Offering consumers SLR-like functionality in a more portable body, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS has a full range of Manual and Automatic exposure modes, along with 8 megapixels and an optically stabilized 12x optical zoom lens. These features, along with an excellent Movie mode and folding 2.5-inch LCD monitor, make this ultra-zoom digital camera a prime hybrid. Be prepared to shell out for it though; its $499 price tag is on the high end of this category.

We perform extensive scientific testing on digital cameras in our lab to determine a camera’s image and video quality. The S5’s pictures and videos have excellent color accuracy; your cousin’s white wedding dress will come out looking white in the pictures, not yellow like with some competing camera models. Even under dim lighting, where many cameras’ color accuracy suffers, the S5’s colors remain true.

However, dim lighting introduces speckled noise in images. The noise robs image quality when the ISO sensitivity is set above 200. The Canon S5’s high 800 and 1600 settings are virtually unusable because of its sandstorm-like noise. There is more noise than most other digital cameras, including the Panasonic FZ8 and Sony H7 ultra-zoom models. Add in the poor dynamic range, limited detail, slow 1.5 frame-per-second Burst mode, and hesitant autofocus system, and the Canon PowerShot S5 IS’s image quality and performance is just mediocre. 

However, the videos are spectacular. In this respect, the Canon S5 outperforms every digital camera we’ve tested so far in 2007. The Sony H7 comes close with its smooth resolution and functional 15x optical zoom lens, but the Canon still beats it with sharper focus and more accurate colors. The S5 has a dedicated record button on the back of the camera just for capturing its 640 x 480-pixel videos. This allows users to access the Movie mode at any time without flipping the mode dial. Because the S5 IS has both a movie record button and still shutter button, users can simultaneously take full-resolution pictures while shooting video. There is a noticeable hiccup in the video when a picture is taken, though. Besides this, videos look great with the help of the steadying optical image stabilization system and quiet 12x zoom.

The Canon S5 IS has a 12x optical zoom lens that is quickly becoming the short end of the ultra-zoom market. Newer digital cameras from competing manufacturers have longer lenses: the $499 Olympus SP-560 and the $399 Panasonic FZ18 have 18x optical zoom lenses, and the $479 Sony H9 has a 15x optical zoom lens. The S5 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with a hinge attached that allows it to rotate to nearly any angle. The monitor’s resolution, though, is subpar at 207,000 pixels. Rounding out the components is the built-in flash unit with 17-foot reach and a hot shoe for Canon Speedlite flashes.

With its wide and chunky SLR-style grip, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is comfortable to handle. The rubber surface on the front, contours on the back, and wide base all make for stable handling. The 4.6 x 3.15 x 3.06-inch camera itself is hefty, though. It weighs slightly less than a pound without the card and batteries, and the weight of four AAs and an SD card make it noticeably heavier.

This PowerShot comes with 13 Scene modes, an average amount for an ultra-zoom digital camera. The Sony H7 only has seven scene presets, while the Olympus SP-560 has 25. Other exposure modes include Manual, Shutter Speed Priority, Aperture Priority, Program, and Auto. The Manual mode is complemented nicely by manual controls for white balance, focus, ISO, and metering, among others.

At $499, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is a hard sell. It’s expensive and although it has some a lot to offer – accurate colors, excellent videos with stereo audio, and manual controls – the disadvantages, like the poor still image quality, can’t be ignored. With that in mind, the lower prices and longer lenses from other manufacturers look very tempting.