Canon S95 vs Samsung ST30

Below, we are evaluating the Canon S95 and Samsung ST30, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Canon and Samsung. The image resolution of the S95 (10MP) and the ST30 (10MP) is fairly similar but the S95 (1/1.7") and ST30 (1/3") use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The S95 was announced about the same time to the ST30 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Canon S95 being a Compact camera and the Samsung ST30 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the S95 grades vs the ST30 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot S95 & Samsung ST30. The whole galleries are provided at Canon S95 Gallery & Samsung ST30 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Canon S95 enjoys outside measurements of 100mm x 58mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Samsung ST30 has sizing of 82mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.2" x 2.0" x 0.7") and a weight of 87 grams (0.19 lbs).

Look at the Canon S95 and Samsung ST30 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the S95 compared to the ST30.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the S95 and ST30 is 93 and 98 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions purely by going over technical specs. The pic underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the S95 and ST30.

As you have seen, the two cameras posses the exact same resolution but different sensor dimensions. The S95 uses the larger sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF easier.