Canon PowerShot S5IS

[jeffus]

We've had to limit the tech toys the last few years with me staying home, and the home needed lot's of improvements, but . . . we're baacK!

I found myself in my natural habitat last weekend - BestBuy!

Well, I had to convince upper-management that our old technology was obsolete and sucked. (That was easy!)

So I picked-up one of these cameras (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=15207)....

Sweet! I've had to really try hard to take a bad picture and even then, I failed miserably...

5 thumbs-up to Canon on this product! Nicely done!

[seattle]

Congrats on the new camera! I have a couple Canon digital cameras and I am very happy with them. My wife has a couple Nikon film cameras but they keep breaking. Do you have any sample picutres?

[Don-Dad]

How does the video look? I have a much cheaper canon that takes good video. I like being able to shoot quick 1 minute movies instead of digging out the 8mm camcorder. But the video sucks if you zoom in.

Does the video on your new camera look good even when you zoom in? It gets great reviews at amazon.

I'm jealous.

[jeffus]

I'll have to post some full resolution, generic pics....

I've been focused on the kid lately (yuk,yuk).

Stay tuned!

[jeffus]

I've been reading reviews and searching forums for a while and ultimately I threw it all aside and went to BestBuy and stayed there for about two hours playing with every single camera on display (except the SLR's - dat's too much money!).

It was a toss-up between this one and the competing Sony model. I didn't care much for Sony's proprietary "memory stick" and batteries. Last 2 cameras were Sonys.

So...after 5 days of living with it ----- I'm keeping it!

I gotta admit the wife was a tad miffed at the price. Little bit more than we discussed. But - she took it to the daughter's Halloween party at school today and came home convinced.

I took pictures in the dark while we were 'Trick or Treating' and they came out good. I've taken stunning pictures of my daughter which I'm actually afraid to post cause they're so freaking georgous, I really couldn't bear to share it with some pedophile somewhere....

Pros:

uses 4 AA batteries - I have 2 sets of Duracell 2650 mAh rechargeable batteries - nice!
Start-up time is under a second - you can pick it up with the lens cover on it, hit the pic button - it'll pop the lens cap off as it fires-up and be ready for you to frame a shot (& take it) before it reaches your eye
had a Sears gift card from last Christmas - bought a SanDisk Ultra II 2.0 Gigabyte memory card for $39.00 (with $11 left-over). It'll hold 596 pictures at about 4.5 Meg each.
love the face-detection technology! It'll be standard soon enough on every camera
that big red button starts the videocamera - real avi format movies! Just hit it and poof! No fumbling, fussing, or missing something! The quality is great!
Red-eye reduction - doesn't even try to minimize it. It's amazingly easy to edit that in the camera's memory.
It'll do about 1 picture every 2 seconds with the built-in flash - faster without the flash
Controls are pretty darn intuitive - just give it a little bit of time and you'll get used to it.Cons:

You have to be a rightie - left-handers weren't made for this cameraThis camera is worth the money! I'll give it 5 mugs-up out of 5!chugchug:

[seattle]

"It'll hold 596 pictures at about 4.5 Meg each"

What format are you using (raw)? I have a 10.2 megapixel SLR and my pictures are 2.5 - 3.5 Meg each (Highest quality jpg).

[jeffus]

Oh....I should have known - a critic!

Pics are about 4 Meg a piece.

The proof is in the pudding! Are ya happy with your camera and does it make pictures that satisfy you?

[jeffus]

This camera does need a better battery life indicator...it totally crapped out on me after 205 pictures and, at least, 10 minutes of video - without warning....What's up wid dat?!

I was informed with a message: "Please change batteries" after driving down to the beach to put this thing though its paces. OK, I drove home, got new batteries and took some pictures....

Again, I'm still learning.....

[jeffus]

Today's Pictures (http://www.straightlinegp.com/cANONpICS/NEWPICS.HTML).....warning! The web page falls apart halfway thru, but some of the pics are pretty darn good...These images are watered-down about 1/8 of the original resolution...

I'm an amateur...And we got some really good videos too.

The biggest complaint I've heard so far is that they let Sony catch-up to them. The slightest flaws in the lens is finally being caught due to the higher megapixel resolution....

Oh, and the batteries fall out if you open the battery compartment door......this is a bad review?

[jeffus]

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0547.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0548.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0549.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0551.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0552.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0553.jpg

http://www.straightlinegp.com/DeerShots/IMG_0556.jpg

[jeffus]

Just got back from shipping the camera back to Canon...

It was having problems recognizing fully charged batteries and kept shutting itself off. Real PITA during the holidays.

I followed their FAQ's before calling technical service. They were quite nice and told me to send it in...

So, we wait.....

[QJ]

Just picked up a little pocket Nikon Coolpix L12 back in September for places where I don't want to lug around my other gear. It crapped out on me, too! Says the battery life is exhausted when I put in fresh batteries. Totally shuts down. Arrrrrgh! Gonna have to send that back in, too.

Good luck with yours Jeff!

[jeffus]

Arrrgh Matey - we're in the same boat! chugchug:

[jeffb]

That stinks that you had to send it to them already. We had to send one of our camera's to Canon and they had a pretty fast turn around.

[Patrickz]

Those doe's look yummy Jeff! =P~ I'd like to shoot one with my bow! :twisted: Notice how they are stamping at you in that one pic.

I have use of a Canon Digital SLR and had no problems nor the owner and wow what great pics they take.
Sorry you guys having problems with yours.:goodman:

[jeffus]

Notice how they are stamping at you in that one pic.

I shot those from the deck of my friends house. They didn't know I was there until I fired-up the camera and it made its 'start-up' sound. Boy, the whole herd turned and immediately looked right at me! First time I was ever afraid of deer.

I'm impressed very much with the camera. They (Canon) seemed to recognized the problem on their website in the FAQ section and when I called, they were impressed that I actually read their stuff, tried it, and took steps to try to isolate and fix the problem - ie: using several sets of batteries, using a battery testers to determine charge levels, cleaning the terminals with alcohol, etc.

They acknowledged something was definitely wrong, apologized, and said, "send it in - we'll fix it"!... What more can you ask for when somebody goofs?

BTW - their call center is in Virginia & repair facility is in Illinois ;).

[Will'sdad]

Amazon is having a sale today for this camera...think I'll get it when the wife comes home.

Is this a good price?

Link (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B000Q3043Y/ref=br_lf_m_540734_1_1_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=photo&pf_rd_p=344907301&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=540734&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KZ04SXNE4H9W5KGQ0KZ)

[QJ]

Looks like a great deal to me! I'm going to fwd that to my dad. He had a Canon S1IS (older molder of that one) that crapped out a couple of months ago. Sensor finally went out after much use.

[jeffus]

Yes, that's a good price....I paid more :oops:.

[jerseyshoreguy]

My wife bought a sony dsc-h5 for my b-day last year (without my input). It is great outside...7.2 megs.... I have to say inside w/flash it stinks.... It can not handle the flash and processing fast enough inside to capture movement.

It isn't as bad as the movies from the 1800's with the guy lighting the powder but pretty close...

I also have used Canon's repair facility and they were good.

[jeffus]

My wife bought a sony dsc-h5 for my b-day last year (without my input).

Oh boy. :roll:


I also have used Canon's repair facility and they were good.

We'll see. I know they got it Wednesday via UPS. Haven't heard a peep from them yet. :huh:

C'mon guys, fix my camera! :mad:

[jerseyshoreguy]

Oh boy. :roll:



We'll see. I know they got it Wednesday via UPS. Haven't heard a peep from them yet. :huh:

C'mon guys, fix my camera! :mad:

That is exactly what happened to me ... I sent them my $180 and was told "if they can fix it they will and will charge you whatever it is (at least $180) if they can't they will just keep your money". I thought I had just donated that money away, kept checking their website and then it arrived and it was fixed and still works great (a G3).

Don't give up hope yet

[jeffus]

I didn't send a dime! Camera's brand-spanking new. Bad enough I had to shell out $12 to ship a defective product back to them.

Looks like they got a bad batch of power management chips or something. Quirkee had the same problem and the 'problem' is on their FAQ list.

Frankly, I'm more than thrilled I spoke with a human from Virginia on the first try. He was courteous, respectful, pleasant, and well-informed too. Walked me through a few obligatory trouble shooting steps and had no reservations saying the camera was screwed-up, send it back, & we'll fix it. Sorry for your troubles.

[jerseyshoreguy]

if it is new they should cover you cost to get it to them.. I would yell about that (get some perks, memory card or case or something).

You sure he wasn't from the virginia in india ... just kidding .. everytime I usually call a service center the dude answers the phone with a name like clint and he is from India...

My mom had a problem with a brand new HP and they snowed her into buying the "new" version, she got it and then looked at cnet and other review sites and the one they pawned off on her had tons of negative comments and reviews... ugghhhh!!!

she ended up getting her old model back

[jeffus]

I guess it really is broken!


Dear Brother Jeffus:

We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days* from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.

Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

[jerseyshoreguy]

That is just a form letter...

The internal damages and revised estimate ..... part shows that this isn't you ... if there were any internal damages IT would be on THEM...

I think your fine.

[QJ]

I still need to send my Nikon back to them. Hopefully I'll get the same response!

[jeffus]

I still need to send my Nikon back to them. Hopefully I'll get the same response!

Nikon?!

[QJ]

Nikon?!

You betcha! Love my Nikons except the L12 P&S at this point. I have a D200, D70, N80 film body, and a handful of Nikon lenses. :wtg:

I thought about going Canon when I switched from film to digital but I already had Nikon lenses. Both companies put out quality cameras, though. One thing I do like more about Canon is the vast amount of Canon lenses available, but Sigma and Tamron have great choices as well for both Nikon and Canon.

Your Canon and my Nikon probably have the same battery sensor and they both failed! :lol:

[jeffus]

I thought you said Canon earlier. I was wondering why you'd send your Nikon to the Canon people...:huh:

[QJ]

:lol: that makes sense. I thought you were slamming Nikon!

[jeffus]

Failure to communicate! Oops!

[jeffus]

Camera's on it's way back to me! Yay!

I should get it back on Tuesday...

[jeffus]

Camera was delivered today...I'll have to put it thru its paces and see if it's all better.

[QJ]

Did they do anything for you on the $12.00 shipping to them? A gift card or something?

[jeffus]

They sent me a Ansel Adams Pony! :shock:

[QJ]

:lol:

[jerseydad]

I have a Canon SD800IS that I bought last March. It was fantastic until recently. When I first bought it, it shut off on me my second day using it because there was no batter indicator. I bought an extra battery and carry that with me whenever I take the camera with me. So, for months, it worked great, no problems. Then, a month ago, out of nowhere, the frame loosened up and opened, so I snapped it shut but to this day it is a bit loose. Also, the lag time is getting really bad. At first, the lag time was normal. But now, sometimes I have to hold the button down for 5-10 seconds before it shoots. Frustrating. I bought an extended warranty with it (i know, im a sucker), brought it to the store and they told me the warranty hasnt started yet because its still under the manufacturers warranty. They told me to contact canon. I asked the salesperson what canon would do for me and it seemed like it was a crapshoot on whether they would help me, based on what I was told at the store. The salesperson then told me that I should just wait for the extended warranty to kick in about 1 1/2 months from now because she said the store usually doesnt want to deal with it and usually just gives you a card to buy a new camera. So right now, Im debating what to do. The camera still takes great pictures...its just that the lag time is pretty bad so action shots are out of the question for now.

[jeffus]

I was going to say things were going great. But the camera worked for 4 days and started doing the same thing it did before....

I have 6 sets of batteries. 1 camera. Camera tells me the batteries are dead. Camera is wrong.

Dammit! Save yourselves! Buy the Sony! It's too late for me!

I hang my head in general disgust....

[jerseydad]

I went to Jenkinson aquarium today at Point Pleasant and I asked a mom if she could take an "action shot" of me and my daughter touching a horseshoe crab. She pushes the button, nothing happens. Pushes again, Nothing happens. Finally, 10 seconds later the camera decides to take the picture...it just so happens that at that very same moment my daughter decided she was bored and wanted to touch the next thing. So I ended up with a picture of my daughter pushing the horseshoe crab away. lol

[jerseydad]

I was going to say things were going great. But the camera worked for 4 days and started doing the same thing it did before....

I have 6 sets of batteries. 1 camera. Camera tells me the batteries are dead. Camera is wrong.

Dammit! Save yourselves! Buy the Sony! It's too late for me!

I hang my head in general disgust....


Did you get an extended warranty? Also, when did you buy it? Usually if you buy an item with a credit card, you have 60 days to dispute the charges. You can also play the "lemon" card and send it back to them again. If they don't fix it properly you can always file a consumer complaint with the division of consumer affairs. They are really good.

[chuck]

Today in the news:
A middle aged man, ridding a pony wearing a jewel encrusted teara, sporting a electronic cross bow and newly acquired handgun rode into the American headquarters of Cannon inc. screaming "the batteries are good - the batteries are good" The man was taken into custody with only some minor damage to the carpet by the pony. The man is said to be resting comfortably at the local mental hospital.
When contacted for a comment his wife said "he was just your normal pony loving guy until he got that camera! The camera has destroyed him, he had to send it for repair 27 times!" Cannon could not be reached for coment... Apparently the batteries in there phones are all dead.#-o


That sucks Jeff, you want I should get out the pipe bombs??:twisted:

[QJ]

^ :lol:

Sorry to hear that, Jeff. Still need to send mine in. $150 for a broken camera! :doh:

[jerseyshoreguy]

I took my daughter to Jenks Tuesday...
small world.. yet worlds away ... go gmen

[jeffus]

I took my daughter to Jenks Tuesday...
small world.. yet worlds away ... go gmen

Hey! Get your aquarium visits out of my camera review thread! :offtopic::jester: (Kidding!)

Shot 108 pictures and a maybe 2 minutes of video today at FIL's 80th b-day party. Cycled through 16 batteries (4 sets of AA rechargable 2650 mAh Duracells) though - that's 27 pictures per batch. That's pretty lame for a camera that was just returned to me as 'repaired'.

From the Canon Website:
Shooting Capacity
Still Image: approx. 170 shots (AA-size Alkaline Battery); approx. 450 shots (AA-size NiMH Battery)*

[jerseydad]

Yeah, the aquarium is great! Got there just in time to see them feed the seals! \\:D/ I took a very nice picture with my Canon too! (see, Jeffus, I managed to sneak in a camera reference. :yawinkle: )

[jeffus]

Today in the news:
A middle aged man, ridding a pony wearing a jewel encrusted teara, sporting a electronic cross bow and newly acquired handgun rode into the American headquarters of Cannon inc. screaming "the batteries are good - the batteries are good" The man was taken into custody with only some minor damage to the carpet by the pony. The man is said to be resting comfortably at the local mental hospital.
When contacted for a comment his wife said "he was just your normal pony loving guy until he got that camera! The camera has destroyed him, he had to send it for repair 27 times!" Cannon could not be reached for coment... Apparently the batteries in there phones are all dead.#-o


That sucks Jeff, you want I should get out the pipe bombs??:twisted:

Would someone tell Chuck the 'pipe bomb' comments have the NSA all worked-up and the Predator drone has been allocated and 'tasked'......:roll:.

Nice knowing ya! Better put that tin-foil hat on pronto! chugchug:.

And no newly acquired handgun since there's still no word on the permit. With references like this, who needs enemies?! ;)

ANd who told you about the tiara! (Much less taught you to spell it?! :shock: ) ;):jester:

[jerseyshoreguy]

I didn't think I would get many shots at the aquarium..
Jenks, is only about 25 minutes away and is half price the month of January and free under 3 so I think we will go soon and I will bring either my old Canon g3 or my sony which eats batteries and is real slow w/ the flash...

(notice the camera comments in the camera thread...:-)

[jerseydad]

You're absolutely right, you won't take many pictures at the aquarium. I tried taking a bunch of the fish and the flash reflected off the glass and ruined most of the pictures. If you want pictures of the fish I suggest putting the lens as close to the tank as possible so the flash doesn't reflect. Or just dont use the flash. Yep, its half off for adults...get your hand stamped so you can come back in. A bunch of my friends are going again next week and I may join them so I'm not washing my stamp off until then...yes, I am that cheap. (I'm kidding...i swear...i really am kidding.) Oh, while I was at Point Pleasant I took some nice winter shots of the beach and the ocean. Make sure to use your flash if its overcast or else your camera will get "fake light" and your picture will come out dark and fuzzy/grainy. Jeffus is probably going ballistic by now. :alright: Just playing with ya.

[jeffus]

Laugh it up -furballs! :)

[jeffus]

Now I find out: The techs that repaired it before said it was working fine. Use the right rechargeable batteries...lugnut!

Now, I'm pissed...:twisted:

They're sending a pre-paid UPS label so I can ship it back again...:roll:

[jeffus]

Bought a Sony today....$150. El cheapo...won't care if it dies.

Argh!

We leave for WDW in 10 days!

[jeffus]

I sent it back today with all kinds of 'handwritten' opinions on this camera's usability and power management aspects....

Well, you know the history by now...:roll:

[sao95]

We leave for WDW in 10 days!

is that your second home, you guys have been like 15 times int he past two years :shock:

[jeffus]

8 days!

As they say, "Find a Happy place!"....:)

[jeffus]

Camera was broke. My batteries are fine. I get it back Monday. Just got off the phone with them.

Short in the internal power supply was draining the batteries and tricking the camera's power meter.

At least that's their story this time.....:roll:.

Lugnuts.

[jeffus]

Got it back today.

Took 125 pictures with the same batteries today.

More betterer!

Most betterest would've been having it back before vacation.

And, at #1 - "Congratulations! You've purchased a product that works and will continue to work for some time now!"

This could've gone far worse than it did. Considering this was 'exceptional' service, I fear for the future.

Argh!

The $150 Sony camera made some really great pics!

[jeffus]

We'll see if it makes publication after a 3-5 business day review...


Great camera. I liked it so much I had to have it fixed - twice. Bought in late October and it's battery performance went downhill fast - ala 20 shots per set of 4 batteries. Sent back and was told to use NiMH batteries which I was using. Sent it back again with the batteries and they finally found a problem with the internal dc power supply. Just got it back after returning from vacation (of course) and it seems to be back to its 'normal' operation which I've found to be exceptional.

Customer service was good. American based and operated. A little scripted and not given to 'free-thought', but eventually (it seems) they found my problem and fixed it (and it only cost me once to ship it to them - yay!).

With the above said - It's pretty hard to take a bad shot with this camera. Possible, but not probable. Performance is great in bright light and pretty darn good in low light. There's a million adjustments so if you knew what you were doing, you could probably get any shot any time. This camera's got more functions and capabilities built-in, it's going to take quite some time to master.

Unlike others, I find the loose lens cover 'feature' useful. From a completely powered-down state, you can grab this camera, hit the 'take picture' toggle, point it, and shoot a pic in less than a second. The lens cover pops right off as the camera powers-up and you don't miss the shot.

I used this camera to document my FIL's 80th birthday and the relatives there that didn't know me too well (it's a BIG family), thought I was a professional photographer. I got great pictures in both dark and light settings. Some of the best candids were from quite far away using this camera's great zoom and optical stabilization.

This camera fits the niche between SLR and pocket snapshot camera very well. It has interchangeable lenses and a hot-shoe if you want to dabble and the ability to change just about any setting you want. Or, you can take great shots right out of the box. It's up to you how you want to use this camera and I find that is the best feature.

You'll need to be a 'rightie' to enjoy this camera.

:)


I got published! Yay!