Canon PowerShot S95 vs. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90: An In-Depth Hands-On Comparison for Practical Photographers

When it comes to choosing a compact camera that strikes a balance between portability, image quality, and versatility, the mid-2010s era offered some intriguing options. Among these, the Canon PowerShot S95 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90 stand out as notable contenders, each targeting slightly different needs. Over many years of testing compact cameras for my reviews and field shoots, I’ve found these two to be particularly interesting to compare because they represent distinct philosophies: the S95 excels in image quality and control, whereas the H90 leans heavily on zoom versatility and ease of use.

Let’s unpack their real-world capabilities, delve into the numbers, and bring you clear insights on which camera fits your photography style and budget.

Compactness and Building Feel: Size Matters for Travel and Street Photography

The Canon S95 and Sony H90 are fairly similar in size, with the S95 measuring a compact 100 x 58 x 30 mm and the H90 being slightly chunkier at 105 x 60 x 34 mm. Weight-wise, the Canon tips the scales at 195g, whereas the Sony is heavier at 222g. While these differences might seem minor, in the hand they translate to distinct ergonomics.

Canon S95 offers a sleeker, more pocket-friendly design with a metal alloy body that feels sturdy and refined. It’s designed to be slid in and out quickly, ideal for street shooters who prize discretion and swift reaction. The grip is subtle but effective, suitable for one-handed shooting without drawing attention.

Sony H90, by comparison, is chunkier due to its superzoom lens, which adds bulk and weight. If you’re the type to carry your camera all day hiking or travelling, this will be noticeable. However, the larger size accommodates a comfortable handgrip and bigger clubs for your thumbs on the rear dial, better suited for those who appreciate a little heft and stability when framing distant subjects.

Controls and Interface: Do You Want Full Manual Mastery or Point-and-Shoot Simplicity?

A quick glance at the top plates reveals major differences in control philosophy.

The Canon S95 is tailored for enthusiasts who want solid manual control in a compact package. You get dedicated dials for shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual exposure modes, making it straightforward to tweak settings on the fly. While the buttons are compact, they’re logically arranged with tactile feedback, which avoids fumbling when shooting fast.

The Sony H90 adopts a more casual, beginner-friendly approach. It restricts access to manual shutter and aperture control but does have manual exposure mode buried in menus - slower to access than the Canon’s direct dials. Its top controls focus more on easy mode switching and telephoto zoom control. If you’re brand new or want a point-and-shoot where the camera mostly handles the grunt work, this layout will appeal.

Sensor and Image Quality: When Size Still Matters

Both cameras rely on CCD sensors, which nowadays feel a bit dated compared to CMOS tech. However, the Canon S95 sports a larger 1/1.7" sensor (41.5mm²) with a 10MP resolution, while the Sony H90’s sensor is smaller at 1/2.3" (28.07mm²), packed with 16MP.

Why does sensor size trump megapixels here? Larger sensors generally capture more light, improving dynamic range, noise performance, and color depth. The Canon’s 10MP count on a bigger sensor translates to larger pixels, better signal-to-noise ratio, and hence less grain at higher ISOs. In practical testing, the S95 yields cleaner, more natural images especially under challenging lighting.

The Sony’s higher pixel count sounds attractive but crams more pixels on a smaller sensor, often resulting in noisier images and less detail retention when viewing at 100%. For casual shooting or online sharing, it’s decent but won’t stand up for serious print work.

Additional observations:

• Canon leads on dynamic range (11.3 EV vs. untested but inferred lower on Sony).
• Color depth is richer with Canon’s 20.4 bits DxO mark.
• Canon supports RAW capture, invaluable for post-processing flexibility; Sony sadly does not.

Viewing and Composing: Screens for Intuitive Operation

Both cameras sport 3.0” fixed LCDs with 461k dots, decent for composing shots and reviewing photos. Sony brands its display as a ClearPhoto TFT LCD, which provides bright, punchy colors but can be harsher in direct sunlight.

Canon’s LCD, while similar in spec, features a natural color balance and slightly better viewing angles, making composition under varying light conditions marginally easier.

Neither camera offers touchscreens or electronic viewfinders, so you’re reliant on the LCD. This is fine for most casual or travel use, but some photographers will miss the precise framing and glare rejection EVFs provide.

Canon S95 front Canon S95 screen back Sony H90 front Sony H90 screen back

Real-World Image Quality: Portraits, Landscape, and More

Portrait Photography

From my hands-on shooting, the Canon S95 shines for portraits. Its 28–105mm lens equivalent with an aperture as wide as f/2.0 offers lovely subject isolation and creamy bokeh at the short end, ideal for flattering skin tones and softly blurred backgrounds. Also, the Canon’s manual focus and exposure controls allow precise adjustments to lighting and depth of field.

The Sony H90, with a smaller max aperture (f/3.3) and longer zoom, struggles to achieve comparable separation. Portraits are sharper but less flattering, with flatter bokeh and sometimes harsher skin rendition.

Neither has face or eye detection autofocus features (Canon doesn’t support it, Sony’s system is rudimentary), so focusing on a subject’s eyes requires manual finesse or center-point AF use.

Landscape Photography

Landscape shooters will appreciate Canon’s superior dynamic range and color fidelity. Wide, natural gradations in shadows and highlights make it easier to capture bright skies without losing detail. The S95's 10MP resolution is sufficient for sharing and moderate enlargements.

Sony’s H90 delivers higher resolution but images have slightly compressed dynamic range and more visible noise in shadow areas, due to its smaller sensor. Its ultra-wide 24mm focal length (equivalent) offers slightly broader framing versus Canon’s 28mm.

Neither camera has weather sealing, so caution is warranted outside in wet or dusty conditions.

Wildlife and Telephoto Shots

Here the Sony H90 dominates with a monstrous 24–384mm equivalent zoom reach (16x). The Canon’s zoom tops out at 105mm (3.8x), which limits reach to portraits and landscapes more than distant subjects.

Sony’s telephoto advantage makes it a better starting point for wildlife and bird photographers on a budget who don’t want to lug interchangeable lenses.

That said, neither model features fast burst rates (1 fps continuous shooting) or advanced autofocus tracking, limiting action photography effectiveness. Also, very long zooms on small sensors often suffer from diffraction and softness at the extremes.

Autofocus and Burst Shooting: Tracking, Speed, and Accuracy

Both cameras employ contrast-detection AF systems typical of compact designs of their era. Canon has 9 focus points selectable, Sony’s are undocumented but support center and multi-area modes.

• Canon S95 excels at single-shot AF but lacks continuous or face detection.
• Sony H90 claims center AF with face detection, and offers AF tracking, but its live view autofocus is slower to lock compared to Canon.
• Neither supports fast burst rates (1 frame per second max), making them unsuitable for sports or fast wildlife photography.

For sports shooters, neither camera will satisfy due to AF lag and slow continuous frame rates.

Video Capabilities: HD Enough for Casual Shooters

Both cameras record HD video at 1280x720 resolution, with Canon at 24fps and Sony at 30fps, encoding in H.264 and MPEG-4 respectively.

Neither supports 4K or advanced video features (no microphone or headphone ports, no touchscreen focus, no in-body stabilization beyond optical image stabilization). If video is a priority, both feel dated by today’s standards.

Canon’s video is crisper with better exposure control; Sony’s video has smoother frame rates but softer detail.

Macro and Close-Up: Precision Starts with Focus

Both cameras allow focusing as close as 5cm, suitable for casual macro shots of flowers or food.

Canon’s focus mechanism combined with the f/2.0 aperture at the wide end provides better subject isolation and sharper close-ups. Sony H90’s smaller aperture and less refined manual focus limits sharpness slightly.

Neither offers focus stacking or focus bracketing features to extend depth of field creatively.

Low Light and Night Photography: High ISO and Noise Performance

Testing at high ISO reveals the Canon S95’s larger sensor excels at noise handling up to ISO 800 and even 1600 with noise reduction.

Sony’s smaller sensor and crowded 16MP count lead to visible chroma noise starting at ISO 400, restricting low light usability.

Neither camera offers dedicated astrophotography or night modes, but Canon’s wider aperture lens gives it an edge in capturing night scenes handheld.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Durability on the Go

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dustproofing, shockproofing, waterproofing, or freezeproofing. Both target casual users, not adventure pros.

Canon’s metal alloy body feels more durable than Sony’s plastic shell, but neither will withstand heavy rugged use.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Considerations for Extended Shoots

Sony H90 promises a longer battery life rated at 290 shots per charge vs. Canon’s undocumented rating but generally less than Sony’s.

Capacity-wise, the S95 uses NB-6L batteries, which are relatively common and inexpensive to replace.

Both cameras use SD cards, with Sony adding Memory Stick Duo compatibility (convenient for Sony users). Neither offers dual card slots.

Connectivity: Sharing Your Shots

Canon supports Eye-Fi card connectivity for wireless image transfer - pretty advanced for its time.

Sony H90 lacks any wireless features, limiting workflow convenience if you want to offload photos mid-shoot without cables.

Both have USB 2.0 ports; only Canon features a mini-HDMI output.

Price and Value: What Will Your Budget Buy?

As of current new or used market conditions, the Canon S95 is priced higher around $495 (when new) compared to Sony H90’s $230 street price. The price difference reflects Canon’s higher image quality, build, and manual control.

If you’re a cheapskate seeking zoom and versatility, the Sony H90 is good value. If you want a compact pocket camera with superior image quality and full manual control, the Canon S95 justifies the premium.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which?

Canon PowerShot S95 – Best For:

• Photography enthusiasts wanting a compact camera with true manual controls and RAW support.
• Portrait and landscape photographers who prioritize image quality over extreme zoom.
• Street and travel photographers valuing discreet size, solid build, and better low light.
• Those who want accurate color, dynamic range, and deeper post-processing flexibility.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90 – Best For:

• Casual shooters needing extensive zoom reach (24-384mm) in a compact package.
• Travel photographers prioritizing lens versatility over ultimate image quality.
• Beginners who prefer a point-and-shoot with face detection and easy auto modes.
• Budget-conscious buyers who want the most zoom bang for their buck.

Summary Table of Key Pros and Cons

Reflecting on years of field use and lab testing, the Canon S95 remains a gem for photographers demanding top image quality and control in a true compact form, while the Sony H90 appeals to those requiring the longest reach at the lowest cost, accepting compromises in image fidelity and manual features.

If you prioritize shooting versatility and ultimate pocketability with high-end image quality, the S95 is still a smart buy for collectors and enthusiasts. But if you crave max zoom and ease of use for casual travel shooting, the H90 stands strong.

Whatever your choice, understanding these strengths and tradeoffs will help you pick the camera perfectly matched to your photography ambitions and budget.

Happy shooting!