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| Date Reviewed: 02/07/2007 |
- golddragonfly
from CA
- Member Since:
Jul 2005
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Strengths: Super Ergonomic design and ease of operation, great zoom and lenses, plenty of automatic and manual settings, DVD quality video with stereo sound, AA batteries, Canon warranty
Weaknesses: A tad smallish LCD, and that's about it...
Summary: Greetings, reader!
I had my eyes set on this camera since its predecessor Canon S1 IS appeared and paid FULL RETAIL PRICE which it still worth every single penny. I’ve taken thousands of photos (including a couple thousands in three days of semi-finals and finals of World Badminton Championship in 2005 in Anaheim, CA) and hundred of videos with it and Canon and always was impressed with the quality of pictures and videos.
1) First thing is the “feel” of camera in the hand. When you take the camera, you should feel it as a natural extension of your hand – S2 IS does it for me. It has a convenient grip and all controls are readily accessible with just one hand. You can pull this camera from the bag and start shooting in less that a couple of seconds, so you never miss interesting moment. Also menus and settings are very intuitive – you can start shooting from the moment you pull it from the box.
2) 12x magnifications is a fantastic feature that is hard to forget once you’ve tried it. With this camera you have an equivalent of entry DSLR with telephoto lens, with the 2-3 times savings in price and weight. I’m not mentioning the size and weight comparing to the regular bar-like camera as negative aspect, because you can’t have great zoom squeezed in tiny lenses and case.
3) With Canon S2 IS you will have full range of picture modes: from complete Auto (Point’n’Shoot) to Manual where you will need to set up everything – to get custom made photos – e.g. fascinating night scenes. Also you will not need your camcorder anymore – with DVD quality video, stereo sound and very quiet ultrasonic motor you can shoot shorts videos (of up to 8 min in DVD quality or up to 1 GB file size). That’s more than enough for short pieces and if you have a couple of 2GB cards (each around 20 bucks) – this is all you will need – you can always dump them to you PC and do some video editing.
4) For entry level cameras it’s important to have accessible accessories – e.g. card and battery. SD cards are one of the cheapest, smallest and widely available nowadays cards. And you can run S2 IS on alkaline AA batteries (although I strongly suggest high capacity NiMH batteries and quick charge) which you can buy in any store.
5) Last, but not least – Canon Warranty. Love to buy from company that stands behind its products. After over a year of hard use the camera started to occasionally give glitches, and I requested RMA from Canon. Even though I was a little over time line and spend a couple of weeks looking for store receipt, they accepted it without hesitation and send the replacement in due time. I opened a box and there was … not my oldie S2 IS but a newer S3 IS, which I was considering as an upgrade. Great surprise, thanks CANON. Looking forward to years of enjoyable experience.
With Canon S2 IS – you can’t go wrong!
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| Date Reviewed: 07/07/2006 |
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Strengths: *An SLR-like camera for less than half the SLR price
*Superb 12x zoom with IS
*5.0MP CCD sensor
*Uses SD format
Weaknesses: *Bulky
*No bulb mode
*Noise at higher ISOs
Summary: For anyone who wants the features of an SLR without the price tag of an SLR, this is THE ULTIMATE camera for you! It packs a 12x zoom with 5 megapixels for stunning clarity! The image stabilization keeps all pictures crisp, whether close-up or far away (keep it on shoot only for best performance). The LCD swivels to close for protection, and the EVF lets people used to an optical viewfinder still use one - but with more precision and information overlay!
Moreover, the S2 IS uses the ubiquitous SD card format. It is small and cheap! I recommend the Sandisk 1GB SD card - you can often find it for $30 in your local stores after rebates. You can also upgrade to a Sandisk Ultra II 1GB SD card for $20 more, though I'm not sure if it's worth it. Always shoot in large resolution with superfine quality - it takes up more room, but you'll appreciate it when you see how detailed your prints are. With the price of SD cards nowadays, why not shoot at high resolutions and just buy more room as needed?
The S2 also comes with a horde of unique features - super macro mode lets your camera literally touch the subject, ultra high speed continuous gets great action shots, my colors mode can make quirky pictures, and more scene modes to match your needs! I like, however, that it doesn't offer twenty scene modes like other cameras do - that's just too much!
Unfortunately, this camera is a bit bulky for those of you expecting to slip it in a shirt pocket, or even pants pockets! You'll have to buy a case, and I recommend LowePro. Their TLZ 10 works great! If you want to protect your lens, go to www.lensmateonline.com and buy a 52mm adapter, Hoya UV filter, and 52mm lens cap, and then get a larger case, such as the TLZ Mini. Just note that the 52mm adapter is not compatible with Canon's lenses. You can either go with another brand or buy the 58mm adapter if you really want an attachable lens, like an SLR.
There is also no bulb mode, something I wish I had for the 4th of July. When shooting fireworks, you don't know exactly how long each firework will last, so you really need a bulb mode to start and stop whenever you push/release the button. The S2 IS, however, only lets you choose preset times. Also, at high ISOs, there is high image noise. I always shoot in P mode, not auto mode, with the ISO manually set at 50 (100 for night shots). Remember to also change the white balance to match your specific situation when in P mode!
For more info, DCRP offers an S2 tip list (dcresource.com/forums/...). Their Canon forums (dcresource.com/forums/...) also address a lot of questions about the S2, and you can ask your own if you want by starting a new topic. On a final note, I bought mine at www.BeachCamera.com in June for $325. Beach Camera had the lowest price, was extremely friendly, and it was delivered next business day for free! Just choose the free shipping option, and most people find it arrives 1-2 business days. Do your research well, and you will find that you will absolutely love this camera!
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| Date Reviewed: 07/06/2005 |
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Strengths: The 12x zoom is very sharp. On top of the 12x zoom is a 4x digital zoom providing suprisingly sharp 48x. Protected, sharp 1.8 inch LCD screen. Video slide show. Lots of manual controls plus full auto.
Weaknesses: “Change the batteries” warning appears after 150 pictures on 4 Duracells. Won’t run on cheap house brand alkalines. Must carry spares. Get 2 sets of NiMH batteries to have charged for any outing.
Summary: 2005-07-06 23:24:11 The PowerShot S-2 is a truely great camera! Takes great long distance shots without the huge size and cost of a digital SLR with a zoom lens. The image stabilization works great to get crisp hand held long shots. The PowerShot S-2 feels solid, and is easy to hold. The 1.8 inch view screen stays protected until you fold it out, so it is not getting bashed and scratched like most of them on other cameras. The flash is powerful enough to provide nice fill flash for pictures of my friends, with the beautiful Maui setting sun behind them. There are tons of manual controls as well as full Auto mode. I am really amazed by the clarity of the Canon optics. The utility of a great zoom is amazing: for times like graduation when the parents must stay far away from the graduate receiving a diploma, or nature shots where the bird is 30 feet away. There was a 30 ft catamaran anchored 100 yards of shore from our condo in Maui. With the 48x zoom, the 3 inch high registration numbers on the bow were clearly legible. in a hand held shot. I could not read the numbers with my 7x35 binoculars! I was blown away when I saw my chance picture of a 4 inch wide red crab on the rocks 15 feet below the pier at Lahaina on my 14 inch PowerBook. That crab filled the whole picture with the color and detail of a nature magazine. I can’t climb out on slippery rocks, so this camera takes me to places I couid never physically go. When viewing the images on the LCD view screen or in the color viewfinder, they can be blown-up and scrolled up and down to check fine details of any image, on the spot, not later using Photoshop. This feature also works if the images are sent to your TV via the provided video cable. It can also send a 3 second per image slide show to your TV. Maximum resolution provides a 2.3MB file size, so a 512MB card can take about 210 pictures. The PowerShot S-2 is slightly more compact than the other 12x cameras, also has a focus assist infrared lamp which helps insure sharp focus in a dark place. I love the PowerShot S-2 and feel the features and image quality are well worth the $459 I paid.
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| Date Reviewed: 10/28/2005 |
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Strengths: Excellent pictures with super nice colors. Movie mode is nice.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Summary: I had own several digital cameras. From Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, and Canon. I owned Canon S40, S45, S1 IS, G6, and currently S2. First of all, let me tell you. The absolutely best pictures are only made by Canon. And among Canons that I owned S2 IS is absolutely winner. It takes crisp photos at any light conditions. The 12x optical zoom is unbelivable and IS is must have. So far, I shoot about 200 pictures of moving cars, people, animals and NONE of them are blured. Prior to purchasing this camera, I was concern if 1.8" screen will be enough as I was spoiled by Canon's G6 2.0" screen and Kodak's V550 2.5". I can tell you now that with optical viewfinder that is installed of S2, I am not using screen at all while shooting pictures. The lense cap is something that might be better but as much as I got used to G6 identical one, I am not seeing it as a problem. Now comparing G6 to S2, I am in most occurance prefer latest one as DIGIC II processor is absolutely awesome. It is fast and acurate. And one more thing, S2 makes awesome stereo movies with a lenght of almost 20 min (1G), not like my old G6 that is restricting me to 3 min mono sound movies. So unless you need to print large prints (like I do) of 20"x30", S2 is the best Canon camera on today's market.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/30/2005 |
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Strengths: Excellent balance of feature set, execution, and price. Fast on time, focust time, sequential picture mode. Sharp capable optics with 12x optical zoom. Excellent movie mode. Decent price at $500.
Weaknesses: Picture slightly oversharpened. Noise at ISO 200. Some autofocus/autoexposure difficulties. No wireless remote. 1GB movie size limit. No Hot Shoe. No lens filter to protect lens.
Summary: Have taken about 6.5GB worth of pictures and movies with this camera. I am not needing to use my movie camera anymore (have not had to in my last 2 weekend trips).
Key positives for me:
1. Takes sharp pictures.
2. Fast enough so that I do not lose the perfect photo moment.
3. 12x zoom so that I can get close, and achieve the limited depth of field of a long lens.
4. Take movies in stereo sound, with optical zoom capability. A 1GB card can take about 7mins of 640x 30fps video. So for casual everyday events (parties, weekend trips), this is all the camera you need. I can see myself needing the DV for graduations, sporting events, musicals, etc.
5. Uses standard SD memory. I am using ATP (1GB) and Transcend (512MB) and are happy with both. These are fast cards that enhance the fast write capabilities of this camera.
6. Uses standard AA batteries -- 2200ah nimhs lasted me 2.5 GB of pics/movies in a weekend.
7. Variable Angle LCD allows pictures to be taken from awkward angles (not even available with Digital SLRs).
8. No wireless remote but the custom self timer is great. Can set to take the 5 shots in 30 secs so that I can take my time to get to my spot in the pics.
I had an Olympus C3040 (died recently), and so I was spoiled by its excellent picture quality and ability to take pictures even in low light (f1.8). But it was very slow, and so I missed a lot of picture moments, plus 3x optical won't handle musicals, football games.
The Powershot S2 allows me to acquire all the above features, with a minor compromise on picture quality, at half the price of entry level DSLR. And I get some of the features missing from a DSLR -- movie mode, variable angle LCD, light weight.
Very compelling proposition. Good Luck!
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| Date Reviewed: 03/18/2006 |
- Fallin63
from AZ
- Member Since:
Mar 2006
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Strengths: 12x zoom! Ease of use - QUALITY of PICS
Weaknesses: just a little uncomfortable to hold until you get used to the shape
Summary: I'm quitting my job! and becoming a professional photographer - Canon makes it possible! Just received my Canon Powershot and I'm amazed at how remarkable this camera performs. I have very little experience with cameras - and absoultey none with digitals - but the Canon makes me look like a pro! My very first pic - a Bird of Paradise in the setting sun in my front yard is one of the most detailed pics I have ever seen!
I purchased the Canon because of reviews that I read here. I also purchased a Kodak 740 for my daughter. Both are nice cameras - but the Canon far surpasses the Kodak though it was on a few bucks more! The build in stablelizer really keeps the pics clear on the 12x zoom! You will not go wrong with the Powershot!
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| Date Reviewed: 07/18/2005 |
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Strengths: Great lens, high power zoom
Good, intuitive menus, except for resolution Why would "L" mean highest?
Tremendous degree of control
Ability to zoom in on pic in camera
Great manual
Shortcut key
Weaknesses: Included card and batteries
Size and weight
Confusing resolution symbols
Movie format
Flash doesn't pop up
Summary: 2005-08-12 12:37:27 Wow, a terrific camera.
First the nitpicking. The included card and batteries are a joke. Get at least a one gig card and two sets of 2100 (or higher) NiMH batterries if you don't want to miss any picture opportunities. The movie format doesn't use a very effective codec, a one gig card provides less than 8 minutes of movie at 640x480, 30 fps. Setting the resolution could be a big problem without reading the manual. The five megapixel resolution is selected by picking "L" for large from the menu. I would have guessed that "L" stood for Low. Fortunately I read the manual which is actually quite good for a digital camera. The manual is a small format approximately 3" X 5" and about 180 pages so it fits into my camera bag, along with the camera, charger, spare cards and batteries. My camera, delivered to the US came with two copies of everything, English and Spanish, though the camera supports 21 languages. You will need the manual because this camera is unbelieveably rich in features and options. The manual could provide more explanation of certain technical terms for a beginning photographer, but remember this is more of a "prosumer" model. The camera is a little large but I find it extremely comfortable (I have big hands), substantial and I don't inadvertantly hit the wrong button.
My battery life has not been as good as reviews indicate, but I tried a new battery pack (2100 mah NiMh) which I ordered with the camera and charged just one. Repeated charging should improve the performance.
You need to manually raise the flash to take flash pictures (then you have a great deal of creativity, slecting flash, output and synchronization, in addition to the regular options, Off, Auto, Manual and redeye.)
The list of features is impressive starting with the 12 power optical zoom which works very smoothly, though there is some lag in autofocusing as you zoom. The zoom is variable speed, a slight pressure on the conveniently located zoom lever moves it slowly, more pressure, faster zoom. (I would have liked a little more wide angle, possibly a 35mm equivalent of 28 rather than the 36.)
This camera is fast, from power on to first shot - less than two seconds by my crude measuement. It is equally fast taking pictues (and would possibly be even faster if you selected the option to turn of the LCD between shots.) It has two continous shooting modes 1.5 fps and 2.4 fps until the card is filled or your batteries die.
You can have total control (Manual) to completely auto (but then, why buy this camera?) and everything in between. The selected speed and f-stop appear in the LCD/viewfinder in white if the picture will be properly exposed, in red if not. In the manual mode you can shot with settings the camera "doesn't like". The Safety Shift (a selectable feature) prevents you from making an error in Shutter or Aperature priority modes.
Metering and focus include several options to satisfy even the most creative photographers, including the ability to manually locate the AutoFocusing point and using it for spot metering.
The list of scene modes is extensive and creative options, like sepia, b&w and my colors can be fun. Take a picture of your car, select color swap, pick car color, select another color (say the red Porsche next to your gray Geo) and select swap. Your Geo is Porsche red.
I haven't fully explored the video capabilities but the quality seems high and stereo sound is nice. They need to upgrade the codec to allow more video.
The camera has some built in editing capability in the video mode, especially important given th comments above.
In still playback, all the normal features appear including two I especially like. The zoom control allows you to magnify (up to 10 times) a user selectable part of the picture. The jump command allows you to skip 10 or 100 pictures, OR go to the first picture with the next shooting date.
By selecting a slightly greater degree of compression, you can significantly increase the number of pictures per card, e.g., from approximately 390 to 690. I haven't experimented a whole lot with the two compression settings but even at the fine setting (the middle one) the pictures seem quite sharp with lots of detail when enlarged.
The camera provides a great deal of detail in the playback mode, less when shooting. For example, the histogram only appears in playback. The amount of detail available in the LCD/viewfinder can be daunting, but you can turn off most of it.
I've had the camera five days and actually spent one whole day reading the manual before I even started to use it. You should too because it provides a wonderful overview of features and options.
The shotcut button can be programmed to activate a certain function. Changed mine from change resolution to FPS to prevent accidentally changing resolution.
All in all, I am extremely happy. The camera seems to be very popular, given the number of suppliers that are backordered.
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| Date Reviewed: 10/31/2005 |
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Strengths: Excellent camera, rich in options, great zoom, fast focus and capture.
Weaknesses: Lens cap, need good quality batteries(2100 mAh or more).
Summary: I have been using Canon S410 for more than one year, and hence bought Canon S2IS without hesitation. Canon S2IS is as great as I expected from a Canon product.
Strengths:
1) Crisp pictures
2) Fast response
2) Anyone can use it with ease
3) Many options for creativity
4) Movies are of nice quality, you can zoom while taking a movie too (a feature not available in my old camera).
5) Great deal of information available taken while reviewing pictures.
Some weaknesses I noticed:
1) Hard to focus on close objects (around 6 inches far) in dim light.
2) Sometimes pictures taken with 12X zoom are slightly blurred, noticeable on a computer.
3) Need good rechargeable batteries (2100 mAh or more)
4) Require a memory card of at least 512 MB capacity
5) Lens cap keeps on falling
Inspite of the weaknesses mentioned, camera is worth to be owned for its strengths.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/14/2005 |
- NRJYZD1
from IL
- Member Since:
Jul 2005
View Member's:
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Strengths: Ease of use and Picture Quality. Excellent battery life
Weaknesses: Needs to incorporate an automatic flash feature to rasie the flash when a flash is needed
Summary: Very easy camera to use. Takes phenominal pictures. Takes an average person and makes them a very good photographer. Everthing you need to have is right at your fingertips. The display is a little small but that is nmot why you buy this camers.
Excellent choice for any need.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/30/2005 |
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Strengths: 12x zoom, IS, manual mode, colour accent, very low noise even with digital zoom on and every other feature it comes with
Weaknesses: lens cap
Summary: This is an unbelievable camera. the 12x zoom combined with IS puts it in a class of its own! i had tried using my friends 10x zoom with out IS as well as the canon s2. the canon s2 was producing crisp clear images while my friends nikon was struggling at full zoom. The manual mode offers unbelievable control over the pictures that you take, allowing you to take pictures that other point and shoot camera wouldnt have been able to handle, especially in low light conditions. But to completely utilise its shutter speed capabilities, you would need a tripod.
The only trouble that i had, like many others is with the lens cap! i cant believe a company which can produce such an advanced camera would produce such a terrible lens cap!!
I took my camera to the US open. My seats were at the farthest corner of the stadium(coz i was broke after getting this cam!! :-) ) and tried out the optical and digital zoom (48x in all). I couldnt believe the results it produced. There was very little loss of resolution even with the digital zoom on and i was able to produce some very good shots.
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| Date Reviewed: 06/07/2006 |
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 Not bad. Not worth all the fan Strengths: solidly-built, well engineered for shooting, fast, clean at low ISOs, good battery life, tilt-out screen, reliable focus, easy to shoot with one hand in all modes
Weaknesses: it's a big-un, heavy, no live histogram (minor), the flash is not locked down...and the viewfinder location is really poor
Summary: 2007-06-22 21:16:07 I could go into long detail about this but the S2 is just too big for what it gives you in terms of performance and image quality. It has good color, very realistic color although with a slight reddish-brown tint (that, by the way, really gets old, especially in sunlit shots). It has too much sharpening, the focus system is borderline adequate, a soft lens, too much size and weight and a crappy lens cap that is more like a lens hat than a lens cap. For slightly more size, weight and cost you can get a real DSLR, that won't limit you to ISO50-200 shooting. If you're willing to compromise on the zoom you can get an A610 or A640 and get better image quality, if you are willing to compromise slightly on the color accuracy you can get an FZ5 or SP500 and get a lighter, smaller camera with a better lens cap (this is true with any camera on the market except the s3) that still has a good zoom range and decent image quality, plus a better lens. Even the EVF sucks on this camera. Its sole area of greatness is in being a good "jack of all trades" camera. Does that mean that it is good for you? Well, if you're an amateur who is willing to carry a brick around, and baby it? Maybe so. But you can do better in so many ways. Truly this is the 4-door Toyota Camry of cameras.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/12/2005 |
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Strengths: 12x Zoom with Image Stablization, AF Assist Lamp, Swivel LCD, Video Capturing Quality, Fast Startup
Weaknesses: Trouble Focusing, Lens Cap, Size
Summary: 2005-07-12 00:28:38 Overall I really love this camera. This camera has great picture quailty and excellent video quality. With 12x zoom and Image Stablization, you gotta love it. The swivel LCD is a great feature because it allows you to take photos from below and above without having to struggle to see if you have the right shot. Also, it protects it from scratches when not in use.
My only dislikes about this camera is the slow focusing when zooming in fast. It does fine when zooming in slowly. Also, the lens cap seems to fall off to easy. The size of the camera seems a bit bulky but that is expected with ultra zoom cameras.
Overall, I would highly recommend this camera as it has lots of features and excellent photo and video quality, if you don't mind the size. If you expect to put this in your pocket then this camera is not for you.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/02/2006 |
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Strengths: Relatively inexpensive ($285 BB w/coupons, July 2006), lens, video capability, 4 GB SD (1500 shots@high quality), image stabilization, AA batteries (not proprietary)
Weaknesses: Auto mode is horrible, no warning that battery is low, the included software is not great, the viewfinder is a bit low resolution (not optical)
Summary: 2006-08-04 08:44:35 I really like this camera, it is an upgrade from my Kodak DX-4330. It works fine with 4 GB SD card (1500 shots / 30 minutes video). The Auto mode is horrible, for indoor shots it seems to lock the exposure at 1/60th second, which is way too slow for a zoomed image.
The flash is pretty bright, and seems to wash out the subject. (I have to figure out how to slave a real flash off of this camera, I believe it is possible.)
I like the fact that it uses AA batteries, I picked up 4 2500 mAh @ the Mart for under $7. There does not seem to be a warning when the batteries are low. You sort of notice that it takes a long time for the flash to recharge (with new batteries it is many second :( ), and then you replace the batteries.
I can take a 15 second exposure, and then it dark corrects after wards.
The second time I hooked it up to my computer, I pressed the "sync" button on the camera. The images did not completely transfer, and I had to reboot the computer to get everything working again. It flawlessly transferred the images when I initiated the transfer from the computer.
The flash does not automatically pop up, this is not a big deal, you notice that you needed the flash, and then you manually pop it up.
I really like that I got good pictures from the start with my Kodak, this camera is much harder (and more satisfying) to use. I lock the shutter to 1/125 or 1/160 and let the flash and image stabilization do the rest. It seems that it will take 100's of pictures to learn how to use (get used to) this camera.
The video mode is pretty good, although you are limited to 1 GB clips (7 minutes?).
There is almost no shutter lag (once the subject is in focus and the flash is charged).
I did not feel that the S3 was worth the price differential (over $100 more).
The 12X zoom is great!
I looked at the Kodak P850, and it was junk next to this camera. In the store, it could not focus on a far wall, and the pictures were "dark", while the S2 was fine.
Bottom line is that it is worth the price, and I believe that I made the right choice.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/01/2005 |
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Strengths: Everything! Ease of use, video capabilities, zoom, picture quality, image stabilizer, scene selections.
Weaknesses: The lens cover does not stay on well. For some people, the size would be a weakness. For me, I prefer a bigger, more solid camera.
Summary: I absolutely LOVE this camera! I previously owned the Canon G2, which was a great camera as well. When a repair was going to cost me $200, I decided I'd be better off upgrading than repairing. I was initially irritated about spending the money, but now I am thankful that I had to!! I took my camera on our vacation, and am thrilled to death with every aspect of it. The pictures are beautiful, the 12X zoom really allowed me to take pictures that otherwise would have been worthless, and the video quality was so good that I didn't even bother to carry my video camera with me (which was a DEFINATE bonus!). You'll definately want to invest in a big memory card. I bought a 1 gig, took over 100 pictures, and 5 short videos, and used about half of the card (and didn't have to change my AA batteries once, even with the kids using the review PLENTY!). Everything was shot using the highest quality settings. The camera is extremely easy to use, the buttons are all very comfortable, and I personally like the larger size of the S2. The scene selection settings are a great feature too. I was able to get some good beach pictures using the "snow" setting, that otherwise would have been too bright (unless you're a more advanced photographer, and know how to use the manual settings, which I'm not). And finally, the speed is very good. Much better than my G2 was. You can take several pictures in succession, with barely a pause. The only true flaw that I can find is the lens cover, which falls off constantly. I'm hopeful though, that with enough complaints Canon will make a replacement cap available. All in all I HIGHLY recommend the Powershot S2. It is WELL worth the $450 - $500 you'll spend on it.
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| Date Reviewed: 03/20/2006 |
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Strengths: Zoom. Shooting speed. Picture quality. Movie quality. Wide range for features and settings.
Weaknesses: Lens cap is cheap. Manual doesn't explain settings well enough for non-pro users.
Summary: Takes great pictures. Great movie clips. Zoom works great. You get lots of camera for the money. Now is the time to buy as the price has dropped since the S3 came out. The S3 is not enough of an upgrade to buy instead IMHO.
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