I have had my Canon for about a year now. It is great. I use the movie function a lot. This camera takes great movies for a camera this size. It is big for a regular photo camera but it takes great photos too. At 10x optical zoom the image stabilizer helps out. I dropped this camera in the mud a few weeks ago and it still works great. I was worried that the lense would get stuck but after wiping it down, it has no problems. I bought a 1 GB card so that I can get more video time.

If you don't mind the size and think you will take a lot of videos as well as pictures this is the camera for you.

This beauty is brilliant! The body style is ergonomically pleasing and lightweight, the overall design is simple to use, it will satisfy a novice and professional alike, and the pictures are beautiful! Even the manual is well designed. My long search for the perfect camera finally came to an end.

When I first took this camera out of the box I was in love with the design. Weight is important to me, and this camera balances beautifully. It's extremely lightweight and easy to grip. Obviously, a lot of engineering went into the body style. After trying out a myriad of cameras that fit my hand clumsily, this one fit like a glove. The only drawback is that it's meant to be gripped with the right hand, so it could take some adjusting for lefties. Otherwise, it's an ergonomic 10 out of 10.

The overall design of camera options leads the pack. It won't take long to master the operation of this camera. The most used options have their own buttons, so you don't have to wade through menus all the time. It is loaded with features, and sometimes this makes a camera hard to master for a novice. Not with this one! If you want a point and shoot camera that you can set and forget, this camera is for you. If you are a hobbyist or pro who wants the ability to easily switch from automatic to manual operation, this camera won't disappoint. It is also a camera that can grow with you. With a ton of add-ons and interchangeable lenses, you won't have to shell out money for a new camera as your skills improve. The zoom is more than you get with most cameras, and having a viewfinder is a must if you like to shoot outdoors in bright light. There's even a vision adjustment on the viewfinder. You may have read criticism of the lens cap. If you read the manual, you will see that it's meant to attach to the neck strap, so you really don't have to worry about losing the cap as some reviews state. I would prefer, however, a more secure snap on cover.

As we all know, the proof is in the pictures, and Canon is still delivering the goods. I immediately set out to shoot a little bit of everything. In my opinion, one of the hardest shots to get perfect with point and shoot is indoors at night with inconsistent ambient lighting. I used the low light option on the dial, and I was really impressed. The shots I took were very evenly lit and the flash hadn't overexposed my subjects. I took a picture of an outdoor scene through an indoor window using the zoom. The picture looked like it had been shot outdoors rather than from inside. I took a picture during the day in a well lit room with no flash and it was beautiful.

If you buy this camera, do yourself a favor and spend an hour going through the manual. You will find out how easy it is to control the many options, so you will be more apt to use them. I even liked the manual design. There are separate manuals in Spanish and English, so you can dispose of the one you don't need.

I know I will be happy with this camera for years to come. Some of Canon's cameras have become legendary in the photo world and still have an active life on Ebay years after their retirement. I believe this is one of those cameras.

This is a very nice digital camera. I am very pleased so far, I will be going on a trip in about a month, I'll give an update.
The only reason I don't give this camera 5 stars is: it does not have a FOCUS ASSIST LIGHT. And also I'm not finding a "macro mode".
Does anyone out there know if this camera has a macro mode?? If so, I would love to hear from you. sswaney@uusd.net

This is a bit bigger camera than I am used to, but it is a small trade off for the perks....
While chasing anyone of my 10 grand kids around DisneyLand two weeks ago. The 10x zoom saved me from the familiar yell..."wait for Grama", I simply zoomed in and got shots from yards away that were wonderful. Spontaneous. No one, two, three, CHEESE.......

And with the Stabilizer my shaky hands were no trouble any longer.
Action is caught and frozen in mid air...clear, in focus.
I stood next to the fast water slide waiting for my family to shoot out and down the falls in the raft.
(There is a slight hesitation to the S1 IS between shots. But once you get used to it's timing, no problem)
...Those shots of the family on that raft as they flew screaming past me - turned out clear and in focus.
I had it on Automatic on a gray day. I mention this picture due to the speed they were traveling. And it was me at the camera button..............Slo Mo......Amazing camera!!
I am totally amazed and thrilled at the quality of action pictures and zoom ability I have been getting with this PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital with 10x Image Stabilized Zoom.
I have a few of my zoomed in pictures here in the Gallery to look at. The Bee on the Poppy is over 7' away from me. Notice his shadow on the flower.

The Camera is good and have taken some good pictures with it, does whatevr is promised. But what i mainly want to say is when something goes wrong u will get little support from Canon. I find that really BAD, i was totally disappointed and i have decided not to buy any canon product in the future just for the reason that they have poor customer service.
Also one more thing before buying This Camera you have to be aware of is that this camera is extremely sensitive to water.... even the slightest amount can screw This camera up completely and Water Damage is not covered by Canon Warranty.

i had been on a trip to sea world, i had it in a waterproof bag all the time, but i guess some water got into it when i was trying to get some snaps of shamu..... well that was the end of my honeymoon with canon.....it stopped working.... and i had to struggle so much just to get in touch with "rude" customer representatives.
And once i sent my camera they took 2 weeks to respond and tell me what was wrong with my camera... and then i had to pay almost half the price of the camera for repair!!!!!! and i got the camera back after another week..... by the way even the shipping and handling has to be borne by you..... and one more thing you should know is that canon though it sells products all over USA has only ONE service center for the entire United States. This too i find unbelievable.

So if you are looking for gud customer service i would say dont go for canon.

I will be brief. This is a great camera but it does not have the date/time stamp option which I took for granted as being available on all newer digital cameras. My previous camera had it and for me it is a very important feature. After all, we look back on photos for the memories they bring and knowing the date (and/or time) that the picture was taken is VERY important to me.

I bought this camera about a month ago after researching about a hundred different cameras. I was looking for something aroun 4-5 megapixels and $200-$300. This camera had lower megapixels (3.2) and it was at the top of my limits. I have one thing to say:

I am glad I bought it.

I received the camera in a matter of days from Amazon. That was normal for any order that I have placed with Amazon. Fast service. I received it just a few days before we left for a vacation to Disneyland in California so I did not have time to mess with it much, but I had time to play around with some of the features on the way down and I am impressed with this camera. I took pictures from day to night and from stills to shooting scenery out of our vehicle going 85 mph. Oops, I meant 75 mph officer. I would say that 99% of them came out great. I turned the video resolution down to the next one lower. A 512 MB CF card held about 12 minutes of video in one continuous shoot. That is probably the one feature that sold me on this camera. It did not have a limit on the minutes of continous video that could be shot. Other cameras had a 1.5-3 minute limit. I even used it to record half of a speech that I gave to a group to see how I presented myself. The camera was about 10 feet away and it still picked up my voice.

The included AA alkaline batteries went dead within about a couple of hours. I bought two sets of rechargeables and found that one set lasted from 8 am to 10 pm at Disneyland. And I took alot of pictures and video! One day, I filled two 512 MB CF Cards and one 256 MB card. That is my only suggestion with this camera. Buy rechargeable batteries and a larger CF card if you are going to shoot video. I am planning to buy a 1 GB CF card later.

When I bought it, I had the intention of selling it on ebay if I did not like it. No way. I am keeping it. Oh...one other thing in my favor, my daughter-in-law works as a photographer. She could show me things that camera would do that would have taken me quite awhile to figure out. She had a chance to use it and she was impressed with it.

Overall I am happy with the camera. I prefer optical zoom over megapixels, so it is good combination for me. Pictures are great. Image Stabilizer helps a lot. Video qualify is good too.

But battery life is pretty bad. If you are planning to buy this camera and would take it on trips, buy lots of NiMh and car charger for them.

For those reviewers complaining that the camera does not imprint the date/time on the image except when printing, please note that the date and time the image was taken and many other technical details are included in the EXIF data embedded in the JPEG image. To view this information in Microsoft Windows XP, right-click the image, choose Properties, and look at the "Date Picture Taken" on the Summary tab.

I intend to purchase the Canon PowerShot S2 IS when it is released at the end of June 2005. I have been very happy with the three Canon point and shoot digital cameras I have owned. Picture quality is excellent, and the Canon menu system is comprehensive and easy to use.

The S1 IS does not include an autofocus assist lamp to help focus in low light situations. I like making 8x10 inch prints, and three megapixels does not provide enough resolution for a full-quality print at that size.

Good pictures, lots of features. Really like it, but the batteries cost a lot and only last a month!!!!

I have been upgrading my digital cameras every couple years and my dream camera was one that was compact, 5-6MP, 10-12X zoom, and image-stabilized. This is it!! It won't fit in your pocket but will go in a medium size camera bag. My camera goes with me everywhere in my purse; I always like to be ready for that once-in-a-lifetime picture, and this camera starts up so fast you won't miss a shot. The clarity, color,and detail of the pictures are excellent. The menu and settings are super easy to use. I love the 12X zoom because I am a nature and wildlife photographer and the image stabilizer makes the camera shake a non-issue. I would highly recommend getting a larger SD card - I got a 512mb, which lets me shoot all day. Battery life is not too bad and I just carry extra AAs in my bag. It is a bit expensive but I got a good deal at Amazon and it has been worth every penny. I can highly recommend this camera, Canon has come through with the best of class!

I'm not a deeply experienced digital camera buff. But, I'm fairly tech literate, have a very critical eye for color, detail, and composition for photos and painting, and I did my homework on this purchase. Tried out Kodak, Nikon, and Konica cameras with similar MP and zoom specs and features, and the Canon Powershot S1. Didn't even KNOW the store had this Canon S2 model in yet, and stumbled across it. The better quality in its clarity, color and sharpness images was IMMEDIATELY apparent. So, too, was the ease with which I could quickly navigate the settings (as a complete novice) and find what would get me a dynamite shot. I've had it less than 24 hours and have tested out its Macro, Super Macro, optical zoom, optical + digital zoom, autofocus, and a few other settings. With Macro and Super Macro I'm already getting professional quality images with detail, exact color, and clarity that would blow you away. Other settings are good, but my skill in applying them is lacking so the compositions are not stellar.

Other competing cameras did not come close to matching the color reproduction of the Canon, nor did they match the image clarity, ease of handling, set up of menus... Most were not a patch on this camera. In fact, with the exception of the Nikon and Konica Minolta Z5, the Canon Powershot S1 beat most of the 5 MP cameras for color and clarity, too. So, if money is an issue you might consider whether you would be happy with 8"x10" as a maximum enlargement and go with the 3.2 MP Canon instead. But, if you want 5MP detail, high-speed 48x zoom with image stabilization, color and clarity that will blow you away, plus features and form organized to make it a breeze to use...get the Powershot S2.

It's expensive, but WORTH EVERY PENNY. While you've got your pocketbook open, plan on getting over to Wally World and buying a good 1hr recharger and two sets of 4 NIMH batteries for this puppy, plus at least one 1GB high-speed SD card (San Disk Ultra II or Lexar 32x). You should be able to cram in about 800 full-size, full detail 1.2 MB photos on a single SD card that way. If you can get a better deal on 512 MB SD cards and wonder if you should get several of those instead of one whopping big 1GB card, go for it. Swapping the card out is a breeze. If you plan on needing more, memory is getting cheaper every day. But be sure to get the high speed stuff to save on batteries and keep the options open for fast continuous shooting.

I am running a Gateway tablet PC with Windows XP and haven't even installed the Canon photo shop type software for image manipulation. But, with XP it's plug-and-play to download images. I hooked up the USB cable and in a snap my test photos were downloaded to a folder under MyPictures. No muss, no fuss, no setup, not learning new software...a breeze.

Bought this camera to satisfy my desire to get telephoto shots and macro close ups for artsy photog hobbying, selling stuff online, bird- and animal-watching. Also got it to satisfy my wife's need for a portrait camera that would allow fast shooting without a lot of composition set-up, yet have enough megapixel detail to allow it to be cropped later and still blow up if need be. This bad boy has it all, and then some. I am delighted with it and haven't even begun to tap its potential.

A wonderful camera, the quality of the shots both in color and clarity is remarkable. The 12x zoom is excellent and detail is amazing. The camera also has a very good super macro feature which is as good if not better than cameras I have tried costing much more. The selection of "special" shots is very useful and appropriate. Adding manual exposure/shutter speed is a nice feature but one I think most people will find redundant. I recommend this camera to anyone who aspires to taking more than "snapshots". This is my third Canon camera and I have been very satisfied with all of them and this is certainly the finest I have owned.

I love this camera. It has everything I wanted on a camera plus a whole lot more. I had a Sony P-73 before this one the image quality doesn't even come close to the S2! What was I thinking when I bought that Sony? The S2 comes with full-manual controls and a very capable automatic mode for those who want to just point and shoot. 12x optical zoom, great macro mode (0cm in super macro mode!), amazing movie mode plus you get image stabilization! What else can you ask for on a camera? Canon really made a great job!

I have owned 5 digital cameras, first a sony, then a kodak, then another kodak, then another sony (that cost me $500++) and now this. All I can say is, where have you been all my life!

I wanted a camera that my wife could use as a point & shoot, and something where I would have some control without getting into a digital SLR. This looked like it had the things I was looking for, though I was a bit reluctant going for it because of the 5 mega pixel resolution (I really was hoping to get a camera with 7). Well, this is so sharp, that I can't imagine 7 megapixels. Now for the review:

This camera takes awesome photo's no only in the day time, but inside. The flash is very strong and I have not gotten any blurry images (unless I was indoors and did not use the flash). The zoom is truly amazing. The 12x optical is excellent, but I must say I was more impressed with the quality of the digital zoom images that were being produced. The stability control really makes a huge difference I think because I got some pictures I never thought I would get, and they were pretty sharp, too. The basic controls are pretty intuitive, and advanced controls have a small learning curve that anyone with even slight experience with an SLR can master easily (also read the owner's manual). Battery life is very poor, but considering all it does, I don't mind at all. Autofocus is very fast, zoom is very fast, so it will eat up the battery. I am going to buy some rechargeable's, because these lithiums are expensive (though they do last much longer than alkalyne's). The strap that is including is nice, as is the lens cap cover. Cable's are great and transferring the images to my pc was extremely fast. You gotta love the USB 2.0! The LCD is a little tough on the eyes, and for some reason, after looking at it for a couple of minutes, my eyes felt extremely strained. Not a big deal for me, because I prefer the old fashioned way of looking through the viewfinder. Funny thing though, it does not bother me when reviewing photo's. The video is also great, and something that take a bit of learning, but is very cool, is the panoramic function where you can stitch multiple images together. That is very cool (though photo shop will do the same thing, it is nice to have this feature when you are out).

I have used this camera in a variety of lighting conditions from beach to dimly lit auditorium and am extremely happy with the way it performs. The fit, finish, and feel are also quite nice, and the camera has several accessories that expand its capabilites. This is probably as close to a digital SLR as you can get, and still be able to have a P&S that any child could use. I am very happy with this camera! (See my review of the Sony DSC T-1 for a completely different type of review). I highly recommend this camera.

This camera is really wonderful. I previously had a Sony digital camera, about 5 years old, and this one blows it away. Of course, that should be expected because this camera is 5 years newer technology. The improvements I am realizing are:

1) 12x optical zoom. This cannot be understated. I am really able to take pictures that otherwise I would have been too far away to capture. The camera's larger size is more than offset by this capability.
2) Good flash. I can light up large rooms with the powerful flash.
3) SD card - one of the more common, inexpensize memory cards out there. I recommend getting a 60X card for maximum speed.
4) AA batteries - in case of an emergency, you can always buy a 4 pack and keep on going. I bought a NI-MH charger with 8 batteries at Uncle Sam's for under $20. No more proprietary batteries for me!
5) 5MP - the picture quality is excellent, better than my old Sony. Since I don't routinely make posters out of my pictures, this is plenty.
6) 640x480 video @ 30 fps with stereo audio. This thing is a high quality camcorder limited only by the size of the memory stick.
7) LCD which can be folded open and seen from front of camera: My wife and I commonly take pictures where I hold the camera out in front of us and take the picture of us arm in arm. Now I can make sure things are lined up before pressing the shutter. It is also nice that the LCD flips over so it can be stored against the body of the camera to prevent scratches.
8) Macro photography - this is a whole new area for me, as my old camera could not do this. I have taken pictures at 3" and had them come out very clear.
9) Through the lens viewfinder - which helps make sure that I am really taking a picture of what I am aiming at.

The only thing which I would like to see improved is the response time between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken when using the flash. The response time is very fast when the flash is off, but it can be upwards of several seconds if the flash is required (in full auto mode). I have not played with the flash and other settings to see if I can improve on this, and believe that I probably can due to the ability to fully customize this camera.

And Everything else.

This camera is awesome.

Hardware:

Okay: The main reason to purchase this camera over any other camera in its price range is the 48x zoom. If you don't need the zoom feature, you are probably better off going with the G6 since it only costs a few dollars more and it is a 7.1 mega pixel camera and this one is only 5 mega pixels. If you aren't sure whether you want the zoom, you should probably go with this camera (better safe than sorry).

That being said the zoom and image stablizer on this camera are awesome. You can extend the zoom all the way out and take pictures with shaky hands and still get good looking results.

The camera also includes just about everything else you would ever need. It takes beautiful pictures at ridiculously high resolution (you can print posters) and comes with a lot of other nice features as well.

Software:

I have not used the software since I am not a Windoze user. I cannot attest to it's quality. My primary software concern was that I could get my photos off it using gphoto on Linux. If you are a Linux user and are looking for a camera, I recommend this one, but if not, make sure that you get something that supports PTP.

All the rest:

The user manual was easy to read. The camera also comes with the cable that you need to do streaming video.

My only gripe with the entire package is that it came with a 16MB SD card, which because of it's size, is really pretty much useless. If you are going to spend $500 dollars on a camera, then you're going to want to spend the $50 it costs to get at least one 1GB SD card. I would have preferred getting a case instead of the card since I'll never use the card but will definitely need a case.

This is a tough review to write, as it could take far more space than alotted. Here is the short version...

Some brands of digicams sport German or other Euro lenses. Some will no doubt argue, but after 35 years of being an active photographer, and a tech type of person, I feel that nobody makes high end lenses better than Canon makes them, and nobody makes more lenses that qualify as high end than Canon either.

The lens mounted on the S2 IS is the best of it's class. Even compared to quality SLR zoom lenses, it is a premium product. The camera is not a pocket cam, and does not pretend to replace one. Then again, it can do what no pocket cam can ever dream of, and can compete heads up with most digital SLR's in the hands of most people who buy a digital SLR. Truth is, most people who spend the bucks on a digital SLR would get far more from the purchase of an S2 IS.

The 5mp sensor produces 8x10 prints that rival 35mm quality. The VGA movie mode is simply awesome, and the DIGIC II chip is the same one that powers top of the line SLR's, which means outstanding speed from startup to shutdown. The selection of modes on this camera is incredible, yet it is easy to make a quick shot that looks great no matter what the situation. The continuous shot speed of 2.4 FPS is plenty when you consider that it isn't a burst mode. If you have a 1 gig memory card plugged in, it will shoot at the top speed until the card is full (around 600 pics at max resolution). The intervalometer function is a real treat, as you can shoot time lapse pics with a press of a button, and you have full control of how often the shutter trips, and for how long.

A 1 gig memory card will give you just over eight minutes of VGA movie time with high quality stereo sound. For most functions that don't call for a DV tape camera, 8 minutes of high quality TV screen sized full motion video is a long time. Consider that an old "super eight" film camera was only good for 3 minutes per reel, had no stereo sound, and wasn't as smooth as the S2's 30 FPS speed. Then there is the IS function. Between reviews and first hand experience, nobody makes an image stabilizing system as good as Canon makes it. It works in spectacular fashion for both still pics, and movies.

OK, other reviwers will compare specs, and show that the S2 IS is the top dog in the most useful class of cameras to hit the market in a long time. I just want to make sure that people thinking about buying a digital SLR look at the S2 first. I bought the S2, the lens hood, and lens adaptor, a closeup lens for use at max telephoto, a wide angle lens, a telephoto extender lens, a set of Hoyo UV and Polorizing filters, and a fine quality camera bag for under $1,000. My next purchase will be a slave flash to extend the flash range of the camera. The model offered by Canon is pretty cheap, and there are others to consider.

The bottom line is that the S2 is larger than a pocket cam, but much smaller and lighter than an SLR, and can beat the average SLR package to near death right out of the box for most shooting situations. Equip the S2 with a handful of accessories, and the casual SLR owner will have to spend thousands of Dollars on lenses, accessories, and a reasonable video camera just to keep up.

The S2 is a major compromise if you make a living taking pictures, and choose to spend thousands in order to make sure that you can handle every situation that pops up, but the S2 and a full compliment of accesories will fit in a medium small camera bag, weigh very little, and capture 95% of your shots just as well for under a grand. And it does awesome image stabilized still pics and movies.

I suspect that more than half of the people who buy digital SLR's would have been far better off with an S2, and would be enjoying new features well into the first Months of ownership. If you have the itch to step up, and you are torn between an SLR and a S2, buy the S2. You will be thrilled with what the UPS guy delivers. Buy the SLR in two or three more years. They might break out of the mold, and be ready for prime time in the consumer market by then.

Last note. I took my first pic with the S2 set to auto, flash on, at 12x zoom. I was sitting on my couch 18 feet away from my kitchen in dim evening light, with one incandescent light burning near my couch. I focused on a box of Cheerios sitting on top of my refrigerator (unlike many earlier digicams, the S2 locked on in a flash), and snapped the pic. The box was in a 3/4 view, so I could see the side panel, and the front face. Reviewing the pic on the camera, I was able to clearly read even the finest print on the side panel of that box. Take a look at the print on the side of a standard sized box of Cheerios next time you are in the market, and imagine snapping a handheld shot from 18 feet away, and reading every word in sharp detail on the camera display afterwards. Canon knows how to make a proper lens. And yes, Canon does Linux. I have been Windoze free for several years now, but free open source apps work fine with this camera, and I heard a rumor (I will try it soon on my Xandros box) that the Canon Win apps run under Crossover Office for Linux. Meanwhile, the camera app included in SuSE 9.3 communicates with the S2 as a PTP device with no problems.

I absolutely love this camera! I had two requirements for buying a new digital camera: long zoom and powered with AA batteries.

We own an Olympus 4MP D40 and I really love that camera because it fits in my purse and takes great snapshots. But the Olympus eats batteries like mad and lacks a good zoom.

The Canon S2 IS doesn't fit in my purse but it is well worth carrying an extra bag.

The photos are amazingly clear and the Super Macro mode is unreal. I took some photos of my flowers in that mode and uploaded to this site. You can see the shots are clear, have fantastic color and I swear the lense was nearly touching the flower.

I did purchase an Ultra SD card and am using rechargable NiMH batteries. After using the camera for more than a week I haven't changed the batteries. My Olympus would have gone through dozens of sets with all of the work I've put the Canon through.

Bottom line...this is a great point-and-shoot camera that has so many other great features that even a non-professional can take professional photos.

This camera is everything it is advertised. The photo quality is wonderful, the 12x zoom is very versatile and, along with image stabilization, delivers very crisp pictures. I don't even have the digital zoom enabled, and I have never felt it was necessary.

Video mode is very good as well, and the zoom motor is so quiet that it is not picked up by the microphone. The only thing to watch out for is in 640x480x30 mode, each second of video takes almost 2MB, so even a 1GB SD card will hold only about 8 minutes of video.

Highly recommended!

Excellent camera and a lot of zoom for the buck. Ordered through Amazon because of a much better price than anyone else on line or in the stores around me. Timely delivery was another plus for Amazon, this is the 4th product I've ordered from Amazon and wouldn't buy from anyone else. Excellent, excellent service department.

Thank You

I agree with all the rave reviews already posted, so I won't rehash the same points again. But I will add one minor criticism and one great feature not previously mentioned. The criticism is that the viewfinder (which I prefer to use instead of the LCD screen) is dim and difficult to use in bright sunlight. Be that as it may, I noticed that one of the special scene modes was "fireworks", so I took the camera out to our July 4th celebration. The shots I took were fabulous! If you want to try this yourself, just make sure that you track the flare upward and try to shoot a moment before it explodes. This is because the camera is set to a relatively long exposure time and you want to catch the outward movement of the exploding colored particles from the beginning. Hold the camera as still as you can while the shutter is open, but of course the image stabilization feature is very helpful in obtaining sharp images under these conditions (it also renders the recommended use of a tripod unnecessary in my opinion). All in all, a great camera for the money!

I've taken many, many pictures with this camera since bought, a lot lot more than with any other camera owned because it is so easy to use, the camera is so fast and the IS works pretty well as well, the pictures are just crisp and beautiful. Very happy. Recommended with 5 stars. It feels a bit bulky at times but nothing is perfect.

I've had quite a few digital cameras and thought I was satisfied with the Fuji 6X zoom until I saw this in a local retail store. It was so new, they haven't even priced it yet. My friend just paid over 50% more for a Nikon 4MP and had most the bells and whistles as the Canon had. I also liked the SD card rather than the Fuji xD. The SD fits my PDA so I can save/show pics when I travel. I went online and found out it was cheaper than I thought. Then Amazon had the better price so I went for it. I've had it for about a month now, the camera is awesome. I haven't used all the features yet but it's well worth the money just for what it's produced in the short time I've had it.

Considering it offers more than all of it's competitive comparision models: Sony, Panasonic, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon & Olympus. The CANON offers more like 9 picture effects, night shot, stereo sound, self timer 2 or 10 sec. & custom, LCD w/ variable angle function, movie snap (capture a still) while rec. up to 30 frames a sec., macro + super macro 0-3.9 in. 0-10 cm.. And thats it folks, with many months of research and help. We've scored! Salute CANON...

My first digital camera was a Kodak 2 megapixels and 3X optic zoom. It was the latest thing when I got it. I had some problems with it about 2 months ago and decided to upgrade. I was all set to buy the Canon PowerShot S1 when I read about the new Canon PowerShot S2 that was suppose to hit the market in June, so I decided to wait for this camera. Believe me, it was worth the wait. This camera has everything and can do everything I want it too. It has many options: You can set it for night photos, fireworks, foilage, snow scenes, and beach scenes. you can shoot in auto or manually set it to your specifications. It allows you to shoot in color, black and white, gray tones, and sepia, and "My Color Mode." On top of this it allows you to take movies with sound which is great for family get-togethers.The 5 megapixels and 12X Optic Zoom allow for great images. Battery life is exceptionally long. This camera can do it all. When I opened the package, I was a little intimidated with all the manuals and paperwork that came with it, but after reviewing them it was a cinch to use this beauty. It is a little pricey but I feel it is worth the money. The only other problem is that is is bulky and definitely not a camera you can stick in your pocket to carry, but it comes supplied with a neck strap. I would recommend this camera to both a novice or an experienced camera buff. Canon has a real winner with this product.

Pros:
12x optical zoom, uses non-proprietary AA batteries, large image sensor produces better pics than cameras with more more megapixels!

Cons:
The lens cap falls off to easy, slightly heavy, difficult to hold with two hands, plastic threaded tripod mount, and separate adapter is required to install lens protecting UV filter.

The Canon S2 IS produces incredible images, much better than other cameras in its class with more megapixels! Having a 12x Optical zoom allows you to get closer to most shooting subjects especially ones that used to be out of reach with other digital cameras.

The 1.8-inch tilt-and-swivel LCD makes shooting pictures from unique angles super easy. For example you can shoot over your head to get pictures from behind a crowd or shoot from waist level to get pictures without attracting attention to yourself.

Most other digital cameras on the market are powered by a proprietary battery that can cost upwards of $40 and have a typical service life of less than one year. Since it is powered by standard AA batteries you'll always be able to find inexpensive replacements any place you go. In most grocery and drug stores you can find 4 rechargeable AA 2500 mAh batteries bundled with a charger for only $20.00. These batteries provide enough power for a typical day's shooting and are inexpensive enough to replace each year for optimal performance.

Great color and features. I had a sony before this one, nothing compares. Canon is the best!

I adore taking pictures. Especially of tiny bugs, butterflies, and flowers in addition to far away things like birds and the moon etc. However, I'm not a patient person when it comes to learning what all of the buttons do and reading manuals et al and I wasn't educated in photography so AUTO is important to me!

For anyone that wants to pull a camera out of the box, snap a picture, and have others say "WOW! You're good at taking pictures!" this is the camera for you ;)

It's auto mode is amazing in a variety of lighting conditions and on a variety of subjects. BUT WAIT! There's More!

If you'd like to enhance your pics just a bit, but find too many settings and options and weird names/acronyms way too confusing this camera is GREAT! It's buttons are labeled and pictured in EASY TO UNDERSTAND Words and Pictures. Their uses and the menu descriptions are CLEAR, easy to find, and just about ANYONE could figure out what they do. If you'd love to be able to adjust the shutter speed, ISO, Aperture, etc..but are never quite sure exactly what they do or which way they should go...this camera makes it SIMPLE! "lighter, darker, cloudy, fair skinned, dark skinned, nighttime" are an example of the words you will see. BUT WAIT! There's More!

You need a camera your 2 yr old can use... but you also need a camera "smart photographers" can use. If you want to have it totally manual with a ton of settings to choose from (for a consumer grade digi cam) this cam is the way to go! You can enter total manual mode and go for it. Or you can enter "semi manual modes" where you set "this and that" and it adjusts everything else automatically.

If you're a one camera family.... I HIGHLY recommend this camera. Young or old... clued in or CLUELESS this camera can be used to take breathtaking photos from far away to so close it's bumping the lens.

The pano stitching is excellent as well by the way. I snapped 10 pics (just testing out of the box) and hit the stitch button in the included software and it did everything for me. In seconds I had an amazing panorama image ... snap, click, done!

Cons: Yes...there's always cons...but these are mild in my opinion. It comes with cheesy batteries so be sure to pick up some camera grade rechargables before you check out. It also comes with a very small memory card (considering the size of the images) so you'll want to pick up a larger card as well. The 16MB will hold about 10 images at their highest settings. The ON switch takes a tiny bit of getting used to but the off switch is really easy to find.. be careful. Thankfully, turning it on is FAST so even if you make the mistake...you shouldn't miss the shot.

Did I mention the video camera that's in this thing? No more tiny 320X240...this does a full crisp and clear 640X480 and it does it well!

One last note... the stabalizer is amazing too! My old cam made it difficult to use the full power of zoom without a tripod. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE...hard to keep the subject inside the viewfinder. NO LONGER A PROBLEM WITH THE CANON! No tripod...full zoom...you can hold onto your subject even if you are a bit wobbly ;)

Go for it!

It's about a month since I purchased this camera. Great pictures. Have taken about 300 pictures till date. If you have a regular SD card instead of a High Speed SD card, then images are distorted when you click during video recording. Other than that, no problems at all. Great Camera Indeed.

I've had the S2 IS for about two months now and I must admit that it is a great camera. I've gone through and read all the other reviews for this camera and I do agree with everyone on the quality, features ect..ect, so I won't get into that. What I'm going to talk about is durability!

I was worried when I bought this camera that it just wouldn't stand up to the abuse I know I was going to put it through. I'm always outdoors doing something so, knocks, falls, dings, dust, dirt and water seem to always do battle with my electronic "toys". I can't count how many cell phones, cameras, walkmans...ect..ect, I've had damaged or even destroyed by Mother Nature's wrath.

When I took the camera out of the box I was worried because of how beautiful the camera is. I thought to myself, damn, this thing just reeks beauty which seems to attract extra attention from the elements for some reason. Not the case with this camera though.

I've dropped it once, had it covered in sand and covered in water by a salty wave while deep-sea fishing. I've even put it to the ultimate test....CHILDREN,,,nooo,nnooo,,Ahhhahhhh!!!!

These same children managed to break my Leatherman WAVE tool the first five minuets they possessed the thing; how could a camera possibly survive such grappling, clenching, twisting, clumsy, sticky, dirty hands? It did though.

I know you may think I'm stupid for putting such a nice camera through such treatment but, I'm one that likes to use what I buy right along with how I live. I'm not a clean freak, stay behind closed doors, air-conditioned type. I also remember how it used to feel as kid when no one would trust me with a "cool", expensive piece of equipment. It's only a camera and if the kids can feel good by being trusted enough to use it, I'm going to let them use it.

After all this wear and tear, the only damage I can see is minor cosmetic damage such as scratches. The lens is still as clean as a brand-new. The only problem I had was when the camera locked up one time with the lens sticking out. No buttons would work and I couldn't get the thing to respond to anything; I began to worry; one of the kids brought it to me in this condition. After opening the battery housing door and closing it again the camera came back to life and is again in perfectly working order. I love this camera, after all it's been through it still starts up quickly, uploads quickly, takes beautiful pictures and zooms in and out smoothly. I'm glad I decided to wait for the S2 rather than settling for the S1 but,..... Yes there's always a but....

There is no underwater housing for this camera yet. If I'd of known this I would have chosen a different camera. In fact, if Canon does not make an underwater housing I'll never buy Canon again. That's why I took away a star from it's perfect rating so far. I've been pestering Canon every day now to build an underwater housing with no luck, can you help????? PLEEEASSEE!

So, if your looking for a pretty, powerful camera and don't plan on taking it underwater, this is the camera for you.

Good shooting!

I'm extremely happy with this product. It has lots of functionality, a good lense, and, what I personally really appreciate, a very powerful optical zoom. The best small digital cameras I've ever used. It's also light, so easy to carry around even when backpacking. And the image stabilizer really works! My only gripe about it is that Canon is not putting out a waterproof housing for this model (it has one for the S1 IS), so I can't take it diving or even sailing with me. I was actually thinking about getting a digital SLR (EOS or Rebel), but changed my mind. This powershot has hardly any delay; also, it has a great video mode with stereo sound recording, lighter, has a zoom (which I'd have to purchase separately for an SLR), not mentioning the price. A great buy!

Others have written some very detailed reviews of this camera so I will not duplicate what has already been said. Suffice it to say that this is a quality camera loaded with features. I almost bought an S1 last year. I was intrigued by the VGA movie mode on the S1, but wanted a model with 5MP or better still resolution. The S2 is the camera I was waiting for.

My goal is to replace my current digital camera and camcorder with the S2. So far I'm very impressed with the movie quality of the S2. The only drawback is, of course, the enormous size of the video files. It would have been nice if Canon had used MPEG compression (hopefully in the S3), but I've found a workaround to that problem. I've purchased two 1GB Transcend 80x SD cards and a 40GB PD7X CompactDrive hard disk portable storage device. The CompactDrive will download a full 1GB SD card to its internal notebook hard disk in about 3 minutes without using a computer. It's powered by 4 NiMH batteries and can download somewhere between 17 to 20GB on a single charge. Since you can shoot 1GB worth of video in 8 minutes, theoretically by swapping cards and downloading I could shoot about 2.5 hrs of nearly continuous video without even having to change batteries on the PD7X. I haven't actually tested this procedure yet, but I think it's workable. As soon as my son's soccer games start up in a few weeks I'll be putting it to the test.

Another great feature of this camera is the macro and super macro . You can shoot extreme closeups with the camera lens virtually touching the subject. I was just messing around with the camera and took a macro picture of a photo taped to my refrigerator. I was amazed to see that it was sharp and relatively well exposed even with poor lighting. It got me thinking about the piles of photos I have sitting in boxes waiting to be digitized. I have a flatbed scanner, but scanning is very tedious. Why not just take a snapshot of them with the digital camera? I decided to convert an old 35mm photo enlarger I had in the attic to a makeshift copy stand. I rigged up a camera mount and grabbed a couple of clip on reading lamps and started playing around. After some experimenting I found that using macro mode with Tungsten white balance setting produced great copies of my snapshots. Once I figured out the settings, I whipped through a couple stacks of snapshots in about 10 minutes. It's still tedious, but much better than scanning with my slow flatbed scanner.

With the S2 you can have your cake and eat it too. It takes great photos and videos and is easy to use yet powerful enough for those of us that like to experiment.

That sums it up. I ordered it on line. So I did not hold it before buying it. Price was reasonable, but the camera is too big to take along anywhere, the view finder is poorly located and practically useless (Try the Nikon DSCH1 or D50 to see what I mean) and it struggles to focus on high zoom. Too many blurry photos. Also the lens cap is too loose on the camera and keeps falling.

I find the workmanship and quality of photos exceptional. It is also fast to turn on and take photos. The engineers at Canon have done a great job on the inside. The controls are also easy to use and nicely located. But boy they missed in design. This is one unattractive camera and its silver.. You will not look cool carrying and using this camera. Has anybody noticed that all professional cameras are black. There is a reason for that. If S2 is pretending to be a semi-prosumer, make it black body.

My final three comments.. 1. No manual focus ring and 2. No RAW format, hard to find a case for it.

S2 is a potent camera, but not very useful... I wish I could return it and wait for S3.

If you want to carry a heavy, bulky camera, and have some blurry photos go for this or wait for the next generation.

This camera is packed with features. There's not much more you could ask it to do. In fact, it probably has a lot more capabilities than the average person will use. And, if you shop around you can find some great pricing that make it a great value.

But, I do have some issues:
1) When using the flash, you have to first give the shutter a half-press to set the shot, and then the full press to take the picture. That extra moment can be annoying if you're in a situation where you just want to do a quick point-and-shoot. Even more of a hassle is if you hand the camera to a friend so he can take a picture of you, you have to explain how to do it instead of 'just push the big button.' (I confirmed with Canon tech support that this is indeed how it operates).

2) While the overall body construction seems solid, the cover over the USB port seems quite flimsy and I fully expect it to snap off in a few weeks. Similarly, there's something about LCD screen that makes me fear it too will eventually break off.

3) I found that some of the icon, symbols and abbreviations used on menus, the LCD display, and camera controls were not exactly intuitive. And, some of them were kind of small making them hard to differentiate (for example, the icons for the different self-timer settings).

On the whole, you have to give Canon credit for packing this much into a camera in this price range.

Hope this helps you in making your choices--- there are several good mega zooms out there and the decision is not easy!!

My main focus was the S2 IS, FZ5, FZ20, Pro 1 and Minolta Dimage A200. Here is where I ended up --

I bought and researched most of my information through dpreview, image resource and mega pixel. But I tried the hardware at BH Photo in NYC where I live (actually in NJ across the river). They have a great return policy and I was able to take the FZ5 on a significant adventure to Agra, India -- the Taj Mahal.. The camera performed extremely well. The shots taken were 99 % accurate, the trimming feature was great and the sharpness of the pix were as good as I have ever seen. However I ended up sending it back because of the following - needed more function on the movie settings, the zooming feature was very fast but a little choppy expecially at the long end of the zoom (7-12x) when you I was trying to make subtle changes to framing my shot, I needed more control over the exposure compensation and white balance settings. The FZ5 only allows you to max out at 8 seconds one way and 1/1600 the other way (or was it 1/2000?). Lastly I felt that the camera needed a little more weight for my hand comfort. That is while initially it feels a little flimsy, it is quite well built; but for me it seemed as though I was holding a feather and it didn't feel as right when I was moving to take shots. The spot focus was awesome and got it right all the time though the center-weighted made me do a few double takes from time to time.

So what did I do? I went with the S2 -- Why? Because, I like the fact that I can take pix while taking movie clips. I didn't know how much I actually toggle between both modes. I have alot more control over exposure compensation and white balance. S2 offer's more sophisticated flash options (1st-2nd curtain and high/low flash sync). Its cool to have a swivel display. Manual Focus is good for night shots where focus assist can be fooled. Lastly I like the usb20 interface which means I don't have to wait till forever to download a gig (though I do use a reader half the time). The fz5 is usb 1.0. S2 has 15 seconds and 1/3200 on both ends of the shutter I believe.

I miss the trimming and resize function the fz5 has; it makes it real easy to make photo adjustments on the fly. Don't like the fact that the S2 has a plastic tripod hole. Like the fact that S2 has AA compatability. And of course love the fact that both cameras have quality long zoom lenses and OIS.

My super duper biggest worry on the S2 is the stuff I'm reading on the reviews about the chromatic abberation. I would hate to invest time taking shots I'm looking forward to enjoying only to see purple fringes around my subject. I'm also not as happy about the s2 not providing in the package a lens adaptor -- that whole system is alot larger than the fz5 where I had a uv filter attached to the fz5 body without it protruding too much. The s2 has a longer lense when it is on so the adapter hood is longer too -- that means I'll probably more often than not, skip putting it on and probably scratch the original lense by accident one of these days...

So I went with S2 for the features I needed -- the FZ5 is an awesome camera with no CA that I saw. and is extremely fast. It doesn't get fooled especially with spot focus on.

Oh btw -- I looked at a200 but didn't like the size, looked at H1 but didn't like size and memory stick and looked at fz20 but didn't like the size and value for the money.. Looked at Pro 1 but felt that if i want 8mp, i'll wait for the rebel xt to go down in price and resurrect my eos lenses...

I paid 460 at bhphoto for the s2...

Happy hunting

Engar...

I just got this camera...and love it. Weighty, but helps when shooting a picture for stability.

I got mine for $384 out the door through Dell and coupons.

Still a great camera

I bought this to replace a canon A-80 I owned. I wanted a better zoom and a zoom while taking movies. This camera has done all that and more. The photos even in the auto mode are flawless. The camera is also very sturdy and seems to surpass all my expectations. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a great all around camera. I've put it through the ropes and has not disapointed me yet. A++ to canon on this one, it will be with me for awhile to come.

somehow, Canon has made most features of the camera come pretty well to hand...except the exposure lock...with gloves, this is a true pain to activate ..it needs a dedicated button for this.

Niggling aside, this box is probably the next best thing to a DSLR.

the clear and usable viewfinder almost makes the camera into an SLR and works on the brightest of glaciers. Call me old fashioned, but i like viewfinders. I love this feature.

The supermacro is delightful, but with a zoom of 12, you hardly need a macro at all.

In the focus bracket mode you can just about assure yourself a picture in focus...thereby averting the consistent focus problem that plagued all six of my six previous digital cameras.

If you are up to the size and weight this camera, you will be satisfied with its performance and features.

I agree with all the rave reviews already posted, so I won't rehash the same points again. This camera took a wondeful trip with us to Maui. I have used several digital cameras and this is by far the easiest to use straight out-of-the-box. Our main complaint was the lens cap; however, it did stay attached within the camera bag. The one thing that would make this camera even better would be an underwater case. The fireworks mode worked perfectly. The low light mode actually surprised me with how well it worked. The images allowed for printing of terrific 8 x 10s. A big thumbs up for a quality camera.

I have been into photography for over 30 years. I've been though many cameras in my day, but I must say this camera is the best. From ease of use to the quality of photo's and videos it's superb. I have it for over a month and have taken over 500 photo's. It has not let me down once,from low light to bright outdoor shots it has come through like a champ. The image stablization is a added bonus for those times when our hands just aren't as steady as we wish. Bottom line is this a well built camera that will come through in any envirorment. I'll have this one with me everywhere I go.

5 stars to Canon , you built a true winner here.

Only 2 complaints about this camera (that have been covered already). Lens cap is terrible, but that's not a huge issue for me. Also, the low-light focusing leaves a bit to be desired, but overall is good. I had tried a Sony DSC-H1 before this ... and there simply is no comparison. With the Sony was difficult to get good (non-blurry) pictures without the flash. The Canon, no problem unless it's dark. I am very, very happy with this camera and it worked great out of the box in auto 'dummy mode'.

3 times out of 4 on switching the camera on there is no image. when there is an image the camera works fine except for focus at low light levels.
i have used canon cameras for many years and this is the most disappointing product from them that I have ever had
If you can get one that gives an image very time, and you do not want to take photos in low light it would probably be okay

This camera as the first I was interested after for Sony DSC-V1 crashed and burned on me 1 month after the warranty. But instead of buying it on the fly, I researched hard for 1 solid month. I was still considering the Sony H-1 for the big LCD but it had no Carl Zeiss lens. The Panasonic had a Leica lens, and Canon has always made great lenses for SLR's so I trust them with digital.(I owned the AE1 and the EOS Rebel). I am really happy with the purchase.
I'll just comment a little on what others have written.
-The lens cap is not a big deal and the problem is getting blown way out of proportion.
- The zoom is fast and accurate. The programmed and manual controls are easy to use. Some reviewers who said their pictures are blurry, I think they have themselves to blame.
- The ISO control is a great one to have and easy to use if you want to work with light conditions. My Sony did not have this feature, and it is something to appreaciate. This can be changed in every mode but the AUTO.
- I took over 250 pictures, overplayed the zoom and used the flash for a few days on 1 set of batteries. (much better than the Sony DSC-V1 i owned)
- The video is great and should be a BIG selling item. I honestly have not tested the memory psace needed for long videos but the clarity and smoothness is great.
- The 12x zoom has great speed sensitivity. To clarify, a hard push moves really fast and a soft touch zooms it at a great slow speed.
- some users do not understand you must be patient with the clos up macro. This one works really well with a little practice.
- It would have been great if the 1.8" LCD was larger but this is fine. At least, it can be flipped around and closed to protect it when not in use.

I see experienced digital SLR users buying this for the quality, zoom capacity and size. I am by no means a point and shoot camera person, but this one could be used by those that are. I enjoy manual controls (shutter spped and aperture) when the time is right. This camera does it all and does it well.

By no means am I a professional photographer, but I adore the art of photography. I previously owned a Canon PowerShot S30 that I have been using that camera since 2003. I am happy to say that through all my clumsiness that camera is still as good today as it was the day I bought it. However, it didn't have the features I desired in a digital camera...

So I did some research, and ended up with the Canon S2 IS. Not only did it have the features I loved in the S30, but it fixed all of the frustrations as well. I really like the size and feel of this camera. The added features are amazing, including the optical zoom, stability control - very useful, manual focus, super macro mode, high quality videos, and the incredible color enhancement options. I am particularly impressed with all the add-ons available, including telephoto and wide-angled lenses, and an ultra-bright flash. With all the options and features available with this camera, it should enthuse even the grumpiest photographer.

I admit, with every picture I take, I love this camera more. I would, without hesitation, recommend the S2 IS to anyone who is looking for a high-quality digital camera. My only word of caution: the batteries get drained rather quickly, but it only requires 4 AA batteries, readily available at most stores and gas stations.

After a little heartache about the price (I'm a college student), I realize that you have to spend money to get a good, high quality product that will last you for years.

Canon can consider me one of their most loyal customers.

I've been using the S2 for a few weeks and I'm extremely pleased. I've used many cameras over the years, from point-and-shoot to completely manual. I really researched this camera.

The bottom line for me is how many of the pictures I'm happy with. This camera takes better pictures than anything I've used. Perhaps only 1 out of 100 is not quite in focus or blurred. That's a great ratio.

I've taken superb close-ups at 12x zoom of a bee flying up to a flower. The bee and flower are perfectly in focus with the bee's wings frozen in mid-beat. The background is perfectly out of focus, just as it should be. I've taken excellent 360 degree panoramas of mountain vistas. Shots of people are especially nice if you use the "people" setting.

It's hard to take a bad photo with this camera!

A few of the pluses:

- Excellent image stabilization
- Superb full TV resolution video
- Very good user interface
- Comfortable to hold
- Very good button layout
- Uses regular AA batteries (use NiMH)
- Uses common SD cards

The manual pop-up flash is actually a great idea. I thought auto pop-up would be better but it is very easy to pop it up and it gives you much better control over when to use it, for example with fill flash.

I recommend the leather case and the leather strap. And get at least one 1GB card so that you can do movies up to 7 minutes long.

I could go on and on. Bottom line: This is a great camera at a great price.

did anyone who purchased their canon s2 through amazon have an official canon seal on their package. I believe mine is an open item because it did not have the seal

I just took this camera to Northern California (Yosemite and Santa Cruz) and had a great experience. ALL the shots came out, even when my 9-year old took them -- no focus issues, no color problems, no blurred images. The image stabilization is amazing -- I'd been happy with my Nikon Coolpix 2500, but there's no going back now!

A couple of highlights -- there's nothing like a panoramic mode for handling spectacular vistas, and the S2's "photo stitch" mode was easy to use and superb at stitching together full-sized images. I shot the Mono basin in 8 full-size frames and am very pleased with the results. Some of the modes were also unexpectedly fun, such as taking shots in old western mining towns using the "sepia" mode.

I spent about 30 minutes reading the manual and playing with the camera and got everything I needed. As I got more used to the camera, I investigated some of the display details and was impressed with how much control I could have if I wanted or needed it. An example was taking time-delayed shots of our entire family. But frankly, you can just put the S2 on auto and fire away.

At the highest resolution I put 327 shots on one 512GB card. The software to download and edit the shots is very straightforward. Even with considerable review on the camera, I'm just on my second set of AA batteries.

If you've read the other, more comprehensive reviews, you'll know you need to invest in higher storage and some rechargeables. Overall, I'm very happy with this camera.

I bought my S21S last week, after months of research and indecision. Initially I was leaning towards the Sony H1, but I finally decided on the Canon after several sales reps from different retailers categorically stated that the Canon was definitely superior, primarily because of a superior lens and therefore superior picture quality. As one rep said, "If you're looking for the highest quality TV, you buy Sony. But if you're looking for the highest quality camera, you buy Canon".

The camera handles beautifully and operates very quickly. Startup and focus times, as well as successive-picture and shutter lags are almost nil. This is probably because of the DIGIC II processor, which no other camera in this category even comes close to. Because I do not like bulky cameras, I bought a case that fits the camera like a glove, and is not one of those "backpack-like" cases. The S21S is the smaller sized camera among those in the same category.

This is my first digital camera. I had refused to buy a digital camera in the past (vs. 35 mm) because of the lower quality of prints in older digital cameras. I was amazed the degree to which the printed photos of the S21S have crisp, natural and bright colors. No fading colors or irregular borders. No visible differences vs. 35 mm. prints. I have not had the need to retouch a single picture. The prints will come out identical to what you see in the LCD (or the viewfinder). This is especially important, since in other brands (Sony, especifically), the LCD is artificially brighter, so pictures would seem brighter and clearer in the LCD than when actually printed (or downloaded), which would be a big letdown when you get your prints. Do note however, that the S21S LCD does provide a "higher brightness" option for use in brighter, sunny days.

The flash performance was very important to me, and I am glad that it works wonderfully. I have tested the flash in low light and in pitch black darkness, and the photos come out fully focused and with great brightness. I tested a distance beyond the 18 ft. specified maximum range, and the pictures came out very well lit, at all zoom levels. Specifically, I took a picture of a lit candle in total darkness 20 ft. away with 12X zoom, and the photo came out fully focused, and well lit, including the backgroundand and surroundings. The flash is high enough from the lens that red eye is not a problem. But at the same time, not too high that it casts a "shadow" under the targets.

The image stabilization system works impecably. Even with maximum optical zoom (12X), and a somewhat shaky hand, absolutely all pictures came out fully focused, bright and with no decrease in resolution. When taking videos, the quality is great, and again, fully focused even with 12X zoom. I have dowloaded pictures and videos to my computer and TV, and I was blown away by the clarity and overall quality in both cases. The included software package is easy to install and very versatile.

Just one fact to point out. If the LCD will be your primary way of viewing your pictures (instead of prints), or if LCD size is the major factor in your consideration for a digital camera, then this camera is not for you. I was willing to sacrifice to a relatively smaller LCD size (1.8 inch) in order to obtain superior printed pictures at the $500 price point.

The camera comes bare with no accessories. I believe that important accessories include a compact case, a high capacity memory card (my camera came with a free 256 MB SD card, and I bought an additional 1GB), and long lasting (2500 mh) rechargeable NimH batteries.

All in all, this camera far exceeded my expectations. The more I use it, the more I like it.

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.