Canon 400D vs Canon S95 Comparison

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Canon 400D

10 MP | APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon S95

10 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CCD Sensor

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Canon 400D vs Canon S95 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Canon cameras cameras with different body types: Canon 400D, which was introduced in October 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Canon S95, which was introduced in November 2010 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 10.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, 400D is 4 years older than S95. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon 400D and Canon S95 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 400D Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-10-14

10MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Canon EF/EF-S Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

556g. 127 x 94 x 65 mm

Also known as EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X

Replaced Canon EOS 350D Compare

Canon S95 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-11-23

10MP - 1/1.7-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

28-105 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

195g. 100 x 58 x 30 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot S90 Compare

Canon 400D was replaced by Canon EOS 450D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 450D vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)
Canon EOS 450D vs Canon PowerShot S95

Canon S95 was replaced by Canon PowerShot S100. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot S100 vs Canon PowerShot S95
Canon PowerShot S100 vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 400D and Canon S95 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 400D over Canon PowerShot S95

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	3.0fps vs 1.0fps	2 fps faster
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 6.5m	5.5m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 20.4	higher color depth
Low Light ISO	664 vs 153	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	32.60µm² vs 4.16µm²	683% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot S95 over Canon EOS 400D

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	461k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	195 g vs 556 g	361 g lighter
Dynamic Range	11.3 vs 11.0	higher dynamic range
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 400D and Canon PowerShot S95

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 400D and Canon PowerShot S95

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Max Resolution	10 MP vs 10 MP	Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 461k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Canon 400D vs Canon S95: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 400D and Canon S95 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 400D has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 65 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.56″) and weighs 556 g (1.23 lb / 19.61 oz) (including batteries). Canon S95 has external dimensions of 100 x 58 x 30 mm (3.94 x 2.28 x 1.18″) and weighs 195 g (0.43 lb / 6.88 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 400D and Canon S95. Canon S95 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 36mm shorter and 35mm thinner than Canon 400D. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon S95 has a built-in lens but Canon 400D doesn't. Once you put a lens on 400D, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Canon 400D and Canon S95 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon S95 is significantly lighter (361g ) than the Canon 400D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 400D, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X) nor Canon PowerShot S95 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon S95's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 400D's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Canon 400D vs Canon S95: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon 400D and Canon S95 have 10.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon 400D's sensor is APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) and Canon S95's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Canon 400D's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon S95.

Below you can see the 400D and S95 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Canon S95 Cameras

As seen above, Canon 400D has a 7.9x Larger sensor area than Canon S95. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 400D and Canon S95 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 400D has scored 62, 15 points higher than S95.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon 400D	62	22.1 bits	11.0 Evs	664 ISO
Canon S95	47	20.4 bits	11.3 Evs	153 ISO

What types of Photography are Canon 400D and Canon S95 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 400D and Canon S95 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 400D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon S95 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon 400D for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon S95 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Canon 400D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon S95 for Sports Photography

POOR

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Image Stabilization
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
9 Focus Points
105 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Canon 400D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon S95 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
556g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Compact Body
195g
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
3.8X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Canon 400D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon S95 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D vs Canon S95: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 400D and Canon S95, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 400D and Canon S95 scores compare:

Canon 400D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #609 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon S95

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #92 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #555 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Canon S95 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 400D. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that S95 trails behind the 400D: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 400D. If not, we recommend the Canon S95.

Canon S95 vs Canon 400D Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS 400D	Canon PowerShot S95
Brand	Canon	Canon
Announced	2006-10-14	2010-11-23
Body Type	Compact SLR	Compact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	APS-C	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	22.2 x 14.8 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	328.56mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	3888 x 2592	3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	28-105 mm (3.8×)
Max Aperture	no lens	F2.0-4.9
Macro Focus Range	no lens	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	461k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	None
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.5x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/1600s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (ISO 100)	6.50 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/500s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1280 x 720
Video Formats	n/a	H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	556g	195g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 65mm	100 x 58 x 30mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	62	47
DxO Color Depth	22.1	20.4
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0	11.3
DxO Low Light ISO	664	153
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