I am a longtime user of the PowerShot S100, but my wife decided to expropriate my S100, so here I am with the S120. I will begin with the end -- I believe that the S120 is possibly the very best choice for a true pocket camera.
The first thing that the user will notice about the S120 is the fit and finish. This camera is built very nicely and with reasonable sturdiness. Ergonomically it is very good. Most users can be taking pictures within 60 seconds of taking the camera out of the box. Of course, studying the manual and the built-in menus reveals a host of sophisticated features beyond the taking of simple snapshots.
One thing that Canon did with the S120 that is different than my old excellent S100 was to put a switch on the side of the camera to raise the flash. If this switch is disabled, the camera will not select flash no matter what. I actually preferred the S100 system where the user selected the flash setting in the menu and then the camera used the flash based upon that settings and the composition of the shot. I'll grant that the S120 system gives the user even more control, which I suppose was the idea. But it is one more setting to have to remember.
The S120 seems to be a solid improvement over the S100 in most respects. The main thing that I like about both of these cameras, the S120 in particular, is that it pretty much lets you shoot the way that you want to. I mainly shoot in Program mode with this camera, but the camera also offers an AUTO mode, which sets absolutely everything, as well as a manual, aperture-priority, and speed priority setting. These options are quite impressive for a camera of this class, and yes I do sometimes use them, especially the speed-priority setting. The camera has various other special settings for various types of shooting and for shooting to achieve various effects.
The lens on this camera is very good for a camera of this class. It is the equivalent of a 24-120mm lens on a 35mm camera. The lens is relatively fast, meaning that when shooting in non-zoom situations, i.e. portraits, the lens is an F/1.8 lens, which is able to shoot, for example, portrait type shots without flash under some lighting conditions. (Many lenses require flash for pretty much any indoor scenario in order to achieve a quality photograph.) Canon reports that this is an F/1.8-F/5.7 lens -- which means that as you zoom the lens it will require more light. Nonetheless, these are impressive specifications for a lens of this class. In practice I find that this camera takes very good pictures and it is ideal for vacations, industrial and business uses, and all situations where you do not want to have to carry a full Single Lens Reflex camera.
This camera features a generous 3.0 inch capacitive touch LCD on the back, and this is the nerve center of the camera. You will use this LCD to compose shots, review the shots, and set most menu settings. Like all modern cameras, this camera is controlled by menus that you access via the LCD screen. Mostly the menus are intuitive and most users will quickly become familiar with them, especially users who have used other electronic cameras in the past.
Years ago most cameras of this class had an optical focusing window, but no more. The user must compose shots using the rear LCD. This LCD is superior to many and as good as any LCDs on the market for this purpose, but I prefer an optical focusing window. Alas, pretty much all camera manufacturers have decided that composing via the LCD is the way to go. Mostly this works fine, and indoor this works superbly, but there are times out in bright sun venues when this becomes tricky.
On minor nit -- As with the S100 and S110, Canon relentlessly refuses to put a protective lip or bezel around the edge of the LCD, so if you set the camera down on the LCD you stand a good chance of scratching it. This can be largely solved by buying one of the after-market screen protectors.
One of the really nice advances on the S120 is that you can move the focusing square to anywhere in the composition shot simply by placing your finger on the capacitance LCD. In the field this makes for very fast composition, and I like this feature a lot.
WI FI CONNECTION! The S120 connects easily to your iPhone by use of the Canon Window App, which is available in the App Store. It will also connect to your computer. SINCE THE CANON INSTRUCTIONS TO DO THIS FOR A WINDOWS COMPUTER ARE WRONG, HERE IS HOW TO DO IT. First follow the Canon directions to connect the S120 to your network. Then, for a Windows computer, follow the Canon directions and begin trying to connect to your computer. (Here is the step Canon omitted) THEN, go into Control Panel/Devices and Printers and select "Add a Device". Your Canon S-120 will show as a new device. As soon as you add it you will be able to see the folders on your S-120's SD card. I hope this helps someone; it took me a long time to figure this out. By the way, ensure that if you have two networks from your router, i.e. a 2.4Ghz and a 5.0 Ghz, your computer needs to be on the 2.4 Ghz network. Once you set your S-120 to be connected to your Windows computer as I just explained, it connects very very easily. Works like a dream.
At the end of the day the purpose of this, or any, camera is to take great photographs. You can do that with the S120. It has a very good lens for this class of camera and it will produce excellent images under most conditions. No, this camera is not the best choice for shooting indoor sports, for example -- the combination of low light and high speed subjects really necessitates a full Single Lens Reflex camera with a high-dollar lens. Similarly, an SLR will do a better job on fast-moving wildlife. But for portraits, landscape shots, and many other shots that people typically take on vacations or with family and whatnot, this camera will deliver excellent images and is a great choice. RJB.
Consider a similar item
$117.10
Climate Pledge Friendly Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Compare with similar items
This Item  Canon PowerShot S120 Digital Camera w/ 12.1 MP 1/1.7 Inch Sensor & Wi-Fi Enabled Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $258.00 | $119.99 | -16% $609.95 List: $730.00 | $479.99 | $825.00 | $999.99 |
| Delivery | — | — | Get it as soon as Tomorrow, Mar 29 | — | Get it Apr 4 - 10 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Zoom | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Sold By | M&T International | Amazon.com | Electronics Basket | Amazon.com | Acute Tek (We Record SN) | Ace Photo |
| display type | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | — | LCD |
| display size | 3 inches | 2.7 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3.2 inches |
| lens type | Fixed-zoom | Wide Angle | Wide Angle | zoom | — | mirrorless |
| zoom type | Optical Zoom | Optical Zoom | Digital Zoom, Optical Zoom | Optical Zoom | — | — |
| shooting modes | Underwater | Automatic, Portrait, Landscape, Macro | Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority | P, M, Tv, Hybrid Auto, Auto, Standard, Vivid, Neutral, B/W, Sepia, Video Snapshot, Food | — | Scene Intelligent Auto Flash Off Creative Auto Landscape Close-up Sports Food Night Portrait P Tv Av M |
| connectivity tech | HDMI, USB | USB | HDMI, Bluetooth, USB | Wireless | HDMI, USB | NFC, HDMI, Bluetooth, USB |
Reviews with images
As good as you are going to get for this price point and form factor of camera
Key Point:A photo is made better more so by being a better photographer than getting a better camera. That being said, I’ve gotten some pictures I really like from this camera (I will upload some here eventually), but after using it for almost a couple months, I have come to notice some limitations that are typical of point and shoot cameras.Camera Design:I like that this remains a pocket camera. It fits in my pocket and doesn’t weigh it down too much (I think my keys actually weigh a bit more). There is no need for a case and the lens gets covered automatically when you power down the camera. I like the clicky control ring on the front (that can be customized with pretty much any functionality) and I tend to use it to step zoom to standard focal lengths like 35mm, 50mm, etc. This is really useful!I rarely use flash, so the manual pop up flash isn’t a big deal to me. The on off button works fine and I like that the camera really does turn on and off quick (much quicker than the RX100 III). I have a habit of turning off my camera when I walk around and not using it. This saves the battery and I was able to take 373 shots on a single charge.The zoom lever works fine, as does the shutter release. The control dial to select your mode functions fine. The buttons and dial on the back of the camera do their job, I have no issues.The touch screen is a nice to have feature. I use it most to select my focus point, and tend to stick to physical controls for everything else.Camera Usage:I do like that while this is a point and shoot camera it does have typical DSLR features like aperture and shutter priority mode, even though sometimes you have to dig into a menu to find them. I typically take RAW + JPG pictures in aperture priority mode and this works for most situations. I like going to f/1.8 to create a shallow depth of field. I have noticed though that the smallest aperture available is f/8, whereas f/22 is standard on most DSLR lenses. Depending on what you are doing this can be an issue, if either you have a wider depth of field or are trying for a longer exposure in bright light. I also have taken a few pictures with shutter priority mode, mainly for long exposures of water. This works and the built in neutral density filter is nice to reduce the incoming light, although the 2 stops it provides won’t make much of a difference in bright light.The one other picture mode I have played with is HDR mode. As other reviewers have mentioned the “natural” HDR merge mode does not work. You have to at least use “art standard” I think it’s called to get a proper increase in dynamic range. This causes the camera to play with the colors, which you may or may not like. Also important to keep in mind is that this creates JPG only photos, no RAWs. If you want RAWs, you can however do +/-2 bracketing and then HDR merge them in post production software like Lightroom 6.I have also used the video mode, and am impressed by the small file size for the best quality video. The one drawback that I have noticed is that it really does sap battery life to take video, something other reviewers have mentioned.Image Quality:Overall, I have been quite satisfied with the image quality of this camera. The in camera processing that this camera does for JPGs is very nice and useable. From my own test shots, images up to ISO 3,200 are acceptable quality. When in focus, the images can be sharp. Furthermore, I recently downloaded Lightroom 6 (trial) and have been using it to process RAW images. With my limited ability I have been able to take some images that made great JPGs and turn them into phenomenal RAW images. I have also been able to make edits to RAWs to make the images acceptable that I would have otherwise discarded as JPGs out of the camera. Doing this really makes me feel good. That’s not to say RAW editing will make bad pictures good, but rather it gives you the leeway to tweak the image to your own personal preference (white balance, exposure, etc.) and really make it your own. I like doing this and will be doing more RAW images in the future I think. One thing to note is that I would avoid free RAW software as they typically don’t support point and shoot cameras for lens correction and your images will end up distorted. Sometimes they don’t even support the specific RAW format. I have tried a bunch like Raw Therapee and even Canon’s own Digital Photo Professional, but I have been far more satisfied with the Lightroom trial so far. It’s a true case of you get what you pay for, and Lightroom is much more accessible price wise than it has been in the past ($10 / month subscription model available).Limitations:One major limitation of this camera (and all small sensor size cameras) is that you have very limited control to create shallow depth of field (that nice blurry background effect). This is because when comparing to the standard 35 MM sensor size cameras, small sensors cameras have much shorter real focal lengths (one of 3 factors in creating depth of field). You can do a web search to find details on this, but in short, you can typically only get a shallow depth of field with this camera if you are very close to the subject and are using a decently wide aperture, say f/4.0 and larger. Now I know this camera has a portrait mode to “simulate” a shallow depth of field, but for me it doesn’t substitute for the real thing. There are other drawbacks to a small sensor size, but depth of field is most noticeable to me.Another limitation that I have touched on briefly before is that access to some settings like metering mode, ISO, continuous shooting, etc. are tucked away in menus and it can make them difficult to change quickly based on shooting conditions. This is typical of many point and shoot cameras so I deal with it, but makes me want a DSLR. =DConclusion:There are tradeoffs between a point and shoot and DSLR camera. Therefore I rate this camera 5/5 for what it is and how it does against its peers, rather than against a DSLR. However, as I am growing to like photography more and more I am starting to think I could appreciate a DSLR. The choice is yours!
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015
A photo is made better more so by being a better photographer than getting a better camera. That being said, I’ve gotten some pictures I really like from this camera (I will upload some here eventually), but after using it for almost a couple months, I have come to notice some limitations that are typical of point and shoot cameras.
Camera Design:
I like that this remains a pocket camera. It fits in my pocket and doesn’t weigh it down too much (I think my keys actually weigh a bit more). There is no need for a case and the lens gets covered automatically when you power down the camera. I like the clicky control ring on the front (that can be customized with pretty much any functionality) and I tend to use it to step zoom to standard focal lengths like 35mm, 50mm, etc. This is really useful!
I rarely use flash, so the manual pop up flash isn’t a big deal to me. The on off button works fine and I like that the camera really does turn on and off quick (much quicker than the RX100 III). I have a habit of turning off my camera when I walk around and not using it. This saves the battery and I was able to take 373 shots on a single charge.
The zoom lever works fine, as does the shutter release. The control dial to select your mode functions fine. The buttons and dial on the back of the camera do their job, I have no issues.
The touch screen is a nice to have feature. I use it most to select my focus point, and tend to stick to physical controls for everything else.
Camera Usage:
I do like that while this is a point and shoot camera it does have typical DSLR features like aperture and shutter priority mode, even though sometimes you have to dig into a menu to find them. I typically take RAW + JPG pictures in aperture priority mode and this works for most situations. I like going to f/1.8 to create a shallow depth of field. I have noticed though that the smallest aperture available is f/8, whereas f/22 is standard on most DSLR lenses. Depending on what you are doing this can be an issue, if either you have a wider depth of field or are trying for a longer exposure in bright light. I also have taken a few pictures with shutter priority mode, mainly for long exposures of water. This works and the built in neutral density filter is nice to reduce the incoming light, although the 2 stops it provides won’t make much of a difference in bright light.
The one other picture mode I have played with is HDR mode. As other reviewers have mentioned the “natural” HDR merge mode does not work. You have to at least use “art standard” I think it’s called to get a proper increase in dynamic range. This causes the camera to play with the colors, which you may or may not like. Also important to keep in mind is that this creates JPG only photos, no RAWs. If you want RAWs, you can however do +/-2 bracketing and then HDR merge them in post production software like Lightroom 6.
I have also used the video mode, and am impressed by the small file size for the best quality video. The one drawback that I have noticed is that it really does sap battery life to take video, something other reviewers have mentioned.
Image Quality:
Overall, I have been quite satisfied with the image quality of this camera. The in camera processing that this camera does for JPGs is very nice and useable. From my own test shots, images up to ISO 3,200 are acceptable quality. When in focus, the images can be sharp. Furthermore, I recently downloaded Lightroom 6 (trial) and have been using it to process RAW images. With my limited ability I have been able to take some images that made great JPGs and turn them into phenomenal RAW images. I have also been able to make edits to RAWs to make the images acceptable that I would have otherwise discarded as JPGs out of the camera. Doing this really makes me feel good. That’s not to say RAW editing will make bad pictures good, but rather it gives you the leeway to tweak the image to your own personal preference (white balance, exposure, etc.) and really make it your own. I like doing this and will be doing more RAW images in the future I think. One thing to note is that I would avoid free RAW software as they typically don’t support point and shoot cameras for lens correction and your images will end up distorted. Sometimes they don’t even support the specific RAW format. I have tried a bunch like Raw Therapee and even Canon’s own Digital Photo Professional, but I have been far more satisfied with the Lightroom trial so far. It’s a true case of you get what you pay for, and Lightroom is much more accessible price wise than it has been in the past ($10 / month subscription model available).
Limitations:
One major limitation of this camera (and all small sensor size cameras) is that you have very limited control to create shallow depth of field (that nice blurry background effect). This is because when comparing to the standard 35 MM sensor size cameras, small sensors cameras have much shorter real focal lengths (one of 3 factors in creating depth of field). You can do a web search to find details on this, but in short, you can typically only get a shallow depth of field with this camera if you are very close to the subject and are using a decently wide aperture, say f/4.0 and larger. Now I know this camera has a portrait mode to “simulate” a shallow depth of field, but for me it doesn’t substitute for the real thing. There are other drawbacks to a small sensor size, but depth of field is most noticeable to me.
Another limitation that I have touched on briefly before is that access to some settings like metering mode, ISO, continuous shooting, etc. are tucked away in menus and it can make them difficult to change quickly based on shooting conditions. This is typical of many point and shoot cameras so I deal with it, but makes me want a DSLR. =D
Conclusion:
There are tradeoffs between a point and shoot and DSLR camera. Therefore I rate this camera 5/5 for what it is and how it does against its peers, rather than against a DSLR. However, as I am growing to like photography more and more I am starting to think I could appreciate a DSLR. The choice is yours!
Style: BaseVerified Purchase
As good as you are going to get for this price point and form factor of camera
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015
Key Point:Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015
A photo is made better more so by being a better photographer than getting a better camera. That being said, I’ve gotten some pictures I really like from this camera (I will upload some here eventually), but after using it for almost a couple months, I have come to notice some limitations that are typical of point and shoot cameras.
Camera Design:
I like that this remains a pocket camera. It fits in my pocket and doesn’t weigh it down too much (I think my keys actually weigh a bit more). There is no need for a case and the lens gets covered automatically when you power down the camera. I like the clicky control ring on the front (that can be customized with pretty much any functionality) and I tend to use it to step zoom to standard focal lengths like 35mm, 50mm, etc. This is really useful!
I rarely use flash, so the manual pop up flash isn’t a big deal to me. The on off button works fine and I like that the camera really does turn on and off quick (much quicker than the RX100 III). I have a habit of turning off my camera when I walk around and not using it. This saves the battery and I was able to take 373 shots on a single charge.
The zoom lever works fine, as does the shutter release. The control dial to select your mode functions fine. The buttons and dial on the back of the camera do their job, I have no issues.
The touch screen is a nice to have feature. I use it most to select my focus point, and tend to stick to physical controls for everything else.
Camera Usage:
I do like that while this is a point and shoot camera it does have typical DSLR features like aperture and shutter priority mode, even though sometimes you have to dig into a menu to find them. I typically take RAW + JPG pictures in aperture priority mode and this works for most situations. I like going to f/1.8 to create a shallow depth of field. I have noticed though that the smallest aperture available is f/8, whereas f/22 is standard on most DSLR lenses. Depending on what you are doing this can be an issue, if either you have a wider depth of field or are trying for a longer exposure in bright light. I also have taken a few pictures with shutter priority mode, mainly for long exposures of water. This works and the built in neutral density filter is nice to reduce the incoming light, although the 2 stops it provides won’t make much of a difference in bright light.
The one other picture mode I have played with is HDR mode. As other reviewers have mentioned the “natural” HDR merge mode does not work. You have to at least use “art standard” I think it’s called to get a proper increase in dynamic range. This causes the camera to play with the colors, which you may or may not like. Also important to keep in mind is that this creates JPG only photos, no RAWs. If you want RAWs, you can however do +/-2 bracketing and then HDR merge them in post production software like Lightroom 6.
I have also used the video mode, and am impressed by the small file size for the best quality video. The one drawback that I have noticed is that it really does sap battery life to take video, something other reviewers have mentioned.
Image Quality:
Overall, I have been quite satisfied with the image quality of this camera. The in camera processing that this camera does for JPGs is very nice and useable. From my own test shots, images up to ISO 3,200 are acceptable quality. When in focus, the images can be sharp. Furthermore, I recently downloaded Lightroom 6 (trial) and have been using it to process RAW images. With my limited ability I have been able to take some images that made great JPGs and turn them into phenomenal RAW images. I have also been able to make edits to RAWs to make the images acceptable that I would have otherwise discarded as JPGs out of the camera. Doing this really makes me feel good. That’s not to say RAW editing will make bad pictures good, but rather it gives you the leeway to tweak the image to your own personal preference (white balance, exposure, etc.) and really make it your own. I like doing this and will be doing more RAW images in the future I think. One thing to note is that I would avoid free RAW software as they typically don’t support point and shoot cameras for lens correction and your images will end up distorted. Sometimes they don’t even support the specific RAW format. I have tried a bunch like Raw Therapee and even Canon’s own Digital Photo Professional, but I have been far more satisfied with the Lightroom trial so far. It’s a true case of you get what you pay for, and Lightroom is much more accessible price wise than it has been in the past ($10 / month subscription model available).
Limitations:
One major limitation of this camera (and all small sensor size cameras) is that you have very limited control to create shallow depth of field (that nice blurry background effect). This is because when comparing to the standard 35 MM sensor size cameras, small sensors cameras have much shorter real focal lengths (one of 3 factors in creating depth of field). You can do a web search to find details on this, but in short, you can typically only get a shallow depth of field with this camera if you are very close to the subject and are using a decently wide aperture, say f/4.0 and larger. Now I know this camera has a portrait mode to “simulate” a shallow depth of field, but for me it doesn’t substitute for the real thing. There are other drawbacks to a small sensor size, but depth of field is most noticeable to me.
Another limitation that I have touched on briefly before is that access to some settings like metering mode, ISO, continuous shooting, etc. are tucked away in menus and it can make them difficult to change quickly based on shooting conditions. This is typical of many point and shoot cameras so I deal with it, but makes me want a DSLR. =D
Conclusion:
There are tradeoffs between a point and shoot and DSLR camera. Therefore I rate this camera 5/5 for what it is and how it does against its peers, rather than against a DSLR. However, as I am growing to like photography more and more I am starting to think I could appreciate a DSLR. The choice is yours!
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
DM Humphrey
Perfect travel video camera
Reviewed in Canada on June 28, 2023Style: BaseVerified Purchase
Mkoz
Great camera for any situation....even underwater photography.
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016Style: BaseVerified Purchase
