Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus XZ-1?

[stargurl78]

I am in the market for a new point and shoot camera and have narrowed it down to 3 choices - The Canon S95, Canon SX260, or Olympus XZ-1. I've always had Canon cameras in the past so I'm leaning towards one of the Canons again. Anyone have either of these 3 cameras that can share their thoughts? My biggest irritation with my current camera is the terrible picture quality in low light so I'm looking for an improvement in that area...

Thanks in advance!

 

[Karl_K]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have the s90 which is very similar to the s95.
The low light capability is awesome.
The short zoom somewhat frustrating at times.
For taking pictures inside where the longer zoom isn't a huge issue it rocks.
Reading the reviews the Olympus XZ-1 looks awesome also.
The sx260 isn't quite as good in low light as the other 2 but has more zoom for outdoor shots.

 

[yssie]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have an S95 and I love it! I got it when it came out and I'm still perfectly happy with it (I usually get camera envy and upgrade every year so, um, that's saying something ) I was originally looking at the G12 but I think I'm the sort of person who likes the idea of a DSLR more than actually owning one - if it doesn't fit in my hoodie pocket I'm not carrying it and I know it! So that left the XZ-1 and the S95. I wound up buying both and playing with them for a couple of weeks and for me the S95 was the winner, but I guess it depends on how you'd want to use it... they're both really good though!


I think w/ P&Ss a lot of brands load up on the features and widgets but I keep coming back to Canon, IMO my Canons have always done the most realistic job of capturing whatever I'm photographing - the colours match what I'm looking at IRL really well, the picture is nice and clear and detailed and there's minimal distortion at the edges... The Olympus wins on paper but I really didn't like the way it worked at high ISO - it's very contrasty and the noise reduction goes into overdrive and the *picture* looks nice and smooth and ready to print but all the fine detail is gone. I prefer the camera capture all the detail that it possibly can and I'll figure out how I want it to look for printing afterward, vs. the camera trying to taking care of that for me, if you know what I mean? The S95 keeps more detail in compression to JPEG than the XZ I think, but again it's more noisy - the XZ gives a smoother picture but you lose the detail. Despite having the option to use RAW I rarely do, actually the only thing I can think of is taking jewellery pics - it's slower and hogs disk space so how JPEGs turn out winds up being really important to me. Then there was the fact that I know my way around the basic Canon user interface pretty well at this point, and not having to re-learn every darn thing was a big plus!

I guess that's what it comes down to - ultimately they're both trying to bridge the gap between P&S and DSLR, and they both give you more control than any other P&S, but neither is at that full DIY level.. but I think the Canon is closer and since I basically want a pocketable DSLR it's my pick. I don't like that the Olympus is still trying to make things easy for me by (IMO) making the colours brighter than life and (IMO) over-smoothing out the noise and not letting me control the fact that it's doing those things... of course, if you *want* to literally point and shoot and get a pic that's basically ready to print that's different! But if that's what you're looking for then there are a lot of cameras for a whole lot less that do a better job on auto than both

S95 gripes - the battery life is pretty horrid and the macro limit is 5cm which is just pathetic (S100 is 3cm which is (IMO) not much better). And I wish it came in white or grey.


Have you been to the dpreview site? I found some interesting comparison threads when I was looking. Lensmate sells adapters for both that you can stick on the front to use filters and stuff, and I downloaded the Canon Hack Development Kit a few weeks ago (it's an open source toolkit that adds some really neat functionality) and it's AWESOME, definitely something to consider if you go the Canon route
http://www.lensmateonline.com/
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

Thanks Karl_K. While reading some of the reviews on these today, I have found similar comments to what you just posted. I think the low-light capability in the S90/S95 is more important to me than the zoom capability of the SX260. The XZ-1 does look quite awesome but I'm having a hard time considering not going with a Canon since I've been happy with them in the past... Besides its bigger than the other 2 which is another con for me.



Thanks for your detailed post Yssie!! Based on your comments and what I've been reading, I'm leaning towards not going with the XZ-1. I don't think I'll go with the SX260 either because of the problems in low light, since that is what bugs me the most about my current camera (I have the SD870 and the lens has stopped working right so it needs replacing).

Now I'm thinking I'll go with either the S95 or its successor, the S100. The S100 is actually cheaper on Amazon right now - based on the reviews, it sounds like they got a bad batch of them (problems with the lens), which appears to have been corrected.

Thank you for the info on the toolkits! I'll definitely look into those too

 

[dmz]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have a Canon S90 (since it first came out) and am very impressed with it.

If I was buying again today, I'd seriously consider the Sony DSC-RX100. It's at a price premium over the Canon S100, but everything I've read indicates that it's the compact camera to beat for low-light performance.

A fairly detailed review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx100 (last page has some conclusions)

 

[VapidLapid]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

SD950 IS. Love it

 

[yssie]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have a Canon S90 (since it first came out) and am very impressed with it.

If I was buying again today, I'd seriously consider the Sony DSC-RX100. It's at a price premium over the Canon S100, but everything I've read indicates that it's the compact camera to beat for low-light performance.

A fairly detailed review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx100 (last page has some conclusions)

I'm going to have to try one of these out.

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I absolutely would have went with the Sony RX100 if not for the price, it really seems to be the best point and shoot around from what I read. The highest I wanted to spend was $400 though, so I went with the Canon S100 (the successor to the S95). The S110 just came out but it still wasn't within my budget. I got the S100 at Best Buy for $340 and it uses the same battery as my last camera so I have a few spares already. I'm happy with the camera so far, it takes great pictures while still being nice and compact.

 

[kenny]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

The sensor is the tingie in the camera that converts light into electricity.
Every camera shopper knows that higher megapixels (aka MP) is better but few know they should be looking for the largest sensor they can afford.
A larger sensor is MUCH better and super important!!!!
The main thing that makes cameras cost $100, $1,000, $3,000 or $30,000 is not megapixel count; it's sensor size.

For diamond people I might compare MP to carat and sensor size to cut.
Everyone understand diamond size in carat, but only a few understand that how good the diamond will perform is determined by cut.
Yes other specs are important, but if you want high quality pics sensor size should be the FIRST spec you compare.

From the Wiki link below, here are the relative sizes of most sensors:



The graphic below is the many sensor sizes overlaid so their bottom left corners line up.
To get the second largest sensor called "35mm full frame" in a Nikon camera body the prices start at $2100 (with no lens) and the sensors in cellphones are so small they are not even on the chart.



Unfortunately they are not all just named thier size, like 6 mm or 7mm.
Manufacturers who developed various sizes name them by trade names which are useless for comparing sizes , like FX, Four Thirds System, DX APS-C, 1/1.7 etc.
This link has a nice chart that shows the measurements of each: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format

Why is a larger sensor better?
For a given MP a larger sensor allows each pixel itself to be larger.
A larger pixel is a larger light bucket.
A larger light bucket captures more light so the camera will have better low light performance.
A smaller sensor will have fuzzy, noisy grainy look when taking pics in low light without flash.

Here are the sensor sizes of the 3 cameras you are considering:

Canon SX260 HS sensor is 1/2.3 inch, or 6.17 x 4.55mm or a total area of 28.5 square mm
Canon S95 sensor is 1/1.7 inch, or 7.6 x 5.7 or a total area of 43.3 square mm
Olympus YZ-1 sensor os 5.8 x 7.9mmm, or a total area of 45.82 square mm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format

Bottom line: The winner for sensor size is the Olympus but the S95 is not far behind.
The SX260 loses by a landslide.

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

Wow, thanks Kenny for the explanation! When doing my research I came across similar information but I'll admit that this much of this camera talk is like a foreign language to me. I ended up going with the Canon S100 (successor to the S95) and I believe it has a slightly larger sensor than the S95. I am happy with the camera so far and it takes great pictures in low light (at least better than any camera I've owned previously). The S100 has a lot of negative reviews out there but it appears that they are mainly due to a lens error that has supposedly been corrected in cameras having a serial number starting with 42 or higher. Mine starts with 46 so I'm hoping I have no issues. The only complaint I have so far is that the battery life sucks.

 

[CaprineSun]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have the XZ-1. I bought it for the reasons Kenny mentioned to take pics of my e-ring (whenever I get it!!).

I'm well-versed on camera "talk" now after all the research I did for a P&S, but have yet been able to put it into practice. I play around with it a lot, but need to really learn all it can do.

My REAL dream P&S is Sony's latest RX-100 Has the largest sensor size of all P&S, producing practically DSLR quality pics. And, since it's a fixed lens, it truly is a P&S. Ah-Mazing! The $650 price tag before taxes is what kept me away (well, my SO kept me away LOL ) But, I WILL have that camera one day!

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I have the XZ-1. I bought it for the reasons Kenny mentioned to take pics of my e-ring (whenever I get it!!).

I'm well-versed on camera "talk" now after all the research I did for a P&S, but have yet been able to put it into practice. I play around with it a lot, but need to really learn all it can do.

My REAL dream P&S is Sony's latest RX-100 Has the largest sensor size of all P&S, producing practically DSLR quality pics. And, since it's a fixed lens, it truly is a P&S. Ah-Mazing! The $650 price tag before taxes is what kept me away (well, my SO kept me away LOL ) But, I WILL have that camera one day!

Exactly. That's the camera I wanted but I just don't use my camera enough to justify the price.

 

[dmz]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

Exactly. That's the camera I wanted but I just don't use my camera enough to justify the price.

Be happy with the S100. I have a DSLR and a bag of lenses... and when I got the S90, I stopped carrying the DSLR around as much. Don't get me wrong--a point and shoot is never going to equal a DSLR, no matter how good the sensor. The lenses are just in a different league. But a good point and shoot will be "good enough" in a lot of cases.

The price of the Sony RX100 gets you into entry-level DSLR range. Something to consider the next time you're looking.

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

Exactly. That's the camera I wanted but I just don't use my camera enough to justify the price.

Be happy with the S100. I have a DSLR and a bag of lenses... and when I got the S90, I stopped carrying the DSLR around as much. Don't get me wrong--a point and shoot is never going to equal a DSLR, no matter how good the sensor. The lenses are just in a different league. But a good point and shoot will be "good enough" in a lot of cases.

The price of the Sony RX100 gets you into entry-level DSLR range. Something to consider the next time you're looking.

Thanks dmz. I'm sure I'll be perfectly happy with the S100, I really like it so far. I've never owned a DSLR so I'm not used to anything of better quality, I've had cheaper Canon cameras in the past (and I've liked both of my previous cameras but they were terrible in low light).

 

[CaprineSun]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

Exactly. That's the camera I wanted but I just don't use my camera enough to justify the price.

Be happy with the S100. I have a DSLR and a bag of lenses... and when I got the S90, I stopped carrying the DSLR around as much. Don't get me wrong--a point and shoot is never going to equal a DSLR, no matter how good the sensor. The lenses are just in a different league. But a good point and shoot will be "good enough" in a lot of cases.

The price of the Sony RX100 gets you into entry-level DSLR range. Something to consider the next time you're looking.

I know you didn't address me, but I thought about this, too. But the whole reason I want a P&S is for the portability, convenience (don't want to have to carry around lenses), yet still able to take AWESOME (close to DSLR-quality) pics. Sony RX100 finally does ALL of this-- especially for pro shooters who have DSLRs and the regular P&S don't satisfy them enough.

Not saying one has to buy the Sony, but if one is searching for the absolute best P&S money can buy, this is IT, at the moment. The other P&S simply don't hold a candle.

I mean, check these out... can you believe those images came from a P&S?! Wow!
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/08/08/the-sony-rx100-shoots-seal-in-concert-by-barry-burris/

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/07/26/the-sony-rx100-digital-camera-review/

It will be even better when the price goes down.

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Anyone have a Canon S95 or SX260 camera? Or an Olympus X

I know you didn't address me, but I thought about this, too. But the whole reason I want a P&S is for the portability, convenience (don't want to have to carry around lenses), yet still able to take AWESOME (close to DSLR-quality) pics. Sony RX100 finally does ALL of this-- especially for pro shooters who have DSLRs and the regular P&S don't satisfy them enough.

Not saying one has to buy the Sony, but if one is searching for the absolute best P&S money can buy, this is IT, at the moment. The other P&S simply don't hold a candle.

I mean, check these out... can you believe those images came from a P&S?! Wow!
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/08/08/the-sony-rx100-shoots-seal-in-concert-by-barry-burris/

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/07/26/the-sony-rx100-digital-camera-review/

It will be even better when the price goes down.

It really does take amazing photos. Too bad I'm cheap