Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (OLD MODEL)

In a sentence, this is a great camera and I am thrilled with it. Most everything has been covered in the other reviews, so I will stick to some items that stood out for me. The Good: All of the automation makes it a great point and shoot camera for "standard" pictures. Set it to auto mode and have at it. The results are great. What is nice, is all the optional settings available for "special" situations when you are so inclined. I use the view finder most of the time and it is nice and bright. I wasn't that excited about the vari-angle display before getting the camera, but now I am happy to have it. I like the idea that I can keep it "closed" to protect the screen from scratches and dirt during most of my shooting when using the view finder, yet use it for reviewing pictures and making menu changes. I also like the large size and the quality of the display. The biggest surprise was the quality of the sound when using the movie mode. It takes a nice quality video and is so simple to use. Just push the dedicated button to start, then again to stop. (I have not found a way to "pause" the video, so each cycle created a new file.) A big plus for the Canon is the ability to zoom while capturing the video. This was the main selling point for me when trying do decide between the Canon and Panasonic. Finally, the camera has a good overall feel. The button layout makes sense for the most part, and considering the complexity, it is fairly intuitive. Not so Good: This is one of the worst manuals for any product I have ever owned. It is poor physically and poor in content. The print is small and the icon images blur into the cheap paper. The manual will instruct you to push a button by showing the button icon rather than naming the button. Because of the poor print quality, it is hard to make out the image of the button. Additionally, the starter guide booklet defines many of the button icons, but Cannon decided to save on a couple of sheets of paper and did not include this information in the main manual. As for content, it is lacking. The instructions basically show a setting, but there is little or no explanation as to what is happening or the cost associated with a particular option. Much of the manual consists of poorly laid out charts that are hard to understand. Basically, the manual does not define terms and do not introduce concepts. Anyone new to photography will have to find other sources that explain what is being discussed in the manual. The saving grace is that the actual camera is well designed and relatively intuitive. Use the manual as a starting guide, then experiment with the settings. Film is cheap with a digital! The software CD does not include a PDF file of the manual, but you can down load it from the Canon web site. The only problem I have had so far is that the date/time function has reset itself to zeroes on three occasions. It appears to happen after I remove the SD card to transfer the files to my computer via a card reader. What is strange is it does not happen all of the time. I am trying to figure out the pattern. Other Comments: You can remove the trim ring off the front of the lens and add an adaptor tube for a teleconverter, wide angle, or filter lens. Canon only shows 58mm accessories, but 52mm also works. I went with the after market Lensmate Online adaptor in 52mm to keep the size down. (If I weren't interested in small size and low weight, I would have bought a DSLR.) I sent Canon Support an e-mail question before buying. They responded within a few hours. They actually read my note in detail, then directly answered the question. Amazing! I called Panasonic with a simple product question, but they could not answer it. They took my phone number with a promise to call back soon. I am still waiting ........ Many have complained about the battery cover and using this cover for the SD card storage. I agree it is a dumb design, but I didn't find it to be a significant problem. What to buy???? Keep in mind that other manufacturers are coming out with 18X zoom factor cameras. Olympus has the SP-550 (poor reviews) and announced the SP-560. Panasonic announced the FZ18. I suspect Canon will have to respond. It will be interesting to see if they replace the S5 in the near future or add an 18X zoom model in addition to the S5. After some thought I decided the S5 12X met my needs and decided not to wait. (I also considered a potential downside of a larger size lens, more weight, and lens design compromises.) As pointed out in many of the professional reviews, the downside of a super zoom point and shoot like the S5, compared to a DSLR, is more "noise" in low light situations, slower lens (f stop setting), and lack of optional lens. However for most of us taking pictures of vacations, birthdays, camping trips, etc, these are non issues. The S5 will meet most all of our requirements without the size, weight and cost of a DSLR. Don't get lost in the details of the reviews. In conclusion, I really like this camera!

The Canon PowerShot Pro S5 IS is a solid camera, but do not confuse it with a real DSLR like its big brothers in the Canon line or competitors such as the Nikon D60, D80 or D300. The S5, despite it's mini-DSLR style, is still a point 'n shoot camera, albeit one that is of very high build quality and loaded with features. Major shortcomings first: images are noisier than in some competitors down to ISO 100. This is, frankly, unexpected at this price and in this brand. Start-up and shot-to-shot recycling times are still on the slightly slow side. Expect to miss a lot of critical moments as you would with any other point 'n shooter. The camera is a bit on the heavy side, though this is consistent with the build quality (I think) and the use of AA batteries. On the whole, not a long list and nothing serious. On the plus side, there several features I consider outstanding and unique. The video quality (with stereo microphones) is nothing less than astounding. A friend of mine has been making videos for YouTube of music club performances, handheld with harsh club lighting and they are surprisingly good. I have been very impressed with the videos I've made under a variety of conditions. I suspect many people like having a video capability in their still camera. I know I do and appreciate that I don't have to carry a separate device. The zoom range is terrific, the Image Stabilization (IS) works while in video mode, which is very welcome and very important and you can zoom while in video mode. All in all, if you appreciate having a video capability, a good reason to buy the camera. The Canon LCD display can be set in many positions, with its unique hinging system. You can hold the camera overhead or ground level. You can flip it over for use as a monitor when doing photos or videos of yourself. (A particularly handy gadget to use when you're on vacation or otherwise want to include yourself in images is the Quik Pod Pro-Plus Extendable Handheld Tripod (18-inch) with Accessory Kit - for Canon Powershot, Casio, Epson, Fuji Finepix, HP, Kodak Easyshare, Minolta, Nikon Coolpix, Olympus Stylus, Panasonic, Pentax Optio & Sony Cybershot Digital Point & Shoot Cameras .) There is also an optical viewfinder. I find this combination in many Canon cameras an unbeatable feature. There is, unusually for a camera of this class, a hotshoe for external flashes. Adding an external flash will provide tremendous improvement to the range and versatility of your camera in almost all photographic situations. Ever wonder why the pros always use and external flash? It's because it helps them turn out better photos. Even a low power external flash will work wonders and the S5 is one of the few cameras in this range to permit you to use one. The S5 uses AA batteries. Many will argue that this is an old-fashioned approach. Not me. On too many occasions (one is actually one too many), I have had run out of juice with lithium ion battery powered cameras. Nothing is more frustrating then a camera that is without power. AA batteries are available worldwide, are relatively inexpensive and relatively lightweight. Again, I consider the use of AA batteries in the S5 to be an advantage and a reason to buy the camera. A set will last for 150 -200 shots. In terms of general features, image quality is excellent, with ISO available up to 1600. Noise starts at ISO 100 and becomes progressively worse at higher ISOs. This is normal for this kind of camera. Color rendition is excellent. I haven't yet notice any purple fringing which is relatively common in cameras of this kind. There are more than 20 pre-set shooting parameters, more frankly than you will ever be likely to use or even remember. There is - bless Canon - full manual control available. This is a real camera! The controls are well laid out and, even with my large hands, I had no difficulty manipulating any of the controls. Menus are intelligently done and easy to navigate. There is a separate button for video which is a nice, but necessary, touch. Focus at all ranges is pretty quick, though I have encountered some occasional hunting. Lens range is typical for a 12x. Be nicer if the bottom end were the equivalent of a 28mm, not 35mm. There is competition in this price and feature range. Panasonic offers the Lumix FZ18 which offers an 18x zoom with a 28mm equivalent bottom range. It is worth considering, but lacks the Canon swivel display and video zoom capabilities. Overall the Canon S5 is an undeniably fine camera for its price range. It is absolutely not a DSLR and anyone wanting the feel of a traditional 35mm SLR and the ability to grab instant pictures should seriously consider spending far more and buying a DSLR. Within its limitations, however, the Canon S5, in my opinion, sits at the top of its class and should be seriously considered. Jerry

I bought this camera about 6 months ago after researching several other brands in the same price range. I have only ever owned disposable and point and Nikon point and shoot camera (which took amazing pics), so I didn't know what I was looking for at first. I enjoy photography on an ametuer level, so I thought I would take it up a notch slowly before jumping into a fancy camera that costs $1,000+ As always, Amazon came through and the communication and delivery from them met my expectations. (I always check amazon for anything related to this camera before I look anywhere else). For what I wanted, this camera does the job. I have taken some amazing sunset shots and most recently attended a bodybuilding competition where I got to test the Powershot S5 IS in low light and also the "action/sports" setting, as there was a lot of quick movement I wanted to capture. The pictures turned out great. I have a bad habit of taking a million pictures and rarely making prints because I share them mostly online. There were a few prints I made at the beginning when I was just learning to use the camera and they came out grainy and "soft" looking- so I was starting to doubt this purchase as others had commented on this issue as well. I read the manual thoroughly to see if I could fix this problem and played around with the camera, taking pictures of anything from my feet to our cats- basically anything where I could test ALL of the settings in different light. I recently made prints after learning more about the camera and they came out flawless, I really have no complaints about the quality. Yes, the camera lens falls off all of the time. It gets annoying, but you just have to be extra careful. I wouldn't say that's a reason not to buy this camera though. I would advise in purchasing a good quality camera bag and lens cleaner in case you are like me and keep the lens cap off most of the time. I have been pleasantly surprised with how well the batteries last in this camera- this too depends on how much you are using the flash, zoom and other features. I recently purchased the eneloop rechargeable battery pack, so we shall see how those batteries do- I've heard good things. Overall, if you are looking for a point and shoot camera on steroids at an affordable price- this is the one. It has lots of fun features to play with, allowing you to take your ametuer photography to its fullest potential. There are a few accessory lens and flash options to beef this camera up even more as your skills progress. I suggest reading lots of reviews on this camera and its accessories on Amazon and other Techie sites as they are very informative to a beginner, also read the manual- it helps. One thing I did find out about this camera is that it is not able to shoot in the RAW format- something that most beginners won't care about, but also something you should know before buying. If you think you might want to take your photography to the next level, I would suggest purchasing a camera that shoots in RAW. That's about it, this camera is fun- so take it everywhere with you!

I just got this camera, it has all you need in a camera, its not professional, but is above average cameras. It gives more manual control than the common point and shoot cameras, it is an 8MP which is ennough for must casual photographers, but i would like to have a little more, specially because i like to do editing and croping of my pictures when the shot is not so great, and some times it gets a little pixelated if i have to crop to a very small section, but thats just me, other than that the image quality is very good for its price. The 12x zoom is amazing, this was one of the main futures of why i chose this camera, but works better with a tripod, it might get a little shaky even with the image stabilization. The macro has 2 options, macro, and super macro, WOW, i was impresed with the super macro, i had never been able to focus and take pictures to objects so close to the camera lense, it is capable to focus objects that are so close to the camera that even touch the lense, its a great future. There is one big problem, that i understand if it was done on purpose, the cover of the lens cap falls super easy almost just by looking at it it falls, the reason for this, i think is because many times you forget that the cap is on and you turn the camera on and the lense comes out, and if the cap was harder to take off, it could damage the engine that push the lense out. To use filters, you have to get an adapter, which is cheap, but i dont understand why canon didnt just designed the lense or even the adapter to be able to use the standard size filters of DSLR cameras, i have many filters from my film camera that i cant use because of this reason. The fact that you can rotate the LCD display, its also a great future, you can take pictures from weird positions buy using this. I had to disable the constant focus and permanent image stabilization, because it consume the batteries very fast. The video has great quality too. I seriously recomend this camera for those ones that want a little more than a point and shoot, and that dont want to spend the big bucks on fancy systems that dont want to carry around.

With over 700 reviews on this camera, there is little I can add. I read MANY of these reviews before purchasing, both on amazon and other sites. I also read reviews on other cameras. I finally made my purchase decision for the Cannon S5IS and I have no complaints. I read the chatter about pixel noise and this and that. And I'm sure that at the upper end of photography this is very important. But I'm your basic dad looking for good vacation and family photos. I'm looking for above average performance and flexibility with good value. This camera provides all of that. The price point can't be beat considering all the features. And the photos are great. They look awesome on my 20" monitor and superb in 4x6 prints. Color rendition is excellent. My previous (cheaper) point & shoot cameras required virtually every picture to be color adjusted. This Canon looks great every time. I don't use any in-camera editing features as I find editing software sooo much easier. But even there I haven't needed to do much editing (except maybe to crop out my brother-in-law when he stuck his head into my shot of the Grand Canyon, but I digress). Features I like are the ease of going from full auto to full manual or anything in between. Manual controls are intuitive. I like the smart-rotation feature and flexible LCD screen. I love the 12x optical zoom, though I will agree that at the "slow" zoom speed it is a bit touchy and hard to get precise. All the complaints about the lens cap falling off are over-rated. Yes, it is not very secure, but I can't tell you how many times I turned it on with lens cap on. You will too. So I'm glad it pops off easy and doesn't strain the motor. In normal use and carrying around, I did not find a problem the cap spontaneously falling off. A few times. No big. I was a little concerned about 4AA battery life. I use rechargeables and I can report I got several hundred pictures before batteries died. So two sets, one in camera and one charging, should be all you need. I will say one thing, the camera does not give much warning when batteries are nearly exhausted. The low-bat warning came on and like 2 shots later the camera turned off. So do keep those spares handy. Overall I am VERY happy with this camera. I tried several models out at a store, Sony, Nikon, etc. This one offered the most, cost the least and had the nicest feel. Overall I am very happy with it and don't hesitate to recommend it for great family photos, vacations, or random shots of the dog playing with your little niece.

Its been 6 months since I bought this camera and its been great. Pictures taken indoors with "auto" mode + flash are not that great under low light. I use "Portrait" mode often to shoot my infant kid - the main reason I bought this camera. This mode is awesome. Red eye reduction works great. Optical zoom is awesome. I never mastered the way to take good pictures in super-macro mode, though some pictures of my kid taken using super-macro mode came out perfect. Movie button is handy. Movie clips taken during day and with good lighting are really good. I make DVDs out of the avi files and the good picture quality has prevented me from buying a camcorder till date. I started with 2 GB Sandisk Extreme3 SD card and moved to 8 GB Extreme3 to shoot larger video files. I feel the 8 GB card slows down the camera a bit when taking pictures rapidly. I gave 3 stars for poor Amazon packaging. There was not enough cushioning and the moisturizer that I had ordered along with the camera popped open and the cream was all over. So far the camera is working fine.

I am impressed with the S5 . The digic processor is worth the move up . The auto focus works clear , crisp the face technology is always on target picking up group shots as well as portraits . The price from Amazon is reasonable , no taxes which helps since my State gives a discount on the first $1000 of merchandise bought online . I was able to buy everything needed here from Amazon obtaining free shipping for the whole order . I bought the camera , 75 case wich is basically a belt worn one that tightly fits the camera , 4 extra batteries , and a memory chip period if you want more you should buy up but I like this for day travel . The camera comes with a lens cap , batteries , neck chord and 32 mg memory chip . You also get a audio visual chord to hook it up to the TV and one to download to the computor . The camera has tons of adjustments and bells and whistles . I was able to set it up ( put on the neck strap with lens cap camera holder so you dont loose it ) read the intro manual and download the softare , take some photos within a hour of unpacking it . You can use this as point and shoot if you want . Just adjust the zoom to frame in what you want its so easy . Yes its a little bulky compared to newer stuff but its no Poloriod Land Camera . It did take 11 days for me to get my Camera by regular ground free shipping . They called in the morning to confirm someone would sign for it . It was boxed very nice and brought by UPS . I saved quite a bit over sale price at Best Buy plus no tax . When it comes to important merchandise I do not want to take a chance getting burned on Amazon is the place to go . I charged it on my platinum card doubling the 1 year Cannon parts and labor mail in warranty over buying one . You would be wise to buy a 3 way ( usb , dc , ac ) battery charger and 8 rechargeable batteries . The AA batteries are a big plus . Another quality Amazon purchase do not be afraid to buy this camera while some have a few more bells and whistles the Cannon is very capable , sturdy and has a great record of being defect free . This is the choice of most detective's and investigators who need clear precise shots and amateur photographers around the world . Infact many professionals keep one in their arsenal . You can buy lens and filter kits to play around too .The zoom is silent unlike some cameras , you can stitch and it has enough pixels to blow up some great shots it is possible to get 10mg for more $$ but this is a reasonable alternative . Very very pleased but this is only my second digital and 4 th camera in 30 years . If your a novice you will be blown away . Good luck .

In short, we really love this camera. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. I will point out the pros and cons, but in sum, this is an excellent camera. We have three toddlers and we take lots of pictures and video. I am probably more than an average consumer with my picture and video editing, but I do not really think of myself as a hobbyist. I just use Photoshop Elements (the consumer version of Photoshop) and Studio by Pinnacle for video. We purchased this camera to replace an almost 3 year old Canon Powershot A80. It is an excellent camera and we decided to keep it as a backup. The picture quality in the A80 is quite good, but we were looking for a larger zoom, some extra pixels for the occasional enlargements we do (I am no expert, but from all of the reviews I have learned that too many pixels can be a problem--plus our A80 only has 4 mega pixels and takes great pictures), and DVD quality video. Any image improvements would only be a plus, since the A80 produces great pictures. Build Quality I read a lot of reviews and played with the camera at some local stores. It feels nice, is substantial without being too heavy or big (though, it really is too big to be considered a "point and shoot;" it is too big for most pockets), and seems well built. I read reviews on the Canon S3, which is very similar to the S5, but even though it was available at a good price since it is an earlier version, the layout of the buttons and the ease at which a button could be hit inadvertently (and thus ruin an image), plus the smaller video file capacity on the S3 led us to the S5. Video One of the big things for us was the ability to take DVD quality video with decent sound. We really wanted to only have to carry one camera with us. The S5 consistently was reviewed as excelling at this and I think the reviews were about right. The video definitely is DVD quality and the sound is excellent, but our dedicated Panasonic digital video recorder takes a little better quality video. I think to some extent, though, this is kind of like comparing two stereos or televisions at a store. If you took either home you would be happy and probably forget the differences you saw or heard at the store. What are the differences? Basically, the S5 is a little more vulnerable to lower light video (like in a home or on a cloudy day). Also, sometimes nearer objects may appear dimmer than farther away objects that have more light on them--like someone facing you, but not directly illuminated. The dedicated digital video camera we have appears a little brighter in lower light situations. The difference, though, is not that much. And, you can work around it to some extent by being a bit more mindful of setting up your shot. Also, moving the camera (i.e., panning from side to side) produces just noticeable choppiness compared with our Panasonic digital video camera. Again, you can work around this by zooming out a bit and/or not quickly panning the camera around. The zoom, by the way, is great and very quiet. It works perfectly in video mode and I have not been able to hear any zoom motor in the videos we have made. In the end, these are really fairly minor complaints re the video quality. Technology is so powerful today that the differences between newer models of computers and cameras often is more nuanced than significant. For our family of 3 young boys, the video is great and the ability to record straight to a flash card, which I then can zip right into our computer is super convenient (I use a cable and not a card reader--so the issue of the battery compartment holding the batteries and card is not an issue for us). Picture Quality The picture quality is excellent, though so was our A80, so there was not much of an improvement, but that is really more of a compliment to how good Cannon optics are. Plus, at this price level to be able to have a 12x optical zoom with image stabilization (i.e., more complicated electronics and glass) take such great pictures really is amazing. Lens cap The lens cap issue is real (it falls off far too easily). This is one of those annoying design flaws that makes you scratch your head and wonder why such a great camera has to have an annoying fault. Kind of like every rose has its thorn. The issue can be corrected, though, with an extension adapter. This allows you to add a UV lens (which really is just a lens protector) and later add a wide angle lens or additional zoom lens if you want to. Like others, I chose the Lensmate adapter (52mm). Lensmate was great to work with. I ordered the adapter and a matching lens cap and it works perfectly (just note, when you receive the adapter and lens cap from Lensmate, it comes with no instructions or even receipt; luckily, the Cannon manual basically covers things--it assumes you purchased the Canon version of the adapter). Manual The manual is not the best, but I was familiar with the A80 and the operation of the S5 is similar. Plus, the camera is pretty intuitive to use. Battery Life Our first batch of pictures used the included batteries from Canon. They lasted for approximately 20 minutes of video, a little bit of playing around with the camera, and maybe 75 or so shots. I now use rechargeable AAs and battery life is better than with the alkaline batteries, plus I can just recharge when I need to and always have the convenience of being able to get AA batteries pretty much anywhere. All in all, we are very happy. I thought 5 stars was too much given the slight video issues I talked about and the lens cap annoyance. 4.5 seems about right. We purchased from Amazon (though, Beach Camera actually supplied the camera). The service was great, as usual. [...]. Good luck.

I bought this for my brother as a starter camera since he said he wanted to get into photography. He absolutely loves it. The only downside is that it takes batteries and he said he’s unable to upload any of the photos to his iPad, only on a laptop.