The Powershot S2 IS (US$500) is a 5-megapixel digital camera using Canon's new, more powerful DIGIC II processor, meaning faster timings:
- 45% faster auto focus
- 50% faster start up time
- 2.4 continuous frames per second (up from about 1.5)
- take still pictures while video recording
- fastest shutter speed is 1/3200
Other features:
- 12x optical zoom (up from 10x, but slightly slower lens in terms of aperture size)
- 1.8 inch flip-screen (up from 1.5")
- USB 2.0 (up from USB 1)
- video recording with stereo sound (instead of mono, but still no video compression)
- super macro of 0 cm (down from a couple of cms)
Styling is similar, but with the two microphone up front (instead of at the rear), and what looks like a focus assist lamp on the front. To allow the larger LCD screen, the power and data connectors are moved to the side, above the memory card hatch -- which uses SD cards, instead of CompactFlash.
Well, I am relieved (as is my wife). The specs are not spectacularly better than the S1is, and the use of SD memory cards makes it a no-no for me. (I've spent as much on Compact Flash memory cards as on cameras.) Apparently no RAW format.
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