Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful camera!
Review: This is my first digital camera. I had been shooting with SLRs and rangefinders. The camera astounded me. It is small and light yet well built. It is easy to turn on and off using the front lens cover that is built in. The images are exceptional. I made 8x10s on an Epson printer with no manipulation that I think are better than images from film from a lab. The Auto White Balance is great and the controls are intuitive to me. The LCD is high resolution. The wrist strap is a great way to carry the camera safely while keeping it ready to take pictures quickly. The "Set" control can be a bit awkward but is not a major disadvantage. No camera is perfect. This camera gives you 5MP in a small and light package with very sharp images right out of the camera. It's also a lot of fun. I don't want to go back to film. Canon is the leader in digital photography in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Speed vs Feature (Form Factor) Tradeoff
Review: 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:
Summary: A Winner in Image Quality Versus Size
Review: Pros: Compact size, 5 megapixel resolution, ease of use, lots of creative photography options, Solid all metal compact body, Quality Canon lens, quality, enlargeable images, sturdy, macro capability. Cons: No provision for add-on lenses or filters, Expensive, 5MP is probably overkill for most users, Underwater housing does not allow full control, not as sharp as most 4 MP cameras, 4-way Navigation Button & Proprietary Battery, Some photos had red eye, doesn't come with carrying case. Summary: This compact Canon digital camera really impressed me in the week I've had mine so far. I've been looking and playing with the Sony DSC-P9 for some time but took a chance with the S50 sight unseen, with a few recommendations, and my expectations have been well exceded. Excellent image quality and easy to learn interface with ample effect, memory, and capture options are not compromised by the camera's size (slightly chunkier than the Sony, but still slips into a pocket easily). Crisp and bright image replay on the rear color LCD monitor. Easy downloads to PC with USB and unimposing Canon software, and fairly quick battery recharge too. This is a really great compact digital camera for those looking for great images in different conditions without a bulky, intrusive large body reflex. The movie capture is better than on previous Canon models, though still slightly choppy at 12 frames per second (not that making movies is your first choice in features for selecting pocket cameras). Nonetheless, after looking around I believe this is the best deal for quality/function/money versus size in the compact digital camera market.A+
Rating: 
Summary: Too big to be useful as a point and shoot
Review: Digital point and shoot cameras should not be looked at as a replacement to film cameras, the quality just isn't good enough for anything important or for images that you need to enlarge. But, for the convenience of being able to email your snapshots or upload them to a webpage or online auction quickly and easily, nothing beats a digital cam. The image quality of this Canon is acceptable if you understand that you will not be able to match 35mm film quality. The color saturation on the images is surprisingly good however you will notice some milky haze around some of the edges and background if you look closely. This is common (and expected) for low and mid range digital cameras such as this one. My main complaint about this camera is that it is too bulky. In fact, it was so bulky and heavy that I ended up selling it to a friend and going with the Canon s400 instead. For me, the real power in a point and shoot camera is size and convenience. The more convenient it is to lug, the more you will have it with you to capture life's precious moments. And the s50 should most certainly be considered a point and shoot camera because it's manual controls are strange to operate and I eventually found myself not wanting to bother with them because of the way they are implemented on this camera. For instance, being able to shoot at a wide aperture on the s50 is of limited usefulness because the zoom lens doesn't maintain the wide aperture when you zoom in even just a little. So during the times I used my s50 and wanted a shallow depth of field, ie. when i was doing portraits, the f-stop automatically changed itself from f2.8 to f4.0 or f5.0 when I zoomed in to frame the shot. I thought to myself, I might as well have been shooting with the smaller and more convenient s400! Also, you might be tempted to think that flash exposure compensation is a godsend, like I initially did. But in practice, dialing down the flash on this camera yields dingy looking images in lower light. I was dissappointed. Also, the image quality was cetainly acceptable and I have no complaint there, however the image processing time and shutter lag was definitely noticeable, especially indoors in mid to low light levels. The s50 is just too big to carry around everywhere and subsequently, I did miss taking certain photos because the camera was back in the car or at home. I does not fit well in a shirt pants pocket and it weighs down a jacket pocket. When I wanted to slip it into my my film camera bag, it took up too much space and was unwieldy. My recommendation if you must have manual controls in a digital camera is to either step up to the Canon G3 or equivalent, or go to a digital SLR. Otherwise, for a carry-around-everywhere camera, the smaller Canon ELPH series would be best. I never really used the tiny viewfinder and don't recommend that you do either. Why? It's very tiny and not convenient, and it only shows a portion of the image frame. Also, it does not show any information such as shutter speed or f-stop. You are much better of using the LCD screen and doing so will give you a "what you see is what you get" image on the camera.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!
Review: Tried (and by that i mean bought, used, and returned) quite a few cameras before finally deciding on this one. Has the best mix of features and performance of all the ones i tried (Canon G3, Nikon 4300, Nikon 4500, Canon S45). Would definitely recommend this camera, it has great AF (especially with the AF light) and takes amazing photos. Colors a brilliant, and everything is sharp and beautiful. Buy this camera, and also a second battery!
Rating:
Summary: Darth Camera - Canon Keeps Raising the Bar
Review: 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: 
Summary: i <3 my camera
Review: this camera is awesome. some good solid features:
1)looks niiiiiiice
2)feels like its built solid, and it is
3)takes awesome pictures (most of the time...more on this later)
4)5 mp!!!!
5)uses compact flash memory as opposed to secure digital (sd costs more than cf)
6)3 minute video clips!!! it does however have its problems:
1)flash is too bright, be very wary when you use it
2)settings could be better when the camera is set on auto (sometimes the pictures get overexposed, or the focus isnt perfect)
3)short battery life and the included memory card (32 mb) is too small. invest in a spare battery and a card thats at least 128 mb. this'll add at least another $50 (depending on whether you get generic or brand name and how much extra memory you get) :\
4)pretty bulky for a digicam...gets annoying sometimes
5)the 5 mp pictures are pretty big and a pain to send online, unless you have software that can resize the photos. (or you can choose to take pictures at a lower resolution, but i don't choose to do so) overall, as my title says, i love my camera. the pictures it takes are incredible (much more so in manual than in auto mode). and the details in the pictures is amazing. however, you won't need such a high resolution unless you plan on makin some huge printouts, so don't waste your money unnecessarily just cuz you can get more detail that you don't need. i have also found the manual features to be really simple to use, and it's been awesome for me as i have been learning about photography recently. hmmm...i think thats all the major points for me. the only other thing is the complaints i've heard about the sliding panel....i personally don't have any problems with it, but lots of people do, so i would beware of that too.
Rating:
Summary: Great product, fine pics, very durable
Review: I have a lot of experience with a wide range of fully manual SLRs and digital SLRs, and this camera stacks up nicely. As an architecture student, I bought the S50 to have a quick alternative for shooting models, sites and other miscellaneous scenography to use in large scale presentation format. After 7 months, I have been very pleased.
A few things: The good:
-RAW format (nice to have that versatility)
-color balance is nice
-easy acces to menus
-loads of manual functions
-light adjustments are right on
-nice lcd, crisp and bright
-overall great consistent pictures, and it's easy to be really creative (making you feel like a better photographer than you actually are) The not so good (but no so bad either):
-there is too much discrepancy between the area that is seen in the viewfinder and what the sensors see. (You always get more than what you see)
-the 5-way toggle selector button has got to go!
-a little bit too brick-like
-noisy zoom I would recommend this to semi-serious light-heavy shooters. (but get a spare battery, 2 for a full day of shooting with lcd on)
Rating:
Summary: Amazing-I love it!
Review: This is the best camera I have ever seen. It takes amazing photos and you can also take video clips. I highly recommend this camera. I love it!
Rating:
Summary: Love it, but here's what I don't like
Review: I have now had my Canon S50 for over a year, and taken hundreds of photos. I am a serious amateur photographer, and I got it because it was the _only_ all-manual (somewhat) pocketable digital camera when I got it. The flexibility of this camera is crucial! And I love the 'intervalometer' which allows me to make time-lapse movies of things such as beautiful sunsets.
The bads:
The markings on the selector wheel have completely rubbed off. I have to look on-screen to guess what mode I am in.
To push the selector SET button in without pushing left or right requires just the right touch. I much prefer separate select button as on some other models.
The lens cover also requires a certain touch to close it properly, since it doesn't stay in its track perfectly. This is easily learned, unlike the selector button.
Special-purpose battery is expensive! Why not use AAs?
Only focuses up to 10cm. Macros are not that macro.
Focusing close in low light is virtually impossible, even with manual focus.
To have a shutter sound a second after releasing the shutter button is worthless. It makes taking pictures from a moving vehicle very hard to time.
Some more GOODS: It is surprisingly sensitive, and takes excellent night shots of things like christmas lights, or shots from indoor lighting even without a tripod.
Sound annotation and movies are very handy!
The flash is very flexible, with 1st or 2nd curtain, variable brightness.
The digital zoom (from 3x to 12x) is quite good.
It is pretty solid. Dropped it onto bricks from 4 feet and just a dent.
Not much distortion or chromatic aberation in the lens. Photos look great at poster size.
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