New Canon S95

[wetwillie]

I have been looking at new cameras for a while and was just waiting for a sale on the S90. Went in to Best Buy today to take another look and the sales guy told me they just got the new S95 in so I decided WTF. Same price as the S90 @ $399 and this one has HD video mode (from what I can tell that seems to be the biggest difference from the S90).

 

Although I am a complete novice at photography I've been wanting to upgrade from my camera and spend a little more time experimenting with taking some pictures. I have a Kodak Z712 IS and while it takes great photos (IMHO, for what thats worth) it never performed well in poor lighting conditions plus it had some battery problems that just became unbearable. After reading some reviews and on here I decided to go ahead and splurge. Now I am 2 weeks from my upcoming trip so I get a chance to break it in right!!!

 

So does anybody have any tips for me. I know some of you guys take some great snaps and it was actually some of your comments that persuaded me to spring for the Canon so help me out here or any bad photos I take are your fault. 555555

 

Here are a few pics I took with it a couple of minutes ago. Of the last three the first was under normal lighting the second was dark with no flash and the last was dark with flash and all in auto.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2010 by wetwillie

[Koolbeans]

I've got the S90 and didn't bother using it too much when in Patt's. Didn't want any evidence. I will be bringing my Canon 7D and S90 on my trip to Angkor Wat in Nov and maybe hitting Patts depending on if Bangkok or other cultural sites are worth checking out in Thailand. It is a solid camera and I love the manual features you can use by twisting the front ring. Have fun!

[Woofiee]

I've got an S90 and since they're reasonably similar, let me suggest a few things:

• Ignore the AUTO mode - learn the P(rogram) or A(apeture) modes. AUTO seems to soften the image and overexpose it.
• Set the control ring to ISO and so little back wheel (which is twitchy) changes also to Exposure Compensation. The thing is, the little dial in the back can move if you're not careful, so
• Set the Shortcut button to AE Lock, a nice function to keep on tap
• Change some of the default settings - here are mine:

1. Focus: Single Point - sharpens nicely and sometimes allows the background to go a little bit fuzzy, which is desirable.
2. Auto Focus Frame: Center, normal size
3. Metering: Evaluative
4. Image Stabilizer: Shoot Only
5. Sensitivity: Auto ISO
6. Set Exposure Compensation from -1/3 to -2/3 for outside photos
7. iContrast: Off (it's annoying actually)
8. Custom Colors: increase saturation 1 step, decrease red 1 step
• Consider the Richard Franiac grip for the camera - I stuck one on my S90 (as has all my friends) and it really improves the handling of the camera, so much so that I never hit the control wheel in the back by accident any more. It's solid aluminum and it securely attaches to the camera without any trouble (you can always remove it with a thread of dental floss).

I've had the S90 for 6 months now and it's a fabulous camera - and yours is twice as fast and HD, so I'm envious - but I'd not ever regret buying it.

Never.

[7-Eleven]

I've got an S90 and since they're reasonably similar, let me suggest a few things:

• Ignore the AUTO mode - learn the P(rogram) or A(apeture) modes. AUTO seems to soften the image and overexpose it.
• Set the control ring to ISO and so little back wheel (which is twitchy) changes also to Exposure Compensation. The thing is, the little dial in the back can move if you're not careful, so
• Set the Shortcut button to AE Lock, a nice function to keep on tap
• Change some of the default settings - here are mine:

1. 1. Focus: Single Point - sharpens nicely and sometimes allows the background to go a little bit fuzzy, which is desirable.
   2. Auto Focus Frame: Center, normal size
   3. Metering: Evaluative
   4. Image Stabilizer: Shoot Only
   5. Sensitivity: Auto ISO
   6. Set Exposure Compensation from -1/3 to -2/3 for outside photos
   7. iContrast: Off (it's annoying actually)
   8. Custom Colors: increase saturation 1 step, decrease red 1 step

• Consider the Richard Franiac grip for the camera - I stuck one on my S90 (as has all my friends) and it really improves the handling of the camera, so much so that I never hit the control wheel in the back by accident any more. It's solid aluminum and it securely attaches to the camera without any trouble (you can always remove it with a thread of dental floss).

I've had the S90 for 6 months now and it's a fabulous camera - and yours is twice as fast and HD, so I'm envious - but I'd not ever regret buying it.

Never.

 

Thanks for this... I will try these myself on my own S90.

 

FYI the rear wheel on the S95 has been changed so that it is more like a click wheel rather than just a free turning wheel going by some of the reviews.

 

I'm not bothered that they have updated the S90... My iPhone 4 shoots HD video so I won't be in a rush to replace mine.

 

Not sure if there is any actual hardware changes between the S90 and the S95 if not I expect these guys will bring out some custom firmware to allow shooting in HD.

[wetwillie]

I just got it out to see and if you're refering to the wheel that changes the different functions it is not a free spinning wheel.

A cut and paste from a review:

 

"The handling of the Multi-Control Dial has also been redesigned following feedback from owners of the preceding model. The dial now features a more pronounced ‘click’ mechanism, preventing any unintentional changes to settings. Furthermore, the positioning of the ‘Ring Func.’ and ‘On/Off’ buttons has been revised, providing greater all-round operation in everyday use."

 

I like the looks of the grip but I doubt I can get one delivered before my trip so I'll have to make due.

 

Thanks for the tips. I will have plenty of time on the long flight to play around with it so I hope I have some cute waitresses on the flight over.

[Scumbag]

I'll be getting one of these soon...

[Edge]

I just fcuked my second S90 in about 3 months.

 

 

First one drowned while I was on my bike.

 

No idea what happened to the second one but it's dead and something awry with the lens cover.

The good news is that I bought it here in Tukcom so it's got a Full Canon Thai Warranty and so it's gone off to Chonburi for 2-3 weeks.

The bad news will no doubt be that they'll say I dropped it and it's not covered.

Then it'll be back down into Tukcom basement to see if they can make one good one out of the two.

 

 

It's a good camera - I think - cost just over 14k from A1 but some were asking 16-17k so they might have made a mistake.

[Scumbag]

 

It's a good camera - I think - cost just over 14k from A1 but some were asking 16-17k so they might have made a mistake.

I think 14K is what they should be (that includes the S95). However, most Thias want their 100% from farangs...

 

I will be getting mine from eBay in Australia. It will be less than 14K Baht for the S95 including an 8gig card and a spare battery. A guy from work will be bring it to me..

[Woofiee]

Thanks for this... I will try these myself on my own S90.

FYI the rear wheel on the S95 has been changed so that it is more like a click wheel rather than just a free turning wheel going by some of the reviews.

My pleasure (...and yet no rep points! )

 

I also did the trick where one can gently pop-off the disk in the back and add a bit of paper to give it more drag. I used part of a sticky plastic post-it tab and it's just perfect now. Slides when I want it to, and not when I don't (although the grip really helps perfectly.)

 

I'm not bothered that they have updated the S90... My iPhone 4 shoots HD video so I won't be in a rush to replace mine.

Not sure if there is any actual hardware changes between the S90 and the S95 if not I expect these guys will bring out some custom firmware to allow shooting in HD.

I had no idea about these guys! I'm definitely checking them out a bit later...thanks! About the changes, the guys at DP Review are anal about such things - the Canon Talk thread is full of little bits of information.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Woofiee

[kopite]

Im torn between this or the LX5. LX 5 is a bit of a wider lens but the S95 is more pocket friendly so think I will go for that. Thing is im gonna need to take a crash course in camera settings to get used to the manual mode. Is a higher F number (lower aperature) used to get more of the picture in focus so eg that would be used for a landscape image?

[Chronos]

Im torn between this or the LX5. LX 5 is a bit of a wider lens but the S95 is more pocket friendly so think I will go for that. Thing is im gonna need to take a crash course in camera settings to get used to the manual mode. Is a higher F number (lower aperature) used to get more of the picture in focus so eg that would be used for a landscape image?

 

The following may give you a better understanding about 'f' numbers.

 

The F-numbers that define aperture settings are so common that they are frequently taken for granted. But what do they mean and what is it that makes an F-number on one lens identical to the same F-number on a totally different lens? The F-number of an aperture depends both on the diameter of the aperture and the focal-length of the lens in which it resides. When the aperture diameter is proportional to the focal-length the F-number remains constant.

 

There was a time when aperture adjustments were made by turning a collar on the lens. The user simply looked to see what F-number was needed and set that against an index mark. Today it is more common to make the same adjustments by rotating a thumbwheel on the camera body but the figures that are displayed on the LCD panel and in the viewfinder are still the same F-numbers.

 

F-numbers are a measure of the size of the hole through which light is collected when a picture is taken. A bigger hole, which unfortunately corresponds with a smaller F-number, gives a brighter picture. This is the same way that the human eye works when its pupil dilates to let-in more light under low levels of illumination.

 

So does that mean that an F-number is no more than a measure of the diameter of the hole? No, it's not quite that simple.

 

Different lenses have different focal lengths, meaning that they project their images onto the sensor from different distances. If we were to imagine a camera lens as a single element then the element's distance from the sensor would be equal to its focal length (when photographing very distant scenes). So a 200mm lens would be 200mm from the sensor, a 100mm lens would be 100mm from the sensor and so on.

 

Now think again about the hole through which the light travels: if the hole is farther away from the sensor then it would appear to be smaller than if it were closer. This means that the light-gathering effect of the aperture depends not just on the diameter of the hole but also on its distance from the sensor. The combination of these two factors gives the value of the F-number.

 

The F-number of an aperture setting is equal to the focal length of the lens divided by the diameter of the hole. This means that if a 100mm lens is set to an aperture diameter of 50mm then the F-number will be 2.

 

So if you are using your camera in Program mode and the metering recommends an exposure time of 1/500s with an F-number of 2, then you know that your 100mm lens will be set to an aperture diameter of 50mm. Now think about the 200mm lens, which is also going to be used at 1/500s and F2: in this case the aperture diameter must be 100mm and the front element of the lens therefore needs to be that much bigger.

 

Modern camera lenses are more complicated than the single element that we have discussed here but the principle is the same and the massive increase in manufacturing demands that big elements introduce explains why fast-aperture (low F-number) lenses get so expensive at longer focal lengths.

 

'f' numbers in reality have little to do with 'focus' - they control the amount of light that hits the sensor and also determine DOF (depth of field) - a shot taken at f32 will have a deeper DOF thus making the overall image appear crisper and sharper - a shot taken at f1.4 will have a shallow DOF thus making anything other than what you have 'focused' on appear blurred, in other words your subject will 'pop' out.

 

I hope this explanation is of help to you.

[altec123]

The S90 and S95 are great cameras. I had the S90, but recently sold it. Although it takes great pictures, I found it to be too small and hard to grip with one hand. There is an aftermarket grip you can buy that will improve the handling. I am more than likely going to buy the G12.

[Edge]

I just fcuked my second S90 in about 3 months.

First one drowned while I was on my bike.

 

No idea what happened to the second one but it's dead and something awry with the lens cover.

The good news is that I bought it here in Tukcom so it's got a Full Canon Thai Warranty and so it's gone off to Chonburi for 2-3 weeks.

The bad news will no doubt be that they'll say I dropped it and it's not covered.

Then it'll be back down into Tukcom basement to see if they can make one good one out of the two.

.......................

 

The bad news duly arrived after a month or so, except they didn't say I'd dropped it, they said it was water corrosion - again!

At first they said I'd have to pay 6,000 THB, but then changed their minds and said it's a write off.

 

Given what had happened to the first one, I challenged Canon Bangkok over this, because I had been paranoid about the second one getting wet and hadn't taken it out much at all. I kept it mostly in its leather case and sometimes also inside a plastic bag and occasionally in the top box of my bike. If they'd said it had Baby Oil in it I would have been morely to believe them.

The nice lady listened to me and then said no, the engineer had said it wasn't water as such, but more likely humidity had caused corrosion. Humidity? In Thailand? Really?

I gave up with that. The only explanation I can think of is that I keep my rain cape in my topbox. I don't usually put it back wet, but it may be damp. When the sun shines on it that may produce enough humidity to have got into the camera. I don't know.

 

I pondered whether I should go for an Olympus Tough and probably I should have with my luck (negligence?) but I really liked the S90.

The bottom line is that I've accepted Canon's consolation offer of an S95 for 11,500.

 

The old one is on its way back. The first one did work, but the light sensor was faulty. On the off chance that the second one has a different fault, I'll see if I can get a good one from the two.

 

In the meantime, I'm wondering wtf I can do to keep this one alive on the upcoming Cambodia trip.

[Thaihot]

Was in Currys today in the the UK & the Canon S95 was £350.00

 

Might join the Club & have one for my next trip.

[kopite]

Edge your posts have put me off getting the S95 now. It's been dropping in price nicely last few weeks, under £280 now on amazon but yours isn't the first post ive seen about durability either, especially the lens.

[Edge]

Edge your posts have put me off getting the S95 now. It's been dropping in price nicely last few weeks, under £280 now on amazon but yours isn't the first post ive seen about durability either, especially the lens.

 

It's a damn good camera and I have all these spare batteries and chargers and cards lol.

Starting from scratch, 11,500 THB is a good price.

 

I haven't seen anything on the net and all digital cameras are moisture sensitive, but I am concerned about what could have happened to the second one re humidity - in Thailand lol. I'll be nervous about even breathing near it.

 

To be fair, in the past 4 years my history with cameras isn't good :-

 

Sony DCR-IP1E - sand

Replacement Sony DCR-IP-1E - rain

Sony HDR-TG3 - dropped

Replacement Sony HDR-TG3 - currently with Sony no photo function only vdo

Canon S90 - rain?

Replacement Canon S90 - humidity?

Canon S95 - ..............

[Blackeye]

Just got my new s95 ...............

 

so just about got everything ready ...........

 

just need to get a case and screen protector for it

[Slacker]

I looked at the S95 and the Powershot G12 as possible alternatives on my last trip as a DSLR is way too much to lug around. I appreciate that the S95 is more pocketable and has a longer zoom reach, but was put off by the feel of the camera...I estimated that something would go bust very quickly. I opted for the G12 which has produced some cracking photos, has the manual adjustments I want and takes RAW files as well. On top of that, it appears well-built. I could have done with a greater zoom, but put more though into framing as a result. I always pack silica gel sachets with the equipment to avoid moisture problems. It won't deter a vigourous soaking, but may help with Thailand's ever-present humidity.

[Edge]

I have been looking at new cameras for a while and was just waiting for a sale on the S90. Went in to Best Buy today to take another look and the sales guy told me they just got the new S95 in so I decided WTF. Same price as the S90 @ $399 and this one has HD video mode (from what I can tell that seems to be the biggest difference from the S90).

........................................

 

It's a damn good camera and I have all these spare batteries and chargers and cards lol.

...............................

 

Just by way of an update, my 2 knackered S90s didn't make one good one so I've got a lot of spares.

 

Actually batteries, chargers and cards but I'm not sure what else, because there are other differences between the S90 and the S95.

The S95 screen is slightly bigger and the body is different - less deep and several other things once you have them side by side.

I guess I'll have to get them back to UK some time and try Ebay.

 

All is good so far. It survived the Cambodia trip with Mr Dom and I got some nice pics etc, even daring to go near the waterfalls.

The only scare I've had is when I found a vdo recording had gone blurry part way through, but it turned out I must have touched the lens with baby oil on my finger - oops!

[Noober]

I looked at the S95 and the Powershot G12 as possible alternatives on my last trip as a DSLR is way too much to lug around. I appreciate that the S95 is more pocketable and has a longer zoom reach, but was put off by the feel of the camera...I estimated that something would go bust very quickly. I opted for the G12 which has produced some cracking photos, has the manual adjustments I want and takes RAW files as well. On top of that, it appears well-built. I could have done with a greater zoom, but put more though into framing as a result. I always pack silica gel sachets with the equipment to avoid moisture problems. It won't deter a vigourous soaking, but may help with Thailand's ever-present humidity.

 

Concur the G12 is a bit "more" of a camera. But the S95 is smaller... and enough smaller it will fit in more pockets with less hassle.

 

So after a lot of contemplation, I went for small and bought the S95. So far I'm pretty happy with it, although I do find that the Tv and Av modes pretty painful to use. So mostly I use Program mode, and spin the exposure compensation dial if as necessary.

 

I do find the S95 zoom a bit wanting... something out to 200mm would have been nice but you can't have everything.

 

As to durability... time will tell!

 

Lots of really excellent choices... you can't go too wrong.

[DMustang]

Just got back recently from my holiday trip, where I broke in my newly purchased S95

(selected after research from recommendations from this Board). Pretty much all of my

shots are up on my Flickr, as posted in my non-reporting trip report in this thread:

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/69484-photos-from-nye-trip-report-to-come-later/page__gopid__1099661#entry1099661

 

I'm VERY happy with the results I got, and look forward to them getting even better as

I actually learn how and when to use all of the manual controls available. 90% of the

photos were taken in straight Auto mode, with most of the rest in either Low Light,

Fireworks, or Miniature modes.

[altec123]

The S95 and G12have the same sensor and take identical quality picturess. I bought the S95, but really like the G12 and may get one as well.

[zonnk]

Just ordered one for 340 aussie dollars plus delivery from buymart. Heres the link.

 

http://buymart.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=44479&utm_source=getprice&utm_medium=cpc

[MaGiK]

Guys,

 

I have serious plan to buy a Canon S95 for my next trip in Patts in September, but i'm still a bit confuse because the SONY TX100V is great too.

 

what i want :

 

- nice picture in low light environment (Ibar, Insomnia, discos...)

- a good flash

- good video HD movies (in low light as well)

- a pocket size who fit your jean pocket (not a size bigger than S95)

 

what is better than S95 with all my restrictions ?

 

thanks !

[Slapman]

i'm not getting it !.

dpreview.com (the main men) have been raving about tis kit.

sure the hi so HD/ vid is good and then some with the low light capabilities.

but the photos suck !.

sorry.