Downsides of Canon S2 IS?

So, I've successfully broken my current digicam (Canon A80) and need

a replacement. I chose the A80 because it was small enough to carry

around easily but still had a lot of features. Since getting it, I've

hardly used my film SLR (Elan IIe), either because of the weight or

the lack of instant gratification, or both--I'm really not sure

which. So, now that I'm in the market for a new one, I'm torn

between size and features. Small is good, more likely to use, but I

don't get the same "rush" I get when using the small P&S as I do when

using the SLR. So The Canon S2 IS seems like a good compromise. Of

course, a camera that could do everything that an SLR could do, and

fit in my pocket, would be ideal.

Anybody have any thoughts? Specifically, I'm wondering if there's

anything that people think I would NOT like about the s2 IS. I

mainly do outdoor, landscape, and then people at parties.

Kelly,

I tried the S2 in the store because a friend had recently gotten one. For me the viewfinder was a deal breaker. I just couldn't use it. I use the Canon G6 which is a very capable camera with a viewfinder that is barely adequate. It has 7mp, raw capability and a great 2.0 lens but may be larger than you require. Most stores now have a display counter where you can pick up the cameras and handle and try them. Suggest going to a store and handling them. The Olympus 5060 is also an excellent capable P&S with high image quality, but larger than the A80. So are some of the Panasonic models. Very good recommendation on this site for a Fuji F10 that looks more like an replacement for your A80. Maybe the Canon A95 would also be a good replacement. Best to handle them and read some reviews. Here is a G6 picture example: http://www.photo.net/photo/3843293 Good luck.

Other than the viewfinder being less than desireable, the S2 IS suffers from the common digicam probelm of not being wide enough. It has a good long lens, but it starts out at like 38mm. But this bugs me about most digicams, so it's nothing specific to the S2 IS. The only other issue is that Panansonic's FZ5 (& FZ30) are often rated as better cameras.

The Canon's advantages are that it has slightly less digital noise, and uses AA batteries, while the FZ's use proprietary lithiums. The Panasonic batteries are available cheap in Ebay, but you do have to order them. The Panasonic's advantages are that the image is just a bit sharper with less CA, the autofocusing faster, and image stabilization better. The FZ5 is smaller/lighter as well, but not very one thinks that is a plus.

It doesn't seem that either has a clear and compelling over all advantage over the other. I do like the AA battery option, but reliable AF on long lenses is critical, so I think I'd go with the Panasonic if choosing right now. You can check out reviews and comparisons at www.dpreview.com

DPReview's opinion of the DMC-FZ30 was that it is a beautiful camera let down by its noisy sensor. I looked at the DMC-LX1 for a carry around. It is very tempting but like the DC-FZ30 it has lots of noise at other than minimum ISO.

I am currently awaiting the Fuji F11 though it lacks RAW capability. For me high ISO capture is a must.

The DMC-LX1 is a very nice camera for landscape photography since you can probably get away with a slow shutter speed and use low ISO. The nice panoramic format is quite stylish.

My father has the Canon S1 and likes it (he was a film shooter before). You should get the wide angle converter though they are somewhat inconvenient they do give you an actual wide angle (28mm) rather than a normal.

Things that would steer me from the S2 IS:

It's not much smaller than a compact DSLR. It lacks wideangle coverage. Noise becomes intrusive at moderate ISOs. High zoom ratio lens results in too many compromises on image quality including CA and purple fringeing.