Eddie there is a quantum level difference between the Canon S95/100 and a cellphone camera. My iPhone 5 takes very nice and useful snapshots but nothing like the Canon. The S95/100 is not an entry level point and shoot even though it resembles one physically.
I'm not qualified to say what camera will take the best picture. In my opinion, it's more important to just have the camera with you and to use it. After that, it's more important what you see when you take the picture then the quality of the camera. For me, easy and handy are the most important factors in photography.
I'm a hobbyist at best. I enjoy taking pictures and use them to promote my remodeling business on FB. Clients and potential clients she what I post and they think of me. That is 99% of getting jobs when self employed. Not so much what you do, but for clients to think about you. My photography does that for me, so I take tons of pics and post them all the time.
I'm also highly opinionated that most professional photographers don't have a clue on how to take a great picture. Like most artists, they are in love with themselves and feed their ego's with how great they are without understanding that others don't see it. As a result, they never get very far with their passion, regardless of what they have for equipment.
I will put what I take with my point and shoot up against what others take with cameras costing four times as much as mine, or more. I'm not better, but neither are they. I take pics that people like and that I enjoy. There isn't any reason to spend more for equipment when my skill level is where it is and my expectations to improve don't have any realistic chance of happening. I'm as good as I'm going to get.
I believe that I went through the same process that the OP is going through. I've had several pocket digital cameras from Fuji, Canon and Nikon. All where fine, but they where also battery eaters. I'm sure they are better now, but having made the move from a regular cell phone to a decent smart phone, there isn't any way that I would go that route again. We can debate which takes better pictures based on what you like there, and what I like here, but what is really the most important thing is what do you have with you all the time? I never go anywhere without my phone.
Additional advantages to the smart phone over the single use, pocket digital camera is that I can upload pics to FB right away and keep clients up to date on jobs. I can text pictures of what I'm looking at and get a reply based on the picture I send them. I can email a picture on the job to those clients who do not have smart phones, but have a home computer. A lot of my elderly clients really appreciate this. Then there is the advantage of being able to go online and search for something that I need for a job, or find the store that has what I need. The GPS built into it has become a life saver. With shorter days and meetings out in the country after I finish working for the day, I just put in the address and it takes me right to their house. I did that twice last week looking at new jobs. Then while meeting with clients, I can share with them pictures that are stored on my phone. Getting a job is not all about being able to do it, it is more about building trust and developing a relationship. When I leave, they should like me and want to hire me. Even before I give them a price. Being able to share pictures on my phone gives me an edge that I both depend on and take advantage of.
For all I get out of my smart phone, the money isn't even a factor. It more then pays for itself.
Add to that all the great pictures that I get from it and how I expect to get thousands more with it, I don't see how there is any comparison.
Eddie
