In last month’s issue, we mentioned the idea of having a back-up camera as part of a photographic kit in the Photography Primer. We’re sticking with that; it’s a great idea, and finding the right pocket camera to stick in the photography bag with all your other stuff will add a lot of versatility to your photography. And here is the perfect candidate… the Canon Powershot S100.

But this camera isn’t just a great back-up device for the serious photographer. It is an extremely powerful pocket camera that will serve anyone very well, regardless of their skill level. In fact, a little experimentation with this camera by less experienced photographers will result not only in great photos, but also in development of their skills.

See, while the S100 is small, its diminutive size belies its excellent features and tool set. Right off the bat, the specs look impressive, starting out with a chunky 12.1 megapixel image size. This large size means that the photographs taken can be used for anything from internet galleries through to high quality physical prints. But image size pales in comparison to the capabilities that this device offers.

Take, for example, the ISO range it provides… from 80 right through to 6400. That’s a huge range, making the camera useful in almost any light conditions. In addition, its aperture range goes from f8 through to f2. Ok, we may have liked a bit of a smaller hole at the top of the f stop range, but that f2 tempts one into shooting images with a beautifully reduced depth of field. The shutter speed ranges from 15 seconds through to 1/2000, which adds a whole bunch of extra options when it comes to lighting conditions and final effects. Anyone in the know will be able to tell you that this camera is not only versatile, but capable of some very quick snaps… from lowlight to high speed, this one can do almost anything.

Here’s the real beauty, though… it offers fully manual shooting, meaning that this tiny pocket camera can do almost anything a big DSLR can do. The small size means that the controls have had to be consolidated somewhat, but even though setting up a manual shot may take a little longer than doing so with a DSLR, it still is surprisingly easy to do. The preview on the S100’s 3 inch LCD screen also adjusts according to the settings, which means the photographer has a fairly accurate preview of the exposure levels of the image.

This camera has a host of other features that make it a good option for almost anyone, including high speed burst, HD video recording and numerous presets. It is, in short, a very impressive device. The only real downer here is that the zoom function is fairly limited at 5x. But that’s no dealbreaker when considering everything else that this little beauty has to offer.

Small on size and big on capabilities, the Canon Powershot S100 is a truly excellent pocket camera… even the most hard-core DSLR fan would be well impressed by what this pocket rocket can do.

Verdict:

A truly amazing pocket camera!

 PROS:

• Tiny
• Powerful
• Fast

CONS:

• You can’t change the lens
• Limited zoom

Manufacturer: Canon
Distributor: Canon
Online: www.canon.com

TECH SPECS:

• 12.1 megapixel
• Full manual mode
• 5x Zoom
• 80 – 6400 ISO
• 3” LCD screen