S2 - full manual control ??

[NicholasA]

Set the S2 dial to "M", for outside fast pics (rockets).
I set the shutter speed to 500, but it would not let me open the f stop up below 3.5 ?

Does the S2 give You full manual control ??

Thanks,
Nick

[TampaJim]

The F-stop is restricted by telephoto length - see the table below.

Zoom State Aperture Value Shutter Speed
Maximum Wide Angle
f/2.7 - f/3.5 ~ 1/1600 sec.
f/4.0 - f/5.0 ~ 1/2000 sec.
f/5.6 - f/7.1 ~ 1/2500 sec.
f/8.0 ~ 1/3200 sec.
Maximum Telephoto
f/3.5 - f/4.5 ~ 1/1600 sec.
f/5.0 - f/6.3 ~ 1/2000 sec.
f/7.1 - f/8.0 ~ 1/2500 sec.

And yes, the camera gives you full manual control. The reason that you have some restrictions, has to do with the compact nature of a P&S body/sensor vs. a dSLR and full size lenses.

Ciao!