Compare Prices : Canon PowerShot S2 IS - Expert Reviews

Review summary: IS is a 5 megapixel camera in the pseudo SLR form. It has a 12x optical zoom with a film-equivalent range of 36mm~432mm. The lens is fast - f2.7 to f3.5 and it is image stabilised

Pros: The Canon S2 IS is simply great fun to use. Because focus is so smooth and quick at any focal length and in any reasonable light, and because there is no shutter lag and the image stabilisation mechanism eliminates the effects of camera shake, this ...

Cons: The electronic viewfinder is still an abomination. dpexpert concedes that there are many happy photographers who love their EVFs but they really are devices that will only be used as a fall-back when bright sunlight makes the LCD screen invisible.

Verdict: The Canon Powershot S2 IS competes head on with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5. They are similar in specifications and price. Both have magnificent lenses and effective image stabilisation.

Review summary: An upgrade from the PowerShot S1 IS, this camera aims to please consumers who want to shoot like a pro.

Pros: Optical image stabiliser, Ultra-sonic Motor, 12x optical zoom, Super macro shooting

Cons: Lens cap a hassle to deal with, Manual pop-up flash, Little space in between control dials

Review summary: The long-zoom digital camera market is getting pretty crowded these days, so it takes a lot for a product to really stand out. Despite the stiff competition though, the Canon PowerShot S2 IS is indeed a standout product. Building upon the already very ...

Pros: Very long (12x) zoom ratio, Image-stabilized lens, usable for both stills and movies, Nice color, bright without being overbearing, Natural skin tones, Good shutter response, particularly when "prefocused", Very good shot to shot speed, Very good ...

Cons: Slightly high contrast, Slightly coarse rendering of fine details (soft sensor image/stronger in-camera sharpening), High image noise at ISO 400, Higher than average chromatic aberration, at all focal lengths, Focus is difficult to determine from the ...

Verdict: The Canon PowerShot S2 IS is the sequel to an extremely popular long zoom camera, the 3.2 megapixel S1 IS. The 5.0 megapixel Canon S2 IS and its predecessor follow in the footsteps of a well-received model from four years past, the 2.6-megapixel ...

Review summary: An upgrade from the PowerShot S1 IS, this camera aims to please consumers who want to shoot like a pro.

Pros: Optical image stabilizer ; Ultra-sonic Motor ; 12x optical zoom ; super macro shooting

Cons: Lens cap a hassle to deal with ; manual pop-up flash ; little space in between control dials

Award: Highly Recommended!

Pros: Good resolution, New 12x zoom offers excellent 36-432mm range, Packed with features, Image stabilization works really well (and can be used in movie mode), Very quiet, Fast and responsive (faster focus than S1 IS), Stunning movie mode with high ...

Cons: Occasional focus errors - especially at the telephoto end of the zoom in low light, Fairly noisy above ISO200, No rechargeable batteries supplied in the box, Viewfinder and screen can be difficult to see in very bright conditions, Images slightly soft ...

Verdict: In an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace Canon had to make the successor to the S1 IS something more than a mere upgrade, and no one can deny they did just that, bringing improvements to virtually every aspect of the camera's performance.