Canon PowerShot S2 IS

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review2919.html' target='_blank'>http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review2919.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Another day, another mega zoom digicam with a 12x optical zoom and built-in optical image stabilization. This one is far from plain vanilla, however, since the PowerShot S2 IS is the replacement for the popular, year-old S1 IS. Since this is the consumer electronics business, for the same initial asking price ($499) you get higher resolution (5 megapixels instead of 3MP), a more powerful zoom (12x versus 10x), a larger LCD screen, and more importantly, the improved DIGIC II processor that speeds up all the operations (so the camera is very responsive with a minimum amount of shutter lag). And it takes very accurate images, something Canon is well known for."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/20050726_1848151.gif" /> <br /><br />Canon has released yet another excellent camera, yet they left out a few small details that move the S2 IS to the bottom of the 5-megapixel pile. According to the review it's just too complicated to use for the average consumer, and has a fatal flash flaw. Consumers expect to be able to simpy pick up a product and feel like they've always known how to use it, especially at this price level. Another example of making a product to a specification, and not the customers' needs.

[groan]

and has a fatal flash flaw.
I'd be intrested in what you feel is a fatal flash flaw?

I own this camera and to tel lyou the truth is a fantastic prosumer camera. this camera isnt being marketied to the average user. the cameras functions are a little more advanced because it is for the little more advanced user.
it has a fantastic macro mode and with the ube zoom you get creat closeups from 6 feet away.

i've seen and done some great looking closeups of birds in trees (from about 20 feet away and filling the screen) with the x48 digital zoom that renders quite nicely with very little pixling.

the steady shot works very well when taking distance zoomed shots and the camera feels great in the hand.
it takes a bit to get used to with the manual flash, but it's nice to know that it's either on or it's not.
if you dont want it, flip it down. if you want it...flip it up!

it uses AA batteries and on standard alkalines it goes through them fairly fast, but using the high capacity lithiums or the high cpacity rechargable Nimh batteries you get a nice life...
anyways, i highly recommend it and as a long time nikon fan, it took nothing for me to switch. (i left the coolpix 5000 behind for this one. it wasnt a hard decision)

get it. you'll like it.

[randalllewis]

Not so fast! Reading this review leads me to believe the author has never used a Canon camera before. I own/have owned the G1, G3, Digital Rebel, S200 (I think that is all of them) and Canon's button conventions are consistent. Nearly every button on these cameras performs one function in shooting mode and another in playback. The shared functions are even mostly consistent from model to model. The "learning curve" is no longer on this camera than any other. You learn what the buttons do and that's that. It's not like there is some Ctrl-Alt-Del combination to learn.

Second, this is the first review I've ever read that complains about the user's manual being over 180 pages. Usually, users complain about user's manuals being non-existent, on CDROM, or too thin. Perhaps the Canon manual can be organized better or written more clearly (there is no such thing as a perfect manual), but this is a silly criticism.

I am more distressed by the fact that Canon is clearly shifting its consumer cameras to the SD format, leaving some of us with a collection of CF cards that we can't exchange between cameras like I do now. I actually think the shift to AA batteries is a positive move, but it too leaves me with several of Canon's fabulous li-on batteries that I shuttle between the G1, G3 and Rebel as needed.