Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon PowerShot S5 IS Digital Camera - Black (8.0MP, 12x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD

I have owned the Canon S5 IS for six months and have grown to appreciate its very comprehensive functions, its ease of use, and its astounding capabilities for close-up and telephoto work. Many times, I have been with people using a full SLR camera and they have been very surprised at the fantastic macro shots this camera can take of tiny insects or the insides of flowers. You can literally get up so close that the lens is virtually touching the object you are photographing and it will still be in focus. On the other hand, the 12 times optical zoom enables you to take very clear photographs from a great distance away from the subject - its like looking through a good pair of binoculars.

The camera can be used on automatic all the time and the results will be fine. However, as you beging to explore the camera you will find many advanced functions. For example, I use exposure bracketing, which takes three images at different exposures which can then be combind on the computer to make a high dymamic range photograph. There is a colour picker function which lets you take, say, a photograph of a woman with a red dress on in which everything except the dress will be in black and white. The panorama function works easily and the Photostitch software provided with the camera will assemble the images into a perfect panaorama.

However, for myself, two other functions stand out - firstly the magnificent flip-out LCD which lets you take photographs from low down without bending, or high over a crowd of people by holding the camera over your head. Or for a self-portrait, just flip and twist the LCD and point the camera at yourself and you will see your image in the LCD.

Secondly, don't neglect the excellent video capabilities of this camera. I have a 4gb memory card and this will record 30 minutes of top-quality video with very fine sound from the stereo microphones located either side of the lens.

I highly recommend this camera - there is much more I could say about it and its countless advanced functions. I have friends with SLRs who struggle to get the best from them, and also have to cart round heavy cameras and lenses. I have complete confidence that I am better off with the S5 IS, where ease of use and portability enables me to take it where SLRs can't go and have it always with me without the need for a heavy bag of accessories.

Have bought this camera after seeing some nice sample pictures on the internet and I don't regret it, very happy with the results, better viewfinder and display than the S3, what I don't like is the memory card in the battery compartment, I'm using the USB cable now instead of the card reader. Good working image stabilizer and nice video results.

A recent holiday saw me trying to photograph the wildlife with the usual "point and shoot" digital that so many of us own! Fine for party snaps, but not here. Hence the purchase of the Canon S5 IS. As ever, faultless service from Amazon, and to say I'm pleased hardly does it justice - excellent zoom quality, even into the digital range (48x). Good build quality - noting other comments about the lens cap popping off too easily (but just as well if you switch on having forgotten to remove it!!) At first the controls looked daunting for someone who has not even used a SLR style camera before(and it may take a while for me to venture from the "auto" setting) but here I must say that the 200 page advanced manual is first rate and, fortunately for me, idiot proof. Rather than just "this button does this" its nice to be able to read why I may, or may not, want it to! So in summary an excellent buy for both the experienced enthusiast and those of us taking that first step into "real" photography.

This camera is definitely one of the best, if not the best in it's category. The image quality is fantastic. Clear, crisp images are produced without a complex shooting system and there are a variety of useful modes which suit different situations and help the camera excel in almost every scenario. The 12x optical zoom is superior and even at full zoom, I find that image quality only deteriorates marginally and images are still of a very high standard. The adjustable 2.5" LCD screen is very helpful and makes taking photos easier than ever with its clarity and on screen functions. The only slight negative is that the lens cap is very poorly designed. It pops off far too easily, however, it is nothing to worry about too much. Looking at the spec sheet, the camera might seem heavy, however, I find that this aspect becomes unnoticeable after 5 minutes of use.

Overall, this is an extremely satisfying camera which performs at a very high level, producing beautifully clear images using an excellent range of shooting modes and an impressive LCD screen. Highly Recommended.

Absolutly amazing camera, with great 12x optical zoom lens! Easy to use navigation on various menu's etc on the camera help to allow you to quickly set up the right settings for your photo. Video option is also very good for a digital camera, better than some digital video recorders out just now!