Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Darth Camera - Canon Keeps Raising the Bar
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.
Rating: - Excellent Speed vs Feature (Form Factor) Tradeoff
This is my fourth digital camera. After owning two intro models (Olympus D490 and D460) I went in the pursuit of speed. Speed being defined on four dimensions: (1) bootup/startup time, (2) delay between depressing shutter button and digital capture, (3) lag between consecutive shots, (4) lens apeture (for low light conditions). Before the Powershot S50 I was (and still am) using an Olympus C3040, which is the main comparitor for this review. In this price range last year the C3040 was one of the fastest cameras out there due to a 32Mb RAM buffer built into the camera and its F1.8 lens. My sense is that the Powershot S50 and all of its competitors have excellent features - many modes, manual overrides, etc. For the most part, just reading the specs is enough for getting a sense of these features. What is purely experiential - what requires owning and experiencing - is how fast the camera is (on the above four dimensions). The S50 is pretty fast. Bootup about 3 seconds. Delay between pressing shutter button and capture about 1 second. Lag between consecutive shoots about 1 second (I took consecutive shoots using the same fixed composition, flash off, new batteries, repeatedly pressing shutter button very quickly). These speeds are all slightly slower than the C3040. Boot is almost the same, shutter delay almost identical, and S50 was a touch slower between consecutive shoots (after the 6th or 7th shot the S50 was lagging behind). Apeture the Canon has a slower lens (F2.8 vs F1.8). Overall the S50 is a fast camera. Obviously in the S50's favor is form factor (which is one reason why the lens is smaller, leading to a less fast lens (higher F-stop). It is a much smaller package than the C3040, which means that I'll be carrying it around more often.
Rating: - Best value for the money
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.
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