Pros: The lens, IS, the size (smaller than an SLR), the myriad of modes
Cons: The size (larger than a compact); no raw, tiff or hotshoe for flash.
The Bottom Line: Great travel camera. Amazing lens. Love IS. Notes about ratings: battery life and shutter lag minimal, but I use alkaline batteries and a 150x sd card.
fortunecat500's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S2 IS Digital Camera
I had been looking for a camera that would work well while travelling. I like travelling to out of the way places, primarily with backpacks and having a wide variety of adventures that require versatility.
I own a Canon Elan IIe film camera, and have always thought that a 28-135 mm lense with Image Stabilization would make a great travel lens. But I couldn't afford either the lens or the Rebel XT that I'd like to make it all work.
So I was pretty excited when I discovered that the S2 had a 36-432mm zoom with Image Stabilization, and that the zoom had a f3.5 at the outer setting. You can't really ask for a better travel lens; the only thing I wish is that it had a slightly wider angle... a 28 mm or 24 mm would be nice for taking nice landscapes. Some of that can be mitigated with the panoramic photo-stitching mode, however, so that's not as much of an issue as you might think.
From a travel perspective the camera is an allround excellent performer. Of course, every camera has its drawbacks when you're on the road, but this camera has fewer than most. I consider myself a pretty decent prosumer level photographer, so when I go on trips, I like to bring my big film camera with a variety of lenses for a variety of situations. This bugs my travel companions to no end, as I'm always trying to figure out which lenses to bring with me on that day and I have to constantly manage the amount of equipment I'm bringing.
The S2, needless to say, is great for me. I no longer have to muck around with multiple lenses - this one does it all. And digital film is so much smaller than regular film - it doesn't require management. The size is interesting: It's bigger than a compact point and shoot, but smaller than a D-SLR. For me this is a plus, as I'm used to lugging large amounts of equipment, but if you're used to toting a small point and shoot, this will represent a larger package than maybe you're used to.
I've used digital cameras before, and I find I use them like I use my film camera: I don't go in for all the fancy digital modes like video etc. Maybe I will in time. But I prefer to use Auto, Tv and Av modes. I also like to use Manual, which this camera has, but I find it less simple to use than on my EOS. The Auto, Tv and Av modes produce great travel pics, with minimal thinking, and it's relatively easy to modify exposure by plus or minus a couple of spots. If this is how you like to shoot, then it's perfect for you. If you want to shoot for National Geographic, get a DSLR and lug all the lenses. If you want pretty darn good pictures you can hang on your wall, then this is probably the ideal camera.
Update April 6, 2006 - Snow Mode
This winter I used the camera a few times while out skiing on my new skis and boots, and had opportunity to use the SCN mode on the Snow setting. Snow scenes are tricky to take pictures of, as you may know, as cameras typically try to expose snow as "middle grey", and not bright white. It's relatively easy to account for this by overexposing by a couple of stops, but when you're doing athletic stuff, it's far easier to just leave your camera on the Snow mode and let it do the thinking for you. The S2 did a great job on my snowy pictures, once I got the hang of using the controls with gloves.
The only size-related downside to the camera is that I've had a hard time getting a nice bag for it. Because it's bigger than a compact, smaller than an SLR, there aren't that many svelte bags that will fit it without making you look pregnant or bellicose. (Update: I managed to find a decent bag at my local discount computer shop for 5 bucks. It's a topload-style Targus, Model Number DPBC02. It's a nice and compact fit, but you have to fit the camera in sideways to make it fit. It's not perfect but it does the job, and I couldn't beat the price.)
Update April 6, 2006 - Overall Impression After 6 months
Now that I've had the camera for about 6 months, I've gotten to know it a bit better. Everything I wrote above in my original review is still true, and I still love the camera. I probably love it even more now than I did at the time I wrote the original review.
One thing that kind of annoyed me, however, is that I could never figure out how to access Super Macro mode for taking extreme closeups. I have found out that it's not the camera's fault, it's the manual. While the manual says to repeatedly press the macro (flower button on the lens barrel), you actually need to HOLD it down for several seconds. Then you will get a little Flower with an S in the middle of it to indicate you're in Super Macro mode. (Find out more about the camera's quirks and tips at the DCRP Canon S2 IS Tip List (http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10364) on the Digital Camera Resource page forums.)
The other thing I'd like to add is that I've had a really good look at the images coming off this camera and have to say that I'm still really impressed with the sharpness and saturation of the images.
Overall, this is still a great camera. And while my heart yearns a little for the new Canon S3, this is still an amazing camera for the money.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 540CDN/480US This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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