Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver),2.0 out of 5 stars Less than I hoped for..., January 4, 2012

I intended getting an s100 for my wife as a Christmas present, but could not find it in stock anywhere. I ended up getting her an s95. We both love the s95. We took a few hundred pictures over the holidays and are very happy with the results; mostly indoor shots of our children. I was pleasantly surprised by the responsiveness of the s95. I read a handful of reviews stating the performance was below average. When I press the button the shutter seems almost instantaneous, even with the flash.

Last week I found an s100 at Best Buy. I assumed it was an s95 with better video and zoom. My s95 was still within return policy so I purchased the S100. After taking about 200 shots I knew the S100 was not for me. While it does have better video and zoom, these do not offset all the disadvantages compared to the s95. First the LCD screen is very dull. The s95's LCD is bright and vibrant, and very visible in low-light. I can barely see the LCD on the s100 in low-light. Also, if you zoom on the s100 and move it to track a subject the LCD becomes a blurry mess. The LCD on the S95 stays relatively clear when tracking a subject.

The deal breaker for me was indoor shots with moderate light. I suspect (going by reviews) the s100 does better at ISO 1600 and above, but I almost never go above 400. I found the pictures on the s95 to be sharper and have better color under the same conditions. The difference was not significant, but the s100 should at least been on par since it cost over $120 than the s95. The s95 also fired faster when using the flash. I found the s95 more responsive under all conditions (except burst mode).

I do like the design of the S100, but the build quality seems below the s95. The s95 feels very solid while the s100 more hollow. The added rubber on the front and back is a welcome addition to the s100. It definitely helps your grip when shooting with one hand.

Overall I am just disappointed. I was so excited about getting the S100. I thought it was going to be exactly what I wanted after using the s95. If the s100 was about $250 I think it would be a decent value, but $429 is ludicrous. If you are looking for a compact camera with close to professional quality get the s95 while you still can. Maybe I just got a bad one, but I am not exchanging it for another. It's going back to Best Buy. I still have the s95 and plan for it to stay with me and my wife for many years to come.


Review by rhaase345