Picture Quality / Size Options (8.5)
The S5 upgrades the 6-megapixel S3 to 8 effective megapixels on the same-sized image sensor. The 1/2.5-inch CCD has 8.3 total megapixels. Image sizes can be chosen in the Function menu: L (3264 x 2448), M1 (2592 x 1944), M2 (2048 x 1536), M3 (1600 x 1200), S (640 x 480), and W (3264 x 1832). Hidden in this menu is a tiny prompt that allows the compression to be changed to Superfine, Fine, or Normal. These options are typical, although most digital cameras include a 3:2-formatted image size so that properly cropped 4 x 6-inch prints can be made directly from the camera. The Canon S5, and many of its PowerShot siblings, only provides 3:2 guidelines superimposed on the LCD screen as part of the display. It doesn’t actually crop the images though, so users will have to do that in software after uploading the pictures to a computer.
Picture Effects Mode (8.0)
The Canon PowerShot S5 IS has a host of picture effects also found in other Canon digital cameras. Most effects are available under the My Colors heading in the Function menu: Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, and Custom Color are included. These Color modes are also available in the Playback menu, except for Custom Color. Custom Color mode allows users to adjust contrast, sharpness, saturation, and individual red, green, and blue colors along with skin tones on +/- 2 full-step scales. There aren’t many cameras that provide this much in-camera control over color.
Canon also throws in Color Accent and Color Swap modes in the Scene menu. These used to be grouped with the My Colors modes in cameras released before 2006, but the manufacturer has since decided to market them as separate exposure modes rather than simple picture effects. Users can highlight a color to accent or two colors to trade using the set button; the pictures and videos taken with these usually look quite strange but are fun to play with anyway.
