Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

I'm a big believer in the fact that a pocket camera is most effective when you carry it -- I own a rather silly number of cameras, but the best of them is no good when it isn't there when I want to use it. My most recent pocket camera, a Sony Bloggie, is just that -- slimmer even than my iPhone -- and adds the unusual but interesting option of full-360 degree video shooting. Follow this link for a video I threw together from shots I got with this real 'pocket camera' while on vacation ... (comments encouraged, the editing of boundary-less frames is a challenge!):


Cayo Guillermo, Cuba 2011 - YouTube

Cheers,
GB

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Okay, I guess for now I'll stick with my S95 -- for me to get 1080P isn't worth an upgrade, especially since it still won't do manual focus -- and yes, I primarily use it for video, always keeping it in my pocket as a "notebook camera". But I must say that I'm quite happy how the S95 handles low-light (better than my GoPro). A couple of nights ago I used it while scouting out some back alley locations for an upcoming shoot. The clip below was shot late at night with almost no light available, and I haven't done any light & color grading -- just slapped it together with some Twixtor and a silly sound track:

Palo Alto back alley after dark (with 70s guitar jam) - YouTube

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

I don't understand why you'd want manual focus in video mode on a tiny
little pocket digicam like this. The whole point of a camera like the S100
(or S95 or S90) is the simplicity and ease with which you pull it out of a
pocket and start recording. The S100 has a dedicated video rec button
expressly for this purpose, in fact. How could you expect to change focus
on such a small little box without upsetting the shot? Or I suppose I should
be asking, if you want to be so involved as to manually change focus in video
mode, why not choose a real camera for that?

These S-series digicams are very nice for making still photos in RAW mode
with full manual control of everything, but as far as video is concerned, it's a
party camera -- due entirely to its ergonomics. For video recording on the
quick draw, it's a lot better than an iPhone. But if you want to control that
video with manual focus or whatever, these were never the right cameras
simply because they don't have the size or the shape conducive for that.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

If my real camera would fit in my pocket, I would.

Well, the way I have my S95 set up is so that the set-focus is assigned to the S function button on the back -- only need to tap it and it sets the focus -- which wouldn't upset the shot at all if implemented also for recording.

So far the workaround for me has been to quickly pause recoding, press the S button, and then resume recoding -- and then try to sew it together in post to make it look like an unbroken shot. Here's an example (yet another silly blog-video) where I go from a mid-long shot to a close up (of the beer at the end) in one "continuous" shot, using this gnarly workaround of focus-pause-focus to try keeping as much as possible in focus:

Gordon Biersch Brewery -- Palo Alto, California - YouTube

So again, to me it's a bit disappointing to have a 1080P camera yet prone to out-of-focus videos, especially in low light -- the auto-focus on the S95 (and even more so the SD4000IS) is almost useless since it often goes into a focus hunt which is even more annoying.

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

That video makes good use of the S100's built in speed ramp features.


Has anyone experienced the soft right hand side problem with the S100? I decided not to buy one after reading about it (and I'm a big S95 fan!) At least until it gets fixed.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

"The soft right hand side problem"...? Is that the rubber grip stripe thingee you're talking about here..?

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Eh? Right hand side of what, the image? Not here. I can post some samples if you like.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

The image. Apprently there's issues, DPreview has samples:
Just Posted: Canon Powershot S100 studio comparison samples: Digital Photography Review

Double check the same shot vs S95. The right side of the S95 is oodles sharper. Try it on yours to see if it has the issue. Not sure how widespread it is.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Well, it looks like the whole picture is sharper on the 95, but the right side is waaay out on the100.

Recall?

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

I dunno, but it might be because the S95 has slightly larger sensor and its pixels are bigger (since there are fewer of them). I for one am keeping my S95.

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Not a sensor size thing, the left side of the S100 is sharp, the right side way out of whack.

I'll trade up my S95 to an S100 (was about to) but only once this is resolved.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Looking at the A/B test you linked us, to me the S100 seems also slightly softer in the center and allover a bit more moire'ry compared to the S95. By the way, it's not only the sensor/pixel size difference, but there's also the CCD vs CMOS factor. So yes, now also I'm curious if anyone else here has the same problem with their S100.

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Here are some full-size 12mp unprocessed snapshots from my S100 (click thumbnails to embiggen). These
photos are just some quick and dirty walk-around snaps at the Randolph AFB airshow on 30 Oct 2011. Please
don't post these on DP Review, because they are not watermarked and I would rather not have them jacked.
Please don't link to them from DP Review, because I really don't need the bandwidth hit. These are .JPG only
-- I don't bother with RAW when I'm shooting from the hip -- but I can do a side by side in RAW between the
S95 and S100 if anybody's interested.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Yea, that would be super, (and also if you could find some raster pattern to shoot, i.e. to test the difference in moire between the two cameras).

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

EXIF data for all of the above:

IMG_8359
f/5
1/800
80
17mm
Spot

IMG_8364
f/4
1/160
80
5mm
Spot

IMG_8400
f/4
1/1250
160
12mm
Eval

IMG_8409
f/4
1/800
100
8mm
Eval

IMG_8412
f/5
1/250
80
21mm
Center

IMG_8416
f/4
1/800
80
10mm
Center

IMG-8446
f/4
1/100
160
5mm
Eval

IMG_8461
f/4
1/100
160
5mm
Eval

Shooting mode for all was Program Auto ("P" for Perfect) -- the only adjustments I made during shooting were the metering mode and focal length.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

A simple little test between the S95 and S100 -- which camera is which? Can you tell without looking at the EXIF data?

.JPG only here, but I have the RAW files if anyone is interested. Click to embiggen.

Highly unscientific... the chart was set up by eyeball, and you can tell I wasn't entirely on-axis.

The DSC Labs CamAlign was the only thing I had handy that I thought might suffice.

If you don't like the CamAlign, let me know what kind of set-up you'd like to see within reason.

Res is 6MP each, the "M1" setting which is the largest of equal size between the two cams.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

That was quick. Also very cool not telling us which is which -- that's what a A/B test is all about.

So there are definitely differences between the two -- I believe the 'B' image is shot with the S100. Although I'd like to see some graduated color chart shot at f/2 in RAW before making up my mind -- but I think I already now prefer the 'A' image (less noise, moire, etc.)

As for which is which, Chris, don't tell us just yet until Dylan makes his prediction -- I'm curious what he has to say ;^)

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Ha. Fair enough, we'll wait for Dylan. I'll shoot a Chroma DuMonde with both cams in a little while.

Both shots above were Program Auto with ISO locked at 80.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

B looks better, so my guess is that it is the S100. I tried REALLY hard to see any difference in softness on the right side of either image, and maybe, maaaybe there was an insignificant amount on B, but nothing like the problems on the DPreview units. I would be very happy with those results if B is the S100.

I think I remember DPreview saying it was a lens alignment issue. Did you see the "bad" samples there Chris?

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

The B image is from the S95 actually.

If you think it looks better, the reason for that could be the fact that it's
f/3.2 at 1/10th while the S100 image is f/4 at 1/5th -- maybe. Same focal
length for both (11mm, what they consider to be the 50mm equivalent).

I have not seen the DP Review pics -- have you looked over the airshow
pics I posted? Do any of those look soft on the right side?

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Huh!
I looked at your airshow pics, and couldn't tell any issues with them. Go look at DPreviews studio comparison, it's really surprising how bad their S100's have been on the right side. That's the reason I haven't bought one. Yours looks fine. While the B picture looked better to me, I was really only judging it based on looking at it for the S100 flaw, not any other characteristics.

Seeing some non-flaw results is making me lean back towards getting the S100 again.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Bah, the Chroma DM is awesome for video, not so much for photo. I'll try to find my Gretag Macbeth color checker instead.

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

Wow, this is kind of confusing -- so lets see; both Dylan and I thought the B image was shot with the S100, while it in fact was shot with the S95. However, I thought it was the S100 due to its moire and noise, while Dylan guessed it was the S100 because it looked "better".

In any case, Chris, it would be very nice to see an A/B color test between the two -- in RAW, low light, wide open, and equal shutter-speed. And, of course, it would also be supercool if you somehow could do a similar A/B test (again without telling us which is which) shooting a short low-light video. And then after that, we want you to stand on your head and wiggle... (sorry, I got carried away there ;^)

-- peer

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

No worries, I can conjure it up as soon as I lay my hands on that color checker.

Wide open at f/2 will be different focal lengths... S100 eq. 24mm, S95 eq. 28mm

Assuming ISO 80 is desired?

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

But partially because I thought it was ever so slightly soft on the right hand side, which is what I was looking for for the giveaway for the S100.

Shows what I know. :)

Re: Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?
 

I just picked up one of these brand new for $290 (and it's even a bit cheaper now) from an amazon vendor. Came with a 14-42mm "kit" zoom and in that configuration it's not that pocketable (large coat pocket maybe), but with the 17mm f2.8 or the 14mm (ff 28 equiv) f2.5 that changes!

Shot in a restaurant (low light environment) with it (20mm f1.7) and got really decent results with no flash (pretty good skin tones with WB set to tungsten preset.

Latest versions, E-PL3 and E-P3 take the same M4/3 lenses and offer super performance comparable to DSLR\'s, do 1920x1080i video but do cost more.