The Canon PowerShot S2 IS goes one step beyond the S1 by adding high-powered lens and enhanced movie taking functions.

Summary

Another day, another mega zoom digicam with a 12x optical zoom and built-in optical image stabilization.  This one is far from plain vanilla, however, since the PowerShot S2 IS is the replacement for the popular, year-old S1 IS.  Since this is the consumer electronics business, for the same initial asking price ($499) you get higher resolution (5 megapixels instead of 3MP), a more powerful zoom (12x versus 10x), a larger LCD screen, and more importantly, the improved DIGIC II processor that speeds up all the operations (so the camera is very responsive with a minimum amount of shutter lag).  And it takes very accurate images, something Canon is well known for. 

The S2 IS joins an ever-increasing crowd of 5 megapixel image-stabilized 12x mega zoom digital cameras:  Panasonic, Sony and Konica Minolta are in the thick of the battle.  (See our in-depth Sony DSC-H1 review.)  Nikon’s bulkier 10x CoolPix 8800 with Vibration Reduction is also an option, but it has an 8MP processor and a much higher price ($899).  Coming soon is the Samsung Camera Pro815 ($849) with an 8MP imager and a whopping 15x optical zoom, making it the mega zoom king.  Unfortunately, it does not have image stabilization as these others have.

This class of camera (5MP, 12x zoom, optical image stabilization for less than $500) is one of the great deals for 2005.  With their extensive focal lengths, they are great for travelers; one camera handles anything thrown its way without encumbering separate accessory lenses or moving to a more expensive digital SLR.  The S2 is a good camera but it has its flaws.  Read on to see if it fills your photographic bill.  

Features and Design

The silvery-gray Canon PowerShot S2 IS is made primarily of plastic, but it still feels sturdy and has a nice grip.  Having a somewhat retro Machine Age design, it’s powered by four AA batteries.  The shutter button is conveniently placed on the grip and the zoom switch is within easy reach.  For the record, the S2 has a focal length of 36–432mm and a maximum aperture of f2.7.  The top of the camera has a power on/playback switch, a mode dial, and a manually operated pop-open flash.  It also has a key that suggests the learning curve with this digicam.  The key is marked with a flash arrow and a microphone (that’s as good as far as that goes, but what do they do and in what modes?) 

You run into similar issues on the rear of the camera, with buttons doubly marked for what appear to be red-eye and JUMP.  Then there’s another perplexing button near the electronic viewfinder with a red dot on it.  What is this for?  Time to go to the 186-page (!) owner’s manual.  Alas, the diagrams here are just as confusing.  I’ve waded through owner’s manuals for many years and even learned how to program a VCR in pre-Guide Plus+ days.  This one is a chore.  Come on, guys.  Photography is supposed to be simple and fun, not like taking a calculus class.  Canon should follow Sony and even the PC companies by including a Read Me First diagram with basic instructions.  In case you are wondering, the red button starts movie clip recording, and what I thought was a red-eye icon handled metering modes.

There is also the usual four-way arrow key to move through menus, a .33-inch EVF with diopter control that adjusts to your eyesight, and a 1.8-inch Vari-Angle LCD screen.  The screen is very cool; it swings out and adjusts so you can take shots in unusual positions, such as holding the camera over your head to see beyond a crowd, etc.  The screen has a brightness adjustment for shooting in the dark or you can use the smaller viewfinder.  Screen quality is decent, nothing more or less. 

Another big difference between the S2 and older S1 is the fact that the newer model uses SD cards instead of the much bigger Compact Flash media.  When a camera maker moves from CF to SD, usually the newer model gets smaller—but not so in this case; Canon opted for a larger LCD screen (1.8 inches versus 1.5), a good move in our view.  A solid door snaps closed after you insert the card.  The camera comes with a puny 16MB SD card, so expect to budget around $100 for a high-speed 1GB SD card such as a SanDisk Ultra II. 

The carton also contains a lens cap with cord, USB and A/V cables, a strap, two owner’s manuals (one for the camera, another for printing), four AA batteries and a CD ROM with a very good software bundle including ArcSoft PhotoStudio 5.5, which does a very nice job editing and retouching images.  Definitely plan to pick up a set of four NiMH batteries with a fast charger.

Image Courtesy of Canon

Conclusion

Although I liked the final stills and videos I took with this speedy, responsive camera, Canon is asking way too much from consumers to get up to speed.  Granted, an experienced shutterbug will have less difficulty wading through the extremely dense owner’s manual.  And if you plan to simply shoot in Auto or with the various scene modes, the camera will do the trick.  Yet the deal breaker for me is the manual flash.  Imagine taking a critical shot, pressing the shutter then realizing you have to open the flash.  In that critical moment, the memory could be gone.  Toss in the fact that you don’t get rechargeable batteries and a charger, and this mega zoom camera moves near the bottom of the list of available options.

Pros

• Nice range of focal lengths


• Lifelike captured images


• Extensive manual adjustments


• Easily adjustable