So FINALLY, the S5 IS!

[emjoi]

Someone posted a while back that it wouldn't be called an S4 IS, for some superstitious reason. Good call.

Digic III.
A bigger screen.
Hot Shoe Flash!

I shall await the head to head comparison reviews with the Sony H9 with enthusiasm. One of these will replace my battered S1 IS.

[leyo04]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

hotshoe...

[oj88]

http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/pss5is/index-e.html

[tim11]

Someone posted a while back that it wouldn't be called an S4 IS, for some superstitious reason. Good call.
.
What was the superstitious reason? S5 looks like a fine camera to me.
Hotshoe and high ISO... hmmm......... This will come toe to toe with Fuji S6000fd.

[David Metsky]

What was the superstitious reason?

4 is not an auspicious number in some Asian cultures.

[Rooz]

What was the superstitious reason? S5 looks like a fine camera to me.
Hotshoe and high ISO... hmmm......... This will come toe to toe with Fuji S6000fd.

the number 4 is considered an unlucky number by the chinese. i think it's cos the pronunciation of the word 4 in chinese sounds like the pronunciation of the word "death".

[FLiPMaRC]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

hotshoe...

:eek: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[Mr Jear]

I was hoping someone with an S3 could briefly summarize the major improvements.. Better glass? Digic III? Same zoom range. Still no Raw? Bigger LCD but EVF still poor? I am in the same boat as many, waiting for the right super zoom. Right now, the sony H7/H9 vs S5IS or any other suggestions.

[FLiPMaRC]

I was hoping someone with an S3 could briefly summarize the major improvements.. Better glass? Digic III? Same zoom range. Still no Raw? Bigger LCD but EVF still poor? I am in the same boat as many, waiting for the right super zoom. Right now, the sony H7/H9 vs S5IS or any other suggestions.

From what I can see, all those things you already mentioned plus a bump in ISO to 1600, which will probably be useless anyway. I know my S3's ISO800 is pretty much useless. Oh, and the hot shoe is probably the most significant improvement.

[St. Chris]

From the photo at the Japanese site (linked above), it looks like we finally get a locking lens cap. I have to admit that the S1-S3 lens cap is a mixed blessing: I can flick it off the lens super-easily, which has made for faster shooting, but...well, I can accidentally flick it off the lens super-easily, and I am kinda tired of mashing my finger right onto the middle of the glass because I think the cap's still on when it's actually slipped off. I wonder how the S5 will handle start-up if the lens cap is locked in place -- perhaps there's a mechanism to automatically pop it out?

The notched edge around the S5's lens enclosure almost had me whooping with joy at getting a focus ring, but since it still takes lens adapters, I don't suppose that's actually the case.

Also: Aside from its utility, that hot shoe makes the S5 look much more serious.

[TenD]

This is pretty close to the camera I was hoping for but it's missing one key thing I was looking for: RAW. I just get frustrated this can't do what my SLR can do in a compact package. So it looks like I'll buy a Reb as a small camera to use at work. It's larger than the S5 but is higher in quality in every way and allows the latitude of RAW. I'll keep my S2 but mainly for the movie mode. The S5 is pretty much what I expected, but I was really hoping for RAW support.

[downtrodden]

Well I for one will have to see the ISO samples Jeff takes when he does his review.. if 400 is now usable and 800 is with some noiseware, i will take the plunge on the S5- the reason being I have to stay in the Ultrazoom world until someone makes a DSLR with a live LCD display. I'm legally blind and cannot see anything through a viewfinder. So i'm stuck with what the camera companies give me in terms of non DSLRs.

I am happy they added the hot shoe. Raw would be nice... but i actually wish they would've made the zoom less.. 10X and picked better glass. Happpy about the bigger LCD, just hope they make the numbers larger too! (sometimes i can't tell what shutter speed and F stop i'm at)

I read somewhere the XTi doesn't have a 2 second or custom self timer option.. is that true?

~Cory

[DirePenguin]

This is pretty close to the camera I was hoping for but it's missing one key thing I was looking for: RAW.

Have you ever considered looking into the RAW hack (http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/HDK_firmware_usage)? It works great for the S3 and I seem to remember that it also works on the S2....

[absolutic]

I was hoping someone with an S3 could briefly summarize the major improvements.. Better glass? Digic III? Same zoom range. Still no Raw? Bigger LCD but EVF still poor? I am in the same boat as many, waiting for the right super zoom. Right now, the sony H7/H9 vs S5IS or any other suggestions.

Negative changes:

1.from 6MP to 8MP in the same tiny 1/2.5 sensor - bad bad
2. S3is had a dedicated separate SD slot, S5is moved it down together with battery - not smart at all
3. The continuous shooting speed is down from 2.3fps to 1.5fps - bad bad
4. The battery life is down from 550 to 450shots

Positive changes (or maybe not):
1. Digic III vs Digic II - maybe better (but maybe more noise and worse - need to wait for reviews)
2. ISO is up from 800 to 1600 (but who cares if the only useful ISO is under 400)
3. Larger LCD, 2.5inch vs 2.0 inch on S3. Now that is a welcome change.
4. Size is a little larger than S3is (I don't know if it is better or worse).


Overall we probably need to wait for reviews. Unless there is a miracle, this camera is likely to produce worse photos than S3 due to more pixels in the same small sensor which was already too small to begin with. Although never say never, I would like to be proven wrong.

[tim11]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

hotshoe...
Looks like TTL flash. :cool:

[coldrain]

Well I for one will have to see the ISO samples Jeff takes when he does his review.. if 400 is now usable and 800 is with some noiseware, i will take the plunge on the S5- the reason being I have to stay in the Ultrazoom world until someone makes a DSLR with a live LCD display. I'm legally blind and cannot see anything through a viewfinder. So i'm stuck with what the camera companies give me in terms of non DSLRs.
There already are DSLRs that will give you LCD preview. The Olympus E-330 (and E510 and E410), and the Panasonic L1 give you live preview on the LCD, including AF functionality. So your wait should have been over a year ago already.
I read somewhere the XTi doesn't have a 2 second or custom self timer option.. is that true?
No, that is not true.

[flash110]

As its predecessor the S5 looks like a good camera but I can´t hide my disappointment, the only surprise is the welcome addition of hotshoe, all the rest are minimum up to date adjudgements, I expected at least higher resolution movies like the TX or at least like the G7, or a slight increase in zoom rage for delaying this camera 3 months...

[Visual Reality]

From the photo at the Japanese site (linked above), it looks like we finally get a locking lens cap. I have to admit that the S1-S3 lens cap is a mixed blessing: I can flick it off the lens super-easily, which has made for faster shooting, but...well, I can accidentally flick it off the lens super-easily, and I am kinda tired of mashing my finger right onto the middle of the glass because I think the cap's still on when it's actually slipped off. I wonder how the S5 will handle start-up if the lens cap is locked in place -- perhaps there's a mechanism to automatically pop it out?

The notched edge around the S5's lens enclosure almost had me whooping with joy at getting a focus ring, but since it still takes lens adapters, I don't suppose that's actually the case.

Also: Aside from its utility, that hot shoe makes the S5 look much more serious.
I use a great locking lenscap with my S3, on the end of my 52mm Lensmate adapter. With the adapter on the lens can never hit the cap. That makes that a non-issue.

IMO the S5 is not worth the extra money if you already have an S3. The only notable changes are the .5" bigger screen and hotshoe ability. Nothing else really matters. 8.0MP? Noisy images. High ISO? Noisy images. You pay an extra $150-200 for the camera and don't get much. I wouldn't recommend it unless you had an old S1 and want to upgrade.

And I would still recommend the S3 over the S5 if getting into ultrazooms, for the price.

[AdamW]

When Canon released the G7 without RAW, it seemed clear that they were reserving RAW for the DSLRs.

Digic III should mean less noise at higher ISOs, but more pixels on the same sensor could mean more noise. We'll have to wait for the test shots.

[Guns90]

Good evening everyone. I've only had my S3 since October, and being new to the digital scene, I'm actually still re-learning photography. From what I've seen and read about the S5 I think the S3 is a more logical purchase for non-professionals. The advancements of the S5 over the S3 are minimal as most of you have stated.

Most of us don't have a use for nor will ever blow photos up any larger than a 8X10. The S3's 6.0Mp is suited quite nicely for that task. The hot shoe is a 'nice' addition; however, unless you already have a flash to use on it, the cost of a good flash can be (and is in many cases) higher than the cost of the S5. To me, if someone is going to spend that kind of money on a good flash, they might as well move on up to the SLR's to get the benefits of all their added attachments/accessories.

Right now, I see the S5 as a great little camera for a pro to have inside his bag while on sight somewhere just in case he needs it. The S3 is more than just adequate for an amateur like me. Just my 2cents. Gary

[dampfnudel]

Anyone interested in the S3 better get one fast before other people realize what a value the S3 is compared to the S5.

[leyo04]

hmmm.. I got lucky when I requested the hotshoe to be part of the improvement. If and when the S6 comes out. I request the following.

1. GPS
2. Solar panels on the swivel to get power from the sun

hehehe.... too early you think?

[FLiPMaRC]

hmmm.. I got lucky when I requested the hotshoe to be part of the improvement. If and when the S6 comes out. I request the following.

1. GPS
2. Solar panels on the swivel to get power from the sun

hehehe.... too early you think?
And a beer bottle opener :p


The S5 is nice and all, but I will be moving on to DSLRs. Everyone said the same things about the difference between the S2 and S3 ... minor upgrades. But at the end of the day, I still prefer my S3 over the S2 :D If I were in the market for a good camera, I would go with the S5.

[emjoi]

For the S6?
Bluetooth.

These cameras all take quite good enough photos for my needs. Incremental quality improvements are nice, but I suspect that's all we will see in the future.

So a built-in, or inexpensive option, that wirelessly gets the pics from my camera to my laptop immediately and automatically would be quite useful.

[TenD]

Have you ever considered looking into the RAW hack (http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/HDK_firmware_usage)? It works great for the S3 and I seem to remember that it also works on the S2....
I can't see myself buying a $500 camera and then hacking the software for something that Canon could(should)easily include. It doesn't cost anything, why not make it available? The EVF is also something I could live with but find it VERY annoying. I call the S2 my WYSIWYDG(what you see is what you don't get)camera. Small SLR for me, I already own a bunch of Canon lenses, so the transition isn't that big for me.

[DirePenguin]

I can't see myself buying a $500 camera and then hacking the software for something that Canon could(should)easily include. It doesn't cost anything, why not make it available?

My point wasn't to go out an buy a camera just to *use* a firmware hack ... my point was if you already have the camera (you said you have an S2) and are disappointed that you've got no RAW, you *can* get it....

Lots of folks seem to be speculating that the reason for no RAW on Canon P&S is to encourage people to trade up to DSLRs....

[DaveJH]

It appears that the Canon S5 is scheduled for release in the USA in July at around $499.

Canon are releasing the Canon S5 in the UK in June at a price of £ 409 including 17.5% tax (approx $800 at current exchange rates).

No suprise that it is released first in the market where it is priced higher. Bit like zoned CD and DVD then.

DaveJH

[XaiLo]

I call the S2 my WYSIWYDG(what you see is what you don't get)camera.

Hey TenD, now that's what I call funny thanks for the good laugh. But seriously I understand your pain there is something to be said for preformance on demand. ;)

[lathe]

For the S6?
Bluetooth.

These cameras all take quite good enough photos for my needs. Incremental quality improvements are nice, but I suspect that's all we will see in the future.

So a built-in, or inexpensive option, that wirelessly gets the pics from my camera to my laptop immediately and automatically would be quite useful.

<Warning: extreme geek mode on>

Current Bluetooth isn't a very good option for photos. Bluetooth ver 2.1 tops out at only 3Mbps raw (data transport tops out at ~2.1Mbps). This means that 2GB would take 17 minutes to unload. :o Other than this speed limit, Bluetooth is definitely capable of handling this task.

That said, there is an upcoming version of Bluetooth that uses UltraWideBand (UWB) that should get the speeds up in the hundreds of Mbps (maybe as high as 500Mbps). :eek: No word on when this will hit the streets (may be even years away). Also, high speed Bluetooth will have to compete with Wireless USB which I think is closer to market, but W-USB has a similar issue as WiFi in that it isn't well designed for low-power consumption devices (does a camera really qualify as such?). So, expect W-USB printers but not W-USB mice and keyboards (note: current W-USB mice and keyboards are not true W-USB, their wireless link is at best current Bluetooth or at worst proprietary 2.4GHz or 27Mhz technology).

Then again, the S6 is a little ways in the future as well... ;)

<extreme geek mode off>

[S.C.]

It appears that the Canon S5 is scheduled for release in the USA in July at around $499.

Canon are releasing the Canon S5 in the UK in June at a price of £ 409 including 17.5% tax (approx $800 at current exchange rates).

No suprise that it is released first in the market where it is priced higher. Bit like zoned CD and DVD then.

DaveJH

17.5% tax

:eek: :eek: :eek:




.

[mark97701]

that's European taxes for you. From what I hear Germany just went up to 19% and some of the Scandinavians are in the mid 20's. They have to finance their programs somehow ;)

[BowerR64]

17.5% tax

:eek: :eek: :eek:




.

yeah and we complain about $3.00 for a gallon of gas...:(

[DaveJH]

Just to cheer up you guys in the USA

The first online price offer in the UK for the Canon S5 (of course they have no stock) takes the Canon recommended retail price incl tax £409; but list this as their excluding-tax price; then "adds" the taxto give £ 480 (or $950), and offers to sell at a discount of 30% to giving an advertised sale price of £ 337 ( or around $670). Yes, its 16% lower than Canon's actual price, but is economical with the actuality.

If we buy the cameras in the uS, the international guarantee is generally not valid in the EU unless a non EU national (same for computers which have a similar price problem).

Once the S5 is in stock and at more sensible prices I shall be joinig the queue of customers.

Also to add to your smiles,we currently pay around £0.90 per litre for diesel/gas which makes it about £4 ( or $8) per gallon. Thats why we drive cars that run on diesel.

Regards

DaveJH

[gslusher]

The EVF is also something I could live with but find it VERY annoying. I call the S2 my WYSIWYDG(what you see is what you don't get)camera. Small SLR for me, I already own a bunch of Canon lenses, so the transition isn't that big for me.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to make an optical zoom viewfinder that covers 12x.

If you really need big zoom, you can buy a 1.5x lense for the S3, to give you a total of 18x optical zoom for less than $100 NEW!

A wide-angle lens would probably be more useful for most people, instead of the telephoto. A 0.7x lens would take the wide end to 25mm equivalent.