Which Digital Camera is in Your Pocket?

[Peer Landa]

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

-- peer

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

Has anyone experienced the soft right hand side problem with the S100?

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

[Dylan Couper]

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.

[Ervin Farkas]

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

Recall?

[Peer Landa]

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

[Dylan Couper]

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.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

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

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

[Chris Hurd]

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.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

I can do a side by side in RAW between the S95 and S100 if anybody's interested.

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

[Chris Hurd]

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.

[Chris Hurd]

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.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

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

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

[Chris Hurd]

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.

[Dylan Couper]

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?

[Chris Hurd]

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?