Canon PowerShot S95 vs Canon PowerShot G12

The prowess of my dedicated 'purse cam' recently reached new heights with the acquisition of Canon's new point and shoot dream boat, the PowerShot S95. I had been looking at and planning to buy the PowerShot G12---until I happened upon the S95, which completely t-boned my G12 intentions. That's not to say my decision was simple. In fact, one could make a very compelling argument that both cameras could have a fiercely defendable place amongst your collection. It's not unlike the fact that, despite the prolific existence of desktops, laptops and iPods… apparently, there is still a niche in our lives that is perfectly suited for the iPad.

My goal was to replace the horrific noise reduction and laughable control options of my archaic SD750 (circa 2004) with something that has manual control in super compact and portable form, and it was not an easy choice. Not by a long shot. The G12 has some unbelievable bonus features, and though it's obviously much smaller/lighter than my 5DmII, the S95 literally fits in my pants pocket. Even on the rare day when I don't mind sporting a pair of skinny jeans. Word.

Thus… I obsessed. I fretted about which size purse I typically carry on any given day. Would the G12 be ok in it? What about with a case? Would the larger weight drive me bonkers? Would I even notice it amidst all the other stuff that's usually in there? What if I'm riding my bike (or hitting the town)? Would the S95 be better? If I did get the G12, would it end up sitting on the shelf waiting for the call of the open road, while I make more practical and daily use of the camera that's built into my 'always with me' phone?

How would I use it? Am I ok with a wristlet, or do I really want a neck strap? Is it worth having to source my own, as even though the S95 has dual wristlet openings, they're not the right size for a standard neck strap? Do I want/need the flip out LCD screen on the G12? Should I really care that I can put a lens converter on the G12? If I find myself wanting a rig like that, wouldn't I just bring along my real gear and call it good? A hot shoe? For a personal/vacation camera?

What about long exposures? I have a mini-gorillapod from Joby that I'm wildly fond of. Like the S95, it easily fits in my pocket, or my purse. But with a minimum aperture of only f/8 and without the built in neutral density filter of the G12, could I even achieve a slow enough shutter speed in bright conditions on the S95 to bother with letting my beloved gorillapod weigh in on the decision?

As you can see… not an easy decision. Here's the skinny.

Both the G12 & the S95 cameras feature the following:

Full manual control
ISO capabilities of 8o-3200
10 megapixel capture
Slowest available shutter speed of 15 seconds
RAW + JPEG
HD Video
Digic 4 Image Processor
Hybrid Image Stabilization
Smallest available aperture of f/8
A staggering collection of 'scenes' including a built-in tilt-shift simulator (referred to as 'miniature') and fish-eye effect

I was actually told that on the inside, they're essentially the same camera (same sensor, processor, etc...). From there, they start to differ, but only slightly. And what one seems to give, the other appears to take.

G12 Highlights - $469

Faster shutter speed (up to 1/4000 compared to the S95's max of 1/1600)
Better grip (feels similar to dSLR, the S95 is really tiny in comparison)
Built-In neutral density filter (amazing!)
Flip out LCD screen
Hot shoe for external/off-camera flash
Ability to add lens converters to extend focal length up to almost 200mm
Connection for an intervalometer
Comes with a neck strap
Effective focal length of 28mm - 140mm (vs. the S95's range of 28mm - 105mm)

G12 Drawbacks

The viewfinder is a joke so I'd likely end up holding/shooting with it like a regular point and shoot anyway
At 12.4 oz, the G12 is more than twice the weight of the S95 (6 oz)
The extra weight makes it too heavy for vertical shots on my beloved gorillapod (horizontal shots are fine though...)
Maximum aperture of f/2.8 (compared to 2.0 on the S95)

S95 Highlights - $369

Crazy compact. At only 6 oz, it's less than half the weight of the G12
Because it's so light-weight, it's perfect on my mini-gorillapod, which also fits in my purse
Slightly bigger LCD screen (3") than the G12's (2.8")
Maximum aperture of f/2.0 (at the widest focal length, of course), vs. f/2.8 on the G12 (also only at wider focal ranges)

S95 Drawbacks

Maximum shutter speed of 1/1600
No built in neutral density filter to compensate for a max shutter speed of only 1/1600
There's no hotshoe/intervalometer connection
Comes with a wristlet strap only. If you prefer to wear it with a neck strap for constant access like what you'd be used to with a dSLR, you'll have to make one yourself or find one specially designed for the smaller connections of a compact point and shoot (a standard neck strap won't fit through the tiny slots, but it's worth knowing that there are in fact, two). You could have your choice of a traditional double sided-neckstrap or a singly attached lanyard style.

After crazy amounts of back and forth dialogue, here's what I based my decision on:

My main priority, next to having manual control, was compact size. I can carry the S95 in my pocket or my purse... even with my favorite little tri-pod.
When I pack my gear bag for personal/travel photos, I usually only bring two lenses: my 16-35mm f/2.8, and my most fave, the 50mm f/1.4. So I didn't feel like the extra focal length of the G12 was a necessity (though if the S95 had it, I certainly wouldn't complain)
The one feature on the G12 that gave me the greatest pause was the built-in neutral density filter. Since the minimum f/stop on both cameras is f/8, it's awesome that the G12 has both a faster maximum shutter speed and the ND filter, making it possible to shoot at wider apertures or use longer shutter speeds, even in broad daylight. I decided that if I really need ND capabilities, I could keep a snippet (or two) of a ND gel in my camera case for the rare occasion when I might want it
Even though the G12 feels like a dSLR in your hands, the viewfinder is so laughable, you really have hold it and shoot with it like a true point and shoot, so... the S95 just made more sense to me. For now. :)

Here are some shots from a recent trip to NYC, captured on the S95, all straight out of camera.

This was a test to see what kind of slow shutter speed I could get away with in a bright situation (Times Square at night is far from dark!). This was exposed at 2 seconds, f/8, ISO 80. A ND filter would've been nice in Times Square, but wasn't absolutely necessary.

Here's another long exposure in a darker area. 6 seconds, f/8, ISO 80. In this darker scene... no ND filter? No problem! (Don't you love star bursts at f/8?)

This is an example of the built-in feature called 'miniature' that mimics a tilt-shift lens. (Also available on the G12)

An example of the built-in fish-eye effect (also available on the G12). I'm not usually a fan of 'effects,' but this was fun to pull off without having to lug around my fish-eye. :)

A low-light shot. Unbelievably clean, and the color looks great. 1/30th, f/2, ISO 800

Here's the gorillapod set-up that made the long exposures (the first two sample images) possible--> I just wrapped it around one of the many street barricades nearby. (This behind the scenes image was shot with the ancient SD750 I was so anxious to replace.)

I still entertain the idea of getting the G12 to bring on once-in-a-lifetime trips (like an upcoming one we have planned for Morocco... with bright sun and lots of sand, making an ND filter look pretty attractive), but... for now, I am madly in love with the S95.

Either way, you really can't go wrong. They're both happiness in a little black box. :)