster shutter speeds and worked with its HS System to deliver superior imaging in low light.¹ PhotographyBLOG pointed out the catch: the f/2.0 applies only at the wide end, and the aperture slows to f/5.9 at 120 mm.² Expert Reviews calculated that the S100 at ISO 1000 compares with a mirrorless camera's f/3.5 kit zoom at ISO 3200, for wide-angle photography at least.³

A new sensor and processor

The 10-megapixel CCD of the S95 became a new 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with the DIGIC 5 processor.¹⁴ Canon claimed one quarter of the noise of its predecessor at ISO 1600, equal to the S95 at ISO 400 by its own measurements.¹ Cameralabs added a new option to set JPEG noise reduction to Low, Standard or High.⁴ The same HS idea in a cheaper body is told in our ELPH 300 HS retrospective, and the S100's predecessor is our S95 retrospective.

Built-in GPS

The camera had a GPS antenna to record location in the picture file's data.¹ Real-world results were mixed: Expert Reviews found tagging accuracy a little erratic, with most photos untagged, and suggested leaving GPS off to save battery,³ while Cameralabs enjoyed having it but warned of increased battery consumption, and reminded readers to disable GPS on any camera for privacy around home.⁴

The dark: what f/2.0 and a small CMOS could do

Expert Reviews wrote that the S100 produced the lowest noise levels it had ever seen from a conventional compact camera, with a slight loss of subtle detail at ISO 1600 and a grainy but usable ISO 6400.³ PhotographyBLOG called the ISO 80 to 1600 range perfectly usable and said the lens made it very well suited to low-light, handheld photography.² Cameralabs found video at ISO 800 and f/2.0 indoors impressively clean considering the sensor size.⁴

Real photographs taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons. The sensitivity shown is recorded in each file's own EXIF data.

Like that look? See recent eBay sold listings for this camera ↗

How it drew the picture

Expert Reviews praised a lens with sharp focus and barely any chromatic aberration, expertly judged automatic exposures, and rich, flattering colours; it also liked that Auto ISO could be capped between 400 and 1600.³ PhotographyBLOG rated image quality 4.5 out of 5.² Cameralabs recorded that raw files and full manual exposure remained on offer in what it called one of the smallest cameras with them.⁴

Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.

On eBay right now

Live listings for this camera, supplied by eBay and updated automatically. We earn a commission if you buy through them.

The little wins

Another view of the S100. · Gidoca · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons

Two rings

Expert Reviews noted a lens ring and a ring around the navigation pad, and said adjusting exposure was quicker than on most mirrorless cameras; a button cycles the lens ring through ISO, exposure compensation and zoom.³

A grip at last

The front gained a thin hard plastic bar and the rear a rubber thumb rest, which Cameralabs said made it easier to grip than the S95.⁴

Slow motion

640 by 480 at 120 fps or 320 by 240 at 240 fps, played back at 30 fps, Expert Reviews noted.³

Full HD with zoom

PhotographyBLOG called 1080p video with continuous autofocus, stereo sound and full use of the zoom the icing on the cake.²

Where it let you down

PhotographyBLOG said only a significant price increase, lack of control over the flash and poor battery life kept it from its Essential award.² Expert Reviews found it slow for a camera at this price: 2.4 seconds to switch on and shoot, and about 2.5 seconds between shots; video was limited to 16-minute clips with exposure and focus settings ignored, and the microphone picked up lens motors in quiet scenes.³ It also noted the HDR scene preset needed a tripod because it does not align the shots.³

What the reviewers said in 2011

The timeline

• September 2011Announced, according to Cameralabs.⁴
• 24 November 2011PhotographyBLOG publishes its review.²
• December 2011Canon's museum lists it as marketed.¹
• 16 December 2011Expert Reviews publishes its review.³
• 23 December 2011Cameralabs publishes its review.⁴

Should you buy one now?

Buy one if you want the smallest camera with manual control, raw files and a bright lens of its generation, and you will carry a spare battery. It launched at £439 or $429.99;² what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:

• The battery. It uses an NB-5L rated for about 200 shots,¹ and Cameralabs advised carrying a spare, particularly with GPS on: Amazon ↗.⁴
• The GPS setting. Turn it off for privacy and battery life.⁴
• The card. It takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards;¹ 1080p files are big, about 250 MB a minute, so use a fast card.³
• The rings. Check that the lens ring and navigation ring turn smoothly.³
• The lens. Check that it extends and retracts cleanly and that the lens motors are quiet.³

If you are wondering why cameras like this are being hunted down again, we tell that story once, in Pictures that never left the card.

See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NB-5L battery ↗

New to the jargon (CCD, ISO, xD cards, IXUS vs ELPH)? Read our plain-English digicam glossary.

Sources

1. Canon Camera Museum: PowerShot S100 (launch text, specifications, marketing date)
2. PhotographyBLOG, Canon PowerShot S100 review by Mark Goldstein (24 Nov 2011)
3. Expert Reviews, Canon PowerShot S100 review by Ben Pitt (16 Dec 2011)
4. Cameralabs, Canon PowerShot S100 review by Gordon Laing (23 Dec 2011)

Camera photos by Anna16 and Gidoca (both CC BY-SA 3.0); sample photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.