Is the Canon S120 worth a punt?

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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Just wondering, is the Canon S120 worth a punt at £186. As a cheap throw in the back pocket and take anywhere camera? Or is the sensor size still a little too small, for a decent image quality ?

PS
Hard to believe this camera was once about £450 I think..
 
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I have the earlier S100 and it can produce excellent results
The best things are the small size, and takes RAW + quite good video too.
 
Not had mine too long so take these few thoughts so far for what they are.

Max red is 4000 x 3000px so not bad for decent print sizes when I get round to any.

Need to keep below ISO 800 to reduce the need to cope with noise if the exposure is a tad off.

Controls wise has as much flexibility as most grade dSLRs

Video is IMO as good as I need.

One negative is battery life, as an LCD only camera battery life is poor, needs charging every day though in storage "loss" is very low. Also a minor niggle, you have to remove it to charge it rather than insitu.
 
Box Brownie said:
Not had mine too long so take these few thoughts so far for what they are.

Max red is 4000 x 3000px so not bad for decent print sizes when I get round to any.

Need to keep below ISO 800 to reduce the need to cope with noise if the exposure is a tad off.

Controls wise has as much flexibility as most grade dSLRs

Video is IMO as good as I need.

One negative is battery life, as an LCD only camera battery life is poor, needs charging every day though in storage "loss" is very low. Also a minor niggle, you have to remove it to charge it rather than insitu.
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I thought many would see that as a plus, me included. Spare battery on charge, while using the camera?
 
You know I just might go into John Lewis tomorrow, and see if I like the feel it gives me. Worth a try at that price :)
 
Wonder if the Canon S120 will fit in with my feeble meagre line up? I have the Fuji X10 good image quality, but not pocketable so rarely goes out with me. I also have the Panasonic TZ55, crap image quality but good zoom, only take it to the park, to zoom in on wild life. Just wondering, if the Canon S120 is the stay in the pocket and always gets taken out camera :thinking:
 
I have a S110, but basically the same idea, they don't quite have the image quality of the 1 inch sensor compacts but they are pretty good for what they are, especially when you aren't paying alot for it.

I try and take mine everywhere, especially as it has WI-FI so I can easily share photos instantly using my phone, and thus it does allow me to get 'of the moment' shots I wouldn't have got with just my phone - such as:

https://instagram.com/p/46qm-GviAX/?taken-by=stumeech
 
The only downside is that since I got the S100 I rarely use the 5D with £1500 worth of lenses :(
 
stumeech said:
I have a S110, but basically the same idea, they don't quite have the image quality of the 1 inch sensor compacts but they are pretty good for what they are, especially when you aren't paying alot for it.

I try and take mine everywhere, especially as it has WI-FI so I can easily share photos instantly using my phone, and thus it does allow me to get 'of the moment' shots I wouldn't have got with just my phone - such as:

https://instagram.com/p/46qm-GviAX/?taken-by=stumeech
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Just I have the Panasonic TZ compact it fits in a pocket with ease, but images are very poor. If the Canon S120 image quality is a lot better, I will get one. :)



4wd said:
The only downside is that since I got the S100 I rarely use the 5D with £1500 worth of lenses :(
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So image quality is reasonably good, or it's simply easy to carry about ? :rolleyes:
 
had a S95 for a few years - usually goes everywhere with us .... very pocketable, pretty tough, has the settings you need and takes very good images

presumably the S120 is better.

1/60 sec at f2.5
obviously a shot taken quickly as I could,t wait to get started

Oysters.jpg
 
BillN_33 said:
had a S95 for a few years - usually goes everywhere with us .... very pocketable, pretty tough, has the settings you need and takes very good images

presumably the S120 is better.

1/60 sec at f2.5
obviously a shot taken quickly as I could,t wait to get started

Oysters.jpg
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The colours look pretty good, I'm assuming the S120 should be similar. Was going to go to John Lewis, but it's started to rain. Will pop in tomorrow and have nosey.

Thanks for that :)
 
I have an S90 and I was never THAT happy with the IQ, great for a compact but not up to critical viewing - the lens just wasn't good enough, don't know if that's changed over the iterations.

Also I ended up shooting jpg most of the time as the latitude in the raws wasn't that great - don't think that's changed much.

Super tough though, it's taken a beating (it's my scuba underwater camera, in a housing) and the paint is all worn but it still works fine.
 
Nawty said:
I have an S90 and I was never THAT happy with the IQ, great for a compact but not up to critical viewing - the lens just wasn't good enough, don't know if that's changed over the iterations.

Also I ended up shooting jpg most of the time as the latitude in the raws wasn't that great - don't think that's changed much.

Super tough though, it's taken a beating (it's my scuba underwater camera, in a housing) and the paint is all worn but it still works fine.
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So long as I can get decent images of the family with it, I will be happy. I have not got anything pocketable that takes a decent image. I have a Panasonic TZ, while it's pocketable, absolute crap image quality, and that's down to the silly diddy sensor :confused:
 
Went into John Lewis this morning, with my cash in my pocket. I was really excited to be getting my hands on the little S120. I parked outside the City Centre and walked the rest of the way in, it took me ages but it was going to be worth it. Finally got there to be told non in, so walked all the way back to the car. Drove across the city to Currys, only to be told they had non in also ! Yes I know it was my fault, I should have rung up before I set off!

I was told by both stores I could order one online, but somehow my stuff always seems to go missing!

I think the moment has gone :(
 
S100 and 5D3 owner. As with others love its combination of small size, RAW photography and manual controls. Handling is nice with the ring adjustment as well.
Genuinely fits in my jean pocket along with my phone, which is exactly what I wanted.

Every time I go out and don't have to 5D3 with me I will look at a 100% crop from the S100 and be a bit disappointed as the output is a bit grainy and struggles at ISO 800 or higher, but then again I balance that off against whether I want to lug round 1.5kg+ of SLR when I go on a weekend away. If I'm going primarily to take photos then I'll take the 5D3, if I'm going to have fun and maybe take a few snaps then S100.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
you can order online JL and pick up in store
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thats probably what I should have done from the start.

Thorburn said:
S100 and 5D3 owner. As with others love its combination of small size, RAW photography and manual controls. Handling is nice with the ring adjustment as well.
Genuinely fits in my jean pocket along with my phone, which is exactly what I wanted.

Every time I go out and don't have to 5D3 with me I will look at a 100% crop from the S100 and be a bit disappointed as the output is a bit grainy and struggles at ISO 800 or higher, but then again I balance that off against whether I want to lug round 1.5kg+ of SLR when I go on a weekend away. If I'm going primarily to take photos then I'll take the 5D3, if I'm going to have fun and maybe take a few snaps then S100.
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That's what I wanted it for, it's small compact size.

I will see how I feel, just feels a little bit like an omen. It was the same when I bought the XF1, had one job tracking one down, only for it to die on me! I wonder if something is telling me, don't but one :confused:
 
I picked up an s110 a couple of months back and just got rid of it. Disappointed in the quality of the images. They seemed to still have a whiff of the small sensor appearance. I had one of the original Ricoh GRD cameras that had a slightly better look. The main issue I had with it was just general usability. Wanted a small pocketable camera but I guess that just isn't possible without some compromises and the compromise for me meant I rarely caught the moment I was hoping to capture because it was busy thinking.
 
adrianlambert said:
I picked up an s110 a couple of months back and just got rid of it. Disappointed in the quality of the images. They seemed to still have a whiff of the small sensor appearance. I had one of the original Ricoh GRD cameras that had a slightly better look. The main issue I had with it was just general usability. Wanted a small pocketable camera but I guess that just isn't possible without some compromises and the compromise for me meant I rarely caught the moment I was hoping to capture because it was busy thinking.
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:confused: Crumbs, not looking good.
 
Possibly sounds worse than it is as lots of people are happy with them. I like candid pics of my family and this wasn't cutting it. Posed pics for social media, fine. IQ not vastly better than my iPhone though so even that seemed kind of pointless. I have an ageing Samsung NX200 which has really great IQ. Too big to be comfortable in a pocket even with a small prime lens though. Also miss most moments with that too but at least the pics look good enough.
 
adrianlambert said:
Possibly sounds worse than it is as lots of people are happy with them. I like candid pics of my family and this wasn't cutting it. Posed pics for social media, fine. IQ not vastly better than my iPhone though so even that seemed kind of pointless. I have an ageing Samsung NX200 which has really great IQ. Too big to be comfortable in a pocket even with a small prime lens though. Also miss most moments with that too but at least the pics look good enough.
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Must admit I do like the images from my X10, just not pocketable :(
 
jonbeeza said:
:confused: Crumbs, not looking good.
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Maybe an RX100 then? Fast, small, great IQ even at ISO 3200.

I know I've been banging on about the RX100 a lot lately but It's unbelievable for any camera, let alone one its size.

Mk1 for £240.
 
odd jim said:
Maybe an RX100 then? Fast, small, great IQ even at ISO 3200.

I know I've been banging on about the RX100 a lot lately but It's unbelievable for any camera, let alone one its size.

Mk1 for £240.
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So for a measly £54 more, I could have so much more quality :thinking: hmm
 
jonbeeza said:
So for a measly £54 more, I could have so much more quality :thinking: hmm
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And also a lot more camera.....physically. There's a cost/benefit analysis to be done. The S120 gives great images in a very compact body. Also a great camera to use - zone focussing is especially easy to set up on the custom button. Also easy to set up the step zoom so you can instantly have a 35mm camera, or a 80mm. And don't forget that lovely touch screen!
The physical difference is noticeable - I have both cameras and know which I prefer to carry in my pocket.........
 
davek said:
And also a lot more camera.....physically. There's a cost/benefit analysis to be done. The S120 gives great images in a very compact body. Also a great camera to use - zone focussing is especially easy to set up on the custom button. Also easy to set up the step zoom so you can instantly have a 35mm camera, or a 80mm. And don't forget that lovely touch screen!
The physical difference is noticeable - I have both cameras and know which I prefer to carry in my pocket.........
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The S120 is better than the RX100 ? :thinking:
 
I dont normally post stuff from here but this is bang on (RX100 mk 1 vs s120).

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-S120-vs-Sony-Cybershot-DSC-RX100

And price wise for the mk1, its now £240 while stocks last.

It does say the s120 has "better light sensitivity" but thats because the iso can be set higher (if its true ISO I dont know) but the RX100 knocks the socks off it for actual high ISO performance.

This gives you strengths and weaknesses over both, so might be worth a look;

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/sony/rx100/vs/canon/s120/

But for its image quality / price / pocketability you can't beat the RX100.
 
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odd jim said:
Er, nope, not by a long shot :)
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I knew the Sony had to be better, better sensor and all that :)


odd jim said:
I dont normally post stuff from here but this is bang on (RX100 mk 1 vs s120).

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-S120-vs-Sony-Cybershot-DSC-RX100

And price wise for the mk1, its now £240 while stocks last.

It does say the s120 has "better light sensitivity" but thats because the iso can be set higher (if its true ISO I dont know) but the RX100 knocks the socks off it for actual high ISO performance.
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I really will have to go and have a nosey at the Sony :) ta
 
For me the RX100 was the best compromise to the DSLR and I bought it specifically for a 7 week expedition later this year where I didn't want the weight of my DSLR. The only 'compact' that came close to consideration (based on IQ and overall performance) was the very good Canon G7x, but the RX100 won for IQ, and the mk 1 was over half the price of the Canon (and I didn't need the bells and whisltes of the mk 2 and 3).
 
jonbeeza said:
The S120 is better than the RX100 ? :thinking:
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No, I didn't say that. In IQ terms the RX100 wins. But if you want a high quality, capable and very compact camera the Canon wins the prize....
 
davek said:
No, I didn't say that. In IQ terms the RX100 wins. But if you want a high quality, capable and very compact camera the Canon wins the prize....
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OK thanks, I will have a look at both when I pop in the shop (y)

Provided they have both cameras in.
 
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davek said:
No, I didn't say that. In IQ terms the RX100 wins. But if you want a high quality, capable and very compact camera the Canon wins the prize....
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To answer the OP's question is the Canon S120 worth a punt? Answer: Not while the RX100 exists! The S120 may be fractionally smaller but that is the only advantage it brings. The S120 really isn't a contender when priced so closely to an Rx100 mk1
 
The S120 has 5x zoom compared to Sony 3x zoom, it's not a lot though and you might often do a crop at processing - considering the larger sensor they'll be similar in this department.
The option of higher video frame rate on S120 is also a decent feature for fast action.
 
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Brazo said:
To answer the OP's question is the Canon S120 worth a punt? Answer: Not while the RX100 exists! The S120 may be fractionally smaller but that is the only advantage it brings. The S120 really isn't a contender when priced so closely to an Rx100 mk1
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Other advantages:
WiFi
Excellent touch screen - great for changing focus during videos
Brilliant manual focus implementation means very easy hyperfocal - can be saved to Custom setting so always available.
Useful step zoom function means camera can start up at chosen focal length eg 35mm
Generally better skin tones than RX100
Cheaper
Starts up and shuts down much more quickly
Be hard pushed to see an IQ difference in 95% of daylight photos without serious pixel peeping
The dimension difference may seem "fractional" on paper but the physical difference is marked

And it's just a very sexy little thing(-;
 
davek said:
Other advantages:
WiFi
Excellent touch screen - great for changing focus during videos
Brilliant manual focus implementation means very easy hyperfocal - can be saved to Custom setting so always available.
Useful step zoom function means camera can start up at chosen focal length eg 35mm
Generally better skin tones than RX100
Cheaper
Starts up and shuts down much more quickly
Be hard pushed to see an IQ difference in 95% of daylight photos without serious pixel peeping
The dimension difference may seem "fractional" on paper but the physical difference is marked

And it's just a very sexy little thing(-;
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Most of these I don't see as advantages (the OP might though), but while the S120 is a good little compact;

- A touch screen has always been a no no on a camera for me, while it has its uses, I always accidentally change things with my nose!
- the skins tones are pretty much null and void shooting raw, but I've not noticed anything wrong about the RX100 skin tones?
- start up and shut down on the RX100 is pretty much instant, but I've never seen that as a plus point on any camera, they are all pretty decent these days.
- IQ, you can see a marked difference in IQ between the S120 and the RX100, the RX100 is far, far better IMO and why I purchased one. The S120 still has the air of compact about it, while the RX100 output could easily be any of my Canon APS-C cameras its that good (in fact, the high ISO beats a lot of my APS-C stuff from 1600 +). After I had seen the RX100 files even the Canon g7x got pushed out of the equation :)
- wifi is only really useful for controlling it with the app. When I do have battery life on my iphone I find controlling my 6d with it a little clunky. Personally I don't use it on my 6d.

The RX100 is in a different league to all other compacts IMO.
 
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