Canon PowerShot® S5 IS Digital Camera

Pros: Fast, hot shoe, 2.5 inch vari-angle LCD, 12X USM IS zoom, full manual controls.
Cons: No RAW/TIFF mode

Photography has been my obsession for more than thirty years, so I'm a very lucky guy - I get to test lots of nifty new digital cameras. The only problem is that I have to send the cameras back when my tests are finished. Usually that's not too ...

Pros: Build quality, resolution, picture quality, fast 12x zoom with optical stabilization, large LCD
Cons: Expensive, no RAW, uses 4 AA batteries

Mega-zoom cameras are fun. Before digital mega-zoom cameras were available, you would have to carry around a bunch of lenses and a camera body to be able to get to 10x magnification, but now you can get a digital camera with 10x optical zoom and over for ...

Pros: Easy to use, very good photos, solid construction, good software
Cons: Battery, lens cap will get lost

After numerous attempts to bring my parents into the digital world, I think I have finally succeeded. I failed a few years ago with a Sony digital camera that they could not quite figure out how to use and have succeeded only modestly with regards to ...

Pros: A great and affordable combination of the best features in smaller digital cameras!
Cons: Too bad Canon did not do this two years ago!

2nd Revision - July 20, 2005 CANON PowerShot S1 IS Apologies to readers everywhere - Due to ignorance, I did not discuss the "IS" part of the model number. Further research revealed that, with a 10x Telephoto setting, the slightest ...

Pros: Low ISO photos are incomparable! Feels right in my hand, great size/weight.
Cons:

NOISY low light photos. Poor stamina. Battery with memory card. Pooped on me.

Disappointed! That is me in a nutshell. I was the proud owner of this model's predecessor, the S3 from the previous year. I LOVED it. Its photos were magical. The color was divine and the resolution, the way it felt in my hand ... everything! ...

Pros: Good zoom, and image stabilization works. Overall good image quality.
Cons: Battery life not great even when using Ni-MH. Pricey for resolution.

A ZOOM FOR ALL PEOPLE? The Canon S1 IS (IS standing for "image stabilization"), hits the market perhaps a little late in the game considering it's resolution of only 3 megapixels. Panasonic offers a 12X IS zoom camera at 4 megapixels, and for only a ...

Pros: AA batteries, IS, quality, speed, features
Cons: A little pricey, bulky, not quite an SLR

This camera has so many different things to talk about, I don’t know where to begin! I’m 21 years old, and in the seven years of my life so far that I have been a digital user, I have owned several cameras. My first was a $400 Sony Mavica FD-75 and it ...

Pros: Image quality! Ability to capture digital video, and easy upload of photos.
Cons: Autofocus settings are slow. Ships with 32MB CF card; need more memory to capture video.

"Read the book!" has never been my favorite thing to hear, but in the case of the Canon PowerShot S1 IS, it's certainly worth consideration if you want to enjoy your camera and get shots worth keeping. I am a novice to intermediate digital camera user ...

Pros: Zoom, Hotshoe, Layout, LCD, Pictures, Focus Checking, Size/weight
Cons: Noisy, Lens cap, Available accessories

I love photography, and as much as I'd love to own a dSLR it's just not in my budget at the moment. This is the next best thing, in my opinion. I love the option of full manual control, and the automatic and program modes make this camera nearly ...

Pros: 12x zoom, good image quality, stabilization, good battery life, focuses quickly.
Cons: Lens cap falls off. SD card shares battery compartment. Set button in non-intuitive location.

I bought this as a replacement for another camera with which I was unhappy with the image quality. I was also looking at the S3 IS in addition to this one. The S3 was only $50 more than the one I was returning, at $300, while the S5 was $400. I went ...

Pros: Image Stabilized 10x zoom Incredible movie mode Can use standard AA batteries.
Cons: Shutter Lag takes getting used to. Low-light focusing could be better. Doesn't fit in pocket

I bought the Canon S1 IS right when the model was first released as a digital camera for my wife and as a take along camera when I didn't want to bring my Digital SLR (Canon 10D). I've now been using the camera for almost a year and can offer this ...

Pros: image quality, dedicated movie button, hot shoe, great zoom, image stabilization
Cons: Uses 4 AA batteries, SD slot is in battery compartment, lens cap comes off easily

Overview The Canon S5 IS digital camera is an 8-megapixel 12X “super zoom” camera with an SLR-like body, and is the successor to the S3 IS, sharing the same lens and many similar functions. The S5 IS uses Canon’s new DIGIC III ...

Pros: image stabilization, zoom, manual settings, image quality, swivel lcd
Cons: buttons all over the place, lens cap, autofocus in low light, beep

I started traveling a lot for work and I decided that I would use these opportunities to do some hard core tourism on the side. I already have the Canon A60, but I was looking for more megapixels and a bigger zoom. I decided to go with the S1 IS since I ...

Pros: Ease of use. Image quality. Outstanding underwater housing. Uses AA batteries.
Cons: Shutter lag, especially in IS mode. 1.5 inch screen. Plastic lens extension unit.

I bought this camera when my wife and I were on our way to Alaska (summer '05) and I didn't want to carry all the film that my Canon EOS film camera would have demanded. I was concerned that the "low" resolution would be a problem when I wanted to ...

Pros: Great looking pictures, even at 8x10. Low price for all the features. Canon quality.
Cons: Viewfinder autofocus freeze. Lens cap won't stay on. Small LCD.

I have owned 4 digital cameras, from the point and shoot to the Canon D60 DSLR. I am looking for that perfect camera - light weight and near pocket size, long zoom, preferably stabilized, automatic as well as a full range of manual features, focuses in ...

Pros: 10X optical zoom, image stabilizer, swivel LCD
Cons: no macro

I've had the PowerShot S1-IS for about 6 weeks, and found that my photos have improved greatly since my initial purchase. I suspect that some difficulties reported may be due less to the camera than the user. Lens cap loss: Just attach it to the neck ...

Pros: GREAT stereo movies with zoom. Tilting display. Uses AA batteries. Hot shoe.
Cons: Lens not as wide (36-432mm)as others in its class. No constant battery indicator.

The Canon S5 IS Is the Perfect Family Camera Having a young family, I found that my old Sony point and shoot with 3X optical wasn’t getting the job done in many of the situations that a young family takes pictures. We were frequently going to ...

Pros: - Great quality photos - Ultra-zoom - Excellent video mode - Intervalometer
Cons: Only 3MP Some purple fringing No flash hot shoe No AF illuminator

I purchased this camera about a week ago. I previously owned the Minolta DiMAGE Z1, but was unhappy with that camera's flaws (such as very bad chromatic aberration, and audio/video out of sync). On paper, the Z1 was great, but my experience was less ...

Pros: 10X optical zoom, Image Stabilization, Canon quality images and fast focus & memory write times.
Cons: Maximum film speed ISO 400; and maybe 3.1 megapixel - still no deal breaker!

Bought a PowerShot S1 IS for my wife. Though I fancy myself an advanced amateur she is a film point & snapper who only recently became curious about digital. She will use it primarily at our (NFL) Titans games. She is tired of missing shots of ...

Pros: ZOOM, Video, Image Stabilization, Manual Settings (Savable), too many to list
Cons: Auto-focus doesn't always cut it in low light, only 3 mega-pizels

First a little history on my Digital Camera experience…. I have owned 4 Digital Cameras over the past 3 years….. Originally I started out with a Canon Digital ELPH S200, I loved the features and compact nature, but was left really unsatisfied with ...

Pros: Fast, powerful zoom. Excellent video. Macro to 0 inches. Viewer bright and clear.
Cons: Lens cap (arrg!) Product manual hard to use. Controls complicated for casual use. Bulky.

Excellent camera overall with very good capabilities for a casual photographer (like me). I purchased this camera after using a 5 megapixel Kodak camera for 3 years. The canon exceeds the capability and quality of the Kodak, and the software is ...

Pros: Zoom, MACRO, great Colors, clear, sharp photos & Video clips, LCD screen Tilts & Rotates
Cons: Red eyes when shooting with the built-in flash.Large file size of video clips.

I waited to write this review until I had the camera for a while & could accurately write about it; 6 months & 2130 photos later I can honestly say that this camera has EXCEEDED& nbsp;my expectations!  This is my first digit...

Pros: 10x optical zoom, image stabilization
Cons: Pathetic LCD for camera in this price range

I recently needed to purchase a digital camera. Having had really good results with my Canon photo printer I looked to Canon's products. The requirements were enough features to keep me interested. While being easy enough to use that my wife who is ...

Pros: Great movie mode, colors. Easy to use auto mode works well.
Cons: Poor focus in low light, Support is terrible

Canon S1 iS I wanted a camera that could do it all. I wanted a good sports camera as I’m on the ski hill all winter and on the mountain bike all summer, it had to be able to reach my subject and catch a quick shot before they zoomed by. I also had my ...

Pros: photo quality, 12x zoom, video capability, AA batteries
Cons: LCD viewfinder issues, insecure lens cap, no remote

For those who aren't looking for an SLR, this is one digital camera that I happily endorse. It has way too many features to list, but the S5IS is easy to use for "point and shoot". As you being taking picture, you'll use the AUTO or ...

Pros: Fast, clear pictures, good focal range
Cons: Horrible reliability record, poor customer service

When I bought the PowerShot S5 IS at Christmas time, I really thought I had done my homework. It took great pictures and took pictures with great speed. Additionally, it had great focal range, snapping sharp pictures even at a good distance. My ...

Pros: Great button location, great color. Read review.
Cons: battery hold down hard to close. Lens cap unstable

I mentioned in a previous post that I bought the Kodak DX4530 about 4 years ago, also a great little camera for every day point and shoot. I needed something a little faster and bought the CANON S5 IS. The old Kodak gave me 2 seconds between shots. The ...

Pros: Everything you could require in a camera for the price. Accessories available are outstanding.
Cons: Sucks the everloving juice out of batteries!Name brand Accessories are outrageously priced.

This is my very first digital camera purchase (i have used several loaners)and it took me weeks of research to choose it. Of course I wanted the Rebel, but couldn't afford it, then I decided the S1 IS was better. I bought a 512mb card along with it which ...

Pros: 10x Zoom, Flip out LCD
Cons: Size

Other people have described the features of this camera so I'll just blab on a little about why I love it so much. The Canon S1 IS is the fourth digital camera I have owned. And the best. I was so happy with my Sony cameras, I never thought I'd try ...

Pros: Image Stabilization, flip screen, multi-features, 10x zoom
Cons: 3.2 megapixels

I originally purchased this particular camera due to Canon's reputation and the fact that is one of the best beginners cameras out there. First let's start with the bad: 3.2 megapixels is a little low for any new camera, but it will still get the ...

Pros: 10X Zoom; Lots of control or features.
Cons: Zoom is fast; Electronic viewfinder poor definition; Battery life doesn't seem like it's long enough.

I bought this camera along with a Canon waterproof/submersible case for use in situations where I expected the camera would be subject to water exposure (canoeing, kayaking, sailing), and to use it underwater (snorkeling mostly). I own a Nikon D70, and ...

Pros: Great for novice and pro alike, beautiful pictures, excellent ergonomic design, easy to use options.
Cons: Can be pricey if you don't shop around since it's relatively new on the market.

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 ...

Pros: 10x zoom, video, image quality, plethora of features, battery life
Cons: No live image in continuous shooting mode

My last digital camera was the Minolta Z1, but there were several issues I had with it that caused me to look for something better. I read the specs on the S1 IS and couldn't wait for it to be released, buying one as soon as it was available. I have not ...

Pros: image stabilization, 10x lens, overall quality, acceptable speed, value for the features
Cons: Not a pocket camera nor a beginner point and shoot camera

This camera is great for anyone who really wants a 10x zoom for outdoor photos such as sports and wildlife. It can also function well as an outdoor landscape or even portrait camera. The best feature is the image stabilization for distance photos ...

Pros: compact size, good value for the price,ability to download photos to your personal computer
Cons: Read over guide to learn about settings for different lighting/zoom

This camera is perfect for capturing the beauty of the outdoors. Whether you want to remember the fall colors in the mountains or your family's silly expressions as you are hiking the trails together. The compact size makes it easy to carry in a ...

Pros: Good automatic pictures turned out
Cons: This camera is not for first time digital users, this is for experienced users only

I am a first time user of digital cameras. I took the S5 to China. However, my wife took along a cheap small frame Olympic digital $250_$300 cheaper,and it took better pictures. In my new Canon S5 I used automatic, I used program, TV modes,scene modes, ...

Pros:

Hot shot for external flash and triggers

Cons:

Lens cap will not stay and no optical view finder

I bought this S5 to replaced my XT. I did not want to spend $200.00 to fix a camera that is worth that much and addition, I did not want to carry my L lenses just for candid pics. There are several reasons why I picked the S5 over other ...

Pros: Easily programmable, good color quality, clean photos.
Cons: Lens cap pops off easily, heavy/bulky.

We purchased this camera in August 2007. I do digital design work and my husband and I enjoy photography as a hobby, especially to accompany our hikes. The Powershot S5 IS has met and exceeded our needs so far. Results: We have great clean photos ...

Pros: 10x zoom, image stabilization, easy controls, recording movies
Cons: filter/telephoto zoom adaptor design, only 3.2 mega pixel, AF assist lamp

I bought this camera after studying all the available models in the market. I really like the idea that I can have 10x image stabilized picture taking capability, with small movie making thrown in. Also the controls are very easy. Some of the dials are ...

Pros: Beautiful pictures, ease of use, high quality, supports 52mm lens with adapter
Cons: Battery hog, but lithiums last extra long.

Before I start, keep in mind that I'm not a professional. I merely enjoy taking pretty pictures, and I need something more than a disposable Kodak, but not as serious as a thousand-dollar SLR. Also I wanted to save money on photo development, and be able ...

Pros: Light, zoom, built in lens, batteries, macro, durability, ease of use
Cons: Can't swap lenses; "only" 8 MP.

UPDATE: only JPEG, no RAW

I bought the Canon Powershot S5 IS in October 2007 to use on a trip to New England. Here are some of the shots taken on that trip: http://www.grandmemories.com/N E2007The photos show use of the zoom, the macro, and other "normal" shots.I ...

Pros: Great photos, nice screen size, great video, easy to use.
Cons: A bit big and bulky, but great for this caliber camera

I purchased the Canon Powershot S5 IS in December. I had been looking for a new digital camera for about 6 months, and this one has turned out to be great for what I need it for. I am a mom of 2, and been so pleased with this camera's performance both ...

Pros: Ease of use. Professional quality pictures. Excellent manuals.
Cons: Haven't really found any yet.

I have been suffering with an HP digital camera for a while now. Unfortunately I did not heed the advice I received from a professional photographer friend. The advice was this. "If you're going to buy a digital camera, buy one that's made by a camera ...

Pros: Easy to use!  Great zoom!  Great results!
Cons: Factory auto setting causes a delay between photos. 

I love this camera!  I would have said that in the subject line, but there wasn't room. <smile>I never thought I'd give up my 35mm, but I rarely use it any more.  I tried three digital cameras before this one.  None of ...

Pros: rotating lcd screen, manual features, powerful 10x optical zoom
Cons: poor focus

I have high expectations when it comes to digital cameras. I was a little concerned with the camera being a 3.2MP camera...especially when I'm so used to 4MP+ cameras. However; loving some of the features (especially the rotating LCD display), being a ...

Pros: 10x optical is enough, don't need the digital. Image stabilization.
Cons: The price but I can see the value! Pictures with low light levels are hard.

This is the best camera I have ever owned...period! This is my first digital camera and I decided to spend some money so it would last for a while. I have owned the camera for about 5 months now and I do not regret my purchase. In October I took it up ...

Pros: Versatile settings, Movie Function.
Cons: The Lens Cap still comes off too easy. Location of the memory card slot.

I am a previous owner of the Canon Powershot S2 and wanted to upgrade. For some silly reason, I went and bought the Olympus 560-UZ because it had a more powerful zoom. Not impressed with the poor picture quality, I sold that camera and went and bought ...

Pros: Functions, speed to focus, weight
Cons: Size

We wanted to replace the SONY CyberShot 5 MP camera as my wife wasn't happy with the aperture speed and focusing. I looked at several cameras, and didn't want to have her using the old SLR with nothing but the viewfinder to frame her shots - our kids ...

Pros: A lot of settings, long battery life.
Cons: Haven't been able to fine tune it yet.

I bought this camera because our family had never owned a nice good quality camera before. We got in on sale and are quite pleased with it. I have not been able to customize it on the custom setting, as the flash setting either causes white out, or the ...

Pros: Simple controls, good value, good quality photos.
Cons: Poor viewfinder, poor placement of menu buttons on back.

First, I am not a professional. I like to take more artsy than every day shots and would like to make this my art as a hobby. I have a lot of camera experience but this is my first digital. I got a digital because I felt I would have more control over ...

Pros: Zoom - Movie Mode
Cons: Focusing Issues - Unreasonable support

I have been a long time fan of Olympus digital cameras for many years. While looking to upgrade to a newer camera a few months ago, the S1 IS caught my eye. I waited for it's release and purchased it when it became available. Other than some frequent ...

Pros: Not expensive for all that. Amazing movie mode and manual settings.
Cons: Misses a flash sync. Bad telephoto auto-focus. No lens screw-on thread.

Well I purchased this camera taking into account the overall quality of the pictures as shown on internet reviews. Purple fringing at telephoto and distortion at wide-angle were then something I would have to live by. It did no more, nor less than ...

Pros: Accurate color with powerful flash. Great functions.
Cons: Had problem with flash. Wish it were smaller.

This is my first digital camera. I chose it very carefully, primarily based on it's excellent low light capabilities and color trueness. I paint (indoor) murals so good indoor lighting is crucial.

It's very easy to use. I love being able to zoom in for detail shots, and in time I have learned to use the manual functions. I can now take great rapid fire stills of my two year old on his scooter!

My flash did fail to pop up and I had to send it back for repairs, which Canon handled easily.

Pros: Tons of manual and automatic features; well-laid-out controls; solid body; nice LCD display.
Cons: Lens aberrations and vignetting; some processing artifacts; lacks raw file support

At the moment, there isn't a camera of this class that offers better range of controls, imaging or performance. I've shot with the camera in all of its modes, and I'm very, very pleased with the quality of the images. Performance is top-notch across the board. Controls are broad and very intuitive. You can pluck your new camera out of the box and begin snapping very good pictures and movies without a glance at the instruction manual--although you'll want to to make fullest advantage of the amazing things this tool has to offer.

Pros: inexpensive phone with a lot of features
Cons: extremly poor battrey life

purchased the sony ericsson z310a cell phone online from AT&T/Cingular. I did a lot of research prior to purchase and thought I was making a good decision. I wish I had made a different decision. The phone is adequate and delivers everything the website promises-except for battery life.Very poor standby battery life. AT&T advertises "up to 10 days standby battery life" I am lucky to get 3 days-and I barely use it.Also, when making calls, it does not give a ringtone to let you know the call you made is going thru-you just get an annoying "click" when the person you calls answers, and you find your self saying hello a couple times.

Pros: 10x zoom, movie mode, many different shooting modes
Cons: slightly bulky, lens cap, batteries

I was looking for a good camera. I wanted something that I could capture some action and slow shots with, and something that had a decent zoom. I have loved it ever since I bought it. It is a mid-sized camera, not one you can just stick in your pocket, but you also won't lose it. It has so many features on it that most point and shoot cameras don't have.
I love the 10x zoom. I can catch pictures with it that I normally couldn't. It also has a movie mode that works great. The ability to swivel the screen is a great feature also.
I don't like that you have to take a lens cap on and off. The batteries don't last as long as I expected.

Pros: movies, size, speed, sound, easily replaceable batteries
Cons: None

I have used this camera constantly for the last 2 years for my ebay photos and all I can say is that it has not missed a beat. I go through the rechargeables pretty frequently but I have 2 sets and it works fine. I take the camera with me everywhere and we take a lot of excellent photos. I think this is just a gem!!

Pros: Would be nice if it would not fail.
Cons: CCD problems; customer-relation problems.

I used a Canon powershot S1-IS for 1 1/2 year in the tropics; then it stopped working! The CCD showed only purple smears on a black background. Canon admits this same problem for about 20 other camera's, but not for the S1-IS, so no free repair.
Olympus, which used the same defect CCD material (from Sony) is different: they repair their defects for free no questions asked.

Pros: Image stabilization is awesome. Long zoom is unbelievable.
Cons: Not so great in low light.

The camera shines at what it's supposed to shine at - long zooms. Image stabilization is so important that it's a mistake to even consider a camera greater than 6x zoom without it. When shooting rapid-fire photos, the image stabilization can get confused.

There are many manual settings that can be used by skilled photographers to improve picture taking

Like many Canon cameras, the S1 IS is not adept at shooting in low light conditions.

Pros: Picture quality, Rotate-able view finder.
Cons: Price, a little on the pricey side.

I got this camera as a birthday present and I have been extremely impressed.

The picture quality is awesome and it responds pretty quickly to taking pictures.

I had an old HP camera which I thought did well but after getting this camera I am very impressed.

One of the reasons I went with this camera is because of the bigger size, it fits better in my hands, and because what you see in the viewfinder is what the camera is seeing so no guessing what your picture will look like.

Pros: Video quality and picture quality is awesome. 10X zoom is top knotch.
Cons: No focus control and AVI format takes up a lot of memory.

30 Frames Per Second AVI format. HOWEVER! A 128MB Compact Flash card can hold only 1 minute of video. The quality is awesome, but you better spend the bucks for a good 2GB card, you'll be able to take 16 minutes of video on that.
The USB interface is USB slow, and the video processing is slow too. After you take your video, it takes approximately 1 second per megabyte to process. Sounds fast? Not really, immagine taking 16 minutes of video at 2 Gigs, you're talking 200 seconds of processing which is about 3.5 minutes.

Pros: Image stabilizer, extra features, zoom is great, able to change lenses.
Cons: It's a little bit bulky, but does fit in my photo vest pocket.

My brother bought one and I needed a new camera. It is great. I'm no expert and I tend to move when I shoot a picture. The image stabilizer (IS) stops it from coming out in the photo.
I recommend to buy a 256 MB compact flash card with it.
I recommend it to anyone.

Pros: Image and colors quality. The way it fills in my hand. The functions.
Cons: Photos with very lower light are impossible.

If you need a camera to take fantastic photos, this is your best choice!!!

The images are just fantastic!!!

The colors are WOW!!!

I love this camera!!!

Pros: Optics 12x zoom easy to learn on
Cons: none that I've found after 2500+ shots...

Moving up from a complete p&s while educating myself about photography & shooting in the different modes (manual, aperture & shutter speed priority, etc), I have found that this camera was about the best camera for the job. The optics are top-notch for any camera anywhere near its price range, the 12x zoom is much more powerful & useful than that of most other cameras, and the camera's ability to take good photos in any level of automation is fantastic. I really have no complaints at all, especially given that I paid 319.99 + tax for it.

Pros: LCD rotates ecerywhere. Many options. Good battery life.
Cons: LCD monitor too small to see the real deal.

i had Canon S1 IS for a year and half..and it broke today - ON CHRISTMAS EVE!! Aghhh... it would record my pictures deleting the old ones after i shut camera down and then turn on on again.

On the other hand... 3.2 MP is not the best choice. :(

Battery life is fairly good :)

LCD screen - I have MAJOR problem with that - the picture on a screen is not the same as on computer screen. After you take a picture you will be amazed how sharp and perfect your pic looks on the camera screen. When you download it to your computer you might be very disapointed. The quality wouldn't be the same. AND it turns MUCH MUCH darker on a computer and on a printed pictures than you see on your camera screen. So it is not "what you see is what you get". :(

very cool looking camera :)

I like how you can tilt the LCD screen at any angle you want :)

cap is always loosen :(

To make my long story short: I delete 80% of the pictures because they dont look good at all.

Pros: 10X zoom, AA batteries as power source, camera options plentiful, picture results great
Cons: LCD too small, lens cap poor, no autofocus assist, no hot shoe

You can point and shoot with this camera, or go manual and be creative. Many options to choose from, once you get the hang of the menus and buttons. Manual is very detailed and it doesn't take long to figure things out. Video capture is excellent. Picture quality is great, although low light presents a challenge. Image stabilization works great, and combined with the 10X zoom that is what made me buy this camera.

Pros: Easy operation, settings, etc.
Cons: Menu's may be a little difficult for novices

Very good camera. Great for those new to the digital world as it is easy to use and will grow with you as you learn more about the format.

Great photo's!

Get some rechargeable batteries! Goes through regular batteries like a kid through sweet tarts. But last forever with rechargeables.

Pros: Makes you feel like a pro when you're not!
Cons: not much, lens cap and focus and close range

I'm not a pro - but this camera makes you feel like one. I have three beautiful children under the age of 5 and I love taking pictures of them. I have taken many amazing quality pictures that I have emailed out to many family - they reply back, what kind of camera do you have - "amazing pictures". I also bought the Canon Pixma iP 60000 color printer - it too is fantastic. Quick speed and high quality prints. I am very happy I went with Canon - difference of night/day compared to my former Kodak.

My only issues with the camera is the lens cap does not affix onto the lens like my sony handycam (not really a big deal)and that the camera has some difficulty zooming and focusing in close range. Other than that I highly recommend buying the camera $399 and the printer $179.

Pros: user friendly, perfect zooming, quality photos
Cons: battery life

The first time I used Canon S5 IS was really great. I will not trade in this camera for any other brand. The zooming feature of Canon S5 IS gives the most accurate result as every photographer wanted.

Pros: Zoom, Video, Flip out LCD screen, Pro features
Cons: Size, Lens cover

This is my first digital camera and I just love it. I am by no means a professional but the this camera is simple enough for the novice and has the added features that the more experienced photographer would want and need. It takes very good quality pictures and the 10x optical zoom rocks. I really love the flip out LCD screen. The only setback is the size which is bigger than I wanted but to get the features I was looking for I had to give up something. I would buy this camera again. I would recommend buying at least a 1GIG Compact flash card if you want to use the video feature, which is great as well.

Pros: Fast upstart, several capture modes, full manual control, big zoom,excellent images, Cannon quality
Cons: No provisions for RAW photos.

Excellent weight balance allows for comfortable feel in ones hands. All buttons are easy to access and utilize. Many people complain about the lens cap falling off easily which is true and by design. If the camera lens is activated with the cap in place if just pops off and no damage is done, by design! There is noise at ISO greater than 400 but you can photoshop the noise away. I've taken around 2000 photos with mine and they improve as my knowledge of various settings improve. I would recommend this camera to anyone who doesn't want the burden of carrying around an slr with a series of lenses. I did add a lens hood capped with a UV filter to protect the lens. I would recommend everyone do that since its very inexpensive.

Pros: Zoom viewfinders Controls
Cons: Reliability? Battery life Lens cap

After much research, I decided that the advantages of the 10x zoom with IS outweighed the average resolution. I'm happy to think I was correct. The zoom gets you much closer, so you don't have to enlarge as much. Once you get comfortable with the controls (takes a bit of learning) it is reasonably easy to use, similar to a film SLR.

However, in the 3 months I have owned it, it has had to be repaired twice. The first time it kept freezing up, and had to be "rebooted" frequently. The second, was the autofocus started groaning, and then would not focus at all. I hope this will not be a recurring theme.

Pros: Cheap memory, Great Zoom, Super Lens, Image Stabilization. Movie Mode.
Cons: Slow shutter response when using flash. Somewhat large size - won't fit in pocket.

Fantastic zoom lets you compose now optically without cropping later with a loss in clarity.

Has image stabilization which is necessary for close zooms and shaky hands. Good video clips (with a large memory card).

Easy to use on automatic settings & worth learning the manual controls.

Outdoors, this camera gave excellent results. Good software when editing movie clips.

Indoors, the delay between the shutter release & actual flash / shutter activation was so slow that, in one shot of my grandson, the kid was GONE by the time the camera shot. I did get a nice sharp picture of the wall. I guess my 35mm SLR work over the years has spoiled me. I'll need to play with the rapid fire mode & see if I can make up for missed shots.

Memory is inexpensive & high capacity rechargeable AA batteries are worth the cost.

Pros: Tons of bells n whistles, great quality pictures
Cons: none!

I just bought this about 3 weeks ago and, so far it's great. I haven't had any problems so far. It's got TONS of bells and whistles. It takes great quality pictures and movies. I love the software it came with. I took 10 pictures in a row. Put them in order and the software "stitched" them all together. It made a great wide picture. It looks like it was taken with a wide lens. REALLY KEWL!

Pros: good zoom capacity, cleare images,compact and small to carry it easily
Cons:

poor battery

I bought this camera a month before, so far its wonderful
picture quality is very clear. the only problem is with the battery life.
the camera comes with good look and finish as i like also it is small to carry easily

Pros: The Zoom is the best for a Semi Pro Camera.
Cons: It cannot be exchange by other Lens easily but the overall product was the best

The camera it self was amazing, when i was using the Cam. It was much better than a Canon S3 IS, The Megazoom is perfect for capturing a Monkey eating Eagle feeding on a Dead snake.

Pros: Good Zoom Good Picture Quality Wonderful Movie Mode
Cons: The shot to shot speed and the flash recycle time are rather slow.

If you have less than $300 and want to buy a nice camera (not just those flaky point and shoots), the S5 is defiantly your best choice. Here's why

Let's start out with the features. First, the megapixel-age. The camera is 8 MP (which is higher than most cameras on the market). This means you can print up to 30x40 inch photos without them appearing grainy.

However the megapixels is not the only thing a camera needs. The S5 has an amazing optical zoom. A 12x optical zoom to be exact! Combined with the digital zoom you can get up to 48x closer with the S5 (you should use this in movies, since it does not lose quality).T

The S5 also has tons of features such as a Red-Eye Correction, face detection, etc.

The Movie Mode is amazing. You can zoom while taking the video and even take pictures while taking the video.

Pros: Great beginner camera. Professional Look.
Cons: Costly for a 3 megapixel camera; Lens cover sucks

I love this Camera. Bought it simply b/c of Canon name and it's professional look. Takes great pictures, fairly lightweight, and the Image Stabilizer works like a charm. I am not pro photographer by no means, but I would highly recommend this for beginners. I actually plan to by the newer S2 IS model out now. The lens cover sucks and doesn't stay on half the time, very annoying.

Pros: Simple point and shoot in AUTO, zoom and image stabilization fantastic.
Cons: no simple viewer brightness control like my old Kodak DC240

Replacing my trusty Kodak DC240 was not a simple process, I finally decided on the Canon S1 IS on the basis that a 10x optical zoom was of more use than extra mega pixels.

On unpacking the box I was at first overwhelmed by the proliferation of buttons and setting options, however after 30 minutes or so it became clear that this camera is very flexible and simple point and shoot on AUTO setting is fine for most situations.

The zoom lense is fantastic, the image stabilization really works and the camera is large enough to provide a firm hold.

Pros: Multi-featured, lightweight, balanced, point and shoot, B&W, sienna, grain, manual override, stop/slow action,panorama.
Cons: Cheap lens cap, limited lenses, hair trigger telephoto difficulty in framing in the field.

I have used this camera to sequentially document events at my home following the hurricanes, animal action shots, panorama shots, and publicity shots for use in the newspaper. It was a gift from a friend that knew good picture quality and camera features for point and shoot or advanced uses. I love the feel of it in my hands, balanced, lightweight for the extensive features it has. Easy to upload to the computer using the Flash Card directly in the printer. with no extra plugs or cords needed to clutter or lose. Pretty decent sound quality when in record mode.

Pros: nice camera, good clear pics
Cons: SLOW!! bulky, eats batteries, lens cap will get lost

I did alot of research before buying a camera, and this just didn't cut it. It is a neat little camera, but has very very slow response time. What you THINK you are taking a pic of you are NOT. You get about a 2 second delay, and then the moment is gone! I was very displeased about that. Also the LCD is very small, but the camera is a nice one. I went with the Panasonic Lumix FZ15 instead, it is AWESOME and much faster response time. Can't beat it!