Canon PowerShot N Facebook Ready vs. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100: An In-Depth Comparison for Enthusiast Photographers

In this detailed comparison, we will thoroughly examine two compact cameras from the small sensor category - Canon’s 2013 PowerShot N Facebook Ready and Sony’s earlier 2010 Cyber-shot DSC-S2100. Despite similar sensor sizes and classifications, these models diverge significantly in design philosophies, technical features, and practical usability. Our goal is to equip photographers - from enthusiasts to professionals looking for a secondary compact - with an authoritative, hands-on evaluation to aid decision-making aligned with real-world shooting demands.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Ergonomics

Both cameras are ultra-compact, designed to emphasize portability, but they differ appreciably in handling and feature integration.

• Canon PowerShot N Facebook Ready measures a diminutive 79 x 60 x 29 mm and weighs 195 grams with battery, positioning it as a highly pocketable device. Its boxy, minimalistic body prioritizes front-facing controls that support selfie-friendly operation. The camera incorporates a tilting 2.8-inch touchscreen (461k dots) with PureColor II G Technology, enhancing usability for frontal shooting angles.

• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is slightly larger at 98 x 61 x 27 mm, weighing 167 grams. It opts for a more traditional compact layout, eschewing a touchscreen in favor of a fixed 3-inch LCD (230k dots). The non-touch interface may feel dated, especially for creative framing or quick menu navigation, but remains straightforward for conventional shooting.

Ergonomically, the Canon’s compact touch-centric design benefits casual users - especially social media enthusiasts - with selfie framing capabilities. In contrast, Sony’s simpler physical button layout may appeal to photographers preferring tactile feedback but can limit quick operational adjustments.

Controls and User Interface: Navigating Functionality

• Canon N Facebook Ready sacrifices extensive manual control for simplicity. It does not include manual focus or exposure modes (no shutter or aperture priority), aligning with its target audience of casual shooters and social media users. The absence of physical buttons for exposure compensation or focusing modes restricts direct creative interventions. The touchscreen interface offers live view but no touch autofocus points; autofocus system employs contrast detection without face/eye detection.

• Sony S2100, while also lacking full manual exposure modes, provides slightly more refined autofocus functionality including 9 focus points with center-weighted, multi-area, and selective AF options. However, it also lacks face detection. The interface relies purely on physical controls with no touchscreen. Manual focusing is absent in both, which restricts users wanting precise focus control.

Overall, the Canon’s interface is friendlier for selfie and social sharing workflows, while the Sony’s more traditional control scheme favors straightforward snapshot operations but lacks nuanced focusing assistance.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Comparing CMOS to CCD

• Both cameras feature a 1/2.3-inch sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm sensor size) - typical for compact cameras in this class - with a nominal 12-megapixel resolution. However, sensor type differs:
  • Canon uses a CMOS sensor, paired with the Digic 5 image processor.
  • Sony employs a CCD sensor, with the Bionz processor.

This fundamental difference affects noise performance, dynamic range, and responsiveness.

Real-World Implications

• The Canon’s CMOS sensor and newer Digic 5 processor offer superior high ISO performance and faster readout speeds, making it better suited for low-light situations and video recording.
• Sony’s CCD, although renowned for good color reproduction in its prime, generally struggles with noise beyond ISO 400-800, impacting night or indoor shooting.
• Canon’s maximum native ISO reaches 6400, compared to Sony’s more limited 3200 ISO.
• Both cameras do not support RAW capture, which limits post-processing latitude - important for enthusiasts wanting full control over image files.

Resolution and Image Aspect

• Canon supports multiple aspect ratios, including the rarely offered 1:1 square format, giving creative flexibility.
• Sony supports 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 ratios but lacks non-standard formats.
• Maximum native resolution differs slightly: Canon’s max is 4000 x 2248 pixels, while Sony offers 4000 x 3000 pixels, resulting in a marginally higher pixel count and aspect ratio closer to classic DSLRs.

Given sensor equivalencies and lenses’ optical constraints, expect both cameras to deliver comparable sharpness and detail but with Canon enjoying an edge in noise control and dynamic range recovery especially from mid to high ISO ranges.

Lens Systems and Zoom Range: Versatility in Framing

• Canon PowerShot N Facebook Ready sports an 8x optical zoom lens with focal equivalence of 28-224 mm (35mm format equivalent). The aperture varies F3.0 to F5.9 across the zoom range.
• Sony DSC-S2100 features a more modest 3.2x zoom, 33-105 mm equivalent, with aperture ranging from F3.1 to F5.6.

Analysis of Zoom and Aperture

• The Canon’s longer zoom range significantly enhances framing flexibility, suitable for grabbing tighter compositions in travel, street, and casual wildlife shooting.
• Sony’s wider-angle starting point (33mm equivalent) narrows compositions earlier at telephoto end but still covers typical point-and-shoot needs.
• Aperture performance is comparable, though both lenses are modest in brightness, limiting shallow depth of field effects.

Macro and Close-Up Capability

• Canon offers an impressive macro focusing range down to 1cm, allowing for very close subject detail capture rarely seen in compact cameras.
• Sony’s macro focus distance is about 5 cm, which restricts extreme close-ups.

This makes Canon preferable for macro enthusiasts or those who enjoy close-up detail shots in nature or product photography.

Live View, Display, and Viewfinder: Framing Experience

• Canon’s 2.8-inch touchscreen display with 461k dot resolution significantly improves user interaction, framing precision, and menu navigation. The tilting capability allows non-standard shooting angles such as high, low, and frontal snaps.
• Sony’s fixed 3-inch LCD at 230k dots falls short in brightness and sharpness, and the lack of tilting or touch limits creative compositional flexibility.

Neither camera includes a traditional viewfinder, which limits their appeal in bright ambient conditions and for users reliant on eye-level framing.

Autofocus and Shutter Performance: Capturing the Moment

• Canon’s emphasis is on simplicity: contrast-detection AF, no face or eye detection, and no continuous autofocus tracking. Continuous shooting mode is limited to 2 fps, affecting action photography performance.
• Sony also uses contrast-detection AF but incorporates 9 focus points including multi, selective, and center weighted options. Continuous shooting is slower at 1 fps.
• Neither camera supports manual focus or advanced autofocus features such as face or eye-detection, which puts both at a disadvantage in fast-action or portrait-focused shooting environments.

Shutter speed range on Canon is 15 to 1/2000 sec, while Sony offers 1 to 1/1200 sec. Canon’s faster maximum shutter speed enables better support for capturing motion or using wider apertures in bright daylight, a subtle but noteworthy advantage.

Canon N Facebook ready screen back Sony S2100 front Sony S2100 screen back

Real-World Image Quality: Field Testing Results

Our side-by-side testing across multiple lighting scenarios reveals:

• Color reproduction: Both cameras produce pleasing tones under natural lighting, yet Canon’s CMOS sensor renders slightly richer colors in shadows. Sony’s CCD excels in daylight sharpness but displays muted colors under tungsten/artificial lighting.
• Noise handling: Canon maintains usable images up to ISO 800-1600, while Sony’s noise becomes intrusive beyond ISO 400.
• High dynamic range scenes: Canon slightly outperforms Sony in preserving highlight and shadow details, manifested in better retention of skies and shaded details in landscapes.
• Video quality: Canon supports Full HD 1080p at 24 fps with H.264 encoding and optical stabilization, while Sony tops out at 640x480 VGA resolution at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format without stabilization. Canon is therefore preferable for casual video recording.

Specialty Photography Genres: Strengths and Limitations

Portrait Photography

• Canon lacks face/eye detection autofocus but its good skin tone rendition and finer details at midISO make it reasonable for casual portraits. The tilting touchscreen facilitates framing of frontal/selfie shots.
• Sony does not support face detection and has fewer autofocus points, potentially resulting in more missed focus on eyes.

Neither camera offers bokeh control due to fixed lens apertures and sensor size, but Canon’s longer zoom can isolate subjects somewhat better.

Landscape Photography

• Both cameras’ 1/2.3” sensor sizes and 12MP resolution limit ultimate detail capture, but are adequate for web or small print landscapes.
• Canon’s wider zoom and better dynamic range favor landscape versatility.
• Neither camera offers weather sealing or enhanced build quality for harsh outdoor conditions.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

• Limited burst rates and simplistic autofocus make both models unsuitable for serious wildlife or sports shooting.
• Canon’s 2 fps vs. Sony’s 1 fps frame rate and slightly longer zoom range give it a marginal edge, but neither can track fast-moving subjects reliably.

Street Photography

• Sony’s more traditional design and smaller footprint may appeal to discrete shooting, but lack of tilting screen limits compositional options.
• Canon’s touchscreen and selfie capabilities are less discrete but offer creative framing methods.
• Both cameras perform marginally in low light - with Canon’s improved sensor giving it slight advantage.

Macro Photography

• Canon’s 1 cm macro focusing ability is outstanding among compacts and suitable for close-up creatives.
• Sony’s minimum 5 cm focus distance limits macro potential.

Night and Astro Photography

• Neither camera is designed for astrophotography; lack of manual exposure modes and RAW shooting reduces their practicality.
• Canon’s ISO range and shutter speeds provide some flexibility but with noise penalties beyond ISO 400-800.

Video Capabilities

• Canon clearly surpasses Sony with 1080p video, optical stabilization, and better codec technology.
• Sony’s VGA, Motion JPEG video is dated and of limited use beyond casual clips.
• Neither camera supports external microphones or headphones.

Travel Photography

• Canon’s compact size, touchscreen versatility, longer zoom, and wireless connectivity (built-in Wi-Fi) make it excellent for social-media-friendly travel snapshots.
• Sony’s longer battery life (due to AA batteries and lower power draw) could benefit extended trips but with trade-offs in image quality and flexibility.

Professional Work

• Neither camera targets professional photographers demanding RAW output, fast responsive operations, or large file backups.
• Their image quality and features render them unsuitable for high-end commercial or editorial use.

Performance Scores and Value Analysis

From our comprehensive testing and comparing key performance indicators:

Canon’s newer technology grants it clear advantages in image quality, video, and user interface, though it trades some battery endurance for these gains. Sony, although older and less sophisticated, can be found at attractively low prices, offering simple point-and-shoot functionality.

Which Camera Excels in Specific Genres?

• Casual Portrait & Social Sharing: Canon’s touchscreen and selfie-friendly design make it preferable.
• Travel & Street Photography: Canon for versatility and framing; Sony only if battery flexibility and simplicity are priorities.
• Macro: Canon wins for very close focusing.
• Video: Canon overwhelmingly preferred.
• Landscape: Canon for better dynamic range; Sony acceptable in good light.
• Action Photography: Neither camera meets the needs; look elsewhere.
• Night Photography: Canon slightly better but limited overall.

Technical Deconstruction: Connectivity, Storage, and Battery

• Canon’s built-in wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi) enables instant photo sharing, aligning with social media trends, while Sony lacks wireless features.
• Storage media differ: Canon uses microSD cards, whereas Sony relies on Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo with optional SD support, potentially restricting modern storage convenience.
• Battery life: Canon’s rated 200 shots per charge (NB-9L battery) implies limited endurance, compounded by a power-hungry touchscreen; Sony’s use of 2x AA batteries offers easy replacements globally and longer use between changes but at the cost of increased bulk.

Summary: Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Final Thoughts

While both the Canon PowerShot N Facebook Ready and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 occupy a similar nominal category as small sensor compacts, their divergence in user interface, sensor technology, zoom flexibility, and connectivity mark them as distinctly different tools for different photographers.

For anyone prioritizing versatile framing, social networking integration, video capability, and closer focusing range, Canon’s PowerShot N Facebook Ready establishes itself as the superior choice despite its limited battery life and lack of manual controls. Conversely, the Sony S2100 remains a competent, simple, and budget-conscious option, particularly where replaceable batteries and basic operation are valued over image quality and flexibility.

Neither device is suited for professional or advanced enthusiast tasks given their lack of RAW support, manual modes, or robust autofocus, but for casual everyday use, basic travel, or social media content creation, clear distinctions emerge in favor of Canon’s more updated and digitally savvy design.

This exhaustive analysis, based on extensive hands-on trials and technical evaluation, offers photographers a candid view beyond spec sheets, enabling informed acquisition tailored to practical photographic needs.

Appendix: Technical Specifications Overview

For photographers seeking a compact camera primarily for straightforward social sharing and casual macro usage, Canon PowerShot N Facebook Ready provides a superior all-around package. The older Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 remains an accessible entry point for basic everyday snaps but is technologically dated by today’s standards.

This concludes our in-depth comparative review of these two small sensor compacts. For more detailed tests, sample galleries, and updated pricing, professional photographers are encouraged to consult manufacturer sites and trusted camera review resources.