Low-light P&S?

Love my S100, ISO3200 is impressive for a P&S! I also played around with the ELPH 100HS that I got for my parents, it is very good as well. Basically any of the new Canon "HS" cameras with the CMOS sensor are much better at high ISO than any previous P&S with CCD (with the exception of S95/G11/G12).

Loving my S95. Good results up to 1600 ISO. Its f/2 lens at the widest end is an advantage. I'm reading the S100 is even better.

S100Mike - The S100 is quite a "nice device", well on the way to being adequate. What kills it for some, including a couple of my friends here - is the lack of a viewfinder and no AAs-power. Having just a tiny 200-shot Li-Ion - and no chance of "buying a pack of AA-Alkaines" when it runs out of power-pack after a couple of hours stills-only shooting, doesn't endear it to some.

Of course, only being able to 'aim' with the LCD running doesn't help that little Li-Ion's endurance - it might do 500+ shots on EVF-only - if it had one.

Pricing in other places - particularly the US - differs from here (Sydney) - so the S100 might there be seen as a cheap backup or add-on to another camera. At AUD$469.00 it certainly isn't seen as "cheap", here.

Particularly when alternatives are studied. If a Viewfinder, more functions, and up to 1,000 shots (also with a Li-Ion) - for not much over 20% more than an S100, seems desirable - the $569.00 G12 is "rather more device" than the $469.00 S100.

The G12 is claimed to do only 370 shots using the LCD - but up to 1,000 on Viewfinder, stills-only. For only $100.00 difference - $85.00, a friend found, bargaining at a store - the G12 does seem to be hugely more value-for-money over a $469.00 S100...

Also, the G12 will hold resale value much better than the S100....

That said - in places where an S100 can be had for $250.00, but a G12 costs over $400.00 - the pricing gap is a lot wider, and for $250.00 an S100 is probably an affordable accessory alongside a bulkier SX40 - or DSLR.

Regards, Dave.

I have yet to see it mentioned but my SX40 does great in low light at 3200 ISO. Used it at my daughter's band recital in a dark auditorium. Was very impressed. I'd say it was darn close to my 5DII, and I hate to say that knowing there's $2k difference in price.

exwintech wrote in post #13830510
S100Mike - The S100 is quite a "nice device", well on the way to being adequate. What kills it for some, including a couple of my friends here - is the lack of a viewfinder and no AAs-power. Having just a tiny 200-shot Li-Ion - and no chance of "buying a pack of AA-Alkaines" when it runs out of power-pack after a couple of hours stills-only shooting, doesn't endear it to some.

Of course, only being able to 'aim' with the LCD running doesn't help that little Li-Ion's endurance - it might do 500+ shots on EVF-only - if it had one.

Pricing in other places - particularly the US - differs from here (Sydney) - so the S100 might there be seen as a cheap backup or add-on to another camera. At AUD$469.00 it certainly isn't seen as "cheap", here.

Particularly when alternatives are studied. If a Viewfinder, more functions, and up to 1,000 shots (also with a Li-Ion) - for not much over 20% more than an S100, seems desirable - the $569.00 G12 is "rather more device" than the $469.00 S100.

The G12 is claimed to do only 370 shots using the LCD - but up to 1,000 on Viewfinder, stills-only. For only $100.00 difference - $85.00, a friend found, bargaining at a store - the G12 does seem to be hugely more value-for-money over a $469.00 S100...

Also, the G12 will hold resale value much better than the S100....

That said - in places where an S100 can be had for $250.00, but a G12 costs over $400.00 - the pricing gap is a lot wider, and for $250.00 an S100 is probably an affordable accessory alongside a bulkier SX40 - or DSLR.

Regards, Dave.

I agree on most accounts to what you are saying. To me I find when people complain about spending a few bucks more, that is totally on you. I have 3 Batteries for my S100, so when I get Vincent Laforet Happy, I have all the power I need. G12 is awesome and have owned one. IQ was close to the S100 but S100 was better.

There will always be compromises in Camera development to achieve smallish size in a camera body. I will take less battery life to have 1080p and f2 and something that fits in my pocket like my iPhone 4S

tkbslc wrote in post #13822112
Until you zoom in.... f5.9 at telephoto.

Oly,Lx5 mat have a brighter lens at the long end of things, but low noise they do not come close to the S line. Jpeg smearing.. Ill pass.

Whatever works for you.

S100Mike - Indeed, for some, camera size is critical - but should that mean that they can't have all the basic functions?

As engineering-items - the S90-95-100 series seems to have no direct competitors at that quality-level, for the package-size.

But the low-price Canon A1200 does have a viewfinder - I've tried using my godson's one - "rather cute", at the $95.00 price here, for what it can actually do. For stills of anything moving, or video - while the viewfinder isn't exactly DSLR-style (how many on P&S cameras are, though?) - those things are far easier to do with the viewfinder, and get better results.

For an S100 at about 5 times the A1200's (Sydney) price - couldn't it have a somewhat better quality viewfinder, fitted-in as compactly as the A1200's? It would seem that Canon would sell a lot more of them if it had one....

It's interesting that you need 3 x power-packs for your S100 - if it had a 4 x AAs option - use Eneloops, and the viewfinder if it had one - and you'd likely get the 600 stills shots your 3 x power-packs get you - from 1 set... My older design SX10 gets 550-600 from 1 set of 4 Eneloops, stills only.

Here, S100 power-packs, NB-5L, are AUD$80.00 - so a couple of those as spares would put the AUD$469.00 S100 up to $629.00....

Even at our prices here - one can buy a Pentax K-R DSLR with 18-55mm kit lens, for $635.00.

And yes, that does have a viewfinder - and optionally can run on 4 x AAs...

Just teasing - obviously a different sort of device! But - at the prices we pay here for "trendy" cameras like the S100 - it IS a comparison folk here tend to make.

Oh? AUD$80.00 (USD$86.09) for an NB-5L - when they're about $40.00 in the US?

See pic...

Regards, Dave.

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This is an easy one, the Canon S100 is BY FAR the best P&S when it comes to good results at high ISO. I took it around with me on a trip to Europe and did most of my shooting at night. Results are pretty incredible and I can finally say that a P&S can give high ISO results equivalent to some good DSLR's of a few years back. I would rate my 3200 ISO pictures on my S100 to be as good or better than the 20D. Now if you consider a G series a P&S camera, then the G1X seems to be even more impressive and give results equal to a 40D or better at high ISO. Nothing comes close to the compactness of the S100 though. All my friends are simply amazed at the quality of the images, especially when they see the size of the camera.

spear wrote in post #13836009
This is an easy one, the Canon S100 is BY FAR the best P&S when it comes to good results at high ISO. I took it around with me on a trip to Europe and did most of my shooting at night. Results are pretty incredible and I can finally say that a P&S can give high ISO results equivalent to some good DSLR's of a few years back. I would rate my 3200 ISO pictures on my S100 to be as good or better than the 20D. Now if you consider a G series a P&S camera, then the G1X seems to be even more impressive and give results equal to a 40D or better at high ISO. Nothing comes close to the compactness of the S100 though. All my friends are simply amazed at the quality of the images, especially when they see the size of the camera.

It is quite an impressive camera, as I will comment a lot about it. I had a G12, Nikon P7000 and an older Sony and it out performed all of them..

It's Good!!!

S95, and S100

Canon just announced their newest Elph and A lines, all but the D20 sporting the digic5 and better backlit cmos

2x S95.

Nikon p310: I bought it exclusively for low light photos as it has aperture of 1.8 on wide 24 mm end. Also, while its sensor is smaller, it utilizes backlight and doesn't require as much light as conventional ones. There are samples:

These are S95 pix of Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule, earlier this month in Louisville.
Shot at ISO 1600-2000

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Two more from the S95. Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule. Shot at ISO 1600-2000

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