- Launched: September 2011 Type: High-end compact Sensor: 1/1.7-inch CMOS Resolution: 12.1MP Lens: 5x 24-120mm f2.0-5.9 Movies: Full HD
- Summary: The PowerShot S100 is a high-end compact camera that sits at the top of Canon’s compact camera range alongside the PowerShot G12. It’s designed for photo enthusiasts who want the controls and features of a digital SLR, but in a pocket-sized camera. It offers full manual controls, RAW files and full HD movies. It has a 5x wideangle zoom and has built-in GPS.
Key features
• The S100 has a 24-120mm equivalent 5x zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f2.0. the 24mm minimum focal length covers a wider angle than most zooms, and the f2.0 maximum aperture lets you shoot in lower light and with shallower depth of field, though as usual with zooms, the maximum aperture does decrease at longer focal lengths.
• Canon’s Intelligent IS image-stabilisation system operates in seven different modes and the S100 automatically identifies the type of scene to choose the right one. For example, it will adjust the stabilisation mode to allow smooth panning shots.
• The S100 has a lens control ring, which has become a standard feature on Canon’s top S-series cameras. It makes it easy to control different camera settings like lens aperture or ISO, and gives the S100 something of the feel of a classic film camera.
• The built-in GPS system tracks your location as you shoot and embeds this location information in the photo’s ‘metadata’. This can then be used by image cataloguing programs to show where the picture was taken on a map.
• Canon’s HS System, which appears on the S100 and other compact cameras in the Canon range, is based on a combination of a high-sensitivity sensor and a high-performance image processing system. It provides higher quality at high sensitivity (ISO) settings and high-speed shooting modes.
• The S100 uses Canon’s latest DIGIC 5 image processing system. This is the hardware/software inside the camera that turns the data captured by the sensor into photos and movies. Canon says DIGIC 5 analyses four times more image information to produce each pixel, and is six times faster than the previous system.
• The High-speed Burst HQ mode can capture up to 8 shots at 9.6fps and at full resolution. That’s very good for a compact camera, though the limited capacity means you will have to time your burst sequences quite carefully.
• The Multi-area white balance system can detect scenes with two different light sources, e.g. natural and artificial light, and apply different white balance settings to different areas, to create more natural-looking colours across the whole scene.
Full specifications
- Sensor: 1/1.7-inch CMOS
- Megapixels: 12.1
- Lens: 5x 24-120mm equivalent f2.0-5.9
- Image stabilisation: Lens shift
- Autofocus: 9-point AF, manual focus
- Closest focus: 3cm
- Metering: Evaluative, Centre-weighted, Spot
- ISO: 80-6400
- Shutter speeds: 15-1/2000sec
- LCD: 3-inch, 461K dots
- Viewfinder: No
- Flash range: 0.5-7.0m
- Modes: Program AE, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual, Scene modes
- Continuous shooting: up to 9.6fps for 8 shots
- Movies: Full HD 1920 x 1080 at 24fps
- File types: JPEG, RAW, MOV H.264
- Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Battery life: 200 shots (CIPA)
- Dimensions: 98.9 x 59.8 x 26.7mm, 198g
Links
Canon UK press release
Canon UK product page
