Considering that the Canon S1 IS shows high noise levels, chromatic aberrations and vignetting it is clearly not a picture perfect camera. However, the Canon S1 IS is one of the smallest ultra-zoom camera with optical stabilization. It provides good telephoto reach, good shooting options, speed and high-resolution movies. The picture quality is acceptable for small prints or sharing on the web. The Canon S1 is among the cheapest ultra-zooms to own because it takes AA batteries and Compact Flash cards. If picture quality is not so important, the S1 will be a satisfying camera to own. Otherwise, consider a larger ultra-zoom such as the Panasonic Lumix FZ5.