5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Housed in a mostly metal casing, the Canon PowerShot S50 is turned on via a sliding lens protector that in turn allows the 3x optical zoom to pop out and the large and clear 1.5 LCD monitor to fire into action. There are over 10 buttons on the back of the camera alone, allowing you to easily change everything from white balance to reviewing images.

The jog wheel on top gives access to the many options including Night Scene, Fast Shutter, Slow Sync and Program and shows how serious this camera is when it comes to taking pictures. Better still is the quick access function button on the rear of the camera that allows you to access White Balance, Drive Mode, ISO, Effect, Flash and image size settings all at the press of a button.

Power is delivered via a Li-ion Canon rechargeable battery pack and the camera is shipped with a 32Mb CompactFlash Card enabling you to store images. A 3x optical zoom offers 38 - 105mm equivalent for a 35mm camera and this added to the 4x digital zoom gives you plenty of scope. F range is F2.8 - F4.9, and focusing is managed via a whole host of options: 9-point AiAF, 1-point AF (any position), AF lock, Focus bracketing, AF assist beam (on/off) and Manual Focus.

Picture quality, as with all Canon cameras, is very strong, detailed and well balanced. You would expect this from a 5 Megapixel model, but everything here seems to gel. Colors are crisp, white's well defined and skin tones very clear. The host of focusing options only help in creating better pictures. While the pre-programmed settings get you out of trouble if you're not sure what to manually set up.

Overall this is a very good camera that is only let down by the positioning of the review button. The picture quality is very good and the functions that the camera offers are extensive. For this too really be treated as a high end camera it should have a hot shoe function, but then that's what the G3 and new G5 are there for. If you are looking for a good field camera and are at that stage where you want all the functionality of a high camera without the size, then this certainly does the job. --Jason Denwood, Amazon.co.uk

What's in the Box
PowerShot S50 digital camera, 32 MB CompactFlash card, battery and battery charger (CB-2LT), USB and AV cables, wrist strap, and ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

Amazon.com Product Description
With the PowerShot S50, Canon updates the compact yet powerful S45 with a 5-megapixel sensor. Nestled between the ultratiny Elph models and the feature-packed PowerShot G models, the PowerShot S50 combines most of the portability of the former with nearly every advanced feature of the latter. In addition to its high-resolution imagery, the PowerShot S50 also features a 3x optical zoom, movie mode with audio, and nine-point Artificial intelligence Auto Focus (AiAF).

Optics and Resolution
The PowerShot S50 has a 5-megapixel sensor with a maximum resolution of 2,592 x 1,944 pixels, enough detail for 4-by-6-inch to 20-by-30-inch (poster size) photos. It also features a 3x optical zoom and 4.1x digital zoom for a total 12.3x zoom.

Canon's powerful DIGIC image processor provides a huge capacity for complex assessment of the scene to be captured. The PowerShot S50 uses information from the zoom position, scene brightness, and other systems to determine what sort of subject is being photographed in order to optimize AF speed, exposure accuracy, and white balance performance.

For beginners, the camera is point-and-shoot simple. Just twist the dial to Auto and start snapping pictures. The PowerShot S50 offers a myriad of setting options, including three light metering modes, white balance presets with two positions for custom settings, exposure and focus bracketing, manual focus and AF lock, aperture and shutter-speed priority, and adjustable ISO-equivalent sensitivity.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on CompactFlash memory cards and the memory slot is compatible with CompactFlash Type II cards as well as Microdrives. The included 32 MB card holds approximately 21 images at the Large/Fine setting.

Movie Mode
Shoot up to three minutes of MPEG video with sound, editing controls, and VCR-like playback. The movies aren't camcorder quality, but they're fun and convenient, and they're perfect as e-mail attachments. The camera can also attach voice memos or sound files of up to 60 seconds to each image.

More Features
The PowerShot S50 features 13 shooting modes, including subject-based modes and semi-auto modes such as aperture priority. A fast sequence mode allows a maximum frame rate of 2 frames per second, maintained for up to eight images.

The nine-point AiAF lets you focus your subject no matter where it appears in the viewfinder. For more freedom, FlexiZone AF/AE let you select which part of the frame you wish to focus on without moving your camera.

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by Canon's proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack NB-2L (included). It measures 4.4 x 2.3 x 1.7 inches and weighs 9.2 ounces. This package includes the PowerShot S50 digital camera, 32 MB CompactFlash card, battery and battery charger (CB-2LT), USB and AV cables, wrist strap, and ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

From the Manufacturer
The PowerShot S50 is Canon’s first 5.0 Megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD digital camera. Capable of recording a still image of 2592 x 1944 pixels, this digital camera combines a number of powerful features with proven ergonomics and a lens design garnered from years of making the most advanced cameras on the market. The S50 is equipped with a 35-105mm 3x optical zoom which combines with digital for a 12x zoom. This provides you with the shot you're after in crystal clarity whether near or far. The exclusive Canon DIGIC Imaging Processor and iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology delivers fast performance, improved color accuracy and less noise with enhanced battery life. Take advantage of 12 shooting modes from fully automatic to fully manual, plus manual overrides for focus, exposure, white balance, flash and more. The Powershot S50 also features a 9-Point Wide-Area AiAF system plus FlexiZone AF/AE to ensure sharp photographs - even when th! e subject is off-center. Shoot and print your photos instantly by connecting to a Card Photo Printer or Bubble Jet Direct Photo Printer.

Superb Detail and Vivid ColorThe PowerShot S50 produces exquisitely detailed images thanks to a high-resolution 1/1.8" 5.0 megapixel CCD. Primary color filters incorporated in the S50 also provide vivid and realistic color without the noise associated with other color filters.

Close in on all the action with the S50's powerful zoom. The high resolution 3x optical lens takes you in close and then you can zoom up to 12x using the 4.1x digital zoom.

The PowerShot S50's 9-point AiAF lets you focus your subject no matter where it appears in the viewfinder. For more freedom, FlexiZone AF/AE let you select which part of the frame you wish to focus on, without moving your camera.

The S50's DIGIC Imaging Processor revolutionizes how you shoot digital by allowing the camera to process images faster and improving the accuracy of the autofocus. DIGIC also reduces the effects on noise in your images.

iSAPS technology is an entirely new scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC Imaging Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

The S50's movie mode allows you to take movies up to 3 minutes long! Movie quality has also been greatly improved over previous models. You can even edit the length of movies or cut out scenes right on the camera.

Canon S50 reviews (90)

Darth Camera - Canon Keeps Raising the Bar
INTRO:
I've had this camera now for 2 weeks and absolutely love it. I already have a Sony F707, and was looking for a camera to take around that still had the 5 mp output, but a smaller form factor. When it came down to it, it was either this camera or the Olympus C50Z and I'm glad I decided on the S50. You just can't beat the Canon for features and design. Plus, the C50Z supposidly doesn't have a mic for video.

PROS:
From what the reviews have said, this is just a scaled down version of the Canon G3, but with 5 mp output vs. 4 with the G3.

It's got a very solid construction and I love the brushed metallic look of the body. It's not quite pocket sized - I tried lugging it around in my pocket for a day...a little bulky for that, but i'd say it's a great compromise for those that want more features than what the digital Elph series offers.

Speaking of which, it's got a great bundle of features. Images are bright and very real to life. From what I can tell, it's very similar in general shooting modes as my Sony. I leave the camera glued to Program AE, as I seem to get the best quality and still have the ability to adjust the different modes on the camera. The continuous shooting mode is excellent and the intervalometer (time lapse photo shooting) is definitely a nice new feature. Further the stich assist and video modes with sound make it a better buy over the C50Z.

Also, the camera is very fast - from taking it out of the bag to turning it on, it's a little less than 4 seconds and it's ready to shoot.

Further, the camera uses non-memory lithium ion - I have yet to drain the battery fully from a days worth of shooting. I almost never turn off the view finder and the battery's held up like a champ. It also uses standard compact flash, which I picked up at Amazon (256mb Viking) [at a good price]after rebates. Just can't beat that...

COULD IMPROVE ON:
The only thing with the construction that got me a little concered was the slide door for the lens. If you moved it a certain way, it can move up and down. Still, the overall construction is very solid.

The macro is pretty average. It says in the guide that you can get as close as 5 cm or thereabouts, but the closest I could get in focus was about 3 inches. I guess it's the size of the optics.

Also, why only the black? I really like the brushed stainless look of the S45, but you can't get that flavor with the S50. From what I've heard, it's only available in Europe. I guess it's a marketing thing, but still... Don't get me wrong, I like the black, but it'd be nice to have the choice and black tends to show dust quite easily.

And while I like that it uses standard compact flash, I've noticed it's a little slower in tranfers and reading than Sony Memory stick.

Anyway, these are negligible issues and overall, Canon has really outdone themselves again.

Too big to be useful as a point and shoot
Digital point and shoot cameras should not be looked at as a replacement to film cameras, the quality just isn't good enough for anything important or for images that you need to enlarge. But, for the convenience of being able to email your snapshots or upload them to a webpage or online auction quickly and easily, nothing beats a digital cam. The image quality of this Canon is acceptable if you understand that you will not be able to match 35mm film quality. The color saturation on the images is surprisingly good however you will notice some milky haze around some of the edges and background if you look closely. This is common (and expected) for low and mid range digital cameras such as this one.

My main complaint about this camera is that it is too bulky. In fact, it was so bulky and heavy that I ended up selling it to a friend and going with the Canon s400 instead. For me, the real power in a point and shoot camera is size and convenience. The more convenient it is to lug, the more you will have it with you to capture life's precious moments. And the s50 should most certainly be considered a point and shoot camera because it's manual controls are strange to operate and I eventually found myself not wanting to bother with them because of the way they are implemented on this camera.

For instance, being able to shoot at a wide aperture on the s50 is of limited usefulness because the zoom lens doesn't maintain the wide aperture when you zoom in even just a little. So during the times I used my s50 and wanted a shallow depth of field, ie. when i was doing portraits, the f-stop automatically changed itself from f2.8 to f4.0 or f5.0 when I zoomed in to frame the shot. I thought to myself, I might as well have been shooting with the smaller and more convenient s400! Also, you might be tempted to think that flash exposure compensation is a godsend, like I initially did. But in practice, dialing down the flash on this camera yields dingy looking images in lower light. I was dissappointed.

Also, the image quality was cetainly acceptable and I have no complaint there, however the image processing time and shutter lag was definitely noticeable, especially indoors in mid to low light levels.

The s50 is just too big to carry around everywhere and subsequently, I did miss taking certain photos because the camera was back in the car or at home. I does not fit well in a shirt pants pocket and it weighs down a jacket pocket. When I wanted to slip it into my my film camera bag, it took up too much space and was unwieldy. My recommendation if you must have manual controls in a digital camera is to either step up to the Canon G3 or equivalent, or go to a digital SLR. Otherwise, for a carry-around-everywhere camera, the smaller Canon ELPH series would be best.

I never really used the tiny viewfinder and don't recommend that you do either. Why? It's very tiny and not convenient, and it only shows a portion of the image frame. Also, it does not show any information such as shutter speed or f-stop. You are much better of using the LCD screen and doing so will give you a "what you see is what you get" image on the camera.

A Winner in Image Quality Versus Size
Pros: Compact size, 5 megapixel resolution, ease of use, lots of creative photography options, Solid all metal compact body, Quality Canon lens, quality, enlargeable images, sturdy, macro capability.

Cons: No provision for add-on lenses or filters, Expensive, 5MP is probably overkill for most users, Underwater housing does not allow full control, not as sharp as most 4 MP cameras, 4-way Navigation Button & Proprietary Battery, Some photos had red eye, doesn't come with carrying case.

Summary: This compact Canon digital camera really impressed me in the week I've had mine so far. I've been looking and playing with the Sony DSC-P9 for some time but took a chance with the S50 sight unseen, with a few recommendations, and my expectations have been well exceded. Excellent image quality and easy to learn interface with ample effect, memory, and capture options are not compromised by the camera's size (slightly chunkier than the Sony, but still slips into a pocket easily). Crisp and bright image replay on the rear color LCD monitor. Easy downloads to PC with USB and unimposing Canon software, and fairly quick battery recharge too. This is a really great compact digital camera for those looking for great images in different conditions without a bulky, intrusive large body reflex. The movie capture is better than on previous Canon models, though still slightly choppy at 12 frames per second (not that making movies is your first choice in features for selecting pocket cameras). Nonetheless, after looking around I believe this is the best deal for quality/function/money versus size in the compact digital camera market.A+

Excellent Speed vs Feature (Form Factor) Tradeoff
This is my fourth digital camera. After owning two intro models (Olympus D490 and D460) I went in the pursuit of speed. Speed being defined on four dimensions: (1) bootup/startup time, (2) delay between depressing shutter button and digital capture, (3) lag between consecutive shots, (4) lens apeture (for low light conditions). Before the Powershot S50 I was (and still am) using an Olympus C3040, which is the main comparitor for this review. In this price range last year the C3040 was one of the fastest cameras out there due to a 32Mb RAM buffer built into the camera and its F1.8 lens.

My sense is that the Powershot S50 and all of its competitors have excellent features - many modes, manual overrides, etc. For the most part, just reading the specs is enough for getting a sense of these features.

What is purely experiential - what requires owning and experiencing - is how fast the camera is (on the above four dimensions). The S50 is pretty fast. Bootup about 3 seconds. Delay between pressing shutter button and capture about 1 second. Lag between consecutive shoots about 1 second (I took consecutive shoots using the same fixed composition, flash off, new batteries, repeatedly pressing shutter button very quickly). These speeds are all slightly slower than the C3040. Boot is almost the same, shutter delay almost identical, and S50 was a touch slower between consecutive shoots (after the 6th or 7th shot the S50 was lagging behind). Apeture the Canon has a slower lens (F2.8 vs F1.8). Overall the S50 is a fast camera.

Obviously in the S50's favor is form factor (which is one reason why the lens is smaller, leading to a less fast lens (higher F-stop). It is a much smaller package than the C3040, which means that I'll be carrying it around more often.

Best value for the money
This is my third digital camera, my previous was a 3.2MP Casio QV3000EX. While Casio is not a well known name in the US for cameras, it's still hard to find a digital camera today that matches the QV3000EX feature/price point. The S50 does this and more!

The Good:
1. Made in Japan (not China as some other Japanese cameras ie Minolta).
2. Metal case, and it feels like it is well made (heavy). Buttons give a solid feel.
3. Turns on quick - 4 seconds.
4. Small size. This will easily fit into your shirt pocket. The S50 has the features of a G3 and the compactness of the S400. The best of both worlds. No other 5MP camera comes close to this size, with the exception of the Minolta F300.
5. Extreme manual control: 10 aperature settings (most digital camaras have 2), 45 shutter settings! You will not find a camera with more control at this price.
6. Lens can zoom in macro mode. Others such as Minolta S414 cannot.
7. Fast Canon lens - great pictures in low light and little to no blooming (purple fringe). In my opinion, Canon makes the best digital camera lens. The Casio QV3000EX has a Canon lens, and it takes great pictures. The lens makes or breaks a camera, don't compromise here.
8. Will NOT turn on when in your pocket. It's just plain annoying that manufacturers continue to make knobs that turn at the slightest touch. The dial on the S50 gives a solid and metal sounding click.
9. Battery charger is small an unobtrusive. Fits into the smallest of camera bags.

The Bad:
1. You pay a price for Canon. But you get what you pay for. You can get a cheaper digital camera, but you will not get one that has perhaps the best lens, great auto focus, and exreme manual control, and - in the end great pictures. Take a look at the sample pictures at Canon's site. Compare them to similar cameras. You will wonder why you thought of buying another brand. Also consider the S400 for a more limited point and shoot, or the G3 for professional/traditional SLR look and feel.
2. Uses a proprietary battery. To be honest, I'd rather use AA Ni-MH batteries. But with the Canon system, you probably get bettery power management since they can monitor the battery state better than if it is generic rechargables. In the end it's probably a wash. Buy a second battery.

A wonderful camera!
This is my first digital camera. I had been shooting with SLRs and rangefinders. The camera astounded me. It is small and light yet well built. It is easy to turn on and off using the front lens cover that is built in. The images are exceptional. I made 8x10s on an Epson printer with no manipulation that I think are better than images from film from a lab. The Auto White Balance is great and the controls are intuitive to me. The LCD is high resolution. The wrist strap is a great way to carry the camera safely while keeping it ready to take pictures quickly. The "Set" control can be a bit awkward but is not a major disadvantage. No camera is perfect. This camera gives you 5MP in a small and light package with very sharp images right out of the camera. It's also a lot of fun. I don't want to go back to film. Canon is the leader in digital photography in my opinion.

good, but not great
Pros: fast; sturdy; intuitive; built-in mic for movie mode; sliding lens cover means no lens cap to lose

Cons: very poor macro mode; disappointing auto-focus

My first real camera was a Canon EOS Rebel. It was supposed to be a great camera, but I found that its auto-focus never focused quite right. Close, but never as good as I could do manually.

I recently bought the Canon PowerShot S50 for my 7-year-old son, who has demonstrated a real gift for photography. It's a great match for him because it's small (so it fits his hands well), it's easy to use, and it's very well constructed. Unfortunately, like my old EOS Rebel, this Canon's auto-focus system is weak. When it happens to focus just right, the pictures are great, and you really get 5MP worth of resolution. But that's all too rare. My Nikon Coolpix 990 (without question the best camera I've ever owned) is only 3MP, but in real-life shooting situations it gets better resolution than this 5MP Canon does. Keep this in mind: getting the wrong focus (or shaking the camera) by just 1 pixel in each direction reduces the effective resolution by 4x. So getting the focus perfect is *critical* for the 5MP to matter. Even minor errors send you into sub-megapixel territory.

Also, if you care about macro mode, look elsewhere. It's really quite bad compared to other digitals. It can't get nearly as close as the Coolpix 990, and again, it has trouble fosusing.

On the positive side, the exposure is generally good, the color is accurate, and the movie mode is surprisingly good. There's a bit of "Max Headroom" effect because it's only 15 fps, but it's so easy to use that we actually *take* movies now, whereas our old camcorder just gathers dust because it's too bulky to lug around, and dealing with tape is such a hassle.

Overall, a nice product with much to recommend it, but check out the focusing issue yourself before you buy. Maybe it's just me. But my next camera will be a Nikon.

Inconsistent Focusing Ability is Disappointing
When this camera focuses accurately the resulting images are really amazing. However, a vast majority of approximately 1000 pictures we've taken so far are out of focus. Switching to center-point focus doesn't help. If only one feature on a camera works it should be the auto-focus. Do the five-star reviewers have low standards, or is my camera defective? I noticed one other review that mentions terrible focusing ability, so I don't think it's just me.

On the brighter side, the movie mode is surprisingly good and produces nice, sharp movies. However, zooming is not possible in movie mode. My five-year-old, 0.8 megapixel Sony Mavica allows zooming in movie mode. C'mon Canon. Get with the program.

Battery life is good and charging time is brief. I don't have a backup battery or the AC adapter kit and I haven't had any reason to need them yet.

The flash is nice and bright and allows for pretty decent indoor photos even in relatively low-light situations. The AF-assist light probably could have been left off the camera altoghther. If you need it to focus in really low-light you don't have a good chance at getting a good picture. Don't expect any red-eye reduction from it either (same AF-assist light stays on during image capture when red-eye reduction feature is on). In fact, unless your subject is willing to incur retinal damage by looking directly into the stunningly bright light, there is no real chance of reducing red-eye at all. Big disappointment. Canon needs to utilize the strobe-flash technique for red-eye reduction.

Bottom line: It's easy to look at the very best images this camera can produce and believe it to be a great camera. However, when you end up with pictures which are out of focus and when everyone in them has red-eye, you won't be thinking of the great picture the camera produced yesterday.

full function 5MP compact camera!
this is a full-featured 5MP compact camera that will work for a wide range of users. i compared this with the sony DSC-P10 and the minolta DiMAGE F100 and concluded that this had the best feature set in its class.

the S50 is essentially a 'shrunk' PowerShot G5. there are some differences: the G5 has a flip-out LCD which is very cool and quite practical, a 4x zoom lens, and a flash attachment. otherwise, the S50 provides almost the same level of manual control as the G5 in a smaller package. if you want point and shoot capability but want the flexibility to be more creative when you want, this camera should be on your short list.

pros:
- excellent resolution from a small lens - 5MP power!
- 3x optical zoom, 4x digital
- good metering and good tonal balance - maintains shadow detail
- good natural light white balance, strong and balanced colours
- allows control over cameras internal processing algorithms - saturation, tone, sharpness
- low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)
- compact and lightweight, considering this camera's capabilities (4.4 x 2.3 x 1.7 in, 11.1 oz)
- excellent build quality - solid 'brick like' feel - no creaks or rattles and a good positive feel to external controls
- nice metallic black finish - i definitely prefer this to the silver finish of other compact cameras
- the LCD monitor is also big (1.8") for this class of camera - gives good live preview and review even in well lit situations
- shooting priority play mode (a half-press of the shutter release always returns to shooting)
- excellent range of manual controls
- fast shot-to-shot times
- fairly good startup time, especially for an extending lens camera
- the manual focus has magnified loupe and ruler readout
- flexible continuous shooting modes (buffer after processing)
- RAW file format maintains 12-bits of data
- ability to turn JPEG shot into RAW during record review
- Compact Flash Type I/II and official Microdrive support
- voice annotation feature
- invervalometer (time lapse capability)
- AF assist lamp works well
- USB connectivity

cons:
- average macro performance
- vignetting at wide angle and maximum aperture
- nine-point AiAF not available in P, TV, AV, M or C exposure modes
- average flash performance
- the four-way jog dial is not easy to use - pressing "SET" takes practice
- you'll need to remove from tripod to open the battery/CF compartment
- lens slow at telephoto (F4.9)
- AF Assist lamp doesn't have enough power at telephoto zoom
- limited apertures at telephoto
- zoom controller does not have enough steps / multiple zoom speed
- some barrel distortion at wide angle

this is a fantastic camera - highly recommended. enjoy!

S50 is the best -- reliable and functional
Being barraged with the terms Mega pixel, digital zoom, diopter, etc., is enough to make anyone's head spin--not to mention the fact that many of the newest cameras have laser ranger finders, remote controls, or enormous zoom lenses. So how does one pick a camera?

Here are the most important factors to consider:
Picture Quality, Size, Battery Life, Zoom Lens, Flash, Compatibility, Special Features, Software, Accessories.

The Canon S50 is not a digital SLR camera and as such it will NOT produce the very best quality digital prints despite the 5 Mega pixels (if you want professional digital pay professional digital prices and go SLR). The S50 however will produce some of the best quality images for a camera of its class. In other words, if you don't want to carry around a digital SLR and all the lenses, the S50 will give you at least as good an image as any of the competition's cameras. Therefore for image quality the camera would rate the S50 about 4.5/5 stars. In the 5 mega pixel class it ranks at the top.

The camera is very small and is comparable to the Minolta Dimage cameras, and even to all but the smallest of Sony Cameras. It is larger than the smallest versions of the Canon Elph, the Minoltas, and Sonys (but those come with their own disadvantages). The important thing is: the S50 will fit in your pocket. You can't do better than that for a 5 mega pixel camera. But you won't want to carry it EVERYWHERE with you. If you want a take-everywhere camera, get a 1.2 Mega pixel pen camera, or use your cell phone. I would rate the size of S50 4.5/5 stars.

The battery life on the S50 is decent. Like all small cameras the S50 is accompanied by a small battery. I would recommend buying an extra or two (you can also buy 90 minute chargers). If you need extended battery life buy the G4 or G5 (or another larger camera with a larger battery) or leave the LCD off all the time. I would rate the battery life of the S50 at 4/5 stars.

First, a word to the wise, digital zoom is worthless. With that said, a 3x zoom is fairly pathetic. 3x corresponds to about 110 mm and means that at full zoom the image appears just a tad larger than it does in your own eye. The S50 is a small point and shoot camera, the zoom lens is not its forte. If you want a large lens go for digital SLR, or the larger Olympus cameras, or the beautiful Sony Karl Zeiss 5 Mega pixel. However lenses are sizeable and the S50 is petite. Pursue a zoom lens with caution and realize that the S50 doesn't have much of one. I would rate it 3/5 stars.

The S50 is compatible with all computers and software and the Compact Flash is the cheapest, largest, and most prominent form of digital media card. This earns the S50 a very important 5/5 stars for compatibility and storage.

The S50 has few special features and a limited set of manual controls. If you want special features go for Sony, but realize that special features come at the cost of occasional annoyance and often appear in less reliable cameras (which you will then need to replace). For special features the S50 gets 2/5 stars, but who needs special features? You're buying a camera to take pictures not to play MP3s.

The S50 is a popular and so the accessories are numerous and of excellent quality. I would recommend the extra batteries and for those aquatically inclined--the underwater housing (which is also useful in the rain). 5/5 stars for this.

In summary, the S50 is a serious point and shoot camera. The 5 Mega pixel quality is fantastic (far better than my own vision). The camera has been crafted with all the right concerns in mind--it is small enough to take almost anywhere, and has the battery power, zoom, and features to satisfy all but the most demanding photographers. The camera is durable and solidly made. The lens cover nicely protects the most fragile part (an important consideration). The accessories are good, and the camera is easy to use. Canon covered all the details to produce a near perfect camera.

Canon S50, Best In It's Class
This is a very good, almost a great camera. Actually I would give it 41/2 stars. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is that, as a compact, it just can't include all of the features a larger camera can give you. (Things like screw on lenses, a diaopter, a flip viewer, a more powerful flash, remote shutter trip etc.)
Picture quality, color, sharpness, etc. is excellent under almost all conditions. Use the i950 Canon printer (so much faster and simpler than the Epson) and their Photo Paper Pro and the printing experience is simple and produces amazing pictures. Not being a pro, I use the Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9 for a photo editor, which is vastly improved over previous versions. The camera feels like a brick,really well put together. It has all the features and options you need in a compact camera. I find that the white engraving on the feature wheel on top of the camera has started to rub out, so I need to look in the viewer to see how to change settings. If you use a tripod you'll have to remove the camera to change the battery or the memory card. Be prepared to spend another $100 for a compact flash card upgrade. The file sizes on the "fine" setting run about 2.5 megs per photo so it's not hard to fill up a 256 meg card. My previous cameras were all in the Nikon Coolpix series up to the 5000 and this little camera beats them hands down. It turns out picture after picture that you can print without a single tweek on the editor. Thats more than I can say for the Nikon.

Ordinary at best
Overview:
I bought this camera from Amazon about couple of months back and have taken thousands of photographs with it. I like the convenience of using a digital camera and the fun and instant gratification from viewing a slideshow on my Apple Powerbook immediate after returning from a trip!

Things I liked:
S50 looks cool and with the black metallic body is a piece of art. Its relatively small in size and the fit and finish is great. The camera has a LOT of features and very easy to use and learn. The best part of the camera is that it takes GREAT macro pictures and human portraits in close-ups. It can be as good or even better than my ?lan 7 with 28-90 lenses in that area.

Things I disliked:
But the biggest problem is that it doesn't take great pictures! In auto mode the pictures are not very sharp and the color are not so vivid like Nikon's. The exposure compensation is terrible and rarely will it take a correct exposure in difficult lighting conditions. Pretty much I can't use the Auto mode/s to take good pictures. I have to adjust the exposure setting and the shutter speed to get good pictures. So this camera is really the digital equivalent of a point-and-shoot zoom camera like my Canon Sure Shot 115 but costing thrice as much!!!

Other minor shortcomings are:
The LCD screen can't be covered, the battery doesn't last for more than 100 shots and there is no handgrip to hold the camera. So you need a mini tripod as well!
Further you can't add an external flash (the built is too bright for close-ups and too faint for big areas) or external lenses and macros or telephotos.

Recommendation:
I will strongly recommend you get the Canon G3 for much better performance for about the same price. Trust me, unless u want to blow up or print in 8"10" you won't see any diff from 4 MP and 5 MP

I don't knwo why ppl are giving great reviews about S50. Either they are not as particular as i am or maybe my model has some issues. I will soon sell my S50 in eBay to get the Nikon 5400 when the price drops !

Great little camera
Some things that I really love about this little camera: It's very small and fairly light, but also has a solid feel. The lens is fully protected by the design, which is easy to work with. It uses compact flash cards, which are easily available and will fit in the 10D I plan on getting sometime in the next year. It's got tons of features: it can act as a point and shoot, as well as allowing an impressive amount of manual manipulation.

The setting to allow B&W, sepia, vivid, and others is particularly cool, as well as the night-shot setting. The flash has three settings, one of which is off, which is a great thing.

Because it's so small and light, I take it nearly everywhere with me. You will obviously want to get a bigger flash card than the camera comes with, but once you have that you can shoot and shoot, and discard the garbage shots, and never have to worry about film again.

My only issue with the camera is that I've had a lot of trouble installing the software, and canon's tech support has proven to be absolutely USELESS. Most people will likely have no problems at all. Highly recommended.

NOT WORTH THE MONEY!
I went through all of the trouble to register to Amazon.com just to write this short review as i cant in all good conciousness allow anyone to get the wrong idea about this camera.
The camera is terrible. At least for anyone expecting to get a good point & shoot camera. The autofocus is just woefully inadequate. I could sit here and echo the same complaint that others had but its just not worth the time. Basically, i had the same complaints that Kaushik_ghosh, Jorge L. Troncoso, and Jo Andrew Senske had. I had the Sony DSC-85 at one point which was a 4 MP camera and yet it consistently gave me A LOT BETTER QUALITY pictures than this camera could ever muster. I think they discontinued the DSC-85. Anyway, i decided to write this review because i am now looking for another camera and am hoping to find good advice in Amazon as this camera just sucks. Out of curiosity i came to check out reviews on this camera and to my amazement i see everyone ranting and raving about it! Personally i wonder if most of these people are with the manufacturer.

A dandy little 5 megapixel workhorse! Great pictures!
This camera does exactly what it was designed to do, and it does it well--it takes great pictures from a pretty small and rugged camera body. The camera is built like a tank, and while not as small as the digital Elph, for example, it easily slips into a coat pocket or whatnot.

The picture quality is excellent--the 3X zoom lens on the camera is quite capable of taking very good quality pictures. Colors are well-saturated and focus is crisp. This is a dandy little performer--great for taking snapshots and action shots in places or situations where a larger camera might simply be too much trouble. The pictures this camera is capable of taking will not disappoint.

The S50 is a bit more complicated to master than the average small point-and-shoot digital simply because it features a lot of options--unlike many small cameras, this one provides a lot of flexibility for settings. Don't want the flexibility? No problem--set it on automatic mode for auto-everything, or "program" mode for auto-most things. I find that I do almost all my shooting in program mode. However, it is occasionally very nice to be able to play with apature or speed settings to achive desired effects.

Battery life is good, especially if you go easy on using the rear LCD. One accessory most users will want is a spare battery--for trips this is necessary since the camera uses only a proprietary battery. The good news--the supplied charger can fully charge a battery in about an hour.

At 5 Megapixels, this camera is capable of producing good-sized blow up pictures, and you can shoot in RAW mode too; not many small cameras offer this feature. I did a lot of research before selecting the S50 as my "point and shoot" pocket camera, and I've been uniformly pleased.

Transformed a skeptic!
I have been a dedicated film camera user for several years and a skeptic of digital photography. Until now.

I chose the Canon S50 after about two months of research into contemporary cameras. I relied upon a digital photography portal called "Digital Photography Review" to compare different models, and then used Amazon to compare prices. If you are making the move to digital, it is wise to factor in the price of image editing software (I use --and highly recommend--Adobe Photoshop Elements), an upgraded memory card, and an additional battery. The S50 does not come with a case, so add that to the list as well.

There has been some fair criticism leveled at digital camera manufacturers for their emphasis on mega pixels. I cannot argue with this; however, having 5-mega pixels over 4 (at a slight price premium) does give you the flexibility to later crop images to your liking, yet, retain good resolution. One of the common complaints against the S50 (over the slightly less expensive 4-mega pixel S45) is the issue of purple fringing at wide angles. My own experience has been that, even at the widest angle, color distortions are virtually non-existent in this camera. The image quality is excellent and skin tones are very good even when using a flash. The flash is a tiny band at the top right (when you face the lens) but, despite its small size, it is very effective for indoor pictures. The camera is quite small for all it can do. The number of manual controls is astounding; I have a feeling this camera offers much more creative freedom than my previous one, a film SLR from the mid-eighties, which came with three detachable lenses, a separate flash unit, and a large carrying case that, when filled with all equipment, weighed about 8 pounds!

Digital cameras generally have one drawback--shutter delay, and this is one area that the S50 does not perform well. I have seen shutter delay to vary between almost no delay to little more than a full second. Of course, I have not used other digital cameras, so I cannot tell how this compares. Another weakness is the flimsy lens cover: you have to be careful when closing the cover. I also managed to scratch the LCD screen within a few days of receiving the camera, although this does not affect the images in any way. A protective case would have helped (why doesn't Canon include one!). The included compact flash memory card has a capacity of only 32MB. I would recommend buying a much larger card (such as a 512MB card) that can store a very large number of images (several thousand at lower resolutions). With a large card, the battery inevitably runs out out before the card is full. Buy a spare!

Overall, I enthusiastically recommend the S50, especially if you are making the move away from film cameras. The S50 has irreversibly drawn me away from film cameras, even though I did not think that was possible just a year ago. Perhaps it will also transform your perspective.

Good point & shoot digital
This was my first new digital camera in the last three years. In that time, the feature set and usability of a moderately-priced digital camera have improved dramatically.

Just take the issue of reviewing your photos. On my old Olympus 3040, you had to switch the camera dial to "Review Mode" to look at the pictures you just took. If you wanted to take a picture while reviewing, you had to switch it back quickly, hope you flipped it to the right shooting mode dial setting, and shoot. With the Canon, you enter review mode by flicking a spring-loaded switch. Review mode can always be instantly cancelled by pointing at a subject and pushing the shutter release halfway down. You're instantly back in the right shooting mode. It sounds like such a simple thing, but it makes the camera much easier to use.

That's just one of the nice things about the S50. It also has orientation detection (it knows if you held the camera vertically or horizontally when shooting), multiple focus points, and quick startup and shutdown (just open or close the front panel).

Since it's in a small body, there are some sacrifices. The lens is not very fast; expect to use the flash or a tripod when there's not a lot of light. The flash is also underpowered, having difficulty lighting a scene after about 12 feet. MacOS X's iPhoto doesn't seem to support the automatic image rotation or RAW files.

However, the image quality, convenience, and the many little features done right make this a great camera for casual use in many situations.

A Great Buy!!
I have owned the Powershot S50 since May 2003 and have been absolutely pleased with it.

Pros:
1)Great Pictures= I always use full quality and when developed they look just like 35mm
2)Small form factor
3)Looks cheap(thieves arent interested)
4)Many features(too many for me an amateur photographer but i'm learning)

Cons:
1)Had to replace LCD screen after 2 months of use (for some reason it cracked while in case and no history of dropping; Fortunately Canon replaced it free of charge, I just had to pay for shipping to the factory not from)
2)The little markers(stickers) on the function wheel seem to be peeling off. (I have no auto sticker and others are fading could be due to my sweaty palms)

In summary I have enjoyed using this camera every minute. I would recommend it to anybody. The LCD screen didnt bother me b/c they fixed it within a week and a half. Enjoy!!

I'm Now A Believer
I never thought the day would arrive that I would abandon my Canon Rebel 35mm camera for a "digital....ugh..camera" but the Canon S50 has made me a true believer. I finally got fustrated trying to scan in all my 35 mm prints in order to "preserve my memories". Very time consumming, and I was never quit satisfied with the quality. So, after a lot of soul searching, and a lot of on-line reseacher reading countless reviews, I finally took a leap of faith and purchased the Canon S50. I couldn't be happier. This is an excellent camera for the serious amature, allowing for point and shoot capability or multiple features that allow one to adjust various settings. I've had the camera for over 5 month now and don't have any regrets. The quailty of the pics is VERY VERY CLOSE to 35 mm and I've enlarged prints to 20 x 30 with excellet results. I strongly recommend buying an extra battery and 512 MB Compact Flash Card. Also, www.shutterfly.com offers a tremendous service which allows one to utilize your new digital camerea to the fullest. Buy this camera and I highly doubt you'll be disappointed!

Excellent Camera
I have used many different film cameras Including a Canon body with EF lenses. This camera takes excellent pictures and has all of the functions of my $500 Canon body I bought 10 years ago. After reading some of the poor reviews on this site I was nervous about purchasing the camera, however after receiving it and taking some pictures, it is all Canon promises and more. I do get some out of focus pictures now and then but that is primarily due the the camera not being able to obtain an autofocus lock. Nothing inherently wrong with the camera and I always can override the autofocus with the manual and the pictures then come out excellently.

I would recommend this camera for anyone who wants to be able to have the flexibility and quality to take very good pictures in a small format camera. The only downside is the fact I can not put my EF lenses on this fine little camera.

Beware the sliding door of doom
The Canon PowerShot S50 is a terrific small digital camera. It packs in an amazing array of features, starting with the generous maximum 5 megapixel image size (you can make them smaller to conserve space on the CompactFlash card). Several modes are available to you such as Sports (high shutter-speed and high resolution shots), Portrait, Night, etc. You can put it in complete Idiot Mode (okay, Automatic mode) and let it select your shutter speed and aperture, or you can pick one or the other and let the camera pick the missing one, or you can go full into Manual mode and pick both. There's even a Movie mode, complete with sound!

This small camera fits in a purse easily (okay, not a small purse), and doesn't get in the way if you're shouldering it in a case (not included). That means the optical zoom is limited to 3x. And unfortuately, the S50, like all the PowerShot S family, starts out at 11mm, which is a very wide-angle value. Even at 3X you will only come in to 55mm, often not as close as you'd expect. There is a digital zoom, but so what? Crop your picture in software later rather than play with that silly feature. But getting back to the range, I found it insufficient for shooting
across a large (but crowded) room. If you work closer in this won't be a problem.

I agree the sliding door that covers the lens (and turns on the camera) seems flimsy. That's because it can cause problems. My 3YO niece got ahold of mine and ripped the door off. I was able to reattach it but now it's like a loose tooth, just waiting to fall off again. Even under warranty, my choice was to send it back to Canon for 12 weeks or live with it. I couldn't live without the camera, so I kept it, loose sliding door and all. I've just learned not to lend it to people who can't baby it; a good push and that door is off the camera again.

Then I bought a Canon Digital Rebel, which is an even better camera, but not the same type as the S50 at all. The latter can fit into a generous shirt pocket; the Digital Rebel is a big ol' digital SLR (single-lens reflex camera, a through-the-lens viewfinder, typically with interchangeable lenses).

One of the S50's limitations is a slow shutter response. I can't tell you how many shots I've missed using it; I frame it lovingly, I see the perfect moment, I shoot... but no score. The people have moved on, the sun has set, the universe suffers heat-death, and finally the shutter clicks. If you want a fast shutter then you must have a digital SLR, as almost all the compact-style digital cameras such as this one have the delayed shutter issue. Another note of annoyance on the PowerShot S family: they come with a wrist strap but no shoulder strap. I don't know what use a wrist strip is for a camera; if I'm not using it then I want my hands free. I bought a generic shoulder strap but it wasn't a great fit. At least Canon should offer one as an extra-cost accessory.

I still give this camera 4 stars for putting so many features in such a small package. The pictures are reasonably good, and at this size you can crop plenty out and still print good 4x6 inch images. The PowerShot S50 comes with software, but you'll probably want to buy your own image editing package. The one provided is fairly limited. Useful software includes PhotoStitch, which allows you to make your own panaramic style images from a series of linked shots. The included CompactFlash card is also too small for typical use, so plan on buying a bigger card.

Wow!
For those of you wanting to take a (giant) leap over the average point-and-shooter (and even if you do not) this camera is your final destination. I agonizingly researched numerous digital cameras for months and results always seem to conclude that the Canon S50 is highly rated and was a consistent editor's pick.

I am a die-hard Olympus fan with their lens construction, which utilized "ED" extra dispersion glass. My old (now bulky) IS-1 point-and-shooter gave me stunning photos which actually once exceeded a professional wedding photographer's pictures at a cousin-in-law's wedding. I can safely say that I can easily match those vivid results with the S50. The features bundled with this camera are immense. I have yet to get through them all and the journey can only get better.

In researching other "user" reviews I discovered complaints about the flimsy lens cover/slider door and an LCD screen that scratches easily. I appreciated that advice and I now exercise caution in the operation of the slider door with no problems so far. The door seems durable enough to last for the years of use. As far as the LCD screen damage, as a Pocket PC owner I wisely purchased a package of ten plastic screen protectors to eliminate stylus damage. I cut one sheet down to size and rubbed it onto the S50's LCD screen. It works and looks very good and they are easily removable thanks to the use of a light adhesive. You can purchase them at any local computer products retailer.

The battery life is fair and upon the cameras initial use, the built-in memory battery needed to charge off of the removable one, so your first run will drain the battery fast. After that you should see your performance increase according to your camera's operational settings. I will however, purchase a spare battery or two as well as the AC and DC adapters. External card reading and writing devices are a must to conserve power and again, my Pocket PC and laptop are invaluable for this as you can view and edit CompactFlash cards with ease.

That said, the world is my oyster and I continue to see the quantum leaping advantages to digital photography. I'll miss my old IS-1, but not it's bulk and film waste.

Digital camera with growing room
The Canon S50 has lots of strengths: crisp, sharp color, excellent automatic focus and exposure settings, sharp optics and snazzy design. And a few annoying weaknesses; major redeye problems, an optical viewfinder which only shows 82% of the picture, one second shutter delay and a tiny multi-function switch. It's very durable; I dented mine dropping it from an overhead train compartment in Japan. The 32 meg compact flash card included only holds ten pictures at the highest setting but you can buy a 128 meg on the internet for $35. The very compact battery charger charges Canon's proprietary battery in 80 minutes and works on 110/220 volts. You can buy a clone battery on the net for $5.95. I recommend substituting a neck strap for the provided wrist strap. Included software is okay but I like ACDSee better.

On balance, an excellent value at Amazon's price. Highly recommended.

Buyers Beware! Defects and void warranty
This review refers to Canon digital cameras at large. My experience is with the G5 not the S50. Both are more or less the same camera only the G5 has better zoom and flash shoe.

I got my G5 in August through Amazon. In December the LCD has stopped working, and a few days later the Camera completely stopped functioning.
At the time I was travelling with my wife to Europe and Canon refused to service the Camera. Apparently you can only get US local service to it (they even don't allow shipping back to the States) and get this - I took this to Amazon customer service which warned me that by taking this Camera outside the United States, "you void the manufacturer's warranty on this item. This could make any future servicing of the item difficult and costly."
Since we are due to get back to the States only in 3 months, and I need a WORKING camera to shoot while on vacation, not when I am home, I had to pay today $350 to fix it and replace the "Optical Unit".

I will never buy a Canon product again.

Sony gives you worldwide walk-in warranty, no matter where you are you in the world you go or call a local Sony service center and get your Camera fixed.
Now, that Sony offers CF and not just MemoryStick and with the excellent reviews it gets from the user community, there is really no reason to take the risk with Canon. Their Cameras ship with defects and the service is the worst I came across so far.

The longer I own it, the more I appreciate it
I never took the idea of digital photography seriously until I visited with a friend and saw some of his amazing photographs. Since then, I felt the need to try my hand at it. The old saying goes that it's not the camera, but the photographer that makes the pictures - but when you're starting from scratch, and especially in digital, you'll want something you can grow into.

After doing a lot of homework I decided that the S50 was the camera for me. My biggest concerns when deciding on a camera were it's megapixels, features, and portability. 5MP is enough to do enlargements up to a reasonable size with cropping, and even though I haven't made prints as large as I possibly could, I like having the option for when I will eventually need it. The detail in the pictures really stands out when you have them displayed at full size on your computer. All the camera's settings and modes are top notch and as a photographic novice I found it very easy to use all the advanced features without having read the manual. And as far as portability goes, handling it at the store made me appreciate the solid construction that went into it. It fits well in pockets too, though not as well as other cameras.

So, why not the flip screen on the A80? The S50 felt much more well built to me. Why not the full fledged features on the G5? The S50 is small enough that I'm willing to take it with me wherever I go, rather than "when I'm in the mood." Why not a comparable Nikon or such? Again, I felt like I got everything I needed in one package with the S50.

Do I have any regrets? Not really, though now that I've "grown into" the camera, I wish the aperture range was not so limited on full telephoto, but you won't get much out of any of the prosumer cameras in that respect. On camera flash is bad in every way. And I carry a spare battery with me when I'm out - factor that into the cost of your purchase; the battery life is decent, but not great. On the whole, I'm more than satisfied with the camera, but do your research before you settle down on any camera that you feel is right for you.

Solid Performer at a Bargain Price
A friend of mine recently bought an S50 and brought it over to our home when he visited. We played around with them and our own cameras and made some comparisons. First a few comments about F&F (features and feel). The S50 has a very solid, well made feel to it, especially considering the very reasonable price - you can get it for well under the $600 retail pricetag. Second, this guy has many features you won't get without spending quite a bit more money. For example, the integration of the exposure mode controls are very logical and functional, with a very usable manual exposure mode and wide exposure compensation. The included software has an image stitching capability for assembling panoramas and it works fine. The autofocus system works well and has some interesting options for shooting difficult subjects, such as when the object of interest is off-center.

The image processor is called DiG!C and supposedly enhances the image quality beyond what you'd expect from a 5 MB CCD. We compared images from the S50 to our Olympus C-50 and our Sony F707. The S50 did quite well, in some cases looking slightly sharper than the C-50, but in general falling short of the F707. Note that the F707 retailed for over $1000 and has a large Zeiss lens which I expect is a significant contributing factor. One more thing - the C50 is easy to use - I picked up on most of the controls intuitively.

What Hasn't Been Said
I spent quite a bit of time searching the internet for the perfect digitial camera. I was unsure about making the switch to digital and was also skeptical about spending that much money on something I may or may not use. I got the camera so that it could go with my fiance and I to New Orleans, as well as be used in our private life. So, being a novice I needed something simple to use, with a long battery life and that came with many features. Also, I needed something that would take crystal clear images. This camera has truly done all of that and more. During one week of constant photo taking (over 250 photos), I only changed the battery twice. I was even able to shoot a short video! The camera is versatile in that it's a sophisticated as you need it be. If you don't know a thing about foacl length and proper light, it's a perfect point-and-shoot. If you're a camera wiz, there are plenty of features to let you get just the right shot. I've had the camera now for six months and I'm still discovering new features. It's nearly impossible to take a bad shot with this camera. I will say, however, that some of the camera's modes take a very steady hand to take, so you might need a tripod. Considering how many features are on this camera, the price is wonderful. Especially when compared to similar cameras on the market. So, whether you're a novice or a camera pro looking to switch to digital, the Canon should be your first choice. One thing, the memory that comes with the camera is no where near enough. I bought a 256MB card that I have yet to fill. Other than that, it's the perfect camera.

Canon does it again.
I think I've found the perfect digital camera. Check out the positives and negatives with the PowerShot S50.

Positives: (where do I begin?)
* Made of solid, sturdy metal. Feels like a real camera not a cheap plastic toy like other digital cameras.
* Has features galore!!! Has standard features plus some pretty nice extras such as:
-customizable flash-can change the strength of the flash, helping to prevent washed out pictures which is common with most digital cameras when you use the flash.
-flips landscapes pictures that would normally appear sideways. the camera lets you flip these pictures rightside up so you won't have to do it on your computer.
-can take panoramic pictures.
-the camera is customizable! What does this mean? This camera lets you customize the startup screen. You have an option between clear blue water, evening skyline or a sitting bird. You can change the startup sound, your options include a default theme, science fiction and animal sounds(dog barking or bird chirping). These sounds are designed to presumably match the startup screens but they can be mix and matched. The shutter also has various sounds you can choose from. All these sounds can, of course, be turned off.
-this list goes on and on. Check this camera out to see everything.
* Superb true true-to-life daytime and night pictures.
* Pictures come out crisp and sharp with or without the flash, in brightly lit or darky lit areas.
* What you see is what you get. What you see on the LCD screen is usually how the pictures will appear on your computer monitor or when you print them out. The LCD, when you press lightly on the shutter button, will show you actually how the picture will appear once viewed on screen or on paper. So if your LCD has a bright contrast and you are in a dark room, when you press the shutter button lightly, the LCD will adjust itself to the actual lighting of the room. There will be no deception and you won't have to wonder why the pictures look lighter on the LCD than on the computer screen or in print.
* Can record mini movies with sound.
* Uses compact flash card.
* Unbeatable price.

There is much, much more that I can add on to this list but you will have get this camera and see for yourself.

Negatives:
* Joystick navigator takes some getting used to. Very hard to maneuver through the menus resulting in accidently going to the wrong options.
* There is no power button. You have to shut the lens' lid to turn off the camera. This makes me nervous. I'm always scared that this will somehow damage the lens.
* The macro setting isn't the best. Sometimes the macro pictures can appear blurry.
* Uses the very expensive NB-2L rechargable battery as opposed to inexpensive, more common rechargables such as NiMHs or other types. Plus NB-2Ls can only be used with PowerShot S30, S40, S50 cameras and Elura 40mc camcorders.

Get the Canon PowerShot S50 if you want superior quality in a small package.

Satisfied
I'm new to digital photography. This camera was fairly intuitive to master. The accompanying software is excellent and makes downloads to the computer painless.

It takes stunningly good photos, and that's the important thing. The video quality, however, is yucko. Don't buy the camera thinking that you'll take great short clips as part of the package. You won't.

Why didn't I give it 5 stars?

1) It is slow on the draw when you snap a pic. Just a little too long for it to capture the scene so that you can move on to another pic.

2) The sliding door on the front is, so far, sturdy but it sure feels wobbly and breakable. I don't care for it.

3) The all-in-one function button in the back is sensitive to the slightest pressure in the wrong direction, especially if you make a selection and then press straight down (the dreaded middle position). Ugh, what an awful idea.

4) Forget the memory card that comes with the camera. Canon, just put the higher-capacity card in the camera. We all know that disk space costs practically nothing, and the card you give us is pathetic (it seems all camera manufacturers do this, and I wish they would just stop the cutesy games on this matter).

Bottom line to potential buyers: If I had to do it over again, I'd get the same camera. Others here have mentioned all the good points, and I agree with them.

S400 vs S50 - What a dilemma!
I own a 10D which I absolutely love and was getting tired of using my old Olympus Epic (a GREAT film camera) and was looking for a good digital point and shoot. My two major candidates were the S400 and the S50. I was unfortunately disappointed in the S400's ability to focus reliably and produce good sharp well saturated pictures while the S50 performed like a champ.

If you follow the photography boards at all you realize that this is a fairly common dilemma - the S400 vs the S50. The S50 offers excellent manual controls while the S400 is significantly smaller without any manual control whatsoever other than exposure compensation. I LOVED the look of the S400, but unfortunately it was too small for my large hands and I either couldn't hold it steady or the darn thing wouldn't focus properly even though I set the focus mode on just the center focus square would should have given me substantially more focus control.

This camera is simply beautiful, but for me it just wasn't producing the excellent results I've gotten with the S50. The S50 offers considerably more user controls than does the S400. I could have lived without all the manual controls since I own the 10D and since this camera was primarily for my wife. But I couldn't live without reliable focusing.

Several have pointed out that since the S400 is so small it will always be with you whereas the S50 would be less likely to be carried along because of its increased size. I'm not sure that I buy this argument since I wouldn't carry either camera in my pocket. I'm well aware of the glowing reports re the S400 and I sincerely wish it had worked out for me since I love the form and size factor, but at the end of the day picture quality was WAY more important to me than absolute smallness and the S50 just performed better for me. ON the form and size factor alone the S400 gets the nod, but on the more important function front the S50 just worked better for me.

I am a huge fan of the Canon cameras and I would advise anyone looking for a camera, whether a point and shoot or a DSLR to carefully consider the Canon line since, in my opinion, it is currently the state of the art.

It's a nice camera, but...
I've been mixed on how to review the Canon S50. I bought it after much thought vs the Canon G5 or the newer Olympus cameras, and overall I'm relatively pleased, but I did have my share of problems with it. First of all, the reviews stating that the mechanical door is somewhat flimsy are absolutely correct. It's nice not to have to worry about accidentally turning on the camera, but my first S50 had a malfunctioning sliding door (it wouldn't open completely), and I had to exchange it for another one, which has worked fine.

Second, the exposure settings and picture resolution out of the box are not optimal considering the 5 megapixel CCD sensor, which is one of the major selling points of the camera. My shots were consistently underexposed, and the low resolution settings seemed more designed to fit on the woefully small included compactflash card than to provide good shots. It was easy to change the settings through the extensive menu, but with a point and shoot one expects good pictures without having to tinker with the settings.

On the plus side, the camera is very feature-rich, and the image quality is good once the settings are tweaked. Also, the small size makes it easy to carry around, which is the main reason I chose it over the larger G5.

A major draw is the ability to save images in the RAW format, which many other manufacturers lack. The RAW format can be thought of as the name suggests - a "raw" image without any noticeable compression that might degrade quality. In comparison, a JPEG is considered a "lossy" format, in which one sacrifices some detail in order to have a smaller file size. Once I bought a 512MB compactflash, I saved all my images as RAW files and adjusted them on the computer.

The included Arcsoft and Canon software are not really very good, and you'll get much better mileage from Adobe Photoshop/ Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro.

To summarize,
Pros:
Small size
Good picture quality once default settings are changed
RAW image format capability
Feature-rich

Cons:
Mechanical sliding door can give problems
Out-of-the-box image settings less than optimal
Slow shutter speed
Inadequate Compactflash card included
Need to open battery door to get at Compactflash card
So-so included software

I was going to buy the Sony...
I was going to buy the Sony 3MP digital camera for my first digital camera purchase. My friends liked theirs. Instead, I let the Wolf (Ritz) camera store salesman talk me into the Canon S50.

I'm so glad I bought the Canon! The picture quality is far superior to the Sony and even the 8X10 pictures I have printed are exquisite!

I have taken pictures ranging from the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean at Cabo San Lucas to closeups of people indoors and out and the quality is excellent - better than my 35 mm film camera.

The camera is light and portable and easy to use. On the Auto setting, it really is point-and-click.

I have to confess, I haven't read the two inch thick instruction manual yet though I am looking forward to learning more about its features. In the meantime - I am getting great shots and enjoying the camera!

I strongly recommend the 256K memory card and an extra battery.

One Year of Great Pictures, but Many Limitations
I have been meaning to give this camera a fair review since I bought it last spring, so I spent some time trying all of the features and testing its limitations. While this and most similar digital cameras take some very clear shots, there are too many cases where digital distortion and blurred photos are the result of the current state of digital camera technology. I bought this camera over some less expensive models in hopes to take advantage of the many manual features the camera has to offer. Most highly of these, I looked forward to manual focus. As far as I'm concerned, this feature is just not worth the frustration of using. The same goes for some of the other manual settings available on the camera. It's much easier to get a great picture using the manual controls on the standard 35mm camera. While I'm very happy with this camera for it's quality in construction and ease of general use, I don't reccommend this camera for those who are interested in the manual features. If you find a comparible digital camera without the manual settings, I would choose that one instead. If you want control over your pictures, either buy a digital camera over $1000 or stick to the trusty 35mm for the time being. You could always get a cheaper digital camera on the side for quick picture taking.

This is a good camera, but...
I'd been waiting for the five megapixel version of the elph to come out, but after a bit of research I have some advice; buy the four megapixel version instead. Canon's been having problems putting five megapixels on such a small sensor like the ones used on the S50 and S500 (they use the same sensor). Check out the online review at dcresource(dotcom). Why buy a five megapixel when you get better image quality and smaller file sizes with the 4MP version of the same camera? I ended up buying a brand spankin' new S45 on closeout from Amazon for 2/3 of what these sell for.

I decided to get the S45 instead of the S400 so I could have a camera that I would grow into and one that allows shooting in RAW mode. I haven't been disappointed, I love my camera.

Let the members of the upgrade of the month club have their new 5MP toy, and be waiting to take their "old" camera off their hands, or buy a new one at a fire sale price.

i <3 my camera
this camera is awesome. some good solid features:
1)looks niiiiiiice
2)feels like its built solid, and it is
3)takes awesome pictures (most of the time...more on this later)
4)5 mp!!!!
5)uses compact flash memory as opposed to secure digital (sd costs more than cf)
6)3 minute video clips!!!

it does however have its problems:
1)flash is too bright, be very wary when you use it
2)settings could be better when the camera is set on auto (sometimes the pictures get overexposed, or the focus isnt perfect)
3)short battery life and the included memory card (32 mb) is too small. invest in a spare battery and a card thats at least 128 mb. this'll add at least another $50 (depending on whether you get generic or brand name and how much extra memory you get) :\
4)pretty bulky for a digicam...gets annoying sometimes
5)the 5 mp pictures are pretty big and a pain to send online, unless you have software that can resize the photos. (or you can choose to take pictures at a lower resolution, but i don't choose to do so)

overall, as my title says, i love my camera. the pictures it takes are incredible (much more so in manual than in auto mode). and the details in the pictures is amazing. however, you won't need such a high resolution unless you plan on makin some huge printouts, so don't waste your money unnecessarily just cuz you can get more detail that you don't need. i have also found the manual features to be really simple to use, and it's been awesome for me as i have been learning about photography recently. hmmm...i think thats all the major points for me. the only other thing is the complaints i've heard about the sliding panel....i personally don't have any problems with it, but lots of people do, so i would beware of that too.

Excellent for its class and size
I bought this camera for my recent trip to China. For the past four months, I've been continuously shooting pictures. I've carried the camera with me literally every moment of every day and I have probably taken about 5000 pictures with it so far. Prior to this, I was not a frequent picture taker. Additionally, this is my first digital camera.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied. The camera takes beautifully detailed and rich images. On the superfine, large setting, it is possible to make large prints (12 x 12) with no noticible deterioration in picture quality. I previously shot on Fine, large but noticed some deterioration in quality on a similarly sized print, so I switched to the higher quality setting.

The main weaknesses of this camera are the shutter delay, the focusing and the zoom. Between the shutter delay and the time required for auto-focusing, you can end up with a shot that is different from the one you composed.

The zoom is a source of frustration for me. It just isn't sufficient to get the pictures you want (composed the way you want) when a subject is further than 10 feet or so away.

I think both of these issues are endemic to this class of camera, so this doesn't detract from my appreciation of the camera.

This camera has many options and really serves as a learning tool. It's simple enough to be used by a total novice as a pure point and click camera, but also offers enough control to start to learn about more sophisticated ways of taking photos. There's aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual settings.

Other pluses to this camera are the fact that it is fairly small and non-descript. Many people are surprised to discover that it is a digital. That's good in my mind, because it makes it less stealable.

Before I bought this camera I was a very vapid and infrequent photographer. Now I'm really into taking photos and interested in the process of taking photos. I feel like after using this camera for a few years I will be ready to move up to an SLR.

I recommend this camera without reservation, however you should be aware that I am not an experienced photographer, nor do I have experience with any other digital cameras.

UNBELIEVABLE image quality; never look back after buying it!
I'm an old SLR user from way back, and always KNEW it took a big lense to get a great image on film. This little take-along has such a teentsy lense I figured I'd be sacrificing clarity for the convenience of a snapshot camera I could carry in my jeans pocket. No way - this little package makes 8x10's as crisp and clear as my old 5-pound Pentax K2. The color is saturated and with the $89 Canon i560s printer I bought at the same time, I get glossy prints with perfect color balance and saturation - and so easy. You don't even need to turn on the PC to print - the camera menu drives the printer via the included USB cable. You can even crop and rotate!
I especially love being able to show pictures and video clips on the TV. I carry that adapter cord in my mini zipper case because a large TV screen beats 4x6 glossies any day.
Warnings/issues:
1) The LCD screen on the back is fragile. It scratches very easily. It's also too dim to see in bright sunlight, so changing to the brighter LCD output setting has to be done BEFORE you get in full sun. Catch-22.
3) Buy a LARGE and high-speed compact flash card. I shoot everything in high resolution so I can blow up whatever shot I like the looks of. At 2Mb per image, it's very easy to fill a card up. I usually shoot with a 512Mb Viking which writes each shot to card in about 1.5 seconds, and can store hundreds of shots. I just cleaned that card off, with 185 shots and assorted movies! Also, I just ordered a much faster Sandisk Ultra-II with 256Mb of space. It should be interesting to see how much faster it writes. Transfer to the PC via USB 1.0 cable won't speed up though - the USB 1.0 limits you on any card regardless of the card's read speed. Also, a spare card isn't a luxury - if your one and only card dies, you have no camera. Amazon.com has the best price on the web for that 256 Ultra-II card, by the way.
Two complaints:
1) They should've put a little timer symbol by the button that opens the menu that includes the self-timer function. It's so commonly used, it should have its own button.
2) Same thing for red-eye. To turn it on/off I have to go into the menu. A button next time, OK Canon?
Would I buy this S-50 again? Yes. In a New York minute!

Consider Your Needs Before Purchasing.....
Before purchasing a digital camera, sit-down and consider your needs.

1. Are you just getting started out in digital photography? This particular camera has a lot of bells and whistles but if you don't take the time to learn the features then it may be a bit of an overkill. The manual has a nice layout, but for the amateur photographer, its not going to be enough explain the functions in detail.

2. How portbable do you want the camera to be?
This is a medium sized camera. Not quite small and light enough where you feel comfortable slipping it into your pocket and heading on out. But at the same time, not a big contraption that is bulky and difficult to manage.

Recommendations:
1. Buy a bigger memory Card - With a 5 megapixel camera, I highly recommend getting at least a 256mb memory card.
2. Buy a USB 2.0 Memory Card Reader - While the camera comes with a cable that connects to your computer for downloading images, the USB 2.0 Reader is lightning fast. For example, suppose that a download may take 5 minutes with the supplied cable, that same download will only take 45 seconds with USB 2.0. If you plan on taking a lot of digital pictures, then this item is recommended. Just be sure to check if you computer is USB 2.0 compatible.
3. Buy an extra battery - More than likely that one supplied with the camera will not be enough if you plan on taking a lot of pictures during a trip. At least with the back-up, you can snap away without having to worry if you have enough battery power.
4. Consider buying image editing software- This will give you more control over the finished product. You will be able to crop images, brighten them, sharpen them, take out the red-eye, etc...Again, if you are not familiar with such software, it may take some time to learn.

Conclusion: This camera takes awesome pictures for the most part. At 5 megapixels, the images come out clear and detailed. There is a bit of a red-eye problem, and the flash is not very powerful. This camera offers a lot of features, but unless you are willing to sit there and learn what each function does, you may not need it. Portability was an important factor for me while wanting to preserve camera performance, and so I purchased this camera. If I could do it again, I probably would have bought 2 cameras instead. One really small camera like the Canon SD10, so that I can take it anywhere, and then purchase one bigger camera like the Canon G3. I figured that this camera is in between and compromised. Now I kind of regret it. So take your time and think about what kind of settings you will use the camera in and what functions you really need.

does exactly what it's supposed to
Sometimes I travel to places where more likely than not, I will not have the opportunity to revisit. That is why I like this camera. The quality of the pictures are quite good (often, bracketing and having a big memory card helps this further) and the durable metal body and small size makes it ideal for traveling.

My only major gripe is the battery indicator. The camera doesn't give you a good indication of how much more battery power is left. A second battery is almost a necessary convenience.

Obviously, the pictures taken from this are not as good as the SLR's, but often those cameras do not fit so easily in your pocket. Having easier access to a camera makes it easier for me to take spur of the moment pictures. In addition, the s50 does have some remarkable manual features. Some are a bit gimmicky, but the basic manual features, even a manual focus (kind of a pain to get used to at first) are available.

All in all, I do love this camera for what it is.

Great product, fine pics, very durable
I have a lot of experience with a wide range of fully manual SLRs and digital SLRs, and this camera stacks up nicely. As an architecture student, I bought the S50 to have a quick alternative for shooting models, sites and other miscellaneous scenography to use in large scale presentation format. After 7 months, I have been very pleased.
A few things:

The good:
-RAW format (nice to have that versatility)
-color balance is nice
-easy acces to menus
-loads of manual functions
-light adjustments are right on
-nice lcd, crisp and bright
-overall great consistent pictures, and it's easy to be really creative (making you feel like a better photographer than you actually are)

The not so good (but no so bad either):
-there is too much discrepancy between the area that is seen in the viewfinder and what the sensors see. (You always get more than what you see)
-the 5-way toggle selector button has got to go!
-a little bit too brick-like
-noisy zoom

I would recommend this to semi-serious light-heavy shooters. (but get a spare battery, 2 for a full day of shooting with lcd on)

Good camera but could be better
I received this camera for Christmas and used it very extensively while travelling through Asia, Australia, New Zealand, etc. for over 4 months in all kind of weather conditions. Unfortunately it didn't cope too well with the damp weather in NZ, or maybe I handled it a bit roughly, but it stopped working (and no camera shop would even look at it - sending it to Canon from abroad wasn't an option so I missed out on lots of pictures for about 1 month of travelling). Apparently the problem was with the CF chamber (one pin got bent by just slotting in the card) and Canon UK charged me �200 for the repair after my return to Ireland.

Anyway, in summary:

Good points:
- great quality pictures
- easy to use
- good movieclips with audio (although limited to 3 mins - why?)
- CF cards are easy to find, relatively cheap (especially in Asia) and compact
- the battery life, compared to other compact digicamera, is excellent (especially compared to the Canon Elph 400, which my travel companion had), but it'd be wise to get a spare battery and keep it charged when taking a lot of pictures in one session
- the sofware supplied is quite good
- the lens is bigger than in most compact digicamera, resulting in better focus and details

Bad points:
- the camera is heavy for its size and a bit bulky
- the sliding door on the front is a bit flimsy and sometimes doesn't slot in at the first attempt; also it takes a while to activate the camera
- the silver-coloured buttons look very worn out (although my camera was used a lot in its first 4 months), but at least the black body stays black (the Delph silver case doesn't stay silver for long!)
- the flash is a bit too strong (hence red eyes and bleached out photos in the dark or semi-darkness), even at the lowest setting
- the LCD screen is ok, but it scratches easily (there seems to be a hard plastic cover over it to protect it which can be good)

Overall, it's a good camera for its price, but I will probably choose a lighter version with the same size lens when upgrading

Great product with a few drawbacks
I was given this camera as a gift, and the only other Canon product I owned was the horrible Canon EOS IX. Happily, after playing around with it, I loved this camera.

Pluses:
1. Optics are crisp and sharp.
2. Image quality is great. 5MP is more than any point and shoot casual photographer will ever need.
3. Manual mode is a great addition. You can shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual exposure modes. Pretty nice when you want to get a long exposure for a nifty waterfall shot or to add a sense of motion to a sports/action shot.
4. Nice finish that doesn't wear away easily like most point and shoot cameras in this class.
5. Great auto-focusing and manual-focus controls.
6. 3 minute movie mode. Lots of cameras in this class cap it at 1 minute.

Minuses:
1. The little sliding door on the front to turn the camera on and off can become flimsy if this camera is used often. I've had 2 friends that have had to get this part of their camera repaired.
2. Great when it came out, but there are many smaller 5MP cameras on the market now. This camera definitely feels bulky, but you can't hold this against the camera. When this came out, it was the smallest 5MP out there.
3. The flash is WAAAAAY TOO POWERFUL. I hate using this camera at night because the pictures always tend to be washed out. You can use photoshop and apply a adjust exposure filter and the images turn out looking great. But that's an extra step. I'm confused as to how Canon overlooked this. I know 4 people with this camera, and this is everyone's major gripe.

Overall, from my experience, my guy friends tend to like this camera. Most of the women I know don't as it feels a bit too big to them. If you can get this camera used, I'd definitely recommend it as it'll serve you well for a couple of years.

S50!!!
I have been carrying around dearest Canon Powershot S50 since September of 2003, after tearing myself from an elderly Minolta camera my Father owned about thirty years ago. Prior to purchasing the digital camera, I did a hefty amount of research to ensure myself that I was indeed purchasing a product that would last. After comparing countless cameras to one another through the Internet and shopping centers, I settled on the Powershot S50.

The camera (overall) is incredibly easy to operate, and provides the user with an immense amount of features to explore and expand upon. I quickly learned how to decide on a specific shooting mode for each shot, without much fuss. I also found it very simple to become comfortable and confident while shooting manually with the S50.
This digital camera produces vibrant colors and crisp images with almost every photograph or snapshot taken. The automatic white balance (with or without setting it yourself) compliments each shot, and allows for flexibility. There is rarely a need to adjust anything more than the brightness and contrast of a photograph in Photoshop, which is not the case for many other digital cameras. S50 is also capable of functioning well without a flash in a low-lit environment!

The body of the S50 is a perfect size, sturdy, and survived (with only one small scratch) a dreadful fall on the kitchen ceramic tile. Also, the LED screen placed on the backside of the camera allows the user to see what exactly they are photographing.

There is no need to worry in regards to loading S50s software on a Mac, or PC. Both are "user-friendly" and will not be found troublesome!

Aside from all of the upsides to purchasing the camera, there are, of course, minor (but worth mentioning) issues I was and am not satisfied with. I have not experienced anything negative with the sliding lens cover as other reviewers have, but can agree with its (occasionally) slow reaction time. I have missed a shot I desired to capture on more than one occasion because S50 did not react quickly enough.

Along with this, I have and continue to struggle with the usage of the flash. Photographs either appear too bright or not bright enough. I have yet to settle upon middle ground with S50. However, Photoshop and other photography programs can easily adjust this issue if needed (along with the commonly complained about red eye). The battery life is also an issue to struggle with. It is best to carry another with you, as the camera will not specifically indicate when it will be out of battery power.

I would recommend this camera to anyone in need of a reliable buy, as well as a larger memory card (mine being 256MB). You will have a point-and-shoot camera as well as a semi-pro manual camera combined into one, with a terribly affordable price for all of its functions.

Love it, but here's what I don't like
I have now had my Canon S50 for over a year, and taken hundreds of photos. I am a serious amateur photographer, and I got it because it was the _only_ all-manual (somewhat) pocketable digital camera when I got it. The flexibility of this camera is crucial! And I love the 'intervalometer' which allows me to make time-lapse movies of things such as beautiful sunsets.

The bads:
The markings on the selector wheel have completely rubbed off. I have to look on-screen to guess what mode I am in.
To push the selector SET button in without pushing left or right requires just the right touch. I much prefer separate select button as on some other models.
The lens cover also requires a certain touch to close it properly, since it doesn't stay in its track perfectly. This is easily learned, unlike the selector button.
Special-purpose battery is expensive! Why not use AAs?
Only focuses up to 10cm. Macros are not that macro.
Focusing close in low light is virtually impossible, even with manual focus.
To have a shutter sound a second after releasing the shutter button is worthless. It makes taking pictures from a moving vehicle very hard to time.

Some more GOODS: It is surprisingly sensitive, and takes excellent night shots of things like christmas lights, or shots from indoor lighting even without a tripod.
Sound annotation and movies are very handy!
The flash is very flexible, with 1st or 2nd curtain, variable brightness.
The digital zoom (from 3x to 12x) is quite good.
It is pretty solid. Dropped it onto bricks from 4 feet and just a dent.
Not much distortion or chromatic aberation in the lens. Photos look great at poster size.

Sturdy, a little Chunky... but still great value
I adore this camera for the following reasons:
1. It has a DURABLE metal casing. I have dropped this camera numerous times on the concrete (including the first time I took it out of the package) and usually carry it jammed in my purse with my keys, mechanical pencils, you name it. I've also taken pictures in the rain, which I don't recommend, but it's held up so far! Mine is horribly scratched and dinged but absolutely no problems yet. I do recommend an LCD protector.
2. Sharp, clear pictures. I've submitted pictures to galleries and miscellaneous publications; they've never had problems with resolution as long as it hasn't been much over 8x10 (but it's advertised to be ok up to 10x11).
3. Intuitive controls. Lots of buttons & dials, but you'll pick it up quick or you can just ignore them all, and point & shoot on "auto". You'll still get great pictures.
3. Value. At this point in time, this almost-professional quality MSRP $500 camera can be found online (NEW) at around $220. If you're looking for a Point & shoot that has some extended capabilities and isn't a clunky EOS SLR, this is pretty portable.

A few cons:
1. Weight. It is relatively heavy compared to other point-and-shoots. I always use the strap to keep from dropping it, which I've done more than a few times. It's not as small as the S500s which is a bummer.
2. Manual capabilities occasionally tough to find. As an amateur photographer, I like to use "auto" a lot but when I do use the manual focus/etc. it's not always easy to figure out where the appropriate menus are.
3. Tiny viewscreen. Nothing like getting home and realizing that the pictures that initially seemed so sharp and clear on the screen are blurred and out of focus in real size. But this happens with most (if not all) little digital cameras.
4. Night resolution. Blah. Has a "night" mode which is servicable but not that great.

I love this camera and will definitely buy another Canon after all is said and done. In 1 1/2 years, my camera has been around the US/international scene and has taken 5400+ pictures. It has held up like a champ! I totally recommend the S50, even for photography amateurs. My s50 pictures are all posted on the web.