Canon Powershot S95 review

At its heart is a 10 megapixel 1/1.7in CCD sensor that is virtually identical to the S90’s. It’s a High Sensitivity (HS) variety which, combined with the S95’s DiGiC 4 processor and the lens’s large f/2.0 aperture, enables it to perform remarkably well in poor lighting conditions. It can record images in both RAW and JPEG format and supports a range of ISOs from 80 to 3200 in 1/3 stop increments.

It produces very usable images at up to ISO 1600 in both RAW and JPEG, with the RAW files being slightly crisper. Colours do start to shift a little at ISO 1600, but the images are still packed full of detail with minimal banding. Above ISO 1600, photos adopt a very muddy appearance so we’d recommend avoiding higher sensitivities because of this.

Obviously, the S95’s main competitor at the moment is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 and it’s a very close-run contest between the two. The S95’s JPEGs are much cleaner than the LX5’s, but as soon as you shoot in RAW, the two are difficult to tell apart. There’s less barrel distortion on the LX5’s RAW files, so we’d give it a slight edge. What’s more, the LX5’s video mode is much more advanced, allowing auto-focus and zoom during recording – something that the S95 cannot do.

The S95’s benefit is its size though and that’s an area where the Panasonic simply can’t compete. If size is important, the S95 is the way to go because it effortlessly slips into your trouser pocket. At over £300 though, it’s not a camera for everyone, but it is a little cheaper than the LX5. Both are excellent cameras, but we prefer the LX5’s added flexibility over the S95’s size advantage.