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Reviews for Canon PowerShot S5 IS Bridge Camera

8 Megapixel - 16:9 - 12x Optical Zoom - 2.5" LCD - 3264 x 2448 Image - 640 x 480 Video - PictBridge: Yes - MPN: 2077B001

  • 5
  By member: hotblade - May 2, 2008

Canon S5 - Best camera I've had (I'm a...

Strengths: - Amazing picture quality - More than enough options for a photography enthusiast - Great features between a point-and-shoot and slr but only at P&S prices

Weakness: - none if you get the right stuff (i.e. get rechargable batteries, and a highspeed sd card)

This is my third digital camera, and first canon. The first 2 were sony's (s75 and w70) and I absolutely love this canon. I keep my w70 (compact) for casual/fun shots like at parties. I've only owned my s5 for ~3 weeks.

I was considering the s5 or the G9. But price was the main determinant for me, I got the s5 for $273+tax when it was on sale. And I'm not a pro, not by a long shot. I only know to try to adjust the exposure value.

I only bought it the day before leaving for a amsterdam/belgium vacation. It was very easy to use (having not read the manual). Don't make the mistake I did, get yourself rechargable batteries. I put in regular energizers and it gave me low battery warning after ~80 shots (I was using the lcd too). I went and bought the energizer lithium ion batteries and used the viewfinder mainly (occasionally using the lcd screen) and got another 500 shots without the battery going out.

I got beautiful shots. So happens my friend had a G9 and comparing our amateurish pictures, I couldn' tell the difference. The 12x optical zoom is really nice! Especially coupled with image stabilization (I did not have a tripod with me, but little tricks I learnt - like stabilizing my camera holding arm against a wall or lamppost helps).

It's true, the lenscap does come off very easily (actually that helps when my other had is full and I can turn on the camera with one hand - probably shouldn't do it too often though). But it's not really a problem, if it happens it's usually only when I'm taking it out of the camera bag (which is fine since I'm intending to take pictures anyways).

All in all, it's the best camera I've ever had. Amazing picture quality and enough options for a photography enthusiast but non-professional. And at the price of pointandshoot cameras, it's a great buy!

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  • 5
  By member: Dtrapp32 - Dec 12, 2007

excellent camera

Strengths: camera is great for all around, good quality pics that when printed off on printer can t tell difference of this and prints at a print shop

Weakness: not a whole lot

i would recommend this camera to anyone looking for above average photos with great zoom. great for someone looking for a good quality picture but not the the expensive price. love this camera, very nice.

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  • 5
  By anonymous - Jan 14, 2008

Canon S5 IS is VERY nice!

Strengths: -Great video quality & stereo sound -Incredible pic quality -Uses standard AA batteries! -Supports SDHC format -Supports audio notes on stored images -customizable sounds for camera functions -

Weakness: -No RAW image support -No rechargible batteries or charger included

Best combination of features and quality in its price range. If you are shopping in this range, you won't do better than this. May come close, or match... but not better!

You may hear that the lens cover comes off too easily. Nonsense! It's not like it falls off by simply moving the camera around or turning it over. It stays on unless you bump it or take it off. And consider this: It covers a lens that extends outward from the camera body every time you turn on the camera. And sooner or later you will forget to remove the cover before you turn on the camera, And when this happens the cover simply pops off, with no strain or damage to the zoom lens or the tiny gears inside. Clever!

Also. I ordered from Buydig.com on Wed 1/9/08 using free 7-9 day delivery. Received via Fed-Ex on SAT afternoon 1/12. SAT Delivery? Wow! And the Fed-Ex guy apologized for not getting to me sooner in the day. What a great experience so far.

About memory- Order a min of 2GB... for the price, less is just not worth it. Also, have a backup plan. If you order an 8, 16 or 32 GB card just for the convenience of having 1 card that will outlive all your needs... consider what happens if it fails or is lost when you are traveling. You are basically out of film! And, you may lose massive amounts of pictures/irreplaceable memories. Consider several 2 or 4 GB memory cards instead... or an 8GB and one or two 2 GB cards. Have a backup plan! One more thing on memory- the SDHC cards are HIGH MEMORY CAPACITY - and not necessarily high speed! Meaning, you can get a "regular" SD 2GB card that may be WAY faster (time it takes for the camera to store images to and retrieve images from the card) than a 4, 8, 16 or 32 GB SDHC card. Speed is an important factor in determining how quickly you can take one picture after another. Why get a nice fast camera and then slow it way down with a slow memory card. Search the web and understand the diff between speed and storage capacity. Buying two or more nice 2 or 4GB 133x speed or 150x speed cards may be what you really want, rather than a single and possibly slower high-capacity card. And dont forget that having only one card puts all your eggs in one basket. That could be hundreds or thousands of eggs (pictures) depending on the card and picture quality settings!

And for Pete’s sake.... get decent rechargeable batteries! And make sure they are at least 2700mAh NiMH batteries. And, equally as important as the batteries (perhaps MORE important) is that you get a good charger! DO YOUR RESEARCH!

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Reply by member: brivy
Apr 4, 2008

To whom ever wrote this review, thank you! Very comprehensive, and answered a lot of questions that I had about this product.

  • 5
  By member: mimbrava - Oct 22, 2007

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

Strengths: Excellent quality photos, ability to go from super macro to 12x zoom almost instantaneously

Weakness: Noisy in low light

I'm a huge fan of Canon cameras. I started with the A85; within a year I got the PowerShot S2 IS and now, needing more MP to permit good-quality prints after some cropping, got the S5 IS. I couldn't be more pleased. I prefer the viewfinder to the LCD screen, but it's neat that it's a bit larger now, and that it articulates is helpful in situations where I must shoot something from an odd angle.

I haven't gotten an external flash yet but like that I can, and will.

I knew from reading pre-purchase reviews that shots above 400 ISO would be noisy, and they are, and I wouldn't shoot above that except for record shots.

The manual is well written and easy to understand, but sometimes one needs assistance from a live person and one of the other reasons I like Canon is its easily accessible toll-free tech support service. Helpful people are almost just moments away. I have rarely if ever waited more than a few minutes for one to answer the phone.

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  • 5
  By member: Barngal - Sep 11, 2007

Canon Powershot S5

Strengths: Nice LCD..Hot Shoe for slave flash..Eash to use

Weakness: None so far..except len cap falls off easy like S2IS camera

This camera is replacing my S2IS canon and I'm very happy with the inprovements. Pictures are very clear..clean looking. You get a lot for your money with this camera. I purchased a couple lensmate adapters to add filters like I did on the S2IS camera. Then you can buy a good fitting lens cap that doesnt fall off easy. I was going to buy SLR but I wanted video and LCD preview of picture that I was taking. This cameara was worth the upgrade and pretty cheap price for what your getting. A fun camera to own with a nice zoom for close up pictures.

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  • 5
  By member: megatlx - Aug 19, 2007

Canon Powershot S5 Digital Camera

Strengths: Light weight. High quality images. Easy to operate. 12X optical zoom is great.

Weakness: None found so far.

My wife was looking for a replacement digital camera. Her old camera had been in use for about 4 years and she wanted to upgrade to something with more features as her experience with photography grew.

We looked at a number of cameras and found that this model met her needs. It allows her to use an AUTOMATIC mode when she wants but also allows her to have full control of the camera settings for special types of photography.

The camera fits her hand well and is light enough for her to carry around without it becoming a burden.

We looked at some smaller cameras but the control features and image quality were not there. While other cameras give 8MP images, the lenses were smaller on the smaller cameras.

Also, the 12x optical zoom is very useful when taking pictures of wildlife.

Close up capabilities are also very good with this camera.

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  • 5
  By member: scottegos2 - Jul 8, 2007

Best camera around

Strengths: Light Great lens Fast

Weakness: No interchangeable lens no wide angle

My wife had the S3 and just upgraded to this one, principally because of the hotshoe (flash) mount. It's slightly heavier than the S3 (about 4 oz more), but still weighs only about 20 ounces even with batteries. The lens is fantastic, as is the focusing speed and shot-to-shot time. You'll want to use Lithium (e.g. E2) batteries for fastest response. Also I'm using a 150x SD Card from Transcend, which makes a big difference. Anyway, the only nit I can pick is that it would have been nicer if the lens started at 28mm instead of 35mm in order to get near-wide angle coverage.

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Reply by member: btrip
Dec 12, 2007

check out lensmateonline.com

  • 5
  By member: Canucklehead - Sep 27, 2007

Great CAMERA!!! Canon's are the best!

Strengths: VideoCamera, 8MP, articulating screen, image stabilization, flash hot shoe

Weakness: none for me!

I've been using the "S" series since the S1. I've had this for only 5 days, but I anticipate another 10,000 pictures out of this. These have been the perfect combo cameras. People have different things they like about a camera or different reason for buying a particular camera. Let me tell you why I bought this one:

1. I call it a movie camera, because it takes movies at 640x480 at 30fps. Great for soccer games, swim meets etc. Plus you can zoom in out while shooting a movie with stereo sound. It has a dedicated movie button so you're always ready to capture a movie. And believe me, I was thankful for that button when my littlest one would do something cute.

2. Articulating screen. The LCD on the back swings out, up, down and all the way around to the front. I've taken pictures from over my head or down by the floor and from side to side. I'll never get a camera without a moveable LCD on the back. Again, I've captured shots others would dream about.

3. Image stabilization. This works for both movies and photos. I'll never have a camera without it again.

4. 12x OPTICAL zoom. Gets me real close to the action without standing in the front. Great for my soccer games. Equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm camera.

5. AA batteries. I used rechargeable, but if they die, I can grab any 4 AA's and keep on shooting. A must for any travel.

6. Hot shoe. This has been the been the best upgrade. I've already got the flash for my G6, so this will be handy.

7. 8MP sensor. Always nice to get more 'cropping' space.

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  • 5
  By member: cowfunone - Dec 12, 2007

Canon S5IS

Strengths: 12x optical zoom, face AF

Weakness: not much of an improvement from S3 IS

I bought this S5 IS as an upgrade to my S3IS. I didn't expect this to be much of an upgrade, but I tried it out in a retail camera store, and verify that the AF is better than before, esp. at full zoom. I already have a DSLR for pictures, and I am using this only for its video capability. Would not recommend it as an upgrade to the S3, but I think it's worth it for me, just for the improved AF when zoomed in, during video recording.

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Reply by member: montdahu
Dec 4, 2008

Was influenced by comments of the Canon S5 camera. Am going ahead and purchase one. I have a S1-IS.and have been pleased with it but with advances made I feel comfortable wit an up to date unit. Oh,also, am buying one at $149.00. Wow! What a bargain!!!!!!!!!!!.

  • 5
  By member: SSingh1975 - Jul 10, 2008

Best camera under $300!!

Strengths: -Excellent pics in "P" mode at ISO80, with Vivid Color Mode -Decent zoom -BEST video mode for cameras in this price range -Full manual controls for those willing to indulge in that -Add-ons

Weakness: -Low light limitation incl weak flash -Noisy at more than ISO200 -No wide angle lens

I bought this during a special at Dell ($286 with 2GB mem card combo) and this was after I bought and returned the Panasonic Z18 from CCity.

After 3 weeks of ownership, I stay firm with my decision! The canon S5 is the most versatile camera under $300 and with the ability of add-ons like Macro, PL, UV lens/filters, the results are endless.

While I liked the Z18 for its wide-lens and high zoom, anything higher than ISO80 were noisy. That camera suffered from low-light shooting too but it was worse than the S5. The video quality is also nowhere as good as the S5.

IF you download the CHKD hack, then you will more options open up to you but I'm perfectly happy with the defaults for now.

And, STAY AWAY FROM AUTO MODE!!!! U'll be disappointed and will bad mouth the camera even though its not the camera's fault.

Use the Program mode, ISO 80, Vivid color mode and the camera wont let you down...I guarantee you that.

Here's a photo of the Golden Gate bridge that I took with my S5 last weekend.

Hope this helps
SS

http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/026000-026999/026510.jpg  

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  • 5
  By member: chami - Jan 3, 2008

Canon Powershot S5

Strengths: great image stabilization, photo quality is the best, user friendly, ability to attach an additional flash, lcd panel swivel

Weakness: the lens cap comes off easily and too sensitive in power detection of the batteries

upgrade to this camera from a top name brand point-and-shoot camera that is 3 years old. the image stabilization works superbly. even though i have shaky hands, the pictures all turn out beautifully "stable". i love the indoor mode, the color turns out as they are in real live. my previous camera could not do so.

the automatic settings on the camera are user friendly even without having to refer to the manual. the manual settings needs practice and patience. tried taking Chicago's night view from the bar at the top of John Hancock Building with the manual setting and it turn out pretty good (of course taken into consideration of numerous take and me being a novice). this is so much better than any camera i have used (mine and my friends). however, under manual setting, i have to set it on the table so that the pictures are not blurry (i have shaky hands).

the lcd is very clear and displays true colors and it can swivel to face front; very convenient especially when taking group photos with timer (less running and more time to pose :) ).

all in all, i would definitely purchase this again in a heart beat and would recommend friends to purchase this camera.

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  • 5
  By member: AJDRAGON - Sep 28, 2007

Canon Powershot S5 IS

Strengths: Solid Body, High quality images, 12X optical zoom is great, Nice 2.5” LCD, Hot Shoe for flash, compact design, fast performance, Good Video Quality.

Weakness: SD card located in battery compartment, manuals could be better, the lens cap can be a pain some times to keep mounted.

I specifically purchased this camera so that I could shoot some high quality 8MP pictures, and I have been very pleased with the camera so far. It has tons of features and is well thought out. This is probably the best camera you can get without going to a DSLR. The auto features are perfect for the whole family to use, but the manual features also make it appealing to the more advanced photographer. The IS works flawlessly as well as Super macro mode. The 12X optical zoom meets most of my shooting needs. The video is acceptable compared to DV, and having its own dedicated video record button is a big plus. No more having to flip a knob into video mode. The lens adapter tube is reasonable at $30 to be able to mount filters, but if you mount a W/A lens you'll also need an external flash as the lens will block the stock flash, but thank goodness for the hot shoe mount to help get around that problem. Also worth mentioning are the total of 15 scene modes to choose from. This is a great value for a general-purpose camera.

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  • 5
  By member: DaytonaDavid - Aug 17, 2007

S5 upgrades are worth the investment

Strengths: Articulated, larger, brighter LCD; 4gb movie file size; flash hot-shoe; SDHC card support.

Weakness: None that can't be accepted given the other pluses

I have had an S2 since shortly after it was available. I am a little surprised that more reviewers don't rave about the usefulness of the articulated LCD on these cameras. When I take pictures holding the camera over my head in a crowd (thanks to the articulated screen) or hand-held zoom shots (thanks to the excellent image stabilization), or take a high-quality movie clip with stereo sound by pushing one button, people often ask about the camera and say they are going to get one. I have been delighted with the camera features and picture quality even with the small compromises mentioned in other reviews. I just ordered the S5, which is now available for less than $400 at reputable online sources, because it has improved on all the features that I like best and are unique to these Canon S(x) series cameras.

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  • 5
  By member: skanknpunx - Nov 19, 2007

Perfect hybrid camera!

Strengths: Everything

Weakness: Lack of lens attachments of a DSLR

Almost Perfect Camera! Movies are easy to film with this camera and Pictures are even easier. User friendly and intiative interface makes it easy for a beginer to use. Takes any type of normal SD card and takes perfect pics with built in IS image stablelizer, perfect camera!

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  • 5
  By anonymous - Feb 18, 2008

Canon powershot s5 is

Strengths: Comes with 12x optical - full 48x zoom,lots of scene options,color swap and color accent and many more which i have never seen in a camera b4,recording with stereo sound ,and one touch movie button.

Weakness: a bit of noise in low lighting and high iso ...no biggy unless you love taking pictures at night.

If You are a professional photographer ..great camera on the side..if you are just starting out or want a cheaper Awesome camera absolutely get this camera You will Love it ...I guarantee it ..I knw i did. :-)))))

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  • 5
  By member: vikra007 - Jan 4, 2008

amazing camera

Strengths: 12x optical zoom canon brand light weight

Weakness: bulky look

This is an amazing camera with all the features enabled. 12x optical zoom is great for distant pictures. Even though it looks bulky (bcos of zoom) it is light weight and ergonomic.

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  • 5
  By anonymous - May 23, 2008

Great Camera

Strengths: I love everything about it, specially the 12x zoom. I was able to video and take pictures for my son't graduation even though I was very far away.

Weakness: I have it for 2 months now and I have not found any weaknesses yet.

I've been looking for a good camera for the past 5 years within this price range but I always ended up selling them or giving them away but now I am so thrilled because this is the best camera I have. I highly recommend it!!

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  • 5
  By member: sportfanatic66 - Apr 22, 2009

Great digital camera

Strengths: Great quality pictures. Excellent camera for the price.

Weakness: Lens cap

This is a excellent digital camera. Have used it alot during sporting events. Love the sport feature. shutter speed excellent. Have own numerous name brand digital cameras and not one of them compare to this Cannon S5 IS.

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  • 4
  By member: mike_of_bbg - Aug 3, 2007

A very good prosumer camera

Strengths: Fast and fairly sharp 12x zoom, IS, new hot shoe, great movie mode, Canon image quality, fast performance

Weakness: SD slot in battery compartment, flash must be raised manually, some noise in images

This was something of an impulse purchase for me. I bought the S5 right upon its release when no reviews were available at all. I had stopped by to look at DSLRs, and walked away with this instead. I'm sure most DSLRs will sport better image quality, and the salesman pointed out that the lower-end DSLRs didn't cost very much more than the S5, but think about a few things:


+ Those low-end DSLRs are coming with 18-55mm lenses. To get the same zoom range, one must buy a another lens and carry both around, or buy a long-range zoom lens (which aren't as fast for DSLRs). Pricey and not very convenient.
+ Those entry DSLRs won't have IS.
+ Changing lenses subjects the image sensor to dust.
+ They're a lot bigger, too.


After thinking about it, getting the same features in DSLR was going to cost a LOT more, and I'd have to carry around a bag full of equipment. The S5 would see a lot more use and grab a lot more pictures. This camera has 90% of the capability and image quality of those DSLRs with a more flexible lens and a far more friendly form factor. The S5 works well on full auto mode, but also has plenty of opportunities for tweaking manual controls - even offering manual focus.


A couple of nice improvements over the S3 are the new flash hot shoe and the bigger, higher resolution screen. Red-eye is an issue, but the upgraded Digic III processor has a red-eye removal tool on the camera (and free software packages with that tool are everywhere anyway).


Some questionable decisions include the move of the SD card slot to the battery compartment. The card cannot be changed while the camera is on a tripod. It would have been nice if the built-in flash popped up automatically when needed. The flash takes a little longer to recharge than I would normally expect from a 4xAA battery-powered camera. Some people hate AAs; li-ion batteries generally hold more power in a smaller and lighter battery. However, it's easy to find AAs if you're stuck with dead batts.


Like all cameras which pack so many pixels in such a small sensor, noise is an issue. It's only objectionable at ISO 400+, and many 400 and 800 shots will be usable for 4x6 prints. Though, the noise seems no more objectionable to me than samples of S3 photos I've seen - a surprise with the higher pixel count.


Also, the movie mode on the S5 is great. The S5 records stereo sound, and removes the S3's 1GB limitation (now 4GB). You can use the optical zoom in movie mode, too.


I'll attach a few images you can consider. They're straight from the memory card except the ISO 800 shot was recompressed because it was larger then PGs 3MB limit.

http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/014000-014999/014705.jpg   http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/014000-014999/014706.jpg   http://ai.pricegrabber.com/uploaded_images/014000-014999/014707.jpg  

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Reply by member: keys490603
Apr 28, 2008

Great photos. Sounds can be turned off. Look into it.

  • 4
  By member: wysiwyg - Jul 14, 2007

A powerful camera

Strengths: 12x optical zoom, large LCD, compact design, video button,noise cancellation

Weakness: flash can only be raised manually, loose lens cap.

I've had this camera for two weeks. Really like it! Focusing and shooting is very quick, and the superfine mode 3264x2448 gives you great details, although each image file is about 4MB. Wind noise cancellation is one of the nice functions I like. The large and rotatable LCD is a good design, but not perfect:the rotation around the LCD long axis has limits, and continuous rotation will be nice.

Also the lens cap is pretty loose, which is bad. It easily knocked off when I take the camera out of the bag. Also, in auto mode, the flash doesn't pop up automatically when the lighting is insufficient. Instead the camera prompts you to lift it manually. This is annoying because I'm so used to my Canon Elan SLR, which was bought 5 years ago and came with the auto-lift flash.

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  • 4
  By member: Ouida1 - Nov 30, 2007

Very nice zoom, and great outdoor pictures

Strengths: The zoom, small size, and color accuracy

Weakness: indoor picures (lowlight pictures = noise) are it's only real weakness here

Well first I should say that the only other camera I've owned in the last tree years is the Sony f828, so I'm basing my review against that. I wanted a change because that camera was too big and heavy for casual use.
The Canon S5 camera is a lightweight plastic camera with an excellent zoom range. Outdoors it performs very well with wonderful true colors and way too many option to list. Infact I would say there is a steep learning curve for a novice, or someone new to the canon format. I fall into both of those categories. Most of the buttons have more than one use and that use changes between shooting mode or playback mode. Bottom line if this is your first canon purchase plan to spend sometime learning how to use it.
As for indoor photos, well few cameras will do great, and this one is no exception. You must use flash or a tripod to keep the image sharp (more important when using the zoom). The IS stabilization feature works, but not like you'd think, the camera still needs to be steady. A bounce flash would be a great addition for indoor pictures, but cost can be the same as the camera!!
I think the biggest canon S5 'plus' for me is how accurate the auto white balance is, and how true the colors seem.
As for the lens cap falling off, I for one am very happy it comes off easily (very easily) twice now I forgot to remove it when powered on (which makes the lens zoom out). If it had stayed on, I really think the camera would have been damaged.
Bottom line I think this is a great camera with lots of fun options.

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  • 4
  By member: darkrot5 - Jul 11, 2007

Canon Powershot S5 Digital Camera

Strengths: Solid Body, Good Photo & Video Quality

Weakness: Should have better zoom

I recently upgraded from the Canon Powershot S5 IS from the Canon PowerShot S2. While I am pleased with the upgrade, I was hoping for a bit more in the Canon S5.

Don't get more wrong though - the Canon S5 is a good, solid camera. However, now that we're on the 4th generation of the S-series Canon Cameras (Canon skipped the S4), I was hoping for an upgrade in the zoom from 12x optical. The Canon S2 had a 12x optical zoom, and still, in the S5, a 12x optical zoom is present.

On the bright side, I noticed a slightly improved photo quality on this camera verses the S2. This camera also is capable of recording in stereo mode, which is great for those recording clips of live events such as concerts - where the sound quality is important.

This is a good, quality Canon camera, but if you already have the S2 or S3, I am not sure it is worth the upgrade.

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  • 4
  By member: marco4799 - Jun 26, 2007

Canon S5 IS digital camera

This camera is very user friendly. It has a great feel to it. I was very impressed with the feature allowing you to capture still photos while in movie mode. This was a great feature at my son's baseball game! The zoom is very tight. I used a fast 2gb ultra2 sd card which was helpful for continous shooting. I suggest using a tripod when extending the zoom to it's fullest length for a steady shot. After I downloaded the pics I was very happy with the picture quality. The wind noise filter worked great when taking video at the ballpark. Plus it was in stereo! I plan on getting a Canon speedlite and a lens adapter so I can use filters. This camera is fun to use and was worth the price.

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Reply by member: touristguy87
Jun 29, 2007

...it's not worth $500, especially when you can get an S2 that is almost the exact same camera for under $250.

Reply by member: Frederick_the_Great
Jun 29, 2007

I have an S2, and I don't at all agree. This is the first camera in the Canon PowerShot Sx series I'm considering upgrading to, as it bumps up the resolution from 5 to 8 megapixels, supports the new high density SDHC flash memory cards, has external flash synchronization, upgrades from the Digic II to Digit III image processor, increases the LCD screen size from 1.8 to 2.5 inches, extends video duration from 1 GB (half the maximum card size for the S2) to 4 GB, and comes in at the same price as the S2 hit the market with.

  • 4
  By member: zchen8 - Nov 25, 2007

Excellent camera with very decent video

Strengths: Sharp photos, fast shutter, excellent video

Weakness: Low light indoor photos are blurry without flash. Optical zoom is 12X compared to Sony H7 and H9

I really like Canon digital camera. I have owned Canon G1, G2, G3, G5, G6, S2, and S3. Compared to the G series, the S series has super optical zoom. This is a big plus. The shutter speed is also excellent. On the other hand, when shooting indoor photos, I constantly get sharp photos using any of my G series cameras while the S3/5 can take very blurry photos if flash is off. The S5 also has very decent video. For my G1, I can only shoot 30s video while S5 is almost no limit. So whenever I shoot indoor photos, I still use my G3 or G6 (I sold my G1, G2, and G5). When I go outside, I just take the S5 so I can take photos or decent videos.

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  • 4
  By member: natkiss1 - Aug 12, 2007

Canon Powershot S5 IS

Strengths: Great versatility, good auto function, great video

Weakness: Flash does not automatically come on unless you manually turn it on, cannot use flash during video.

I have previously owned 2 other cameras a 1.3 MP Fujifilm, and a Lumix 6MP LZ5. The problem i was having with the Lumix is that when video taping you are only able to video tape in one direction and you were not able to rotate the video. That problem has been solved with the Canon. You have the ability to record the video vertically and the camera automatically rotates the video. Another good point about this camera is that it takes great quality pictures that look better than the real thing. It also allows you to darken or lighten skin which allows you to give yourself a tan. The instructions on the camera are kind of involved and lengthy, so i have a lot to study. The good thing is that they include a basic and an advanced user guide. With this camera you also have the ability to edit your video by cropping it before you download it to the computer, and it also allows you to add text as well. This is a must buy camera, i love it.

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  • 4
  By member: anecessaryevil - Jul 26, 2008

S5 IS - a great mid-range camera

Strengths: Uses AA batteries - rechargeable batteries last a long time. A large number of features and modes. Full manual for those who want it. Easy access to most controls.

Weakness: The lens cap pops off too easily. I can see why they did this but it is a bit irritating. Exposures on dark images are grainy. Raw would be nice but exposure bracketing mostly makes up for it's lack.

I use this camera to shoot a lot of High Dynamic Range images. It's exposure bracketing makes this easy. Do be aware that some of the versions sold in the big box stores are somewhat crippled in their options. My mother wanted to start working with HDR photography and went to a major retailer, the same place where I bought mine 5 months earlier, to check out the various cameras available. The S5 IS cameras they had in stock did NOT have exposure bracketing available. We went to a camera store and the version they had did have the exposure bracketing. The problem was that there was no indication on the box that the camera versions were different.
Would I recommend this camera to others? Definitely yes. The 12X zoom is very nice. The videos it shoots at 640x480 are very sharp and clean. Realistically, for the money spent I could not expect to get a better camera.
The sample shots here are processed HDR shots.

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  • 3
  By member: zhisc - Oct 6, 2007

Nice camera ..but Canon could have done better

Strengths: Size, features, large LCD, full manual control, 8m pixel, 12X zoom

Weakness: battery life, LOTS of noise, poor design of lens cover

I love S5's compact size. It feels great in my hand. As a point-and-shoot type of person, 'Auto' shooting mood fits me perfectly. Besides that, S5 offers the flexibility of manual controls(shutter speed, focus and aperture). With enough lighting, the picture quality is AMAZING!

However, the major weaknesses is the noise, which is worse than S3. It might be the result of S5's higher resolution (S5's 8m vs S3's 6m). But at a low ISO, the noise is barely noticeable.

S5's lens cover falls off easily. I find it very annoying, especially when I am traveling. With a larger LCD, S5's battery life is shorter than S3.

Over all, S5 is a nice camera. Although packed with features, it barely shows any advantage over S3, picture wise. Canon could have done a better job (i.e. a new lens, a larger sensor etc).

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  • 3
  By member: Deb4u007 - Jul 23, 2008

Canon Powershot S5 IS

Strengths: Great Lens, DIGIC III Processor, Good Flash, Great LCD

Weakness: Lens cover and cumbersome switch on-off button. No rechargeable/charger provided and bad battery life.

Overall its okay as a camera...mine was an impulsive buy but I repent now that I did not check for another still better camera from NIKON COOLPIX P80 model for almost similar price but far better features. Please reader you do not do the same mistake as mine. It has 18x optical zoom and 10.1 MP lens plus rechargeable batteries and more.....

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  • 1
  By anonymous - Dec 25, 2008

Do not buy

Strengths: Lots of features, good movie mode

Weakness: My S5 has broken twice in just over one year, requiring it to be sent to Canon for repair.

The lcd on my S5 went black (icons visible but no picture) twice in one year. The first time I had the problem was just a few weeks after buying the camera, and it was fixed under warranty (I had to pay for insured shipping though). Now the same thing has happened again one year later (not under warranty). The good features of the camera are NOT worth the hassle and expense of getting it repaired constantly.

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  • 4.5
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Jul 16, 2008

Canon Powershot S5IS

Canon Powershot S5IS receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 3.61 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #8 standard digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...

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  • 4.5
  Imaging Resource - Oct 30, 2007

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

The 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot S5 IS digital camera is a moderate update to its very popular predecessor, the Canon S3 IS. The Canon S5 IS maintains many of the S3's strong points, including an image-stabilized 12x optical zoom lens (36mm-432mm/35mm equivalent), a wide range of sophisticated features and a solid, digital-SLR-like design. The Canon S5 IS is slightly larger and heavier than the...

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  • 4.5
  DCResource - Jul 11, 2007

DCRP Review: Canon PowerShot S5 IS

With a host of improvements, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS remains one of my favorite ultra zoom cameras. The "old" PowerShot S3 offered almost every feature one could want on a camera: a 12X optical zoom, optical image stabilization, full manual controls, an advanced movie mode, and a rotating LCD display. On the PowerShot S5 IS, Canon added a new image processor, larger LCD, and hot shoe, making it...

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  • 4.0
  testseek.com - Jul 24, 2008

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

Testseek.com has collected 49 expert reviews for Canon PowerShot S5 IS and the average expert rating is 80 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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  • 4.0
  cameralabs.com - Feb 21, 2008

Camera Labs – Canon PowerShot S5 IS review

The PowerShot S5 IS is certainly a powerful super-zoom camera with some neat features. The 12x range gives you decent coverage, the stabilisation is effective, the flip-out screen allows for unusual angles, the movie options are some of the best around on a still camera, and the literal icing on the cake is the hotshoe, supporting external flashguns. <p>But the 12x range is looking less...

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  • 4.0
  photographyblog.com - Sep 19, 2007

Canon Powershot S5 IS Review

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is Canon's top-of-the-range ultra-zoom compact camera, with an image-stabilized 12x optical zoom lens offering a focal range of 36-432mm, fast aperture range of f/2.7 – f/3.5 and an Ultrasonic Motor for silent auto-focusing. With an external flash hot shoe for use with selected Canon EX Speedlites, chunky hand grip and mode wheel, the S5 IS is very much styled like an...

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  • 3.8
  productwiki.com - Oct 11, 2011

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is a top of the line compact digital camera that takes high quality 8 megapixel 3264 x 2448 resolution photos. The PowerShot S5 IS is equipped with Canons DIGIC 3 processor for still images and videos that are "rendered with fine detail and luminous clarity". The PowerShot S5 IS features a 2.5" Purecolor wide-view LCD preview screen and includes an attachment that is...

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  • 3.5
  cnet.com - Jun 11, 2007

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

THE GOOD: Tons of manual and automatic features; well-laid-out controls; solid body; nice LCD display. THE BAD: Lens aberrations and vignetting; some processing artifacts; lacks raw file support; redesigned lens cap still pops off too easily. THE BOTTOM LINE: Though it remains a good megazoom, thanks to continued image and lens artifacts, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is slowly losing ground to...

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  • 3.0
  reviewgist.com - Dec 25, 2009

ReviewGist for Canon PowerShot S2 IS Digital Camera

Image is Good according to 17 Digital Camera experts. -- "impressive flash options"-tech.co.uk -- "The custom white balance option lets you use a white or gray card as reference so you can get perfect color even under the most unusual lighting conditions."-dcresource.com -- "The excellent working stabilisation combined with the high resolution is pleasant to work with."-letsgodigital.org Read...

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