Canon PowerShot S5 IS Review

Overall Rating

Well built
Excellent pictures
Great video and sound
Great all rounder
Nice to handle
12 X optical lens
Anti shake

Maybe to complex for the Average user
Need high power batteries
Flash pop-up is manual

I've had the Canon PowerShot S5 IS for quite a while now and I was looking forward to putting it through it's paces (I already had the S1 1S so was used to it's basic layout in the menu system) so I was able to get started right away and was eagerly awaiting to compare the 2 and what upgrades the newer model had to offer. I had made my decision after much research on the internet and found this to have everything I needed and because it was 12 months old now it was at a bargain price for what it could do. The handbook that comes with it is very easy to follow and comprehensive and reading it you must if you want to get the very best from this camera. Having said that, you can get it right out of the box and start shooting in full Auto mode within minutes and get great results. The purpose of this camera is to give the enthusiast the ability to go into manual mode and experiment like a pro. Aperture and Speed priority, bracketing, adjustable flash output, it's all there to play with if your feeling adventurous. This camera has a great feel to it, not to heavy not to light and the grip is just right and well balanced even with the zoom active at full. The 12X optical zoom is a dream to use and having the image stabiliser is the icing on the cake so unless you are jumping up and down you should not get a blurred shot even down to one thirtieth of a second without flash (you can't do that with a good many camera's)The stabiliser can be Panning,one shot only or continuous,you can even turn it off...The flash itself is adjustable (in manual mode) having red eye reduction, which works as long as you tell the person to look into the small orange light that comes on just before shooting and the overhaul flash is very even having no noticeable dark areas around the edges unlike many.If there were to be a let down here on the flash it's the lack of Auto pop-up...there is none...what you have to do is flip the flash hood up by hand (you are warned in the view screen though to do so) and this could annoy some,it did me till I got used to it,but I'm fine with it now..
You can adjust the quality of the pictures from the full 8 million pixels right down to E:Mail friendly snaps,and the usual compression settings too,with an addition of a wideshot mode (nothing to do with the lens)it gives the photo a widescreen look. You have spot, centre weighted and average metering so no need to get an over or under exposed shot ever again.
After you have taken your shots you can add narration to the individual pictures and play them back through your TV or computer with the supplied leads. The new Canon software is a doddle to use and you only have to attach one lead and press one button to download the pictures and the software even makes a new folder, names it with the date taken and files it in My Pictures ready for your viewing, how simple is that. Even though this camera is simple to use it gives you a professional feel as you click away and try to find more subjects to shoot, it's a pleasure to use.Unlike the S1...they have added the Infrared focusing for night time lock on and it's works extremely well (this was my main reason for upgrading from my S1)No more hunting for focus with this baby...and it's quick too.the lens is super quiet in operation due to its Ultra sonic motor....This camera also offers Macro by holding down a button on the front to activate and then you can go as close as you want even down to touching the lens(a tripod is recommnded for this manouver and good lighting)but the results are stunning with hardly any distortion to speak of.
The usual dial on the top offers a plethora of choices to choose from...Auto.Manual.Program.Aperature.Speed.A selection of pre programmed modes plus one for Custom and another for another group of pre selected picture taking modes..plus the Video mode...sounds messy but it's crystal clear in use....The other buttons scattered around the camera cover other aspects of picture taking such as,ISO...face detection..Timer..Macro..Manual focus and a buton for Auto selection of ISO when told to push it.....It even has a Hot Shoe for an external flash if the built in one has not enough power...which for the more proffessional has'nt ..
As like most digital cameras of today it offers the ability to shoot video clips with stereo sound, but the quality of the video from this camera can hold it's own against many other expensive models,and will give a good many camcorders a run for their money (I kid you not)..You have a choice of 30/60 frames a second and 4 choices of record mode 640X480 (Ultra fine) 640X480(LP) and the usual 320X240 but with a choice of 60 frames a second now to keep the lower quality smoother,and it does a nice job too,but don't expect miracles here.:). The playback on my 32 inch TV was a pleasure to watch and the detail was crisp and sharp with no jerkiness or frame dropout and great colours too. As to the length of record time ,this will depend on your SD card and I chose to purchase the Sandisc Ultra II 4GB which gives me 30 mins of top quality movie.(1125 top quality pictures)You can in fact use a 16GB SD card(just purchased one of these) which will give you an impressive 2 hours of movie(4 hours if you drop down one notch,with noticeable graininess).While you are filming by the way,you can take a photo at anytime without stopping the recording..although this will pause the recording for that precise moment...but it works both ways too..meaning while shooting a photo,you just might like to start a video clip,so no need to turn any dials on the top...just press the well placed video button and away you go.. just make sure you have plenty battery power. As to the batteries, if there's a down side, this is it. Ordinary Alkaline and even Duracells will not last long but the rechargeable high power (2300/2500AH) will. So an initial outlay of them could put you off (but I wouldn't let it). This is a superb camera and so easy to operate giving you great results every time. Like I said at the beginning of this write up I like to push any new camera to it's limits and this ones limits are very high indeed.
If you need to hear about any niggles...well...the lens cap can get caught and flipped off more easily then it should and the supplied strap around the neck could be longer (other makers are the same though)
I could go on for forever telling you why you should buy this camera and not find one reason why you shouldn't, so go get it while you can as I would imagine very soon a new model will come out (the S7 is on the horizon)but at a dearer price, so why pay more when this little beauty does it all...Happy Snapping.