The Canon Powershot S100 is packed with an extremely impressive range of features for a digital camera that is small enough to slip into a larger pocket. This type of camera is aimed at someone who is serious about photography and is often found in the pocket of a professional photographer when it is not practical to carry a much larger Digital SLR.
Canon has produced the Powershot S100 in two colours; black and silver. It is lightweight and measures just 26.7mm across.
Basic features include 12 megapixels and a 5x zoom lens. The lens has a maximum aperture of f2. The big advantage of this is in lowlight photography. This large aperture size means you can take advantage of faster shutter speeds. This helps to minimise any blur when you are hand holding the camera. The lens offers you wide angle capabilities with a minimum focal length of 24mm.
Canon have added a ring around the lens. This gives you faster control when changing key settings. The ring can be set to control ISO, aperture size, shutter speed, white balance, step zoom, the self timer or focus settings. In fact there are a number of options the Powershot S100 offers you if you are looking to customise the camera.
If you are planning to travel of just like the idea of knowing exactly where you were when a picture was taken the Powershot S100 has GPS tagging. You also have access to standard manual controls such as shutter speed and aperture size. This gives you the chance to be a little more creative with your shots and gives you extra control over the way your photos look.
Other advanced features Canon have added to the Powershot S100 include the ability to capture still images at high speed. You can shoot at a speed of 9.6 frames per second. This speed is made possible by the inclusion of a CMOS sensor. This type of sensor is more commonly found on Digital SLRs and can also be beneficial when it comes to picture quality. You can also store images in RAW format. The advantage of this is that it gives you more scope if you are planning to manipulate your images on a computer.
To add something different to the way your photos look Canon has equipped the Powershot S100 with a number of different aspect ratios. You have access to ratios of 3:2, 4:3, 1:1, 16:9 and 4:5. There is also a fish eye filter available to you. There is also a High Dynamic range mode. This comes into its own in high contrast shots where you would like to bring out some extra detail in the lightest and darkest areas of the shot.
The Powershot S100 has a movie mode that is one of the most advanced you will find on a compact digital camera. Features include the ability to shoot Full High Definition movies at 1080 resolution. There is also an iFrame movie mode. This uses a lower resolution of 720p. That still gives you High Definition quality, but speeds up transfer and editing times when working with a computer. The Powershot S100 comes with Dynamic IS. This reduces any blur of jerkiness with your moves. You can also shoot movies for slow motion playback.
All in all Canon have produced one of the most highly specified compact digital cameras you will find in such a small body.
Canon Powershot S100 Details
Style
Advanced Digital
Megapixels
12
Zoom
5x
LCD Screen
3
MemoryCards
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Resolution
4:3, 16:9, 3:2, 1:1, 4:5
File Formats
JPEG RAW
Focal Length Equivalent
24 - 120
Shutter Speed
15 to 1/2000 seconds
Aperture
f2 - f/5.9
Sensitivity
ISO 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500, 3200, 4000, 5000, 6400
White Balance Settings
Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom. Multi-area WB correction available in Smart Auto
ExposureCompensation
-3EV to +3EV (in 1/3EV steps)
Viewfinder
No
Flash Modes
Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro
Flash Range
7m
Shooting Modes
Portrait, Landscape, Kids & Pets, Smart Shutter(Smile, Wink Self-Timer, FaceSelf-Timer), High-speed Burst HQ, Handheld Night Scene, Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch Assist, High Dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap)
Maximum Movie Resolution
1920 x 1080
Maximum Movie Frames Per Second
30 fps
Maximum Movie Duration
4G or 29 minutes Full HD
Macro Focus
3cms
Metering
Multi-pattern, centre weighted, spot
ManualControls
Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority
Image Stabilisation
Yes
Lens Converters
No
Self Timer
10 seconds or 2 seconds
Video Out (TV Playback)
Yes
Computer Connection
Yes
Batteries
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
Dimensions
98.9 x 59.8 x 26.7 mm
Weight
198g
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Canon Powershot S100 Specification
Where to Buy - Canon Powershot S100
