Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Review summary: Last year's PowerShot S1 IS was one of the most popular ultra zoom cameras on the market. It was one of the first "hybrid" cameras to successfully combine the best features from digital cameras and camcorders. Earlier this year Canon introduced its ...

Pros: Very good photo quality (though see issues below) ; 12X zoom lens with optical image stabilization ; Blazing performance (except for focusing speeds, which are just average) ; Full manual controls ; Awesome movie mode: VGA resolution (30 fps), stereo ...

Cons: Images a little too sharp ; a few were a tad overexposed ; Movie mode file size limit arrives quickly ; Some redeye ; No live histogram in record mode (still!) ; Plastic tripod mount (hey I'm only complaining because it used to be metal) ; RAW support ...

Verdict: Canon includes a lens cap and retaining strap with the camera so your lens is always protected. Well, at least in theory -- I found the lens cap to be pretty lousy, as it didn't like to stay on

Review summary: This is Canon's only model with an optical image stabilizer--rare on a still camera--but its battery life rates at the bottom

Pros: Optical image stabilization

Cons: Very low battery life

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Review summary: The Canon PowerShot S2 picks up where the PowerShot S1 IS left off. The S1 brought Canon into the ultra zoom race for compact cameras, demonstrating that Canon was capable of transferring both their DV technology and advanced lens construction into ...

Pros: Func. Menu simplifies navigation, Stereo Audio recording, Manual Audio levels, Rotating LCD, Selectable stabilization modes, Great lens, Dual record buttons, Flash compensation included

Cons: Terrible quality on Electronic Color Viewfinder, Dual menu structure could be confusing to beginners, High levels of noise present at ISO 200 and 400, Shutter release sound is recorded by mics during video capture (defeats point of dual release), Only ...

Verdict: The Canon PowerShot S2 picks up where the PowerShot S1 IS left off, though not perhaps in the ways some might expect: it improved upon the S1's strengths while still falling short in all the same areas.

Review summary: The Canon PowerShot S2 picks up where the PowerShot S1 IS left off. The S1 brought Canon into the ultra zoom race for compact cameras, demonstrating that Canon was capable of transferring both their DV technology and advanced lens construction into ...

Pros: - Func. Menu simplifies navigation - Stereo Audio recording - Manual Audio levels - Rotating LCD - Selectable stabilization modes - Great lens - Dual record buttons - Flash compensation included

Cons: - Terrible quality on Electronic Color Viewfinder - Dual menu structure could be confusing to beginners - High levels of noise present at ISO 200 and 400 - Shutter release sound is recorded by mics during video capture (defeats point of dual ...

Verdict: The Canon PowerShot S2 picks up where the PowerShot S1 IS left off, though not perhaps in the ways some might expect: it improved upon the S1's strengths while still falling short in all the same areas. The S2 makes significant strides in the push ...