S2 IS LCD not acting as viewfinder

[gerrybaba]

Hi

My Canon Powershot S2 IS's LCD is not acting as viewfinder, although it is working just fine to review clicked pics. I have to use viewfinder to take pics.

I had connected it with PC and trying the remote shooting option. I took a pic and then pressed Alt+F4 and after that I disconnected camera and went outside but LCD did not work. I tried removing and replacing batteries, restarting camera, replacing card. Interestingly, when I reconnected camera to PC, it did not show any view in viewfinder on Monitor, just a blank window and gave me msg Camera not connected after a while but if I click on take-picture button, it took pic.

My camera is working, and LCD is also as it is showing clicked pics easily but not as a viewfinder.

Please help!

GerryBaba

[BowerR64]

Push the "Disp" button a few times. This is a common thing that happens once in a while. Once you figure it out you never forget because you go into this panic thinking the LCD is broken or has failed.

Its a mode that you can put the camera in, i think its designed for dark shooting like at a concert or a play. You can turn the large display off and only use the viewfinder so its not lighting up where your sitting and disturbing others watching. Rotating the screen turns the LCD off also but some cameras dont have a swivel screen.

Hope that helps:confused:

[David Metsky]

Actually, I leave my camera in "Display Off" mode all the time. I never use the LCD to compose pictures and it saves battery power. But BowerR64 is probably right, you just need to turn the display back on.

-dave-

[BowerR64]

Its easy to bump, if you have the sound beeps on when you hit a button on accedent you will know but it can also be a pain because ive bumped a button before and i heard it beep and i was like %!?$ what the heck did i do. Then i found out when i took the shot the flash was off DOH! :D

[gerrybaba]

Thanks a lot to all for helping me out. Special thanks to BowerR64!!

In fact, this is my first camera and I am total novice. I have got this amazing camera but I think I am neither fully understanding nor making optimum use of its capabilities.

But for your help, BowerR64, I would have taken this to repair shop and who knows how much he must have charged me!! So thanks for saving a trip and some bucks too!

Any site which explains photography to novice like me! A Canon S2 IS specific webpage will be much more apt.

Regds

Gerry

[BowerR64]

cool! its just ive never heard of anyone with a damaged screen on an S2 or an S3 so i just figured thats what it was.

Its a good camera you just need to give it time. Struggle with it a little bit and you will grow to love it as many of us around here have.

Being new to cameras will make it a little more tough, but ill tell you this you picked a good one for your first.

Just keep reading and asking questions you will pick it up quickly.:D

If i were you, i would use "P" mode on the dial. I have had my camer for about 8 months and i still use it most of the time. It is a failsafe setting but gives you some creative settings. Just use that mode and then as you go come here and ask anything you are curious about. We can help you dial it in so you can get some really good shots.

"P" mode seems to give better shots then auto even without adjusting anything. I never even use or sugest it anymore. It seems like the worst setting on the camera.

[gerrybaba]

I think my learning curve will start to rise in the company of mentors at DCR.

I bought S2 IS only after good deal of research on net and I was very much swung in favor of this cam by review on DCR. I had always wanted a camera with good zoom quality as 3X never appealed to me. It was like a handicap to have a camera which is not better than your eyesight!!!

I have started to fiddle and will post some pics from my Jaipur trip with this camera. What will be the ideal place for posting pics? I have posted some on webshots and have created a photo album on Yahoo Photos but dont know which is better. Do tell me where to post pics to extract reviews for gaining more knowledge.

I am going to turn my attention now to finer settings and ask you people for guidance.

Regds,

Gerry

[QuixoticOne]

Bower64's response made me laugh. When I first encountered this issue I was on a CircleLine in NYC after viewing the Statue of Liberty. I was so angry and about to return my camera as soon as I got back to California. I started just pressing the buttons after I got off the boat and blam, there it is again. And true to the comment, I haven't forgotten. Great response.

Q1