s2 is

I'm having trouble wi'll shutting in lower liht, say an indoor ice rink. i usually shoot in P but wanted to bump up the shutter speed but when i try and do it in manual and touch the button half way the image is almost black and my exposure reading is -2 and in red, why can't i shoot action shots?

1st in sufficient lighting.
2nd maximum aperature too small.

Try Tv mode instead of M mode and bump up ISO to 400 and turn on IS.

i've done that but i keep getting that -2 in red in the uper left hand corner where the exposure reading normally is

That might mean that your SS is 2 stop too fast. You would need to lower it by 2 stop.

I think someone might be going the wrong way with shutter speed.

Firstly: If you need more light you need to be working at f/2.7 (wide) - f/3.5 (tele) as an aperture setting the lower this number the more light gets through your lens. The S2 & S3 go from f/2.7-f/8. f/2.7 gives the brightest image f/8 is darkest.

Secondly: Yes select the highest ISO speed possible on an S2 that is 400ASA and on an S3 that is 800ASA. Yes you will get noise but it is more improtant to start getting pictures, noise is easily removed in PP.

Thirdly select the slowest shutter speed you can be steady at. Your ice scaters may be moving too fast for 1/25 or 1/50 of a second which will display as 25 or 50 on the S2 so you might have to go to 100 - 125 - etc but you keep getting darker!

The -2 in red indicates you are 2 or more EV too dark with your exposure setting. Do each of the above until you come to 0 and then adjust to your taste.

slight correction, ^^ meant to say 2.7 gives you the brightest instead of the 7.8 he typed

The faster the shutter, the less light you let in.

The larger the aperture setting the less light you let in.

The lower the ISO setting, the less light you let in.

So correct these things and see what happens.

Ok if we want to be technical here:

Maximum aperature is the largest posible opening allow by the lens and for zoom lenses, that would be for the given focal length represent by the largest number (in fraction, as in f/2.8 or f 1/2.8 where f=focal length of the lens). So, if said that the maximum aperature is too small then what is meant is that the lens at its maximum aperature can not provide sufficient light at the given shutter speed to properly expose the film/sensor.

It is also not correct to assume that 1/125" is sufficient shutter speed to offset camera shake since the S2/3 IS's zoom is capable of 432mm(35mm equivalent) with opticle zoom only. Given that the camera has IS and it is capable of offsetting camera shake by 2 to 3 stops a more usable speed would be 1/250" although improved camera handling may allow you to shoot reasonably clear images at 1/125" at full zoom (opticle only)

the reason i wanted to bump up the shutter speed was also because the subjects where blurry

brantfordbandit wrote in post #2490442
the reason i wanted to bump up the shutter speed was also because the subjects where blurry

If you are already at ISO400 and f/2.8 then a good flash is the only answer with this camera. If you had a dSLR you could go for a faster lens but then you have only one or two f/stops at most unless you can work with a very fast primary lens. If you are getting too much action blur at f2.8 & 800ASA and 1/125 then going to f1.4 & 1600ASA 1/1000 with such a dSLR might get what you want but you will have spent an awful lot of money and have reduced the problem to 1/16 of what you have now which is probably enough.

I agree. I do not believe there is any 'magic speed' at which there is no camera shake. Each time you halve the shutter time you halve the effect. I've known some who get bad shake at 1/250 @ 50mm equivalent focal length, equally on a very good day and a lot of care I've managed 1/2 @ 50mm. I rarely have very good days so nearly always have a tripod or a monopod to hand.
In this case the subject moving on the ice rink is going to be the problem which no amount of good handling is going to cure at the camera end.