The longer I use it the happier I get. Unlike the S3 this is a real update of the S series camera. So many little changes were made that you are relearning things but overall made it a better camera.

First thoughts after buying;
1) The new lens cap is even worse. It seems like it pops off a lot easier then the S3.
2) While the batteries are now easy to get in and out it is now harder to close the battery door.
3) It is now heavy on the battery side. There must be more plastic this time, making it noticeably heavy when you hold it for the first time.
4) The increased body size is enough that you will have to hold the S5 with your right hand differently form the S2 or S3.
5) The button layout is easier to reach but are soft to push. There is not sensitive so you have to push hard to get a result.
6) The menus have changed some, the ISO now comes up as a pop up menu you can go back and forth with so you do not have to cycle through the whole list to get the setting you want. Overall it is streamlined.

The camera has had a overhaul. It is much more fitting the category of a prosumer camera then the versions that came before with the hot shoe and 2.5 LCD a long awaited addition. It still holds true to being a point and shoot by being simple to use and figure out. Two of its best selling points, AA batteries and a flip LCD are still there. More few more options have been added without taking away any of the previous ones.

For S2 and S3 users who own the lens and batteries already and still want more out of their camera this is a great buy. The upgrade from the S3 is noticeable and more then the casual user will most likely make it worth the money.
For a new user to the S series the 500 dollar starting price it is probably not be the best buy for you that amount of money. Once it drops in price then it would be in the right price range. Particularity for those who want the ability to choose their own settings and do not want the hassle of owning a SLR and multiple lenses.

With the Panasonic FZ50 and Sony H9, Canon really should have done more to make the S5 standout from the competition and worth its high price tag. The S5 is now where the S series should be, features, settings and a hot shoe.

In terms of digital cameras this one is very nice. Our old camera was a canon powershot S50. So we're comparing it to something 3+ years old. I took some pictures at a graduation today; the distance that the camera can take quality pictures is limited just like any other digital camera. I prefer my film camera for pictures that will be further than 15 feet away. For close up shots I think it's a very nice camera. I'm still playing around with the white-balance feature. Most of the time on auto mode, it does well, but other times the photos looks slightly washed out. This is easily fixed by setting your white-balance.

The only big flaw that I've found out so far, is that while recording a movie, you can take pictures...well the movie is interrupted to take a picture. You will be recording the movie, and when you click the button to take the picture, it stills the image, and makes a clicking sound from taking the picture. So you have a movie with pauses in it and clicking sounds for each still picture you've taken while shooting a movie. I was lead to believe that taking still images while recording, that there would be no pause in your movie. Maybe I don't know how to use this feature fully yet, or maybe it's just not possible to have non-interrupted movies and take pictures...

As with my other canon camera and reading reviews of other people with canon cameras, the exposure level sometimes needs adjusted to get quality photos. You can't adjust the exposure settings while in auto mode which my wife would like. It doesn't bother me though because I'm usually in a custom mode.

We haven't tried the hot shoe yet, but it was one of the reasons we got this camera as opposed to the S3. The face finder works great, and auto-focus seems to be very quick and accurate.

I'm sorry for my thought jumping around from feature to feature, but I tried to hit all of out points of like and dislike without being too wordy...ENJOY!

Got the S5 to upgrade from my S2. The main feature that I wanted was the movie capacity. Instead of a 1gb limit on the S2 (approx 7 minutes at high quality), the limit is now 4gb. They also added an LP mode that is a little less quality but doubles the time. So in 4gb you can get approx 30 minutes of recording without stopping and 1 hour with the LP mode. With SDHC support and bigger cards coming this will replace a camcorder. The rest of the camera are just incremental updates. The black color is nice and the quality feels great. The lens cap clips on now and has an inside clip to hook on the camera strap so it doesn't just hang and swing in the wind anymore. The bigger screen is nice too.

This camera finally has a 2.5" quality LCD. It's about time. For former models (S2, S3), the LCD is too small. To frame a picture on those models it was "point and pray" because it was hard to see what one was framing.

With the 2.5" rotating display, this has changed. The LCD is now very usable, and it significantly improves the whole experience of this camera.

The movie feature is great. The interface to start a movie -- a dedicated button -- is great. Other functions are very easy to get to quickly.

I took a video of fireworks, and it turned out great. I tested the ultra-zoom and image stabilization with the improvement to 8mp, and it's significantly better than the prior model (S3 IS).

The camera finally has a lens cap that attaches to the camera rather than just a piece of plastic that loosely covered the lens.

With all these positive changes, it's very alarming that Canon moved the SD card slot to where the batteries are, instead of a separate slot by itself in former models. This is a horrible design -- that is a weak link in the camera that is bound to break.

So, I foresee needing to replace this camera when that door inevitably breaks. If I take many pictures frequently, and want to move them from the SD card to the computer, I have to open the battery compartment each time. That could be 10-20 extra opens / a busy week of photos.

If the door breaks, then the camera is useless, or, possibly I could use two sets of rubber bands on the camera, but they would have to exert a lot of pressure.

Other than that glaring design flaw, the camera is excellent.

I cannot resist new gadgetry, specifically in the way of digital cameras. I bought this as a replacement to a 5mp kodak camera that I now regret having sold. There is a lot to like about this camera, make no mistake about it. I'm not keen on batteries, however. I am likewise not happy that the card slot and the battery compartment are in the same place. Another downfall is the flash. I don't like having to open it each time I need to use it. But I must say, what few pictures I've taken so far are simply wonderful. The camera is a tad heavy (no doubt thanks to the batteries). But I had to have it. I don't regret it. It was between this one and the G7. But I voted for the newest with the most powerful zoom.

I owned the S3 for three months - I bought it at a very reputable national retailer that had a very generous return policy. THe S3 is a wonderful camera and if you are cash strapped, you'll be hard pressed to find a better camera under $300 than the S3. However, I did look at the Canon S5 and found it worth the $200 upgrade for me. I buy cameras about every 4-5 years and I think the larger and higher resolution LCD makes the S5 a superior camera to the S3. They both take great pics and I don't particularly care that the S5 has 8 Megapixels. The best camera I ever owned was a Nikon Coolpix 950 - I'd put it's pics up against any and it was only 2.1 Megapixels. Megapixels is for marketing purposes, but after you acheive a certain level of resolution, it's pointless beyond that. Anyway, the S5 has some nice upgrades including, I think, a better battery door, better buttons - they're recessed and softer and have a better feel. Also is a metal tripod mount, hot shoe, Digic III image processing, and a larger, higher resolution LCD. The video mode allows for larger file sizes as well, which means you can record for more than 1 GB before having to start a new file. The S3 is a great camera and the S5 is the S3 with a few nice refinements. If you are one to upgrade every year or two, get the S3 - it's a great camera. If, on the other hand, you upgrade every 3-5 yearas and you want the best you can get for your money right now and you can afford another $150-$200, get the S5.

My first digital camera was a Konica-Minolta G500 - it was delightful and I have taken thousands of pictures cross country with it. It has two shortcomings: 1)Indoor photos almost always came out rather dark, and 2)It was impossible to get near enough for good wildlife photos (only 3X optical, with 5 MP - allowing only 6X total magnification).

I just got the Canon S5 IS, and it already has proven capable of solving both problems. Combining its higher ISO and anti-shake technology allows clear photos without flash in situations that formerly required flash and still came out dark; the 12X optical (plus 8 MP) allows quality total magnification of 36X.

Delighted again!

I'm very happy with the S5 I bought to replace an S3 -- except, as noted elesewhere, I hate that the SD card is now in the battery compartment. The hot shoe (external flash socket) is a HUGE help, since the builtin flash on these cameras is pretty wimpy. The camera takes unbelievably good pictures and has first shot and shot-to-shot times (it helps if you use the Energizer E2 Lithium batteries). Although the S5 weighs about 4 oz more than the S3 (About 20 oz vs 16 oz inclding batteries), its construction "feels more rugged."

BTW, I don't know that you need to wait for larger cards for bigger movies, etc. I use an 8gb SDHC card now. Be careful, though, which SDHC cards you get. Even with Sandisk's attempt to standardize the speeds, I found that an A-Data "class 6" SDHC card was about 25-35% of the speed of my Transcend class 6 card. Also, remember that you need an SDHC card reader (I got mine from meritline for $5).

I had been eyeing this camera since it was first announced. I was looking for a decent camera, a step above the compact point-and-shoots, and a step below the DSLRs. This camera seemed to fit the bill, and it was at my price point also. I bought the camera with the idea that this would be the be-all-end-all of digital cameras for the next couple years, and I bought it before the review sites had their reviews up.
Anyway, I've used the camera for a couple days now and taken about 400 shots with it. It is pretty good, although I want to share my thoughts on a couple things that other reviews have brought up.

PROS

Very quick.
This camera focuses extremely quick (and beeps to let you know it's in focus), and when it can't focus it lets you know. I use it in the 'P' setting mostly, and if it can't focus (due to low light or no contrast) it just doesn't beep. It is very quick to turn on and extend it's lens.

Feature-packed.
The amount of features on this thing are truly spectacular, even the creature comforts are nice (such as the review histogram and over-exposure detect). You won't find another ultra-zoom on the market at this price range that offers more in this area.

Feel
This camera feels nice. It feels solid (as long as the lens cap is off). It makes it fun to use. The rotating LCD might come in handy too. Again, all the features make this camera really fun to use.

There have been a lot of complaints about the battery door being too flimsy. I think this is a little overblown. It's not as nice as some other cameras, but it's not that bad really. As for the batteries being in the same slot as the memory card, I can see why for some people that would be an issue, but for 90% of the users I don't really see it as that much of a problem. I think of it as only having a battery door since I rarely take the memory card out of my cameras anyway ( I just use the supplied cable to transfer the images and a very large memory card).

CONS

Noise present.
Even though it supports 8 Megapixel resolution, I only use the camera at 5 MP mode. I do this because there is an unpleasant amount of noise at the 8 MP setting, especially in ISO 200 or above. This seems to be the trend, cram as many pixels as we can into this thing because the market dictates this.
This being said, I prefer some noise way more than an aggressive noise-reduction system, which some competitors have.

Lens cap flimsy.
The lens cap is somewhat flimsy, falling off easily if you bump it, or even set it on a table too hard. This is obviously so you don't jam the motor by turning it on without removing the cap (which you're bound to do eventually). I'm used to the self-contained lens caps which retract automatically, but I understand this is tough on a camera with a lens this long. I had a camera once that when powered up would detect that the cap was still on and beep, letting you know to take the cap off. That's probably too much to ask these days.

Red-Eye.
The redeye reduction is not good on this camera (it doesn't pre-fire the flash, it just illuminates an LED on the front), so I find myself using the red-eye removal tool that is in the camera. The results of this were only so-so for me. It did indeed detect and remove the red-eye, only it replaces the red with black...deep black. This deep black doesn't match the area very well(it's hard to explain, but think of what the photo touchup machine at Target would do). If you wanna see this, e-mail me. This is OK if you're just creating small prints, although if you look at it on your computer display you clearly this effect.

Purple Fringing.
This seems to be a small problem with this camera. Not more so than other cameras in this range, but it is annoying. I don't know what exactly causes it, but I have taken shots in my backyard during daylight, and whenever light is reflecting off of something with anything dark in the background, I see this fringing. Some cameras remove this in processing the JPEG image, which is something that would be nice to have, but it's not THAT bad. I'm probably making a bigger deal out of it than it really is. I've seen much worse in some of the competition.

Zoom Control.
This aspect is really annoying. The zoom control is just cheap feeling and over-sensitive. It is one of those that changes zoom speed based on how hard you press the lever. It has a slow speed and a fast speed. However, the slow speed doesn't have enough hysteresis. It is difficult to get the zoom speed just right. I have a feeling the slow speed will wear out and only the fast will remain. I actually used a S3 with this worn out zoom controller and it was quite annoying, as you could only zoom fast.

Overall I'm fairly happy with the S5. The picture quality is fairly good for a point and shoot camera. The overall feel of the camera is nice and solid; you actually feel like you are holding a real camera. I've taken a lot of outdoor pictures with it and I'm happy with the results.
I have found the view finder to be very grainy when you look through it. You do get noise from the inside of the camera which is the camera's orientation mechanism working away. The battery lid is a bit flimsy and I feel that I'll break this one day. The image stabilizer works really well especially when you have the camera on full zoom. I've been using Energizer 2500 NiMH batteries and have been getting a few days out of them. If you use ordinary Eveready AA batteries the camera won't work well. You need an alkaline battery.
This camera comes with more features than you can poke a stick at. A bit too many for my liking, the manual is about 200 pages long.
The software that Canon supplies is nice and easy to use.
I brought the Lowepro Apex 100 AW case which fits the camera in on its side very nicely. There is room for a spare set of batteries and a memory card. Being on the side you can grab the camera by its grip and start to shoot away.
Overall it's a good camera for the price. I would really like to see canon move away from all the bells and whistle features that most people wont ever use and focus more on great picture quality which is what we all want.

After buying the S5 to replace my S3 I was very disappointed with the image noise as noted on another review here. This is not a Canon only problem and it's becoming a troubling trend as megapixels are added at the expense of image quality.

It's not a matter of the S5 being better than the Sony H7 or H9, it's a matter of any of these cameras being able to equal their own previous generation model with regard to noise. The megapixel war is simply marketing nonsense unless you plan on printing wall posters or drastically cropping images. The fact is that only so many pixels can be put on the same size image sensor before the noise level becomes a problem and anti-noise electronic counter measures simply trade one problem for another.

My S5 went back to the store and I'll continue to use my S3. I'll miss the hot shoe and the new LCD viewing screen, but for me photography is more about images that camera features. Eventually the companies will probably come around, but until then you may want to regard ever higher megapixal ratings with suspicion.

I am impressed with the S5 . The digic processor is worth the move up . The auto focus works clear , crisp the face technology is always on target picking up group shots as well as portraits . The price from Amazon is reasonable , no taxes which helps since my State gives a discount on the first $1000 of merchandise bought online . I was able to buy everything needed here from Amazon obtaining free shipping for the whole order . I bought the camera , 75 case wich is basically a belt worn one that tightly fits the camera , 4 extra batteries , and a memory chip period if you want more you should buy up but I like this for day travel .

The camera comes with a lens cap , batteries , neck chord and 32 mg memory chip . You also get a audio visual chord to hook it up to the TV and one to download to the computor . The camera has tons of adjustments and bells and whistles . I was able to set it up ( put on the neck strap with lens cap camera holder so you dont loose it ) read the intro manual and download the softare , take some photos within a hour of unpacking it . You can use this as point and shoot if you want . Just adjust the zoom to frame in what you want its so easy . Yes its a little bulky compared to newer stuff but its no Poloriod Land Camera .

It did take 11 days for me to get my Camera by regular ground free shipping . They called in the morning to confirm someone would sign for it . It was boxed very nice and brought by UPS . I saved quite a bit over sale price at Best Buy plus no tax . When it comes to important merchandise I do not want to take a chance getting burned on Amazon is the place to go . I charged it on my platinum card doubling the 1 year Cannon parts and labor mail in warranty over buying one . You would be wise to buy a 3 way ( usb , dc , ac ) battery charger and 8 rechargeable batteries . The AA batteries are a big plus . Another quality Amazon purchase do not be afraid to buy this camera while some have a few more bells and whistles the Cannon is very capable , sturdy and has a great record of being defect free . This is the choice of most detective's and investigators who need clear precise shots and amateur photographers around the world . Infact many professionals keep one in their arsenal . You can buy lens and filter kits to play around too .The zoom is silent unlike some cameras , you can stitch and it has enough pixels to blow up some great shots it is possible to get 10mg for more $$ but this is a reasonable alternative . Very very pleased but this is only my second digital and 4 th camera in 30 years . If your a novice you will be blown away . Good luck .

I am not a pro and all I need is a point and shoot camera with decent image quality. I am very disappointed with my last Sony Cybershot DSC T20 as it could never produce any quality indoor photos nor night shots. After twenty days I returned it to the store and bought this Canon S5IS.

1.It is true that the battery/SD card door is hard to open and close. Although it's not like "it's destined to break", just be careful each time when you are trying to get the SD card. The trick is to press the plastic door hard then slide it open, after you already release the button. Otherwise it just won't open nor close.

2.My last camera was also a Canon powershot so it is very easy for me to get in used of the control buttons and menu. Very easy to navigate.

3.Remember to manually pop open the flash when you need it.

4.Auto mode pictures indoors seem always come under exposed. (To solve this, set ISO to 200 or 400 or set in manually mode and increase the exposure time)

5.Without a tripod, all indoor pictures set in tel-zoom shot in auto mode were blurry. (Guess you don't need indoor tel-zoom anyway. Haven't tried ourdoor tel-zoom yet but I think with brighter light the image would come out sharper)

6.Very nice face detection.

7.Besides the old Vivid color, Sepia, B&W, it also has Brighter Skin/darker skin tone, redder, bluer and greener settings to choose from. Would be nice for the beach.

8.You can zoom in and out while shooting videos, and take a picture. The only thing is this will interrupt and black out the video shooting for less a second.

Overall, I am satisfied with my S5 IS and will bring it to the beach this weekend. Will try more functions and let you know about the updates.

The camera is great very fast to start, and very fast to recover from picture to picture. The problem I am finding is that the device does not always focus on the target. I see it go through the range and go in and the out of focus. Then lock into the image, but it would be out of focus. Several tries gets different results, but none right. The only option is to manually focus or change. I tried both face detection and center focus with no avail.

Overall I am very pleased with the movie quality and picute quality.

I wrote a review last week complaining that the black and silver ring on the front of the lens had fallen off because of an obvious production/quality control failure. The inside of the ring was smooth (with no nooks and crannies) and thus unable to attach itself with the normal twist and click. I showed this to a friend who owns another S5 IS and also to my local camera store and they were unable to believe how such an obvious production defect had passed Canon quality control.
Having said that, I contacted Amazon who not only e-mailed me a free return UPS label but also replaced the camera in less than 24 hours. Absolutely outstanding service. I have been buying books, DVDs, TVs and DVD recorder/players from Amazon for many years and this was the first time I had to return anything. I shall be buying from Amazon for many years to come. Thank you Amazon !
Getting back to the camera itself, I gave it a thorough work-out this week-end and was delighted with the results. Like other reviewers, I am not entirely happy with the battery/SD card compartment especially since I always remove the batteries if I am not going to use the camera for 24 hours or more. I also own a Powershot G6 and find those separate battery and memory card compartments much preferable. Finally, I don't see any real problem with the lens cap. If I power on the camera by accident (which is easy to do) I know that the lens cap with slip off thus avoiding possible mechanical damage.

I love this camera, purchased it a few weeks ago... This is simply the best camera for the money. I didn't want to be married to the larger camera with different lenses to carry around. The S5 IS does everything I could ever want it to. I looked into other brands and really did a lot of research on different cameras... This is the one. Do some research for yourself and you to will see that this camera has all the options that you could ever want. Size, Megapixels, zoom, ability, etc... So far I have had it for a couple of weeks and have taken hundreds of pictures to "play" with all of the options and it's well worth what I paid for it! Love it!!

Results are very good, have good manual controls, excellent supermacro feature, however batteries don't get nothing close to 400 photos, the maximum i have been able to shot without replacing the batteries has been 200 photos. There is a thing i don't like, it is shooting with ISO more than 400, there is too much noise for me.

Great camera. As close to an SLR without the price tag and extra lenses. Easy to use and superb pictures.

I love the swivel LCD's that Canon uses and the features on the camera were really good..but there were enough drawbacks that I sent it back.What finally convinced me to send it back, was that it wouldn't Focus in Macro mode, many times it would be in focus when I let go of the button, but not when it was pressed half way...problem with software??? But it would focus in SuperMacro. and when I contacted Canon support, they replied as if I didn't know what I was doing...I upgrade cameras about once per year. I have SLR's for serious work, but these kind are the type I cary around with me all the time. The other complaints I had with the camera was that the battery compartment was so large that you had to remove your tripod quick release attachment to change them out or to get to the memory card ( I transfer pictures out of the camera to the PC because it's much faster) and when you opened the compartment, the batteries would fall out, the cover was hard to close and looked like it was going to fail too quickly. Also the lens cover was affixed to the body instead of the lens that comes out, so they had to make the latch really loose to keep from damaging the camera if you forgot to remove the lens cover before turning the camera on, you barely touch it and it comes off! Now It looks like I'm going to have to settle for a Panasonic FZ18 (it doesn't have a swivel LCD!)

This is the third "S" series I have owned (had the S2 & S3). So far it's great. Facial recognition software is working as advertised. It's terrific for close up shots, but I really love the larger viewing screen. The hot shoe is a perfect edition, because I also use a DSLR and have a Canon 580 Ex II Flash that will work on it. On a recent trip to Southern Colorado, I discovered an important oversight. I was shooting wildlife, but had set the image stabilizer on "continuous" instead of "Shooting". It made a major difference. Set it only to work when the shutter button is focused half way, so you will get better long range stability. I agree fully with other reviews about the newly designed battery/memory card door. It is stupid and difficult to close, and probably will break. It's a real design flaw. I am really glad to be able to use 4 gig and higher cards now. I use these cameras for video at times, and the larger card handles the load (FYI, video eats memory like crazy). Also, the S5 has two extra megapixels (8) for better resolution whereas the S3 has only 6. And finally, it's a great camera to pack around when you don't want to take the higher end stuff along. All in all, I am very pleased with the upgrade but knocked it to 4 stars because of the battery door. So, how do you move up to the next "S" model every year? Simple. Just find a friend who needs/wants a great/new camera, and sell it to them for less than they can buy it new. Then you can buy the new one for a few bucks more. Your friend will get a terrific camera and you will too. It's a win-win for everybody. Of course they will want you to help them with it, but so what. And they will love you for helping them with it.

Is anyone else as nonplussed by the negative consumer and expert reviews of this camera as I am? If I were paranoid, I'd think a conspiracy existed to drive down the cost of this remarkable camera.

The range of controls is very broad, their setup is intuitive, and the camera's performance is exemplary. Not only am I pleased with how the camera handles and what it will do, but I'm WAY pleased with the images it produces. I've had my camera for a week now; I've played with all the shooting modes and have taken pictures in all sorts of lighting. As long as I set the camera correctly for the shot, images are consistently superb. The ones that have been anything less than stellar were caused by my own hastiness or error.

Maybe I just lucked out and got a good copy. Maybe it isn't really the fantastic piece of photographic wizardry I believe it is. But I'm pretty perfectionistic, and I've been an advanced amateur photographer for more than two decades. And in my estimation the S5 IS is an amazing tool.

Minor issues inherent in a camera of this sensor size and lens zoom range do exist. According to the many expert camera reviews, there presently is not a mega zoom on the market that is completely free of chromatic aberration and some noise at higher ISOs. If you're looking for flawless, noise-free 16 X 20 images, get a 35mm digital SLR and some very expensive lenses--you'll be pleased with nothing less. But if you're looking for a go-anywhere camera that bridges the gap between the teensy little super-compacts and the unwieldy big boys, if most of your prints are average size, and you do the majority of your viewing on a computer, look no further. You can't go wrong with the S5 IS.

PS. Oh, yeah. And by the way. It's just plain FUN!

I was seriously considering a digital SLR until I had a chance to try it out using a relative's. I was so impressed that I bought it and haven't been disappointed. Takes a while to learn all the whistles and bells. Movie quality rivals my digital movie camera. When you read all the reviews talking about spherical aberation, etc. you have to think about what your realistic use will be. If you merely want to take higher quality pix without lugging around heavy lenses, I think this is a fine choice at about 1/3 the price of a digital SLR kit.

I moved up from the S2 IS model and it is definitely an upgrade. Both the LCD and viewfinder are improvements. The memory card in the battery compartment, which is difficult to close, is not an improvement if you use a memory card reader. The "beware" refers to the first downloading of photos to your computer. You are asked to "choose one of the following etc". Which ever choice you make that first time is it. No going back and changing your mind. The software is not programed that way. I did not read this until too late and now I'm stuck with a program that I DO NOT LIKE. It works but is much too time consuming compared to the one I used with the S2. I've complained and e-mailed Canon to see if my camera can be reprogramed but no response so far, now several weeks.

I use this camera as a secondary to my Canon 5D.. when I have the wrong lens on and need something quick.. or want to go out and not carry a lot of weight.
I have been getting great results with in.. not only for macro and flower pictures but also for Landscapes. I have not had the chance to take many people pictures.. so I cannot comment on that area.
I do find the auto focus sometimes wants to focus on something other than what I want it to focus on. But have found if I am patient... I can get it to see what I am seeing. (This is the reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5)
For the money and the zoom range, it is well worth the money.

Is anyone else as flummoxed by the negative consumer and expert reviews of this camera as I am? If I were paranoid, I'd think a conspiracy existed to drive down the cost of this remarkable camera.

The range of controls is very broad, their setup is intuitive, and the camera's performance is exemplary. Not only am I pleased with how the camera handles and what it will do, but I'm WAY pleased with the images it produces. I've had my camera for a week now; I've played with all the shooting modes and have taken pictures in all sorts of lighting. As long as the camera is set correctly for the shot, images are consistently superb. The ones that have been anything less than stellar were caused by my own hastiness or error.

Movies also are awesome, and stereo sound is a huge plus.

Maybe I just lucked out and got a good copy. Maybe it isn't really the fantastic piece of photographic wizardry I believe it is. But I am a long-in-the-tooth advanced amateur with perfectionistic tendencies. And in my estimation the S5 IS is an amazing tool.

Minor issues inherent in a camera of this sensor size and lens zoom range do exist. According to the many expert camera reviews, there presently is not a mega-zoom on the market that is completely free of chromatic aberration and some noise at higher ISOs. If you're planning to print poster-sized images, get a 35mm digital SLR and some very expensive lenses--you'll be pleased with nothing less. But if you're looking for a go-anywhere camera that bridges the gap between that big D-SLR and the teensy little super-compact in your photo bag, if most of your prints are average size, and you do the majority of your viewing on a computer, look no further. You can't go wrong with the S5 IS.

PS. Oh, yeah, one more thing. It's just plain FUN!

Very good camera but not for inexpert people. It has many options that requires some knowledges about photography. It's not a camera for a beginner.

Having used other brands of Digital cameras and finding them lacking in one way or another, none were actually bad, just not good enough, we are back to Canon. So far, so good!! Real test will be our trip to Alaska, sure hope the S5 meets the challenge.

owned many types of cameras for many years
my wife always said i changed camers like underwear HaHa
i went from small to digital SLR and then to the S5
if your are looking for the features of an SLR in an all in one product this is it
The only flaw i have found was the loose lens cap and was informed that this is an actual safety feature, in the event, the camera was turned on before removing the cap
This camera is great, try it, i am sure you will love it

The real improvement over the S3 is that it comes with a much better resolution LCD (230K). Now for the first time in this series of Canon camera you can really tell whether you've got a sharp picture or not. There is no real improvement in the picture quality over the S3. The question you should ask yourself is if this improvement worth about $150 or so?

Purchase this Canon S5 camera! You'll have to venture beyond the auto settings and tap into all its features. You'll get the critique on the features by other reviewers, so I won't go there. I'll just write that this Canon is the best digital camera ever...ever. The clarity of movies and snapshots is perfect. The zoom is wonderful. The weight and size is comfortable. Get the Canon S5 IS now!!!

I love this camera. I have not developed my pictures yet, but the camera has great options. I am not disappointed with the 12x zoom vs the Olympus 18x. My only complaint so far is that the lens cap comes off way to easily, but as the lens automatically extends when the camera is powered on, I can see why it was made that way.

This camera exceeds my expectations. Pictures show little water droplets w/great clarity. More options that you could shake a stick at or you can go along with the automatic mode till you get your feet wet. I'm learning and loving it. The only disapointment is the lense cap (as many have mentioned). It is true that you may get better pictures from a Nikon D80 or other SLR camera, but for the price and options... I don't think you can find a better deal.

I dont have any bad points yet for the camera.
The look and feel is good, and I upgraded from my S1 so not much problems in using it.
I liked the widescreen feature(available in S3 too I guess). I have seen and used the s3 a little bit too. So my suggestion would be if you are not a fan of the mega pixel the u may go for the S3. It pretty much has all the functionalities with 6MP.
And yes the price $450 was a little high.

I just returned from a European vacation where I used my camera for the first time. The camera's performance exceeded my expectations.

Very good camera especially if you don't want to spring for an SLR. Like most Canon cameras, it has too many buttons, but you get used to all of them after awhile if you're a contortionist. Lots of noise for available light shots, but Photoshop can help there. Movie sound isn't in perfect sync with picture, but unless you're Spielberg almost no one will notice. Picture quality is very good. The 4 AA batteries give you security knowing that you can get replacements almost anywhere. I like the viewing screen, it's big and can be moved to the back or the side whatever you wish. The SD card is in the bottom of the camera with the batteries and is very easy to replace as are the batteries. The 12x zoom is nice if you are a peeping tom, but Canon should have given a wider wide angle zoom if you like to shoot groups of people. The 32kb SD card is too small except for cleaning your teeth and a 2MB SD card will give you plenty of room without worrying about filling the card. A very good value for the money which seems to be heading for under $400 now and probably lower if you don't have schpilkes.

I bought the S5 about a month ago to use for a trip to Africa. I'm an amature who takes lots of pictures of family and travel sites, having used other compact and subcompact digital cameras before. I've used my new S5 frequently in the first few weeks and have been impressed with it's easy of use, breath of features and quality of pictures.
The zoom works very well including the digital zoom giving a 48x view. The zoom bar in the viewer tells you when the digital zoom is starting to degrade the quality of the picture, a nice feature.
The S5 takes great video: With the large capacity memory chips one can take a couple of hours! of video. You can choose the quality of video, there is a separate video button so you can start/stop quickly and you can zoom while in video mode, something I haven't seen on other digital cameras.
The articulated display is a nice feature, both to protect the screen when not in use and to orient it anyway you want.
The batteries seem to last a long time.
This camera is packed with lots of functions, things you can change and display options (including a live histogram)that I'm still learning to us. But its very well designed all around: layout of buttons, depth of options, layout of display information, 'feel' of camera in you hands.
Also, there are over a dozen, what I call, picture content pre-sets like landscape, portrait, sports and even one for fireworks, which I had a chance to try and got good results.
My one minor complaint is the flash doesn't automatically pop open when needed, you manually have to open it.
As you can see, I'm really pleased with the purchase. I'd recommend you take the time to study the manual to take advantage of all it's feature. I continue to be delighted as I try something new -- the time zone map, the histogram, the face recognition feature, videoing in macro mode -- I took some amazing shots and video of a catapiller no longer then an inch.

I wanted the long optical zoom and was willing to put up with the bulkier 35mm design to get it and I wanted the vibrancy of "Canon" color...I was willing to put up with the poor lens cap design that all reviewers mentioned.
The s5 delivered on all counts.

Good price, delivered as expected and in good condition. My first experience and it was good, exceeding expectations.

HI, LET ME FIRST SAY THAT AFTER USING A DIGITAL REBEL AT DUSK, THIS S5 TAKES AWESOME LOW LIGHT PICTURES. I WAS ABLE TO PHOTOGRAPH 3 LARGE SCREECH OWLS NEAR DUSK. I ALSO USE AN ADAPTER WITH A 1.7X
TELECONVERTER FOR ABOUT A 740mm EQUIVALENT LENS. TO TAKE LOW LIGHT PHOTOS,
I ALSO USED A MONOPOD. THE RESULTS WERE STUNNING!! CANON IS MAKING SOME GREAT EQUIPMENT. I WOULD BUY THIS CAMERA AGAIN AND AGAIN. MIKE

Some have pointed out the the CCD image sensor is small compared to DSLR versions. It's worth noting that this is what allows a 12X zoom to fit in such a compact space. A DSLR's larger sensor requires a focal length that is **much** longer, so a 12X lens would be huge (and heavy) compared to the S5. As long as you're not making prints larger than 10x12, this is probably all the camera you'll ever need.

I have always used cannon cameras for digital photography from hours of research and reviews and they have never let me down . this is an unexpected upgrade to due losing my old 550 last week. I love the controls and menus cause I know the cannon func,menu, buttons. uh uh lets see, it has an amazingly quicker focus due to the digic lll, the pictures are very natural look to me . and the display in the back almost looks like you are looking through and old viewfinder(they really "pop" and have so much depth) but that has to do with the pics you take too cause I did take alot of pics the first day and finally got some real nice ones. I am a research fanatic and My choice to use cannn was and is based on a majority of happy people with cannon products. I wont bash any other cameras bby name but every other company doesnt hold up to cannons in the same price range and more expensive for that matter. I work with digital in audio production and a smuch as digital is not alive, I can say that digital products still have their own way of interperting information so look at the pics for these cameras if you like "the look" of the pics youcan really achieve the same results with practice and a little luck :)


PROS
I Love the weigth of the camera feels like I am holding a real camera
features are great
it has a place to add a nother flash
stereo recording
macro, and super macro
lens is beutiful compared to the liilte point and shoots
flip up flash
display is amazing

Cons (which I can live with)
Lens cap is very light and fesle liek it doesnt go on properly (but it does)
the way the front is made when holding cramps my fingers if I hold it too long
the picture that appers in the small viewfinder if you close the display looks very pixallated but I think that is purposely to help with focusing(I didnt read about that feature cause I dont really use it so I dont know if that is normal or not)

A COOL TIP FOR BEING CREATIVE
THERE A FEATURE CALLED COLOR SWAP WHERE YOU SAY YOUWANT TO SWAP THIS COLOR FOR THAT ONE WELL I DID SOME REALLY COOL NIGTH PICTURES WHERE I CHOSE THE BLACK SKY THEN POINTED IT THE RED OF A CIGARETTE PACK AND BAM INSTANT COOLNESS. SO MY ADVISE IF YOU CAN IS TO CARRY IN YOU CAMERA BAG A BUNCH OF COLOR SAMPLES THAT YOU LIKE AND DO COLOR SWAPS ON ALL KINDS OF IMAGES ON THE SPOT.

The S5 is a great camera, and everything that I said in my review of the S3 goes for this one as well. However, the difference between 8 MP and 6 isn't that great if the largest prints you want at 11x14 or 8x10. I can't see the difference and I've got a fairly critical eye. (I also disagree with a review in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning that said that the S5 (and S3) "can't shake the digital look."

I've been taking pictures since 1948 (a Kodak Brownie, what else?), and color since 1960. I've used three SLRs professionally, and I'll match the 6 and 8 MP with any 35mm I've used. How can a camera be rated as having a "high quality lens" have less than high quality pictures and still have a digital look ... although there is more noise with the S5 than the S3 IS.

Five stars because it deserves it. The price of the S3 is/was much better, and I really don't have a preference because both have the 12x stabilized zoom, the feature I use most often. And the larger LCD is nice, but I use the viewfinder on both, the first I've had that works well with glasses.

Neither camera is a point-and-shoot even in the auto setting. I do not recommend the camera to those who think they can pick it up and take pictures right away such as those that I and other experiences photo buffs have. If most of your pictures of people are missing heads or feet and you can't center anything on purpose, got to an Elph or Sony or a lower end Kodak. This is not a professional's camera, but it's not for rank amateurs either. Nothing personal: just don't waste money on a hundred features you may never use.

Nice product! Very good picture quality and good preset shooting modes! I used it in various different situations - to shoot fireworks, aquariums, macro and super macro shots, outdoor as well as indoor scenaries and portraits.
Very nice for super macro shots. Properly focused pictures when my camera lens was almost touching the objects.

Though I find it a bit bulky, but worth the bulk if you want good zoom. Can go real close to the objects.

But unlike any other camera, this camera gives you a bit closer picture. You might want to add a wide lens with this. (I still need to check this combination out).

Overall I love it.

This is very fun to use and can take great shots.

Good:
Easy to use
12x zoom is amazing and fun
Continuous shooting
Video mode makes high quality videos
Was worried about using AA rechargable batteries but it is so much less expensive, not stuck with proprietary batteries whenever i decide to get a new camera, and they last much longer than i expected. I am at about 275 shots and they are still going. And those shots account for about 50 power on and offs. The battery compartment is NOT hard to get to at all despite reading other reviews. Also having the sd card in the battery compartment is not a big deal either. I just use the usb connection on the outside of the camera to get my photos off anyway (seems to be about twice as slow as actually taking the sd out though). My sandisk II 512 card works very well with the camera and it stores about 150-250 pictures.

BAD:
High noise in low light situations. Not very impressed in this area but better than most point and shoot cameras.
Lens comes off easily but I guess it needs to becuase when you turn it on it needs to pop it off.

Great camera and I would buy it again for the price I paid. If the price you are getting it at is above $425-450 then you might want to investigate a dslr camera. They are better cameras but are somewhat more technical to use.

I have owned several high end digital SLR cameras including the Canon XT and XTi. I have also owned several point and shoot cameras including the Canon G7 and the Panasonic TZ3. This camera is a blend that combines the performance of the DSLRs and the ease of use of the point and shoot.

The camera features the ultrasonic focusing motor of the Canon DSLR lens which makes it focus faster than most point and shoot cameras. Along with that speed comes a focusing accuracy similar to a DSLR. The 12x zoom range has an amazing reach, equivalent to 36mm to 432mm (in a 35mm film camera).

The controls on the camera are well laid out. It is evident that Canon has learned from all previous models and they finally have things about right. With the additional adapters it is possible to add ND filters or a tele-converter to give a top end of 950mm or more (Raynox 2020).

For me the DSLR equipment load was just too much. If your camera and lens cost so much you can't take them on vacation, they are worthless no matter how good the pictures might be. With the S5 IS you get great pictures AND a camera you can afford to replace if it gets stolen or damaged.

I upgraded from the S1, which I bought 4 years ago and which still works perfectly (gave it to my daughter). The S1 was only 3.2 megapixels, but the optical zoom capability gave it better clarity than similar products. This version is astonishing -- I took it on a beach vacation and the photos are unbelievable.

I am not a terribly talented amateur photographer. I bought this camera because I wanted to be able to get close up photos of my daughter when she's in the rear line at the school concert. The 12x digital zoom permits me to do this without standing up in front of all the other parents. Despite my limitations, every picture I've taken looks suitable for framing. The autofocus function works exceptionally well, the portrait mode is a breeze, the stability control function helps control for shake and the extra large LCD screen is a huge bonus. Though there are still understandable complaints about low-light performance, this version at least tells you when to use the flash. Overall, I found the low-light performance a gigantic step up from the S1, though still wanting.

More serious photographers will enjoy the ability to set ISO speeds manually, etc. Me, I'm satisfied taking exceptional pictures with autofocus ease. Can't be disappointed.

After doing tons of comparisons and research, we purchased this camera. We use it daily taking pictures of our child and our travels, it is used indoors and out, the 12X optical zoom is great and the video feature is excellent and produces short high quality videos.

I would highly recommend buying a large memory card and the optional lens adapter, it makes the camera easier to hold and you can protect the lens with a 58mm skylight filter. Canon LAH-DC20 Conversion Lens Adapter (LA-DC58E) and Hood (LH-DC40) Set for the S5 IS, S3 IS & S2 IS Digital Camera

This camera has surpassed our expectations, the menus are simple and the performance is awesome. If you are looking for a great all around camera just short of a DSLR, look no further this is it.

In a sentence, this is a great camera and I am thrilled with it.

Most everything has been covered in the other reviews, so I will stick to some items that stood out for me.

The Good:

All of the automation makes it a great point and shoot camera for "standard" pictures. Set it to auto mode and have at it. The results are great. What is nice, is all the optional settings available for "special" situations when you are so inclined.

I use the view finder most of the time and it is nice and bright. I wasn't that excited about the vari-angle display before getting the camera, but now I am happy to have it. I like the idea that I can keep it "closed" to protect the screen from scratches and dirt during most of my shooting when using the view finder, yet use it for reviewing pictures and making menu changes. I also like the large size and the quality of the display.

The biggest surprise was the quality of the sound when using the movie mode. It takes a nice quality video and is so simple to use. Just push the dedicated button to start, then again to stop. (I have not found a way to "pause" the video, so each cycle created a new file.) A big plus for the Canon is the ability to zoom while capturing the video. This was the main selling point for me when trying do decide between the Canon and Panasonic.

Finally, the camera has a good overall feel. The button layout makes sense for the most part, and considering the complexity, it is fairly intuitive.

Not so Good:

This is one of the worst manuals for any product I have ever owned. It is poor physically and poor in content. The print is small and the icon images blur into the cheap paper. The manual will instruct you to push a button by showing the button icon rather than naming the button. Because of the poor print quality, it is hard to make out the image of the button. Additionally, the starter guide booklet defines many of the button icons, but Cannon decided to save on a couple of sheets of paper and did not include this information in the main manual. As for content, it is lacking. The instructions basically show a setting, but there is little or no explanation as to what is happening or the cost associated with a particular option. Much of the manual consists of poorly laid out charts that are hard to understand. Basically, the manual does not define terms and do not introduce concepts. Anyone new to photography will have to find other sources that explain what is being discussed in the manual. The saving grace is that the actual camera is well designed and relatively intuitive. Use the manual as a starting guide, then experiment with the settings. Film is cheap with a digital! The software CD does not include a PDF file of the manual, but you can down load it from the Canon web site.

The only problem I have had so far is that the date/time function has reset itself to zeroes on three occasions. It appears to happen after I remove the SD card to transfer the files to my computer via a card reader. What is strange is it does not happen all of the time. I am trying to figure out the pattern.

Other Comments:

You can remove the trim ring off the front of the lens and add an adaptor tube for a teleconverter, wide angle, or filter lens. Canon only shows 58mm accessories, but 52mm also works. I went with the after market Lensmate Online adaptor in 52mm to keep the size down. (If I weren't interested in small size and low weight, I would have bought a DSLR.)

I sent Canon Support an e-mail question before buying. They responded within a few hours. They actually read my note in detail, then directly answered the question. Amazing! I called Panasonic with a simple product question, but they could not answer it. They took my phone number with a promise to call back soon. I am still waiting ........

Many have complained about the battery cover and using this cover for the SD card storage. I agree it is a dumb design, but I didn't find it to be a significant problem.

What to buy???? Keep in mind that other manufacturers are coming out with 18X zoom factor cameras. Olympus has the SP-550 (poor reviews) and announced the SP-560. Panasonic announced the FZ18. I suspect Canon will have to respond. It will be interesting to see if they replace the S5 in the near future or add an 18X zoom model in addition to the S5. After some thought I decided the S5 12X met my needs and decided not to wait. (I also considered a potential downside of a larger size lens, more weight, and lens design compromises.)

As pointed out in many of the professional reviews, the downside of a super zoom point and shoot like the S5, compared to a DSLR, is more "noise" in low light situations, slower lens (f stop setting), and lack of optional lens. However for most of us taking pictures of vacations, birthdays, camping trips, etc, these are non issues. The S5 will meet most all of our requirements without the size, weight and cost of a DSLR. Don't get lost in the details of the reviews.

In conclusion, I really like this camera!

I read the reviews before I purchased this camera and would agree with most of them. Yes it is true the lense cover pops off too easily- its a pain...but Im sure a an easy solution can be found- haven't tried yet. I recently purchased this camera before a trip to Scotland- I didnt take too much time to test it out before I left, but did some basic manual reading prior to departure. I took the opportunity to test out most of the functions on the trip and found it very easy to use. BEST part of this camera is that it takes AA batteries and SD memory card- if you're planning to use this camera while traveling- this will come in super handy- SD cards are the most common type of memory card and you can find AA batteries anywhere in the world- you don't have to stop everything to recharge your camera battery. This camera is great and would recommend to anyone looking for a camera that produces quality photos with some flexibility but doesnt find the need to spend the extra cash on a Nikon or Pentax. Thumbs up!

I have had an old Canon SLR for a hundred years, and this is my first digital camera. It is Great!
Read many reviews regarding different makes, and decided to stay with Canon....you can't go wrong. For a general purpose camera with the added function for zoom (ball games etc) it can't be beat. And, for a first time digital user it is very easy to learn. Anyone want to buy an old Canon SLR?

For the price, this is a great camera. Easy to use. LOTS of functions... just take your time learning them all

Product works great, feel it was a better buy here than at local chain store

Bought this one as a replacement for an old 2.1Mp Sony DSC-P50.. When i took my first picture and downloaded to my iBook the images spoke by themselves.. The quality is impressive and all the features on this camera are more than excellent for average to advances photographers (without spending twice or more on a dSLR)

I bought a 2 GB memory card to to use with the camera and had trouble transferring the photos to 700 MB Cd's, I think I will buy two 1 GB memory cards. The camera works GREAT I am glad I bought it.

In short, we really love this camera. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. I will point out the pros and cons, but in sum, this is an excellent camera. We have three toddlers and we take lots of pictures and video. I am probably more than an average consumer with my picture and video editing, but I do not really think of myself as a hobbyist. I just use Photoshop Elements (the consumer version of Photoshop) and Studio by Pinnacle for video.

We purchased this camera to replace an almost 3 year old Canon Powershot A80. It is an excellent camera and we decided to keep it as a backup. The picture quality in the A80 is quite good, but we were looking for a larger zoom, some extra pixels for the occasional enlargements we do (I am no expert, but from all of the reviews I have learned that too many pixels can be a problem--plus our A80 only has 4 mega pixels and takes great pictures), and DVD quality video. Any image improvements would only be a plus, since the A80 produces great pictures.

Build Quality
I read a lot of reviews and played with the camera at some local stores. It feels nice, is substantial without being too heavy or big (though, it really is too big for a small pocket point and shoot), and seems well built. I read reviews on the Canon S3, which is very similar to the S5, but even though it was available at a good price since it is an earlier version, the layout of the buttons and the ease at which a button could be hit inadvertently (and thus ruin an image), plus the smaller video file capacity on the S3 led us to the S5.

Video
One of the big things for us was the ability to take DVD quality video with decent sound. We really wanted to only have to carry one camera with us. The S5 consistently was reviewed as excelling at this and I think the reviews were about right. The video definitely is DVD quality and the sound is excellent, but our dedicated Panasonic digital video recorder takes a little better quality video. I think to some extent, though, this is kind of like comparing two stereos or televisions at a store. If you took either home you would be happy and probably forget the differences you saw or heard at the store. What are the differences? Basically, the S5 is a little more vulnerable to lower light video (like in a home or on a cloudy day). Also, sometimes nearer objects may appear dimmer than farther away objects that have more light on them--like someone facing you, but not directly illuminated. The dedicated digital video camera we have appears a little brighter in lower light situations. The difference, though, is not that much. And, you can work around it to some extent by being a bit more mindful of setting up your shot. Also, moving the camera (i.e., panning from side to side) produces just noticeable choppiness compared with our Panasonic digital video camera. Again, you can work around this by zooming out a bit and/or not quickly panning the camera around. The zoom, by the way, is great and very quiet. It works perfectly in video mode and I have not been able to hear any zoom motor in the videos we have made. In the end, these are really fairly minor complaints re the video quality. Technology is so powerful today that the differences between newer models of computers and cameras often is more nuanced than significant. For our family of 3 young boys, the video is great and the ability to record straight to a flash card, which I then can zip right into our computer is super convenient (I use a cable and not a card reader--so the issue of the battery compartment holding the batteries and card is not an issue for us).

Picture Quality
The picture quality is excellent, though so was our A80, so there was not much of an improvement, but that is really more of a compliment to how good Cannon optics are. Plus, at this price level to be able to have a 12x optical zoom with image stabilization (i.e., more complicated electronics and glass) take such great pictures really is amazing.

Lens cap
The lens cap issue is real. This is one of those annoying design flaws that makes you scratch your head and wonder why such a great camera has to have an annoying fault. Kind of like every rose has its thorn. The issue can be corrected, though, with an extension adapter. This allows you to add a UV lens (which really is just a lens protector) and later add a wide angle lens or additional zoom lens if you want to. Like others, I chose the Lensmate adapter (52mm). Lensmate was great to work with. I ordered the adapter and a matching lens cap and it works perfectly (just note, when you receive the adapter and lens cap from Lensmate, it comes with no instructions or even receipt; luckily, the Cannon manual basically covers things--it assumes you purchased the Canon version of the adapter).

Manual
The manual is not the best, but I was familiar with the A80 and the operation of the S5 is similar. Plus, the camera is pretty intuitive to use.

Battery Life
Our first batch of pictures used the included batteries from Canon. They lasted for approximately 20 minutes of video, a little bit of playing around with the camera, and maybe 75 or so shots. I now use rechargeable AAs and battery life is better than with the alkaline batteries, plus I can just recharge when I need to and always have the convenience of being able to get AA batteries pretty much anywhere.

All in all, we are very happy. I thought 5 stars was too much given the slight video issues I talked about and the lens cap annoyance. 4.5 seems about right. We purchased from Amazon (though, Beach Camera actually supplied the camera). The service was great, as usual. We received the camera in about 3 days and the shipping was very reasonable for 2 day Fed Ex (about $11.00).

Good luck.

This camera was great for its first month. Then I took it to Borneo with me to do some wildlife photography. I completed around 20 photos on a new set of batteries, and the camera reported "Change the Batteries." So I did. The message would not go away. I tried replacing the batteries with new sets of batteries 4-5 times, all to no avail. When I later traveled to Java, the camera seemed to work normally again. My suspicion is that the humidity in Borneo was just too high for the camera (the user guide says standard operating range for humidity is 10-90), but from now on I cannot rely on this Canon S5-IS to be working when I need it. I must always carry a spare, back-up camera.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS 8.0 Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical ZoomThis camera replaced a Canon S2 IS. It has so many improvements that I couldn't ignore it. It is very fast, focuses very well and can take my DSLR flash. Sometimes I wonder if I really need the DSLR any longer.

This camera has basic, easy-to use automatic functions with a nice large viewing screen. But it also has manual operations with which I hope to be able to capture some more difficult shots. I love the powerful zoom, and I think the Image Stabilization has helped me get sharper pictures. It isn't as compact as most select in a point and shoot digital, but I'm willing to give up compactness for the extra features. My late decision to buy necessitated my using the expedited ordering, which worked without a hitch and I received the camera two days before I left on my trip.

In our opinion, this is the best camera we've seen. We're still learning about the many features and at each learning plateau we are more and more impressed. There is so much to learn too and it takes time to master the camera, but it's worth the time and effort. The pictures are perfect and can be enlarged and printed with great quality. It's a light camera too, and easy to carry. One thing I must clarify: there are many complaints about the fact that the lens cover comes off too easily. Well, that's a good thing! It is human nature to forget to remove the lens cap before you extend that lens and we have done it many times. The easy off lens cap certainly protects the mechanism that opens the lens and with it being rather loose, the lens just "pops" off. We have not had it come off while carrying it or while in the case. So, I'd have to vote that the lens cap is perfectly placed on the lens for protection and easy off.

Pros:
- Good battery life, if you use 2500+ mAh NiMH batteries.
- Lots of controls, automatic and manual
- Electronic viewfinder
- Super macro mode
- Nice grip handle
- Swivel LCD display
- 12x optical zoom
- Plenty of scene modes

Cons
- Lens cap falls off too easily (probably to protect lens)
- Image noise at higher ISO
- Low LCD viewfinder resolution
- Shape and size less than ideal during storage

I originally tried getting a Canon G9, because of its compact shape, but I much prefer the S5's increased optical zoom and its better LCD display and electronic viewfinder.

Most importantly, the S5's sensor has fewer pixel defects than other 10+ MP Canon point-and-shoot cameras, such as the G9. More megapixels isn't always better.

This camera seems to do just about everything albeit at a price.

Pros
Lens is very sharp - can actually focus down to a whisker.
-Uses 4 AA batteries - a real plus. No proprietary batteries
-Very thorough manual. No cheesy manual on a CD
-A real lens cap that does not get lost
-Outstanding customer service via telephone

Cons:
-Battery life is short unless you use lithium batteries. The electronic viewfinders uses a lot of current.
-Type in manual is very small - get out the magnifying glass.
-still no mechanism to keep batteries from dropping out of camera when loading film chip



Canon NB4-300 Battery Pack for the S5 IS, S3 IS, S2 IS, S1 IS, and PowerShot A Series Cameras

A big improvement on my previous camera (Fuji S5000). The continuous autofocus means you don't miss shots waiting for focus. The IS works well-I get sharp shots at max zoom from the seat of a kayak. With such a small sensor, noise is appreciable at ISO 800, so you want some light.

The S5IS camera is everything I expected from a Canon product. It is straight forward, easy to use and produces great pictures. Having more features than a simple "point and shoot" camera does introduce a bit of a learning curve which is to be expected. Like many people, I go to the instruction manual only when all else fails. The manual is good; however, memory card capabilities are not very well explained.
Since most of my pictures are of travel and vacation, they end up on a CD for showing on a TV set. Wow do they look great on a new widescreen set!
The PSC-75 soft case I purchased at the same time is a major disappointment. The case is too small. It closes with just the camera. With the neck strap attached to the camera and a spare memory card, it doesn't close completely and the zippers tend to creap open. Far better third-party cases that will also hold a spare set of batteries are available for about the same cost.

This has all the bells and whistles that you would find in many SLRs without the weight and bulk. The 12X zoom covers a range that normally would require 2 zoom lenses on an SLR.

I heard a lot of nice things about this camera. I bought it instead of the Sony and the Olympus that are in the same class hoping that the picture quality would be the best. People say they like the pictures that I took with this camera but the pictures do not have that 3d depth like some cameras shoot. Maybe it's me, I don't know. There is some depth but not like I expected. Or maybe it's the sharpness. My Nikon 8700 shoots a slightly better quality picuture, I think. All in all it is a decent camera. It has great modes and abilities. I havn't had it for too long so maybe I need to practice and practice so I can get the true potential out of the camera. I uploaded a few images on this site. I am on page 9 and 10. denbink.

After 3 years and 10,000+ pictures, my S1IS started giving me problems so I upgraded to the S5IS. I haven't found a good use for the new 1600 ISO feature. It just makes the pictures grainy but I do like many of the other new features. I like that they changed from the Compact Flash card to the SD card. My phone and MP3 player take SD so now if I need more memory I can take the card out of my phone or MP3 player. The ability to jump from still shots to video in an instant without changing the mode is a great feature. I also like that it powers up fast. I lost a lot of shots on my S1 waiting for power-up. I had read that there wasn't a big difference between the S3IS and the S5IS but it was only about $50 more so I went for it. The S5 has the ability to attach an optional flash which the S3 doesn't have and it also has 2 more megapixels. Overall I am very happy with the camera but I was happy with the S1IS so improvements are icing on the cake.

...But why, after three model revisions, can't they make a lens cover that stays on???

I agree with all the positive review.
I'm a Sony used since the very first digital cam but Canon is just simply better.
And also agree that the biggest problem is really that the Optical cover is very loose, seems a minor issue but is really a pain!
I hope CANON will plan an exchange in guarantee.
The Optic of this camera is impressive, the 12x zoom is a dream even if your really need a firm hand.
I love it!
Goodbye Sony

I just received my new Canon S5 IS camera; number 7 of many other Canons that I purchased for my family members. This one is for me as a replacement to the G6. The S5 IS IS BY FAR an exceptional camera; ease of use, clarity of photos and Canon's "best value" for the 3 to 4 hundred price range. Note: the recommended PSC 75 case DOES NOT FIT THIS CAMERA.

Just the right amount of options for extended control for a next generation moving up from point and shoot type cameras. It takes excellent photos and done very easily.

I love this camera! It takes wonderful pictures and is very user friendly. I researched cameras for some time and with the price and options this camera offers, it was no brainer..... Buy it, you won't regret.

Absolutely love this camera. Still trying to figure out all the settings, but the video quality is fabulous and getting less blurred shots of my 1 year old is absolutely great! I love the ability to take continuous pictures!