Canon Powershot S100 Review

The Canon Powershot S95, one of the best compact cameras in the world was launched in September 2010. It belongs to Canon’s S series and was followed by the S90. Though the S90 was a decent camera when it came to performances, the S95 was the camera that blew the world away. So what does a brand do when they have launched one of the most successful compact cameras in the world? They launch a successor to it, of course. And, this successor comes in the form of the Canon Powershot S100. The brand has added some improvements to the latest model, as expected. From our introduction it is well established that the S95 is a great camera, so let’s see if the S100 can match up to it or better it.

Major improvements are on the inside

Design and Build Quality
The Canon Powershot S100 retains its small form factor and on first sight one may not reckon that it is a high-end professional point and shoot compact camera. It is fairly simple in design and has a boxy overall appearance. Though it may be simple in design, the S100 is not at all an ugly camera. It comes in two colour options, which are black or silver; which is apt, since it is after all a professional compact camera. The body of the camera has a metal finish and when held, has a rich feel to it. The camera that we received in our labs was the one that had the black finish and it certainly looked good. 

On video: Canon S100

As for the design of the camera, the S100 is almost similar in size to its predecessor, but is slimmer by a millimeter. However, the new model is a bit taller in height, than the S95. The front of the camera is dominated by the lens, the AF assist, the branding and the plastic line, which acts as a hand grip. The hand grip was not found on the S95 and this will definitely assist in the handling of the camera. Another interesting feature of this camera is that it features a ring at the front, which can be used to zoom or act as an adjustment ring for aperture value, exposure value, etc., depending on the mode you are in.

The semi manual and manual features found on this camera

The rear of the camera features the large 3-inch display that is flushed along the body of the camera. Alongside the screen, the controls for the camera are located. These include a designated video recording button that can be accessed anytime from any mode. Apart from this, there are a whole range of controls that are found here that can be used for accessing the different options from the various modes. Though this area is littered with controls, they decently spaced and one may not tap the wrong button, unintentionally. The buttons do not feel cheap and plasticky, but the rounded feel gives it a sense of professionalism. There is also a thumb grip at the back, which can assist in the handling, while shooting with a single hand.

The top of the camera features the mode dial, that has the various options of shooting. Apart from the dial, the buttons for powering on the camera, the shutter release button and the zoom rocker are all located here. The flash for this camera is housed in the body of the camera and can be accessed by tapping the flash button at the back. Another notable mention is that there is the GPS name at the top, which denotes this camera as being GPS capable, unlike the S95. The side of the camera features the connectivity options, which are found under a plastic flap. These ports, include an AV out digital USB port and an HDMI port. The battery is located in a bay on the bottom of the camera and it also houses the memory card. The overall build quality of this camera is really good and it feels extremely sturdy. The flaps of this camera are built well, too. The camera is a bit on the heavier side, as compared to the S95, weighing in at 198g.