Canon PowerShot S2 IS

1955 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
usability (811)
performance (688)
image quality (417)
zoom (389)
price (373)

Negative
reliability (69)
sensor (9)
connectivity (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1955 reviews of Canon PowerShot S2 IS. The average rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Comments about the zoom and price are generally positive. The image quality and performance also get good feedback, but the connectivity and sensor get less positive reviews. Opinions are divided on the viewfinder.

usability, performance, image quality, price, zoom

reliability, sensor, connectivity

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Canon PowerShot S2 IS is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

See all Canon Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 1955 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(60% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (23% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (8% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (4% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (5% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)

performance
Show positive (86%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)

image quality
Show positive (74%)Show negative (26%)(Show all)

price
Show positive (77%)Show negative (23%)(Show all)

zoom
Show positive (93%)Show negative (7%)(Show all)

Show more features

Showing 1614 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 1479 of 1614 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (309)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Canon PowerShot S2 IS

alaTest has collected and analyzed 59 user reviews of Canon PowerShot S2 IS from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. People really like the battery and price. The performance and usability are also mentioned favorably. There are some negative views about the viewfinder and shutter.

zoom, usability, performance, price, battery

reliability, size, energy, shutter, viewfinder

93% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Canon PowerShot S2 IS

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1410 user reviews of Canon PowerShot S2 IS from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Reviewers are impressed by the portability and price. The image quality and performance are also mentioned favorably, but there are some mixed reviews about the viewfinder. There are some negative views about the sensor and reliability.

usability, performance, image quality, price, portability

reliability, sensor

90% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : Doug Harman (pocket-lint.com)

Canon Powershot S2 IS digital camera

In the super- or ultra-zoom marketplace, things have changed dramatically since the S2's predecessor, the S1, was launched around 18-months ago. Competition from Olympus, Sony, Konica Minolta and Panasonic means the S2 has its work cut out. Happily,...

Great specification and handling for the price, 3-mode image stabilisation, good performance and good focal length range plus VGA video with stereo sound. Astonishing ‘0-cm’ super macro mode

Screen hard to use in bright, direct light and at 1.8-inches, it seems small by today’s standards; some AF hunting in low light with accompanying minor focus issues

The Canon Powershot S2 IS provides a superb range of features and great handling abilities in a relatively small package and gives more than adequate results at a resolution that is ample for prints up to and over A3 in size. Even with Canon's recently...

Aug, 2005

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by (cameras.co.uk)

Canon Powershot S2 IS

All in all the Canon Powershot S2 IS is an impressive package. As well as its 12x optical zoom it comes packed with features. It is one of the more expensive cameras of its type and you will need to spend time getting to know the camera well to be able...

Any digital camera with this number of features is not going to be the most straightforward and easiest to use. I have to say that I think Canon have a tendency to overcomplicate their digital cameras, but don't let that put you off. It is well worth...

Read the full review

Expert review by (dcmag.co.uk)

Canon Powershot S2iS

As with all the cameras that Canon make the Powershot S2iS is really well built, has comfortable controls and easy to navigate menus. The image quality is also excellent, with sharp and vivd colours. For amateurs and experts alike the S2iS has shown parti

Read the full review

Expert review by : What Digital Camera Magazine (whatdigitalcamera.com)

Review of the Canon PowerShot S2 IS - Digital SLR Reviews

For £11 less than the original selling price of the S1-IS, the S2-IS gives you a 12x zoom rather than a 10x optical zoom

Read the full review (£)

Expert review by : Good Gear Guide.au (goodgearguide.com.au)

Expert Review

If you want a carry-around camera capable of handling a wide range of tasks, including good-quality video, the S2IS is well worth a look.

Big zoom, great optical image stabilisation, strong movie mode; extensive set of photographic features

You'll need to buy some rechargeable batteries

Jan, 2007

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Will Greenwald (cnet.com)

Canon PowerShot SD630 review: Canon PowerShot SD630

Great photos; relatively quick; plenty of features; large LCD.

Awkward zoom control; slightly cramped buttons; no optical viewfinder.

The Canon PowerShot SD630 shoehorns a relatively broad set of features, solid performance, and great image quality into an attractive ultracompact package.

Apr, 2006

Read the full review

Expert review by (pcworld.com)

Canon PowerShot S2IS Test Report

This is Canon's only model with an optical image stabilizer--rare on a still camera--but its battery life rates at the bottom

Optical image stabilization

Very low battery life

Get our latest content via convenient RSS feeds

Dec, 2005

Read the full review

Expert review by : Theano Nikitas (cnet.com)

Canon PowerShot S2 IS review

Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Excellent feature set; one-touch high-quality movie mode; decent performance and image quality.

Average burst-shooting performance; some image artifacts.

An excellent feature set and improved performance make the Canon PowerShot S2 IS megazoom camera even more attractive than its predecessor.

Jul, 2005

Read the full review

Expert review by : Terry Sullivan (pcmag.com)

Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Great picture quality. Wide variety of scene modes. Good image stabilization. 12X optical zoom.

Very slow recycle time. Small LCD. Poor electronic viewfinder.

The PowerShot S2 IS boasts good picture quality, but the small LCD and poor electronic viewfinder make it problematic for use in bright light.

Jul, 2005

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Simon Joinson (dpreview.com)

Canon PowerShot S2 IS Review

Almost as soon as it was announced in February 2004, the PowerShot S1 IS - Canon's long-awaited successor to the Pro 90 - made its way into dpreview's top 5 cameras (based on visitor clicks), a position it held for the best part of a year, despite...

Good resolution New 12x zoom offers excellent 36-432mm range Packed with features Image stabilization works really well (and can be used in movie mode) Very quiet Fast and responsive (faster focus than S1 IS) Stunning movie mode with high quality...

Occasional focus errors - especially at the telephoto end of the zoom in low light Fairly noisy above ISO200 No rechargeable batteries supplied in the box Viewfinder and screen can be difficult to see in very bright conditions Images slightly soft and...

In an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace Canon had to make the successor to the S1 IS something more than a mere upgrade, and no one can deny they did just that, bringing improvements to virtually every aspect of the camera's performance....

Jun, 2005

Read the full review