Canon PowerShot S100 vs FujiFilm FinePix JV100: Which Compact Camera Is Worth Your Money?

When it comes to small sensor compact cameras, budget and performance often dictate what ends up in your camera bag. Today, I’m bringing you a detailed hands-on comparison between two affordable compacts from the early 2010s: the Canon PowerShot S100 and the FujiFilm FinePix JV100. Both target casual shooters looking for pocketable convenience with decent image quality, but they cater to slightly different needs and priorities.

Having put both cameras through their paces - testing image quality, autofocus, video, and usability - I’ll share insights you won’t find just from glancing at specs sheets. Whether you’re a photography enthusiast wanting a backup on the go or a beginner diving into compact cameras, this guide should help you pick the best fit.

The Physical Feel: Size, Ergonomics, and Controls

Before even thinking about image quality, how a camera feels in your hands can make or break your shooting experience. I always start my in-depth camera tests by assessing ergonomics and the control layout to see how easy it is to navigate menus and change settings quickly.

The Canon S100 measures 99 x 60 x 28 mm and weighs about 198 grams, which places it squarely in the “pocketable but sturdy” category. In contrast, the Fuji JV100 is smaller and lighter at 93 x 55 x 21 mm and 126 grams. If you’re looking for sheer portability or you’re constantly stuffing your camera in a coat pocket or small bag, the JV100 wins hands down here.

However, size isn’t the whole story. The Canon S100’s extra thickness allows for a more substantial grip, even on small hands. Its buttons have a nicer tactile feel and are spaced out enough that I didn’t feel like I was fishing around blindly. The Fuji, by contrast, has a simpler control scheme with fewer direct buttons, leaning more on automatic operation. Its compactness comes at the cost of some awkward button placement and minimal manual control options.

Looking from above, the S100 lays out dials and a mode selector in a way that photographers used to DSLRs or advanced compacts will appreciate. The JV100 lacks dedicated dials for shutter/aperture priority or manual modes, significantly limiting creative control.

Bottom line: If manual control and ergonomics matter to you, the Canon S100 offers a more satisfying physical experience despite the extra bulk. The Fuji JV100 is better for cheapskates prioritizing extreme pocketability and lightweight gear.

Sensor and Image Quality: What the Numbers Don’t Tell You

A compact camera’s sensor is its heart. And while resolution is important, sensor size and technology tend to influence image quality the most - especially in challenging lighting.

The Canon S100 uses a 1/1.7" CMOS sensor (approximately 41.52 mm²), notable for its Digic 5 processor that was fairly advanced for the time. This larger sensor area compared to the Fuji’s 1/2.3" CCD sensor (28.07 mm²) translates to better light gathering and lower noise, especially at higher ISO values.

Testing color depth and dynamic range reveals the S100’s advantage in producing nuanced and vibrant skin tones - a boon for portrait and wedding photography. The Fuji JV100’s sensor produces images that are generally softer and noisier even at its maximum ISO 1600, with a maximum native ISO much lower than the Canon’s 6400.

Raw file support is another noteworthy difference. The S100 offers a raw mode, giving photographers the flexibility to push exposure and color in post-processing. The JV100 lacks this capability, locking you into compressed JPEGs which limits editing latitude.

For real-world reference, I compared JPEGs of the same scene under varied lighting conditions. The Canon images showed better shadow detail retention and less color cast, while the Fuji images struggled in low light with muted colors and higher grain.

Shooting Experience: Autofocus, Burst, and Settings Flexibility

How fast and accurately a camera focuses can decide whether you capture that split second moment or miss it entirely. In sports or wildlife photography, this can be crucial. Likewise, burst rates determine how many frames you can capture in rapid succession.

The Canon S100’s contrast-detection AF uses 9 selectable points and offers face detection, which works reasonably well for portraits and street photography. While it’s not blazing fast by modern standards, it was solid for its era and suffices for most casual uses.

The Fuji JV100 relies on a simpler contrast-detection AF with no face detection or multiple AF areas. This leads to slower, less reliable focusing performance, especially in low light or with moving subjects.

Continuous shooting on the S100 clocks in at 2.0 fps - fairly sluggish compared to higher-end cameras but still usable for moderate action shots. The JV100’s continuous shooting speed wasn’t specified, but practical testing suggests it’s similar or slower, making it less ideal for dynamic scenes.

In terms of exposure modes and control, the S100 supports shutter priority, aperture priority, manual exposure, and offers exposure compensation. The Fuji, meanwhile, locks you into fully automatic shooting with no manual or semi-manual modes, severely limiting creative input.

Display and User Interface: How You See Your Shots Matters

While image quality matters most, being able to review and compose shots effectively through the LCD is critical. The Canon packs a fixed 3-inch screen with 461k dots - a decent resolution and size for the time. The Fuji has a smaller 2.7-inch screen with only 230k dots, which is visibly less crisp and makes checking focus and details harder.

I found the Canon’s menu system to be more intuitive and responsive. Playback modes and settings were faster to navigate, while the Fuji’s interface felt clunky and more limited in options. Neither camera has touchscreens or electronic viewfinders, so composing shots relies heavily on the LCD.

Lens Characteristics and Versatility: The Zoom Reach Showdown

The fixed lens defines a compact’s shooting flexibility. The Canon S100 ranges from 24-120mm equivalence with a bright F2.0 aperture at the wide end, which is excellent for low light and portraits with shallow depth of field.

The Fuji JV100 offers a more modest 37-111mm range at F3.2-4.3 aperture - a narrower zoom and less light-gathering capability overall. This puts the Canon clearly ahead for wide-angle landscapes and creative background blur, especially indoors or at dusk.

Macro focusing is supported down to 3 cm on the Canon, which is quite close and great for detail work. The Fuji’s macro distance is 10 cm, farther away, providing less intimacy.

Flash and Low-Light Performance: How They Handle the Dark

Both cameras include built-in flashes, but the Canon’s flash range reaches 7 meters versus the Fuji’s mere 3.5 meters. The Canon’s flash modes include red-eye reduction and slow sync, helpful for more natural fill light and night portraits.

Thanks to the Canon’s larger sensor and faster aperture, image quality in low light is significantly better, evidenced by cleaner images at ISO 800 and above. The Fuji’s smaller sensor and higher noise levels make it struggle in dim conditions, even with the flash.

Video Capabilities: Stretching Your Creativity

For casual vloggers or video recorders, the Canon S100 offers Full HD 1080p video at 24 fps and HD 720p at 30 fps, encoded in H.264 or Motion JPEG. This gives it a slight edge for quality and file size management.

The Fuji JV100 only shoots 720p at 30 fps with Motion JPEG, which leads to larger files and less efficient compression. Neither camera has microphone or headphone jacks, so sound options are limited.

Neither camera has in-body stabilization for video, though the Canon does feature optical image stabilization for stills (no info on video IS). Audio quality is basic at best for both.

Build Quality, Weather Sealing, and Reliability

Neither model claims any weather sealing or ruggedness features. These are true lifestyle compacts designed for casual use rather than harsh environments. The Canon’s slightly heavier construction feels more robust in hand.

Both cameras lack shockproof, crushproof, or freezeproof ratings, so treating them gently is a must.

Battery Life and Storage Practicalities

Here’s where the Fuji JV100 disappoints: no official battery life rating is available, and it relies on the NP-45A battery, which historically offers less longevity than Canon’s NB-5L in the S100.

The Canon advertises around 200 shots per charge - a modest number, but typical for small compacts of this generation. Both cameras use a single SD/SDHC card slot for storage, though the Fuji also has limited internal memory.

Connectivity, GPS, and Extras

The Canon S100 sports some neat extras for its era, including built-in GPS for geotagging images and support for Eye-Fi wireless cards. HDMI output is standard as well.

The Fuji JV100 offers no wireless features, no GPS, and no HDMI port. USB 2.0 is common to both for data transfer.

The Real Value: Price and Who Should Buy Which?

As of the last market update, the Canon S100 goes for about $429, while the JV100 can be found new or used for around $99. This huge price gap forces us to ask: what do you really need from your camera?

Canon S100 front Canon S100 screen back FujiFilm JV100 front FujiFilm JV100 screen back

Looking at actual image tests, the S100 produces noticeably sharper images with richer color, better low-light performance, and more creative flexibility thanks to manual control and raw support. Its video capabilities and flash handling are also superior.

The JV100, however, is a no-frills snapshot machine aimed strictly at point-and-shooters on a tight budget or those wanting a super-lightweight backup camera with minimal fuss.

How They Stack Up Across Photography Genres

This chart summarizes their suitability across different photography disciplines:

• Portrait photography: S100 leads with better skin tone rendition and depth of field control; JV100 is very limited.
• Landscape: S100’s wider lens and larger sensor give it more dynamic range and detail; JV100 can work but with less impact.
• Wildlife and Sports: Neither is ideal but S100 autofocus and burst speed make it marginally better.
• Street photography: JV100’s compactness is attractive for stealth, but sluggish AF limits candid shots; S100 offers more flexibility.
• Macro: S100’s closer focusing distance is a clear advantage.
• Night/Astro: Only the S100 comes anywhere close to producing usable images in the dark.
• Video: S100’s 1080p beats JV100’s 720p.
• Travel: The JV100’s lightweight is tempting, but S100’s versatility usually pays off.
• Professional work: Neither is a pro-level camera, but the S100’s raw files and manual modes afford some semi-pro uses.

Pros and Cons Summary

Canon PowerShot S100 – Pros

• Larger 1/1.7" CMOS sensor with Digic 5 processor
• Raw shooting support for creative control
• Bright f/2.0 wide-angle lens with 5x zoom
• Manual, shutter priority, aperture priority modes
• 1080p video recording with H.264 encoding
• Built-in GPS and Eye-Fi wireless support
• Decent ergonomics and control layout
• Optical image stabilization

Canon PowerShot S100 – Cons

• Heavier and bulkier than JV100
• Modest battery life (~200 shots)
• No viewfinder or touchscreen
• Limited burst shooting speed
• Expensive compared to JV100

FujiFilm FinePix JV100 – Pros

• Ultra-compact and lightweight
• Very budget friendly (~$99)
• Simplified point-and-shoot use
• Decent 12MP resolution for snapshots
• Basic HDMI output and SD card slot

FujiFilm FinePix JV100 – Cons

• Small 1/2.3" CCD sensor with high noise
• No raw image mode or manual exposure
• Darker f/3.2-4.3 lens with 3x zoom only
• Weak autofocus and no face detection
• 720p video only, Motion JPEG only
• No wireless or GPS features
• Limited battery life and weak flash range

Final Verdict: Which Compact Should You Choose?

If you’re after a camera that delivers image quality with flexibility, manual control, and better low-light performance, the Canon PowerShot S100 is a standout choice - especially if you’re willing to invest around $400. It remains a solid compact for portrait, travel, and casual amateur photography. Its raw support and exposure options are features I greatly appreciate as someone who tweaks images in post.

However, if your budget is tight, you want the simplest camera to carry around for quick snapshots, and you’re okay with fully automatic operation, the Fuji JV100 offers tremendous value for under $100. It’s a camera for the absolute beginner or those who want a tiny, hassle-free point-and-shoot without breaking the bank.

Photography enthusiasts, casual shooters, and professional users all need different tools. The S100 fits those wanting a versatile, all-around compact with a bit more capability than average, whereas the JV100 is a no-nonsense entry-level device. Whichever you pick, understanding their strengths and weaknesses ensures you get the best experience for your style and pocket.

Thanks for reading this deep dive! If you have questions comparing these or similar models, or want to chat about getting the most out of your gear on a budget, drop a comment below. Happy shooting!

Appendix: Sample Image Gallery and Performance Ratings

Canon S100 front Canon S100 screen back FujiFilm JV100 front FujiFilm JV100 screen back