Canon PowerShot S50 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [10.51mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 4.4 x 2.3 inches ; 9.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008OE5I
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,111 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 28, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Although it may look like a compact digital camera, the Canon PowerShot S50 delivers is actually a 5 Megapixel camera with features and options normally only reserved for high-end digital cameras.

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.

Product Description

x 32 MB CompactFlash English F/2.8-4.9Stylish pocket size fully featured digital camera. With 13 flexible shooting modes and new Canon technologies this is the ideal camera for taking photos in all situations. The

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

222 of 225 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformed a skeptic!, October 18, 2003

By 

Rishikesh Bhalerao (Boston, MA, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Canon PowerShot S50 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

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.

231 of 241 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best value for the money, May 31, 2003

By 

S. Pack "S" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon PowerShot S50 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

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.

80 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Darth Camera - Canon Keeps Raising the Bar, April 4, 2003

By 

Woo Song (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Canon PowerShot S50 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

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.