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Camera specific features

Nikon Coolpix 950 additional features

BSS	Best Shot Selection, a neat little addition which can process up to eight shots taken in sequence (with one "hold" of the shutter release) and the camera will automatically pick the best (least blurred) image from the sequence. This feature is extremely useful in low-light situations.
User presets	The camera can remember up to 3 different user settings which you can (fairly easily) switch between.
Setting memory	The camera can be set to restore the settings previously used on power-up, the saves much time in setting the camera back up again for another shoot of the scene.
Image adjust	set the camera to increase or decrease the brightness or contrast of the image after it is taken.
Digital Zoom	1.25x, 1.6x, 2.0x, 2.5x zoom (basically cropping and magnifying)
B&W	Black and white mode
AE & WB lock	lock the Auto Exposure and White Balance for a sequence of shots (very useful for producing panoramas)

Canon Powershot Pro 70 additional features

Light assisted focus	In low-light conditions the Pro70 uses a light below the lens to illuminate the subject for more accurate focusing (see below)
Voice recording	Holding the microphone button and pressing SET at the same time will record an annotation against the current image in WAV format.

Low-light ability

As commented on previously the Coolpix 950 has difficulty focusing in low-light conditions, the Pro 70 however is master of low-light focus simply because of its light-assisted-focus (a small but powerful light illuminates the subject to guarantee a good focus).

To my surprise the Pro 70 produced some very good low-light results, it doesn't have the adjustable sensitivty of the Coolpix 950 but still managed to out-perform the it even when set to ISO 320 (the Pro 70 adjusts sensitivty automatically, the maximum ISO of the in full resolution being ISO 200).

Nikon Coolpix 950	Canon Powershot Pro 70
1/2s, F2.6 (ISO 320, +2) (AP)	1/2s, F2.6 (AP)
	1/2s, F2.0 (AP)

I produced two samples from the Pro 70, the first matches the exposure settings from the Coolpix 950 (that is 1/2s, F2.6) which is the largest aperture which was available on the 950, the second image from the Pro 70 was at F2.0 which was the largest aperture available on that camera.

All three images demonstrate that both these cameras are quite capable in low light conditions (although I did struggle to get the 950 to focus lock - the Pro 70 locked first time). And that the Pro 70 can keep up with the 950 as far as CCD sensitvity is concerned even though it doesn't have manual ISO adjustment (reportedly the camera automatically adjusts the CCD sensitivity).

There is some noise visible on first Pro 70 image, much reduced on the second (more light). Some noise is visible on the Coolpix 950 shot but mostly shows up as blue channel noise.

Interestingly the Pro70 image (first; same exposure) came out sharper, better white balanced and more accurately colour saturated (but with more JPEG artifacts) than the 950 despite its lower vertical resolution:

(200% magnification)

More examples of low-light images, this time the same shot at different ISO settings (note that the 950 also has ISO 160 setting):

1/2s, F2.3	1s, F2.9	1s, F2.9	1s, F2.9