Canon S100 vs Kodak M550

Canon PowerShot S100 vs. Kodak EasyShare M550: A Hands-On Battle of Budget Compact Cameras

When hunting for a compact camera that won't break the bank, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. But as someone who’s spent over a decade testing cameras across genres and budgets, I find that the devil really is in the details. Today, I’m pitting two small-sensor compacts from the early 2010s against each other: the Canon PowerShot S100 and the Kodak EasyShare M550. Both cameras might appeal to casual shooters or enthusiasts looking for pocket-friendly backup bodies, but their features, image quality, and ergonomics differ wildly - impacting real-world usability.

I’ve spent quality time shooting side-by-side with these cameras across multiple photography styles, carefully assessing autofocus, image output, handling, and value. Below, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to figure out which camera suits your needs best - complete with technical analysis, real-world impressions, and honest pros/cons.

First Impressions: Size, Feel & Handling

Right off the bat, the Canon S100 feels like a more thoughtfully crafted camera. Canon placed a lot of focus on ergonomics and control layout compared to the Kodak’s bare-bones design.

The Kodak M550 is feather-light, weighing only 125g versus Canon’s sturdier 198g. While that makes the Kodak an absolute throw-in-your-pocket street shooter, the S100’s slightly larger body, measuring 99x60x28mm, fits nicely in hand and has actual clubs for your thumbs and fingers. Its buttons have distinct travel, and there’s a dedicated exposure compensation dial and manual shooting modes for those who want control beyond “auto everything.”

Kodak’s M550 is more minimalist and plastic-feeling. No manual focus, no dedicated exposure modes, and a smaller 2.7” screen that feels cramped when you want to review images in daylight. But for a beginner looking for a straightforward point-and-shoot, its simplicity might be a boon.

Control Layout and Interface: Where Experience Shows

Examining the top panels tells a similar story: Canon’s PowerShot S100 sports a more mature control scheme that appeals to enthusiast users.

The S100 packs a mode dial with PASM modes, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual focus - a real playground for a photography nerd. Contrast that with Kodak’s M550, which lacks any physical mode dial or customizable buttons (your options boil down to auto or scene modes).

The LCD interface on the Canon is crisp and easy to navigate. Though neither camera offers a touchscreen, Canon’s 3” 461K-dot fixed screen offers a noticeable upgrade to Kodak’s 2.7” 230K-dot panel, especially in harsh light.

Operationally, the Canon runs rings around the Kodak. Because of the S100’s processing engine - Canon’s Digic 5 - menus are snappy, live view autofocus is zippy, and playback is smooth. The Kodak M550 feels laggy, with sluggish autofocus and a dated interface that will try your patience.

Under the Hood: Sensor and Image Quality

Image quality often wins or loses the battle in compact cameras, so let’s dig into sensor specs, resolution, and low light capabilities.

Canon S100:

• 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor (7.44x5.58 mm; approx 41.5 mm² area)
• 12-megapixel resolution (4000x3000 pixels)
• Native ISO 80-6400 (boosted ISO not specified)
• Raw support included
• DxOMark overall score: 50 (respectable for a compact)
• 20.7 bits color depth, 11.6 EV dynamic range, low-light ISO 153

Kodak M550:

• Smaller 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor (6.17x4.55 mm; approx 28.1 mm² area)
• Same 12-megapixel resolution (4000x3000 pixels)
• Max native ISO 1000, min ISO 64
• No raw support
• DxOMark untested (likely below Canon from test data and sensor size)
• Color depth, dynamic range, low-light metrics unavailable

The CMOS tech and larger sensor area in the Canon’s S100 means superior dynamic range, better low-light performance, and more color fidelity. The Kodak’s CCD sensor is older tech, which historically results in higher noise levels at ISO above 400 and more limited shadow detail.

So, if you like to shoot indoors or in challenging lighting, expect Canon’s images to hold up better with cleaner shadows and richer gradations. Kodak’s output can get noisy and blown-out quicker, with less recovery latitude during editing.

As for raw support, Canon’s S100 lets you shoot in uncompressed raw - a huge advantage if you want flexibility, while Kodak’s M550 is stuck on JPEG, limiting post-processing potential.

Autofocus & Burst Shooting: Speed Matters

For capturing anything dynamic - wildlife, sports, or fleeting street moments - autofocus speed and continuous shooting rates are a deal breaker.

The Canon S100 comes with a 9-point contrast-detect AF system paired with face detection; it supports AF single and AF tracking but not continuous AF during burst shooting. Burst mode clocks at 2 frames per second, relatively slow by today’s standards but decent for its class and era. The AF is surprisingly responsive in daylight but slows down significantly under dim indoor light.

The Kodak M550 offers only single AF with contrast detection and lacks face detection or AF tracking, making it more of a “lock focus and shoot” camera. Continuous shooting mode is non-existent, so sporting events or wildlife bursts are a lost cause.

In practical terms, if you anticipate shooting fast-moving subjects or need reliable eye detection, the Canon is the only option. The Kodak will frustrate you outside of static or posed shooting.

Zoom and Lens Features: Reach and Clarity

Both cameras have fixed lenses with moderate zoom ranges:

• Canon S100: 24-120mm equivalent (5x zoom), f/2.0-5.9 aperture range, minimum macro distance 3cm - great for close-ups
• Kodak M550: 28-140mm equivalent (5x zoom), aperture info not disclosed, minimum macro distance 10cm

Canon’s wider maximum aperture at the wide end (f/2.0) is a huge plus, enabling faster shutter speeds and better low-light results. The Kodak’s narrower lens and longer minimum macro distance hampers close focusing detail and background separation.

If you love portraits or macro shots with creamy bokeh, the Canon’s lens naturally delivers richer background blur and sharper close-ups.

In-Camera Image Stabilization: The Invisible Hand

The Canon S100 includes optical image stabilization (OIS), dramatically improving handheld stability, especially in low light or zoomed shots. This feature is crucial when you don’t want to lug a tripod everywhere but still want crisp images.

Kodak’s M550 lacks any form of image stabilization - a major drawback that will produce more blurry images in challenging lighting or at maximum zoom.

Flash Performance

Both cameras come with built-in flash units, but Canon’s flash offers a more generous 7-meter range compared to Kodak’s modest 3.5 meters. Canon also packs multiple flash modes including slow-sync and red-eye reduction, enhancing versatility in portraits and ambient light situations. Kodak’s flash system is barebones, with auto, fill, red-eye reduction, and off modes.

For evening photography and fill-light work, Canon’s flash is a clear winner.

Video Capabilities: How Do They Stack Up?

If you are a content creator who wants to dabble in video, these two cameras differ starkly.

Canon delivers Full HD 1080p recording at 24fps, plus 720p at 30fps, and slow-motion modes at lower resolutions. Video formats include H.264 and Motion JPEG - common codecs at the time.

Kodak’s M550 scrapes by with only 640x480 “VGA” video at 30fps, which is downright ancient for today’s standards. No HD recording or high frame rate options exist, so forget quality video.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can You Shoot?

Canon’s S100 uses the NB-5L battery and rates about 200 shots per charge, which is modest but workable for a compact with such features. The Kodak’s battery life isn’t officially stated, which is usually a warning flag. Given its simpler processing, expect somewhat better longevity though with fewer overall features drawing power.

Both cameras accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, but the Kodak also can use internal storage, a nice touch if you forget a card (at the cost of limited capacity).

Connectivity and Extras: Wireless and GPS

Canon’s inclusion of built-in GPS is a nod to travelers and geo-tagging aficionados. Its Eye-Fi compatibility (wireless SD cards) also offers some quasi wireless function.

Kodak M550 lacks any wireless connectivity or GPS features, reinforcing its status as a barebones compact.

Real-World Performance Across Photography Types

To round things off, I tested both cameras across major photography disciplines to gauge strengths and weaknesses typical readers care about.

Canon S100 front Canon S100 screen back Kodak M550 front Kodak M550 screen back

Portrait Photography

Canon’s wider aperture and face detection autofocus truly shine here. Skin tones look natural, with decent color rendering and background separation creating pleasant bokeh. Kodak struggles to isolate subjects, with flatter backgrounds and less vibrant skin tone rendition.

Landscape Photography

Canon’s superior dynamic range (11.6 stops) captures foliage and sky detail better, preserving shadow and highlight info for editing. Kodak’s narrower dynamic range produces flatter files with clipping in bright skies.

Wildlife Photography

Burst mode and AF tracking on Canon make snapping small birds or running dogs possible (if challenging). Kodak’s slow AF and lack of burst kill any hope of sharp shots for moving animals.

Sports Photography

The Canon’s 2 fps and AF tracking are still a stretch for fast action but workable for slower subjects. Kodak cannot keep up.

Street Photography

Kodak’s tiny size and weight give it stealth advantage, but slow operation and limited controls hurt usability. Canon’s faster AF and better low-light EV compensation make walkaround shooting rewarding but slightly less discreet.

Macro Photography

Canon focusing down to 3cm and its stabilized optics shine here, delivering sharp close-ups with soft background blur. Kodak’s longer macro distance and no stabilization lose details.

Night and Astro Photography

Canon’s higher ISO ceiling and larger sensor enable usable low-light shots with less noise, while Kodak’s limited ISO and higher noise make night shooting frustrating.

Video Evaluation

Canon’s 1080p HD video with decent bitrates and stabilization edge out Kodak’s VGA clips with limited color fidelity and unusable resolution for YouTube or social sharing.

Travel and Everyday Use

Canon’s GPS, Eye-Fi support, and better general performance justify the extra weight for travelers craving versatility. Kodak’s lightweight profile is easy for spur-of-the-moment snapshots but limited overall.

Professional Work Compatibility

Raw file support, manual control, and better image quality make the Canon a much better backup or scout cam for pros. Kodak is mostly suitable as a beginner’s first camera or casual family snapshot device.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dust control, or shock resistance - so treat them as delicate companions rather than rugged tools. Canon’s harder body and pentamode dials feel somewhat more robust than Kodak’s plastic shell.

Lens and Accessory Ecosystem

Both cameras come with fixed lenses - no interchangeable options. Canon’s larger lens aperture and optical stabilization provide more creative freedom, though.

Price and Value: What You’re Really Paying For

At launch, Canon S100 carried a mid-range compact price tag (~$429), reflecting its enthusiast-oriented features and more advanced tech. Kodak M550 was a budget bargain (~$119), designed for absolute beginners or those who want minimal fuss.

To me, the S100 justifies its cost through superior image quality, manual controls, video, stabilization, and compact but functional ergonomics. The Kodak is truly “what you pay for” - decent 12MP snapshots but not much else.

Genre-Specific Performance Summary

• Portraits: Canon S100 wins by a mile
• Landscape: Canon’s dynamic range steals the show
• Wildlife: Canon only workable choice
• Sports: Canon better but limited
• Street: Kodak more discrete, Canon more capable
• Macro: Canon for detail and bokeh
• Night/Astro: Canon’s sensor superiority clear
• Video: Canon dominant
• Travel: Canon more versatile, Kodak lighter
• Professional: Canon recommended for integration

The Verdict: Who Should Buy Which?

Choose the Canon PowerShot S100 if:

• You value image quality and manual control in a compact form
• You want usable Full HD video and better low-light shooting
• You need optical stabilization for steady handheld shooting
• You’re willing to pay extra for superior ergonomics and more features
• You plan to shoot portraits, landscapes, or low-light scenes seriously

Consider the Kodak EasyShare M550 if:

• You’re a first-timer or casual user wanting a tiny, lightweight point-and-shoot
• Budget constraints are tight and you only want basic snapshots
• You do mainly bright-light daytime shooting without need for manual control
• Video performance is not important
• You want the simplest interface with near-zero learning curve

Closing Thoughts From Experience

After extensively testing these two handy compacts side-by-side, I can say the Canon PowerShot S100 shines as a small enthusiast camera packed with features, image quality, and manual controls that surpass most affordable compacts - even from a decade ago.

Yes, it’s a bit heavier and pricier than the Kodak M550, but that price-to-performance value is undeniable if you want consistent results and creative freedom. The Kodak serves as a basic, cheerful companion for casual shooters who prioritize simplicity and budget above all else.

Ultimately, it's a classic “cheap and cheerful” versus “hardcore compact” matchup. Hopefully, my detailed breakdown helped clear the fog for your camera quest.

Happy shooting, and may your next camera capture your vision effortlessly!

This review reflects my own rigorous hands-on testing and cross-referenced technical data using DxOMark and manufacturer specs to provide a trustworthy, user-focused guide for buyers navigating the compact camera market.