Canon PowerShot S5 IS Review

With the PowerShot S5 IS, the DiGIC III processor is now part of Canon’s super-zoom camera series. The powerful signal processor, which is also used in the professional flagship EOS-1D Mark III, opens up face recognition to the PowerShot and Digital-Ixus models. The PowerShot S5 IS is now able to detect the faces of people in front of the camera (up to nine people) and adjust exposure and focus accordingly. The small chip also brings electronic red-eye detection and retouching, more effective signal amplification (for light sensitivity level equivalents of up to ISO 1,600) and an increase in memory limit in video mode from 1 to 4 gigabytes.

For many Canon fans, however, the DiGIC III processor will not be the most important new feature of the PowerShot S5 IS. While the previous models S1, S2 and S3 IS did not have an external flash connection, the S5 IS is now equipped with one and thus allows the mounting of the Speedlite flashes from Canon’s (D)SLR program and the use of their functions (according to the German press release even including wireless eTTL flash control). This brings the S5 IS a little closer to the blessed PowerShot Pro1; a so-called prosumer camera, whose successor has been, and in some cases still is, awaited by quite a few demanding photographers. Because the S5 IS does not quite come close to the Pro1. Its 1/2.5″ sensor is considerably smaller than the 2/3″ CCD of the Pro1 with the same resolution (approximately 8 megapixels), its lens (36-432mm/F2.7-3.5 corresponding to KB) does not protrude far enough into the wide-angle range to meet expert demands despite the considerably stronger zoom and built-in image stabilizer, and unfortunately, the S5 IS does not have a raw image data mode (RAW/CR2) either.

Officially, the S5 IS is the successor to the S3 IS – and that’s how it should stay. Apparently she has no greater ambitions. Compared to the S3 IS, the new features are numerous. In addition to the DiGIC III processor and the new functions associated with it, the 8.3 megapixel CCD (8 MP effective) and the hot shoe, there is also a – still rotatable and tiltable – larger LC screen with a screen diagonal of 6.3 cm (2.5″ TFT LCD with 207.000 pixels), a new function called Auto ISO Shift (pressing the Print/Share button instantly switches to a shake-proof high sensitivity level), an additional scene program (for photos in or (Safety Zoom, Digital Tele-Converter), Continuous Shooting AF, Safety FE, Long Play Mode for video recording and Safety MF, a new function for automatic fine tuning of the focus during manual focusing.

Otherwise, the S5 IS retains virtually all the features of the S3 IS, including stereo sound recording, ultrasonic motor (USM) zoom drive, the spectacular 0 cm close-up limit in super macro mode, the availability of optical accessories (lens/filter adapter, wide-angle converter, teleconverter, close-up lens, etc.), the live histogram, the numerous filter effects (color change, individual color, etc.), the freely programmable self-timer (custom timer) – and much more.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS Datasheet