Canon Powershot S5 IS

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Why is the Canon Powershot S5 IS so Popular?

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Canon's Powershot line of devices has been well received and reviewed for quite some time. The Canon Powershot S5 IS is a newer version that brings some increased photographic skills for both still photography and videography.

The camera is a bit more complex than many of it's point and shoot cousins but most amateurs agree that it is still easy to use and a great buy even if they don't use all of the functions available. Certainly the outstanding quality of the images it produces are evidence enough of why this camera is so popular with consumers and reviewers.

Use the expandable Table of Contents below to help you find things quickly on this page.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS 

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

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)Buy Now

The Canon Powershot S5 IS has enviable traits such as optical image stabilization, face detection technology, and in-camera red-eye correction. It possesses 8.0 megapixel CCD sensor to assure superior image quality.

The Canon S5 IS is more than a still camera as it switches to movie mode allowing users to capture video with the push of a single button.

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS fits firmly into the hand with it's rubberized grip cover making shooting and filming a breeze. It offers fast shutter-speed capabilities - up to 1/3200 sec. for those shooting action scenes and provides an accessory Hot-Shoe that accommodates a variety of Canon EX-series Speedlite flashes to assure users get the optimal lighting conditions. An optional 1.5x teleconverter, a .75x wide converter, and a close-up lens are available for those with specialized photographic needs.

Some of the Technical Specifications 

Click on the pictured S5 IS above for more details

Here are some of the basic Canon Powershot S5 IS specifications:

  • Resolution: 8.0 Megapixel

  • Sensor: 1/2.5" type CCD
  • Image Resolution:
    1600 x 1200
    2048 x 1536
    640 x 480
    2592 x 1944
    3264 x 2448
    3264 x 1832

  • Movie Resolution:
    320 x 240
    640 x 480

  • Memory Included: 32MB Secure Digital Card

  • Storage Media: Secure Digital

  • Compressed Format: JPEG/EXIF v 2.22

  • Movie File Format: AVI (Image: Motion JPEG; Audio: WAVE (Stereo))

  • Optical Zoom: 12x

  • Digital Zoom: 4X

  • Focus Mode: TTL autofocus

  • Focusing Range: Normal: 1.6 ft./50cm-infinity (WIDE), 3.0 ft./90cm-infinity (TELE), Macro: 3.9 in.-1.6 ft./10-50cm (W), Super Macro: 0-3.9 in./0-10cm (W)

  • Optical Viewfinder: Electronic Viewfinder

  • LCD Monitor: 2.5-inch TFT

  • Some Important Terminology for First Time Shoppers 

    When looking at the various features of the Canon Powershot S5 IS, a few definitions for some of the terms are in order for beginners.

  • CMOS Sensor:
    As most people know, the number of megapixels helps to determine the resolution of a digital camera and thus the quality of the images it produces. The other factor is the sensor: either CCD or CMOS chip. The greater the size and number of such chips the better the image quality.

  • Optical Stabilization:
    Image stabilization is critical in avoiding camera shake (especially important in closer shots) and camera movement when filming. Optical stabilization is far superior to digital or "electronic" stabilization in its effectiveness and ability to maintain image quality.

  • Face detection technology:
    A camera with Face Detection will readily identify the faces in a scene and focus on them assuring that the subject in a picture is always in focus versus some other intervening object. The Canon S5 IS provides this focusing assist as well as "Face Detection AE" which measures the brightness of the faces and sets the exposure in the shot accordingly.

  • Optical Zoom:
    Zoom obviously allows users to shoot closer photos or film without physically moving closer to the subject. However, shoppers need to understand that digital zoom merely crops off portions of a picture and expands remaining portions of the image electronically which can decrease image quality, particularly with larger prints. Optical Zoom however, increases lens length and maintains image quality and is thus a preferred zoom method.

  • Canon Powershot S5 IS Accessories 

    More Accessories are Lower on This Page

    Canon PowerShot S5 IS Short Course 

    A Short Course in Canon PowerShot S5 IS Photography book/ebook

    Amazon Price: $36.95 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

    Canon Powershot Digital Field Guide 

    Canon PowerShot Digital Field Guide

    Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

    Video Reviews of the Canon S5 IS 


    Canon PowerShot S5 IS review

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    67188 views
    111 Comments:


    Canon Powershot S5 IS Digital Camera

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    207974 views
    291 Comments:

    curated content from YouTube

    Watch the Canon S5 IS in Action 


    S5 IS SUPER MACRO VIDEO

    Runtime: 47
    335 views
    0 Comments:


    Canon S5 - sample pictures

    Runtime: 95
    1171 views
    4 Comments:


    CANON Powershot S5 IS Zoom Test

    Runtime: 27
    4668 views
    11 Comments:


    Porto Red Bull Air Race

    Runtime: 60
    11394 views
    9 Comments:


    Macro video - Bee on a flower

    Runtime: 22
    2097 views
    4 Comments:

    curated content from YouTube

    The Canon S5 IS in Action on Flickr 

    Austin checking his shot by Travis Isaacs

    Austin checking his...

    the grabbing hands by Glatze mit Kamera

    the grabbing hands

    Tomatoes by Whistling in the Dark

    Tomatoes

    Oct 12 by phoenix wolf-ray

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    Sept 30

    automatically generated by Flickr

    Used Canon S5 IS 

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    The Canon S5 IS in the News 

    Booq Boa Flow backpack - The Photo Forum - Photography Discussion ...
    Canon S5 IS (started learning on this in July '08) Canon 50D (my first dSLR, bought in June '09) Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6. JClishe is online now. Sponsored Links. ThePhotoForum.com is the premier Photography Forum & Digital Camera ...
    Canon S5 IS 48x Test Zoom Brazil | Buy Cheap Canon PowerShot ...
    Sunday, November 22, 2009. Canon S5 IS 48x Test Zoom Brazil. Teste de no Brasil zoom, 48x full Canon PowerShot s5is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXL2zfOtgQU&hl=en. Posted by Jonathan Wilson at 8:55 PM. Labels: Brazil. 0 comments: ...
    Canon 2x Tele-convertor - Pixalo Photography Community
    Additional Cameras or Bodies: Canon S5 IS. Lens 1: All Canon: 17-40mm L series. Lens 2: 24-105mm f4 IS L series. Lens 3: 100-400mm IS L series. Lens 4: 50mm f1.8 standard. Lens 5: 100mm f2.8 macro USM. Flashgun: Canon 580EX Mk ll and ...
    Canon S5 IS froze with black/gray horizontal bars across screen ...
    I was shooting Wed night at the kid's school when my Canon S5 IS froze with black/gray horizontal...

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