Once the lens shutters are opened, the Canon PowerShot S50 powers up and welcomes you with a tone. Similar to the smaller Canon IXUS 400 in terms of features, it too ships with a 32MB CF card and AV cables. With fairly easy to navigate menus, the S50 also features video capture and a thumb-sliding preview mode.
Zoom controls are placed thoughtfully on the front side of the chassis for easy access. Although if you're looking to shoot in the high-res mode, 32MB will get churned through very quickly – the supplied card only storing five pictures at 2,592 x 1,944.
With a chunkier casing than the sleeker IXUS 400, the unit is fairly bulky, weighing in at 320 grams. The larger frame could be a result of the 7.4V Lithium-Ion battery pack, which should give you a fair amount of play time before you'll need to recharge.
It comes with a swag of software helping you to reap the most from your digital camera experience, including a hefty manual for the odd occasion when things go pear-shaped.