Canon Powershot S95 = my best picture 2011

[Franglais]

I've been looking at these new-fangled hybrid/CLC/MILC cameras (example: Olympus Pen, NEX..) which combine image quality (large DSLR-size sensor) with relatively small size.

I definitely need a small camera to have with me all the time for moments when I don't expect to do photos. Currently it's the Canon S95, an "experts compact". It has a small sensor, therefore the image quality should be inferior. The S100 is just about to hit the shops. Should I go for it or for a MILC? Quandary..

I just reviewed this years images:

- 13% of this years images were done on the S95 (the rest on DSLR)
- 20% of my favourite images this year were done on the S95, including my 2011 favourite

Here's a selection. They are all very sharp, hardly any visible noise even on a 13x19 inch print for the night-time shot (1/20s f2.5 1250 ISO). But the highlights are often blown out and the image lacks beauty compared with a DSLR.

1. The Queen visits Stratford-upon-Avon
2. First view of Hungarian girls on my first evening in Budapest
3. Self-portrait in a shop window in Budapest
4. Garden of the Hotel-Dieu in Paris
5. The Eiffel Tower last night