Anybody with S2 IS?

[altranet0]

I have been into photography for like 5 days now. I am really into Macro and have posted some of my pics in the Macro section. I am looking for a quality camera instead of the POS one I have now. The S2 IS looks like the perfect match for me. If anybody has it, could you tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly? Some sample pics would be nice too. Thanks for the help guys.

[ghocking]

I have had the S2 for about 6 weeks now and think it is a fantastic camera, giving excellent results all the time. There are two macro modes, macro and super macro.

1. Super macro allows zero distance, in other words the lens touching the object, but you have to be at full wide angle to use it.
2. Macro mode allows you to use a little of the zoom and the amount shows in viewfinder/LCD.
As can be seen from above these modes are fine for flowers etc, but for butterflies, insects etc you have to be too close. I just get as close as possible and use the zoom for butterflies.

The attached was taken last week with the S2, but quality has had to be reduced for this forum

[altranet0]

wow, very nice. So no probs with it yet? how much did you pay for yours?

[ghocking]

In the UK about twice as much as you will have to pay in the states (UK moan)

I got it on the net from Warehouse Express (Big dealers in UK) for £352 ish.
Jessops the high street retail shop in the UK sell it for £468.
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[Boutty]

Beautiful shot. Can you tell me what is the maximum size you can shoot in Super Macro mode with S2 IS? My G6 default to M size even though I set it at RAW setting.

Thanks for sharing.

John

[ghocking]

In super macro mode you are the wide end of the lens, which is around 36mm in 35 mm format, which is wide. You can have the lens touching a flower and still see all the flower, I tend to use the zoom and crop, as this picture shows.

Again quality reduced

[rayjb6]

Have you made any large prints from your S2? (8x10, etc) If so, how did they turn out? That is my major sticking point right now in trying to decide whether to get the S2 or go for something with more MP...

[Salleke]

Have you made any large prints from your S2? (8x10, etc) If so, how did they turn out? That is my major sticking point right now in trying to decide whether to get the S2 or go for something with more MP...

Rayjb - With the S1 IS I made prints up to 30 X 24 cm and they whare very good.
In a fotocontest I even got a jury recommandation. That was with 3.2 MPixels.
With the 5 MPixels S2 IS it must be a breeze to make prints as big as 40 X 30 cm.
The only thing you must try is to get clear sharp pictures and then you can print
nice big pictures with beautiful saturated colors. Good luck.

[ghocking]

Originally Posted by rayjb6
Have you made any large prints from your S2? (8x10, etc) If so, how did they turn out? That is my major sticking point right now in trying to decide whether to get the S2 or go for something with more MP...

I don't do many prints at home, but I have just produced 3 210x594 panorams using Epson paper and they came out vey good.
The sharpening straight out of the S2 is excellent and the IS fantastic, I have handheld down to 1/15 and regular at 1/30.

[GyRob]

taken with the s2is,and just posted a couple of glam shots taken with this cam.
Rob.

[MoHo]

Taken with my new S2...........no extra lens...........I luv it :-)

http://photos21.flickr.com/31508692_9c525453c9_b.jpg

[rayjb6]

I went ahead and bought the S2. I posted a macro I took today in this thread:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=91748

[hotcheese]

Hello
I am confused by the mention of using the macor mode combined with zooming - say I am something like 20cm away from something and in macro (not super macro) mode then zoom in a bit closer to the subject (I'm practising for if I find a butterfly etc. and don't want to get too close to disturb it but want to zoom closer to fill up the image). Then the auto focus doesn't work in this situation and the image is blurly, however enabling manual focus to rectify the problem automatically turns off macro mode.
Could people who are talking pictures of insects etc. please explain in a bit more detail how they are doing it.
Thanks

[rayjb6]

I encountered the same thing with the S2 and with some more reading I found out why. When you are in macro mode and you zoom in, you will notice that part of the zoom indicator on the screen is underlined in yellow. The yellow part is the zoom range that is unavailable in macro mode. If you zoom in to this range, the minimum focus distance is 40 cm (that is, macro mode is disabled and the picture is shot as if the camera were in normal shooting mode). You can tell when you are in this range because the macro icon on the screen (the flower) turns gray.
If you want to make the subject larger than this zoom range will allow, you will have to get closer.

[quietman]

http://www.martialartsacademy.org/hummerlanding.jpg



http://www.martialartsacademy.org/flowerclosesmall.jpg



http://www.martialartsacademy.org/tigerswallow4.jpg



http://www.martialartsacademy.org/moon1.JPG


http://www.martialartsacademy.org/hawkeatingsmall.jpg

I just got one last week. Been years since I took pictures seriously. I like the camera, and have been taking a few pics. Here are a couple.

John Roe
www.roenation.com (http://www.roenation.com/)

[SmuckerS2]

i have the S2 for about 2 weeks now, shot a few pics here and there and i am impressed with the camera overall. will start posting a few of the good ones on this site as soon as i figure out how.

[rayjb6]

I just had some 8x10 enlargements made of pictures from my S2, and they came out fantastic! I was so pleased. I have to wait a couple days to see how the 11x14s come out. For now though, the S2 has passed the test.

[hotcheese]

"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I encountered the same thing with the S2 and with some more reading I found out why. When you are in macro mode and you zoom in, you will notice that part of the zoom indicator on the screen is underlined in yellow. The yellow part is the zoom range that is unavailable in macro mode. If you zoom in to this range, the minimum focus distance is 40 cm (that is, macro mode is disabled and the picture is shot as if the camera were in normal shooting mode). You can tell when you are in this range because the macro icon on the screen (the flower) turns gray.
If you want to make the subject larger than this zoom range will allow, you will have to get closer."

I still have problems with auto focus in macro mode even when not within the yellow zone. I just can't seem to get macro mode to work at all. I've given up and will just have to use super macro and get close.

[Rob vdKam]

I thought I'd paste this text I wrote to S1 users I was in conversation with. The S2 took pictures that were as good if not better than the KM-A200 but the following explains why I chose not to get the S2...

---
I finally decided on a Konica-Minolta A200. I first tried the S1 but then tried the S2 because of the difficulties in seeing objects in the viewfinder in daylight. The S2 was better, but in the end, I find the A200's extra pixels make enough difference that I can now see almost everything in the viewfinder that I can see with my eye (I said almost - limitations exist with very small objects of course, but not as much as with the Canons).

In the end, this was the deciding factor for me. It did cost extra but I got enough other functions that made it worthwhile (8MP, manual zoom, memory cards like I had for other devices, etc). The Canon had some things I'm going to miss too fo course, but you can't have everything.

[stonty]

Hi guys,



I'm a recent S2 owner and still familiarising myself with the camera,



Due to a recent permanent hand disability I've had to ditch the 300d kit as sadly it is now too cumbersome for me to use, I chose the S2 as I am a keen wristwatch nerd and was taken with "down to zero" of the super macro facility.



Here's a couple of pics taken using super macro literally 15 minutes of the box, I know that technically it leaves a lot to be desired, but please note that the etched coronet is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with the use of a loupe / eyepiece and is a testament to the abilities of this camera.



I posted the images on a horology forum and the general reaction was "I want that camera". I look forward to a long & happy relationship with my S2, however with my disability I do find manual focusing very fiddly, any tips would be greatly appreciated.



Kind regards to all



Chris

[MattyB]

i'm currently on the hunt for a new camera, my IXUS 30 was damaged by my brother, so he is giving me 350au, i'm selling alot of my stuff to get upto 700au, and i was wondering a few things:

does the S2is take AA batterys, or those great lithium battery like my IXUS? (battery life on my IXUS is great!)

does the S2is take SD memory cards or CF memory cards? i've got a great stash of SD cards and would like to pick a camera that takes those.

could anyone possibly post up some photos with manual focus and NOT macro - i am a fan of macro shots, but my main use would be car related events be it night/day stading still or on the race track - so i want to see what this S2is is like with manual focus, and any other all round shots you have.

also, if anyone is familiar with both the IXUS 30 and the powershot S2 IS - could you be kind enough to roughly compare them and tell me the cons and pro's of - and how one towers over the other?

thanks a million in advance!

-matt

ps: ALSO! for the same brand new price of the S2 IS - would it be worth looking for a digital SLR second hand? 300D or 350D - or any other make DSLR

[rayjb6]

The S2 takes AA's, but a set of 2500mAh rechargeables will last for about 500 photos (more than you can fit on a 1Gb card at full resolution) and cost you only about $10US. Battery life is great, and they are much cheaper to replace. (Personal preference.)
As for manual focus, I haven't done much with it so far. The S2 has no manual focus ring, and the manual focus feature was a little difficult for me to use.
I have posted several shots from my S2, although all were shot using auto focus. You can see them in the following threads:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=91755
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=91748

[MattyB]

all replys considered - i'm guessing the feature of manual focus isn't really worth it? considering alot of people say they hardly ever use it, and it's a tad complicated?

thanks for the reply & links

[rayjb6]

The S2 is a great camera, I am very pleased with it, but if a good manual focus is your most important requirement, then you should probably look at other cameras first.

[MattyB]

it's not my main attraction, but it is a selling point i'd like to explore.

what i pretty much want - is a camera for around $700au that will:
1. take all round good pictures.

2. have the upper hand in night time photos of cars, around with lights around, etc.. (shutter speeds, ISO, any other night options or qualitys that make it stand out above others)

3. look a bit more professional than my tiny compact IXUS i bought for $370au. (i look like a bit of a wanker ('scuse the language) when i take my ixus along with a media pass and a fluro vest into drag night events and the rest.. everyone else has monster DSLR's and i've got a ant sized compact on a giant full length tri-pod.)

i suppose the features i'd need for what i want it for would be:
decent zoom without getting noisey
ISO and Shutter options
fast processor
will take half decent video footage

aswell as any other features that would benifit for what i use it for.

then again, on the OTHER hand - i want to get into model photography. i have alot of girls wanting to model for me, so i suppose it would have to have some decentcy in that genre` too. :\

i'm such an undecided frustrating pain in the arse. lol

[GyRob]

it is a great little camera i love it but above iso100 is a bit noisey,another point is theres no way to conect it to flash strobes, the inbuilt one can be used as a triger though im hopeing to do a model shoot Monday and will use it this way so fingers crossed.
Rob.

[mojos]

anyone tried attaching a lens filter on S2IS, how was it?

[nwyman]

anyone tried attaching a lens filter on S2IS, how was it?

I've put a circular polarizer on - no problems. Can't attach a converter on top of this though.

Nancy

[jbha]

Hello
I am confused by the mention of using the macor mode combined with zooming - say I am something like 20cm away from something and in macro (not super macro) mode then zoom in a bit closer to the subject (I'm practising for if I find a butterfly etc. and don't want to get too close to disturb it but want to zoom closer to fill up the image). Then the auto focus doesn't work in this situation and the image is blurly, however enabling manual focus to rectify the problem automatically turns off macro mode.
Could people who are talking pictures of insects etc. please explain in a bit more detail how they are doing it.
Thanks
I'm having the same problem with my S2. I bought the Raynox DCR-250, and quite frankly I seem to take better pictures when my zoom is in the yellow and the macro is off. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. I've practiced on rocks so I wouldn't have to worry about movement. I can't seem to fill up the viewfinder and have a focused picture. It seems to be one or the other. I can forget about taking photos of anything alive. What should I do? Also, when I try to look at my camera settings after loading the jpegs on my computer, There are no settings. Once I erase the picts from my camera, any feedbakc is gone. Help!

[nwyman]

I'm having the same problem with my S2. I bought the Raynox DCR-250, and quite frankly I seem to take better pictures when my zoom is in the yellow and the macro is off. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. I've practiced on rocks so I wouldn't have to worry about movement. I can't seem to fill up the viewfinder and have a focused picture. It seems to be one or the other. I can forget about taking photos of anything alive. What should I do? Also, when I try to look at my camera settings after loading the jpegs on my computer, There are no settings. Once I erase the picts from my camera, any <feedbakc is gone. Help!

are you useing the autofocus feature when in macro mode? I haven't had any trouble with macro, or supermacro.
Most of my "nature" shots are done with the TC on.
As for checking your settings after putting the jpegs on your PC, if you are using Zoombrowser, after clicking on the .jpeg in question, right click - you should see a menu, at the bottom of which is "properties". Select this, and you'll see all your shooting data.

Nancy

[jbha]

What's TC? I believe the autofocus was on. Are you saying that it shouldn't be?

[nwyman]

What's TC? I believe the autofocus was on. Are you saying that it shouldn't be?

TC is the teleconverter, which increases the already powerful zoom.
As for the AF - yes, it should be on, but you should try using the focus lock feature - which is to point the camera at the subject, depress the shutter halfway, wait until the subject comes into focus, and then fully depress the shutter. This reduces shutter lag, and helps to catch those "critters" that tend to move around on us.
Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

Nancy

[jbha]

TC is the teleconverter, which increases the already powerful zoom.
As for the AF - yes, it should be on, but you should try using the focus lock feature - which is to point the camera at the subject, depress the shutter halfway, wait until the subject comes into focus, and then fully depress the shutter. This reduces shutter lag, and helps to catch those "critters" that tend to move around on us.
Sorry that I wasn't more clear.

Nancy
I've read many of your posts. I'm learning a lot from you. Thanks.
The AF was on. I was using the Canon lens adapter and the Raynox DCR 250. I did not have the TC on? Is that what I need to do?

[nwyman]

I've read many of your posts. I'm learning a lot from you. Thanks.
The AF was on. I was using the Canon lens adapter and the Raynox DCR 250. I did not have the TC on? Is that what I need to do?

not if you're trying to use macro mode.

I tend to use macro for flowers and bugs - the TC is for birds, pets and such.
I haven't used the Raynox, so can't help you there.
As for learning a lot from me - we've about reached the limits of my "expertise". <g>
Nancy

[Angelm]

Hellllloooo

Help!

I've had my s2 for about a week now. My hub killed our A70 and I wanted to get something nice in its place. Love the zoom and is features, HOWEVER... how the hay can you take action shots? there is no setting that I can find for this like my A70 had. Can someone please let me know.. I'd like to capture my 2 yo and hubby that plays baseball and unless they are very still, I get blurry pics. If this camera is mainly for macro, then I will have to get another camera. Maybe the A620 or A95? Please help:D

[nwyman]

Hellllloooo

Help!

I've had my s2 for about a week now. My hub killed our A70 and I wanted to get something nice in its place. Love the zoom and is features, HOWEVER... how the hay can you take action shots? there is no setting that I can find for this like my A70 had. Can someone please let me know.. I'd like to capture my 2 yo and hubby that plays baseball and unless they are very still, I get blurry pics. If this camera is mainly for macro, then I will have to get another camera. Maybe the A620 or A95? Please help:D

Not just for macro, although it's macro features are great.
For the action thing, try doing an action shot in auto mode, just regular auto, not any of the scene selections
. Than go and use your TV setting. (shutter speed) - try to set the shutter speed to approx. what the camera used when doing its own thing, and then experiment with a few settings of your own. I find that 1/500 seems to do the trick when trying to photograph pets and birds and such
Sometimes I'll get the low light (camera shake) indicator - I've found that bumping the ISO setting up a notch or two helps this.
It also helps to use the focus lock feature, as that reduces shutter lag. Handy with the two year old group. <g>

Nancy

[Tamarack]

Hello! The photos you've posted above from the S2 IS are beautiful. I am struggling with some quality issues in some of my photos from my new S2 IS, and have posted about it here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=105796&highlight=S2+IS

I would be interested in your thoughts if you wanted to check the link and provide some input.

Thank you in advance!