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I bought the Canon Powershot S3 6 months ago. We formerly owned a Sony Cybershot and weren’t able to do as much as we wanted. So, when we were going to go to the beach, we decided the time was right to invest in a new camera. Let me preface this review with some things. First, I am not a photography enthusiast or expert. I really like photography but have not had the time to invest into it. Having said that, I think this review will be of some real value to ordinary folks, with limited time. This review will serve you well if you are looking for a mid-range camera that works well for the novice.
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Part of the problem when you are looking at cameras is the amount of options. It is very easy to get completely overwhelmed and confused. Luckily, I have a brother who had purchased a Canon Rebel earlier in the year. The Rebel utilizes the same digital processor, the Digic II. This makes a huge difference in color fidelity, speed, and image processing. It’s the brains of the camera. And his pictures were stunning. You’ll be glad to know that the lesser priced Powershot S3 utilizes the Digic II processor.
I could go on and on about lenses and such, but I’m not going to. Again, I want to give a straight forward review for the novice. I received the camera right before we went on vacation. I took the photo above on the first day of having the camera. I utilized the macro function to take it. It took a little work to figure out the menu system, but not too bad. The photo menu turn wheel features a bunch of preset camera settings. This will cover 95% of what you will want to do. It covers night shots, sports, portraits, etc.
The display will show you most of what you need to know. By the way, the lcd is 2 inches and can be turn and swiveled to numerous angles. The flash doesn’t pop up automatically under low light conditions, but the lcd tells you to use it. The camera isn’t as large as the more professional, more expensive cameras and I like that. I was surprised to find that you could use lens filters with this camera. You have to have an adapter to do it, but it’s inexpensive. Also, you can add wide angle and other lenses as well. I have heard mixed reviews about those lenses however. In any case, this is a 6 megapixel and the photos look all of that. You will need a large memory card to handle that high resolution. You also want something really fast. I went with the SanDisc Ultra II 1 gigabyte. I love it.
So, here’s my low down on this camera. I love it. And I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Here are a few pictures that we have taken, all within a few weeks of getting the camera. Keep in mind that all of the images on this screen have been scaled down to 800×600 resolution. The originals look much better than this:
Here are the specs from Amazon’s site:
Optics
Still the most powerful zoom in a Canon digital compact camera (36 to 432mm, f2.7-f.3.5), the PowerShot S3 IS’s lens incorporates the same leading technologies used in Canon’s professional EF lenses. An Ultra-Sonic Motor (USM) drives rapid and near-silent zoom operation; an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) lens element significantly reduces chromatic aberration in telephoto shots; Canon’s optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology counteracts camera shake to reduce image blur when shooting stills or recording video, essential for handheld shots at longer focal lengths. IS allows photographers to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 stops slower for reliable flash-free photography in low light conditions.
The PowerShot S3 IS’s 12x optical zoom combines with digital zoom to deliver 48x magnification for recording both stills and video. For even wider framing options, optional wide and telephoto converter lenses extend the focal length from wide 27mm to super-tele 648mm (35mm film equivalent) for an impressive 24x optical zoom. A Super Macro mode and optional Close-Up lens 500D (58mm) allow for detailed macro photography. (Optional wide, telephoto, and close-up lenses not included–must be purchased separately.)
Increased ISO speed
In addition to Image Stabilization, the PowerShot S3 IS features a new High ISO Auto setting and ISO 800 to further extend the camera’s low light shooting capabilities. High ISO Auto automatically sets exposure using the higher range of ISO sensitivities, enabling faster shutter speeds in low light and increased image stability at the telephoto end. A dedicated ISO button allows for easy switching between ISO sensitivities.
Movie functions
Powerful video functions make the PowerShot S3 IS far more than just a high-performance digital still camera. A dedicated movie button means users do not need to switch modes to start recording, so spontaneous moments can be instantly captured in full motion. Users can record smooth 30-frame-per-second VGA quality movies of up to 1 GB with stereo sound, or create 60-frame-per-second QVGA clips for sharp slow-motion playback. The Movie mode also allows users to pre-select exposure and white balance, zoom throughout the camera’s focal range, and manually adjust focus while shooting. A Photo In Movie feature enables the capture of full resolution digital stills during video recording.
Creative shooting
The PowerShot S3 IS offers 20 shooting modes including full Manual mode, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Speed Priority. Together with 2.3-frame-per-second continuous shooting, a new fast-shutter Sports mode with improved autofocus accuracy provides unprecedented capabilities for capturing action sports sequences. Special Scene modes–such as Night Snapshot and Snow–assist with tricky lighting conditions, while Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic color effects to be applied to both images and movies. Canon’s My Colors photo effects have been enhanced for this model, and can now be applied to images both before and after shooting.
The PowerShot S3 IS features a new Widescreen mode (2816 x 1584 recording pixels) for capturing still images in 16:9 format–perfect for viewing images on widescreen television or printing wide (10 x 20-centimeter) photos with a Selphy Compact Photo Printer.
Printing and other features
A new, dedicated Print menu simplifies printing of multiple images. Full PictBridge support means users can print directly to any PictBridge compatible printer without the need for a PC. New PictBridge features include the ability to print shooting data and optimize faces in portrait shots when connected to a compatible Canon PIXMA printer. The camera’s ID photo and movie stills features are also available when connected to a Selphy CP Series Printer. A handy Print/Share button allows one-touch printing and easy uploads to Windows or Mac systems. (Printer not included–must be purchased separately.)
The camera’s menu system now features support for Arabic, bringing the total number of supported languages to 23.
(Source: Amazon, Photo courtesy of Amazon)
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[…] Canon PowerShot S3 IS 6MP ReviewStill the most powerful zoom in a Canon digital compact camera (36 to 432mm, f2.7-f.3.5), the PowerShot S3 IS?s lens incorporates the same leading technologies used in Canon?s professional EF lenses. An Ultra-Sonic Motor (USM) drives . […]
I have this camera! It is annoying how it is PTP though and not mass storage.
Joe, that’s hilarious - tech minds think alike. and yes, it is.