Comparing ELPH 330 HS, S95, S100 pocket cameras

As some of you may know, I recently purchased a used s95 as an upgrade for my tired and worn SD1100 IS.  The Wx here has been dreadful so I've only snapped a few indoors and a few quick ones outside.  What I've seen so far is good.  And it fits nicely in a shirt pocket.

In my spare time I read old threads here and the ELPH 330 HS  gets very good reviews from owners. The 330 HS has the 10x optical zoom which could be handy. What other features or benefits over the s95 or s100 should I be considering ?

Does anyone prefer their 330 HS so much that they leave their s95/s100 at home and why please ?

The S95 and S100 have a larger sensor along with a brighter lens that captures more light.  So they do quite a bit better if light levels are at all dim.

With its smaller sensor and slower lens, the 330 HS is more of a bright light / day time kind of camera.

I have the S95 and also the 330HS, which I picked up refurbished from Canon when they were almost giving them away.  no question that the zoom range, more than 2x that of the S95, can come in handy.  Also it is 24mm at the wide end vs. 28mm, which is a significant difference.  It's great to tuck in your pocket for travel.  But I would never give up my S95; I will keep it and use it until it gives up.  Shots from the S95 have a very different look from the 330HS, which I attribute to its CCD sensor (the 330HS has a CMOS sensor).  In good light the S95 produces very pleasing, pristine shots.  In low light, it also does well, whereas when the light is low I put the 330HS away.  No harm having a 330HS for your pocket if you can find a good one at a good price.

Rudy

To answer your question a little more directly, no, I don't necessarily leave the S95 home if I have the 330HS with me.  I see it more as a complement to the S95, not a substitute for it.  One thing I will say in the 330HS' favor is that it is operationally quicker than the S95 to a noticeable degree.

Well, they are very different animals.  I also have this "thing" about having a backup along on travel.  So the S90 (or S95, I have both) and the ELPH 330HS make a great travel pair.  I tend to use the S90 on shipboard for just walking around and for dinner and parties; and I tend to use the 330HS when off the ship; but also for shots from the ship to other ships or shore.

The Lens on the 330HS is very good, and fairly fast (f/3) at wide angle.  It also stays faster than most up to around 140 mm and then gets slower very quickly.  So it does pretty well in low light, and even ISO 1600 can be used for snaps.

The ELPH under the name IXUS 255 was camera of the year in 2013 in Europe.  It stands out from the other ELPH's and a lot of other pocket cameras.  It's just one of those cases of everything coming together really well.

Now, I have to admit my S90, S95, and 330HS are all carefully stored away in backup status; as I have recently purchased a Sony RX100 and a Sony HX80 as my new travel pair.  The RX100 is better in low light and just about the same size as the S90/95.  And the HX80 goes much longer,  from 24-720 mm and has a pop up EVF and a tilting LCD.  And both cameras use the same battery.