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Canon S95

 
Canon PowerShot S95 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-105mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 195g - 100 x 58 x 30mm
  • Announced November 2010
  • Replaced the Canon S90
  • New Model is Canon S100
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
93
Imaging
34
Features
42
Overall
37

Canon S95 overview

Canon S95 is Canon's Small Sensor Compact digital camera first introduced on November of 2010. The camera has a 10MP, CCD 1/1.7" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 3648 x 2736.

Canon launched this model in an effort to upgrade the older Canon S90 (Read Full Comparison) and then released the more recent Canon S100 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to upgrade this camera.

The S95 places at #72 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all around #851 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can try out our Smart camera finder to get camera listings based on your customized requirements.

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Here is a chart of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Canon S95 history

The Canon S95 comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can discover all previous and brand new models as well as key features.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Canon-PowerShot-S200 front thumbnailCanon S200
S95 vs S200
24-120mm
F2.0-5.9
10MP1/1.7"2014
Canon-PowerShot-S120 front thumbnailCanon S120
S95 vs S120
24-120mm
F1.8-5.7
12MP1/1.7"2013
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Canon-PowerShot-S110 front thumbnailCanon S110
S95 vs S110
24-120mm
F2.0-5.9
12MP1/1.7"2012
Canon-PowerShot-S100 front thumbnailCanon S100
S95 vs S100
24-120mm
F2.0-5.9
12MP1/1.7"2011
Canon-PowerShot-S95 front thumbnailCanon S9528-105mm
F2.0-4.9
10MP1/1.7"2010
Canon-PowerShot-S90 front thumbnailCanon S90
S95 vs S90
28-105mm
F2.0-4.9
10MP1/1.7"2010
Photography Glossary

Canon S95 Pros and Cons

Below is a checklist of pros and cons of the Canon S95 based on things that are typically seen as necessary in a digital camera.

above average flash sync speed (1/500 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
exports RAW formats
flash built-in
great max aperture (f2.0)
great min ISO (80)
in built zoom lens (28-105mm 3.8 x zoom)
includes HDMI out
manual focus
really wide (28mm)
does not have phase detect autofocus
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of headphone support
lack of mic support
lack of Time Lapse function
pixelated screen (461 thousand dots)
screen is fixed
screen is not selfie friendly
sensor is very small (1/1.7")
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
slow at tele end (f4.9)
slow frames per second (1.0 fps)
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
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Canon S95 Sensor specifications

The Canon S95 features the Digic 4 processor chip. The measurement of the sensor in the Canon S95 is 7.44mm x 5.58mm (1/1.7"). The 42 mm² sensor can resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization as the latter may produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 10MP and has a standard ISO range of 80 - 3200. RAW format is saved so you have wider margin for error.

The graphic below illustrates the S95's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The S95 sensor comes with a crop factor of 4.8 and is presented in green.

Canon PowerShot S95 sensor size Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Canon S95 dimensions

Canon S95 weighs 0.43 pounds (195g / 6.88 ounces) and the over all size of the camera is 100mm x 58mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g so the Canon S95 is weightier compared with its competitors.

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Listed below is a pic of the Canon S95 beside a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its scale.

Canon PowerShot S95 dimensions scale

The top view below will highlight the button layout on the S95.

Canon PowerShot S95 topview buttons dials

Canon S95 Lens specifications

The S95 provides an inbuilt lens and a focal range of 28-105mm giving it a 3.8 x zoom which might not be perfect but it will definitely be very helpful in certain cases.

At the widest 28mm, the lens will have an aperture of f2.0 which is wonderful in low light occasions and capturing a shallow depth of field. It would also allow you to go with a lower ISO to produce clearer images. With the tele end, 105mm comes to f4.9 making it pretty sluggish and you will need to go with slower shutter speeds.

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Canon S95 Connectivity

The S95 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can easily be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can easily copy files and in some cases alter settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Some applications even enable a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it could be hooked up to an external display. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery using the USB port.

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Canon S95 Video specifications

The highest video quality in the Canon S95 is 1280 x 720 and it can capture in H.264 file format. 720p is low by today's standards. You should target at least FUll HD quality for good video. The camera doesn't include a mic and / or headphone socket so you have got no control over your sound. It is probably best to look into a different camera if you need good sound in your videos.

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Canon S95 Weather Sealing

There is no weather proofing on the Canon S95 so you need to be cautious in rainy or dusty conditions.

Canon S95 Screen and Viewfinder

The Canon S95 has a 3 inch fixed display boasting a resolution of 461 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display isn't a touch screen.

Canon PowerShot S95 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The ViewFinder details regarding Canon S95 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be quite helpful in bright outdoor conditions which might make the camera screen washed out and difficult to view.

Canon S95 Shutter specifications

Canon S95 can shoot continuously at 1.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/1600s.

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Canon S95 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Canon S95 boasts only built-in flash with no external flash ability. The maximum flash sync speed is 1/500s.

Canon S95 Autofocus specifications

Canon S95 boasts just Contrast Based Auto Focus and doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker & precise compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The AF system has 9 focus points to pick from. Canon S95 supports manual focusing if needed in low light or you want to have more accurate control on focusing.

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Canon S95 Battery life

The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has the highest (470) battery life in this group of cameras.

Here is a number of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Photography Glossary

Canon S95 for different types of photography

The following diagram indicates a analysis of the Canon S95 for different types of photography. To read more, have a look at the specific section below.

Portrait photography with Canon S95

The Canon S95 gets a rating of 40 which is subpar, and means the camera is not very good for portrait photography. Photographing portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support along with the capability to work with off-camera flash.

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has manual focus
flash sync is higher than normal (1/500 seconds)
supports RAW formats
can't use external flash
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/1.7")

Canon S95 Street photography information

With a nice points total of 65, the Canon S95 is a respectable pick for street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of image quality plus portability.

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image stabilization (Optical)
delivers RAW files
no articulating screen
sensor size is very small (1/1.7")

Canon S95 Sports photography features

A subpar sports photography score of 27 suggests the Canon S95 is not very good for taking photos of sports. A camera needs excellent autofocus and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second low (1.0 frames/s)
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/1.7")
does not have phase detect AF

Travel photography with Canon S95

Portability is super critical in picking a camera for travel. On the whole, the Canon S95 gets a nice 64 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent pick for your holidays.

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has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f2.0)
lack of Time Lapse function
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen

Canon S95 as a Landscape photography camera

For those who are planning to purchase a camera for landscape pictures, the most vital aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Canon S95 at it's reasonable grade of 52 for a landscape camera is relatively suitable within the current market.

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focusing manually
fairly wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
exports RAW formats
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/1.7")
no Time Lapse function

Canon S95 Vlogging advice

A vlogging camera really should have a moving screen, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Considering every thing, the Canon S95 is not very good for vlogging as it receives a subpar rating of 32.

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really wide (28mm)
very good maximum aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Optical)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external microphone port

Canon S95 Alternatives

If you are in the market for alternatives to the S95, here is a number of the highest ranked cameras that fall into the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The line graph just below provides you a bird's eye view of the S95 compared to it's top rated rivals shown earlier.

There are more cameras you may take a look at as alternate options. To go through a detailed comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Canon
Model type
Canon PowerShot S95
Class
Small Sensor Compact
Announced
2010-11-23
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Processor
Digic 4
Sensor size
1/1.7"
Sensor dimensions
7.44 x 5.58mm
Sensor surface area
41.5mm²
Sensor resolution
10MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW photos
Maximum native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
28-105mm (3.8x)
Maximum aperture
f/2.0-4.9
Macro focusing range
5cm
Focal length multiplier
4.8
Screen
Type of screen
Fixed Type
Screen sizing
3 inches
Resolution of screen
461 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
47
DXO Color Depth rating
20.4
DXO Dynamic range rating
11.3
DXO Low light rating
153
Features
Lowest shutter speed
15s
Highest shutter speed
1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate
1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
6.50 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize
1/500s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (24 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1280x720
Video format
H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
195g (0.43 pounds)
Dimensions
100 x 58 x 30mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2")
Other
Battery ID
NB-6L
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus card
Card slots
0
Cost at launch
$495