Canon S120 Review

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Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Canon PowerShot S120
Resolution:	12.10 Megapixels
Sensor size:	1/1.7 inch (7.6mm x 5.7mm)
Lens:	5.00x zoom (24-120mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	No / LCD
Native ISO:	80 - 12,800
Extended ISO:	80 - 12,800
Shutter:	1/2500 - 250 sec
Max Aperture:	1.8
Dimensions:	3.9 x 2.3 x 1.1 in. (100 x 59 x 29 mm)
Weight:	7.7 oz (217 g) includes batteries
MSRP:	$450
Availability:	10/2013
Manufacturer:	Canon
Full specs:	Canon S120 specifications

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12.10 Megapixels	5.00x zoom	1/1.7 inch size sensor

Canon S120 Review -- Now Shooting

Overview by Mike Tomkins
Preview posted: 08/22/2013

Field Tests by Eamon Hickey:
01/15/2014: A Capable Little Companion for the Big City
09/22/2014: Wi-Fi, capable lens and special features

The Canon S120 is here, and it seems Canon was listening to us when they made it. A followup to the Canon S110 which we reviewed in March of last year, the PowerShot S120 looks to answer at least half of our main concerns about the earlier model.

The 12.1-megapixel Canon S120 retains a pocket-friendly body very similar to that of its predecessor. As with that model, it's aimed at enthusiasts who want a larger sensor than the typical compact, but who don't need all the bells and whistles of a G-series camera. Changes include a new image sensor, brighter lens, faster DIGIC 6 image processor, higher-res LCD, refined Wi-Fi feature set, new battery pack, and slightly better battery life. The PowerShot S120 also has a brand new body with a dual-textured front panel, and a slightly smaller rear thumb grip.

Size and weight of the Canon S120 are increased only slightly over those of the S110. Although the rear-panel control layout is unchanged, the buttons are a bit more tightly packed in, though. The reason: a larger bezel around the LCD, which also now protrudes somewhat from the rear deck, where the S110 was smooth. That's likely the main reason for a modest increase in depth. Two other physical changes of note: the stereo microphone and monaural speaker have both moved to the top deck, and the popup flash now has a manual release on the left side of the camera body.

Probably the key change is the new DIGIC 6 image processor. In concert with the new backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor -- which has the same size and effective resolution as in the earlier camera -- the Canon S120 is now capable of shooting with focus and exposure locked for five frames at a manufacturer-specified rate of 12.1 frames per second, before slowing to 9.4 fps (in the lab, the S120 managed 11.8 fps before it slowed to 9.2). Enable autofocus, and you'll still manage 5.5 fps, a huge improvement from the sedate 1.8 fps we measured for the S110.

And DIGIC 6 doesn't just improve burst-shooting performance. Canon also predicts better noise performance, and a 50% increase in autofocus speed, another area in which the earlier S110 lagged the competition. Throw in a new 60 fps Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode where the S110 topped out at 24 fps, and the switch to DIGIC 6 looks to be huge news. (If you preferred the film-like feel of 24p video, you may mourn its loss, but there is at least still a 30p mode.)

Canon has also updated the PowerShot S120's 5x optical zoom lens. Although the actual and equivalent focal length range are unchanged -- you'll find everything from a generous 24mm wide angle to a modest 120mm telephoto, in 35mm-equivalents -- the Canon S120's lens is now brighter across the whole range. It's not a night and day difference, but you should find the new f/1.8 to f/5.7 optic makes it easier to shoot in low light than did the old f/2.0 to f/5.9 lens. It'll also be somewhat easier to isolate your subject from the background with depth-of-field blur, although this isn't really a strong point of any small-sensor compact.

Like its predecessor, the Canon PowerShot S120 has a 3.0-inch LCD with a capacitive touch screen. (That's the same type used in most smartphones, and is far more sensitive than the resistive types used on some older or less expensive cameras.) However, the monitor's dot count has doubled from 461k dots to 922k dots. That equates to approximately 640 x 480 pixels, with each pixel made up of separate red, green, and blue dots. The increase should make viewing images on the S120 a much more pleasant experience, which is good news, given that it lacks an optical viewfinder.

Another area which we singled out for improvement in the S110 -- and in which Canon has responded -- is Wi-Fi. The Canon S120 retains the wireless networking connectivity of its predecessor, but initial setup of the Wi-Fi connection has been made easier, and there's no longer any requirement to install software on your computer. Canon's CameraWindow app for iOS and Android devices also now supports landscape orientation, as well as Android tablets. You'll still need to use the Canon iMAGE GATEWAY service to get your images and movies onto social networking sites, but the process should be more streamlined than it was in the past. You can also print directly via Wi-Fi to Canon's PIXMA MG7120 or MG5220 Wireless Photo All-in-One printers. [Read more about hands-on use of the S120's Wi-Fi features in our Field Test part II.]

Canon has added several new shooting modes to the PowerShot S120. The Star mode offers Star Nightscape, Star Trails, and Star Time-lapse Movie options, which do pretty-much what you'd think: the first exposes for sharply-defined stars behind a landscape, the second blurs them into star trails, and the third creates a video showing star motion across the sky. A Background Defocus mode aims to supplement the lens' depth-of-field blur for better subject isolation. There's also a handheld High Dynamic Range mode which takes multiple shots and boosts dynamic range, and a Smart Auto mode that recognizes -- and configures the camera for -- 58 different scene types. And of course, there's a popup flash for when you need to throw a little more light onto your subject.

We also had concerns about battery life of the PowerShot S110, and the new Canon S120 brings an improvement in this area too, albeit a fairly modest one. Where the earlier camera could manage 200 shots on a charge, Canon claims 230 shots from the S120. Enable ECO Mode, and you should be able to stretch this to a more reasonable 300 shots. There is, however, a new NB-6LH battery pack -- so if you're upgrading from the S110 you won't be able to use your existing batteries.

The Canon PowerShot 120 stores images on Secure Digital cards, including the higher-capacity SDHC and SDXC types, as well as the higher-speed UHS-I types. Connectivity includes standard-def composite and high-def Mini (Type C) HDMI video outputs, plus a USB 2.0 data port which also doubles as a standard-def composite A/V output.

Available from October 2013, the Canon S120 is priced at US$450 and comes only in black.

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Canon S120 Field Test Part I

A Capable Little Companion for the Big City

by Eamon Hickey | 01/15/2014

The opportunity to shoot with the Canon PowerShot S120 gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with a line of premium compact cameras I've liked ever since I reviewed my first S-series PowerShot, the S45, way back in 2002. In that bygone world Facebook wasn't even a dream and the iPhone and Instagram were still years in the future. The new PowerShot S120 is chock full of features for the modern world of 2013, but I'm happy to say that the basic idea of its predecessors -- a very compact, well-built camera with advanced features -- survives unchanged.

The Canon PowerShot S120 manages the nice trick of being very compact and lightweight while still feeling very solidly built, with a premium fit and finish. On three different days, I carried the camera around New York City on foot and by bicycle, and it fit easily in a jacket pocket. I don't typically carry cameras in my pants pockets, but if you do, the PowerShot S120 is small enough to do so comfortably. It's not much different than carrying a smartphone.

Read Field Test Part I for Eamon's thoughts on size, handling, controls and performance.

Canon S120 Field Test Part I

Canon S120 Field Test Part II

Wi-Fi, capable lens and special features

by Eamon Hickey | 05/30/2014

Smartphones are dramatically undercutting the compact camera market and a large part of their appeal is the easy connectivity they offer to all those things, like Facebook and Instagram, that didn’t exist when I reviewed the PowerShot S45 a little over a decade ago. In the last year, it’s become crystal clear that the camera companies know they need to get their cameras connected, so I was especially interested in trying out the new, improved Wi-Fi functions of the Canon PowerShot S120, which Canon is prominently promoting.

I delved into the Canon PowerShot S120’s Wi-Fi system as soon as I got the camera unpacked. It consists mainly of a control interface on the camera -- kind of an overarching app -- which lets you set up (and easily recall later) various destinations for your photos. These could be services like Facebook and Flickr, or Android and iOS devices like your smartphone or tablet. The camera can connect to Wi-Fi networks and send images directly to a service like Flickr (routed through an online portal called Canon iMAGE GATEWAY) or it can connect to your smartphone (or tablet) and send images to its camera roll or photo app.

Read Field Test Part II for Eamon's experience with the S120's Wi-Fi and special features.