The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
Canon's advanced compacts for control freaks
Joshua Goldman
Senior editor April 28, 2010 (updated on: November 17, 2011)
For people who want to do more than point and shoot, most of the major camera manufacturers have one or two cameras with semimanual or manual shooting modes. Canon, on the other hand, currently has five PowerShots--not to mention a few older models that can still be found--that offer the creative control of a digital SLR built into a compact body.
The company's high-end, advanced camera lineup starts with the somewhat basic 12x zoom, 12-megapixel PowerShot SX130 IS. If that's not enough zoom for you, but you still want something pocketable, you can step up to the 14x zoom, 12-megapixel SX230 HS. (Its predecessor, the SX210 IS--sorry, no room in chart--is 14 megapixels with a 14x zoom and hasn't fully disappeared from the market yet.) It updates the SX210 with a BSI CMOS and built-in geotagging.
For anyone who cares less about zoom range than about size and shooting options, there are the old-but-still-available S90, the not-current-but-still-good S95, the bigger but aging G12, and the recently added S100. The S100's f2-5.9 24mm-equivalent 5x lens is a treat to find in a pocket-friendly camera, as are its raw support, geotagging, and easy-to-use control system. The G12, though larger, packs a a vari-angle LCD, and an optical viewfinder.
Still to come: The nominally updated PowerShot SX150 IS.
| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $475.00 | $369.95 to $409.00 | $364.99 to $429.99 | $279.99 to $299.00 | $399.00 to $649.99 | $129.00 to $229.00 |
| CNET editors' rating | ||||||
| Average user rating | ||||||
| Release date | October 11, 2009 | August 31, 2010 | November 30, 2011 | October 01, 2010 | ||
| The Bottom Line | As long as you're not expecting dSLR speed in a tiny body, the Canon PowerShot S90 is an excellent compact camera for advanced amateurs. | Though we'd like it to perform better, dSLR shooters looking for a sidekick camera will find the Canon PowerShot S95's top-flight photos and a full manual feature set worth the tradeoff of its compact size. | The Canon PowerShot S100 is a generally great little camera for advanced shooters who don't mind slowing down a bit from a dSLR. | If you want a compact megazoom with manual controls, GPS, and excellent photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is a good place to start. | Relatively unchanged from its predecessor, save for the addition of 720p video, the Canon PowerShot G12 remains a very good, more-or-less compact model, designed to please photo enthusiasts. | The budget-friendly Canon PowerShot SX130 IS is a solid, compact megazoom for those who prize creative control and photo quality more than fast shooting performance or a small, lightweight design. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Type | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.8 in - Color | LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 3.9 in x 1.2 in x 0.2 in | 3.9 in x 1.2 in x 0.2 in | 3.9 in x 1.1 in x 2.4 in | 4.2 in x 1.3 in x 2.4 in | 4.4 in x 1.9 in x 3 in | 4.4 in x 1.8 in x 0.3 in |
| Lens System | 3.8 x x Zoom lens - 6 mm - 22.5 mm - F/2.0-4.9 | 3.8 x x Zoom lens - 6 mm - 22.5 mm - F/2.0-4.9 | 5 x x Zoom lens - 5.2 mm - 26 mm - F/2.0-5.9 | 14 x x Zoom lens - 5.7 mm - 18.8 mm - F/3.1-5.9 | 5 x x Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 30.5 mm - F/2.8-4.5 | 12 x x Zoom lens - 5 mm - 60 mm - F/3.4-5.6 |
| Optical sensor type | CCD | CCD | CMOS | CMOS | CCD | CCD |
| Light sensitivity | ISO 2000 ISO 3200 ISO 125 ISO 1600 ISO 2500 ISO 250 ISO 800 ISO 1250 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 1000 ISO 160 ISO 640 ISO 320 ISO 400 ISO 500 ISO auto | ISO 2000 ISO 3200 ISO 125 ISO 1600 ISO 2500 ISO 250 ISO 800 ISO 1250 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 1000 ISO 160 ISO 640 ISO 320 ISO 400 ISO 500 ISO auto | ISO 5000 ISO 2000 ISO 3200 ISO 125 ISO 1600 ISO 4000 ISO 2500 ISO 250 ISO 800 ISO 1250 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 6400 ISO 1000 ISO 160 ISO 640 ISO 320 ISO 400 ISO 500 ISO auto | ISO 3200 ISO 1600 ISO 800 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO auto | ISO 2000 ISO 3200 ISO 125 ISO 1600 ISO 2500 ISO 250 ISO 800 ISO 1250 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 80 ISO 1000 ISO 160 ISO 640 ISO 320 ISO 400 ISO 500 ISO auto | Auto 200 Auto 400 Auto 800 Auto 1600 |
| Video capture | H.264 - 640 x 480 - H.264 - 320 x 240 - | MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 320 x 240 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 640 x 480 - | H.264 - 1920 x 1080 - H.264 - 1280 x 720 - H.264 - 640 x 480 - iFrame - 1280 x 720 - H.264 - 640 x 480 - H.264 - 320 x 240 - H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect | MOV - 1920 x 1080 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 320 x 240 - MOV - 320 x 240 - | H.264 - 1280 x 720 - H.264 - 640 x 480 - H.264 - 320 x 240 - H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 1280 x 720 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect H.264 - 640 x 480 - Miniature Effect | MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 320 x 240 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 1280 x 720 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 640 x 480 - MOV - 640 x 480 - |
| Digital zoom | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 4 |
| Weight | 6.2 oz | 6 oz | 6.1 oz | 6.9 oz | 12.4 oz | 9.2 oz |
| Product Type | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Compact | Digital camera - Prosumer | Digital camera - Compact |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | | | | | |
No mention of the improved Canon G-12?
I love waterproof camera but unfortunately few competition exist
only other option is Panasonic TS2(soon to be replaced by TS3) but I won't choose it, it use a CCD senson which only works in bright sunlight
ugly pictures indoor
I love waterproof camera but unfortunately few competition exist
only other option is Panasonic TS2(soon to be replaced by TS3) but I won't choose it, it use a CCD senson which only works in bright sunlight
ugly pictures indoor
I love waterproof camera but unfortunately few competition exist
only other option is Panasonic TS2(soon to be replaced by TS3) but I won't choose it, it use a CCD senson which only works in bright sunlight
ugly pictures indoor