Product ReviewsCanon PowerShot S2 IS 5.0MP Digital Camera - Silver

Obsolete but Functional

PROS: Small enough to toss in my backpack so I always have a camera (a real camera, not some stupid cell-phone) with me when I'm out during the day. Runs on 4 common AA batteries, so you don't have to worry about charging a 'power pack'. Has a real viewfinder which is far easier to use for composing images than an LCD screen. The zoom lens doesn't have a very wide range, but operates smoothly and is very responsive.
CONS: A bit obsolete in terms of imaging power - rated at only 5mega-pixels. Even so, final image quality is very good. Could be a little lighter, but the weight is mostly due to the batteries. The LCD screen is tiny; it's hard to review your shots, but the image quality on the screen is decent. The controls are not as 'intuitive' as on more modern cameras (like my Nikon D200 or D300). I'm only using my Canon for 'snap-shooting' & don't want anything fancy out of it - it's fine for that, but if you want to use all the camera's features you've got to read the whole instruction manual (weighs more than the camera LOL).
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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: ynnotllc

My camera

Camera started out okay but now has a lot of problems for it only to be used by me four times

suitable for it's intended purpose

This was bought to replace a dead S1 in a photobooth environment. Working s1s seem to be unavailable anymore. The booth software only works with a limited series of cameras. For it's intended use this model is fine, the quality is sufficient, and the price is reasonable. For general use it is obsolete. Most cell phones have higher resolution and better features. However as a kid's starter camera it would be fine too. It is likely cheaper to buy these on ebay as replacements then to repair a dead one. Sad to think of a 5 MP camera as a throwaway but that is where technology has brought us. I just ordered another one for further backup.Read full review...

The Cannon Power Shot S2 is a pretty good camera when working.

This camera would not function when I took it out of the box. I bought it used on e-bay and I was a little frustrated that it was not working. The camera powered up but the viewing screen was black. I could not see the object I was taking the picture of. I contacted Cannon and the tech recommended I send it to Cannon for repair. I did a little research AFTER taking the camera apart trying to find the defect. I suspected it was in the electronic appeture. I put the camera back together and researched the web for possible answers to why the camera would not function. I found the answer. You have to set the settings to TV or AV Mode, turn the camera on, then remove the battery from the battry compartment while the camera is on then put the battery back in and turn the camera on again. Repeat this process several times. It took me 20 times before the electronic appeture started to open. Eventually, I could start seeing the objects in the view finder meaning the electronic eye was starting to unfreeze. By the 20th time the camera was working. This camera takes pretty good pics and the settings are pretty easy to navigate through. I like the camera now and I use it all the time. My review of the camera will be based on the operation of a working camera. This camera model is known to have this manufacture defect so make sure you get a WORKING model or you are willing to take a chance on being able to unfreeze the electronic eye or pay to repair the camera.Read full review...

On of the best Canon camera made

Shoots great pictures. Very easy to use. Many great settings. Great zoom. Pulls pictures in from great distances away. I put it on auto, and just shoot great pictures every time. The camera does all the work for you. I bought this same camera many years ago. It still works great. The zoom is a little slow, but still takes great pics. One thing that is at is a draw back is that it only takes 1 gig cards. That never bothered me I just bought a bunch of 1 gig cards. It does go threw battery's pretty fast, and I just get rechargeable.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: tampabayresell

Great camera!

This is a pretty good camera and I've owned a few so I think I could make a fair judgement. The only thing I will say is it almost has too many features, which is hard to say is a bad thing. Its not as user friendly as some I've had in the past but I'm sure I'll figure it out. It's heavier than your average digital but solid! The LCD screen is smaller than what I'm used to and I don't particularly care for the swing out feature (maybe if it was automatic). If I can't figure out why the flash doesn't auto pop up I would say I don't like that manual feature as well. Been a long time since I've had to raise the flash on a camera! All in all a good product!Read full review...

Canon PowerShot S2 IS 5.0 Megapixel

This is the second Canon Power Shot S2, the 1st I gave as a gift, and missed it so much, I chose to get another, and this is the 4th Canon I've owned, of which I still have and use two AE1 35mm's. I've never been disappointed with the quality of the camera, pictures produced and ease of use, with one exception. This camera takes beautiful pictures, but produces a softer image (isn't as clear and defined) than the first S2 I had when using the telephoto in it's fullest power. It isn't really noticeable with scenery, but for focusing in on small critters and birds that I'd like a close up of, it's harder to get an acceptable image of them. Overall, it's a great camera for the beginner, or anyone to keep handy.Read full review...

My Cannon S2 IS is all I need for taking quality pictures.

As an amateur photographer, I am quite pleased with the S2 IS since it has enough user features that I found to be helpful if I needed to do something special. I typically use the camera with a wide angle lens and then crop out any unneeded sections on my computer. The users manual is well written and simple to follow. However, I left the camera in a moisture laden environment about a year ago which caused the zoom lens driver to fail. Since Cannon no longer makes the part, I ended up buying another S2 on E-Bay and then added my lenses, chip and batteries. Everything works perfectly and I plan to use this camera for the foreseeable future. Kudos to Cannon for producing a high quality point and shoot camera with great resolution and simple operations.Read full review...

Sweet and to the Point-N-Shoot

This what I call a Bridge device. So many items on the market are either to specific or to generalized. The Canon Power Shot S2 IS camera is the perfect digital camera that is both simplistic and advanced at the same time.

Select the "Auto Mode", the point and shoot. Finese your shot a little more by depressing the shutter button half way for a sharper focus in a selected frame. Or you can turn the dial, select from menu items to set or adjust just about any manual setting to your liking like a real pro.

The picture are great, with enough detail to make beautiful enlargements. And if you feel the need you, can add a lens adapter, slave flash plus many other professional attachments to enhance or modify you images.

Depending on your pocket or you can move up to the S3 or S5 (Newer Models with greater resolution.Read full review...

S2 is the winner...

I have owned/used the S2 and the S3. Although the S3 model has a few more features, the S2 is by far the reliability winner in my opinion. I bought a spare, just in case! Great camera.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: payless_camera

great camera with great features ..

great camera. Battery life is a problem with this model. My double A's last up to 100 pics, making this camera use abit $$$. But the pictures are worth it. keep plenty of extra batteries available.Read full review...