The PowerShot S100 uses the same durable stainless-steel case as the traditional Elph series cameras. It offers 2-megapixel resolution for high-quality photos and prints up to 8 by 10 inches. Canon provides the PowerShot S100 with a high-resolution, low-distortion, all-glass aspherical 2x zoom lens (and a 4x digital zoom as well). The 1.5-inch LCD monitor displays most camera settings with easy-to-understand icons and minimal text. The PowerShot S100 features a 0.37-inch CCD that creates full color or black-and-white images up to 1,600 x 1,200 pixels (it also offers a 640 x 480 pixel image size). The built-in flash uses a light guide and does not need a fresnel lens or a large reflector, making the camera even more compact.

The PowerShot S100 stores images on an 8 MB CompactFlash card. Adobe PhotoDeluxe and PhotoStitch control image management, editing, compositing, and printing, while ZoomBrowser EX or ImageBrowser produce self-running screen slide shows, automatic e-mail preparation, and auto layout. The camera uses a high-speed plug-and-play USB interface, plus it has NTSC-out so you can view your photos on your TV. It's fully compatible with both Mac and PC platforms.