Another year has passed, which means that there’s another iteration of Canon’s popular S-series compact PowerShot camera. This time, it’s the PowerShot S120 ($450), which is slated to be released this October. Like the models before it, the pocket-sized shooter packs a serious punch, and should be on the radar of consumers and prosumers alike.
S120’s changes from the S110 aren’t as major as in some past upgrades, but there are some real improvements.
To start, the image processor has been updated to a DIGIC 6, reducing noise when shooting at higher ISOs, and allowing for faster frame rates for shots—the first 6 images are snapped at just over 12 frames per second. Additionally, the autofocus and shutter speed are both supposed to be 50% faster, while 1080p video can now be shot at 60fps.
Canon has also slightly improved the 5X zoom lens, which now starts at f/1.8 rather than f/2.0 for enhanced speed in wide-angle shots, falling to f/5.7 (rather than f/5.9) at the end of its zoom range. Integrated Wi-Fi support is again included, with the ability to transfer images directly to various photo-sharing services, or to an iOS device running a special Canon app. All that, in a body that’s just slightly taller and thicker than the S110.
