->Purchase

I purchased The S3 with the Image stabilization being the primary reason. I own a Casio QV 3000 EX and a Fuji S 7000. The Casio with only 3.3 Megapixels gives better more natural images than the Fuji. The Canon S3 is the poorest of the bunch. The images on the LCD montor and the Viewfinder are dim and almost impossible to see in any kind of light. Canon told me to take out the batteries and the memory card , let it sit for 20 minutes and reinstall-did nothing to improve the condition. They want me to pay to ship it back for repair and I refuse to do that on a new camera. My rating for this camera is no stars.
Tom


->Best Price

I love all of the settings on this camera, along with the 12x optical zoom and image stabilizer. This camera takes awesome pictures anywhere I have taken them. The only downside is it is a little bigger and doesn't fit in your pocket or small camera case. I bought a small backpack purse and carry it in that and it works great! I was also concerned about buying a camera that uses AA batteries. I use rechargeable batteries and they last forever. The camera doesn't tell you, however, that the batteries are weak until it dies. That can be remedied by carrying a set of regular AA batteries. LCD screen flips out and can rotate 180 degrees. Highly recommend camera! Love the sports mode shooting continuous shots!


->Comparison

I really like the camera and the photographs it can take. I have already recommended the camera to a co-worker, who bought it to use at her son's graduation. The zoom is nice and the image stabilization helps keep the shot clear. I cannot give it five stars though because the literature that accompanied the camera is lengthy and not all that easy to read/understand.


->Prices

So far the pictures from this camera have come out very well. Couldn't ask for more.


->Lowest Price

I bought this camera about a month ago and cannot express how much I LOVE IT!!!!! This is my 2nd digital camera(I also own the Fujifilm S3000 finepix digital camera). I thought I loved my other camera, but this one is way better! My other camera didn't have such good battery life, but so far this one is much better. I don't find myself changing the batteries as much, and I have used it a lot since I got it. I also love the fact that I can record video with sound(other camera only records silent video). I cannot wait to try this baby out next month at a concert I will be attending. :) Someone else who has the model below this camera got some FANTASTIC shots at a concert last year, so I am very anxious to see how it performs.
I still have to get used to all the features of this camera, but so far it has yet to disappoint me.
I HIGHLY recommend this camera to everyone!


->Discount

12x zoom, swivel screen, 6mp, limitless high-quality video, numerous filters, adapter lens compatible, fast startup and response times, panorama mode, AA batteries, SD memory. I LOVE THIS CAMERA. It was my upgrade from a 4mp a80, also a great little camera.

The S3IS isn't bulky like a big SLR and is a great all around camera with ridiculously good battery life. On safari, I shot 300+ photos a day along with 10-20 minutes of video and the fully charged batteries lasted usually 2 days. Try that with another camera.

And before I forget, it takes great pictures, like all Canons.

You can't go wrong with the S3. I'm ditching my camcorder, now, too -- who needs it anymore.


->Purchase

The camera is excellent, it's smaller than it looks on the pic, and it has everything I need.

12X Optical Zoom, 6MP... just wow...


->Lowest Price

I received my camera back in April, and after about 2000 shots, I am very satisfied. The zoom is outstanding for outdoor shots, and picture clarity is great. You need to play around with the camera when you first purchase it to get great pictures. I rarely use the auto mode anymore. It has so many features it is like owning a dslr. A set of rechargable batteries will give me about 5 weeks worth of shooting.


->Discount

I spent a lot of time searching for the right camera, and the S3 IS seemed to have it all. I read shining upon shining review, but didn't do a Google search for specific S3 IS defects, problems, etc. Big mistake.

I ordered the S3 from Amazon and the problems began as soon as I took it out of the box. There was something loose and moving around inside the camera, I went online and saw that several other S3 owners had the exact same problem.

I put the batteries in to test the camera, and it seemed to be working okay, until I transferred some test images to my PC. I have been taking photos for 20+ years and I do not take crooked shots - some of the pictures were without doubt slanted to the left. I googled and found other S3 owners complaining of the same problem, which seems to be a factory defect - the CCD is misaligned.

Next problem I found was terrible color fringing, also known as chromatic aberration. In areas where there was light/dark contrast, violet and green lines were seen along the entire length.

Other issues I noticed about the S3 and read about from owners:

Focus problems, bad low light abilities, clicking sounds from the lens, mushy buttons, barrel distortion, redeye, plastic tripod mount, 1GB movie limit regardless of memory card size, and a cheap lens cap that can come off too easily. Some users used their S3 to take dozens of pictures, and had memory card errors wipe out all their photos; this was not due to faulty memory cards.

I'm not a professional photographer, and did not buy the S3 expecting professional quality photos - but these are problems one might expect to encounter with a $99 camera, not a $300+ model, and not from a trusted Canon.

The name Canon always meant quality to me. Unfortunately things have changed and companies are cutting back on their build quality and quality control to cut costs. Because of this brands that used to be the best, are now pumping out some of the worst products ever.

Some S3 owners have no complaints, it seems you have to get lucky, if I want to gamble I'll go to Vegas. It's frustrating that I now have to go and find another comparable camera to replace the S3. One owner told of his journey to several stores to test different S3's. In over a dozen tests, only one of them had none of these issues.

Although I love the features, and got a few decent shots with it, I cannot accept all the faults. I have packed the camera up and am shipping it back to Amazon for a refund.

Hope this helps you in getting the right camera, the first time!


->Lowest Price

I was looking for a camera that would take pictures of our kid's school programs and dance recitals where they are up on a stage. I wanted a camera with a large zoom without buying a DSLR. I did a lot of research and ended up buying the Canon Powershot S3 IS. I am not disappointed. This is a great camera. The pictures of the dance recital turned out great. I love the single button movie feature. It takes a lot of memory to take movies but they turn out very clear. I also like that you can take a snapshot during a movie, and it pauses just long enough to take the snapshot and then continues taking the movie. This is a very versitle camera with a lot of different setting to allow you to be creative. It also has an auto setting if you just want to aim and shoot. Our previous Canon camera had shutter lag. This camera does not. It turns on quick and takes the picture quick. Since we owned a Canon digital camera before, the control buttons were easy to get used to. The zoom lens is very quiet. You can zoom while taking a movie and you will not hear it. I bought rechargeable NiMH batteries with it and the battery life is great. I am very pleased with this camera and would highly recommend it.


->Comparison

This has been my all time favorite purchase made in the last several years. The S3 IS is just about the closest you can come to dSLR performance and capabilities without the huge pricetag. Out of the box and in auto or scene modes, this camera takes great pictures. In the modes where you can customize aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc, this camera can generate pictures ranging from tack sharp to artistic depth of field. Wide , auto-stitching panorama, and quite remarkable video functions further set this camera apart from others in the same class let alone similarly priced point and shoot options. When brought all together with long battery life, numerous canon branded/3rd party accessories, and a thriving community of users; you can't go wrong with the S3 IS.

If you decide to grab one, I suggest the following must haves:

1, 2, or 4 gigabyte SD card such as this: Transcend High-Speed Secure Digital Card (150x) - 2GB

Set of rechargeable batteries running between 2200mah to 2700mah such as this:Energizer 15-Minute Battery Charger


52mm or 58mm Lens adapter (you should order this from Lensmate as they make a nicely machined aluminum adapter that is superior to the canon/other brands)

Clip-type lens cap that will fit the camera and/or adapter:
Canon 58mm Snap-On Lens Cap

Filters: 1 linear or circular Polarizing filter (minimal reflections/better sky contrast) and 1 UV or Clear filter (protect your lens from scratches, dust, or gunk):Hoya HMC - Filter - circular polarizer - 58 mmHoya 58mm Clear Protection, Multi-Coated Ultra Thin Mount Glass Filter.





->Comparison

Well I bought this camera yesterday to replace my olympus sp-500 because i was impressed with some shots my friend took with hers. took it to a dance recital, it killed my rechargeables after about 5 pics. had to run to store and picked up 2 xtra packs of batteries. put first 4 batteries in and didnt even have enough charge to shoot a picture. put second set of batteries in and it shot maybe 3 pics. well needless to say, i would like a camera that if i ran out of rechargeables, i could run out and use regulars in a pinch. not sure if this particular camera was a defected model or not. i exchanged it for an olympus sp-550.


->Comparison

My only complaint is that it only comes with a 16MB Memory stick...
Nah - Are you kiddin' me?? That's not a complaint at all.. I knew that it only had that amt of memory, but you can buy SD memory so cheap nowdays it doesn't matter.
This camera takes GREAT pictures. You can use the Macro mode to fill the entire frame with a Picture of a Penny that is razor sharp - or use the 12x zoom to capture any action shots you like. I've not used the movie mode so I can't comment on that..

This is a great deal folks.


->Sale

If it's not, it's clearly very close. I just bought this camera on a spur of the moment after seeing a friend of mine play with his. And at less than $300, I thought it was a bargain!

I immediately took this S3 on vacation with me and it was truly impressive.

Pros: A bargain at under $300, optical image stabilizer, uses regular AA batteries
Cons: If I think of any, I'll let you know

I've always been a fan of Canon cameras and this camera just blew me away. I had to get it. The 12X optical zoom and the optical image stabilizer was enough to seal the deal: no questions asked. The bonus was the weight, the fact that it takes normal AA NIMH batteries rather than the proprietary battery. Added bonus was the flash stays off unless you flip the flash unit up and the camera is nearly silent when you turn off the sounds. This makes taking pictures in places you're not normally supposed to take pictures super easy! I like the view finder when shooting outdoors and the swivel color LCD display is nice too. Little things like the review mode work well and the camera goes from off to shutter release in less than 2 seconds, making it possible to get all those pictures you would normally miss with the earlier generation point and shoot cameras. I can't tell you how pleased I am with this camera. After taking nearly 8 gigabytes worth of pictures, I can't blame the camera for a single bad shot. In fact, many shots came out much better than I imagined. My old Canon would not have been able to take them at all, while the S3 was amazing!

So far, I've been impressed with how fast and easy the camera is and that I'm able to take usable pictures in conditions my old Canon would not have worked at all. Add to this that the image quality is absolutely stunning! The colors are vivid and sharp, the lens has a 12X zoom, which means you can get stable clear shots from a far distance and you won't need to lug around a tripod.

Did I mention that the video mode on this camera is also amazing? Yes, it shoots at various resolutions and frame rates and records audio in stereo. The image stabilizer also works in video mode and you can zoom while recording. It almost makes having a separate video camera unnecessary. Unlike the older Canons, video are not limited in length: you can shoot until your card is full.

Like I alluded to earlier, the reason I love this camera so much is that I can go into museums and other places where taking pictures is either difficult or impossible and the S3 snaps amazing pictures so fast, no one even knows you're taking pictures. While other people are snapping pictures and their flash has to go off, the S3 whips out a dozen shots with no flash, no annoying shutter sound and no one even knows! It was also quite easy to hand the S3 to nearby strangers to take a snapshot of you without having to explain how to use it. It is just that natural to use.

Battery life was very good. I brought 20 NIMH 2000ma batteries and a set of 4 lasted a day and a half. I replaced a set of 4 each day so I never had had to worry about the batteries dying on me.

Ok, convinced yet? I didn't mention that the S3 can take amazing shots at 0 inches from the lens and that you can override all the settings and you can edit movies and a bunch more things. I'm sure it can do things I don't even know about yet, since I've had the camera only 3 weeks. I never used any of the numerous modes other than Auto and P)rogram mode. While on my trip, I noticed that many people had the S2 or the S3 and they all really liked theirs. And while I'm writing this, the S5 has been announced. I'm sure the S5 is amazing too, but you will be more than satisfied with the S3.



->Lowest Price

This compact camera is a great product. It does everything "as advertised". I am using a Sandisk Extreme III 2gb memory card and it works well although with a slight delay when writing. I probably will upgrade to a Sandisk Extreme IV or perhaps a Transend 2GB SD super fast 150x which is available from Lensmateonline.com. They also have aluminum lens adapters for the S3 (no cross threading!!)


->Affordable

I have now had the S3 for two months and its a awsome camera!I love all the features on it and its so easy to use.I mainly take pictures of nature and the 12x optical zoom is what helps me to get so close to nature.And by the way this is my first camera i have ever had so if a 14 year old kid can work this camera than any one can.


->Wholesale

I had a Panasonic FZ-30 that got wet. After it got wet, it no longer worked. Although I was very happy with it, it was no longer in production, and the FZ-50 which replaced it was $150 more than the Canon S3, so I ended up buying the Canon.

That was a mistake. The Panasonics image quality is much better. The S3's pictures are grainy and never got that level of crispness I got with the Panasonic. It is also very light and does not have the quality feel of the panasonic.

I tried to save $150 and it didn't work. I am going to go ahead and buy the FZ-50.


->For Sale

Great camera~ and I love the powerful zoom~
but it seems that i have problems with it's auto mode, the color doesn't come out right with the auto mode


->Comparison

This is a great camera. I especially love the super macro. You can see some of the great pictures it takes in this setting in the customer images that I left. I really dont thing there are any cons to it. Its great! It turns on very quickly and the zoom is excellent!! Great camera!!!


->Lowest Price

Admittedly, I got this camera to replace my first digital camera, a Kodak DC290. The Kodak was good for its time, but that time was long ago. The S3 is unbelievable - all the features you'd want, and stunning performance. Awesome quality with the optic-level zoom, and truly impressive digital zoom quality. Just to experiment, yesterday I was at the White Sox game on third base line, about 100 feet behind the third basemean. I used the digital zoom to take shots of Paul Konerko at first base, and they literally looked like I was only about 100 feet from HIM. Super fast between shots time - great camera.


->Buy

I had this camera for almost 2 years now and I love it! I do professional photography and I take lots and lots of pictures. I am always pleased with the results that camera gives me. The zoom is great and the image stabilization really makes a difference. I like that this camera is quite compact considering its specs. I travel a lot and I needed a camera to have the manual options for me and the point and shoot for my wife.
I highlty recommend this camera, if you compare it to the rebel, its cheaper, more compact, you dont have to spend on good zoom lens, its low maintenance and it takes great pics.


->Prices

Reviews suggested the S3 IS 6MP is a "bridge" camera, for those who want a little more than a point-and-shoot digital camera but are not knowledeable enough for a digital SLR. The results I got during a trip to the Rhine and the Swiss Alps disproved that view. Of course it can be used as a fully automatic. However, the photographer who understands f-stops and shutter speed relationship, exposure compensation, ISO, and depth of field, will find this camera to have enormous capability while at the same time having less bulk than a SLR - an excellsent travel camera. Night shot capability with tripod is excellent. The 12X optical zoom image stabilized lens (432 mm equivalent) gives it a significnt advantage over point-and-shoots. Camera controls are well placed and changing from mode to mode and making other adjustments is quick. Battery usage with 2500Mh rechargeables is excellent. For its price and its superior performance, this camera is an excellent buy.


->Purchase

Found lots of positives when I compared it with my brother-in-law's Sony H2. For one, Canon allows you to zoom in and out while doing a video take, an option Sony does not have. The video quality is far better as well. The camera's flip-open-and-twist&turn outside display is awesome. I've grown very fond of this camera in the last few days. I've found only one negative, and its big enough for me to give this 4-star rating instead of 5. This camera, per Canon's website, does not imprint time stamps on photographs. I'm used to storing pictures of my daughter since she's growing up so quickly, and to my wife and I, the time stamp holds great value. We'll miss the time stamp.. the positives of the camera however outweigh this negative, and I have every intention of using this camera for a few years.

------------------ Update on June 13, 2007 --------------------
'GPC' replied to my review stating the ZoomBrowser software that comes with the camera enables one to put in a time stamp on the pictures. This means the option to get a date through the camera directly is not there, but atleast the software gives you the option. I've used this software since, and have time-stamped several pictures and added text too to some of them in my color of choice. Only thing is software doesn't allow you to time-stamp a bulk of pictures.. you can do it to only one at a time.. still I'm glad atleast the option is there. Also, I like the results I've been getting from it.


->Compare

Got this cam 2 months ago. Takes amazing pictures. Fitted perfectly within my budget. Comes with 12x zoom which is really good. Can also take short videos with this. I got Sony rechargable batteries for this. Works really well. Overall im very much satisfied with this purchase.


->Deal

I am NOT not a newcomer to digital cameras or 35mm either.

I have gotten some really nice shots with this camera. Those were achieved when I had a little time to fine-tune all my settings. If you just use auto mode, you will NOT be pleased (if you know a good pic when you see it).

I have 3 kids so the fact that I have to fiddle with it before I can snap a picture is a BIG no-no in my book. I have to be quick around here! That was one star gone.

The other star gone is the noise issue. It does NOT matter what settings I use, there is always some sort of noise. Granted, if you run it through an editing program, it's okay..... BUT I don't want to HAVE to edit ALL of my pics.

I haven't replaced it yet... so I guess I'm dealing with it. I'll just keep my eyes open for the "perfect" camera.


->Comparison

All that you need for any ocation, even indoor events. Excelent takes for landscapes, portraits, and more. Anyways, it's allways better if you have a portable tripod. Got to have it!


->Compare

Takes great pictures, if the lighting is good. 12x zoom with image stabilization is fabulous. The flip screen is great, if you ever want to turn the camera on yourself - or if you need to position the camera above or below eye level. The camera fits well in your hand & the buttons are located in easy-to-access locations (most can be pressed with your right thumb.) Macro shooting is incredible, as the lens will focus when it is actually touching the subject (the subject has to be well-lit, though, as the camera flash will cast a huge shadow from the lens housing at short focal lengths.)

Image gets grainy fast, the lower the light. Indoor shots require flash, as do lower-light (such as twilight) outdoor shots.

All-in-all, this camera is an excellent value for the money.


->Buy

I need another camera with more powerful zoom but not ready to spend for a dslr. I did a lot of research between Panasonic DMC-FZ8k, Sony DSC-H5 and Kodak P712 to finally opted for a Canon S3is. Amazon service is excellent.
All the pictures taken with the camera, so far, turn out amazingly excellent. It makes me a better photographer. I am very happy with it and don't regret my decision. The price is even cheaper now. I also added a lens adapter and filter. You need an adapter in order to use a filter. Please note that Canon came out with a new upgrade, the S5is, with more features but costing around $500. My next purchase will be a DSLR.


->Prices

I got the S3 IS and gave my wife the A620. The S3 has image stabilization and 12x zoom and for a guy who spends two-thirds of his time taking pictures of birds, bees, and butterflies, THIS is the camera! Wait a second: bees and butterflies? Doesn't that take a macro? Yes, but with a 12x optical zoom, you can stand five feet from a flower and, yes, with some software, you could have a picture that is a "macro" with any other camera, and blow it up to 11x17. Six MP is plenty. I've had a picture of a tiger (and now a dog)on my web site, and you can count the hairs and whiskers; the bee's pollen sacs are crystal clear.

If I can find where to post some pictures, take a look.

Some negatives: When you DO use the macro, unlike other Canons, you can't use it in "Auto." That's okay, but the button is now on the side and you have to look for it. And then macro and super macro are very sensitive, and there often isn't enough light for a picture and the flash is too much. Try taking a picture of a coin...

For some odd reason, though most of the button are in the same place as on the A620, I hit them accidentally more often and have changed settings though I didn't mean to.

Though this isn't exactly a negative, I do wish that I could switch the view setting to the next picture when looking at what's on the card. I don't know how else to explain it, but using the LCD to view your picture AND pulling them in for a close up look, you can't move on to the next shot.

So, while I'm at it, I wish it had a 3" LCD instead of 2. But then, I wish it had a 5" LCD, weighed 3 ounces, had a 20x optical zoom, and had a viewfinder that anyone with glasses could use. I also want world peace, a lottery hit, and leg room on NWA.

Speaking of which...the viewfinder is actually one of the best I've found after 50+ years of taking pictures. It's adjustable, and large enough.

I could go on and on, but that would be superfluous considering the preceding reviews by others. It deserves 4.5 stars, and the only reason why not 5 is that we all know the next step is a 15x zoom and 8 MP, not that I need 8 MP.

Be sure to get a 1 GB, preferably a 2 GB card, btw. If you take "movies" at all, and you use high res, you'll eat up memory like crazy. But even then, you can now use the zoom in movie mode and take snapshots while taking movies.

An excellent lens, the Canon 180 degree LCD, ...

Enough. It's not point and shoot, and it's not small. It's comfortable, can indeed be used with one hand (hey, I've often got a dog attached to the other), and I just can't praise it enough. Even the price is more than reasonable. But if you're a beginner, go with the A620 or a Sony. This is the missing link between PowerShots and DSLR.


->Price

this camera have trouble shooting pictures a night at long range beyond 12X zoom ok for close up.but then all cannon camera and camcorder have this problem!. and no time stamp and date printing you must use cannon EZ browser to edit and add the time stamp and date.forget about it in movie clip!. no option availble in EZ browser to add time and date which can only record the movie in AVI format lucky nero 7 can convert the AVI file into DVD format.if you want good noght time shot then go for the sony instead.


->Deal

The Canon Powershot S3 is easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a camera a step below an SLR. I took it on vacation recently and the results were great. The camera is not too heavy and bulky so it was fairly easy to carry. I would recommend getting the PSC-75 Deluxe Soft Case as an add on. The case fits on your belt loop and the camera is easy to get in and out of the case the way it is designed. I wouldn't recommend this option of carrying the camera for a woman. It might be too heavy for smaller belts. The only complaint I have about the camera is the lens cover. It does not fit snugly and falls off easily.


->

This is a Great camera for the money. Its takes super pictures. Is ez to work with even if you are not a tecno type person. I take several pictures and weedout the poopy ones. There I am left with great shots.


->Lowest Price

Pluses
------
-This is a very good camera for those looking for one which is very high on features. Features are possibly the best what you can get at this price.
-The Handling, operation, built quality is perhaps the best I've seen in a non-pro camera.
-Lots of very useful & innovative features like Voice-tags for stills, Jumping to images by various criteria, Slideshow set-up,direct connection to TV
-Viewfinder is the best I've seen
-Very powerful Image Stabilization, very good lens quality (very good zoom: 12X optical),
-lots of manual controls and modes,
-very powerful flash,
-very inteliigent software,
-Foldable LCD.

Limitations (My observations only.. I'm not yet fully skilled with usage)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Picture Quality is not the best, esp in case of Shooting at Night. Its ISO 400 & ISO 800 modes are QUITE NOISY. It may be my shooting setting problem, but compared to even an entry-level Sony point & shoot camera, the image quality is not far better. The real comparison comes when viewing the images on a Workstation. Even compared to Panasonic Lumix TZ1 (all the settings in Auto), Panasonic Lumix TZ1 gave a better image quality for the same image at night. I again say, this MAY BE due to settings problem, but i can definitely say, the picture quality is not as great as i had expected under the settings that can be easily done & understood by a not-a-pro photographer (Shot in Auto and Av Modes)
-It's HEAVY (weight goes to 500 gms inc batteries) so it's a pain if you have to carry it for long
-Shoot/Play dial switch seems to be not so strongly built
-LCD image quality is not that rich. It's also smaller than it should have been (but it is acceptable given the fact it can be rotated by 180 degrees)
-Image stabilization doesn't work in non-daylight condition with flash off (but works brilliantly in daylight or with flash-on)
-Drains 4 batteries. I'm using newly purchased Uniross 2500 mAH Ni-MH batteries which last for roughly 300 shots (with around 75-100 shots taken with flash) on a full recharge
--The camera doesn't come with Rechargeable Ni-MH batteries or charger, contrary to most other canon cameras. Neither does it include a pouch. So be ready to spend at least 40-50 extra bucks on these things plus a high capacity Memory Card. But in India, this does ship with batteries & charger.
-Overall Not very easy to use for a novice, but very satisfying for an advanced user. You need to spend decent amount of time going through the manual for using this camera effectively
-----------------------OVERALL-----------------------
This is one of the best semi-professional camera one can look for in terms of features, handling, build-quality, but this should be used by an advanced user (otherwise it may be an overkill for a novice and a novice may get confused and overwhelmed by the features and operation). Overall I'm very happy with the camera, but not too happy with its low-light shooting performance (picture clarity when observed on a workstation). Lot of pixel noise in ISO 400 & beyond (even ISO 200).


->Wholesale

I really like this camera, but it is not for the point and click crowd. It will do that with great results but you can get a good point and click camera for a much cheaper price. This camera is for people who want results comparable to a digital SLR but aren't willing to pay the price, or want it in a smaller package.

I compared the specs on this camera to an expensive Canon digital SLR camera a friend of mine has and the only meaningful difference is in pixal count. The amount of control over the picture, functions, and the quality and specs of the imaging components are virtually the same; in fact the S3 was superior in some areas.

Now of course the digital SLR has interchangeable lenses and in the long run one can be more creative and versitile with one. But with this camera you get 90% of the functionality without having to carry around a large camera body and a bag of lenses. You can also do it at 25% of the cost or less when you consider the price of the lenses. The 12X zoom alone is comparable to having to buy a 400mm lense.

The only problem I have with this camera is that with the amount of control and functions available I spend a lot of time in the book figuring out what I can do and how to do it.


->Price

It's a good camera for everybody: beginners and for people, who want to take pictures operating manually using many different options.
It's a very comfortable if you can twist a screen in many direction that you like, taking pictures in different difficult of approch places. Also it's very good that you can close and open screen, so there is smaller chance to scratch or breake one.
The best cameras are CANON and NIKON!
I like this camera for the quality! You can take a good video with a sound. Good pictures will be even in a fast moving, at night etc. Good zoom option - so you can take a picture if your object is too far from you and you will get a good sharp, clear picture.
It's not heavy, comfortable. Pictures have so wonderful bright real colors! I bought this camera because a friend of mine has the same one. I have a bird (cockatiel) and it's very hard to take a picture of her, because I expect to see her natural colors and sharp (clear) pisture. So now I'm able to take a picture of almoust everything!!!
Don't think to buy or not to buy!!! :)


->Affordable

i wanted a camera that was better/more substantial than a pocket camera and decided on this one. so far i am very happy with it. like some other reviews said, it doesn't do great in low light situations, but it takes amazing photos in good light. like the weight and feel of the camera. menus are easy to navigate and i have only used a few of the extra features. i feel like i got my money's worth.


->Price

I love the quality & the speed except for the indoor moving shots. I went to my nephew's wrestling tournement & I put it on sport shooting & I couldn't figure out how to use the flash at the same time & I missed some WONDERFUL shots!! Other than that, it was great & it might be something I am doing wrong...who knows!!


->Deal

Great and versatile camera at a good price. 12X Zoom feature was really nice and the pictures were clear. Easy to use. The movable LCD screen was very convenient, although it was a bit too small and difficult to see in bright light. Would Recommend.


->Sale

I purchased the S3 IS about a month ago after doing extensive research on digital cameras. Since I've had it, I can't seem to put it down! Pictures are sharp, the 12X zoom is amazing and the super macro function is unbelievable!

If you don't have the $$$ for a DSLR, this camera is the one to get...




->

I bought this camera a little over a month ago. It has performed pretty much as I expected and my research showed it should. The battery life is good (I use rechargeable NiMh) even when using the flash. I have shot probably close to a thousand pictures. I am impressed that the IS works so well in long shots indoors. I have taken photos of my kids at various indoor activities where flash is impractical. I can zoom all the way and still get a hand held shot. Unfortunately, anything taken indoors is pretty grainy. I am still experimenting with various settings and scene modes to try and take some of the graininess out. When using the flash the pictures are great! In well lit situations that camera takes wonderful pictures, as well. Color is good and the frames are sharp.

I paid a little under $300 and it is definitely worth that! If you are looking for a long zoom, image stabilized camera I would recommend you take a good close at this one. I am a very happy camper!


->Deal

El producto fue entregado inmediatamente, etoy muy conforme con el producto, el una de las mejores camaras que he tenido entre mis manos. Es Excelente


->Buy

Fantastic camera and a great service from Amazon.com...it was a little slow in the shipping and i was credited the express delivery payment.

I am very happy with the camera and what it can do! Great for distance shots and close detail shots.


->Wholesale

Yes, $300.
6.0 megapixel, same chip as in the 6.3 rebel, REAL and large lens with a 12x optical zoom, full manual override capability and very good full res. 640x480, 30fps video camera. An absolute steal.
But by at least a 2.0 mb memory card.


->Deals

Nice camera. Dont know how to use many of the features yet but of little what I know, it worked quite well and pics came out real nice.


->Prices

I was hesitant to buy a digital camera because I have always enjoyed the quality from my SLR 35 mm. However, the quality of the close-ups I have taken with this camera have far exceded my expectations. The pictures are clear and sharp. The camera is user-friendly as well. I only wish I would have switched earlier!


->Affordable

It's a bit heavier than expected, but the picture quality is excellent. Object up to 3/4 of a mile away can be brought into fairly sharp focus. Love it!


->Best Price

I tested 3 other cameras with this and this one was by far the best. Great size, functions, friendly, etc. I love to use it. It did take me a good week to play with all the functions and stuff before I really got hooked so be sure you give it a fair try.


->Price

There are several very good comprehensive reviews here, and I'm not going to try to replicate them. There are, however, a few points worth noting.

First, I would definitely recommend the Lensmate lens adapter with a UV filter for everyone. Some forums have reported issues with the lens sticking while extending and retracting, and this will prevent anything like sand or grit getting into the mechanism.

Second, I have been using a Transcend 4 gig memory card with no trouble at all. Nice to be able to get almost 24 minutes of movies on the card. Please note that each clip cannot exceed 8 minutes.

Finally, button clutter is real. In looking at photographs of the camera, I thought some reviewers were exaggerating this issue, but they were not. I'm getting accustomed to the placement, but it is still very easy to hit a button that does something you had no intention of doing. This is the only flaw I have found with this camera, and it is certainly not a deal breaker.

This is a great camera at a great price and I would buy one again in a heartbeat. Just think about where you are putting your fingers, and you should be fine.



->Cheap

So far, I love the camera--easy to use, but plenty of options if I ever want to take the time to learn to use them (which I hope to do soon). Takes super nice pictures just with the basic settings, and it's a nice size. Easy to manage pictures for printing, etc.


->Comparison

Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS 6MP with 12x Image Stabilized Zoom
After shopping for several months for my next camera, I came across the S3IS. Several cameras in this class had great reviews, but the vga quality video really sold me. It handles low light conditions better than my 4 year old Canon, although indoor pics tend to be a bit grainy. But it really shines outdoors. My outdoor pics rival any professional camera. The 12x zoom is also amazing. A good friend told me he had ordered this camera the same day I ordered mine. Two other acquaintances ended up with the same camera within weeks. It's a truly versatile camera that has become quite popular. I'd recommend it to anyone!


->Sale

I have had the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS camera now for a month and have found it to be well worth the money. I have been involved in photography for 30 years and have owned a few different cameras in that time. This camera is definetly one of the best I've ever owned. I have experimented with most of the features and find the Stablization feature very helpful, especially when shooting sports at maximum zoom, or extreme close-ups in Super Macro mode. The colors are excellent and the high resolution allows me to crop a photo and still retain clarity. It is easy to use if you are an experienced photographer, but I would recommend to the beginner, to purchase a good book on Digital Photography, since the users manual may not be informative enough, to fully utilize this camera's many features.


->Comparison

Very satisfied with the item, ordering, shipping, pricing, etc. Overal very good shopping experience.



->Compare

good luck with it so far, I also own an easy share by Kodak, it is far better. I saved alot of money buying through amazon. The Zoom is great!


->

I am very happy to write this review for Canon and Amazon both to have me buy such rpoduct worth to capture the best shots of my life.

It has everything what I was craving for. it is real substitute to handycam as well.

Devendra


->Deals

I have had quite a few digital products from Nikon, to Canon and to Sony but this is one great all in once unit. The videos are great, the zoom offers great flexibility and the images are of great detail. With this S3, all your video and photography needs are taken care of in one compact unit. Just remember to have extra batteries and memory on hand.


->Affordable

What a fantastic camera! Even though this camera has a lot of bells and whistles to utilize all of it's capabilities (along with a comprehensive manual), only a few settings are needed for taking fantastic pictures. I mostly have been using just the AUTO and SPORTS settings, as I purchased this camera to take action shots of my sheltie running around with my Mom's sheltie. In addition, you could definitely benefit from purchasing a high speed SD card for this camera (I am using a 4GB 150x Transcend SD card). This Powershot will take full advantage of it, believe me. I also like the separate button for taking movies--another task that this camera excels at (640x480 @ 30fps). The articulating screen is also quite handy, especially for taking pics in crowds. I give the Powershot S3 IS two thumbs up!


->Deal

This is the best price, no tax, and supersaver shipping that I have seen
for this camera and I've been looking for a digital camera for 7 mos.
It really has every function you would want as a seasoned photographer and the basics for a beginner. It's lightweight and the functions are easy to maneuver after you become familiar with the pictures. I would recommend this camera to anyone who needs a good digital camera. I believe it is the best digcam for the money before you get into the very expensive, professional type cameras which usually start at $500 more.
The only complaint I have is that I find the instruction manual to be extremely unhelpful in finding certain functions on the camera. It will tell you on what page to get the information you're looking for, but then doesn't tell you how to access that particular function. If you play with the camera long enough, you'll figure it out yourself, but then who needs directions.


->Buy

I have had a great deal of success with this camera. I am an amateur and yet I have gotten amazing results, and I can only imagine what I can do when I learn a bit more about this camera. I love the black and white option. I actually have found that the manual controls take better shots. I have taken beautiful portrait type shots and national geographic type shots. Fantastic!


->Price

I took my time upgrading from my last digital camera and researched several before buying this one. It is not for a first time user, or someone not interested in a feature rich camera. For example it has a flash but the flash is manual, and it is a bit bulkier than a most. But if you are thinking some day you want to upgrade to a true digital SLR, this is a great and cost effective first step or alternative. The ability to easily try out many cool features and add additional lens capability is great. What I love most is the fabulous zoom capability, and the fact that this camera also shoots movies with sound and does a great job at that too. It will take standard AA batteries or rechargable and for all it's power, the batteries seem to last a good long time. Downloading images to my laptop is effortless, something I struggled with on my first digital Fuji camera. For under $350 this camera is worth the investment.


->Compare

The only reason that this camera is not top rated by me is that the instructions on use are difficult to understand. Once I got the basics figured out, it is great - and I'm not a camera pro.


->Prices

I recently bought this camera after looking at cameras for over a year. I have a canon s410 which I bought from amazon a couple of years ago that gives great pictures (that was until the dreaded E-18 error) I recently fixed that camera but i wanted a long zoom. I was waiting for the olympus but when I tried it the shot to shot was very slow, I almost could go make a cup of coffee in the time it took to shoot from shot to shot! also at full zoom it dropped the resolution down to 1.2 megapixels! so I purchased the canon from Amazon for around $300. Its not a bad camera, it does have a learning curve, automatic is probably the worst setting to use, there are a lot of assesories you can buy for it. The pictures come out decent. Although I was disapointed in the low light setting of a dinner I attended, the photos came out grainy, some not usuable at all, the same happend with some outdoor shots on a gray day in ohio (a recent trip)I am hopping that once I learn to use the settings properly I can avoid this in the future.

The S5 was just announced but for what you get I dont think it is worth the extra money. It only gives you a few more megapixels on the same size senor, a hotshoe and a bigger screen. In researching this camera I did find one common problem and that is people complain that on a 2 gig card (any card) when you get close to capacity, it hides the photos on the card and they are not readable in a card reader and eventually not even in the camera-disapearing act-I havent experienced this so I dont know if it affects all but i doubt I will fill up my 2 gig card anyway, I use this camera for amusement.

I dont want to buy a ton of lenses, if I did I would get a DSLR. I pretty much bought this for the zoom. I have read you should buy a filter to protect the lens which means also buying the adaptor, lensmate seems to make a better one then canon out of metal, I will probably get mine there also the lens cap they sell has a tether to it so you wont loose it. I myself am torn between the 52mm and the 58mm.

Some people like sonys better, never owned one so I cant comment. There are also some user forums where you can learn from others the best settings to use with this camera, [...]

Overall a good camera for the 300 range, there are no 5 star digitals it comes down to what you want to use it for and how you take pictures, I dont feel its worth it to spend more then 300 on a camera unless you are in the market for a DSL, and this is no DSL! but I also didnt want to learn how to use a DSL. Hope this helps.


->Deals

Love the 12X zoom (optical!!!). Enjoy to options of the viewer. My wife loves taking pictures of ourselves(necessary for our relationship). Only had it for a few weeks and I'm still learning features. I like the way it fits in my hand and the zoom movement is quick. My wife and I are both enjoying it.


->Deals

Prior to buying this camera, we had a simple "point and shoot" Sony with a 3x optical zoom. That old camera had issues with low light shots (i.e., 50% of our indoor pictures were blurry even with the flash on) and it took a long time between pictures (i.e., take shot, count to ten, take next shot). Again that is the old camera.

For a new camera we wanted a stronger zoom (12x) with image stabilization, better low-light handling, and a faster interval between shots. (We use it for our three kids soccer games, indoor and outdoor / night and day games.)

The decision was between this camera(Canon Powershot) and a Sony (H2), both being 6 MP, 12x zoom w/stabilization. Luckily we actually tried the Sony in person and found that the slow shot problem was still there even in the new Sony. No brainer, we bought the Canon.

We love the camera. Turns out the "flip and turn display", as well as the stereo movie mode (both features absent in the Sony H2) are now also our favorite features.


->Prices

I purchase this camera for use in my real state business. I'm no pro! I needed a camera that would take clear shots at a distance. The Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS has done the job very nicely. The zoom is good, like digital zooms you must be some what stable for good focus. I am also using a 4 gig sd card so space is not an issuse. The best thing about this camera is it has alot features that I probably won't use anytime soon but they are there. I won't have to buy another camera anytime soon!I'm totally satisfied with my purchase. Shop around for the best price. Good camera! Totally Satisfied!


->Sale

I bought this camera on a whim and was quite impressed on how quick the shutter speed was for a digital camera. It was much better than my nikon coolpix camera.


->Price

This is a very professional product. It take a while to adjust to using all the features that are included with the camera. This is a good buy for the price.


->Buy

I bought this camera to take pictures and videos for my baby son. The quality of the pictures are incredible! And most of the time I just use "Auto" mode. The videos are great too. Especially the stereo sound effect. It saved me the budget for a camcorder. I bought an extra $10 Kingston 1G memory card and the storage space is enough for my use. Great buy!


->Buy Now

Great camera! It is lighter than I thought. I don't have much knowledge of camera and this S3 has many functions, but it is not quite hard to learn.
If you want to buy a new digital camera, you should consider this S3.


->Best Price

This camera is great! And I was a dedicated SLR user, reluctant to go digital. But I love the zoom... it's fast and accurate. It's got a ton of fun features, like color sampling, to take those neat shots of kids where the rose is the only thing in color. Can take a snapshot while in video mode and video while snapping shots. It's been a whole lot of fun. The only thing I miss about my SLR is manual focus... but for that I've got to get real expensive.


->For Sale

I've had this camera for 4 weeks now & I love it! I'm still learning & experimenting with it, however, I'm having a great time! If you're looking for a point & shoot camera along with being able to manually change settings, this is the camera for you.


->Sale

I bought this one because sometimes it's inconvenient to carry DSLR around and it serves that purpose well. The camera takes pictures pretty fast and the quality is decent when there's sufficient light. It has a big zoom but the close-up doesn't seem to work well. All said, I would recommend this to anyone who has the need to complement SLR with a P&S.


->Sale

I was so worried about getting a new camera since I knew how to use my old one, however it was time...this camera is totally awesome and I have a couple of friends who now have purchased it because they loved it also...


->Best Price

EXCELLENT choice....plenty of options, rather light, quick to shoot, great video option with an amazing sound quality....Forget HP, this is a great camera for its price....


->Deal

So far this has been a great camera for me. It is in the medium price range and has the features that I wanted. The instant movie button is a nice convenience. Having a little trouble trying to use the super macro.


->Comparison

This is the best camera I have ever used, easy to learn to use and great picture quality.


->Compare

I'm definitely no professional when it comes to photography, but this camera takes pictures that make me look like one. The full auto mode does a great job of deciding what is best for the situation (aperature and shutter speed). The camera has many more functions available, that I am still learning. Again I'm no pro, but this camera has so many features and capabilities, that I can't imagine anyone not wanting this camera.

It is the best camera I have ever owned.


->Prices

Lots of bells and whistles - more than I normally worry about. But, once you get a handle on the camera's capabilities, it takes incredibly clear pictures. Lighting is not as critical as with the Olympus model I had prior.

Definitely recommended.


->Deals

This is my favorite camera....Just the right size and with so many features... The pictures are great! The macro and suoer macro are incredible. I have the 800IS and the Digital Rebel....all bought from Amazon and all terrific....this little 3S is the very best in design and practicality....I love It!


->Compare

I wanted a good digital camera for point and shoot pictures and to rediscover photography with manual settings. This camera fits the bill. I can go fully manual or let the camera do the work for family and friend photo ops. I'm very happy with quality of the photos, and the video is surprisingly good. I was really impressed with the audio recording. Compared to other cameras in it's class the S3 IS's price is a steal.


->Price

I really like this camera. I have a son that plays football and a husband that races boats and needed a camera that not only could catch the action but also could zoom in close enough. It also has a great video option that can zoom. I have a pocket digital camera and a film SLR but wanted a better quality digital but not the bulkiness of the SLR. This camera also has optional lenses and filters with adapters. As the camera is on the top end of the point and shoots and the lower end of the SLR it is priced appropriately. I highly recommend the camera.


->Best Price

I bought this camera based on the other reviews and because I had a Canon SLR for years and loved it. This camera is great to use. The controls are simple and it's easy to use either the view screen or the view finder. And when it comes to downloading the photos to my computer, it's extremely easy. I can easily recommend this camera for anyone.


->Compare

I think in order to understand which reviewers you should listen to, it'd be helpful to know who they are in photography and what they are using this camera for. So, I'll start by saying that I am not a professional photographer, nor do I aspire to become one. This is my second digital camera, I used the first one for 4 years and loved it (a small Sony 3x), got this new camera primarily to take better pictures of my baby (zoom helps!). I've never owned an SLR - not even a film one.
I do, however, enjoy photography immensely and have been reading on it a lot lately. It was precisely this camera that moved me to try and learn more so that I could take adtantage of all its features. So, I feel like I definitely grew as a photographer in the half a year or so that I've had this camera. From this vantage point, I love this camera very much for all the reasons already mentioned - zoom, video, IS, etc. I whole-heartedly agree with all the rave reviews for those, and I'm a little puzzled as to why people would complain of focus issues - certainly, they happen, as they do on any camera, even an SLR, but I would not call it a problem that should stop you from getting this camera.
I really have only 2 real complaints, responsible for the 4 star rating:
1) the flash seems to be charging somewhat slowly when it has been fired a few times in a row. I've missed a few amazing shots waiting for it to recharge, and that really upset me.
2) the camera seems to have trouble focusing on skin tones. Taking close-ups of my sleeping baby have been quite a challenge, and I was really looking forward to those, considering I have a 12x camera.

That being said, having explored everything this camera has to offer, I've come to the conclusion that unless I decide to do photography seriously and make money with it, this camera is all I need, and getting an SLR is not only expensive, but really absolutely unnecessary for my needs. In order to take full advantage of an SLR, you'll need 3 lenses (or an expensive zoom one), a tripod, filters, you name it, and quite frankly, when I compare my pictures with pictures of my friends who own SLRs, very rarely do I see the difference (and they agree).
So, I think I'm keeping this one for another 4 or so years, at which point I hope to buy S7 IS. :-)


->Price

Excellent camera for advanced hobbyists who want control (like me), as well as those who just want to push the button.

PROS: Fantastic 12x zoom range (wish it had a little more wide angle though). Image Stabilization works like magic (I can hand-hold 400mm shots even on overcast days). The folding LCD is more useful than I thought (great for low macro shots). Love the size (feels like a real camera, not a disposable). Shutter lag & focus speed are very good. TV quality videos with dedicated button. SD card (best format). Common AA batteries (but get NiMH rechargeable).

CONS: More purple fringing (in high contrast areas) than I expected - not as good as my Nikon CoolPix 7600. This is not a problem for 4x6 prints and TV/DVD slideshows, but I think it will start being noticeable in prints larger than 8x10. High pitched whine in video, but it improves if you lower the sampling rate (plus I was able to filter it out with a Low Pass filter in Premiere Elements). Zooms a little too fast for my taste. Wish I could attach filters without an adapter.

OPINION: Electronic View Finders are better than SLRs because SLRs don't take movies, which really add pizzazz to a slideshow (now on DVD, or search for "worldjim" on YouTube). The clunky mirror mechanism was needed in a film world, but not in digital; LCDs (even on the cheapest cameras) do exactly what SLRs do - view through the recording lens. However, EVFs are still geared for the less serious photographer. EVF LCDs and CCDs still need improvement, but that will come in time. Plus interchangeable lenses would be nice.

ACCESSORIES: I got an adapter (on eBay) so I could use a polarizer - a must for serious photographers. It works, but it's a little tricky to use with the EVF or LCD.

OVERALL: Not perfect, but no digital camera is. Even though it needs some improvement, I still think it's the best compromise on the market today (for what I want to do). I consider this my first serious digital camera, and I'd buy it again.

UPDATE (4/19/07): I hope I didn't sound too negative. On the contrary, I love this camera. It's just that I'm picky when it comes to cameras (I'm a Nikon FM2 guy at heart). And like I said, I didn't like anything until now. The S3 IS will do just fine until a better one comes along.



->Deal

Hands down, this is one of the best point-and-shoot camera on the market and for the price, it's a real steal. The 12x optical zoom is just awesome allowing you to get really close to the action, and you can snap a picture instantly as soon as you press the shutter. No more long delay like in other point-and-shoot camera. The image quality is very good not excellent like digital SLR but very acceptable for most uses.

I especially love the awesome video capability on this. I can shoot videos up to 1 GB per clip and the video quality is superb not grainy like other point-and-shoot camera. It is so good that I don't use my Sony DVD digital camcorder anymore.


->Prices

I have only had this camera for a few weeks, and have hardly scratched the surface of its special features. This review is by no means comprehensive, but is written by someone who is still learning about the camera. Overall, it is a fine piece of work.

When used in conjunction with the manual, this camera not only makes photo-taking easy, but also educates its operator about some of the finer points of photography. It helped me become more aware of lighting when I take my photos. It also has settings specific to different situations - night scenery, day scenery, sports, people, and so on.

The zoom on this camera is above average. 12X is amazing, and the quality of the photos at full zoom are surprisingly clear. Movies are high quality and can be taken at any time (for example, with the camera set on "night scenery" or "sports" or anything else). Still photos can be taken while shooting a "movie", too. I recommend getting a high speed memory card in order to ensure smooth video footage.

The camera fits well into my hands, which gives me more stability when I am taking pictures. The camera does have a "stabilizer" feature, but I haven't really had the need for it yet.

No complaints thusfar with this camera. Amateur camera shoppers look at the resolution and decide which camera they'll get. But a 6.0 megapixel camera provides enough resolution to print an A3-sized (roughly two letter-sized papers put together) photo without pixelation. The lens and camera features are far more important than resolution, making this camera a winner at all levels.


->Compare

This is the perfect camera for someone who wants most of the capability of an SLR without the weight. Ideal for someone who likes to take close-up shots. An SLR might be a better choice for someone preferring landscapes.


->Prices

great camera for price. one of the best digital cameras for taking sound videos. love the 12x zoom.




->Prices

I did a lot of research before buying this camera, and Im glad I did but it. it takes a while to learn to use all its features but it sure does take great high quality pictures. I love the 12x optical zoom.

Loving it!


->Prices

I was looking for a high-end compact camera to take on short trips as an alternative to my SLR. I was prepared to make some sacrifices compared to an SLR, but even so this camera didn't quite make the cut and I returned it. Here's why.

PROS: It's small and light (compared to an SLR). The EVF is very usable. The ability to swivel the display is great, especially for macro shooting. Super macro mode gets you very close. The long zoom is fun, and the image stabilization makes it usable. For this type of camera, noise is well controlled at ISO 100 and 200, and the noise reduction is light (no smearing). Live histogram and gridlines are both available. Focusing speed, shutter lag, and save times are all pretty good. The lens is quite fast considering its focal range; it's easy to create background blur at most focal lengths. Good hand grip. Overall, a great feature set in very flexible and usable design.

CONS: As with all compact cameras, dynamic range is limited, highlights often get clipped, and anything over ISO 400 is basically worthless. I was prepared to put up with that. But what immediately bothered me was the amount of chromatic aberration (both purple and red fringing, especially next to black areas) and corner softness, plus mild vignetting. Basically, the optics don't live up to the quality of the rest of the camera. I couldn't find a way to control the CA using different apertures, and it was just more than I could put up with.

As always, look at a detailed review with sample shots (like DPReview) and make up your own mind.


->

Despite the rave reviews this camera has been getting, I'm disappointed in it.

I've lost count of the number of photos I've taken in Auto mode where everything looked sharp in the viewfinder, only to find out later that the Autofocus function was locked onto something in the background rather than the principle subject in the foreground. This happens even though the principle subject was dead-center in the rectangular area where the camera is SUPPOSED to be autofocusing.

The zoom function apparently isn't calibrated to the auto-focus function; as you increase the zoom, what the camera actually autofocuses on moves further and further away from the rectangular area in the viewfinder that marks where it SHOULD be autofocusing.

It's all too easy to 'overzoom' beyond what the camera's autofocus can handle, but there's no way to know when that has happened. You can see the most extreme examples in the viewfinder, but there's no way to tell when you've zoomed just a little too much - you have to find out the hard way.

I've learned the hard way that I need to take several pictures at various zoom levels and to NEVER try completely filling the frame using the zoom - no matter how great the temptation. The maximum zoom (12X) is good only for extremely distant objects (like hundreds of feet away), as I've had objects 20 feet away turn out fuzzy.

The auto-focus mode on this camera is NOT to be trusted.


->

We bought this camera to take on our trip across Europe and fell in love with it. The ease of use, the picture quality, the power of the zoom, the battery life - I could go on and on. This is a great camera for people who love to take pictures.


->Best Price

Takes quality pictures, fits my hands, lightweight and well balanced. Batteries seem to be lasting well. I was a little skeptical about this camera using the AA batteries, but am satisfied. Coming off a Kodak Easy Share, the Canon is a little more complex, but as I get used to the different settings I am sure it will be completely user friendly. Found the best price on Amazon!


->Wholesale

I wanted a camera with a more powerful zoom and better video capability than my compact digital camera. the PowerShot S3 fits the bill. There are many features I havn't had time to investigate yet but the camera is easy to figure out and I started to use it right away. Be sure to format your memory cards to the camera before shooting, I didn't and lost a few early shots.


->Deals

I'm one of those folks that always had the tiny cameras. I will never go back after this amazing camera. It has tons of features and buttons I'll never use. But ... for the average person like me, four reasons

(1) you can quickly move back and forth between shooting and viewing (just push the shutter and, boom, you're back in camera mode in a hurry),
(2) easy delete as you view,
(3) phenomenal zoom, and ... most of all to people like me ...
(3) fast response--press the button and it takes a picture basically immediately.

Thank you Canon!


->Lowest Price

The product is everything I expected, good. The purchase through Amazon was not what I expected. I could have bought the camera from a local distributor for the same price only after I asked Amazon to honor their "FREE" shipping offer. They were going to charge me when it specifically states that free shipping is for purchases over $25. the camera cost over $370. I signed up for an Amazon credit card thinking that the price would be discounted $30.00 only to be told that it wouldn't apply to this purchase. "Clever doublespeak marketing " only results in no purchases in the future. The product was delivered quickly and in good condition.


->Price

This camera rocks!!! I'm still learning all the features it has, but I love it. The video is great. My mom took a picture of me a few weeks ago and she was shaking. I was sure that picture was going to come out blurry, but much to my surprise it came out perfect. The Image Stabilization really works. I have 2 graduations coming up and I'm looking forward to great photos. Love that zoom!!!!!!!!!


->Lowest Price

This is an amazing camera! I'm having so much fun learning how everything works, and taking some fantastic shots! I waited and saved to get it, and I don't regret one minute of the wait. It is well worth it. Thank you.


->Deal

I have had this camera for several months now and cannot find anything to gripe about. The focus is quit sharp, color is good, indoor perfomance is good, battery life is excellent. I really like the 12X zoom. The movie mode is significantly better than other cameras I have had in the past.


->Prices

After reviewing many sites and visiting local stores I decided to purchase the S3 IS. All reviews talked about the features but I wanted to be able to use it and make sure it was comfortable and all buttons were in the right places. I am extremely satisfied and happy with my purchase. Pictures are amazing and the zoom is perfect! The camera's size is just the right size for the zoom. You gotta love how the camera makes it easy for point and shoot users and allows more experienced users to tweak settings to get that perfect shot! Reading the manual blows your mind with all the things you can do with this puppy. The video feature is outstanding as well. Don't think about it twice and grab it if you're undecided.


->Sale

Being slow to learn (senior citizen, I read the manual umpteen times before trying this sweet camera. It has lots of features to consider. Don't know if I will ever use all of them, but it is nice to know they are there. Everything seems to make sense and be in the right place. I took a video of my first grade grandson in his school program. I used a a 1 gig card. It ran out real fast, but I think I should have changed the pixels or something. The quality of the movie was good. (Even though I got the back of some heads) I expect many years of fun with this little jewel.


->Purchase

Canon Powershot S3 IS.

I had a hard time choosing from a mega-zoom like this camera or picking a DSLR. I have a few SLR lenses that I could have used on the Pentax DSLR and price between the two cameras were not too far apart. As I thought about toting several attachments around I choose the S3. This is an upgrade from my Nikon 4MP camera.

I've had the Canon S3 a couple weeks now and I purchased the Canon Lens Adapter and Hood Set but I picked the FREE SUPER SAVING SHIPPING aka Super slow shipping. The camera and charger/Battery (LaCrosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger, NICE) combo arrived Saturday before the SD memory card and Lens Adapter that arrived in a second shipment the following Monday. I don't understand why two separate shipments as everything was in stock.

Since I had the camera for two days before the Lens Adapter came I'll have to say that the adapter is worth having if just to give me more to hold. The first couple of days I found it difficult to grab the camera without pressing a button (not a problem if the camera wasn't left turned on), I assume because my Nikon had a different feel. I was impressed with the Image Stabilization and zoom right off. After getting the Lens Adapter and getting a few days use. All seems natural. The menu is logical and easy to navigate. The only thing I miss from my Nikon was that I could goto thumbnail mode and tag several photo's to delete if I wanted quickly. I saw a post someplace (could have been here) about it's bad that the S3 doesn't have a battery meter. That is true but it has a battery indicator that flashes when the batteries get low. I shot several outside photos after it started flashing and the camera never cut itself off so I don't know if it will auto-cutoff or what the battery level is at that point. I do know that the Canon S3 IS is very easy on batteries. Quick less than 2 second power up, Focus is quick and shutter almost no shutter lag makes a nice camera, and to add all the other features the S3 has. Oh, did I say anything about the great movie modes? Now I can leave my Canon Video camera t home most of the time.

It's not a small point and shoot but it's not as bulky as an SLR. I havent had any good photo ops yet but looking at my test photo's, I'm shure I'll be pleased.

3/31/2007 I tested camera with a standard (not high speed) Sandisk 1GB sd card. I saw no problems with shooting video in any video mode. Shooting pictures in highest resolution (superfine) high speed continuous mode I got 80 photo's before I heard a delay in taking pictures. In highest resolution (fine) high speed continuous mode I got 150 pictures before I heard a delay in taking photo's.

You can get a faster download of data to your computer from a high speed card.




->Best Price

I've had a couple point-and-shoot digital cameras already (3 Sonys and 1 Canon SD600) and I felt it was time for me to advance my photography skills. I purchased the Nikon D50 last December and it is an excellent camera except that it had so many more functions that I didn't need nor understood how to use.

Then I found out about the Canon S3 IS. It's seems like the perfect in between camera! It has a bunch of the Canon creative modes like night shot, sports, color accent, black & white, but it also has modes where you can adjust your pictures manually, like shutter and aperture priority. The display shows all the functions you are currently using as well as a live histogram to aid you while you take pictures. It also adjusts the image on the LCD (unlike for pro-SLRs) so you know what your picture will most likely look like with your settings. The video/sound is superb. Shots take in auto look great as well.

The body of the camera is ergonomically friendly. It looks and feels like a mini-SLR, it's lightweight, and the controls are extremely easy to learn and use. The LCD also flips and and turns 180 degrees for when you want to take self-portraits. It's also useful flipped out to get a better view of things higher and lower than your usual field of vision. The LCD could be bigger but it's not a big deal to me. The rockers, dials, and buttons function smoothly and the menu is very intuitive.

The camera uses 4AA batteries. It comes with 4 disposibles but you have to buy your own rechargable batteries with charger. I think it's great though to have AA batteries rather than those camera-specific batteries (which my Canon SD600 and Nikon D50 both used) because you can actually just buy some AAs if your rechargables run out and you don't have the charger on hand. I read that you should buy the nimh with an mah of 2500 or greater because these supposedly last longer per charge.

Overall, this camera is an excellent choice for those who want more control over their pictures than with their point-and-shoots but for whom SLRs might be too expensive or just too pro (like it was for me). You will actually use all the functions on this camera. I think it's also a great camera to use and learn to use more manual functions in case you decide to eventually move up to an SLR.

Enjoy! :)


->Best Price

I researched for a couple of weeks before settling on the Canon S3IS, and I have no regrets. I've had it for a couple of weeks and have taken all kinds of shots in different environments. It performs well in all of them.

The 12x zoom lets me take up-close shots from 20 feet away, which is perfect when shooting wildlife. And if you're already in close proximity you can use the zoom for extra detail. The controls allow you to get the photo you're looking for as long as you have a second to make adjustments, or you can use "auto" mode if you're in decent lighting and every shot will come out great. I thought it would be difficult to learn my way around the camera, but after reading the manual and fooling with it for a few days I had it down. Most importantly, you have to experiment with this camera, it can do A LOT or a little... depending on your skill and know-how.

Added Perks: This camera runs on AA's, which are conveniently available all over the world and will never be "discontinued". Also, the flip LCD feature is awesome - I can set the timer and take pictures with friends and we can actually see what's in the frame! Plus it helps protect the LCD, which is a bit small, but it does the job. The SUPER MACRO feature is just incredible... I took a picture of a lady bug from 2 inches away and you can see every detail.

It's not as sleek and small as a point-and-shoot, but you pay more for quality than convenience.

Overall this is a fantastic camera with warm, but vibrant color, excellent detail, and a lot of features. It can be simple enough for the beginner, but offers the control and functionality, allowing hobbyists and amature photographers to be a little more creative.






->Buy Now

My first Canon---I'm hooked!!! I spend too much time taking photos and editing on my computer. It's just so easy and the functions are right there at your fingertips. The easiest camera to use. Pictures are sharp, bright and exact. What can I take a photo next!!! Got to get going!!!



->For Sale

A little small is my first impression but not something I can't get used to.
I'd love to be able to capture an image I have zoomed in the camera but quality suffers there so it is not usually recommended. And zooming would be more seamless were it so and not jumpy (as in the difference between digital and analog). An eye cup would be nice to block out the real world while peeking thru my viewfinder. I added the extension tube and lens shade which protects the front element of the lens and gives me something to hold onto when carrying the camera in my hand and shooting; I'm told it looks sexy as hell too (wish that rubbed off on the holder). But as a sometimes pro and addicted shooter (hundreds of exposures a day - some friends tell me they sometimes fail to recognize me at first without that black thing in front of my face. I think it adds to my cuteness) I do really like it, tho the stabilizer leaves something to be desired. I still love the heft of the Sony 717 and use it often but not as much as I used to. The Sony T50 would be the next addition to my stable of cameras.


->

I purchased this camera to replace a [...] digital camera at work. I was so impressed with this camera that I purchased one for myself! The picture quality is incredible. Anyone with any photography knowledge will appreciate the amount of features this camera includes.


->Price

Canon is allways great , iused many kinds of canon and this one is the best it has many functions and avery good stabilizer for anice photo.


->Compare

If you are interested in taking great pictures, and sometimes you want near-DSLR capabilities, this is the camera for you. Small enough to not be too much of a burden (as with an SLR), but has many high end capabilities. The 12X zoom is awesome. No other point-and-shoot camera can touch it. The image stabilization makes a world of difference. Fewer lost pictures due to blurriness.

I use it mostly as a point-and-shoot, where it truly excels, but at times I like to play with shutter priority and aperture priority, especially for indoor and low-light shots. I have not done much yet with the manual mode, but it's nice to know it's there for me.

My next step is to get the lens adapter (about $10) so I can use filters. Being an amateur photographer is an evolutionary process, and I am just starting to move through to a new phase in understanding. This camera will take me a long way before I would want a DSLR.

The most surprising feature is the video quality. It's as good as my Sony DV handycam, and it's much more convenient to copy to my computer for editing. Make sure you get a couple 4GB cards if you shoot a lot of video.


->For Sale

I am so happy with my Canon S31S! It has more features than any camera I've ever used and, with the lens adapter, you can add polarizing filters, or macro lenses, and extend your options even further. Plus, I love the swiveling display. Great for taking shots of yourself with your friends.


->Comparison

im not a camera expert but so far i really like the canon s3. ive been using it for a month now it seems to shoot real nice idiot proof pics. im more knowligible about video and it really takes nice video. what sold me was that many people i asked about this price range of digital cameras always compared other cameras to canon so i figured why not get a canon. hopefully as i get better with it i will enjoy it even more. i know there are alot of things that it does that as of now i have no idea what they are. hopefully this will enable me to get better at the action shots. i was told that canon has really good customer service and therefore i elected not to purchase anymore warranty. a friend had an S1 that was a couple of years old and it went bad and canon let her upgrade to the S2 for $100 which seemed reasonable to me


->Buy

No fuss camera, with many functions and a so-so build. Entry level professionals may want to go a bit higher and go for an entry level DSLR. For the rest of us this is one of the best options available on the market.


->Purchase

Its really a pride to own this camera.Picture quality is great and lot of features!!!


->Compare

BY FAR THE BEST CAMERA ON THE MARKET! My friends are envious and I am a neebie at digital photography and I have taken some great photos. I did a lot of searching and found Amazon had the lowest price and fastest delivery!


->Lowest Price

i have owned this camera for several months now and so far i am very satisfied with it. i especially like the 12x zoom capability with image stabilization and its macro capabilities. Since i am interested in wildlife and nature shots, i was able to take a picture up close of a nesting eagle up on a hill and take close-up shots of the ridges of a seashell using these features. Battery life is great, and i haven't had any trouble with this camera so far. I haven't explored yet all the features this camera has to offer, but i'm sure i won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.


->Lowest Price

I went from having a so-so camera that only captured the side of my baby's head because of the delay. Now, my baby is the most beautiful baby in the world with this camera! The quality of the photos is just spectacular. I had wanted to buy a SLR but couldn't afford the $600 price tag (probably more), and I heard about this Canon, so figured I'd give it a shot. I absolutely love this camera. Cannot recommend it highly enough.


->Affordable

I love this camera. This is the first "decent" camera I have ever bought. All my other cameras take horrible pictures...slow shutter speed, slow recording times, blurry pictures. This camera made me look like a pro photographer the first day of use and I don't know anything about taking pics! Very user friendly. Very fast to boot and take pics. Stunning clarity in pictures. Image stabilization is great. The camera is pretty heavy for its size and the lcd could be larger, but that aside... I LOVE IT!


->Sale

I bought this camera for my husbands birthday and he absolutly loves it. I also bought it because we are about to have our second child and our old camera was too slow when I wanted to capture those cute moments. It also always turned out fuzzy. With this new camera I can get every little detail and it is super fast. I never miss a quick smile anymore from our two year old. We also love the video feature and have quit using our video recorder and have just stuck with the cameras video option for all of those cute moments that we want to catch on video for the future.


->Deal

I got this camera today and have given it all the tests I could think of. Played with all the different modes. Took it outside for some nature shots, etc. Overall it's a great camera, and the new lower prices makes it even a better deal. However, when shooting videos there is a very noticeable high pitched whine. I've tried adjusting all audio and video settings, turning off the IS, etc. There's nothing I can do to get rid of this annoying sound that occurs during all video recording. A quick web search turned up that this is a common problem with this camera and seems to affect most, if not all, S3s to some degree or another. Mine happens to be particularly bad. The user forums over at dpreview dot com talk about this problem. I've written Canon and am awaiting a reply. If they cannot fix this, my S3 is going back to the store. One of my reasons for choosing this camera was the great video features - however, this audio problem is rendering all videos shot on this camera unwatchable. Had this not been a problem, this camera would have gotten 4-4.5 stars. However, since this problem is so annoying and seems to be very common on S3s, I'm having to rate this just 2 stars.


->Price

I wanted a camera that was easy to use, that took really good pictures without much import from me, the camera user. This camera does all of that and moreover I have become fascinated by all it can do and what I can do with it. The photo software that comes with it is amazing and I have been editing away like mad and am so pleased with the final results, I feel like a pro!! My one criticism of the camera is that when holding it to take a photo my right thumb gets in the way of all the buttons etc or is it the other way around? Consequently I am still trying to find a comfortable (don't have to think where my fingers are) position to hold it. Nevertheless I am so pleased that I chose this camera for my birthday present.


->Deals

I have taken numerous shots and am very happy with the detail of the picture.


->Deal

I am very happy with this camera. It was actually a gift for my dad after buying one in December for ourselves and finding it to be perfect. My dad liked the look of it so we bought him the same one. It's great because you can just point and snap if yo want to, but you can also do all the fiddly stuff too. A great buy at a very reasonable price.


->Prices

Got it just yesterday, absolutely love it. Still going through the manuals but whatever i could operate without even looking at the manuals , its just superb.


->Best Price

Just received this camera yesterday inserted the batteries, the 1GB Chip, turned it on and started shooting. This camera is not for the novice. It can be used as a point and shoot or set it up the way you like it, it's very easy to use.


->Sale

Highly recommended. My photos are amazing. The zoom is wonderful.
A lot of custom commands and very good presets, the sports settings is excellent to take fast photos.
You will not be disappointed with this product. 100% guaranteed.



->Sale

I truly enjoy this camera! I feel as though I need to take a class in order to figure out everything that it is capable of doing. So, I guess in jargon speak, it is feature rich. There is not much "noise" produced when zooming, in fact I cant' seem to remember any so far. My DV camcorder recently died on us and now we are going to use the S3IS as our main camcorder for a few months. The video feature is great. It takes just enough frames per second to keep the video looking crisp and clear. Also, the fact that you can still zoom while recording, a feature I didn't have on my last still shot camera, is amazing to me.
Cons: I have been getting frustrated taking pictures indoors because of the lag time produced by the autofocus. In auto mode you may well miss that shot you wanted indoors because the camera was unable to set the distance properly and adjust the flash for the distance. Operating without the flash changes the lens speed so that those pictures are frequently blurry. So I have a choice, blurry pictures, or deal with the frustration of getting about 80% of the choicest little moments and big smiles from little 14 month old. I'm keeping the camera, its worth every penny I paid for it!! I'll figure out the indoor thing eventually.


->Deal

camera is excellent . photo is as excellent. price is excellent. zoom is excellent.


->Best Price

I was given the S3 IS by my father when he upgraded to a Pentax dSLR and I've found it to be unbelievably easy to use and take very good, hi-res pictures. It is extremely simple to focus, unlike the S1 IS, which lacks the laser focus the S3 IS has. I've had the opportunity to do a lot of different types of photography with it, too, which is great--everything from low light to hand held shots of the waxing moon (super clear) to catching my daughter running around outside or at the beach, photographing birds at the local Audobon Society property, sunsets and sunrises. This seems to me to be just one step before having a DSLR--it has so many great functions and at this point in it's "distinguished career" is at an all-time low price on the website!


->Compare

I have had the chance to use this camera in several different settings. I have had great results with sports action photos, low light situations as well as the normal auto mode. Zoom has worked great. Camera very easy to use. I debated on a digital SLR before buying this camera. I am extremely pleased that I chose this camera.


->For Sale

Coming from a strictly 35mm film background, I've only owned a couple of digital point & shoot cameras to use for snapshots. They served the purpose but that's all that I could say about them.

I wanted to replace a dead p&s model and decided to try something a little more advanced. My needs didn't require a DSLR so I stared to research other options.

My first requirement was that the camera have a way other than the LCD on which to compose. This eliminated a lot of cameras from consideration. There are a few with optical viewfinders but very few were more than higher-end p&s models.

That's when I started to look into models with EVFs. This narrowed the field down considerably. Every brand and model is a compromise of some sort and it came down to finding the ones with the fewest compromises.

The Canon S3IS turned out to be the camera. I bought it here on Amazon for about $20 more than it's selling for today. The price of this camera seems to be dropping almost daily. Possibly there's a replacement model coming soon.

I've only had the camera for a few weeks and haven't given it a full workout yet. Preliminary results show it to be a fine piece of equipment with more features than I'll ever use. I especially like the fact that it uses AA batteries. Rechargeable NIMH batteries are inexpensive and regular alkalines are available in an emergency.

Other than for 1 shortcoming, I would have given the S3IS 5 stars. The lens is quite prone to red fringing in the highlight areas at the longer end of it's focal length. I find this very disappointing coming from a company like Canon.

Perhaps I'm being too fussy about this, but I've used some fine lenses over the years and am very demanding of lens performance. Under most circumstances the fringing isn't an issue and at the 4X6 print size is really almost impossible to see. Be that as it may, I find it annoying and spoils what is otherwise a fine piece of equipment.


->Best Price

I thought I would never get my 3 years old Nikon for any other camera, but it broke on an accident and I had to do it. I did some research with friends and most of them recommended Canon PowerShot. It is a very good camera for people like me who like to take nice shots, but does not want to feel like a pro. It has lots of features I have not even tested yet, and I think it will take me a year to get all of it. This camera's operation is not intuitive, though. I had to read the manual to learn some basic things, like recording video and setting up image size and resolution. But after you learn those tricks, everything comes up easy.

Pictures in low light are very nice. I went to some underground caves, and the pictures I got out of it, even without a tripod, were good. If I had a tripod, and learned all of the functions it has, I bet they would have been Excellent.

In some situations, colors are not as bright as the ones I had from the Nikon, but most of the time I get better pictures from this Canon than the ones I got from my old Nikon (it is a 3 years difference in technology after all).

Overall, I feel satisfied with the purchase.


->Buy Online

graet camera, it has worked excellent for me.
It has the widescreen option that the S2 doesn't have.

The resolution and zoom are great.
Maybe not a good idea to use max zoom in a not too well illuminated area, but hey, no camera does. You'd have to get an extra flash for that.

I was impressed with the macro option it has, it's very good, and so is the Image Stabilizer.

So far no complains.

It's cheap for what it does but if you want to save a little more money you could go with the S2 instead of the S3.


->Compare

I bought this camera last week, just prior to a long trip around Asia.

I used it for 3 days at my first stop, and enjoyed taking photos with it.

Once or twice, when I turned it on, the viewfinder just showed dark gray static, but turning it off and back on cured it. I didn't think much of it at the time.

As of today (day 5 of the trip), that's all it does, both in the viewfinder and LCD. I can vaguely see the difference between pointing it at a bright light vs a dark area (the screen goes between gray and black), but that's it.

All the icons display properly and I can review previously taken photos with no problem.

It was never abused in any way - for travel I packed it in the original box with original packing materials, in my carry-on bag, which was with me at all times and never banged or dropped.

I must assume the thing was just defective.

Now I discover that Canon's warranty only covers it in the US, so they will not fix it here unless I pay for the repair, estimated at half what I paid for it a week ago. The only alternative seems to be to send it back to the US at my expense (the return trip by FedEx will cost 75% what I paid for the camera). I had really looked forward to taking lots of photographs on this trip and now that's ruined unless I outlay a huge amount of extra cash. I am inclined to buy a different camera to replace it rather than take another chance with the S3 IS.

Obviously I can't speak to the general reliability of this model, but if you do buy one, make sure you do it well in advance of any overseas trip so you can make sure it's not a dud.


->Deals

It has some great things: an awesome super macro mode, great 12x zoom, but also some annoying little factors: icky aut-focus and difficult manual focus, tiny and not clear LCD, horrible fake viewfinder.
I got really annoyed, especially when taking macro pics because the LCD made it look as if the picture was in focus, but when I uploaded the pic, it wasn't in focus at all! Maybe it's just because I'm not a great photographer?
Overall, its a nice cheap camera for amateurs...but maybe there are better choices.


->Lowest Price

This is my first digital camera, though I've used many. So far, I've been happy with the quality of photographs and the ease of use. It is not small enough to fit in my pocket, but it isn't heavy either. There are many handy features that I will be trying soon. I've used the timer, which works very well and was intutive to learn. The include memory card is pathetically small-16MB. Be sure you purchase at least 1 GB if you plan to take more than 4 pictures at one time.


->Prices

This camera does everything. It has tons of things to learn and is a challenge to use to its fullest extent, but I am not disappointed.


->Wholesale

GREAT GIFT THAT CAN ALWAYS BE USED ANYTIME


->Compare

Very nice and solid camera, It will do everything you need. For this price is more tha enough. Compare with the similar model panasonic is 100 dollars more expensive.

Great movies...


->Comparison

I've had the S3 IS for about a week now and am thoroughly impressed with it. Before the Canon I owned a Minolta Z6, and though both cameras' tech specs are similar, the Canon is far superior. I decided to migrate to S3 IS because of the Minolta's shortcomings, such as poor battery life, terrible handling of contrast, oversaturation of reds and bad white balance. As far as I can tell, the S3 has none of these problems. I was also worried about the learning curve -- changing brands can be daunting and difficult -- but the Canon is very intuitive and easy to set and handle, plus it offers tons of options to get it to do exactly what you want. It is also fantastic in low light conditions (as good as the Olympus C2100 UZ). The 12x optical zoom and image stabilization are fantastic. I have equipped the S3 with a Lensmate 58 mm lens adapter (several owners recommended the Lensmate product instead of the Canon adapter) and it works fine. It also spares me the minor aggravation of the original Canon lens cap, which comes off easily.


->Price

I was debating on whether to upgrade to a digital SLR or go with a high-end digital. In the end, I decided I wasn't likely to lug around a bunch of lenses. So, I chose the S3 IS, because with a 12x zoom, it's like having a telephoto.

The camera takes great pictures, and has a lot of great auto settings - high speed, night, etc. I love pairing the AV mode with telephoto to create artsy photos where one item is in focus, and the rest is blurred.

While the LCD is smaller than some, the ability to flip it around more than makes up for it. Not only does it allow self portraits, but you can tilt it up to take ground level photos or tilt it down to take an over your head shot.

The video is also great quality, and you can zoom while filming and take still photos. However, if you take a still photo, when you plan back the video, there is a one second freeze where the photo was taken.

I really can't think of any negatives. I'm very happy with this camera.


->Comparison

I bought this camera and the new G7, the S3 takes pictures twice as clear as the G7...its just big and little ugly, but I love the S3


->Affordable

After reading reviews of many cameras here and elsewhere, I decided on the S3. I am totally thrilled with it, it is more than I expected. The video and sound are very clear. The macro is incredible you can shoot up to the edge of the lens and its sharp. The stabilized zoom is very impressive, I shot a kilim wall hanging across the room on telephoto, downloaded and zoomed in and could see crisp threads in perfect focus. I find the buttons in logical locations, and have used many of the special effects built in. The only 2 things I am a bit picky about the design is the LCD when out is in some conflict with the strap, and the ISO range,I would have liked a bit more expansive, But for the price,it is great.


->Wholesale

I have had the camera for a couple of months. I had a digital camera with lower resolution that i really liked before buying this one. I only bring a basic competence in taking straightforward pictures and this camera works very well in that respect. I found the camera relatively easy to use on all of the features that i wanted and fairly easy to research some experimental stuff. Most of what i take includes still photos [inside and outside], some short video clips, and still photos with a timer at Christmas. i have tried some specialty features [night shots] and they are pretty easy to figure out. i am certainly not a camera pro but for a layperson it works very well and produces very good pictures. It also has enough features that i can learn some techniques from using the camera. The optical zoom is great.
i also found the shutter speed to be much better than my older camera.

The video card works well with my computer and the resulting photo prints are excellent.

If you want a small camera then this would not be your choice, but for ease of use, quality of photos and additional features then i would highly recommend this one.


->Deals

I love my Canon S3, has a great zoom and good quality pictures. Shutter speed can be a little slow, and sometimes I have had blurry pictures if I haven't kept the camera completely still.

But overall it is really great camera both for indoor and outdoor pictures, have taken pictures sailing, skiing, low light etc, all came out in great quality.


->Affordable

This is my third digital camera. I am semipro but my wife like to take some family picture too. This camera satisface both requeriment. Ligth and small. Good construccion and very ergonomic. The only concern is with lent protection that it need a big adaptative ring, the same that you need to acoplate other lenses. I dont like this ring because the camera losse its small size.


->Compare

We wanted an 'almost' SLR and the S3 really does the trick. We looked at a lot of photos on Amazon and Flickr taken by this and other cameras, then looked at prices and accessories and the Canon won out. We've had it long enough to do our first trip with it (Australia and Japan) and we're happy with our purchase. You can use the auto function for those "snap snap snap" family get-togethers or flip into manual mode when you want to take that personal masterpiece (or movie or macro). This camera _does_ do well in low light, which was our biggest worry. Even when it suggests using the flash, you can often still pull off a good pic without. Even if you do use the flash, you can adjust he intensity of it which is just... awesome. I hate over-lit pics like we often got from our previous digital cameras. Those days are gone. Also, the zoom, lens and stabilizer are top notch. Based on our satisfaction with the S3, we'll probably buy a Rebel (or whatever it's called in the future) when we next upgrade.


->Sale

I really enjoy this camera, I like how it takes pictures,how light it is,and It's just as good as any pro-camera out there,if not better.
D.palmer


->Lowest Price

This isn't a review of the S3 specifically, although I just got one; rather, it's a review of Canon customer service. My S1, which purchased about 3 years ago, recently broke. However, Canon had issued a consumer advisory on the particular problem I experienced and, through the advisory, offered to fix the problem even if the original warranty had expired (which was true in my case). Anyway, I sent my S1 back and after a couple of weeks, Canon sent me back a refurbished S3. While not brand new, I was very pleasantly surprised: the S3 is clearly a significant upgrade over my S1. Considering that my camera was 3 years old, the trade off was more than worth it.

I'm looking forward to using the S3, since I was alreadly pleased with the performance of the S1.


->Affordable

YOU WILL ENJOY THE POWERSHOT. IT BRINGS THE SHOT TO YOU


->Best Price

A wonderful camera! It has so many great features and with a little reading and practice, you will feel at home with it and be able to do more than you thought you could with it. I did quite a bit of research before deciding on this camera and it was definitely worth it. I love it! I would recommend a 1 GB card, however, especially if you plan on using the video feature. All in all, this camera is worth the money for those who wnat more than a point-and-shoot digital camera; I would say it is almost a DSLR camera, which can be a very expensive purchase for most of us. Highly recommended.


->Deal

I bought this camera mainly because I wanted more zoom than I could get with one of the pocket cameras. That feature works very well, though I'm still learning the other camera features.

The LCD panel went out 2 months after I got the camera. The camera was still operable, but I had to look through the viewfinder, both for taking pictures and for navigating the menus. I'm glad it wasn't a disaster, but it was a pain, especially since it broke during a family wedding, when I really wanted to take good pictures. I sent it back to Canon, and they repaired it under warranty, but I was out about $10 for shipping/insurance and without my camera for almost 2 weeks.

I also agree with other reviewers that an optical viewfinder would be better - especially in the bright sunlight, I have trouble seeing what I'm shooting.


->Comparison

I am not a professional photographer that is why instead of getting a SLR I decided to get this one instead. However, this camera is great, allow you to do everything automatic with good quality or set it up manually. The only bad thing that I found so far is that there is no battery indicator in the camera. So when the batteries are going to die a battery blinks.

Overall, this camera is excellent.



->Comparison

I think it is an overall good camera. I am pretty new at the more advanced options. The manual is kind of vague. I upgraded from a kodak CX series, so getting used to the setup was my initial challenge, but once you learn what everything does, it becomes fairly simply to operate. Trial and Error worked the best for me. The zoom works wonderfully-with the image stablization. I would say it is worth the money.


->Comparison

No complaints - this camera is great. We especially like:
- the zoom
- easy battery replacement
- picture quality
- options for managing exposure
Thanks.


->Wholesale

This camera is fantastic. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said about it. It is easy to use, fairly lightweight/easy to carry around, and great quality for the price. I absolutely love this camera and all it has to offer.


->Best Price

We spent quite a bit of time looking at a variety of models to determine which features were important to us. We chose the S3 because for these features primarily: viewfinder AND LCD screen, image stabilization, good zoom options, ability to operate manually, fairly quick shutter response.

Overall we are fairly pleased with the results. The shutter response is reasonable, the LCD screen is a good size and quickly/easily switches to viewfinder. The dial on top to change functions is user friendly and logical. We especially like that we can zoom/unzoom and take pictures with one hand due to the location of the buttons. We are also very pleased with the adjustability of the LCD screen that has allowed us to sneak around corners to catch grandma's and aunties changing the new babies diaper or to shoot over a crowd at a wedding reception!

Only a few (slight) disappointments: the sensitivity of needing flash when using "auto" mode- there have been numerous cute baby pictures in low light that either have been missed because there wasn't time to flip flash (or change to low light) or the shot ends up overbright when the flash is used.... the quick usage of batteries which is why we are researching and planning to convert to rechargeables.


->Comparison

My wife ordered me a Canon S3 IS for my birthday, along with all the extras, the lens/hood adapter kit,a high speed, high capacity memory card and a camera bag. I have been very happy with everything, the camera is everything your reviews said it was. My only problem was with the lens hood. When you take a flash picture with the hood on, it causes a shadow on the lower part of the picture. The solution is very simple, simply remove the hood when using the flash as it is not needed then. Canon warns about this problem in the Advanced users manual, but they should have given the user prior notice in the Basic Manual.


->Sale

I've had this camera just a couple months and I've got to say that this is the best camera I've ever owned. I'm still exploring all the various modes and setups but even with just the auto mode the pictures come out just great. The depth of field with this camera is absolutely amazing and the image stabilization is wonderful. I would never buy another digital camera without this feature especially with a powerful zoom like this one.
I would highly recommend this camera to those who are looking for a step up over regular point and shoot cameras but don't want to go all the way into a bulky and more expensive single lens reflex. This camera has the pro features you want at a reasonable price.


->Best Price

This is my first digital camara. I just barely swithched from my 35mm Rebel. I have really enjoyed this camera so far. It takes a nice photo. I am still learning about all it's functions. I really like the video option. I have taken more photos since converting to the digital age. Coupled with different movie software it is a quick transition from photo/video to home movies.

All in all the camera has exceeded my expectations.


->

I am amazed with the features included in this camera. I feel like a pro using it while on the road. The facility of use of this camera, allows me to just roll off the road, prepare the better viewing angle of the landscape, and shot! If you are a medium to advantage user of digital cameras, you will be glad with this one.


->Deals

I would say this is one of top few digital cameras as non-DSLR group.
Photo is great as non-professional user and a lot of features.
Image Stabilization works nicely and many photoshop-like features in camera.
Especially, I like the feature of recording movie with optical zoom.
Yes, you can record movies like camcorder. You don't need seperate camcorder for your vacation.
2Gbyte SD card can record upto 1hour with full resolutions.

One thing I want to mention is the quality of LCD is not that great. It looks little blurry to me.

It is the best choice at moderate price.


->Buy Online

I purchased this camera to replace a 4 MP Kodak EasyShare camera at our office and I can heartily say it does not disappoint. The learning curve isn't too steep and it interacts very well with computers to offload images and movies. iPhoto loves it and even grabs the movies, something it wouldn't do well with the Kodak.

It's value for the cost is quite high.


->Deal

"Where the S2 IS offered a huge performance leap over its predecessor, the S3 IS is in reality a minor upgrade, and with good reason; there was a lot less that needed improvement. Aside from the newer sensor, the welcome addition of a direct ISO button, sports mode and marginally bigger screen, the biggest change is the paint job, which has produced a camera that looks a lot less toy-like than the S2 IS.There is a slight improvement in image quality; a bit more resolution and much nicer looking ISO 400 output (though as noted in the review, ISO 400 on the S3 is nowhere near as sensitive as ISO 400 on the S2), but to be honest I think you'd struggle to see any real difference in a normal sized print.

Comparisons with it predecessor aside, the S3 IS Image quality is very good - certainly on a par with most of its competitors - though the results are still a bit on the soft side, something the fairly high default sharpening doesn't really help. Again, experimenting with the in-camera parameters and a little sympathetic post-processing means that in the right hands it can produce images every bit as good as anything else in its class. The ISO 800 mode is probably too noisy for anything but 'emergency' use, and there are occasional exposure problems, but generally speaking the output is pleasing enough to satisfy the majority of the intended market.

But ultimately, like the models that came before it, the appeal of the S3 IS goes beyond simple pixel-peeping; it has a class-leading feature set, a very reliable image stabilization system (the benefits of which cannot be overstated) and superb handling. It's well-priced, incredibly versatile and - above all - highly enjoyable to use. Despite the long lens and speedy operation it's not the ideal 'sports' camera (the focus at the long end of the zoom isn't fast enough and does hunt a little), but for sheer shooting pleasure and versatility the PowerShot S3 IS still takes some beating."

The above is the original review which made me go for this camera, and after buying it, I have realised how true the review was.


->Comparison

As my profession is in Architectural Services, I needed a lightweight Camera for site visits to projects. This one has the zoom needed and the resolution for presentation photos. You don't need to be a Pro Photographer to get professional results and presentations with this Camera. It's perfect for my personel photos to boot!


->Buy Online

It has a very good resolution, the custom delay is very usefull, You have to spent some time reading the entire manual to get all the advantages.


->

I bought my wife a camera as a Christmas present for $300 that was manufactured by a famous company and got something with really easy controls that took awful pictures. I took the camera back (very embarrassing), did a lot of research, and then bought this camera.

Here's my take on this Canon PowerShot SI I3 after a few hours of use.

1. The very first shot I took was awesome. The camera used the flash, but still preserved the natural colors of the scene and eliminated red-eye. In other words, it shot a picture with a flash that came out looking like it was shot without a flash.

2. You can't just power it up and figure it out. You have to study the manual and climb the learning curve. This thing has buttons all over it, and it isn't particular obvious what they do. Some you press, and some you wiggle back and forth. There are buttons within buttons. You'll likely break it if you start fooling with it before you study up. I'm sure it will take several evenings of intense study to master all the capabilities of this camera.

3. I was glad I bought a multi-year service contract because these controls are made of plastic and I wonder if everything will still be working after three years or so of continual use.

4. Running on four AA batteries is cool! Get recharable ones with a recharger. The handle that contains the batteries actually makes the camera easier to hold steady than those slim cute digital camera.

5. Screen is decent size, but the little symbols and abbreviations that appear on the screen are often very tiny and I strain even with my reading glasses at time just to see what all the settings showing on the display.

6. The Set and Menu buttons are too close together. A thumb (the natural digit to use) can easily push both, or the one you don't want to push.

7. It's nice to be able to go complete manual. Have fun.

8. Super macro mode is cool. There's a coin I've been wanting to sell on-line and my other digital camera had a terrible time getting a good picture, but this camera gave me a wonderfully detailed shot in super macro mode and without a lot of work.

9. There's definitely a "protocol" to follow when activating and deactivating the camera. You've got to remove the lens cap, fold out and reverse the screen, then fold it back toward the camera. (Or, use the display flipped out and swivel it up and down, but be careful while you're doing that). Reverse the procedure for shut-down.

The bottom line is that if you can pay $400 instead of $300 you'll get a whole lot more camera. This is probably as close to a digital SLR you'll get without actually buying one. It's not cute or intuitively obvious how to use. You'll have to become a student of the camera and work on your relationship with this thing. However, if you do this, your relationship will likely be a long and satifying one.


->Deal

This was the best camera I could afford... I wanted the Canon EOS Rebel, but that was out of my price range... this is better than the typical compact digital camera...

Make sure you buy rechargeable batteries though, or you will be burning up your AA batteries!

I am happy with this purchase.


->Comparison

This camera give all the convenience and ease of use of a point & shoot camera. However it has all the creative features of a dSLR without the additional cost or inconvenience of changing lenses. Many dSLR users pay the price of this camera just for their flash, or much more than this for their dSLR body.
If you want a camera to impress your friends with then an overpriced dSLR with a gigantic lens may be for you. If you want a camera which will never cause you to miss a superb still shot or even excellent video clip then this is the only sensible choice.


->Buy

This camera is one of the best lower priced cameras on the market. I had used this S3 on my vacation and the image stabilization was a priceless feature.I was shooting pictures from a moving car on telephoto and coming out with perfect shots.Battery life is great with six aa batteries.The camera uses a sd memory card which can be found online,I purchased two 2gb cards.The flash is substantial.I am very happy with the canon s3.


->Comparison

I had looked long and hard for a medium sized digital camera, not full 35mm size but not the small pocket size either. The S3 is the answer. It has the various program modes like my 35mm Canon so there was very little to learn. The controls are ergonomicaly friendly, especially the grip. The camera is very quick to respond and the pictures are very clear and sharp. I did notice that there is noticable noise at the higher ISO settings, especially at 400 and above. The flash is more than adequate but must be raised manually. The image stabilization feature really works well and provides steady shots that otherwise would have been blurry. The video mode provides great video clips with stereo sound and the ability to take stills even while taking video. Overall, I am very pleased with this camera. It is a smaller version of my Canon Rebel but takes much better pictures. I would recommend this camera if you are looking for a midsized format but with all the bells and whistles of the bigger models.


->Deal

Great photos, great functions. Love the camera but have not had a chance to use all the functions. Mostly photographflowers and wild life. The season was short by the time I purchased the camera.


->Lowest Price

Excellent picture quality, very long battery life, quick response. Everything that you need in a point and shoot camera but with SLR like features. I strongly recommend S3IS to anyone who is looking for a good digital camera.


->Prices

Great camera. Easy to use. Super-fast, free delivery! Very pleased.

It takes great pictures and movies!


->Compare

I waited for a long time to get this camera, and it was worth the wait. Don't try to read the manual before you use it, it will probably scare you. Load up the batteries and the memory chip (like all digitals, you'll need more memory than what they come with...I'm using a Kingston 2GB Elite with great results...I've tried other chips...256MB is usable, but you will want at least 512MB!), and go out and play with it. When you can't figure something out, look it up in the book (which is pretty well organized, just a little intimidating because of the number of features the camera has). I've taken about 800 photos and about 40 minutes of video so far. Video quality and sound quality are very good. Picture quality is very good, although if you use a lot of zoom ,especially in low light conditions, the autofocus is a little slow. The camera has features to deal with this, however, and I'm getting better and better pictures as I become more accustomed to it's personality. This camera can do so much, it WILL entice you to find out what it CAN do. The factory zoom is so much better than any other digitals I've used, and the convenience and quality of photos has made my Minolta 35mm a very lonely camera indeed.


->Best Price

Its boon for amateur photographer, who wants to learn photography. Though pros can do a lot with this.

Amazing clarity and prints. Its more than just Value for Money.


->Price

This is a great camera with so many cool features!!! Love it!! I would have rated it higher but I am still learning about all of the features!! I would highly recommend this camera with all of its features!!


->Prices

My last digital camera was a Canon S20. I have small children and needed a digital camera that took pictures as soon as you pressed the button. This camera was exactly what I was looking for. Once you press the button the picture is taken. There is no delay as there is on many digital cameras.

At first I was going to purchase an SLR but that was too much camera for my needs. This is an SLR with out the lens changes.

I originally purchased a Olympus SP-500 UZ Ultra Zoom and when you zoomed it was almost impossible to keep the camera focused without a tripod. I returned it the next day. The S3's image stabilization feature is awesome. Even when in digital zoom mode you get clear, focused pictures.

Since I own a Canon i900D printer I can print pictures directly from the camera to the printer. There was absolutely no set up at all. Totally integrated. This is a great feature when you need a quick print on the go.

The Zoom Browser software is great but if you are familiar with the Canon Digital Camera products then you know that already. It is improved and for throw-in software it rivals some of the other off the shelf packages.

The only negatives I would mention is over course the lens cover. Damn thing never stays on. Also the manual focus is a bit user unfriendly.

Overall a great camera.


->Best Price

This is the closest thing to a digital SLR I've seen and is absolutely AWESOME! It has wide angle and telephoto lenses available, has digital viewfinder with the option to look at the LCD display or through the lens. MANY optional modes. Took incredible pictures at Disney and Bush Gardens Tampa. Can take high resolution shots for large photo reproduction. Easy photo transfer to computer or printer.


->Purchase

This camera is fantastic for the beginner photographer who wants to really learn about photography. There are both "point and click" options as well as manual settings to allow you to learn about different camera operations such as aperature and shutter speed. The menu pads are well laid out so various settings can be found simply and quickly.


->Deals

I'm very, very happy with my S3 IS. I previously had a Nikon 4800; this camera is easier to use, much faster and takes better pics.


->Lowest Price

Excellent camera with very quick response time when you press to shoot. Also great quality images. Has a lot of bottoms to help get quicker to a function but lacks of helps menu or little info when you get to a function like some other have.




->Affordable

I have owned 2 Sony Cybershot Cameras, a Pentax Optio, a HP ??. I used to do a lot of SLR film photography and have never been satisfied with the switch to digital until now. Very happy with ease of use and QUALITY of pictures.


->Price

After a lot of research, we bought this camera for our daughter who works on her high school yearbook. She has loved it. It has every feature you could want at this price, including an extra long optical zoom.

Be careful where you buy this camera, though. Because of its popularity, you will see many drastically reduced prices, but caveat emptor. After I first ordered it from a seemingly reputable internet vendor for about $170.00, I received a call from a rep asking if I wanted to upgrade to the "American" model for more money. It seems that my great deal was for a Canon S3IS designed for the Chinese market with a ONE WEEK warranty. I cancelled immediately and ordered from Amazon.


->Purchase

This is a great little camera. It's plus features are:

- Takes excellent pictures, even from far away. I wanted to photograph a friend's daughter in a program at my kids' school, and she was far away, in dim light, and moving. I put my Canon in sports mode and no flash and let it adjust the aperture. The picture came out a little grainy (to be expected), but otherwise was fine. That's pretty good - my friend's camera had no chance at getting that shot.
- Has a good digital interface, with the one little caveat below.
- It's not tiny, but it's small enough I could buy one of those little leather point-and-shoot cases and it slides in.
- I have heard negatives from others about the on/off switch, but I find it works really well. It doesn't go on by itself, but if you press and turn it works fine - I can even do it all with one finger.
- The video capture is very good, recording in stereo. You can even take stills at the same time (since it uses a very intuitive red "record" button for the video, just like a camcorder), although taking a still photo stops the video recording for the time it takes to take the still. In fact, I'd have to say that the combination of video/audio is one of the best things about this camera. For most of us, there's no longer a need to lug both a camcorder and still camera to all our kids' events - the Canon does both very well.
- The display screen, though a bit on the small side, works just like a camcorder - you can flip it out and rotate it 180 degrees.
- The supermacro mode is simply amazing. I have taken pictures of objects right up next to the lens, and the amount of detail you can get is no less than astounding.

It has a few negatives also:

- The lens cap falls off because it was designed to stay on with friction. Oh yeah, that makes sense. Make sure you bring lens cleaning papers and solution, because you'll be touching the lens alot. There's no way to attach an ultraviolet filter to the lens, either (common with point and shoots).
- The camera acts as a USB disk drive to let you copy pictures OFF the camera, but to copy them back on you have to use the supplied software. The major problem with this is that you effectively can't put edited pictures back on the camera, because they don't match the exact format expected by the supplied software. Go buy a little adapter to attach the SD memory card to your USB.
- The bayonette mount is plastic, as noted by others. I haven't really had to use this, but it seems like they should have made it of metal since that's a pressure point.
- There's no remote control, which would be really nice when using the camera as a camcorder and taking a video of yourself.

In summary, I definitely recommend this camera for the parent who wants to get good quality (but not necessarily professional) pictures. You want professional, buy a DSLR - but if you want a reasonably-priced, small camera that takes great pictures and is extremely flexible, buy the Canon. You'll be glad you did.



->Deal

This camera exceded my expectations. The pictures are clear and the color is outstanding! I'm still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying my new hobby, photography. I'm a novice, so I should have started with something less complicated. I find it very easy to download the pics to my computer. It's a great camera at a reasonable price.


->Wholesale

First, I'm 64 yrs old, never owned a digital camera. Kinda talked into this by my three sons.

The camera does everything I want it to do. Have to admit there are alot of buttons and stuff on it that I don't understand, therefore I will never use. Not smart enough, I guess.

But to get back to the main theme. It takes really good pictures, the software accompanying it is good, and for someone with experience at a level less than novice (if there is one) it was a really good purchase. And Amazon is outstanding. Shipping, cost, etc, excellent.


->Buy

As I other users have provided very detailed review of the technical characteristics I will just say that this camera is absolutely marvelous.

You only need a large enough memory card 1GB, 2GB or more and you will have great fun with it. Its performance all around is great.

My favorite feature is its video mode. It creates beautiful (rather large) videos.


->Compare

view finder is to dark. Buttons are to close and to many. Other then that I like the camera alot. For the money I would buy this camera again.


->Deal

Takes wonderful picutres. If you know how to use all of the manual settings, you'll take amazing pictures! A little advanced for the average consumer, but on auto setting it's hard to take a bad picture.


->

I love this camera. I own another digital canon but I wanted more opitcal zoom. My son is in a university drumline and I wanted to get good close up good shots of him on the football field. This camera worked great. I was able to get clear shots from the sidelines. The zoom is great.

I also took shots that zoomed into the pressbox from the opposite side of the field. I played with the camera at the games and took great photos of the teams on the field.

The video is pretty good also. I have not learned how to use all the features yet. If you are not a camera buff you may get frustrated with this camera. You can point and shoot with this camera but it has so many more features.


->Best Price

I purchased the S3, as a loyal Canon consumer, almost immediately after its arrival in the stores. I did not buy my Canon S3 from Amazon. However, I have purchased several cameras from Amazon, with absolutely no complaints. That being said, the S3 has proven to be a phenomenal little powerhouse! With the ability to insert abundant memory, its uses are almost limitless. Since six megapixels is at or above 35mm picture quality,there is no need to get hung up on the whole megapixel scam. In some instances, a higher megapixel camera can actually do more harm to your photos than good. I also own a Canon rebel XTi with an assortment of lenses, but find myself falling back on this Canon S3 time and time again. I will resist the temptation to delve into heavy technical details, and simply state, there is more "bang for the buck" in this little camera than you can possibly imagine. A nice finishing touch, would have been remote access, and the ability to use a shutter release cable. I would recommend the Lens Mate adapter, as they are of superior quality and allow you to use filters. The adapters sold by Canon at equal or even a higher price are nowhere near the quality of the Lens Mate. I have used their adapters on all of my Canon cameras with excellent results. You simply will not disappointed with this precision instrument and its plethora of capabilities. Of course, you can always set it to auto and shoot your hearts content. Canon's auto feature is insanely accurate and has produced some very high quality pictures for me. I tend to use the S3 as a backup for the XTi, simply setting the S3 on auto as to not miss a shot. When I purchased my S3 it was $500. I believe at this point, they are hovering somewhere around $300? At $500, plus adapter and filters. I thought I got a great deal, at $300 ... it would be a phenomenal deal. This is also a great introductory camera to practice with, prior to buying into the DSLR systems. Although, like me, you might step up to the DSLR, but find the S3 in your hand more often than not. Enjoy and happy shooting!!!


->Best Price

I was first introduced to this camera on a vacation with another couple about six months ago. I was amazed at the fantastic picture quality. The husband of the other couple has a Canon EOS SLR digital camera and bought this camera for his wife. He feels that this camera takes somewhat better pictures even than his Canon EOS and is much easier to use. That is why I asked for this for Christmas. I have an older pocket digital camera that takes OK pictures. I was looking to upgrade to something that would take much better quality pictures but was not sure I wanted to go all the way up to an SLR camera. This camera takes fantastic pictures. You can leave it on fully auto or your can adjust all of the settings manually or even combinations where the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed but allow you to manually adjust the aperture or vice versa. I am particulary amazed at the quality of close pictures and low light pictures something that digital cameras in general do poorly. You can also shoot video with this camera; something you cannot do with an SLR camera. I have had Canon cameras in the past. I purchased this camera partly because of the brand name. I also like the Canon is a big supporter of Public Television. My only complaint with the camera is it is hard to hold onto. While this camera is not as large as an SLR camera is it much larger than a pocket camera and relatively heavy. It is hard to hold onto without touching one of the buttons. There is a finger grip on the front and a pad for your thumb on the back but it is too small. I end up holding it by the edges which is awkward.


->Cheap

I purchased this camera after doing a lot of online and in-store research, so I was expecting the camera to be perfect, and it pretty much is (at least for my wife and I). As weird as this sounds, I was looking for a new camera because our old sony digital camera had ergonomic issues - my wife could not press it's shutter button due to her long fingernails. We also wanted to take just 1 camera, not 2 ( a still and video camera )to our daughters' cheerleading competitions.

This is what is great about this camera (for us):
1) The shutter button is easy to press, even with long fingernails.
2) It's "sport" mode is easy to access via the mode wheel on top of the camera - much quicker and easier than trying to access it via a menu list.
3) It takes amazing video WITH STEREO SOUND. You can zoom in and out while recording video, which you cannot do with many other " still " cameras. You can record around 37 minutes of video on a 4gb SD card at the highest quality recording setting. Owing to it's great 12X optical zoom, and image stabilization, this camera shoots better video than my dedicated JVC digital video camera. It is also far easier during editing to work with video clips from a flash memory card than from a digital video tape.
4) It has a "rotating" lcd display - this means that you can flip the lcd display around to protect the screen if you have the camera hanging around your neck but not in the case.
5) It accepts 4gb SD cards, even cheap no-name brands.
6) It takes great pictures.

This it what is not so great:
1) You can only record a little over 9 minutes of high quality video at a time before the camera shuts off recording (but you can immediately start recording again, assuming you have the memory space). This is really not such a negative for us, as for recording "family" events rarely involves a video clip of more then 5 minutes.
2) The camera will not output pictures in RAW format. As we don't do a lot of serious photo editing, this was not a big issue for us.

So that's it. As there is not another super-zoom point and shoot camera with stereo video recording and a rotating lcd screen out there, we purchased this one, and are quite happy with it.




->Buy Online

My husband bought this camera for me for Christmas. I love it. It takes 4 AA batteries, and they are surprisingly long lasting. The flash is very bright. The zoom is great. You can zoom in on animals, getting a very clear shot of them without them even knowing you are there. I am over all very happy with this camera. If you are buying a camera for the close up macro mode however, you might want to go with the Canon Power Shot SD 450. While the zoom is excellent with the Canon Power Shot S3 IS, the lense gets in the way of the flash when trying to take close ups, creating a shadow over the item you are taking the picture of. It has a hard time focusing super close up in the macro mode. If you are looking more for a great zoom, this is the camera for you. I own both the Canon Power Shot SD 450 and the Canon Power Shot S3 IS. The S3 IS is excellent with zooming in on far away subjects, not so great with macro. The Canon Power Shot SD 450 is great with macro close ups, really great, I've tested a lot of cameras and this was the best, but it's not so great with zooming in on far way objects and getting a clear picture. So it all depends on what you are looking for. Having both I feel I have the best of both worlds. Now, if only I could find a camera that was great at both close ups and far away zoom shots. I have overall been very happy with Canon cameras.


->Deals

works great, the first one I recieved had a slight defect, but amazon took really good care of me and appologized many times and sent me a new one for free. great cammera and even better customer service.


->Prices

I am by no means a professional photographer and might be closer to being an advanced novice. I've tried out almost all the different features on this camera & I'm convinced that this camera is definately under priced. Everyone of my friends that sees this camera perform keeps asking my how much I spent on this thing.
The Zoom is incredible, the burst mode is faaaaaast. A lot of people didn't make a big deal of the color swap & color accent modes but I'm a graphic designer & being able to do those 2 functions in 2 steps in REAL TIME is amazing for a camera. The Photos are sharp and crisp and in the 3 days I've had it I've hardly been dissapointed with any of my shots. I have yet to really test it out at night but it certainly performs like a champ in the day.

Bottom line, buy this camera.


->Deals

is the movie mode. maybe i'm using it wrong, but i've looked through all of the books and still cant figure it out. but i had an old camera and a movie would shoot with maybe 25 MB for a little over a minute, this camera, will shoot 53 mb in just about 30 seconds :-/. if anyone knows how to fix this could you help me?


->Compare

I bought this camera early October 06 for my wife. It's the third Canon camera I've purchased and I exclusively now recommend Canon to novices who ask my opinion on which camera to purchase.

Pros
Impressive looking photos straight out of the box
Good resolution, Good color, good exposure, generally accurate focus
Solid construction and good handling
Fast and responsive, Enjoyable and easy to use
Great battery life with NiMH cells
Optional flash and lens add-ons
Good macro
Packed with features
Very quiet
12x zoom offers excellent 36-432mm range
Image stabilization works well and can be used in movie mode
Surprisingly little distortion
Stunning movie mode with high quality stereo sound
Impressive continuous (burst) shooting
Clean images at lower ISO settings
Swing out tilt 'n' swivel screen
Optional wide and tele adapters
PC controlled shooting (via USB)
Customizable shortcut button, and ISO buttons

Cons
ISO 800 mode is very noisy
ISO 200 noise reduction too pronounced
Occasional focus hunting at the telephoto end of the zoom in low light
Viewfinder and screen can be difficult to see in very bright conditions
Images are slightly soft
Doesn't have a RAW mode but 99% of users will never use this anyways
Occasional highlight clipping due to over exposure of contrasty scenes
Limit to highest shutter speed usable at wide apertures


->Wholesale

I purchased both the Sony Cybershot and the Canon Powershot and ended up returning the Sony. I found the Canon to be more user friendly. We only came across two downsides: the flash and batteries, but easy to deal with. The Sony was nice, but it was slow between shots, felt clunky and I didn't like the location of the buttons. Both are good cameras, I think it comes down to personal preference.


->Buy

I purchased the S3 specifically because I wanted a good digital camera along with the capability of shooting quality video. The S3 fits that description.

As multiple reviews here and elsewhere have indicated, the video function on the S3 surpasses all the still cameras on the market today (as of late 2006). We're not talking professional quality here, but it should be enough for anyone who shoots short segments (under 10 mins.) just for fun and doesn't need a full fledged camcorder.

As someone who's owned a dozen different cameras since the 80s, my reaction to the photo abilities of the S3 is a mixed bag.

On a recent shoot I experienced two minor problems in terms of color reproduction. In one shot the white in a woman's sweater (which was all off-white) was so degraded that the texture became blurred and flat. In another shot the setting sun caught a woman's face and created another blurred effect. In both situations the shutter speed was fast enough to prevent blur and the image quality was set to high.

I'm not saying this is a terrible camera. I love using my S3. It's a really fun camera to use. But the cold hard reality is that my recently purchased 35mm Olympus IS-2 (which cost me about $40 used) can still run circles around the S3 in terms of picture quality and speed. In the time it takes the S3 to take one shot and be ready for the next my "new" 35mm Olympus can take three.

I mention these flaws because these are what I considered the trade offs of purchasing this specific camera for its video capabilities.

If you're not going to use the video function then I would strongly recommend a different camera with a better image censor and faster speed. I recommend anyone concerned with these issues, especially image sensor ability which is more important than megapixels at this point, to check out imaging-resource dot com. That site shows how each camera handles low light and ISO settings, image sensor abilities and other issues.

Minus the lack of true image stabilization, the Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd is one camera that they show to be clearly superior to the Canon in terms of picture quality. The lack of IS might be a deal breaker for some. The IS on the S3 is superb. Buyers just have to weigh their preferences and decide what they need the most. For some the S3 will be the best choice, for others it won't.

Edit:
The 800 ISO on the S3 is extremely grainy and would be only useful in the most dire situations. It's not for everyday use. The ISO 400 is passable, but of low quality. For the best quality, especially if you plan to do any enlargements above 4x6, ISO 200 or lower is necessary.

The lack of a RAW option on this type of camera is almost meaningless. If you require RAW then you're already looking at an SLR.

The wide and tele adapters are a great option, but the Canon made versions might not be the best choice. I picked up a Raynox tube adapter (an adapter is necessary for any converter or filter, regardless of brand) and .66 converter for less than one hundred thirty bucks - great quality and cheaper than Canon.


->Prices

I was looking for a camera that wasnt too expensive but that was fast enough to catch my two toddlers. I have found it! I love this camera. I have already taken so many pictures with it and I am so happy with my choice. Even when my kids are not sitting still I still manage to get great pictures. I highly recommend this camera for anyone with kids or any kind of action photography.


->Price

I had my doubts. Since my work requires photography, I'm very picky and only used to professional cameras. I've always hated non-SLR digital cameras because of slow response times, slow shutter speeds, noisy/grainy image quality, and just the hassle of not being able to see my actual shot through the viewfinder. On the other hand, I was tired of carrying around all my heavy bags and lenses every time I just wanted to shoot some fun shots for myself. So, I decided to buy something lighter with a fixed lens just for snapshots, and live with the compromises.
I had a hard time deciding between this and the A640, but chose this for the zoom and the extra creative features, even though it is not as compact and the pictures not quite as sharp.

Well, let me tell you, this little camera is not much of a compromise at all! I've been extremely impressed with both the performance and the handling. The features are simple to learn and use and photos are much better than the test photos I saw online. In fact, the chromatic aberration / fringing problem inherent in these compact zooms has not been a problem in any of my pictures, so far, and the color and image quality are very impressive. The camera is fast - not as fast as an SLR, but sure faster than any of the other digtial point-and-shoots I've tried. The unlimited continuous shooting mode, which is perfect for catching fast-action sports shots, solves the problem of slow shutter speeds and is not found in any of the other camera's in the S3's class. I've also been very surprised by the functionality of the EVF (electronic view finder). I've never used one and was prepared to dislike it, but I actually love it. Since the "real" viewfinders in non-SLR's don't show the actual shot, you can't really use them to hold your eye up against, which helps to steady the camera during zoom shots. I assumed the EVF, with it's low resolution, would be dificult to see through and too annoying to use, but it's not at all. The picture, though a bit fuzzy, is easily used to frame the shot and it makes the camera function almost like an SLR. So, far, I have never found the EVF difficult to see through and now that I've used it, I'm glad it has this feature. The camera is also much lighter weight to use than it seemed in the store. Yes, it's heavier than the smaller compacts, but it's still very light compared to an SLR and I barely notice it when I'm hiking along.

The bottom line is, this is a fast, fully-featured, easy to use little camera that takes fabulous pictures and has more going for it than any of the other long-zoom compact digitals on the market. The quality of the photos is what has surprised me the most - they really are very good. I would not hessitate to recommend this camera to anyone looking for a point-and-shoot with a few more features and a good zoom. If you don't care about the zoom, fast sports shots, or better movie mode, I'd recommend the Canon A640 or A630.


->Deals

I purchased a Canon SI IS and have sent it to their Factory Service center twice, it is still not working right. Now that it is off warranty their answer is for me to purchase a "refurbished" S2 IS for $199...
Their support of their products is terrible, this camera has not worked right since I bought it and they dont care! Do yourself a favor and buy a Panasonic product, they make great products and they support them, unlike Canon


->Best Price

This is not a good camera, but a good video camera.
Purple Fringing is horrible, and image quality is way worse than its main competitor: The Panasonic family of megazooms. Purple fringing happens easily for megazoom cameras if the lens is not top-notch. S3 IS got poor glass.
Canon S3 IS only has one advantage over the Panny: excellent video functions. You can actually zoom when taking a video, which the Panny cannot.
Future buyers, please go to your local store and try this one out with the Panny side by side, copy the photos to your laptop, and zoom in to see the purple fringing difference. [...]


->Best Price

I know how to take a picture with a digital camera and I have been patient with this camera trying to get a good picture out of it but I have reverted back to my old Kodak for picture taking. All the picture's look fuzzy and I have even used a tri-pod. I only hope there is something wrong with it and Canon or Adorama will replace it. If my unit is not defective then don't buy this. I will update my review if and when I get another camera to review.


->Lowest Price

I got the S3 from Amazon a few weeks ago when it was $350, before the holiday shopping season kicked in, and I love it. It's a giant step up from my previous point-and-shoot.

12X optical zoom increases my versatility in shooting situations immeasurably.
The Image Stabilization system really works.
Canon doesn't get carried away with noise reduction.
In this camera, Canon doesn't get carried away with megapixels (6 is perfect for this sensor).
It feels great in my hands, handles well, and maintains some degree of portability (unlike Panasonic and Fuji's ultrazooms)
I've had no problems with red eye.
I love what the supermacro setting can achieve.
Movie mode is awesome, especially how the IS makes the motion of the camera look smooth and almost professional.

I have found only very minor faults:
-sometimes autofocus is slow at full telephoto
-manual focus is great with most stationary subjects, but is not easy to control at telephoto end of zoom, and not very practical for fast moving subjects

Panasonic's FZ50 is quicker and has a better lens, and I was impressed with its handling when I tried it out, but here's why I didn't buy it: excessive-as-in-past-the-point-of-no-return noise reduction (read smeared images at higher ISO), excessive MP for that sensor, more expensive than the S3.

I don't think any other camera exists that comes close to the S3's image quality, size, handling, feature set, and price.


->Best Price

I am brand new to photography and was worried by other reviews that this camera may not be for me. However I bought it anyway. Boy, am I glad I did.
The features of this camera are amazing--the color accent, for instance is great. I showed a few friends a picture I took using this feature and they asked how I did it and how long I've been shooting because the photo quality and picture was incredible; remember I my only experience is with 'point-n-shoot' cameras. You can always use photo editing software to perform some of the functions the camera does, however having the features in the camera motivate you to take those shots you otherwise may have not.
The camera is extremely simple to use right out of the box. Simplicity of a point-n-shoot with quality of DSLR photos I've seen. Tackling the manual mode is a continual learning experience, however the more I learn, the better quality photos I take. Don't get me wrong, auto mode takes some remarkable photo's, but manual enables you to take breathtaking photos.
So if your on the fence about the complexity of the camera if your an amateur, don't worry, just by it. And, unless you really need a SLR camera, this is the one for you.


->Best Price

I bought this camera last Saturday 12/2/06 and i'm very satisfied with it, didn't buy it from Amazon tough, I had a better deal at Walmart for $317 =)
Very easy to use and great features!!(so beginners shouldn't have much trouble with it)


->Cheap

This camera is truly amazing. This is my first digital camera however I have been a photography aficionado. I am trying to learn the tricks of the trade. Coming back to the point - the camera has truly brilliant colors, the 12X optical zoom is very powerful (look at some of the images I have posted).

It can be a point-n-shoot for one who does not want to play with a bunch of settings, yet has enough challenge for the person who wants to learn more about it. However if you are looking for an ultracompact point n'shoot this is not for you.

I have not shot any movies with it yet, so would not review movie mode yet. The specs. though say that the maximum size of a movie is limited to 1GB (even if you have a 2GB or 4GB memory card). If you want movies to be bigger than 1GB (15-20 mins. best quality video can fill-up 1 GB) - you will have to break your movies into multiples of 1 GB.

Pros: Brilliant colors, feature rich (stitch mode - used to stitch several photos together like a panoramic landscape, color-swap), powerful 12X optical zoom, solidly built, pro-look, zoom browsing s/w is simple, powerful yet easy to use, eletronic view-finder is a good alternative some times, Made in Japan, Image Stabilizer really works !

Cons: Battery compartment - a little clumsy to close the battery compartment after loading it, fear I could break it. I think there is a trick to it that I have not picked up yet. The only other thing I can think of is - no display for remaining battery life, it will give you a warning that you are on low battery, and a final warning before dying on you, in other words there is no progressive display for battery life. The 4 AA's that come with the camera only last a couple of days - 50 pictures, aprox. Also may be a slightly bigger LCD display would help (it is 2.5", 3" is desirable)

Overall it is a stellar camera, go for it !


->Deals

I will not bore with too many tech-specs here. I read a review that suggested that this camera was meant for PROs and almost decided against it for PRO sounds like "too complicated for me buddy". However, I decided to give it a try. The store I went to, did not Canon S3 IS in stock, but they had S2 IS. I had already seen a lot of Kodak and Sony in action and was almost decided upon buying Kodak Z612, when the performance and features of S2 IS took my breath away. I am not a PRO, yes, but I know how to follow instructions. I read product manual carefully and VOILA! I had found what I was looking for. It took me a while to understand, but looking at the output shots any trouble taken to first understand this product was worth it.

I compared specs of S2 IS and S3 IS, and decided that S2 IS was damn good, but S3 IS would be a real treat. And, I will not be disappointed. I have had chance to do some benchmark testing of Sony, Kodak, Olympus and Nikon in same class since. S3 IS is a clear winner...

So whether you are a PRO covering a fashion show or an average daddy taking memory-shots of your kids over weekend, you will love this camera. I learnt a great deal about photography in past two months I hunted for a good camera - learnt what defined a good and clear shot...and this is the camera that can deliver it.


->Affordable

Having owned this camera for several months now, here are my reactions.

This camera takes the best pictures that I have ever taken. But I had to learn to use it.

This is NOT a good choice for the weekend photographer who just wants to take pictures of the kids. This is a state-of-the-art photography platform with literally hundreds of settings.

Some early reviews complained about blurry or grainy pictures. These people did not know how to set up the camera for the conditions. Some reviews complain about the color balance or saturation. But color balance, contrast, gamma, etc. are completely configurable in this camera, so there is no basis for these complaints.

A lot of people assume that the "Auto" setting will let them take pictures casually or mindlessly with this camera, and get perfect results. That might be largely true with the cheaper point-and-shoot cameras with smaller lenses, but not with this one.

The cheaper cameras with smaller lenses are not capable of attaining the superb performance of this lens. But because they are smaller, they are "in focus" over a wide range, so they produce acceptable pictures more or less regardless of settings or focus.

If you are willing to take the time to learn this camera, then I cannot think of a better one. But like with a musical instrument, you will need to practice. It takes some time to learn where to put your fingers, and where not to put your fingers, because there a lots of buttons and settings exposed on the surface of the camera. You will need to learn to use the autofocus to best advantage, and learn the proper program modes to match with your shooting conditions.

If you take the time to really learn the camera, you will control a device that covers the range from a microscope to a telescope. In macro mode, it will focus down to objects actually touching the lens. Or you can crank it up to a 50 power zoom. It takes excellent movies under a wide variety of conditions. Image stabilization makes it seem like your handheld home movies are taken from a professional camera dolly. It takes pictures without flash in conditions so dark that I could not see the subject at all. With the built-in image stabilization, it is capable of taking handheld pictures that rival the sharpness of a large format view camera on a tripod.

But if you just want an easy to operate camera for good snapshots, you should look for a simpler camera. Some of the less expensive models of the Powershot might be better for most people.


->Deal

Well... This is was my replacemente over Sony, to have a camera to take everywhere, instead of my CANON Digital Rebel 350D.

I Must say that I am very pleased with the camera. It has a very nice battery usage, something that got me concerned at first since I had to deal with Rechargeble batteries. They last for a long time and can handle many shots, just about what the Manual says...

I have the need for the Manual Settings on any camera, and this is a MUST as well.. And the MANUAL setting is pretty straight forward with this camera. Fast and easy to use...

Also, the speed on the shutter lag !!
This camera is FAST !! For a camera that is not a REFLEX... Way to go...
One of the fastest I have seen on this category..

The LCD monitor that swivels is also a very nice addition, and already help me out a couple of times.. and when it comes to recording videos, it turns into a very good feature.. :-)

And that brings the camera to another HIGH LEVEL Spec.. The Video..
This Camera has Stereo Sound Recording ! How good is that ?!
And the video is very smooth, but be prepared to have a big SD card on it in order to be using video all the time...

Other specs which are great as well have to be mentioned, like the 12x Zoom with Image Stabilized is a very great feature of it, the good grip, handy controls.. and the list goes on...

So after all this, why not give a 5 star... One annoying thing !!
The FLASH !! After a nice work on a camera, I don't understand how Canon plain and simple do not apply a automatic Flash to it.. Raise with your own hands ? A message saying that you need to raise it on the LCD ?
This is so not Cool.... But, as everyone says... Nothing is 100% perfect

In the overall..
I give this a thumbs up big time.. I like the camera and all it's features, apart from only one drawback, but enough to take one star out of it, since I can live with it !

After all, you will be very pleased.. Believe me !


->Buy

I've had my camera for about 2 months now. A few points I must praise are the compact body, and super fast shutter speed (I've never owned a Digi Cam with such a quick shutter speed... very nice!) But I'm having some issues with the camera that I'm hoping to "fix" thru experimentation. These are to include;
Trouble with focusing in low light conditions; shadowing on the super macro function; washed out background color (this applies only to my outdoor shots; indoor shots are fine, but my skies in all my outdoor pics are washed out to the point of being white, while the foreground and land in the same picture are almost over-saturated in color).

Also, another downside is that you have to manually raise the flash when you need it. I've not found any instructions on a way to make it pop up automatically. This can be very frustrating when you don't think you need the flash, get your shot lined up, and then try to take the picture, only to get a flashing icon telling you to "raise the flash".

I've pretty much only used Nikon in the past, and will most likely sell this camera and go back to the Nikon. However, the sharpness and vibrancy of the pictures used with this camera are quite good. I'm no pro, and I know that the user, not the camera, will dictate how good a final shot comes out, but I've not had these issues with my Nikon's, so I am not sure who is to blame for these issues. Canon is still a great company, and I think the majority of consumers will appreciate and enjoy the S3.


->

I have recently decided to update my digital camera. I have been using the Canon A40 since 2002 and have been largely very satisfied with it (see my review and photos for the A40). The Canon S3 for me is the logical upgrade. I haven't purchased it yet but it was my favorite after examining the data on the Panasonic, Sony, and Kodak competitors. Well, after returning from a little time at the stores to get a feel for the various cameras, I have a couple things I think might be useful to other searchers that I would like to share:

The Canon S3 is the most unintuitively designed camera in its general class. I thought the A40 was overly complicated and the S3 is worse. It has poor ergonomics but is better ergonomically than the Sony H2/H5 which I felt was nearly impossible to use one-handed. The Kodak Z710 was absolutely the best design with intuitive buttons and a wonderful feel in hand. I have fairly large hands but I found it very comfortable to hold and also had no problem taking photos with one hand or changing the settings. Yes, I like a camera that takes quality pictures but I don't want to be fumbling so long with settings that I lose the joy of a spontaneous moment of beauty either. Regretfully, the noise on the Koadak Z710 was unbearable to me even at ISO 100- worse than the noise on my old Canon A40 with it's relatively less substantial 2 MP resolution and 3X optical zoom. I just can't buy a camera that takes worse pictures than my outdated Canon A40 (the photos I've taken with the A40 beat out a lot of those taken with cameras I am reviewing here).

The viewfinder of the Canon S3 is extremely dark as other reviewers have said and I found it absolutely impossible to use. It does have a lot of bells and whistles- some of which are entirely useless (menu themes!?!) and some which are highly attractive (color accent and color swap). The camera does produce some beautiful photographs with the excellent color that Canon is known for.

If you can get past the two-handed photography and the viewfinder which protrudes uncomfortably past the camera body, the Sony H2 is an excellent choice. Depth of field is not as nice as with the Canon but the photos are still near professional quality and I know many happy users personally who wouldn't trade it for any other on the market.

I have not been able to field test any of the competing Panasonic models, namely because I have been to 4 large retailers and one camera shop, none of which carry any of the Panasonic FZ series. I do have to say though that I am very attracted to the Leica lenses- very high quality lenses used in the manufacture of medical research equipment. And I've seen some absolutely amazing professional quality photos come out of them. If any of you out there in Amazonia have an idea where I can find a retailer that has the Panasonic FZ series cameras, please comment.

If the engineers at Canon would have streamlined the Canon S3, it would be in the mail right now but with its ergonomic design shortcomings and higher price, I simply have to take a harder look at it's competitors.



->Deals

This is a near pro camera in disguise. This little wolf really needs you to study it and play with it to get the best pictures, but when you do you are really rewarded. When I say worse, if you just want a point and shoot you will get crappy photos sometimes and think you were cheated.

If you just select Auto, you will probably be disappointed. Canon makes better point and shoot cameras like the S series. My wife uses the S80 for her business, my daughter has the S70, and we have two other Canon P&S around that we all use for fun shots. I needed something with a real zoom lens and didn't want to do all the way to DSLR as I wanted something that also shot movies. I'm a HS tennis coach and I wanted to be able to take short videos of my players to help them see their strengths and weaknesses.

The S3 takes unbelievable videos! Better than my sony video camera that cost much more AND it is easier to get them into my computer, edit them, and produce a CD to hand to one of my players. A feature that I didn't find on any of the other competitive cameras was the ability to snap a still picture in the middle of taking a video. Also like the separate video button so you can take videos without changing anything on the camera, just hit the video button and it starts.

It also takes GREAT pictures. When you understand the options on the camera, you can take pictures that are close to the best you can do with a pro DSLR camera. I now shoot all my normal pics in P mode with it set for ISO 100 or ISO 200 and a 3 shot bracket. Great pics everytime. The anti-shake (IS) makes it easy to take great pics in low light. In low light when I let it go up to high ISO I can get noise like you wouldn't believe. However, I still get the pictures. Now that I know better, I can set up the camera to get really good low light pictures without going into high ISO ranges. I also have been able to take wonderful pics of my Koi, my cats, my kids, my wife, my car, my anything that takes my fancy. I have a framed 10x14 picture in front of me taken of a squirrel in the very top of a 100' redwood tree with the camera at max optical + digital zoom of 48x. Hand held and clear as a bell due to the IS and the optional settings available. Try that at home with any other camera in this price range.

Bottom line: after looking at all the current offerings from Panasonic/Sony/Nikon et al, this is the best of the bunch for a prosumer big zoom camera. None of the rest of them paid any attention to making videos, canon did. All the rest tried to get our attention by promising more pixels, but Canon when for quality and a reasonable price. This camera takes better pics than the Panasonic Lumix that costs several hundred $$$ more and has 10 mega pixels -- oh, and the canon is considerably smaller and easier to carry.

Accessories: I recommend that you get the Lensmate 52mm lens adapter and the Tiffen 3 pack of filters. I didn't bother with the Canon 58mm stuff, just got everything in 52mm. Unfortunately Amazon doesn't carry Lensmate but you can Google them. I also got the Raynox .7x wide angle lens from Lensmate at a good price. It has a bit of barrel distortion, but easily correctable with software -- big feature is that it is extremely clear at full zoom. Much better than the Canon wide angle lens. Case Logic makes a case that holds the S3 with the lens adapter on, so I can carry it around with the UV filter in place. The Lensmate lens adapter is made from metal and gives you a place to grip with your left hand so you are extra steady. Wish that Canon would just put threads on the end of their lenses, but they have their way of doing things.

Also got the Transend 4GB 150x SD card. Works like a charm. Make sure you low format it before your first use and then do that again every so often to keep the card clean. Very fast and lets me take up to 30 minutes of videos if I want. Get the SD cards wherever . . . Fry's had the Transend card for $10 less than Amazon.

Great camera, well worth the time I spent researching and testing everything available in September through early November of 2006. I did test every Panasonic, Sony, and Canon model in my price range of $250 to $750. Bought an SD card first and then went to camera stores and tried them all, bought the card home and looked at every pic and video. I ended up paying $350+ here at Amazon for the S3 which was the best price from a trusted source.

Again, what I wanted was a digital camera that could zoom to 10x+, take videos that were as good as my video camera, take fast action still shots in varying conditions, and had a resolution of 5mp or more. I also wanted it to be compact and easy to use, with the capability of using storage cards larger than 2GB. I already have taken almost 2 hours of action videos of my tennis players and several hundred pictures of them. I also have a batch of family pics that range from grainy to perfect as I learned how to set the ISO properly and use the features of the camera. Lots of educational help available online from Canon and others that is specific to the camera.

Bottom Line: buy it.


->Lowest Price

Pros: Excellent picture quality, great zoom, nice panoramic feature, SD card, great video and sound quality for a picture camera, the best that you can by for this money and the LCD can rotate in any angle.

Cons: Flash does not pop up automatically; just 16mb SD card in the box.

PD: this camera size is not a pocket one but the size is good enough to shoot with one hand.

Advice: use rechargeable batteries and a large SD card (2 or 4 Gb) cause the video is so good that you will love shooting. Also, must of the times you will need the flash indoor other way you will have bad pics; with flash results will amazed you.



->

I initially had a canon S1IS (just 3MP, 10x optical, CF card) and needed an upgrade for the same as I was visiting Disney, LA. The S3IS (6 MP, SD card) delivered with gusto with its image stabilization and higher ISO modes. I have a full video and reasonably good snaps of the Disney parade during the evening darkness (switch to highest ISO with the dedicated ISO button) with:

1. Amazingly low jerkiness due to the image stabilization. The IS here is of course better than the S1IS.
2. The snaps came allright even with the maximum zoom - if there are slight blurs, you can maybe use software like coral to adjust. As others have said here, yes, a tripod is the best, but who has the time or the patience to set it up.
3. Even many of the disney fireworks snaps came out ok in the night mode with the maximum ISO setting - though of course a tripod would have helped in the darkness here, for sure :)
4. Best value for price. In Nov 2006, a nice deal would be getting this camera within 350$ as in Amazon.

Two things here:
1. I would not be buying a videocam as I had planned earlier, the S3IS vidoes suffice for most situations - sending videos to AFV for instance.
2. For the last point, I would recommend waiting for 3-4 months till the 4GB SD cards come into the 50$ range. But as others have mentioned before, please have at least a 2GB card. Look in Amazon or in Fry's as I did for 35-40$ deals on 2+ GB cards.


->Prices

My search for a semi pro Digicam made me do a lot of research and after I shortlisted a few models I had to find the best deal. Amazon helped me get that deal and today when I look at the performance of the camera so far.. I am amazed... The camera was bound to be good but a special thanks to Amazon.com for helping me get one at a gr8 price.


->Price

Am very pleased with all aspects of the camera except one. I do not like that the viewfinder is no longer operational once you flip open the LCD screen. Sometimes I like to verify my shot with both.


->Lowest Price

Great camera, easy to use after reading the manual.
Light, easy to handle. Unfortunately a little pricey.


->Compare

This is my second Canon. There is a lot of whistles and bells on this camera that will take time for the novice to figure out. My biggest complaint is trying to remember to take off the lense cap before turning it on. My other cameras did not have the cap. All in all it takes excellent quality photos, so you will not be disappointed.


->Comparison

Works great as point-and-shoot in auto mode. Camera has just enough advanced features to keep the novice photographer happy for a long time. Battery life is great if you purchase top quality rechargables. A large, at least 1G SD card, should be used. Image stabilization works well. Tripod is necessary if using camera at full zoom.


->Deals

This is a great camera for those who need more than a point and shoot but do not want to carry a bag full of lenses. Also, with a large SD card (1 to 4 GB) this camera will replace your video camera. One thing to note, when you take pictures while recording video, it stops recording a second or two while it processes your picture. This is very obvious when watching your video.


->Deal

Over the last 50 years, I have purchased four film cameras and five digital cameras. By far, the Canon S3 IS is the best camera I have owned. And most of the cameras I have bought cost more that the S3. I returned recently from a three-week trip to Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Russia. During the trip, I took almost 2500 photos with the S3. The photo quality was excellent, the camera controls were easy to use, and the camera performance was outstanding. I expect to use the S3 for many years.


->Price

I bought one when it first came on the market back in May. Half a year and 5,000 pictures later, here are some of my comments:

- It is a GREAT digital camera in its own class. By "class" I mean one should not compare it with a dSLR because the S3 is not one. So do not expect it to overcome "shutter lag" easily, although among other DC (digital camera) I have used, shutter lag on S3 is greatly improved--to a degree that I feel comfortable taking photos in very fast pace, e.g., catching flying birds. (However, only good dSLR can completely eliminate shutter lag and S3 is not a dSLR.) One also should not compare the S3 with the "small" point-'n-shoot DCs. S3 is not as small as those--it won't easily slide into your pocket, unless your pocket is relatively big and loose (like mine). But the slightly larger body brings great features none of the small DC can offer.

- Big optical zoom (12X) and IS. 12X is GREAT and combined with Canon's Imagine Stabilization, S3 turns into a powerful large zoom camera with superb imagine quality. My recent trips included shooting (with cameras in case you wonder) wild wolf at Yellowstone National Park. And this little S3 came out as the only one that can capture the animals at great distance, along with other "big guns" the professionals carry. The IS feature eliminates hand shake with great effect and I could shoot at 12X with low light and still get quality photos. I also highly recommend the "TC-DC58B Tele Converter Lens" for the S3 (or S2) which gives you another 1.5 zoom that effectively make S3 18X zoom (equivalent to a 600mm lens). Check how much those big telephoto lens cost (close to 10K) ...

- Excellent video shooting. Again a feaure one almost never finds on any other DC or dSLR. The S3 takes DVD quality video in stereo sound, not just video clips that most DC can do. This little (almost) pocket-size camera now forces our digital videocam into an early retirement.

- Many other great features. However those are more or less standard and one can always try to argue some other DC may have similar or better features. I won't comment on those.

In summary, the S3 is a great small-size DC. Its superb lens offers big 12X zoom and IS, two technology of Canon's pride. It also offers DVD video shoot with stereo sound--this feature alone can save you a digital vidoecam.

One suggestion--do get a big SD card if you want to shoot video too. I have a 4G SD card and I think 2G is a must. Also battery life is excellent. It uses 4 AA-battery, which seems a lot odd at the beginning. But it comes in handy because as long as you can get AA battery you never worry about power. With typical dSLR, if the battery is out you are done for the day unless you find a power outlet to recharge (and have your charger with you).

I do have one small complain. The Menu button at the back of the camera is at the location where my palm presses the body. Sometimes I raise the S3 and I see the menu in viewfinder because my palm has pressed it strong enough to trigger it. Another press is needed and I lost several shots because of this.

I have other dSLR with quality lens. But I always take the S3 with me on any trip.


->Affordable

This camara is great for taking pictures with Celebs. I took a picture of my friend lil Jimmy with black Sabbath and it came out great. He was recently diagnosed with HIV and this was his greatest wish. I suggest a larger memory card though. The optical zoom is phenomenol. Good luck bro


->Affordable

This is a perfect camera and I'm so glad I bought it. Amazon had the cheapest price around and I wouldn't trade my camera for anything. Now I can click away and not have to worry about wasting film - and I get better pictures, because I can take more, and therefore have more to choose from.


->Deals

This S3 IS is really worth for those who want great looking pictures with stunning clarity. The autofocus is really good and accurate. Also has more special scene modes and picture effects. We can take full resolution pictures simultaneously while recording a movie. Overall, it is a good camera with rich features.


->Deals

Great quality. Movie quality is really astounding.


->Deal

I've had the camera about 3 months. I bought a 1 G memory card 150X. I added rechargeable AA batteries. I recently went to the Smokie Mountains in East TN and took over 600 pictures. I have taken another 36 using flash and the batteries are still going. The pictures are vivid and sharp. The 12X lense and image stabilizer are terrific. The start up time is phenomenal. The multiple shot feature is out of this world. This is one great camera that I am more than pleased with.

My only complaint is that the menu and set buttons on the back keep getting in my way. Other than that, it is an excellent camera.


->Wholesale

No complains yet. Good pictures, good zoom, good image stabilizer, lots of functions, good price.

Summarizing, excellent camera.


->Lowest Price

This is the camera one should look if you want to do serious and advanced photography. It offers a lots of features in the manual mode, which you need to understand. Zoom is amazing, Picture qualities is better in manual mode than in auto mode.

If you want auto Point and Shoot, please don't bother to buy this. Would be costly, instead go to S50 for point and shoot.

Has attachements for attaching lenses, did not try it, manual is not elaborate for amature person. Takes some time to get use to the photographs.

Worth every dollar.


->Price

We are still sorting through our pictures of our European vacation but overall the camera was excellent and we would highly recommend it. The optical zoom was incredible. Movie mode had great resolution and sound (only shot movies during the daylight) actually better than our older movie camera that we didn't take with us. The camera is on the heavy/bulky side but I don't know of a lighter camera with all of these options. If small is very important to you keep looking but features mattered more to us. It takes a bit to get familiar with the shooting options but nothing more than you would expect from a new camera.


->Deal

Canon S3 is the latest camera for S series. Nothing has changed much though. The black color makes you feel comfortable about your camera. It will not be wrong to say that S3= Black S2 with 6 megapixel.


->Sale

I chose this camera for its 12x zoom and the flip-out view screen (which enables you to take pictures of yourself, without much hassle)
The image quality is very good. And it runs on 4 AA (standard) batteries, which are easy to find.

Though it may be a little bit bulkier compared to other slimmer models, the features in the S3 IS are hard to beat. I would otherwise have bought the Panasonic FZ7 if not for the flip-out view screen.

This is my second camera, my first one was the Canon Powershot A70, which also was a very good camera, and I liked it very much.


->Compare

I have no talent and none but the most basic skills when it comes to photography...
and I LOVE this camera. I'm sure I underutilize this camera's myriad manual features, but I get lovely pictures on most of the automated settings.

I mostly photograph children, animals, and landscapes, though I've experimented with close-ups of cactus flowers, which turned out surprisingly well, using the appropriate setting. The optical zoom is excellent, and the image stabilization allows me to take much higher quality pictures "in hand."

The movies are great - excellent sound quality, and very easy to "capture the moment" with one-touch on and off (no need to switch functions while shooting pictures).

I use regular AA batteries, which are easy to get anywhere, and last a respectably long time. I tried rechargables, but must have gotten poor quality batteries, because they would not hold a charge in the camera, even when brand new. (I'll try them again, when I find some that are perhaps more reputable...)

Absolutely no regrets in buying this camera. I've not been this happy with an electronic device in a LONG time.


->Deal

The good:
fast; mid-weight, plenty of shooting options. I like having video hence no need to jump to an digital SLR.

The bad:
software a little clunky, camera view finder could use more of protruding rubber shield - I only like to shoot through view finder and find this aspect too much like the cheapy quick point shoot with too much light distraction from perhiperal.


->Compare

The Canon IS S3 is a great camera for the person who wants to get that professional touch but doesn't want the hassle of owning mulitple lenses and also wants the flexibility to just snap pictures very quickly.

The 12x zoom is excellent. This camera has a huge range of setting so you can get very creative.

Excellent value for money!!


->Buy

I love this camera even though it took some time to discover all that it can do. And also to learn what I shouldn't do - like erase all the photos instead of just one! It is a light and compact camera. I was glad that the instructions for each language were in separate books. I could discard the ones I didn't need. I haven't used it too much yet but the holidays are coming and I plan to put it to a lot of use.


->

Since I am not any kind of expert in photography, I am writing this review just as a means to highlight a few features of this camera that really impressed me. Ages ago, I used to own and use an SLr, but for at least the last 20 years I have worked only with point-and-shoots, first film and them digital. My most recent digital was a Canon Powershot S510, and that experience helped convince me to go with Canon again when upgrading.

My reasons for picking this over some others that were similar:

- I already have lots of SD cards from my previous Canon Powershot, so I wanted to preserve the investment. The Sony I looked at, for example, would have required me to reinvest in new media.
- Use of AA batteries; I will not consider a camera that uses proprietary batteries
- Quality (i.e. similar to digital camcorder specifications in resolution and frame rate) movie mode with zoom that works while shooting the movie.
- Ability to add decent auxillary lenses.
- A good zoom with wide range.

Some favorable things I have found out or otherwise experienced since buying the camera:

- The zoom plus digital image stabilization works well together. I can zoom across two rooms and read 12-point text from a memo on the wall.
- The add-on lenses (my experience is limited to the WC-DC58A Wide Angle lens) snap on quickly rather like an SLR, although the original lens does not come off, rather the aux lens just surrounds the original and puts the new optics out in front. However, I was a bit disappointed that the wide angle with the aux lens on is only slightly wider than with it off. At least this aux lens is only about $30 street price and it does help a little bit. In order to add on any of the aux lenses, you need to buy the (also inexpensive) Lens Adapter & Hood kit LAH-DC20. By the way, with the hood attached, the affects of glare when shooting outdoors are eliminated.
- The camera allows a WAV format sound file to be recorded for any picture or pictures and stored to the memory card; this is useful for later identification of pictures and what is in them. The sound files are separate from the picture files, but share the same file name with a different extension (e.g. 00001.JPG & 00001.WAV). This is very useful.
- The camera has a separate movie button that starts & stops the recording of movies. It works at any time regardless of picture taking mode, so you can start a video while in the middle of taking still pictures, or you can take a still picture(s) while recording a video. The video is recorded at the specified video settings and the still picture is taken at the specified photo settings, so one does not influence the other.
- The combination of mini-LCD 'optical' viewfinder (for privacy or shooting outdoors in bright light) and the swivel type main LCD viewfinder is unbeatable. The main LCD would be larger without the swivel feature, but I think it is a good trade-off.
- All controls are very ergonomic in appearance, placement and functionality.
- The built in flash is pretty good, but for a modest extra cost you can get the optional slave flash unit, which goes off when the primary flash does, and it covers a much larger area.


->Price

There are a lot of things to like about this camera.

The image stabilizer works. It won't freeze subject motion, but it does a very good job of freezing camera motion. One of my first low-light hand-held shots has a blurry subject (he moved while talking) with a rock-solid background and foreground. This feature makes everyone a better photographer.

The lens is near professional quality. It's bright at f 2.8 (wide) and f 3.5 (telephoto) so you can shoot available light as well as long zoom. The brightness also means you can lock the camera on ISO 80 or 100 to keep highest image quality. The image stabilizer means that you can use the really long zoom without camera shake ruining the shot.

The sensor has enough pixels to do the job. Last night I shot full moon shots at max zoom (using a tripod). The moon was well up in the sky (making it smaller) and looked no bigger than a pencil eraser on the display. Inside on the monitor, the shots are great. There are enough pixels that when I crop to get the subject, I still have a very nice shot. Fall foiliage shots have so much detail you could almost teach a biology class on leaves from your snapshots when you blow them all the way up. I mught be able to use more pixels, but I don't *need* more pixels.

The Auto and Program modes are great for beginners. Pick it up, turn it on, frame and fire. Most of the time this will suffice and the quality of the shot will be determined by the eye of the photographer. Some times you need to take control, and the camera has the modes and controls for that too. Indoor, low light, no-flash, long zoom is the one that hits me; in default mode the autofocus hunts if you don't help it. Now I know what to do, but a novice will fight it.

The camera has a host of handy features like self timer and continuous fire and red-eye reduction and... A novice can ignore them but with experience you can exploit them.

Like every digital ever made, the display washes out in sun. The viewfinder can seem cramped if you are used to an SLR. The rotatable display lets you hold the camera away from your face and get good shots (overhead and from waist level are the most useful). Shooting from the waist or with the camera in your lap can get you some great candid shots.

Love the movie mode. You'll want a 1G or bigger SD card.

It doesn't fit in a pocket, but it is reasonably easy to hold in your right hand. It is way smaller than an SLR, so you can lurk with it concealed mostly in your hand. I haven't found a case I really like for it yet. The strap is a tad short on me.

Professionals will find that the ISO 800 setting works but is too noisy in the low light conditions that demand it. It is useable, but you get snapshot quality.


->Price

I cannot express in words exactly how much I love this camera, especially the amazing zoom. When shopping for camera, I wasn't specifically looking for a camera with a zoom this long-- I thought, foolishly, that it wouldn't matter to me that much. I ended up buying this camera because it was a good price, the zoom seemed nice, and the picture quality I'd seen was good.

Then I actually recieved the camera, and realized exactly how much I'd been missing without a good zoom. I can finally get good, closeup shots! My last camera had 3x optical, so the difference was really startling. And even better, the photo quality is really nice. I'm taking a photojournalism class, and when I showed my teacher some of the shots I'd taken, he said "those shots were taken by that little thing?!" Also, the image stabilizer is really quite good; if I ever tried to take shots at full zoom on my little Canon Powershot A80, they'd be completely blurry, but with this camera I can shoot at full zoom with barely any blur, even in low light. I was taking pictures at a concert last night, and got some really nice pictures even though it was pretty dark.

The only problem I have with it is that it is rather large. I can't cart it around quite as easily as I could my last one. Also, there's tons of tiny buttons all over it, and it took a while before I could find a place to fit my (rather large) hands without pressing them accidentally. However, these aren't huge detractors for me-- I'd rather get good quality pictures and have to deal with the size and the buttons than get cruddy pictures in a tiny camera. Oh, and I really wish they'd provided a wrist strap along with it, but oh well.

I've only had this camera for about 3 weeks now (still running on my first set of batteries), so I haven't been able to go through all the neat features on this thing, but I do know that I wouldn't trade this camera for anything else in its price range.


->Deals

I'd rate myself as being relatively low tech. But I want advanced features available in case I need to access them. This unit is the ideal blend. I started taking great pics right away with very little study or prep. It was easy. And yet, the advanced features are available for situations where I would want to take more time to figure them out.


->Deals

I love the canon it is great. Took it to Europe in the fall and it took great pictures. Easy to use for an average person with little camera experince. I love it..


->Deals

For those who want more than a point and shoot camera, but don't want to pay the high price of a SLR.


->Wholesale

This camera has great capabilities. I continue to expand my application of them with every use. I replaced an Olympus Digital Camera and a Sony Camcorder with the Canon S3.


->Deals

Just great pictures. Only one issue that flash is not automatic as you have to raise it manually.


->Deal

My number one reason for purchasing a new camera was dead pixels on my G2. I've had it for four successful years, but got tired of photoshopping all my pics to conceal the dead spots. :( The second reason was size. The G2 is a great camera, but kind of a brick. And since I travel a lot, I was looking to reduce the bulk in my travel bags. However, I did not want to lose the full-feature manual controls of the G2.

Although I've read good reviews of Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, etc., I love the G2 photo quality, and so to make life easier and narrow the search, I decided right off the bat to stick with Canon.

I began my research in the PowerShot A series. My next requirement was the swivel LCD. This is such a useful tool for me, especially in crowds where you can raise up the camera and still frame a good shot. Also with kids, you can lower the camera to your knees and compose without bending over backwards or getting in the dirt.

With my primary requirements being swivel LCD, full-feature manual controls, and size constraints, it came down to the A640 and A630. I read all the reviews, and was simply trying to decide between the 10M with black housing (very slick!) or the 8M which is plenty for me and my 5x7 or 8x10 prints. I thought that noise would a problem for the 10M A640. However, the test shots on Digital Camera Resource http://dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a630_a640-review/index.shtml looked like the A640 slightly outperforms at 400 ISO. Maybe Canon is test-marketing a new noise reduction system in the camera?

In any case, I really liked the less conspicuous black, and decided on the A640. I went to the camera store (yes, I still prefer to buy from the local shop vs. online) and was disappointed that they don't keep the A640 in stock. No worries, how about the A630 then. But while handling the A630, I noticed the S3 IS right there with its sleek black housing, and incredible 12x optical zoom. I thought for sure this was an $800 camera. Surprise - same price as the A640. Now this threw a monkey wrench into my decision! I had to go back and research everything all over again; now comparing the A640 / A630 to the S3, even looked into the G7. The G7 lacks a swivel LCD and has a $500 price tag, so it was quickly thrown out.

Here's my conclusion on the A640/A630 vs. S3. Feature for feature, they're basically the exact same camera. The only exceptions are sensor size, megapixels, zoom with image stabilization (S3), live histogram on the LCD (S3), and of course the bulk or size of the camera itself. The only other thing I noticed was that the physical controls are slightly different on the A640/A630 vs. the S3. The button placement on the S3 is more like the G2.

Tough decision for me now. The A630 has everything I need, but the S3 will expand my photography with its amazing 12x zoom. I knew that if I got the S3, that every time I lugged it out, I would kick myself for not getting the slimmer A630. And I also knew that if I were to get the A630, then every time I tried to zoom in close, I would kick myself for not getting the 12x S3.

Finally, I went to the camera store convinced of my original motivations (size) and determined to purchase the A630. But when I got in the store, and held the S3 again, it just felt so natural, and the 12x optical zoom simply can't be beat! I also thought the learning curve would be lower since the controls were laid out more like my G2. I ended up with the S3, obviously. That night, I took some shots of the moon, hand-held no tripod, and they are incredible!

I know I will still kick myself when I travel and fumble around with the bulkier S3, but I suppose I can always buy the A630 on-line for ~ $250 as a back up. So far, however, I'm thrilled with the S3.



->Buy

I bought this for my wife, as we were having our second baby and needed something a little smaller than my D SLR.

Overall this camera is amazing. The continuous shooting mode is great. The flash charges very fast. Batteries seem to last forever. I shot several hundred images the night out daughter was born, then maybe a hundred more over the next 2 days on 1 set of AA batteries.

The optical zoom is excellent and fast from wide to tight. And even works while shooting video. The video mode is a very nice plus. It is a little grainy in moderate light. But in well lit situation is works fine.

Negatives: Red-Eye. This seems to pop up a lot. I have an older Olympus E10, and I don't think I ever got a red eye shot while using that camera for 5 years. But with the Canon, seems very common. Easy enough to remove after the fact, but would be noce to not have to.

Negative: Focus. It seems to not find focus in some situations. I haven't narrowed it down, but when there are small objects nearer the camera it seems to choose them.

But I would highly recommend this camera. Even with the 2 limitations mentioned, the lens, battery life, overall quality of images among other positive make this a great mid size camera.

Scott


->

PowerShot Pro is a very good series of cameras from Canon. Very fast delivery and good follow-up from seller.


->Buy

Professional camera at an affordable price, November 3, 2006


Canon Powershot S3 IS 6MP could in many ways qualify as a professional digital camera. It has powerful features in a dial button and a user friendly display on its swivel-tiltable LCD. The setting menu is easy to understand and systematic. A comprehensive digital manual and software in CDs are also provided and are downloadable from the Canon website. The camera is programmable, customizable, automated and enhanced with other features, such as photo stitching for panorama effect and fun features like color accent, color swap, and fireworks. For those who have been struggling for a long time to film moving objects or have had problems with lighting adjustments, this camera will make it easier by providing selectable settings. Find a fit infrared filter, this camera is also capable of infrared photography. I have tested and explored most of its feature in the deserts of the Middle East and in tropical lands and have also compared it to another brand that I have owned for two years.

The minus point about this camera is its flash. The mechanism is prone to break and needs careful attention when it is upraised/ activated. A shadow effect can also appear, resulting from the lens body for very near objects. I prefer a camera provided with a hot shoe to attach a separate flash unit.

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, this Powershot S3 IS will give you quality digital photography at an affordable price. One more thing, there are many third party manufacturers who can provide you with a range of accessories, such as teleconverters, lens adapters, filters or simply a lens cap replacement.



->Cheap

Have four days now, bought to suppliment my Kodak P850. I will write more as i use the S3 in weeks to come, at this moment i am in Bliss, excellent piece of equipement. Blows the Kodak away in terms of response , a Buick to a BMW. GOOD JOB CANON !


->Deal

I have a canon digital slr, an s1 is, and a s3 1s. I carry the s3 is when I don't want the bulk of the slr and lenses.I bought it because I wanted the 435mm lengnth(relatively fast) without spending mega bucks. The canon teleconverter ads 1/2 again as much and is pretty clear. I love it. It's quality and functions are the best. It doesn't have the sharpness of the L series lenses but not much else does. I hate second rate equipment. This camera is first rate.
pros: 6mp, range, 35-435mm, compact, great price compaired to slr lenses, 58mm adapter available so You can use common filters, Image stabilizer, It shoots 3 pictures with different light settings.(I use this feature often when I am not sure about light settings)excelent vidio capacity. Great battery usage. these are just a few pros
cons: it is easy to change the quality settings on accident. ( I check it often because it has happened.)Preview isn't the best. I simply shoot loads of shots. I thought thats why they made digital anyhow. Only ex film shooters would have a hard time with that.
Bottom line: don't hesitate any longer. buy the camera. You won't be sorry


->Price

This is a fantastic camera.Brilliant colors,creative features,good fit in the hand,easy controls,just about everything a person would want in a p&s camera.The vivid colors feature really make filters unnecessary.I took plenty of nature photos and the colors were so crisp and clear that if I didnt take the pictures myself I would think they had been taken to photoshop or any color enhancing program.The auto focus was pretty quick for a p&s.The rotating lcd screen came in extremely handy when shooting low or overhead.Do not underestimate that feature.The controls were nice,very creative.You could combine different features to create another feature.It seemed like it was limitless.The supermacro feature prooved to be well beyond my expectations.I took incredibly close photos and the auto focus worked great,and the image was in fantastic detail.The zoom is something that really puts canon on the map.Crazy zoom.
Now you know you cant have the good without the bad.Even though I said the autofocus was good it wasnt great.There were times where I went to focus in on something and despite plenty of light,the object I was aiming at was still,it would tend to lose focus.It was beyond me why this was.The ISO speeds provided some noise,especially the higher the speed.This camera is very SLR-like.You do have the option of adjusting settings and whatnot but I found out about a month into having the camera that I had maxed out these options.They can only go so far.And since they could only go so far I did sell it and get a 350D(XT).But that is only because I want to learn more about the technical side of photography,so again dont let that turn you away from this camera.And then there are the little details.Like that the camera mount was made out of plastic.Meaning if it were screwed too tightly on a tripod there is the possibility it could crack.Whenever the mermory card door was open it would turn off the camera,causing you to lose any buffed images.Even though in my mind these "complaints" or "imperfections" are extremely petty and shouldnt really deture you from buying this camera.I feel that they were things that would keep this camera from being perfect,and thus I had to mention them.
Conlusion:Get this camera.You wont be sorry.Fantastic features,a step above what Ive seen in other cameras.The rotating screen is very very handy in certain situations.Good feel in the hand.It even has some attachments that you can buy to enhance you photos.Which means you can add filters,even though the vivid colors feature recreates that.Brilliant point and shoot camera that gives SOME feel as if it were a DSLR.Again,Canon has put out a very worthy camera.And for the price you really cant go wrong.


->Best Price

The Canon Powershot PRO is just that...it's a very serious digital camera. The days of 350 dollars buying you a basic 2 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoon are long gone. For the money, this Canon model seems to be what would have cost THOUSANDS to get your hands on just a few years ago.

The camera comes with a 12X optical zoom, and it extends that with a massive digital zoon. (Remember, optical is a CLEAR image, digital zoom is just that...it loses clarity but gets you closer to the action.)
The 6MP gives you TONS of FINE HIGH quality picture taking ability. You can set the camera to the quality you feel is needed. I paired this with a 2GB sandisk card, at lower quality it held 1700 pictures, at highest it still held over 900 pictures. The LCD is clear, but the menus are complicated. It has TONS of options, and enough buttons to confuse a novice user. I am fairly technically savvy, and it took me a while to get comfortable with this advanced digital camera.

Once I connected it to a computer, the images were awesome on the monitor, and even better when printed at the local photo shop, some big, and some average size. Quality was not compromised.

Overall my take on this camera is that it's LEGIT. It's A LOT of camera for the money, even at full retail which Amazon does NOT charge you.
I reccommend the 2 GB memory card, AND the Canon rechargable batteries...this thing went through REGULAR batteries like nothing. Spend the extra money and save in the long run.

Good luck!


->Compare

This camera is really awesome!!! It offers great pictures, great battery life, great zoom, great settings. It's a great alternative if you are not yet ready to spend the big bucks on a canon rebel. Of course, it's not a rebel, but if you are not a professional photographer, you'll be totally satisfied with this camera.


->Deals

High-quality camera for the price! Great zoom and I am MORE than pleased. Easy to use and download of photos. Highly recommend.


->Compare

I bought this camera to replace my Olympus UZ 770, which I adored but it had some noise issues at 400, noisy zoom, no IS, & buried functions.

The Canon was a little pricey, but so worth it. Yes, there are some noise issues from 200 ISO on up but with IS I don't usually use 400 or 800. The bracketing feature is AWESOME. I also find that the IS is more effective on the 2nd & 3rd shots, due to the fact that you don't have to press the shutter for those last 2.

The ISO button being right there is great too, and the function button is a great shortcut to exposure & flash adjustments, white balance, color options, and the bracketing choices. I also like that it saves whatever setting you were on last, although sometimes I forget and wind up using tungsten WB in daylight, but I find the Auto WB works great so I usually use that.

The noise issue doesn't bother me for what I expected, and I plan to use noise reduction software anyway. I don't expect Pro SLR results out of what is essentially a feature loaded point and shoot.

It's also very quiet and I haven't had issues with the lens cap coming off - unless you're careless with it and you shouldn't be anyway.

Love the rotating screen and am not bothered by the size. I suppose if you have bad vision or like to show instant results to others a lot a bigger screen is nice, but I'm fine.

I also ADORE the included software although the red eye function is a little finicky sometimes.

I also use it to preview what to expect when shooting 35mm film, until I can afford the Canon EOS 5D.


->Best Price

I'm a very experienced photographer, been published and won a few contests too. I use Canon SLR cameras, lenses and equipment which is GREAT stuff. So, when I wanted to add a professional level point-and-shoot camera the Canon Powershot S3 IS was an easy choice. It has excellent optics and essentially the same technology used in Canon's SLRs. So what could go wrong?

First and foremost, everyone should know the Electronic Viewfinder on S3 is VERY pixelated and dark - like looking thru heavy mesh screen. It's difficult to know when you have a sharp focus. Also, the LCD screen is VERY small and dark. It's difficult to see images on this screen in bright light. It simply does not work well for me doing fine art photography. If you plan to use this camera 100 percent of the time in autofocus, these concerns do not apply to you. However, if you plan to do any Macro photography this will be a problem. Personally, I like to know with absolute certainty my photos are sharp and subjects are in focus. No one likes to see fuzzigraphs!

I have also found it far too easy to accidently push one of the many buttons scattered over the camera surface. For example, I had set the camera to best quality, highest resolution to shoot flower pictures. Somewhere along the way I hit the wrong button and took a few low resolution images before discovering the change of setting. My SLR's have lots of buttons too, but I've never had this happen before.

The macro (close-up)capability of this camera is greatly over-rated. It only works on wide angle settings of the lens. Therefore, you must be VERY close to the subject photographed. I bought a Canon 500D close up lens to take macros and still have the full 12X zoom of the camera's lens.

A few reviewers have commented on the very poor quality of the manual that accompanies the S3. I must agree. It IS hard to figure out and I've got a lot of experience reading Canon manuals, figuring out Canon menus and setting camera dials. It's been my experience most folks don't read the manuals. They learn just enough to take pictures and never explore the full power of these devices. The big "P" on the Program dial does NOT stand for "perfect". So, if you don't read manuals, ignore my comments.

The picture quality is very good and should not disappoint anyone - assuming of course it's properly focused. The one thing you need to know is that as good as the meter is in this camera, you will have to learn about Exposure Compensation if you expect properly exposed images. Over- and under- exposures can be avoided with compensation and using the camera's histogram features.

I gave this camera a 3 star rating because it does not live up to the quality and performance I've come to expect from Canon. It's a decent camera, but for it's price it should be MUCH BETTER.


->Compare

I bought Canon S3 1 month ago based on Amazon's review. But after study it and use it for more than 1 month, I am very disappointed.

1. this product is not easy to use. I had other several digital cameras before and find this camera is more complicated than it shall be.

2. it does not auto-focus easily when zooming even with IS turned on.

3. the Macro does not work as it claimed.

4. the layout of buttons on the digital camera are not great. It's very easy to press one of the buttons when shooting.

I suggest to try out the camera before you purchase it. By the time you figure out this camera has problem, you might already pass 30 days return policy like I am.


->Deal

Got this camera after reading good reviews. Out of the box, I noticed there was a couple of dust particles INSIDE of the lens. I then compared it to another new S3 that a coworker purchased- she has dust particles inside her lens. Went to Walmart to have a look at their new S3- dust in that lens. What's up with that? I was hoping to just return it and get one without a dust covered lens. But no, not an option. Guess I'll pay to have it sent to Canon to have them clean it like it should have been in the first place. I encourage all to use a small flashlight aimed at an angle, and look at the inside of the second layer of glass in the lens. Or just look at it in the sunlight. Dust?
Otherwise, this camera is excellent so far. Love the movie mode. The zoom produces a surprisingly good image in good light. This camera feels so good in my hand! Too bad about about the dust.


->Cheap

Just when you thought all was going well
Canon comes out with a new one S4 IS (Oct 13-06)
that is why the S3 have gotten so reasonable in price


->Comparison

This is an excellent camera, especially if you have previously owned a simpler Canon. The Icons and buttons are very easy to understand and the camera is very logically set up, again, especially if you have owned a Canon. The camera has a comfortable feel and the zoom is just spectacular for a very reasonable price.


->Best Price

After taking 400 shots I find the camera excellent all around, and have only one major complaint: its maximum f-stop is 8.0, and the default f-stop in Auto mode is low, typically 2.x. So the depth of field you can get is modest at best, particularly for closer work. As a minor complaint, I find you can't capture RAW images with this camera -- as a first-time digital photographer I didn't know anything about the uses of this format, so didn't know enough to look for it in a camera. These two complaints are not against the high quality of the instrument; they are only a caution that if these two features (shooting at f/16 and having your choice of image format) are important to you, look for a different camera.


->Purchase

I've been using this camera for a few weeks now, and I've taken at least a thousand photographs with it. It is easily the most versatile piece of photographic equipment I have ever owned, and I grew up using film SLRs. This camera has almost all of the features I love in SLR cameras, including fairly intuitive control over exposure settings. I also love the video feature.

My favorite features are:

- The 12x zoom lens which can easily capture close-up subjects from the opposite side of a large room.

- Super-macro mode shoots clear pictures less than an inch from the lens.

- Excellent TV quality video with good stereo sound (no HD).

- A variety of shooting modes let you capture a detailed close up in vivid color one moment, and a fast action shot seconds later with the turn of a dial.

- Adjustable flash output.


That said, there are a few things that really irritate me about this camera. For instance, the manual focus is a pain to use. Instead of twisting the lens, you are forced to hold down one button while you press up and down keys. Autofocus is essentially worthless when you combine low light and fast action (such as a lively concert, like the one I shot pictures at tonight). A usable manual focus is essential for any serious photographer!

Another thing that bothers me is the lack of an external flash hook-up. It makes it difficult to avoid red-eye when photographing people in low light.

I don't understand how such basic features were overlooked when this camera has everything else but the kitchen sink. While this is certainly the most versatile camera I've ever owned, and I love it for what it is, I would not buy it again. I would look for a similar camera that includes a twist-lens manual focus and a flash hot-shoe.

One more critique - photographs are often unusably grainy with ISO settings at 400+. You'll want to stick to the 80 - 200 range, if you can. The lowest ISO setting possible for the situation will deliver the best image the camera is capable of.


->Best Price

I decided to get an ultra-zoom digital camera this summer. After many weeks of reading online reviews and visiting electronics and camera shops, I finally decided to order the Canon S3 when the price finally fell to under 400 dollars. I have had the camera for two weeks now, and I must admit that I do not understand what all the glowing reviews are about. The camera is not terrible, but it is cluttered with tiny, flimsy buttons marked with icons or abbreviations that are not at all intuitive. It is virtually impossible to hold the camera without hitting one of them by accident. The manual is incredibly frustrating. This is not a minor problem. Nearly every entry has a parenthetical reference or footnote telling you to jump to another page. When you do find what you are looking for, it is usually written in the defective, non-native English that has become all too common in product manuals these days. I suppose the camera has all the wonderful options, settings, and features that I've read about hidden somehwere behind all those buttons or in all those menus and sub-menus, but I'll never figure out where they are or how to use them from this horrible manual. The LCD screen is OK, but smaller in reality than it seemed in the store. The viewfinder is perhaps the most disappointing feature of the camera. The resolution is very poor. The image is so heavily pixelated and fuzzy that I have no idea if the subject is in focus or not. As others have pointed out, the lens cap is cheap and falls off for no apparent reason. I didn't realize how annoying this would be. Even at the reduced price, this just should not happen. Most of the pictures that I have taken using the factory settings are OK, but not that much better than my old 3-megapixel Pentax Optio point-and-shoot model. Overall, I am not completely disgusted by the camera, but, so far, I feel no great enthusiasm for picking it up and using it. I can't help but wonder if I would have been happier with the Panasonic FZ7 or the Sony H5.


->

This is a sturdy, solid formidable camera; it takes great shots and has most of the features I was looking for in a take everywhere camera - good zoom, good lens, adjustable screen, AA batteries, movie mode, good macro features, image stabilizer. But with that package came nuisances I ended up not being able to tolerate. There are buttons everywhere that you would naturally put your hand to hold a camera if you are even a slightly experienced photographer. I kept resetting features everytime I picked up the camera, and ended up finally handling it like a raw egg. You can't "grab it" you must pick it up with two fingers to avoid hitting buttons you don't want to hit. I carry a camera with me always in a pocket in my bag. Because of the button issue, I've had to put it in a case, so I don't turn it on from simply jostling the bag. The camera once turned on when I laid my jacket down and it was comic watching my bag go in and out with the lens pushing it. But that kind of "accident" can screw up the lens. It does not have a natural hand-hold and it's hard to find a comfortable way to grip the camera - and I have small hands - it would be much worse if you have large hands. The LCD screens - well, there's isn't much great to say here - they are simply inadequate in daylight. Canon recommends using the viewfinder when in broad daylight because the LCD screen is barely visible, but the viewfinder reads very poorly - you cannot accurately see what your are framing - detail, color, anything close to accurate representation is just not there. The adjustable lcd screen mechanics are simply magnificent-a feature I was thrilled to have-but viewing it is simply inadequate. - I just decided tonight that this camera just wasn't good enough for my needs and am ordering the Sony DSC H5. Canon, I hope you are listening - if it weren't for the viewing screens and the crazy button layout, this would be my camera.


->Compare

I was an Olympus user... having had a C3040 and then a C5050. However, I always felt that the 3x zoom was way too short compared to what you get used with video cameras. On the other hand, when I dropped my old 35mm SLR camera and accesories because it was mostly sitting at home due to its enormous size and weight, I promised myself that I will never have a camera that I can't carry in my belt. Thus, the digital SLRs are of no advantage to me, no matter the image quality... I hope sometime in the future, some clever manufacturer will finally create the perfect SLR: one the size of a point and shoot camera but with optical SLR viewfinder and tiny interchangeable lenses, if one needed to. Not too difficult... but they still need to sell all those big lenses before they commit to a new micro SLR design.

So, while I wait, I found that an image stabilized long zoom camera was a perfect interim product. I chose the Canon IS S3 for its good reviews, size and overall Canon quality. Olympus, one of the first in bringing optical image stabilization years ago with the UZ 2000, had in the meantime abandoned it and all their long zoom series had no stabilization. A long zoom without stabilization is going to produce more frustration than excitement, especially when those lenses are hardly brighter than F/3.5 at the long end.

So, I was tempted by the IS S3, though I bought it just after it came in the market in May, so I paid more than $100 than today's price. This is the cost of buying oven-warm products. I knew it and I assume it. However, I must say that I am really happy with the camera. I am still learning how to take advantage of all the features it has, while you can be happy most of the time with just the auto point and shoot mode. I admit that the image noise is a bit higher than my old C5050, at same ISO values, something I expected from a camera with such a small sensor. But the advantage of the 12x zoom compensates more than enough.

To carry this camera you need to get the Canon pouch (PSC-75). It is the only one that tightly fits, and I really tried two dozens or more of the generic ones. It just fits the camera (and its strap if you use it on your belt) and looks very much like the old 35mm SLR cases, that you can just leave hanging from the camera while in use if it is not in your belt. If you take extra batteries, put them in your pocket... though for one day shooting you don't need them.

Image quality is excellent for this type of camera. I uploaded some images that shows it, plus an example of the My Colors mode wich is a nice addition from Canon: it is like having Photoshop in camera... but you don't need to go to college to use it. And for the zoom, an image of the moon with a 1.7x Olympus converter shot handheld looks terrific! 1/160s at 730mm I never imagined I could. (check it in uploaded pics).

Some people complain about the flash not popping up automagically. I love it! Now I don't even need to look for the flash sign in the display. When I want flash, I just pop it up. If I want to make sure it will stay off, fold it down. Just keep the flash setting to forced.

The macro is tricky to use. When using the full zoom, you can focus a field of view of about 8cm wide from a distance of 1 meter. Not bad if you want to stay away from your subject. But to get real macro, you have to get very, very close... The zoom has to be in wide, and at 10cm from the lens you get around 6cm wide, at 5cm it is 4cm wide, and at 0cm (yes, you can focus on something touching the lens surface) you get 2.5cm wide.. enough to duplicate and old 35mm slide.

Well, I am not talking about all the features that have been described in detail by so many people. I just want to say that I miss the flash hot shoe and low noise of my C5050. In return I get a great stabilized zoom and really fast reaction camera. I still keep the C5050 for my underwater shooting when diving.


->For Sale

Not being a photographer I was looking for something that took great pictures and was easy to use and this is exactly it. I used it tonight for the first time at a baseball game and took over 250 pics mostly using auto and sport with the continuous shooting and got the results I always wanted before but couldn't do it with the cheaper digitals...Very Impressed so far.... Also wanted to mention that I had the camera on for hours and the battery never ran out...


->Deals

I have no complaints about this camera - so far I've taken some pretty good shots (I submitted a few to the customer photos for this product).

It's relatively easy to use. I love the range of manual controls over the various settings but full auto mode also takes excellent shots.

The super zoom is phenomenal as is the super macro.

I kinda wish that the manual focus was a little easier to access/manipulate.

Admittedly, camera shake becomes an immense issue at longer zoom settings, but then again - that's what tripods are for.

I love that I now have access to add-ons like filters and super telephoto lenses. This cam is not an SLR but it's a good way to jump into slightly more advanced photography than your old point-and-shoot.

I consider the fact that it uses AA batteries to be a plus - I can use all of my motley collection of NiMH AAs. It get's really good mileage off of some old rayovac 1500mAh cells that I have.

The range of features and photo modes etc are too great to get into here but some features like the INTERVALOMETER just blew me away - I've used it as part of a sleep study project and I'm trying to create a sequential set of photos of a bamboo plant growing next.

Ala in all, great camera for the price.


->Discount

I own the Rebel XT and just purchased this camera a few days ago. The S3-IS the camera of my dreams - it is already my favorite. Don't get me wrong, the XT is a wonderful camera, but not nearly so easy to master. I used this camera last night to take shots of my son playing football, using the sports setting. In the past, with the XT, I would only keep 20% of my shots. With this camera, I've kept 95%. I nearly filled a 1 gig card and I'm thrilled to have captured these memories. If you are not an experienced Canon camera user, the controls and options may be difficult to understand at first, but the great thing is the camera can be kept on the auto setting, great pictures can be achieved, and you can learn while you use it! When Canon upgrades again, I'm going to sell my Rebel, buy the new model, and give this one to my husband. To all parents of athletes: BUY THIS CAMERA. You will not regret it.


->Deal

We spent a month to find the perfect camera and we did a great job!!!!
The pictures are amazing! I love the color accent mode (it allows you to take black and white pictures leaving one chosen color) and super macro mode. The image stabilizer works pretty well ( when you don't zoom). Batteries last long. Movie mode is amazing (you can zoom during recording). Camera is a little heavy and big and the LCD is only 2 inches, if you want something smaller with a bigger LCD pick the Canon PowerShot SD700 IS. We decided to get the S3 because:

1 More optical zoom
2 Better movie mode (zoom in SD700 doesn't work and it doesn't have such nice sound )
3 LCD won't scratch (it closes)
4 Uses batteries (thanks to that we don't need to take charger to Europe)
5 The same price

The SD 700 makes pictures faster than the S3 (but after having a Sony Cybershot is not bad at all).

After having camera for a month I would give it 3,5 stars.
You can't see anything on LCD when you are outside , especially on a sunny day!!!
Image stabilizer might work fine but when my kids move just a little bit during picture , whole picture is blurry!!!! Does anybody know a good camera that would prevent that?


->Compare

The image quality is really good and Color Ascent feature is the best from Canon.
The only problem i see is the size. This is bulkier than the small & compact point and shoot cameras in market..


->Cheap


I am an artist, a traditional painter, and I needed a camera to create my own images for prints and cards of my paintings. This camera is more than enough for what I need, but when it comes to detail, resolution, and color clarity, you can never really have too much.

And I am NOT a camera techy, as many of the reviewers on this camera seem to be. However, with that said, and with all of the features this camera has, the functionality of this camera became VERY intuitive after just a few hours of referencing the manual and working directly with the camera.

Another thing I want to point out is the bundle this camera is packaged with. Personally, I give Canon a great deal of credit for making this package. The 16MB SD card it comes with is NOT useless! It is perfect for grabbing the camera right out of the box and putting in the batteries (4 included!), and giving it a whirl. I know 16 MB is very little space, but slow down------it's not a "scam" to get you to buy more and more products, or to spend $600 when you thought you were only going to spend $350 on your new camera, etc. Yes, you will want a bigger card---of course you will! But this package gives you another opportunity to save more money, and to expand your options on your own personal terms. I can only imagine if the camera was bundled with a 1GB stick that people would complain about the size or quality or the rise in price, etc.
No, it doesn't come with a carrying bag either. But do you determine what golf club to buy based on wether or not it comes with a sleeve/cover?


I have the lens adapter/converter to 58mm and the lens hood as well, and I am definitely glad I purchased them all together.
NOTE-----I HIGHLY reccomend also buying a UV filter for the camera, if for no other reason than protecting the lens. You will be much more nervous and meticulous if you have to clean the camera's own lens rather than a filter.

I can't argue much about the technical specifics of cameras, etc, but the setup on this camera was a breeze. I plugged the A/V cable into my TV, and there it was----stereo sound from the movie I had just recorded, no messy setup, and immediate results. Easy! It even functioned to display the viewfinder contents on the TV itself when in camera mode, which was a nice surprise if nothing else!


For my two cents, if you are looking for better quality pictures but, like me, you are NOT a techy or a professional photographer, and your budget is NOT $9000 (there IS a guide on Amazon for a $9000 budget), I recommend this camera to you. The camera DOES look like a big, complicated mess and it can certainly be intimidating. But you probably thought the same thing when you first started to drive a car. By now, you don't have to put too much effort into driving your car, and this camera quickly became as familiar and intuitive to me as well. And the results speak for themselves----the pictures are remarkable, and every time a friend sees a movie clip I have taken with this camera they smile and laugh and often tell me how surprised they are that a camera can do all of that. I am very pleased with this camera, 5 stars in any category that is relevant to me and my needs.



->Affordable

We LOVE this camera! It makes a professional out of any amateur! It's VERY easy to use and is not too bulky to carry around all day. Great for wildlife and sharp details. The colours are spot-on and don't require touching up in Photoshop. Movies can be made for full screen viewing - and the image stabilizing capability has finally made the digital camera for photos and film a crisp, clear non-blurry experience. I can't recommend a camera more highly!


->Buy

I have been taking film pictures with a professional Canon SLR for over a decade, and have been holding out on purchasing a DSLR until they come out with a sub-$2,000 full-frame body. A few years ago, I bought a Canon digital Elph (S330) just for some everyday digital point-n-shooting. While the Elph has served me well, I find the lack of manual settings too limited for my taste. If I were to upgrade to a DSLR, I would get either the Canon 1Ds or the 5D (both of which carry full-frame sensors, a requirement for me), but I'm just not prepared to spend $2,500 for the 5D or 3x that for the 1Ds yet.

With the recent addition of my family (a new baby), I started to look into buying a replacement for the Elph so I can take more baby photos. The film SLR takes great pictures, but traveling with 3 lbs+ of photo equipment is just not practical. I needed something compact (not necessarily pocket sized), but gives me the options to take pictures on manual settings like an SLR. I did quite a bit of research, and determined the Canon S3 IS would be the best camera for my purpose. I've used it for the past month, and it's been great! It's shaped like an SLR, only smaller. It has most, if not all, of the manual settings of a full-size DSLR, minus the interchangeable lenses and an optical viewfinder. Obviously, with an EVF camera like the S3 IS you gain live preview capability, movie mode, and the absence of sensor dust issue. The live histogram is also a huge advantage over competitor models. With a long-zoom and image stabilization, the S3 IS is priced at a fraction of a DSLR. While nobody should expect the same picture quality out of the S3 IS as a DSLR, especially at high ISO, this is truly a great camera for photo enthusiasts who are just not ready to buy a DSLR, or DSLR owners looking for a more compact digicam for traveling or everyday work.


->Price

I am very pleased with my purchase of the Canon PowerShot S3 IS. So far it has taken great pics and haven't had any problems at all. The battery life seems to be holding out very well. I ordered energizer lithium rechargables (2500 mah) and they last a long time.

The picture quality has been good, but if you want to mess around with the advanced setting it takes a little getting used to. Overall this camera has been exceptional so far and haven't had any problems.

Also if you buy this camera I would recommend getting the Canon lens adapter set and some 58mm UV filters to protect the lens.


->Lowest Price

I used the camera twice before it died on me. I took about 15 pictures in total. So, keep in mind that I haven't gotten much use out of it (I'm asking for a replacement, rather than money back).

The good:
1. It uses alkaline AA batteries.
2. It's light.
3. It fits my hands like a glove. On a piano, I have about a 10-12 key stretch.
4. I'm techy enough so while a bit overwhelmed with all the options, I can handle them.
5. Loading from the camera to the computer is a snap!
6. The RCA jacks are a hoot, allowing displaying pictures on a t.v. easy and fun.
7. There are various instructions booklets for them and they're separate English and Spanish - not both. One set can be discarded!
8. I got some great shots for someone who just replaced her very good Nikon SLR for her first digital camera.

The Bad:
1. I only took about 15 pictures before the camera literally just died on me; it wouldn't power on for a third time. Of course, I tried a couple of different new sets of batteries and the originals should have been fine.
2. Is it black to cover the potentially flimsy plastic body? (The S2 - that I refused to buy - had "silvery-cheap" look and feel and the S3 seems like a stones throw away.)
3. Red-eye is pretty bad due to the low flash to the body and the software that comes with the camera, while having the option to "edit it out" puts human eyes in; this looks really creepy when your main subject matters are a dog and cat.
4. It is a bit heavy; be prepared.

I've looked for a couple of years for the right camera to replace my Nikon 35mm. The digital camera needed to be:
1. Light
2. Produce good quality pictures (overall)
3. Have good reviews by users, not "editors." One never knows if a review by an editor is a paid advertisement in disguise.
4. Be easy enough for me to handle and to teach my partner, who's less of a techy to use.
5. Have image stabilization (the jury is still out on how real that is... got some fuzzies when I wasn't expecting it)
6. Have a very good optical zoom

It meets and exceeds most of those requirements. So, I'm asking for a replacement, rather than a refund. We'll see where this goes from here.

The replacement from Amazon came faster than a speeding bullet and worked at first shot (to my delight). I've used it to take pictures from the car as we passed unimportant things, just to see what it would do. At 40-45 miles an hour, it freezes signs so read them (one cannot tell they were shot while we were moving). The ISO setting is high, there's no blur. The camera is amazing and with the steady decrease in price, I highly recommend this to anyone with a glimmer of being able to adapt to lengthy and clear directions and who can handle the many features this camera has to offer.



->Prices

What an excellent camera!!!

I recently bought one and took it on a trip to Europe. We're just back and the photos are amazing.

I tried the various photographic modes and they deliver the goods.

The camera is very easy to operate, and the zoom is very very useful.

I would suggest at least 1/2Gb memory because of the size of the photos.



->Lowest Price

This camera was great. Easy to use, fun to review the photos. SD cards work very well. Video is easy to turn on. Though turning it off, you tend to take your eye off the subject. But I think I can edit the video clips later to have better starts and stops. Camera is small enough to go just about anywhere. and light enough to not be a issue while walking around. Reading the manual and understanding all the features is a bit tough. but the presets work pretty good and I'm very pleased with the purchase.


->Lowest Price

I am generally happy with this S3, but as I have gotten older, and my eyes are dimenishing, I need a quality viewfinder. This one is electronic and suffers a clarity that I do not have in my other cameras- a digital rebel and old sureshot. At times I have taken pictures not knowing its focus, only to be pleasently pleased later on. The LCD is also not as good as I would wish. I think the IS is unbelivable, and its movie capabilities are amazing for its quality. I do not want to sound negative, but this has been my experience.


->Lowest Price

I bought the S3 as a replacement for my PowerShot S10 which has served me amazingly well since I purchased it. My old S10 is only a 2.1MP (megapixel) camera but that suited me just fine, taking tens of thousands of pictures over the past six years that I owned it. My only complaint about the S10 is a common one amongst digital cameras: a crappy 2x optical zoom. The S3's 12x optical zoom was its main selling point for me, and having the PowerShot name behind it sealed the deal.

This camera does FAR more than I'll ever use so I'll instead focus (no pun intended) on the things that I particularly like about the camera, from a point-and-shoot perspective. Some of this info may be old hat to the point-and-shoot digital camera crowd, but remember that I'm coming off a six year old camera that doesn't have half as many features. :)

Although the camera is not an SLR camera, it behaves like one. There's an LCD panel on the back of the camera for lining up your shots, of course, and there's also a viewfinder. Looking through the viewfinder reveals another LCD screen that shows you what the camera's CCD is showing. In effect this gives you the benefit of an SLR camera without the extra cost. This forced me to change my shooting style; when I took close-up shots through the (straight-through) viewfinder on my S10 I had to purposefully aim the camera slightly higher in order to properly frame the shot. With the S3 I don't have this bother any more.

The screen (both the LCD screen and the one in the viewfinder) displays an astonishing amount of information, most of which I ignore. Two very helpful bits of info: There's a white rectangle in the center which defines the balance point of your shot, and more interestingly, a black grid that really helps you make sure your images are straight. (Speaking of straightness, the camera also has an automatic sensor to determine if you're taking portrait or landscape shots. When you download the pictures into your computer, they're pre-rotated correctly. Very handy. (PS: It interfaces with a standard mini USB cable, and it works flawlessly with Apple's iPhoto software.)

If you're taking a picture and you need a flash, the camera will alert you to this fact which is great. Not so great is the fact that it won't alert you until you actually go to take the picture. Considering that you need to manually raise the flash when it's needed, this has the potential for making you lose some candid shots. Tip: Keep the flash raised at all times, and set the flash for "automatic" so it fires when needed.

The image stabilization feature is downright awesome. I actually had to make a conscious effort to get the camera to take a blurry picture with stabilization enabled. One-handed overhead shots are as clear as a tripod shot.

As I said, I bought the camera for the zoom and it doesn't disappoint. The zoom ring is variable in speed (the further you move it, the faster the zoom moves). The image stabilization feature really comes into play at full zoom. I was able to take a not-blurry photo of a news helicopter hovering overhead, with the camera at full optical zoom and without a tripod.

The camera takes four AA batteries; Canon provides you with a set in the box. That will be good for about 100 shots, depending on how much you use the flash. Rechargeable batteries are a must; a decent set of rechargeables (2000mAh or greater) will give you about 500 shots. Well worth the extra money. However, I do like that it will take standard AA's in a pinch; my old S10 took a proprietary rechargeable battery and I occasionally found myself with a set of used-up rechargeables when a photo opportunity arose.

I have but two complaints about the PowerShot S3 IS. Complaint #1 is the body of the camera is constructed of plastic. My old S10 was metal bodied and survived several trips to the concrete floor with only superficial damage. I daresay a similar incident with the S3 will result in a shattered body. Complaint #2 is Canon's incredibly lame inclusion of a puny 16MB SD memory card. At full quality and full resolution, you might get 4-5 pictures onto the card before it fills up. Canon is just adding to the nation's landfills with these things. The first purchase anyone will make is a larger card (I bought two 2GB cards) and Canon's cards are more expensive (sometimes significantly more expensive) than the competition. The inclusion of a 16MB card is either a joke or an insult; at the very least Canon should have included a 128MB card.


->Buy Online

I was getting ready to buy the S2 IS 5MP when Canon came out with the S3 IS 6MP. Why have 5MP when you can have 6MP in the same camera? Takes great pictures. Zoom? Its got all the zoom you need. Soon as you start playing with all the features it gets easy. I have a Canon 4 by 6-inch printer and that makes it even more fun. Instant printed pictures. The picture quality rivals my big Canon 35mm. I also bought the Canon wide angle lens for this camera with its adapter. Wow!


->Lowest Price

I researched cameras for six months before I had the money to buy. I wanted a mega zoom with a good feature set and high quality video, since I knew I couldn't also afford a video camera. It shoots such good pix in auto mode, that I find myself rarely using the other settings, at least so far. You can shoot photos while shooting video or shoot video while in still photo mode. The video is high quality, AVI at 30 frames per second, which I believe is better resolution than standard TV. You can use the 12x optical zoom while shooting video. Most digital still cameras shoot video at just one focal length. The camera has two mikes and records CD quality stereo sound when shooting video, though you can set it for lower sound and picture qualities if you like. The built-in flash does an excellent job, and with the standard setting I have yet to get red eye.

Image stabilization works very well and is essential with a 12x zoom, especially when shooting video or low light stills. Picture quality is just wonderful in both video and still picture modes. After buying the camera and a 2 gig SD card, I took a bus trip through 28 states visiting friends, shooting hundreds of photos and about 10 minutes of video. The results were great.

Photo stitching software comes with the camera and it is excellent. I had been concered about the very limited wide angle capablity, equivilent only to a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera. But by taking overlapping photos I got wonderful panoramas and group photos without the usual wide angle distortion and with more detail. While this works best with a tripod, with a little care you can shoot by hand and get excellent results.

The batteries are AA. Get a charger and NiMh rechargable batteries. The nice thing is, if your batteries die, you can get a set from the store [uses 4] in a pinch. I was able to shoot 10 minutes of video plus about 150 pix on the batteries that came with the camera. I could have done better, but I spent at least a couple of hours with the camera on, fooling with menus and settings and reviewing the photos and videos.

At best resolution and least compression, a 2Gig SD card will hold 715 photos or 15 minutes of best quality video. 4 Gig cards are available, and if you intend to shoot a lot of video, I would strongly recommend one. Also, the faster the card the better. Slow cards won't keep up with best quality video, and time between still shots will be longer. If the card doesn't advertise it's speed it isn't fast enough! Get 133x or 150x speed. This translates to 20mb or 22.5 mb per second. In theory the camera's single shot limit for video is one hour, but it's a non-issue as the 4 gig cards will only hold 30 minutes of best quality video.

Things I don't like: 8 gigs for an hour of video is way to high. MPEG2 DVD's will hold up to 4 hours in the same space. The view screen should be bigger in this class of camera. It's better than the previous model -two inch versus 1.8 inch- but it really needs to be larger...that said it's adequate for my old guy eyes, and if I had to give up the ability to adjust the screen to get a larger size I wouldn't. I would also like to set the zoom to a slower rate of zoom when shooting video. Rate of zoom is adjustable, by how far you move the lever, but the throw is too short to be precise.

Basically, if you can do without the camera fitting in your pocket you will be very hard pressed to do better than the Canon S3IS.


->Buy Online

I'm not sure what the macro problems are the poster a few reviews ago had. There might be someting wrong with that camera and I would seriously consider sending it back. One thing to remember is for VERY close photos, be sure it is in super-macro mode, not just macro mode. It will focus on dust on the lens (0 cm!) and takes stunning photos. I have quite a few extraordinary shots in super-macro and macro mode, all auto-focused. I wish we had more info on that problem, because I'd say the S3 takes better than average macro shots!

All-in-all, I'd definitely say this is about my favorite non-dSLR camera on the market.


->Comparison

I was between the panasonic, sony and the nikon point and shoot zoom cameras. I bought this one from other views I read and they way it felt in my hands. I love the features on this camera like the beach and snow shooting. I'm not a major photographer, but do take loads of pics and this camera sure can dish it out. The pics are wonderful. I am so happy wiht it. I did buy a fast speed sd 2 gig card and it makes a difference. I liked it much better than the panasonic, that one felt cheap and did not have the bells and whistles. The sony was nice, but did not fit my hands and I did not like how it was laid out. THe nikon wsa nice except no view finder, just the view screen. I have had this camera for 3 weeks and love it. So far the only downer is that it has so many new things on it over my kodak camera. Its far better than the kodaks.


->Prices

My family has loved having a digital camera so far. I love being able to just keep on clicking and then being able to deleted the ones that I do not want. Our family recently went to Disneyland for vacation and the camera was perfect. We still have a lot to learn about all the features that this camera has. It is easy to use and the pictures turn out very well when I have them printed out.


->Discount

All I can say is about this camera is it is really great and I HIGHLY suggest this camera to anyone with an interest in good photography. The manual settings are a must for anyone into birding/botany/nature. Everything is awesome about this product, although consider buying a tripod, bag, 1GB+ SD memory card, and maybe some optics, although the optics aren't really needed to get really, really great images with this camera. If you want a video camera and a camera, consider buying this all-in-one camera/video, because the movie mode is perfect and works great for anything. I've even used it in documenting a severe storm in our area; recording hail, wind, and flood damage. Can't beat it in any area!


->For Sale

In all fairness to Amazon, I need to write this review. I just returned my Powershot S3 IS because it did not do what I needed it to do. The ability to take macro photos is critical to me and this camera, despite claims to the contrary, does not have any real macro capability. The reviews on this page did not mention the macro mode in any substantive way--and now I know why.

In macro mode, the zoom function is very limited. Only about a fifth or less of the 12X zoom can be used. After that, the camera will not focus. The field of view is about the size of a sunflower, if you are shooting flowers. I couldn't figure out how to shoot objects the size of bugs or coins without cropping. In supermacro mode, the zoom is unavailable altogether.

This may be a very fine camera for other purposes, but if you want to use the macro mode, don't buy it.


->Deals

As an editor and designer (but not a professional photographer), I wanted a camera that wouldn't look ridiculous on a shoot, wouldn't require me to fiddle around too much with nuanced settings, and wouldn't require me to invest too much in lenses to coax some good shots out of it. I also had gotten used to some conveniences from point-and-shoot digital cameras that I thought I'd lose out on by going SLR.

There were other cameras I had considered, especially from my old favorite brands, Olympus and Fuji. But the closest contenders were the S3's predecessor, the S2, and the Panasonic Lumix FZ7.

The Panasonic was making a hard sell: same optical zoom, similar if not better performance in speed tests, similar reviews regarding color and overall quality of their photos. And, really, the Panasonic was tremendously less expensive and featured a Leica lens, which made the brand-whore in me a little excited. But the final blow: The Panasonic seemed to have a goofy rechargable battery system, which is great if you have replacement batteries of the same type, but not so great if you're travelling. The S3, on the other hand, uses regular AAs. That meands I can use rechargeables as I like, or get some Duracells. On the road, that's important: I can't worry about whether I packed a charger, an extra battery or if the voltage is going to be alright in the country I'm in. The other big factor, the trademark Canon swivel-mount LCD display, was critical to my decision. I love having one on my Canon DV camcorder, especially when I'm taking overhead action in a crowd (or just trying to get a better view of the stage at a show!). And it beats the heck out of trying the classic hey-let's-point-the-camera-at-ourselves-and hope-it-works-self-portraiture technique. Just turn the LCD around toward the lens and, as long as you avoid looking to the side at yourself while taking the actual photo, it works like a charm. And just as your lens should have a cap, the LCD screen tucks away to protect it from fingerprints and grit that can mar it just as easily as the lens.

So, moving away from the Panasonic, I had seriously looked at an S2, since most reviews had talked about the S3 not being much of an upgrade from that model. After some consideration, I decided that the LCD of the S2 was a little too small (though the S3, with a slightly larger screen, is no prize-winner in that arena either) and the additional resolution of the S3 would help with zooming and cropping on otherwise too-wide shots. But the real reason I chose the S3 is much more shallow: the black S3 passes off much more like a professional camera than the silver-toned S2, which screams pocket camera. I really think that makes a difference at an event-- you'll get more cooperation from folks if you look a bit more on-the-job, than just a groupie taking snapshots.

So far, I have not been disappointed. The thing that makes me most happy about my decision, especially in the way of not having gone the SLR-route, is that going fully-automatic with the camera doesn't fail to come out with great images. I'm no pro, but I've got some sense of what I'm doing photographically. I've played with a lot of the settings and going manual when I have had the chance, but at least 80% of the time, letting the camera's auto mode do the work comes up with the best shots. And when I'm taking quick shots at a crowded event with no chance to mess with settings, that always makes me happy. And I've only replaced the batteries once, and the second set is still going strong after a few weeks--I suspect the batteries in the box didn't have much to them.

My only two real complaints at the moment: the small, but awkward dimensions and the color compared to my old pocket camera. The size of the camera is actually a plus; it's smaller than an SLR--with or without the lens attached--and can easily be "palmed" with one hand without feeling like it's going to slip. On the other hand, I've never had a harder time trying to find a nice camera bag that wasn't too snug (the lens barrel with cap can make most "digital camera cases" fit much too tightly to be of any convenience or protection) or too roomy (even the smallest SLR bags are too big and DV camera bags a little too compartmentalized or too "secure" with multiple zippers and flaps). Because of that, I just place it in my satchel with the rest of my stuff and hope for the best.

As for the color: I feel like everything I've shot so far has been okay, but comparing the color produced by the S3 versus my old cheap Fujis (the last being an A303 or my brother's current F470) reveals a big gap. Under good, naturally-lit conditions, the colors from the Fuji cameras always come out bright and deliciously saturated. The Canon's seem true enough, but muted and almost dull relative to my old photos. It's nothing that makes me disappointed, and perhaps I can play a little more with what I'm doing in sunlight, but I would love it if I could get flowers to look as beautiful or kids at play look as full of life without even trying.

All in all, it's everything I wanted it to be in a semi-pro camera, and the LCD and battery features have already shown their worth. Until I make the plunge into a nice digital SLR, I'm really glad that I made this my latest camera.


->Purchase

I am most happy with the Cannon PowerShot Series S3. It will do everything I need to do.I have gotten some great shots.


->Compare

I purchased this camera to use during our choir's tour through Austria and the Czech Republic. The pictures came out great; the image stabilization was very handy in many cases. One pleasant surprise; I used the sound recording capability extensively throughout our tour; I recorded all the choir performances using the camera, and the sound quality was quite acceptable.


->Purchase

This is my first serious camera sonce buying an old DImage from KM years ago.

Forst of all, it takes great quality photos once you learn how to play in manual and creative modes.

It dosent offer the latest in specs, but Canon has done a good job at making the camera friendly to use that is makes getting to its limits that much easier.

The only downside is the somewhat rickety body that makes it feel more fragile than other cheaper P&S units. The handgrip flexes and the memory card door dosent exactly fit flush.

Its also a little more expensive since you have to spring for a charger and a lens hood. (Sony includes both in their H5.)

Hopefully Canon can include a bigger LCD and a more solid body in the S4.

I'd recommend buying a cheap memory card reader so that you wont have to connect the camera via USB port and save that USB door from use.


->Buy

I have had the S3 for about a month ...and so far so good. It took some time to understand all the icons and different settings (still learning - but thats half the fun). I have been doing some experimenting with the many options on the camera to see what it can do. For those who are looking for a camera with growth potential....this is for you. It can take point & shoot shots on auto mode, or you can explore further with p mode, tv mode, and others that offer more custom settings.

I ordered and received an adapter and some filters from another site and I am looking forward to using them. A uv filter will also help protect the glass lense on the camera.

So far the S3 seems to have a large amount of creative options that I am looking forward to exploring more....all in a neat little camera.



->Lowest Price

Excellent Camera. Easy to use for basic photos and capable of great shots under difficult conditions.


->Lowest Price

I just recieved this camera, and I am in love. About a year ago I bought the A95, and loved all the shooting options. But as I have gotten better(a little) at photography, I realized a supper zoom(Among other things) would be "heaven sent".
This camera has it! The zoom is great! We are not talking a telescope here, but to catch birds, far off views, etc is wonderful.
And talk about shooting options! There are more possibilities for custom colors and lighitng conditions than I ever could have dreamed of!
...ok, after gushing, here are some real pluses;

Live Histograme.
Grid for Straight Horizons.
Intensity control over the flash.
Control over when the flash fires, before OR after the shutter opens.
Ablity to skip 1, 9, 10 or 100 images at a time. OR by shooting date, OR by folder. (Helpful when you have a almost full 1,2 or 3 Gig card)
Auto Exposure Bracketing.
White Blance control.
Color choice. (Vivd, vivd red, green or blue, B&W, Sepia, Custom, Positive film, etc.)
World time set. (You're traveling, and can have time set for where you are, and where you came from.)
High Zoom.
Macro and Super Macro. (Shooting ablity from 0cm!)
Preset(Portrait, Landscape, Sport, etc.) shooting modes, up to full control shooting.
The most advanced movie mode out there at the moment.
At about 6.0 mega pixles, there is enough info to print a 11 by 16 print!
...and in defense for a previous review;
Date stamp. (You have to set the option on the menu, then when printing, the date will be added.)
Hand pop up flash.(So no more accidental flash during a concert, or ruining a close up with a forgotten setting!)

And finely;
I never use the view finder, it is not optical, so you see the same thing on the much bigger flip screen. And it has seemed plenty bright. A step up over the A95.
The menu is almost the same as the A95 has, just with more options.

All in all this is an amazing tool, especially for those of us who are hesitant about investing in a DSLR or an SLR. I'm still learning where the "sweet spot", for shooting with this camera is, but I know it is a "sweet time" learning where it is : )



->Wholesale

I like the S3. I am still learning to use the camera. I do agree with others that it is challenging jumping through the manuals. It would have been helpful to me for there to be a complete manual that gives all the details in how to use the camera in a logical sequence. And a quick start pamphlet just to get you going. I had to jump back and forth between the two manuals and that made it difficult for me to learn how to use this camera as I am new to the digital camera with so many features.

The view finder can be improved. I have difficulty seeing the messages/symbols. Also, I had to kind of guess that I was right on target for my shots.

The photos I have taken came out perfect despite me not being able to know exactly what I was looking at. The batteries have a nice long life for what I am doing.

I haven't tried the video yet.

I do like the camera. It works fine for what I am using it for.


->Price

Great camera . . . I took many long distant (12X zoom) pics of my daughter during her graduation and they all came out great. I highly recommend this camera.


->Best Price

I bought this camera right before a trip to Paris and Burgundy. Normally, I'd take my 5D DSLR, but a hand injury dictated a much lighter camera. When I bought it, I thought I'd really compromised on image quality.

Having looked over the 300 shots worth keeping from the 900 I took, I have to say that the compromise in quality was very small indeed. I took a large number of low light shots on manual setting in the glorious Saint-Chapelle. Virtually every one came out a winner. I got the best shot I have ever taken of the circular stained glass on the west side of Notre-Dame. I got great causal shots of families relaxing in the Place de Vosges. And the IS on full telephoto shots in Puligny-Montrachet showed no shake at all.

I do wish that the camera supported RAW. And manual seems to take the resolution down by one notch, although I am still researching the user guide.

That said, for $500 you get almost DSLR camera quality which is easy to carry, easy to hold, and a joy to take shots with. This is a perfect starter camera for any one, and a great backup for DSLR users who can't carry a lot of kit.

Bravo, Canon!


->Price

The Powershot S3 is a good choice for those needing an extended zoom range, but wishes to avoid the cost and bulk of Digital SLR designs.

The S3 has a very fine, 12x optical zoom, that is quiet, smooth and quick. The stabalizer comes in very handy for still shots, and is a must for video.

The 6 megapixel images are clean and above average. Try to avoid higher ISOs on any of the compact cameras, but if you must, Canon's new 6MP sensor/processor combination is good.

Camera operation works well in the various automatic modes, and is also easy to control manually (except for manual focus). The eyelevel LCD is good, but everyone seems to have a different opinion on what looks good here. The rotating back LCD makes easy work of high level, low level or table-top copy work.

Video is unsurpassed in this type of camera. Stereo sound really gives this one a dimension that others lack. You can also easily switch on the fly. In the still modes, you can just push the button on the back to instantly start a video. During this video, you can instantly override the video, and take a still, then is picks back up on the video (it does, however, interrupt the video).

I won't revisit all the advantages of SLRs here. Although a good camera, this doesn't replace the speed of autofocus, continual shooting and quality of those cameras.

There's really not a lot of cameras in this category, but there are some definate winners, and the Powershot S3 adds to that list!


->Discount

I started to wonder this afternoon how many of the reviewers for this camera are on somebody's payroll....
I ordered it based on the reviews here as well as the review on stevesdigicam.com and received it the other day. Fully confident it would be a great camera after all the mostly glowing reviews I also ordered the lens shade, rechargable batteries, memory card etc etc.
Well I was pretty disappointed by it.
I bought it to replace my aging Sony F707, although afterwards I started to wonder exactly why I was replacing it in the first place... The photos I took with the S3 were lacking in comparison. Not only that, but I kept getting the "camera shake" icon in soft early morning light and the photos were actaully out of focus. I took the same shots with my Sony and it gave me fine results. And the S3 has Image Stabilization?
If that weren't all, a big reason I actually ended up getting this camera was for its video capabilities. However I ordered it before Kevin Fosler updated his review. I had no idea I could only shoot 8 minutes of high-quality video. Even with larger memory cards it would make no sense.
On the positive side, the camera is well laid out and I like the menu functions. It looks pretty nice too. So 1 star for those thing.
Well, the search begins again. The lesson I learned: next time I'm not just going to read reviews, I'm going to find a place where I can actually try out the camera I'm serious about buying. And I guess if I can't find one I'll just have to take my chances and at least I can send it back to Amazon.


->Buy

This camera lacks....

..Time/Date Stamp
..Must raise flash to use
..Has image stabilizer but alot of my pics still blur




->Lowest Price

I write martial arts books, most of which require numerous illustrations and photographs to help readers understand and perform the various techniques. After years of spending thousands of dollars per book with professional photographers, I finally decided to purchase a high-end camera so that I could do the shots myself. I needed something simple enough that I could hand it over to an assistant who would take the pictures, yet good enough to produce professional quality results. Ease of use, powerful optical zoom, and superior picture quality were my main requirements.

After weighing the options I decided to go with this model. For about what I would have spent on a mid-range digital SLR by itself I was able to invest in not only this camera, but also two 1 GB memory cards, a dozen rechargeable batteries, a padded hard case, a tripod, a complete lighting package, and a backdrop with stand. The whole set-up ran roughly $1,600. Since the highest resolution photos use up about 3.5 MB apiece, it is good to invest in a couple of large capacity, high speed memory cards. The batteries last for several hundred shots if you use the viewfinder so a couple of sets with a high-speed recharger ought to do for most applications. The cannon soft case isn't all that great so I decided to spend a few bucks more on a good hard case to protect the camera and accessories.

I am very happy with this investment. The camera performs admirably. Indoor pictures are clean and clear, even without the fancy lighting. I took a few test shots using the built-in "indoor" setting which compensates for fluorescent lights. They turned out remarkably well. With the extra lighting the indoor photos go from remarkably good to absolutely great. Outdoor shots on "auto" and "sports" modes work very well too, with or without a tripod stand. It's not quite as fast as an SLR, of course, but takes multiple shots with adequate timing for my needs. The manual adjustments work well if you're well versed in photography and know what you're doing. I've found that the pre-set modes meet such a wide variety of applications that I don't need to tweak things manually all that often. The only major feature that I have not tried yet is the movie mode. Since I have a good digital camcorder too, however, I'll probably never need it.

The only serious drawback I have found so far is the viewfinder, which is a bit hard to see through in direct sunlight. Worse yet, the flip screen is nearly impossible to read in bright light too, even with the contrast turned-up. Similarly in very dark settings it's quite challenging to aim properly. The photos turn out quite well but I have found that I have to take several shots to frame things properly. Not a huge deal for what I'm doing since I bought all the fancy lighting, but something to consider if you plan to take a lot of shots in bright sunlight or darkness. As others have pointed out, there are no filters available for this model though there is an adaptor to add other lenses which could be filtered.

I purchased the 3.2MP S1 IS years ago so adjusting to this new model's features was a breeze. They are not identical, of course, but the layout is quite similar. It's fairly intuitively obvious too. I have actually read the manual and have concluded that this camera has way more functionality than I could ever imagine needing. It's nice to know that it should last for years to come without need for another upgrade though. It is so simple to use that just about anyone can take good pictures using the built-in settings straight away. It is also very easy and quick to download files to the PC for storage or further processing. If you've got Windows XP it's truly plug and play (no praying or special software necessary).

All in all, this camera is exactly what I needed. Great quality, reliable pictures at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!


->Deal

Received the camera very quickly and very pleased with how it operates. Still learning about all the camera functions. Love it and still learning.




->Lowest Price

Since no camera is perfect for everyone, I truly hesitated (for over a month) to write this review. But, since I wrote a glowing review of another Canon camera model (the A620), fairness almost demanded a less positive review where equally warranted.

Like a previous reviewer, I also returned the Canon S3 IS recently purchased. And, just like that other reviewer, a significant reason was the small LCD display. I found it nearly impossible to use without reading glasses - not an obvious issue until actually using it in the "real world." Of course, the Canon A620 has the same small display, but one is more willing to overlook an annoyance such as this in a product costing considerably less. But, with a camera costing as much as the Canon S3 IS, there is little excuse today for such a small display (indeed, several other cameras in this price range offer a larger display).

Regardless, if this were the only issue with the Canon S3 IS, it might have been possible to live with this annoyance as well. But, added to that, the overall quality of this camera bothered me. Some aspects of the camera, such as the plastic tripod mount, suggests cheap construction. I seriously doubt a plastic mount can survive the repeated punishment of the often sharp metal screws found on the typical camera tripod. Plastic into plastic, perhaps. Metal into metal, of course. But not metal into plastic. Canon should know this, but went ahead with the plastic anyway. Since I use a tripod often (anyone seeking good images should), this annoyance was a little more difficult to ignore. But, moreover, this got me thinking about the rest of the camera. If Canon was so willing to cut corners with a plastic tripod mount, one has to wonder how far they went to cut corners in places consumers cannot easily see - the electronics and mechanics inside the camera.

There were other minor disappointments (weak flash, noisy EVF, and so on), but I could reasonably live with those. None, including the above, were enough to cause me to utterly rule out the Canon S3 IS. The early reviews of the newer Sony DSC-H5 were the final straw. A look at the features, and a trip to the store to actually handle the camera, was enough to finally cause me to switch.

The Sony offers an additional 1.2 million pixels of image resolution (even if one doesn't make larger prints, the extra resolution gives more room for cropping images), a larger LCD display, a better EVF, a metal tripod mount, a stronger flash, and more. It also performs better at ISO-400, offering another full stop of usable exposure over the Canon S3 IS (important to me during the long dark winters of northern Europe, but a benefit to anyone shooting in low-light conditions). The Sony doesn't perform exceptionally well at the larger ISO settings (ISO-800 and 1000), but neither does the Canon (no ISO-1000 setting, but similar performance at ISO-800). Otherwise, both the Sony and Canon are pretty evenly matched - little else gained or lost by chosing one over the other. I did lose the articulating display offered on the Canon S3 IS, but, more importantly, gained significantly in the other areas mentioned in this paragraph.

Like the other reviewer, perhaps a future Canon S(?) IS camera addressing these issues might tempt me to return to the Canon fold. But, in the meantime, Canon has lost this customer to Sony.


->Cheap

Muy buena resoluciòn, las pilas hace la camara un poco pesada pero la recompensa con una larga duraciòn de baterìa, solo recomiendo mejorar la pantalla lcd que es de baja calidad


->Price

In all honesty I think there is really NO difference in picture quality between this one and the S2. I returned mines back to Circuit City and ate the damn 15% restocking fee. If you're really interested in this camera, then save your money and get the S2 because you really will not see much difference except the impact on your wallet. I am assuming allot of these glorious reviews are from folks who never owned the S2 to see and compare for them selves. I am not saying that the S3 is a bad camera; I am just saying that for the money difference, the image quality is tooooo damn similar. For this kind of money I highly recommend going with something like the Sony H5. You get more mega pixels, bigger screen, and awesome results. If you don't want to take it from me just visit dpreview.com a highly respected website when it comes to camera reviews. Anyway I sincerely hope this review helps some people before making the same mistake I did.


->Comparison

This is a rewrite of a previous review, hoping to be more concise.

Pros:

- Feels good, looks good, great ergonomics. Usually I de-emphasize this, but this is an exception.

- The pictures turn out great.

- The movie mode is awesome, good stereo sound (but see below under cons)

- It is quick and responsive, for zoom and focus.

- The rotating display is nice not only to take pictures of myself, but also to take closer pictures of other people in a candid way -- i.e. you won't be in their face with the camera obviously pointed towards the person.

- Some scene modes on the selector dial which is convenient.

- Flash doesn't automatically pop up. Most people see this as a disadvantage. I see it as a great advantage. If I don't want flash, I leave it down. It suggests using flash on the LCD. If I want to use the flash, I then flip it up.

Cons:

- Small 2" LCD, plus inferior viewfinder. This is almost a show-stopper for me. This camera is basically an upgrade to the S2. Due to competition, the next version of this camera is likely to have a larger LCD. It depends on whether you need an ultra zoom camera now, vs. waiting for next spring.

- There is no date stamp on the photos. This can be added using Canon's software according to their technical support.

- Plastic camera tripod mount.

- The movie mode produces really high quality videos. The problem is that they aren't compressed, or as compressed as other cameras. A movie can be only 1G, and only 8 minutes of video can fit on a 1G SD card.

- Lack of scene modes.

A comparison with the new Kodak p712.

The new Kodak, also an upgrade (of the 850) now focused quickly and has best in class low shutter lag. I had the 850 and have the 712, and there is a big difference.

The Kodak has better image stabilization.

The Kodak has *many* scene modes. This helps the non-professional get the settings right.

The quality of the images is about equal (other than the canon not being as good with image stabilization at maximum zoom).

There are more options for flash types

There are more buttons on the camera for faster settings.

The LCD and quality viewfinder make the Kodak a more fun camera.

The disadvantages of the Kodak over the S3, is that the Kodak doesn't have a rotating display, so photos of people could be more intrusive. The Kodak doesn't have the great feel or looks of the S3.

I think that I will be rewarded if I wait for the next iteration of Canon's ultra zoom. With Kodak's larger display, Sony's 3" display, Canon will have to make theirs bigger. A Canon with a larger display plus other improvements they may add would be my dream camera.

I am not going to keep the Kodak p712 either. I love that camera, but I want a rotating display. Having tried the rotating display, I am hooked on it.


->Purchase

I just upgraded my digital camera from an older Canon Powershot G2 to this new S3. I recently attended a reception and all I can say is Wow! I loved my older camera but dark scenes posed a particulary nasty problem. With this camera I was able to capture people across the room with only the flash on the camera. So far, this camera rocks. I'll be taking it on a long trip in August to test out all the options. Only thing I miss is the remote control.
A nice thing about the camera is the viewfinder. It fits very comfortably on the eye and I'll never take a lens cap picture again, since like the digital slrs, what you see in the viewfinder is what the ccd actually sees.


->Compare

Ok, first of all I have no photography training, I've only taken pictures as a hobby, and for the last several years I've used my Fujifilm 3800, which was my starter digital. It got frustrating for me because I would see pictures other people would take and I couldn't understand why I couldn't take the same type of pictures. I looked and every photographer who's pictures I enjoyed (on Flickr, Blogspot, etc) were using Canon's. I've always thought that Canon's (for single image photography) were out of my league as a hobby photographer, but I wanted to take pictures of plants, trees, various things around me which I believe is interesting. So I did my research comparison shopped and picked this Camera.

It is amazing.

This camera has so many bells and whistles, but each one is there for a specific reason. One of the features I use a lot is the SCN function. It tells the camera the type of environment you'll be shooting in, beach, snow, indoors, foliage, etc etc etc.

The video this camera does is almost as good as the video on my actual Canon video recorder, the picture is a nice size with minimal compression so if you edit it with Windows Movie Maker you don't have the annoying (and very amature-ish) compression boxes.

Another nice feature is the color change, I love taking photos outdoors in black and white, with my old camera I had to use a software program to change the image to B&W, with this camera you can do it right then and there, and still have the original color image as well.

The Image Stabilizer works very well, and I shake like a leaf in a strong wind storm. I found that when using the zoom it's best to use 2 hands (which I never did before, like I said amature no photography training) and the shots come out great without having to use the flash.

I'm sure as I take more pictures, and do more research and study to improve my photography I'll be changing the ISO & shutter speed to meet my needs, otherwise this is exceeding my expectations and making me look like I am a better photographer than I really am.


->Discount

If you are interested in all the specs and opinions about the features of this camera, then refer to digital camera review sites for this camera (such as dpreview.com and steves-digicams.com). If you want someone to have done all the work for you comparing the cameras, then consider this: I did extensive research on this item during the month of June, 2006 and I compared this item to other similiar cameras in its class, and this camera is - by far - the best in it's class. I did not weigh price into this decision, because I feel like the cheap price of an inferior camera should not give it points over a superior but more expensive camera. All in all, this is the best camera in it's class of high power zoom digital cameras. You won't be disappointed.


->Best Price

SO MANY FEATURES. SO LITTLE TIME.

Is it possible for a camera to make an amateur photographer better? Apparently this is Canon's goal with the S3. It provides easy access to controls that compensate for common difficult shooting scenarios. Most point-and-shoot (P+S) cameras have few buttons - relying instead on hidden menu driven options. While this may make the camera appear less intimidating initially, locating the correct setting while attempting to frame and photograph action or bad lighting subjects is frustrating. As a result, many features go unused.

By way of comparison, the S3 has at least ten more buttons than my discontinued P+S MINOLTA Dimage G500 (5MP 3x optical zoom). And many of the buttons on the CANON are multifunction depending on whether you are shooting in one of several modes, playing back stills, or movies - providing dozens of useful options.

The CANON S3 has a button for instant access to movie recording (with on-screen options for 320x240 15/30/60 fps or 640x480 15/30 fps) up to 1GB or one hour per clip. Stereo sound and zoom functions accompany movies. There are dedicated buttons for ISO, sound recording, flash, continuous shooting, macro, manual focus, display, and a customized shortcut. The mode dial on top of the camera includes settings for many typical situations such as portrait, landscape, sports, nighttime, and panoramic. There is also an AUTO[MATIC] mode. But if all your shots remain in this setting, you might as well use a P+S model.

The key benefit of the many buttons and dials on the S3 is quick access to a wide variety of useful features without taking your eye off the subject. The FUNC[TION] button can present a tremendous amount of pertinent information while the focused image is visible. Everything from remaining number of pictures and image quality to white balance and ISO feedback neatly border the subject. The DISP[LAY] button activates grids and histogram, switches between LCD and viewfinder, or reduces the amount of on-screen information. Either screen is equally informative and useful for making adjustments. The MENU button differs in that it brings up infrequently used options that temporarily replace the focused subject.

Elaborating a bit further on the impressive display of the CANON S3, it does a good job of simulating selected options. Punch up greens, blues, reds, all colors, neutralize, lighten or darken skin tones, photograph b+w or sepia and see the results before snapping the picture. It is possible to obtain untainted color even with mixed indoor lighting. In addition to AWB (automatic white balance) there are seven other settings accessed from the FUNC[TION] button. The last is custom metering. Just point at a white object in the room and press the SET button. No more green or orange casts on indoor photos!

Another common lighting problem occurs when a subject stands in front of a bright background or if frontal light from the sun washes out the highlights on faces. After a quick tap of the FUNC[TION] button, the first option in the upper left corner is exposure compensation. Use the omni selector left arrow to darken the foreground or right arrow to lighten it. If indoors or a relatively short distance away, you might also enable the flash. (For those with traditional photography background, there are also options for aperture priority or shutter speed priority on the mode dial.)

Despite efforts to write a short review, there is still much more to talk about. Image stabilization (IS) and the 12X optical zoom are significant features that work well together. In fact, now I understand why smaller digital cameras without IS typically only include 3 or 4x. The slightest hand movement is greatly exaggerated at high magnification. IS compensates for this movement. The S3 provides four options for IS: 1) continuous (constantly stabilizes preview which uses more power); 2) shoot only (stabilizes image when shutter button is pressed); 3) panning (stabilizes vertical movement only for tracking horizontally moving cars, race horses, bikers or runners); 4) off (stabilization is not necessary for tripod).

The 12X optical zoom can optionally be supplemented by 4X digital, making it possible to achieve as much as 48X zoom. A ring around the shutter button rotates clockwise to enlarge and vise versa. This brings up a slider in the viewfinder. If digital is activated, the white slider goes to a point and stops at 12X. Press it again and the slider is appended with blue as the digital zoom is progressively applied. I uploaded a picture of a bird in a a 16 foot palm tree with 21x zoom.

Panorama assist is yet another outstanding feature. As each photo is clicked, a portion slides over in preview, making it easier to align the next. Software is included to stitch the pieces together or you can use Photoshop's Photomerge under the Automate menu.

Image bracketing is also nice for difficult-focus situations; with one press of the button, three slightly different focuses are shot within a couple of seconds - a light, medium, and dark. This is not to be confused with continuous shooting (sometimes called burst mode), which shoots multiple images with consistent exposure as long as the button shutter button is pressed. This is extremely useful when photographing groups of people since it is often difficult to get everyone's eyes open and smiling at the same time. It is also great for photographing small animals with rapid movements like birds.


WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?

There are a few annoyances that could be solved by spending more. After all, Cannon makes cameras from under $200 to several thousand. Despite big features, the S3 is, relatively speaking, on the low end of the scale. So any apparent design omissions must be kept in context.

LENSE CAP FIT: The most minor annoyance is the loosely fitted lens cap that frequently disconnects. Make certain the lanyard string is attached to the neck strap so it won't be lost. The obvious concern is smudging or scratching of the lens. While carrying, frequently check to make certain is on.

ACCESSORIES: Canon cut accessories to the bear minumum. There is no case (strap is included), no power cord, no lens hood, and only Alkaline batteries. Purchasing all the necessary options can break your budget by $150-$250 USD. Fortunatelly, some items are common enough that you may not need to purchase everything. I already had a couple of 256MB SD cards for my prior camera. You'll need to factor in the cost of a fast charger with four 2500+ mHa AA batteries (currently around $35). There is also a need for a high-capacity SD card. The included 16MB card will only store four of the highest quality images. About 90 stills can fit on a 256MB card at the highest quality setting. If you require more images per session or will be recording movies, consider a high-speed 4GB card (currently around $100). The S3 is optimized for high-speed cards.

LCD BRIGHTNESS: More of an annoyance is the limited pivoting 2" LCD screen brightness. Take comfort in the fact that some expensive DSLR cameras have only a viewfinder. Fortunately, when the LCD is not visible, the viewfinder on the S3 can be used. The diopter adjustment is handy since I may be wearing single-vision prescription shades, trifocals, or no glasses at all. The two independent brightness settings for LCD or viewfinder are a noble consideration. The LCD just doesn't get bright enough. In time, it is easy to get used to the viewfinder.

IMAGE FORMATS: A camera with so many features naturally appeals to the prosumer not ready to make the leap to a full-fledged DSLR. Though this would result in better high-ISO nighttime shots and better daylight images, the cost with multiple lenses could easy triple the price of the S3 and you'll lose some consumer-oriented features. Nevertheless, a non-compressed image mode would be useful - especially with the availability of high-speed 4GB SD cards.

Test shots of straight-up blue sky in large "fine" and "super fine" modes both exhibited pixelization when examining up close. In fact, super fine is slightly more pixelated in large areas of SOLID (perhaps due to sharpening?). This may be considered simulated film grain. There is more color averaging with fine mode producing a smaller, visually smoother images. The "large" image setting is 6 megapixels so the anomalies I reference when zooming in 400 percent in Photoshop are not visible on typical prints. When the composition includes many different color changes and fine DETAIL (landscapes, architecture), the super fine mode is much better. Otherwise the detail becomes muddy.

I developed a Photoshop action called Smooth Pixels. Though not always necessary, it provides moderate smoothing on 6MP images to reduce pixelization in large areas of flat color. It can also be used to minimize artifacts occurring as a result of saving a JPEG image with too much compression. If you have Photoshop experience these settings may be familiar to you. Opacities can be increased as much to as much as 60% with minimal loss of detail. (A screenshot of the Action palette has been uploaded.)

1 Make snapshot
2 Duplicate current layer
3 Smart Blur (Radius: 1, Threshold: 12, Quality: High, Mode: Normal)
4 Set current layer (Opacity: 40%)
5 Duplicate Background
6 Gaussian Blur (Radius: 0.5 Pixels)
7 Set current layer (Opacity: 40%)
8 Flatten image

RAW, LZW TIFF (compression usually requiring a PostScript level 3 printer for decompression) or standard TIFF options would be appreciated by those concerned about consistent pixels within continuous color with no artifacts surrounding high contrast colors. It should be noted that each time a JPEG is opened and saved (even with no edits) in an image editor application, there is slight degradation of image quality. This does not occur with TIFF or RAW.

WIDESCREEN LIMITATION: I was fooled by the boast of widescreen pictures. This applies only to STILLS. The WS stills are about 25 percent smaller than the maximum 6MP images. The viewfinder adds black bands to help frame WS pictures. Don't expect a low-cost HD WS movie function from the S3.

FLASH OPTIONS: The manual pop-up flash could be a bane or boone. It is reasonably strong and there is a three-option dedicated button to 1) always enable the flash, 2) automatically flash only when required, or 3) disable flash. If you forget to lift the flash, automatic doesn't lift it for you. Conversely, lifting the flash when the user option is set to never flash results in no extra lighting. One could look at this as a benefit since less flashing preserves the batteries. It would make more sense to me for the flash to pop-up if needed in automatic mode. Get used to the icon in the viewfinder that indicates the status of the flash (which is grayed when the flash is not up).

The S3 has also been criticized because it does not have a hot-shoe connection for a replacement flash. (A handheld flash farther away from the lens is the true solution to red eye.) Canon's less than optimal answer is to provide an optional slave flash that can be used as a supplemental bounce flash positioned closer to the subject or mounted onto the camera using a bracket that connects to the tripod thread. (I have a much less expensive non-digital Canon T-50 SLR with multiple lenses with a hot shoe so adding one to the S3 is possible.)

TRIPOD THREAD: A plastic tripod thread is never appreciated. Be careful not to damage the threads or consider using a tripod quick-shoe attachment.

ABERRATION: Though improvements are being made, digital cameras (particularly less expensive ones) suffer from aberration, sometimes called purple fringing, surrounding high-contrast areas where a pixels along edges are discolored. The S3 is not exempt - more notably a few pixels of red (NW) and green (SE) misregistration. This is most apparent on photos with very light objects next to color away from the center of focus - particularly on overcast days when the sky is white instead of blue. A 6MP image is scaled down so much for standard prints that the aberration is not usually noticeable. For large prints this may require additional image editing.

UPGRADE FROM S2: Owners of the Canon S2 will not find the S3 a significant upgrade. This camera appears to build on prior success with a few additional features to keep it competitive with other brands. In doing so, Canon has left room for even more improvements in an S4. Differences between the S2 and S3 are summed up below.

* New sensor (6MP versus 5MP)
* Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 800)
* Bigger LCD screen (2.0-inch versus 1.8-inch)
* New Sports mode
* Record live Histogram
* Widescreen shooting mode (stills)
* Fractionally larger and heavier
* Dark gunmetal (gray) as opposed to silver body

The difference between 5MP and 6MP is not perceived in standard size prints (both have far more megapixels than necessary). The extra pixels in the 6MP are useful for retaining more detail when cropping small areas of a photo with image editor software. High ISO (400+) is used for dark scenes when no tripod is available. ISO 800 is largely symbolic in the S3 since results are too noisy (aberrated pixels) to be useful. The 2-inch screen has the same amount of pixels as the 1.8 but it's scaled up a bit. The histogram is an animated graphic that indicates whether the framed subject is under- or over-exposed; this should also be apparent in the viewfinder preview image. Of course widescreen images can be cropped in post-production if it's only an occasional desire.


CONCLUSIONS
It will take some time to become familar with all the CANON S3 features. If results are too noisy or blurry, it is likely because the correct setting was forgotten. The CANON S3 is not perfect but, in its price range, includes a very good combination of available technologies with slight image quality sacrifices. Professional photographers may be inclined toward an entry level DSLR (perhaps CANON DIGITAL REBEL XT, CANON EOS 30D, or SONY ALPHA). The S3 is a nice alternative to a dedicated digital camcorder; it can even zoom and shoot high-resolution stills without exiting movie mode. For the best quality stills, movie recording is sacrificed in higher-end cameras.

If this review seems like too much to read then the S3 is not for you. There is much more to read -- beginning and advanced manuals for the camera itself in addition to manuals for the software. Prosumers that invest time reading can be rewarded with greatly improved image quality from the S3. Of, course composition is still up to the photographer. (www.photoinf.com) The prior S2 model may be a better bargain for the cost conscious unless some of the new S3 features listed above are absolutely essential. The typical no-frills consumer might be put off by the plethora of options and prefer a compact P+S with less buttons (CANON POWERSHOT S80, SD500, A540, or A520).

(See uploaded pictures of bird in palm tree and building exhibiting aberration. Because the Amazon image processor scales down images as much as possible, there are more image artifacts on samples than on original photos.)


->Lowest Price

This is my first digital camera. I was doing research for about 6 month already until I settled for S3 IS. I was comparing many of them and Canon was able to offer more than its competitors were. I have been using camera a couple of days now and I am very pleased with the results. I am in the process of experimenting and I think every new user should do that. I was reading many reviews with comments on poor picture quality in low light settings and similar, but I think it is just matter of practice and knowledge. As per my experience, if you put camera in low light settings and put the flash on, pictures are very good.
Camera like Canon S3 IS requires you to go through the manual and make yourself familiar with many of its options.
Adjustable LCD viewfinder is very helpful especially if you are taking pictures above your height/sight of to low.

Personally, I would like for the flash to open itself automatically, rather than manual. Another thing that I would like is for the pictures to be dated. Since I have baby girl I would like my pictures to have the date on them, this way you only have date in the picture info.
I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants better than average, quality, and stylish product.


Pro: Many features offered to fit any ocassion
Con: My inexperience with digital cameras


->Price

Unless you are a professional photographer this is an awesome camera. I have one other Canon A85 digital still camera, a Sony f717 and a Sony f828, a Nikon d50 and I know I will be using the s3 IS more then any of them. It's small, sharp pictures, as well as movie clips make this a real winner. I owned the s1 IS for a year and thought it was a great camera, my only complains were poor low light focusing, shutter lag, and no hot shoe. Well the s3 IS fixed two out of the three. Focus is much better and lag is almost none, very fast! They also added a lot of bells and whistles to this thing like color swap and color accent. (You can look on canonusa.com to see what these are.) I know how hard it is to make up your mind when buying one of these and I spent days reading reviews, but I have to say... if you want a camera to carry with you and get great shots... this will do the trick in spades.


->Compare

Excellent camera, I got mine a week ago and I am very impressed. Overall it has a nice solid feel. Resolution is just fabulous. I originally wanted a compact camera that I could fit in my pocket to take places where an SLR is just too big and cumbersome. At first I was looking at the Leica D-Lux 2. But I found it too small for my large hands and fingers. Also the Leica is so smooth that it is sort of slippery to hold. The Canon does not have as high a resolution but is certainly acceptable, it is bigger which means it only fits in big pockets, but it has a nice grip. It is quite comfortable. The flash is not super powerful, but it is adequate and comparable to other cameras with built-in flashes. It is good for about 15 feet. Oddly enough you have to flip the flash up yourself but I don't consider it an issue. Outdoor photos are spectacular. I bought a 1 gb card for it and am quite happy. Battery life seems good too.

My only complaint is not even really a complaint. There are so many features packed into the camera that it takes a significant amount of time to traverse the menus. I am sure that when I become more familair with it, it will not be a problem.


->Comparison

I'm in love with my new S3 IS! I've been a die-hard Canon SLR fan for a long time, but my first digital was the Kodak Z7590. I was looking for high mega-pixels and the Kodak had the best optical zoom available at the time (10X). I was deeply disappointed in the quality of the images produced by the Kodak and am thrilled to have replaced that camera with the Power Shot S3. It is fantastic! Would highly recommend it!

The flip out LCD image finder is the best improvment over the S2 and I love the fact that I can add lenses to the camera at some point as well.




->Deal

I purchased this camera on the basis of reviews at Amazon and elsewhere. I have been an avid photographer since 1959, starting with the Leica. The enthusiasm of other reviewers for the S3 IS is certainly well deserved. The speed and accuracy of the self-focusing as you change focal lengths is astonishing. At a single focal length moving the camera past a window from inside the house results in a breathtaking and precise change of both exposure and focus.

The movie facilities are well displayed also by turning slowly inside a house and watching the exposure and focus change to produce surperb results even through the windows. This is one fine movie camera. The 1 gigabyte limit on a movie should not be a problem since it permits roughly an eight minute movie. Downloading a two minute movie to my Dell desktop required about 10 minutes. After which I had a two minute perfectly focused and exposed movie with stereo sound!

As you will quickly find, extreme handheld close-ups will self-focus exactly at the Canon specified distance. Get too close and the camera focuses sharply on the other side of the object you wanted to photograph. Example, small flowers on a bush.

One more example. to check the focusing I picked our sleeping dog. Her fine fur was crisply focused and, to my eyes perfectly exposed.

This is the camera that until now existed only in my dreams.
Thanks, Canon. The S3 IS was well worth waiting for.





->Best Price

I struggled with buying a DSLR, having some photography experience, but the attraction of carrying one camera to get both Video and still photos overrode my desire to be a photo purist. Thus I bought the S3 and am extremely happy with both the quality of the video and the still photos.

A few minor drawbacks - I bought the Canon case for it (and sent it back). Unless you will be carrying the camera as is, without the lens shade/lens adapter, the case is useless, too little extra space for any extras. I bought the lens shade/lens adapter as it is the only way to be able to put a protective filter on and I read some reviews that advised it because it protects the lens barrel. I returned those as well. I found lensmateonline.com that makes 2 size lens adapters (52MM and 58MM) in metal (as opposed to Canon's plastic) both in black for the S3 and silver for the S2. They also have a retractable rubber lens hood available. I found that if you leave the Canon lens hood on inside while using the flash, you get a dark shadow in the picture, the retractable lens hood saves you the hassle of unscrewing your lens hood - which can be dangerous especially with the plastic lens adapter as it can get cross threaded.

The camera itself is phenomenal...




->Price

This is my 4th digital camera. I was going to buy a Canon SLR and found that it was out of my price range. The S3 IS was right there at the top of my range so I went to the local camera store to ask about it and look at it in person. I can tell you that it is a very solid feeling camera. It fits in your hands very well and the buttons are all within reach. The photo quality is really amazing. Image stabilization really helps with those long range shots. The multiple shooting modes are really handy too. The only down side to this camera is the number of options available. You can literally get lost in the manual. No worries though. Put the camera in AUTO mode, point and shoot. For most people this should work just fine. The camera is VERY fast. There is NO lag time from the moment you push the shutter button and the time the photo is taken. No more predicting your shots. I am not super happy with the lenses cap. It fits loosely and tends to fall off but there is a lanyard to keep it attached to the camera. Not the most important feature of a camera. The 2" LCD is pretty impressive as well. The movie mode is nothing short of amazing. If you use it make sure you get a large memory card. I filled a 256 MB card in about 45 seconds of shooting at the highest quality setting. Bottom line...GREAT CAMERA!


->Purchase

This is my 3rd digital camera and my first Canon. I moved up from an Olympus Ultra Zoom 2100. The 2100 has 2.1MP 10x optical zoom with image stablization, and lo-res movie mode. The reason I was attracted to the S3 IS was because it offers 6MP with 12x optical zoom and image stabilization, and VGA quality movie mode in stereo. Since purchasing the S3 IS I have not been disappointed.

I also bought a Transcend 4GB SD memory card which can hold about 32 minutes of video, or over 2300 photos in the highest quality. No problems addressing the 4GB memory, or doing a low-level format of the card in the camera.

Shooting both photos and movies is easy. The S3 IS has a separate button that you press with your thumb to start shooting a movie. While you are shooting, you still take snapshots with the shutter button. There are 2 stereo mics built into the front of the camera, along with a software selectable wind filter. While shooting, you can use the zoom feature with no added noise to the movie; it's very quiet. Image stabilization is still active when shooting a movie.

I think the S3 IS is good enough as both a digital camera and video camera that I no longer need to haul around 2 cameras (digital and video) to every event.


->Buy

You can have peace of mind that you own the best digital camera on the market when you purchase the Canon Powershot S3 IS camera. When you go on vacation, you want the photos that are going to impress and with the 12x optical zoom, the photos will impress! Since this camera is brand new, everyone is going to be asking you about it. They can go ahead because I will tell them this Canon camera is the best! The photos have color and sharpness that seem to want to jump right out at you. I took a movie and I am amazed with the clarity. There is no other camera better than the Canon Powershot S3 IS. I also own a PIXMA photo printer, so, I have the best of both worlds.


->Lowest Price

I thought I wanted a micro-sized camera and bought 2 different brands of compact cameras just to return them because of sub-par picture quality. After that experience, I decided to give the new Powershot S3 IS a chance. Sure it might not be small enough to fit in a pocket, but what a camera! The pictures are great with sharp images from corner to corner, a 12x zoom lens, and an extremely effective Optical Image Stabilizer. The benefits of the the Optical Stabilizer cannot be understated on a camera with such a long zoom range. When you zoom into maximum telephoto every slight movement of your hands results in a huge movement at the lens. With the stabilizer though it eliminates that problem. The pictures have low noise levels from 80-400 ISO, I have not tried the ISO 800 yet, though it should be nice to have in a pinch. The tilt and swivel LCD is awesome, you'll wonder how you got along without it before. Battery life is excellent and I cannot underemphasize the benefit of the camera running on standard AA batteries. If ever you find yourself in the middle of a day of shooting and the batteries die simply pop into a local convenience store and pick up some more. I would suggest you purchase a good set of rechargeable NiMH batteries though. The movie mode is great with the ability to zoom, a dedicated record/stop button, and stereo sound! Plus, finally a Canon digital PowerShot with a live histogram! You will not be disappointed in this camera.


->Best Price

I purchased The S3 with the Image stabilization being the primary reason. I own a Casio QV 3000 EX and a Fuji S 7000. The Casio with only 3.3 Megapixels gives better more natural images than the Fuji. The Canon S3 is the poorest of the bunch. The images on the LCD montor and the Viewfinder are dim and almost impossible to see in any kind of light. Canon told me to take out the batteries and the memory card , let it sit for 20 minutes and reinstall-did nothing to improve the condition. They want me to pay to ship it back for repair and I refuse to do that on a new camera. My rating for this camera is no stars.
Tom


->Purchase

I love all of the settings on this camera, along with the 12x optical zoom and image stabilizer. This camera takes awesome pictures anywhere I have taken them. The only downside is it is a little bigger and doesn't fit in your pocket or small camera case. I bought a small backpack purse and carry it in that and it works great! I was also concerned about buying a camera that uses AA batteries. I use rechargeable batteries and they last forever. The camera doesn't tell you, however, that the batteries are weak until it dies. That can be remedied by carrying a set of regular AA batteries. LCD screen flips out and can rotate 180 degrees. Highly recommend camera! Love the sports mode shooting continuous shots!


->Buy

I really like the camera and the photographs it can take. I have already recommended the camera to a co-worker, who bought it to use at her son's graduation. The zoom is nice and the image stabilization helps keep the shot clear. I cannot give it five stars though because the literature that accompanied the camera is lengthy and not all that easy to read/understand.


->Comparison

So far the pictures from this camera have come out very well. Couldn't ask for more.


->Compare

I bought this camera about a month ago and cannot express how much I LOVE IT!!!!! This is my 2nd digital camera(I also own the Fujifilm S3000 finepix digital camera). I thought I loved my other camera, but this one is way better! My other camera didn't have such good battery life, but so far this one is much better. I don't find myself changing the batteries as much, and I have used it a lot since I got it. I also love the fact that I can record video with sound(other camera only records silent video). I cannot wait to try this baby out next month at a concert I will be attending. :) Someone else who has the model below this camera got some FANTASTIC shots at a concert last year, so I am very anxious to see how it performs.
I still have to get used to all the features of this camera, but so far it has yet to disappoint me.
I HIGHLY recommend this camera to everyone!


->Price

12x zoom, swivel screen, 6mp, limitless high-quality video, numerous filters, adapter lens compatible, fast startup and response times, panorama mode, AA batteries, SD memory. I LOVE THIS CAMERA. It was my upgrade from a 4mp a80, also a great little camera.

The S3IS isn't bulky like a big SLR and is a great all around camera with ridiculously good battery life. On safari, I shot 300+ photos a day along with 10-20 minutes of video and the fully charged batteries lasted usually 2 days. Try that with another camera.

And before I forget, it takes great pictures, like all Canons.

You can't go wrong with the S3. I'm ditching my camcorder, now, too -- who needs it anymore.


->Discount

The camera is excellent, it's smaller than it looks on the pic, and it has everything I need.

12X Optical Zoom, 6MP... just wow...


->Price

I received my camera back in April, and after about 2000 shots, I am very satisfied. The zoom is outstanding for outdoor shots, and picture clarity is great. You need to play around with the camera when you first purchase it to get great pictures. I rarely use the auto mode anymore. It has so many features it is like owning a dslr. A set of rechargable batteries will give me about 5 weeks worth of shooting.


->Purchase

I spent a lot of time searching for the right camera, and the S3 IS seemed to have it all. I read shining upon shining review, but didn't do a Google search for specific S3 IS defects, problems, etc. Big mistake.

I ordered the S3 from Amazon and the problems began as soon as I took it out of the box. There was something loose and moving around inside the camera, I went online and saw that several other S3 owners had the exact same problem.

I put the batteries in to test the camera, and it seemed to be working okay, until I transferred some test images to my PC. I have been taking photos for 20+ years and I do not take crooked shots - some of the pictures were without doubt slanted to the left. I googled and found other S3 owners complaining of the same problem, which seems to be a factory defect - the CCD is misaligned.

Next problem I found was terrible color fringing, also known as chromatic aberration. In areas where there was light/dark contrast, violet and green lines were seen along the entire length.

Other issues I noticed about the S3 and read about from owners:

Focus problems, bad low light abilities, clicking sounds from the lens, mushy buttons, barrel distortion, redeye, plastic tripod mount, 1GB movie limit regardless of memory card size, and a cheap lens cap that can come off too easily. Some users used their S3 to take dozens of pictures, and had memory card errors wipe out all their photos; this was not due to faulty memory cards.

I'm not a professional photographer, and did not buy the S3 expecting professional quality photos - but these are problems one might expect to encounter with a $99 camera, not a $300+ model, and not from a trusted Canon.

The name Canon always meant quality to me. Unfortunately things have changed and companies are cutting back on their build quality and quality control to cut costs. Because of this brands that used to be the best, are now pumping out some of the worst products ever.

Some S3 owners have no complaints, it seems you have to get lucky, if I want to gamble I'll go to Vegas. It's frustrating that I now have to go and find another comparable camera to replace the S3. One owner told of his journey to several stores to test different S3's. In over a dozen tests, only one of them had none of these issues.

Although I love the features, and got a few decent shots with it, I cannot accept all the faults. I have packed the camera up and am shipping it back to Amazon for a refund.

Hope this helps you in getting the right camera, the first time!


->Sale

I was looking for a camera that would take pictures of our kid's school programs and dance recitals where they are up on a stage. I wanted a camera with a large zoom without buying a DSLR. I did a lot of research and ended up buying the Canon Powershot S3 IS. I am not disappointed. This is a great camera. The pictures of the dance recital turned out great. I love the single button movie feature. It takes a lot of memory to take movies but they turn out very clear. I also like that you can take a snapshot during a movie, and it pauses just long enough to take the snapshot and then continues taking the movie. This is a very versitle camera with a lot of different setting to allow you to be creative. It also has an auto setting if you just want to aim and shoot. Our previous Canon camera had shutter lag. This camera does not. It turns on quick and takes the picture quick. Since we owned a Canon digital camera before, the control buttons were easy to get used to. The zoom lens is very quiet. You can zoom while taking a movie and you will not hear it. I bought rechargeable NiMH batteries with it and the battery life is great. I am very pleased with this camera and would highly recommend it.


->Deals

This has been my all time favorite purchase made in the last several years. The S3 IS is just about the closest you can come to dSLR performance and capabilities without the huge pricetag. Out of the box and in auto or scene modes, this camera takes great pictures. In the modes where you can customize aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc, this camera can generate pictures ranging from tack sharp to artistic depth of field. Wide , auto-stitching panorama, and quite remarkable video functions further set this camera apart from others in the same class let alone similarly priced point and shoot options. When brought all together with long battery life, numerous canon branded/3rd party accessories, and a thriving community of users; you can't go wrong with the S3 IS.

If you decide to grab one, I suggest the following must haves:

1, 2, or 4 gigabyte SD card such as this: Transcend High-Speed Secure Digital Card (150x) - 2GB

Set of rechargeable batteries running between 2200mah to 2700mah such as this:Energizer 15-Minute Battery Charger


52mm or 58mm Lens adapter (you should order this from Lensmate as they make a nicely machined aluminum adapter that is superior to the canon/other brands)

Clip-type lens cap that will fit the camera and/or adapter:
Canon 58mm Snap-On Lens Cap

Filters: 1 linear or circular Polarizing filter (minimal reflections/better sky contrast) and 1 UV or Clear filter (protect your lens from scratches, dust, or gunk):Hoya HMC - Filter - circular polarizer - 58 mmHoya 58mm Clear Protection, Multi-Coated Ultra Thin Mount Glass Filter.





->Compare

Well I bought this camera yesterday to replace my olympus sp-500 because i was impressed with some shots my friend took with hers. took it to a dance recital, it killed my rechargeables after about 5 pics. had to run to store and picked up 2 xtra packs of batteries. put first 4 batteries in and didnt even have enough charge to shoot a picture. put second set of batteries in and it shot maybe 3 pics. well needless to say, i would like a camera that if i ran out of rechargeables, i could run out and use regulars in a pinch. not sure if this particular camera was a defected model or not. i exchanged it for an olympus sp-550.


->Comparison

My only complaint is that it only comes with a 16MB Memory stick...
Nah - Are you kiddin' me?? That's not a complaint at all.. I knew that it only had that amt of memory, but you can buy SD memory so cheap nowdays it doesn't matter.
This camera takes GREAT pictures. You can use the Macro mode to fill the entire frame with a Picture of a Penny that is razor sharp - or use the 12x zoom to capture any action shots you like. I've not used the movie mode so I can't comment on that..

This is a great deal folks.


->Buy

If it's not, it's clearly very close. I just bought this camera on a spur of the moment after seeing a friend of mine play with his. And at less than $300, I thought it was a bargain!

I immediately took this S3 on vacation with me and it was truly impressive.

Pros: A bargain at under $300, optical image stabilizer, uses regular AA batteries
Cons: If I think of any, I'll let you know

I've always been a fan of Canon cameras and this camera just blew me away. I had to get it. The 12X optical zoom and the optical image stabilizer was enough to seal the deal: no questions asked. The bonus was the weight, the fact that it takes normal AA NIMH batteries rather than the proprietary battery. Added bonus was the flash stays off unless you flip the flash unit up and the camera is nearly silent when you turn off the sounds. This makes taking pictures in places you're not normally supposed to take pictures super easy! I like the view finder when shooting outdoors and the swivel color LCD display is nice too. Little things like the review mode work well and the camera goes from off to shutter release in less than 2 seconds, making it possible to get all those pictures you would normally miss with the earlier generation point and shoot cameras. I can't tell you how pleased I am with this camera. After taking nearly 8 gigabytes worth of pictures, I can't blame the camera for a single bad shot. In fact, many shots came out much better than I imagined. My old Canon would not have been able to take them at all, while the S3 was amazing!

So far, I've been impressed with how fast and easy the camera is and that I'm able to take usable pictures in conditions my old Canon would not have worked at all. Add to this that the image quality is absolutely stunning! The colors are vivid and sharp, the lens has a 12X zoom, which means you can get stable clear shots from a far distance and you won't need to lug around a tripod.

Did I mention that the video mode on this camera is also amazing? Yes, it shoots at various resolutions and frame rates and records audio in stereo. The image stabilizer also works in video mode and you can zoom while recording. It almost makes having a separate video camera unnecessary. Unlike the older Canons, video are not limited in length: you can shoot until your card is full.

Like I alluded to earlier, the reason I love this camera so much is that I can go into museums and other places where taking pictures is either difficult or impossible and the S3 snaps amazing pictures so fast, no one even knows you're taking pictures. While other people are snapping pictures and their flash has to go off, the S3 whips out a dozen shots with no flash, no annoying shutter sound and no one even knows! It was also quite easy to hand the S3 to nearby strangers to take a snapshot of you without having to explain how to use it. It is just that natural to use.

Battery life was very good. I brought 20 NIMH 2000ma batteries and a set of 4 lasted a day and a half. I replaced a set of 4 each day so I never had had to worry about the batteries dying on me.

Ok, convinced yet? I didn't mention that the S3 can take amazing shots at 0 inches from the lens and that you can override all the settings and you can edit movies and a bunch more things. I'm sure it can do things I don't even know about yet, since I've had the camera only 3 weeks. I never used any of the numerous modes other than Auto and P)rogram mode. While on my trip, I noticed that many people had the S2 or the S3 and they all really liked theirs. And while I'm writing this, the S5 has been announced. I'm sure the S5 is amazing too, but you will be more than satisfied with the S3.



->Prices

This compact camera is a great product. It does everything "as advertised". I am using a Sandisk Extreme III 2gb memory card and it works well although with a slight delay when writing. I probably will upgrade to a Sandisk Extreme IV or perhaps a Transend 2GB SD super fast 150x which is available from Lensmateonline.com. They also have aluminum lens adapters for the S3 (no cross threading!!)


->

I have now had the S3 for two months and its a awsome camera!I love all the features on it and its so easy to use.I mainly take pictures of nature and the 12x optical zoom is what helps me to get so close to nature.And by the way this is my first camera i have ever had so if a 14 year old kid can work this camera than any one can.


->Discount

I had a Panasonic FZ-30 that got wet. After it got wet, it no longer worked. Although I was very happy with it, it was no longer in production, and the FZ-50 which replaced it was $150 more than the Canon S3, so I ended up buying the Canon.

That was a mistake. The Panasonics image quality is much better. The S3's pictures are grainy and never got that level of crispness I got with the Panasonic. It is also very light and does not have the quality feel of the panasonic.

I tried to save $150 and it didn't work. I am going to go ahead and buy the FZ-50.


->Lowest Price

Great camera~ and I love the powerful zoom~
but it seems that i have problems with it's auto mode, the color doesn't come out right with the auto mode


->Lowest Price

This is a great camera. I especially love the super macro. You can see some of the great pictures it takes in this setting in the customer images that I left. I really dont thing there are any cons to it. Its great! It turns on very quickly and the zoom is excellent!! Great camera!!!


->Lowest Price

Admittedly, I got this camera to replace my first digital camera, a Kodak DC290. The Kodak was good for its time, but that time was long ago. The S3 is unbelievable - all the features you'd want, and stunning performance. Awesome quality with the optic-level zoom, and truly impressive digital zoom quality. Just to experiment, yesterday I was at the White Sox game on third base line, about 100 feet behind the third basemean. I used the digital zoom to take shots of Paul Konerko at first base, and they literally looked like I was only about 100 feet from HIM. Super fast between shots time - great camera.


->Buy

My previous digital cameras only had 3x zoom, and I found that was not enough to take effective pictures of stage events on our trip to China a couple of years ago. The 12x zoom on THIS camera enabled me to capture all the detail I needed on our trip to France this year.

The shutter recycle time is very fast (another problem with past cameras solved by this one). There are a ton of options that are easy to access, plus a through-the-lens view finder with variable diopter (a requirement if you wear glasses like I do).

Battery life is also excellent. I bought 2 sets of extra batteries, but never had to use them in 3 days of taking pictures.

The one big drawback is the size of the LCD screen (when not using the view finder). This screen is a lot smaller than other cameras in its class, which is a bit disappointing for a 6MP camera.

Overall, though, the camera is light, not too big, easy to use and takes GREAT photos.



->Best Price

I have been using mostly pointand shoot cameras till date and was skeptical about using one which looked like an SLR. I have used it for the past week and totaly love it.

It's a great camera for people wanting to migrate from basic digi-cams to the the more feature-rich (i.e. leaing towards SLRs) ones.

Positives (from one week of use)
Good resolution
12x zoom
Image stabilization works well both for pics and movies
Very quiet operation
Solid construction and good handling

Negatives (from one week of use)
Difficult to see Viewfinder and screen in bright light (outdoors for example)

All in all an excellent product from Canon. Would definitely recommend it.


->Buy

A good camera for starting advanced digital photography. Full manual features and presets for good shoots.


->Compare

Image stablization works. Movies are really good for a camera, and they are easy to do in any mode - just push one button. The only negative is that even the viewfinder is harder to see in bright light. New model is out, but this one is still very good, and now a great deal.


->Prices

I love this camera. Very good product for good quality photos. Excellent zoom! Not the quality of a DSLR, but pretty good for its kind. The only thing I can say needed improvement is more megapixels. Other than that, quite happy with it. I recommend it if you really want to get interested in photography and cannot afford something else.


->Price

I had this camera for almost 2 years now and I love it! I do professional photography and I take lots and lots of pictures. I am always pleased with the results that camera gives me. The zoom is great and the image stabilization really makes a difference. I like that this camera is quite compact considering its specs. I travel a lot and I needed a camera to have the manual options for me and the point and shoot for my wife.
I highlty recommend this camera, if you compare it to the rebel, its cheaper, more compact, you dont have to spend on good zoom lens, its low maintenance and it takes great pics.


->Buy

Reviews suggested the S3 IS 6MP is a "bridge" camera, for those who want a little more than a point-and-shoot digital camera but are not knowledeable enough for a digital SLR. The results I got during a trip to the Rhine and the Swiss Alps disproved that view. Of course it can be used as a fully automatic. However, the photographer who understands f-stops and shutter speed relationship, exposure compensation, ISO, and depth of field, will find this camera to have enormous capability while at the same time having less bulk than a SLR - an excellsent travel camera. Night shot capability with tripod is excellent. The 12X optical zoom image stabilized lens (432 mm equivalent) gives it a significnt advantage over point-and-shoots. Camera controls are well placed and changing from mode to mode and making other adjustments is quick. Battery usage with 2500Mh rechargeables is excellent. For its price and its superior performance, this camera is an excellent buy.


->Deal

Found lots of positives when I compared it with my brother-in-law's Sony H2. For one, Canon allows you to zoom in and out while doing a video take, an option Sony does not have. The video quality is far better as well. The camera's flip-open-and-twist&turn outside display is awesome. I've grown very fond of this camera in the last few days. I've found only one negative, and its big enough for me to give this 4-star rating instead of 5. This camera, per Canon's website, does not imprint time stamps on photographs. I'm used to storing pictures of my daughter since she's growing up so quickly, and to my wife and I, the time stamp holds great value. We'll miss the time stamp.. the positives of the camera however outweigh this negative, and I have every intention of using this camera for a few years.

------------------ Update on June 13, 2007 --------------------
'GPC' replied to my review stating the ZoomBrowser software that comes with the camera enables one to put in a time stamp on the pictures. This means the option to get a date through the camera directly is not there, but atleast the software gives you the option. I've used this software since, and have time-stamped several pictures and added text too to some of them in my color of choice. Only thing is software doesn't allow you to time-stamp a bulk of pictures.. you can do it to only one at a time.. still I'm glad atleast the option is there. Also, I like the results I've been getting from it.


->Buy

Got this cam 2 months ago. Takes amazing pictures. Fitted perfectly within my budget. Comes with 12x zoom which is really good. Can also take short videos with this. I got Sony rechargable batteries for this. Works really well. Overall im very much satisfied with this purchase.


->Comparison

I am NOT not a newcomer to digital cameras or 35mm either.

I have gotten some really nice shots with this camera. Those were achieved when I had a little time to fine-tune all my settings. If you just use auto mode, you will NOT be pleased (if you know a good pic when you see it).

I have 3 kids so the fact that I have to fiddle with it before I can snap a picture is a BIG no-no in my book. I have to be quick around here! That was one star gone.

The other star gone is the noise issue. It does NOT matter what settings I use, there is always some sort of noise. Granted, if you run it through an editing program, it's okay..... BUT I don't want to HAVE to edit ALL of my pics.

I haven't replaced it yet... so I guess I'm dealing with it. I'll just keep my eyes open for the "perfect" camera.


->Deals

All that you need for any ocation, even indoor events. Excelent takes for landscapes, portraits, and more. Anyways, it's allways better if you have a portable tripod. Got to have it!


->Cheap

Takes great pictures, if the lighting is good. 12x zoom with image stabilization is fabulous. The flip screen is great, if you ever want to turn the camera on yourself - or if you need to position the camera above or below eye level. The camera fits well in your hand & the buttons are located in easy-to-access locations (most can be pressed with your right thumb.) Macro shooting is incredible, as the lens will focus when it is actually touching the subject (the subject has to be well-lit, though, as the camera flash will cast a huge shadow from the lens housing at short focal lengths.)

Image gets grainy fast, the lower the light. Indoor shots require flash, as do lower-light (such as twilight) outdoor shots.

All-in-all, this camera is an excellent value for the money.


->For Sale

I need another camera with more powerful zoom but not ready to spend for a dslr. I did a lot of research between Panasonic DMC-FZ8k, Sony DSC-H5 and Kodak P712 to finally opted for a Canon S3is. Amazon service is excellent.
All the pictures taken with the camera, so far, turn out amazingly excellent. It makes me a better photographer. I am very happy with it and don't regret my decision. The price is even cheaper now. I also added a lens adapter and filter. You need an adapter in order to use a filter. Please note that Canon came out with a new upgrade, the S5is, with more features but costing around $500. My next purchase will be a DSLR.


->Lowest Price

I got the S3 IS and gave my wife the A620. The S3 has image stabilization and 12x zoom and for a guy who spends two-thirds of his time taking pictures of birds, bees, and butterflies, THIS is the camera! Wait a second: bees and butterflies? Doesn't that take a macro? Yes, but with a 12x optical zoom, you can stand five feet from a flower and, yes, with some software, you could have a picture that is a "macro" with any other camera, and blow it up to 11x17. Six MP is plenty. I've had a picture of a tiger (and now a dog)on my web site, and you can count the hairs and whiskers; the bee's pollen sacs are crystal clear.

If I can find where to post some pictures, take a look.

Some negatives: When you DO use the macro, unlike other Canons, you can't use it in "Auto." That's okay, but the button is now on the side and you have to look for it. And then macro and super macro are very sensitive, and there often isn't enough light for a picture and the flash is too much. Try taking a picture of a coin...

For some odd reason, though most of the button are in the same place as on the A620, I hit them accidentally more often and have changed settings though I didn't mean to.

Though this isn't exactly a negative, I do wish that I could switch the view setting to the next picture when looking at what's on the card. I don't know how else to explain it, but using the LCD to view your picture AND pulling them in for a close up look, you can't move on to the next shot.

So, while I'm at it, I wish it had a 3" LCD instead of 2. But then, I wish it had a 5" LCD, weighed 3 ounces, had a 20x optical zoom, and had a viewfinder that anyone with glasses could use. I also want world peace, a lottery hit, and leg room on NWA.

Speaking of which...the viewfinder is actually one of the best I've found after 50+ years of taking pictures. It's adjustable, and large enough.

I could go on and on, but that would be superfluous considering the preceding reviews by others. It deserves 4.5 stars, and the only reason why not 5 is that we all know the next step is a 15x zoom and 8 MP, not that I need 8 MP.

Be sure to get a 1 GB, preferably a 2 GB card, btw. If you take "movies" at all, and you use high res, you'll eat up memory like crazy. But even then, you can now use the zoom in movie mode and take snapshots while taking movies.

An excellent lens, the Canon 180 degree LCD, ...

Enough. It's not point and shoot, and it's not small. It's comfortable, can indeed be used with one hand (hey, I've often got a dog attached to the other), and I just can't praise it enough. Even the price is more than reasonable. But if you're a beginner, go with the A620 or a Sony. This is the missing link between PowerShots and DSLR.


->Buy

this camera have trouble shooting pictures a night at long range beyond 12X zoom ok for close up.but then all cannon camera and camcorder have this problem!. and no time stamp and date printing you must use cannon EZ browser to edit and add the time stamp and date.forget about it in movie clip!. no option availble in EZ browser to add time and date which can only record the movie in AVI format lucky nero 7 can convert the AVI file into DVD format.if you want good noght time shot then go for the sony instead.


->Sale

i wanted a camera that was better/more substantial than a pocket camera and decided on this one. so far i am very happy with it. like some other reviews said, it doesn't do great in low light situations, but it takes amazing photos in good light. like the weight and feel of the camera. menus are easy to navigate and i have only used a few of the extra features. i feel like i got my money's worth.


->Prices

I love the quality & the speed except for the indoor moving shots. I went to my nephew's wrestling tournement & I put it on sport shooting & I couldn't figure out how to use the flash at the same time & I missed some WONDERFUL shots!! Other than that, it was great & it might be something I am doing wrong...who knows!!


->Best Price

Great and versatile camera at a good price. 12X Zoom feature was really nice and the pictures were clear. Easy to use. The movable LCD screen was very convenient, although it was a bit too small and difficult to see in bright light. Would Recommend.


->Deal

I purchased the S3 IS about a month ago after doing extensive research on digital cameras. Since I've had it, I can't seem to put it down! Pictures are sharp, the 12X zoom is amazing and the super macro function is unbelievable!

If you don't have the $$$ for a DSLR, this camera is the one to get...




->Affordable

I bought this camera a little over a month ago. It has performed pretty much as I expected and my research showed it should. The battery life is good (I use rechargeable NiMh) even when using the flash. I have shot probably close to a thousand pictures. I am impressed that the IS works so well in long shots indoors. I have taken photos of my kids at various indoor activities where flash is impractical. I can zoom all the way and still get a hand held shot. Unfortunately, anything taken indoors is pretty grainy. I am still experimenting with various settings and scene modes to try and take some of the graininess out. When using the flash the pictures are great! In well lit situations that camera takes wonderful pictures, as well. Color is good and the frames are sharp.

I paid a little under $300 and it is definitely worth that! If you are looking for a long zoom, image stabilized camera I would recommend you take a good close at this one. I am a very happy camper!


->Purchase

El producto fue entregado inmediatamente, etoy muy conforme con el producto, el una de las mejores camaras que he tenido entre mis manos. Es Excelente


->Wholesale

Fantastic camera and a great service from Amazon.com...it was a little slow in the shipping and i was credited the express delivery payment.

I am very happy with the camera and what it can do! Great for distance shots and close detail shots.


->Compare

Yes, $300.
6.0 megapixel, same chip as in the 6.3 rebel, REAL and large lens with a 12x optical zoom, full manual override capability and very good full res. 640x480, 30fps video camera. An absolute steal.
But by at least a 2.0 mb memory card.


->Buy

Nice camera. Dont know how to use many of the features yet but of little what I know, it worked quite well and pics came out real nice.


->

I was hesitant to buy a digital camera because I have always enjoyed the quality from my SLR 35 mm. However, the quality of the close-ups I have taken with this camera have far exceded my expectations. The pictures are clear and sharp. The camera is user-friendly as well. I only wish I would have switched earlier!


->Buy

I have had the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS camera now for a month and have found it to be well worth the money. I have been involved in photography for 30 years and have owned a few different cameras in that time. This camera is definetly one of the best I've ever owned. I have experimented with most of the features and find the Stablization feature very helpful, especially when shooting sports at maximum zoom, or extreme close-ups in Super Macro mode. The colors are excellent and the high resolution allows me to crop a photo and still retain clarity. It is easy to use if you are an experienced photographer, but I would recommend to the beginner, to purchase a good book on Digital Photography, since the users manual may not be informative enough, to fully utilize this camera's many features.


->Affordable

Very satisfied with the item, ordering, shipping, pricing, etc. Overal very good shopping experience.



->Compare

good luck with it so far, I also own an easy share by Kodak, it is far better. I saved alot of money buying through amazon. The Zoom is great!


->Best Price

I am very happy to write this review for Canon and Amazon both to have me buy such rpoduct worth to capture the best shots of my life.

It has everything what I was craving for. it is real substitute to handycam as well.

Devendra


->Discount

I have had quite a few digital products from Nikon, to Canon and to Sony but this is one great all in once unit. The videos are great, the zoom offers great flexibility and the images are of great detail. With this S3, all your video and photography needs are taken care of in one compact unit. Just remember to have extra batteries and memory on hand.


->Comparison

What a fantastic camera! Even though this camera has a lot of bells and whistles to utilize all of it's capabilities (along with a comprehensive manual), only a few settings are needed for taking fantastic pictures. I mostly have been using just the AUTO and SPORTS settings, as I purchased this camera to take action shots of my sheltie running around with my Mom's sheltie. In addition, you could definitely benefit from purchasing a high speed SD card for this camera (I am using a 4GB 150x Transcend SD card). This Powershot will take full advantage of it, believe me. I also like the separate button for taking movies--another task that this camera excels at (640x480 @ 30fps). The articulating screen is also quite handy, especially for taking pics in crowds. I give the Powershot S3 IS two thumbs up!


->Price

This is the best price, no tax, and supersaver shipping that I have seen
for this camera and I've been looking for a digital camera for 7 mos.
It really has every function you would want as a seasoned photographer and the basics for a beginner. It's lightweight and the functions are easy to maneuver after you become familiar with the pictures. I would recommend this camera to anyone who needs a good digital camera. I believe it is the best digcam for the money before you get into the very expensive, professional type cameras which usually start at $500 more.
The only complaint I have is that I find the instruction manual to be extremely unhelpful in finding certain functions on the camera. It will tell you on what page to get the information you're looking for, but then doesn't tell you how to access that particular function. If you play with the camera long enough, you'll figure it out yourself, but then who needs directions.


->Discount

I have had a great deal of success with this camera. I am an amateur and yet I have gotten amazing results, and I can only imagine what I can do when I learn a bit more about this camera. I love the black and white option. I actually have found that the manual controls take better shots. I have taken beautiful portrait type shots and national geographic type shots. Fantastic!


->Discount

I took my time upgrading from my last digital camera and researched several before buying this one. It is not for a first time user, or someone not interested in a feature rich camera. For example it has a flash but the flash is manual, and it is a bit bulkier than a most. But if you are thinking some day you want to upgrade to a true digital SLR, this is a great and cost effective first step or alternative. The ability to easily try out many cool features and add additional lens capability is great. What I love most is the fabulous zoom capability, and the fact that this camera also shoots movies with sound and does a great job at that too. It will take standard AA batteries or rechargable and for all it's power, the batteries seem to last a good long time. Downloading images to my laptop is effortless, something I struggled with on my first digital Fuji camera. For under $350 this camera is worth the investment.


->Deals

The only reason that this camera is not top rated by me is that the instructions on use are difficult to understand. Once I got the basics figured out, it is great - and I'm not a camera pro.


->Affordable

I recently bought this camera after looking at cameras for over a year. I have a canon s410 which I bought from amazon a couple of years ago that gives great pictures (that was until the dreaded E-18 error) I recently fixed that camera but i wanted a long zoom. I was waiting for the olympus but when I tried it the shot to shot was very slow, I almost could go make a cup of coffee in the time it took to shoot from shot to shot! also at full zoom it dropped the resolution down to 1.2 megapixels! so I purchased the canon from Amazon for around $300. Its not a bad camera, it does have a learning curve, automatic is probably the worst setting to use, there are a lot of assesories you can buy for it. The pictures come out decent. Although I was disapointed in the low light setting of a dinner I attended, the photos came out grainy, some not usuable at all, the same happend with some outdoor shots on a gray day in ohio (a recent trip)I am hopping that once I learn to use the settings properly I can avoid this in the future.

The S5 was just announced but for what you get I dont think it is worth the extra money. It only gives you a few more megapixels on the same size senor, a hotshoe and a bigger screen. In researching this camera I did find one common problem and that is people complain that on a 2 gig card (any card) when you get close to capacity, it hides the photos on the card and they are not readable in a card reader and eventually not even in the camera-disapearing act-I havent experienced this so I dont know if it affects all but i doubt I will fill up my 2 gig card anyway, I use this camera for amusement.

I dont want to buy a ton of lenses, if I did I would get a DSLR. I pretty much bought this for the zoom. I have read you should buy a filter to protect the lens which means also buying the adaptor, lensmate seems to make a better one then canon out of metal, I will probably get mine there also the lens cap they sell has a tether to it so you wont loose it. I myself am torn between the 52mm and the 58mm.

Some people like sonys better, never owned one so I cant comment. There are also some user forums where you can learn from others the best settings to use with this camera, [...]

Overall a good camera for the 300 range, there are no 5 star digitals it comes down to what you want to use it for and how you take pictures, I dont feel its worth it to spend more then 300 on a camera unless you are in the market for a DSL, and this is no DSL! but I also didnt want to learn how to use a DSL. Hope this helps.


->Deals

Love the 12X zoom (optical!!!). Enjoy to options of the viewer. My wife loves taking pictures of ourselves(necessary for our relationship). Only had it for a few weeks and I'm still learning features. I like the way it fits in my hand and the zoom movement is quick. My wife and I are both enjoying it.


->Sale

Prior to buying this camera, we had a simple "point and shoot" Sony with a 3x optical zoom. That old camera had issues with low light shots (i.e., 50% of our indoor pictures were blurry even with the flash on) and it took a long time between pictures (i.e., take shot, count to ten, take next shot). Again that is the old camera.

For a new camera we wanted a stronger zoom (12x) with image stabilization, better low-light handling, and a faster interval between shots. (We use it for our three kids soccer games, indoor and outdoor / night and day games.)

The decision was between this camera(Canon Powershot) and a Sony (H2), both being 6 MP, 12x zoom w/stabilization. Luckily we actually tried the Sony in person and found that the slow shot problem was still there even in the new Sony. No brainer, we bought the Canon.

We love the camera. Turns out the "flip and turn display", as well as the stereo movie mode (both features absent in the Sony H2) are now also our favorite features.


->Purchase

I purchase this camera for use in my real state business. I'm no pro! I needed a camera that would take clear shots at a distance. The Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS has done the job very nicely. The zoom is good, like digital zooms you must be some what stable for good focus. I am also using a 4 gig sd card so space is not an issuse. The best thing about this camera is it has alot features that I probably won't use anytime soon but they are there. I won't have to buy another camera anytime soon!I'm totally satisfied with my purchase. Shop around for the best price. Good camera! Totally Satisfied!


->Prices

I bought this camera on a whim and was quite impressed on how quick the shutter speed was for a digital camera. It was much better than my nikon coolpix camera.


->Lowest Price

This is a very professional product. It take a while to adjust to using all the features that are included with the camera. This is a good buy for the price.


->Compare

I bought this camera to take pictures and videos for my baby son. The quality of the pictures are incredible! And most of the time I just use "Auto" mode. The videos are great too. Especially the stereo sound effect. It saved me the budget for a camcorder. I bought an extra $10 Kingston 1G memory card and the storage space is enough for my use. Great buy!


->Best Price

Great camera! It is lighter than I thought. I don't have much knowledge of camera and this S3 has many functions, but it is not quite hard to learn.
If you want to buy a new digital camera, you should consider this S3.


->Best Price

This camera is great! And I was a dedicated SLR user, reluctant to go digital. But I love the zoom... it's fast and accurate. It's got a ton of fun features, like color sampling, to take those neat shots of kids where the rose is the only thing in color. Can take a snapshot while in video mode and video while snapping shots. It's been a whole lot of fun. The only thing I miss about my SLR is manual focus... but for that I've got to get real expensive.


->Price

I've had this camera for 4 weeks now & I love it! I'm still learning & experimenting with it, however, I'm having a great time! If you're looking for a point & shoot camera along with being able to manually change settings, this is the camera for you.


->Cheap

All up a pretty good camera. For its price its the best that I could find. My only problem is that the batteries tend to run out faster than I would like it to. But if you get some battery chargers that should solve that.


->Buy

Love the camera. It takes good pictures. The 12x optical zoom is just
what I wanted for close-up pictures from a distance. Macro pictures are perfect and not blurry. I was able to get a picture of my cat's face with his tongue out just when he was getting ready to clean himself. The shot couldn't be more perfect.

I still have a lot to learn as far as features.

Looking forward to taking action pictures of my grandchildren as they play.


->Buy Now

In the short time that I have owned this Canon Camers, I have been impressed. Eighteen months back I had purchased a similiar camera from another manufacturer at about the same price. No comparison in photo and movie quality. I am impressed in the cameras ability to take quality low light photos.


->

I bought this Canon about a month back and have used it ever since.

Batteries: The battery life is amazing and they have outlasted my Kodak. With my Kodak, I was able to take only 35 pictures, before the low-batt warning came up. With this Canon, I was able to take close to 260 pictures on the original battery before the low-battery warning showed.

Pictures: The quality of pictures are amazing even on the default "fine" setting. On the "Super Fine" setting the images are even better.

Zoom: The 12x optical zoom is one of the highest offered in its class and the digital zoom of 4x is only good upto 2x when taking clear shots. the Macro and Super Macro (no zoom available) is a wonderful feature that everyone would love if they are into taking close up shots.

Features: The anti-shake is activated by default on low shutter speed or low light situations and result in wonderful crisp pictures. The add on Telephoto lens feature is something very useful for enthusiasts who would like to spend most of their time outdoors.

Ease of Use: Its almost like a point-and-shoot camera, with manual mode settings as of an SLR. The dials are preset to compensate for the Aperture and also the Shutter speeds which come in handy for trial and error use under low light setting, but for advanced users, the Manual mode setting is better since one can adjust the focus, shutter speed and exposure when taking pictures.

Cons: Does not come with a carrying case and the battery cover is a little flimsy but nothing to worry about.

Additional comments: get a low of 1GB SD card and extra set of batteries and you are good for a great weekend worth of picture taking with no problems.


->Deals

Very powerful zoom. Image stabilization is very good. Would have been even better if they had included RAW or TIFF support.


->Price

I bought this one because sometimes it's inconvenient to carry DSLR around and it serves that purpose well. The camera takes pictures pretty fast and the quality is decent when there's sufficient light. It has a big zoom but the close-up doesn't seem to work well. All said, I would recommend this to anyone who has the need to complement SLR with a P&S.


->Affordable

I was so worried about getting a new camera since I knew how to use my old one, however it was time...this camera is totally awesome and I have a couple of friends who now have purchased it because they loved it also...


->Deal

EXCELLENT choice....plenty of options, rather light, quick to shoot, great video option with an amazing sound quality....Forget HP, this is a great camera for its price....


->Buy Now

So far this has been a great camera for me. It is in the medium price range and has the features that I wanted. The instant movie button is a nice convenience. Having a little trouble trying to use the super macro.


->Cheap

This is the best camera I have ever used, easy to learn to use and great picture quality.


->Best Price

this camera is almost SLR, it has nearly all the options, the colors it produces are fantastic too.


->Lowest Price

Awesome camera! What more can I say? I am just beginning to explore the possibilities that this camera can do. I take this camera everywhere! The stabilizer is a wonderful tool. Easy to use and fun to have.


->Comparison

I owned and returned the much cheaper and sopposedly poorly quality Kodak z612. But I now own an s3 IS and can't tell the difference between this and the Kodak. In fact the Canon seems to be worse in low light and even grainier at iso above 100. The outdoor, high natural light pictures tent to have slightly more true colors than the Kodak, but that is all. Most of my pictures turn out blurred or grainy, and I have played around with the manual settings, but still can't get very good quality pictures. I did a lot of research before buying this Camera, and was leaning towards getting an sony H2, but went with the Canon because of reputation and because I got a really good deal on it. But now I'm considerig selling the Canon and going with the Sony.


->Sale

I researched a wide spectrum of cameras, all the way from simple mini-cameras (which have their advantages, to be sure) to complex slrs meant primarily for pros. The Canon Powershot S3 1S falls midway in this range. It's easy to operate at a basic level, yet offers a broad array of settings and features that should satisfy all but the most advanced users. The video option lets you record in stereo, and you can even interrupt that mode to shoot still photos; the sound will continue unbroken while there will be just a short blip in the video. This feature is ideal if, for example, you want to record a portion of a child's concert or recital. One caution in that regard: get yourself a 2-gig flashcard (maybe two of them) so you won't run out of space while recording videos. I also bought a Canon telephoto lens and attaching ring, a 1-hour battery charger, a power cord and converter (they don't come with the camera and are useful for avoiding battery drain during downloading and other activities), and an Amvona carrying case (terrific company, by the way). On final point: if you're downloading photos and videos to a Mac, there's no need to resort to the Canon software. As usual, Apple has the requisite drivers in its operating system; just plug in the camera to any USB port and the icon of the camera comes up on your desktop and offers the chance to download (jpeg/avi). All in all, the best camera purchase I've ever made.


->Best Price

The Camera delivers exactly as promised and I can take really wonderful photos compared to my older camera. Camera is an excellent alternative to toting a heavy DSLR and you can almost achieve the same results, just read the manual and practice taking the shots. You will be surprised at how good a photographer you are with this camera


->Best Price

From all the other reviews, you know this is a great camera and you can learn technical capabilities better from others than from me. I'll just comment on a few things.

The video quality is amazing. It comes with an A/V cable to plug into the tv so you can watch video directly on the tv. The quality on the tv was comparable to my Panasonic MiniDV camcorder. I didn't even consider the video abilities when I bought this, but in the few weeks I've had it, I can already see that this will replace my regular video camera for most uses. I just need to get a DVD burner on the computer. Needed a reason to upgrade! I never carry the real video camera when we travel, because it was such a pain to pack and carry around. Now I've got one built in. The sound and picture quality are amazing. I downloaded video from the SD card onto the computer and used Microsoft's MovieMaker to edit the video, add captions, resize them for the Web and attach them to emails to the grandparents. Fabulous. (MovieMaker is included in XP's ServicePak 2. I had a heck of a time finding it on my computer, though. Found it by clicking on Start, then All Programs, then Video, then Movie Maker. It's pretty self explanatory, except that after you open a file you have to drag the icon to the bottom of the screen to edit it. Click on the options tab at the top and you can limit the size of your movie to optimize for email, e.g. 4 MB, etc.) Also, you don't have to switch from still shots to video mode. You just push the video record button at any time. One downside, though. While recording video, it doesn't seem that you can take still shots. If you push the shutter button it freezes a "picture" within the video, but it doesn't save it as a separate photo file. Maybe the next generation will fix this, or maybe I'm not doing something right.

I like the easy ability to turn off all sounds the camera makes. We had robins nesting on our windowsill and I was able to start up the camera and take pictures silently without scaring them off. The video taken in this mute mode still has sound in playback. We could hear all the chirping clearly.

Size -- I was torn between getting a smaller camera and getting a camera with zoom power. My previous camera had a 3X optical zoom. I'm so glad I went for the 12X zoom. Already I'm taking pictures that I never would have been able to get before. The camera is not that big, and will easily fit in a big handbag or a backpack, even in the bag I got for it. It comes with a neck strap that attaches securely to the sides of the camera. I bought a camera bag that opens from the top so that I can easily get the camera in and out while carrying the bag. I have found the camera surprisingly comfortable to "wear" around my neck.

Shot-to-shot speed is good and shutter lag isn't a problem like with my old Minolta.

Canon S3 IS vs. pocket-size camera: The Canon is small enough to carry comfortably while travelling or going to the kids' sporting events. I wouldn't carry it around all the time, though. My current cell phone doesn't take pictures, but I figure the next one I get will take decent enough pictures to catch that unexpected photo opportunity, and that's an item I would have with me all the time.

Battery usage. The Canon comes with 4 regular AA batteries (not rechargeable). I ordered rechargeables at the same time, but plunked the regular AA's in when I opened the camera. I've taken about 10 video clips of around 2-3 minutes apiece and about 50 pictures without any noticeable slowing in performance so far. My old camera wouldn't have survived the 50 still shots!

Program modes: I never used the program modes on my old camera. The most I ever did was turn the flash off to shoot through glass. (I'm not a photographer!) I have found myself actually using the program modes on the Canon, though. They are easy and intuitive. I especially like the fact that you don't have to remember what the little symbols stand for, because the symbol appears with the name of the program on the LCD screen. There are the "idiot" programs on one side of the dial and the professional settings on the other. I even found myself playing with the professional settings and the ISO button after reading the owner's manual.

I keep forgetting turn the LCD screen back around when I turn off the camera, but I haven't had any problems with it.

Do I even need to say anything about the quality of the pictures? Beautiful!


->Compare

Para los amigos de habla hispana.. compré la mía, tiene las bondades de una camara semi profesional, en un tamaño bien compacto, toma fotos maravillosas, y el zoom es bien generoso.
La otra cosa que me encanta es la velocidad de la camara. Todavía no me acostumbro bien a tener que levantar el flash, pues no lo hace automático, pero ya lo haré.


->Deal

I've been hanging onto my old 35mm Canon Rebel since college. It's been a great camera, but I've grown tired of buying film and making trips to pick up my pictures, organizing negatives, paying for expensive development, etc. So, a year ago a bought an over-priced pocket size snapshot digital. Hated it! It took the worst pictures and had practically nothing for a zoom. What a waste! It was back to buying film again.

But recently, a local electronics store was going out of business and I kept my eye on this Canon Powershot. I liked the feel of it in my hand. It reminded me of my 35mm that I loved so much because I could really put my hands around it. It felt like a nice piece of equipment. The price wasn't bad either since I caught it on close out. The zoom was amazing and once I panned around the store with it and zoomed in on minor detail of items across the sales floor, I was hooked. Of course, the salesman tried to talk me into some palm-sized plastic toy camera again. Absolutely not!

Unlike most people with a new toy, the first thing I did was sit down and read up on all the cool features this camera presents...snow pictures, fireworks, foliage, portrait, landscape, color swap, black and white, and many many more! I couldn't wait to test it out. Since it's Spring time, I ran out to try the foliage setting. The pictures were amazing! Next, I snapped pictures of my dogs running in the backyard using a different setting. Perfection! I toyed with the flash and took pictures of my roommate. They were so crisp. Even better than my 35mm.

My two favorite features of this camera are the color swap where you can set the camera to keep only one color in your picture and it will turn the rest black and white. I paint pictures, so playing around with this setting on a painting I did was a lot of fun. My second favorite feature is that you can set the camera to take two pictures at once. It will take the picture the way you set it to take, and then it will also take a plain ole original pic at the same time. So, let's say you are playing around with the color swap feature but you hate the way those turned out. You'll still have an original picture with no special setting. Two pics at once! And you don't have to set the camera to do this again and again. You can set it permanently to do this each time you use a specific setting.

I was totally turned off to digital cameras thanks to that snapshot piece I had bought, but the Canon PowerShot has definitely changed my mind. It's the best camera I have ever owned! I can't stop showing it to my friends, and because of the quality I use it all the time.

Definitely worth every penny! CHECK OUT MY PICTURES! I HAVE SEVERAL POSTED ABOVE USING DIFFERENT SETTINGS. BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!


->Prices

My first digital camera was a Canon G2 (very slow but destined to become a classic). My second camera was a Sony H1. What I soon missed with the Sony was the swivel screen of the G2, and I didn't care for the ergonomics of the H1, the autofocus/manual focus performance and the 12 seconds between flash shots either. I recently bought the S3 because I really liked the overall look and feel: it felt like a combination of the G2 and a digital SLR in a small package. The video performance is impressive as is the image stabilization (which was not as good with the H1). Overall, picture taking performance in various modes is quite good and preferred over the H1, although both the H1 and S3 suffer from poor high ISO/low light performance. There remains, however, one serious S3 image problem: purple fringing. Outdoor high zoom pictures where there is strong contrast between light and dark objects (skin in direct sunlight with strong shadow for instance) results in a thick violet outline or "radioactive glow" where light and dark meet. Canon touts its lens technology of the S3 and states "...ultra low dispersion lens significantly reduces chromatic aberation in telephoto shots." Even with this "technology" the S3 has almost twice the degree of chromatic aberation "purple fringing" as the Sony H1 (the G2 had some fringing but it was blue and less obvious - but only 3x telephoto). I've done exhaustive comparisons between the two cameras to reach this conclusion. Strangly, an old abused store demo S3 had less fringing than the new cameras - I returned two S3s because of this issue. Perhaps the quality of lens manufacture declined with the newer units. The only partial remedy I found to this problem is to shoot all outdoor shots at f8 and do not exceed about 6x-8x instead of the max optical 12x telephoto. This will substantially reduce fringing in the center of photos, but not in the outer areas. Also, UV or polarizing filters do not help. Because I actually still like this camera so much, I've decided to put up with the fringing handicap - until I finally give in to the expense and extreme bulk of a decent digital SLR and quality telephoto lens.


->Best Price

I am a new owner. I think I am in love. The camera is attractive, It has a nice weighted feel(not too heavy) and the results produce a "WOW"
experience. There is ample room for creativity( both pre-programed and
manual) to keep most amature photogs happy. The image stablization is
rock steady under normal shooting modes. I have not used the macro settings. The Cannon brand lens adapter kit is an ideal compliment. It
enhances the photograph, and protects both the camera lens and the arm
on the zoom without adding an unbalanced amout of weight. I also recommend a Circular Polarizing lens and a UV Lens.(I bought the Hoya brand). I purchased a camera case at a local discount store for less than $20 and it is perfect. The only other items that are a must are rechargable batteries. Again, I purchased 4 batteries and a 30min charger for $24.99 at the same discount store. All in allCanon LAH-DC20 Lens Adapter and Hood Set for the S3 IS & S2 IS Digital Camerathis is a quality camera with room for creativity, and is reasonably priced ( especially with free shipping and no sales tax).


->Buy Now

I've had this camera for 2-3 months and LUV it. This is my 5th digital camera and I did extensive research before my purchase. This is as close to an SLR as you will get without actually buying one. Technically this IS an SLR because it does "See through the lens". One thing I love about the EVF is what you compose/crop/see in the frame is what you get. Not an extra 5 feet to either side or whatever. The EVF is a little weird to get used to if you've used an optical viewfinder all your life.

The camera does have some chromatic aberration issues but you still can't pry it out of my hands.

This review is mainly in response to Ana y lat's review, that I found interesting as well as answer some not quite questions you have.

The flash issue: Recycle time for a flash is, well, recycle time. We have to live with it. Some maybe faster than others. Most modern day flashes have what's called a thyristor (sp). This device, usually a little window pointing the same way as the lens, measures the light reflected off the subject. If the subject is close, a lot of light is returned to the thyristor, and the flash only discharges what it needs from the internal capacitor. You may get 2,3 or more pictures depending on how depleted the capacitor charge is. Once depleted, you have to wait for the capacitor to charge again.

Your focusing issue on your baby's face: Auto focusing - Some older cameras used to use sub-sonic or ultra-sonic audio waves that get sent out of the camera and bounce back. Similar to radar/doppler effect. Much more expensive than software. Today's cameras use software to focus. But it needs something to focus on. Point your S3 to a plain wall or up to a blue sky with no clouds will do the same, and push the shutter release a little. It will not focus. When your camera will not focus on your baby's face, point the camera left or right a little on a blanket or pillow, anything with information enough for the cam to focus, but the same distance as your baby's face or your focal point. Push the shutter half way to let the cam focus. Then compose your shot and push the shutter release the rest of the way. You can use the same concept outside to over/under expose your shots, tricking the light meter instead of the focusing unit. You can also, of course, use the manual focus.

Hope this helps.

Keep snapping.


->Wholesale

Over many years I have owned and used many cameras, including very expensive Leicas and Nikons. This camera is my favorite of all because it consistently delivers superior photos. The 12X zoom lens produces sharp pictures throughout its range. Color rendition is excellent. The imaged stabilizer works better than I expected -- I find I can hand hold in many situations where I previously needed to resort to a tripod. I normally print my photos at 8x10 size. I find I can get good prints from the S3's 6-megapixel images even when I crop down to half a frame.

The S3 has an wonderful electronic viewfinder that allows you to use the camera as if it were a digital SLR. The viewfinder exactly reproduces what the 2-in. LCD screen on back of the camera would show. I prefer the viewfinder, so I normally leave the LCD screen closed. It's a fine, bright LCD, but with the electronic viewfinder, I just don't need it.

Could canon have made this camera better? Yes. It could have provided raw mode, it could ship it with a memory card of decent size, and it could give it a better lens cap.


->Deal

Great camera and a great buy. I'm not ready for a digital SLR yet so this is the next best thing. Excellent picture quality, battery life. IMO the best value for the money in this type of camera.


->Deals

When I received this in the mail, had to say I was a bit intimated.I do have another camera and that is by Olympus and it was a great starter camera but this one takes really great pictures and it was pretty easy to use although I am still learning about the other features this camera has on it. Also the software was just as easy to load and loading the pictures was a snap.


->Best Price

This is an excellent camera. I own a cannon A-1 purchased in 1980 which still works very well; however the cannon S3 IS is an all new technology and a wonderful new learning experience in photography. I am very impressed with the picture quality, easy downloading to computer, and picture selection. The auto focus is wonderful and the 2x telephoto lens purchased separately works great. I have no regrets in this camera selection . It is fun learning with this new equipment.


->For Sale

I bought this camera based on the other reviews and because I had a Canon SLR for years and loved it. This camera is great to use. The controls are simple and it's easy to use either the view screen or the view finder. And when it comes to downloading the photos to my computer, it's extremely easy. I can easily recommend this camera for anyone.


->Deals

I think in order to understand which reviewers you should listen to, it'd be helpful to know who they are in photography and what they are using this camera for. So, I'll start by saying that I am not a professional photographer, nor do I aspire to become one. This is my second digital camera, I used the first one for 4 years and loved it (a small Sony 3x), got this new camera primarily to take better pictures of my baby (zoom helps!). I've never owned an SLR - not even a film one.
I do, however, enjoy photography immensely and have been reading on it a lot lately. It was precisely this camera that moved me to try and learn more so that I could take adtantage of all its features. So, I feel like I definitely grew as a photographer in the half a year or so that I've had this camera. From this vantage point, I love this camera very much for all the reasons already mentioned - zoom, video, IS, etc. I whole-heartedly agree with all the rave reviews for those, and I'm a little puzzled as to why people would complain of focus issues - certainly, they happen, as they do on any camera, even an SLR, but I would not call it a problem that should stop you from getting this camera.
I really have only 2 real complaints, responsible for the 4 star rating:
1) the flash seems to be charging somewhat slowly when it has been fired a few times in a row. I've missed a few amazing shots waiting for it to recharge, and that really upset me.
2) the camera seems to have trouble focusing on skin tones. Taking close-ups of my sleeping baby have been quite a challenge, and I was really looking forward to those, considering I have a 12x camera.

That being said, having explored everything this camera has to offer, I've come to the conclusion that unless I decide to do photography seriously and make money with it, this camera is all I need, and getting an SLR is not only expensive, but really absolutely unnecessary for my needs. In order to take full advantage of an SLR, you'll need 3 lenses (or an expensive zoom one), a tripod, filters, you name it, and quite frankly, when I compare my pictures with pictures of my friends who own SLRs, very rarely do I see the difference (and they agree).
So, I think I'm keeping this one for another 4 or so years, at which point I hope to buy S7 IS. :-)


->Comparison

Excellent camera for advanced hobbyists who want control (like me), as well as those who just want to push the button.

PROS: Fantastic 12x zoom range (wish it had a little more wide angle though). Image Stabilization works like magic (I can hand-hold 400mm shots even on overcast days). The folding LCD is more useful than I thought (great for low macro shots). Love the size (feels like a real camera, not a disposable). Shutter lag & focus speed are very good. TV quality videos with dedicated button. SD card (best format). Common AA batteries (but get NiMH rechargeable).

CONS: More purple fringing (in high contrast areas) than I expected - not as good as my Nikon CoolPix 7600. This is not a problem for 4x6 prints and TV/DVD slideshows, but I think it will start being noticeable in prints larger than 8x10. High pitched whine in video, but it improves if you lower the sampling rate (plus I was able to filter it out with a Low Pass filter in Premiere Elements). Zooms a little too fast for my taste. Wish I could attach filters without an adapter.

OPINION: Electronic View Finders are better than SLRs because SLRs don't take movies, which really add pizzazz to a slideshow (now on DVD, or search for "worldjim" on YouTube). The clunky mirror mechanism was needed in a film world, but not in digital; LCDs (even on the cheapest cameras) do exactly what SLRs do - view through the recording lens. However, EVFs are still geared for the less serious photographer. EVF LCDs and CCDs still need improvement, but that will come in time. Plus interchangeable lenses would be nice.

ACCESSORIES: I got an adapter (on eBay) so I could use a polarizer - a must for serious photographers. It works, but it's a little tricky to use with the EVF or LCD.

OVERALL: Not perfect, but no digital camera is. Even though it needs some improvement, I still think it's the best compromise on the market today (for what I want to do). I consider this my first serious digital camera, and I'd buy it again.

UPDATE (4/19/07): I hope I didn't sound too negative. On the contrary, I love this camera. It's just that I'm picky when it comes to cameras (I'm a Nikon FM2 guy at heart). And like I said, I didn't like anything until now. The S3 IS will do just fine until a better one comes along.



->Compare

Hands down, this is one of the best point-and-shoot camera on the market and for the price, it's a real steal. The 12x optical zoom is just awesome allowing you to get really close to the action, and you can snap a picture instantly as soon as you press the shutter. No more long delay like in other point-and-shoot camera. The image quality is very good not excellent like digital SLR but very acceptable for most uses.

I especially love the awesome video capability on this. I can shoot videos up to 1 GB per clip and the video quality is superb not grainy like other point-and-shoot camera. It is so good that I don't use my Sony DVD digital camcorder anymore.


->Purchase

I have only had this camera for a few weeks, and have hardly scratched the surface of its special features. This review is by no means comprehensive, but is written by someone who is still learning about the camera. Overall, it is a fine piece of work.

When used in conjunction with the manual, this camera not only makes photo-taking easy, but also educates its operator about some of the finer points of photography. It helped me become more aware of lighting when I take my photos. It also has settings specific to different situations - night scenery, day scenery, sports, people, and so on.

The zoom on this camera is above average. 12X is amazing, and the quality of the photos at full zoom are surprisingly clear. Movies are high quality and can be taken at any time (for example, with the camera set on "night scenery" or "sports" or anything else). Still photos can be taken while shooting a "movie", too. I recommend getting a high speed memory card in order to ensure smooth video footage.

The camera fits well into my hands, which gives me more stability when I am taking pictures. The camera does have a "stabilizer" feature, but I haven't really had the need for it yet.

No complaints thusfar with this camera. Amateur camera shoppers look at the resolution and decide which camera they'll get. But a 6.0 megapixel camera provides enough resolution to print an A3-sized (roughly two letter-sized papers put together) photo without pixelation. The lens and camera features are far more important than resolution, making this camera a winner at all levels.


->Affordable

This is the perfect camera for someone who wants most of the capability of an SLR without the weight. Ideal for someone who likes to take close-up shots. An SLR might be a better choice for someone preferring landscapes.


->Buy Now

great camera for price. one of the best digital cameras for taking sound videos. love the 12x zoom.




->Lowest Price

I did a lot of research before buying this camera, and Im glad I did but it. it takes a while to learn to use all its features but it sure does take great high quality pictures. I love the 12x optical zoom.

Loving it!


->

I was looking for a high-end compact camera to take on short trips as an alternative to my SLR. I was prepared to make some sacrifices compared to an SLR, but even so this camera didn't quite make the cut and I returned it. Here's why.

PROS: It's small and light (compared to an SLR). The EVF is very usable. The ability to swivel the display is great, especially for macro shooting. Super macro mode gets you very close. The long zoom is fun, and the image stabilization makes it usable. For this type of camera, noise is well controlled at ISO 100 and 200, and the noise reduction is light (no smearing). Live histogram and gridlines are both available. Focusing speed, shutter lag, and save times are all pretty good. The lens is quite fast considering its focal range; it's easy to create background blur at most focal lengths. Good hand grip. Overall, a great feature set in very flexible and usable design.

CONS: As with all compact cameras, dynamic range is limited, highlights often get clipped, and anything over ISO 400 is basically worthless. I was prepared to put up with that. But what immediately bothered me was the amount of chromatic aberration (both purple and red fringing, especially next to black areas) and corner softness, plus mild vignetting. Basically, the optics don't live up to the quality of the rest of the camera. I couldn't find a way to control the CA using different apertures, and it was just more than I could put up with.

As always, look at a detailed review with sample shots (like DPReview) and make up your own mind.


->Best Price

Despite the rave reviews this camera has been getting, I'm disappointed in it.

I've lost count of the number of photos I've taken in Auto mode where everything looked sharp in the viewfinder, only to find out later that the Autofocus function was locked onto something in the background rather than the principle subject in the foreground. This happens even though the principle subject was dead-center in the rectangular area where the camera is SUPPOSED to be autofocusing.

The zoom function apparently isn't calibrated to the auto-focus function; as you increase the zoom, what the camera actually autofocuses on moves further and further away from the rectangular area in the viewfinder that marks where it SHOULD be autofocusing.

It's all too easy to 'overzoom' beyond what the camera's autofocus can handle, but there's no way to know when that has happened. You can see the most extreme examples in the viewfinder, but there's no way to tell when you've zoomed just a little too much - you have to find out the hard way.

I've learned the hard way that I need to take several pictures at various zoom levels and to NEVER try completely filling the frame using the zoom - no matter how great the temptation. The maximum zoom (12X) is good only for extremely distant objects (like hundreds of feet away), as I've had objects 20 feet away turn out fuzzy.

The auto-focus mode on this camera is NOT to be trusted.


->Purchase

We bought this camera to take on our trip across Europe and fell in love with it. The ease of use, the picture quality, the power of the zoom, the battery life - I could go on and on. This is a great camera for people who love to take pictures.


->Sale

Takes quality pictures, fits my hands, lightweight and well balanced. Batteries seem to be lasting well. I was a little skeptical about this camera using the AA batteries, but am satisfied. Coming off a Kodak Easy Share, the Canon is a little more complex, but as I get used to the different settings I am sure it will be completely user friendly. Found the best price on Amazon!


->Buy

I wanted a camera with a more powerful zoom and better video capability than my compact digital camera. the PowerShot S3 fits the bill. There are many features I havn't had time to investigate yet but the camera is easy to figure out and I started to use it right away. Be sure to format your memory cards to the camera before shooting, I didn't and lost a few early shots.


->Best Price

I'm one of those folks that always had the tiny cameras. I will never go back after this amazing camera. It has tons of features and buttons I'll never use. But ... for the average person like me, four reasons

(1) you can quickly move back and forth between shooting and viewing (just push the shutter and, boom, you're back in camera mode in a hurry),
(2) easy delete as you view,
(3) phenomenal zoom, and ... most of all to people like me ...
(3) fast response--press the button and it takes a picture basically immediately.

Thank you Canon!


->

The product is everything I expected, good. The purchase through Amazon was not what I expected. I could have bought the camera from a local distributor for the same price only after I asked Amazon to honor their "FREE" shipping offer. They were going to charge me when it specifically states that free shipping is for purchases over $25. the camera cost over $370. I signed up for an Amazon credit card thinking that the price would be discounted $30.00 only to be told that it wouldn't apply to this purchase. "Clever doublespeak marketing " only results in no purchases in the future. The product was delivered quickly and in good condition.


->Prices

I have taken several hundred pictures with this camera, wildlife shots, portraits, action shots, and many zoomed photos. I am always amazed at how well the image stabilizing feature works even at the full 12X. This camera makes me look like a pro and it can do the same for most amatuers.


->Prices

thanks to amazon for offering me prime offer and it shipped to my apartment within 2 days. I really love this camera and it is my favorite. Quality is real good and it pretends to have a SLR effect. Handy and ease to us and I would suggest if Amazon could give a handy bag with the camera. :)


->Sale

If you are looking for SLR quality pictures in the size of a "point and shoot" this is the right item for you. The 12X optical zoom is un-touchable. The image stablizer is also a very nice bonus. I did a lot of research before my purchase and I couldn't be happier with my choice. The only negative is the lens cover... it doesn't have any type of locking feature to keep it from falling off.


->Lowest Price

This is a wonderful little digital camera that can be useful for everyone from beginner through professional. As a professional photographer, I always carry around a "point and shoot" as well as my professional equipment. This camera packs enough features and the resolution to really make it useful on outings where it's not practical to take my bulky professional cameras. The image stabilization works wonderfully and, in my opinion, is a MUST HAVE feature for any digital camera user. If you have a tendancy for "camera shake" when taking pictures, this is a feature you simply cannot do without. This camera is versitile and has a LOT of features packed into it's very sturdy design. If you are just beginning with digital photography, this camera is going to take you a LONG way. If you are already an experienced picture taker, you won't regret this little wonder. The price is unbelievable for the quality and versitility. I recommend this camera to ANYONE who wants to take great pictures!


->Deal

I'm still getting used to this camera but at this point (5 weeks along), it's doing what I ask of it and easy to use. Pics are clear, zoom is very reliable even in the movie mode.


->Buy

This camera rocks!!! I'm still learning all the features it has, but I love it. The video is great. My mom took a picture of me a few weeks ago and she was shaking. I was sure that picture was going to come out blurry, but much to my surprise it came out perfect. The Image Stabilization really works. I have 2 graduations coming up and I'm looking forward to great photos. Love that zoom!!!!!!!!!


->

This is an amazing camera! I'm having so much fun learning how everything works, and taking some fantastic shots! I waited and saved to get it, and I don't regret one minute of the wait. It is well worth it. Thank you.


->Prices

I have had this camera for several months now and cannot find anything to gripe about. The focus is quit sharp, color is good, indoor perfomance is good, battery life is excellent. I really like the 12X zoom. The movie mode is significantly better than other cameras I have had in the past.


->Discount

After reviewing many sites and visiting local stores I decided to purchase the S3 IS. All reviews talked about the features but I wanted to be able to use it and make sure it was comfortable and all buttons were in the right places. I am extremely satisfied and happy with my purchase. Pictures are amazing and the zoom is perfect! The camera's size is just the right size for the zoom. You gotta love how the camera makes it easy for point and shoot users and allows more experienced users to tweak settings to get that perfect shot! Reading the manual blows your mind with all the things you can do with this puppy. The video feature is outstanding as well. Don't think about it twice and grab it if you're undecided.


->Comparison

Being slow to learn (senior citizen, I read the manual umpteen times before trying this sweet camera. It has lots of features to consider. Don't know if I will ever use all of them, but it is nice to know they are there. Everything seems to make sense and be in the right place. I took a video of my first grade grandson in his school program. I used a a 1 gig card. It ran out real fast, but I think I should have changed the pixels or something. The quality of the movie was good. (Even though I got the back of some heads) I expect many years of fun with this little jewel.


->Deal

Canon Powershot S3 IS.

I had a hard time choosing from a mega-zoom like this camera or picking a DSLR. I have a few SLR lenses that I could have used on the Pentax DSLR and price between the two cameras were not too far apart. As I thought about toting several attachments around I choose the S3. This is an upgrade from my Nikon 4MP camera.

I've had the Canon S3 a couple weeks now and I purchased the Canon Lens Adapter and Hood Set but I picked the FREE SUPER SAVING SHIPPING aka Super slow shipping. The camera and charger/Battery (LaCrosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger, NICE) combo arrived Saturday before the SD memory card and Lens Adapter that arrived in a second shipment the following Monday. I don't understand why two separate shipments as everything was in stock.

Since I had the camera for two days before the Lens Adapter came I'll have to say that the adapter is worth having if just to give me more to hold. The first couple of days I found it difficult to grab the camera without pressing a button (not a problem if the camera wasn't left turned on), I assume because my Nikon had a different feel. I was impressed with the Image Stabilization and zoom right off. After getting the Lens Adapter and getting a few days use. All seems natural. The menu is logical and easy to navigate. The only thing I miss from my Nikon was that I could goto thumbnail mode and tag several photo's to delete if I wanted quickly. I saw a post someplace (could have been here) about it's bad that the S3 doesn't have a battery meter. That is true but it has a battery indicator that flashes when the batteries get low. I shot several outside photos after it started flashing and the camera never cut itself off so I don't know if it will auto-cutoff or what the battery level is at that point. I do know that the Canon S3 IS is very easy on batteries. Quick less than 2 second power up, Focus is quick and shutter almost no shutter lag makes a nice camera, and to add all the other features the S3 has. Oh, did I say anything about the great movie modes? Now I can leave my Canon Video camera t home most of the time.

It's not a small point and shoot but it's not as bulky as an SLR. I havent had any good photo ops yet but looking at my test photo's, I'm shure I'll be pleased.

3/31/2007 I tested camera with a standard (not high speed) Sandisk 1GB sd card. I saw no problems with shooting video in any video mode. Shooting pictures in highest resolution (superfine) high speed continuous mode I got 80 photo's before I heard a delay in taking pictures. In highest resolution (fine) high speed continuous mode I got 150 pictures before I heard a delay in taking photo's.

You can get a faster download of data to your computer from a high speed card.




->Compare

I've had a couple point-and-shoot digital cameras already (3 Sonys and 1 Canon SD600) and I felt it was time for me to advance my photography skills. I purchased the Nikon D50 last December and it is an excellent camera except that it had so many more functions that I didn't need nor understood how to use.

Then I found out about the Canon S3 IS. It's seems like the perfect in between camera! It has a bunch of the Canon creative modes like night shot, sports, color accent, black & white, but it also has modes where you can adjust your pictures manually, like shutter and aperture priority. The display shows all the functions you are currently using as well as a live histogram to aid you while you take pictures. It also adjusts the image on the LCD (unlike for pro-SLRs) so you know what your picture will most likely look like with your settings. The video/sound is superb. Shots take in auto look great as well.

The body of the camera is ergonomically friendly. It looks and feels like a mini-SLR, it's lightweight, and the controls are extremely easy to learn and use. The LCD also flips and and turns 180 degrees for when you want to take self-portraits. It's also useful flipped out to get a better view of things higher and lower than your usual field of vision. The LCD could be bigger but it's not a big deal to me. The rockers, dials, and buttons function smoothly and the menu is very intuitive.

The camera uses 4AA batteries. It comes with 4 disposibles but you have to buy your own rechargable batteries with charger. I think it's great though to have AA batteries rather than those camera-specific batteries (which my Canon SD600 and Nikon D50 both used) because you can actually just buy some AAs if your rechargables run out and you don't have the charger on hand. I read that you should buy the nimh with an mah of 2500 or greater because these supposedly last longer per charge.

Overall, this camera is an excellent choice for those who want more control over their pictures than with their point-and-shoots but for whom SLRs might be too expensive or just too pro (like it was for me). You will actually use all the functions on this camera. I think it's also a great camera to use and learn to use more manual functions in case you decide to eventually move up to an SLR.

Enjoy! :)


->Compare

I researched for a couple of weeks before settling on the Canon S3IS, and I have no regrets. I've had it for a couple of weeks and have taken all kinds of shots in different environments. It performs well in all of them.

The 12x zoom lets me take up-close shots from 20 feet away, which is perfect when shooting wildlife. And if you're already in close proximity you can use the zoom for extra detail. The controls allow you to get the photo you're looking for as long as you have a second to make adjustments, or you can use "auto" mode if you're in decent lighting and every shot will come out great. I thought it would be difficult to learn my way around the camera, but after reading the manual and fooling with it for a few days I had it down. Most importantly, you have to experiment with this camera, it can do A LOT or a little... depending on your skill and know-how.

Added Perks: This camera runs on AA's, which are conveniently available all over the world and will never be "discontinued". Also, the flip LCD feature is awesome - I can set the timer and take pictures with friends and we can actually see what's in the frame! Plus it helps protect the LCD, which is a bit small, but it does the job. The SUPER MACRO feature is just incredible... I took a picture of a lady bug from 2 inches away and you can see every detail.

It's not as sleek and small as a point-and-shoot, but you pay more for quality than convenience.

Overall this is a fantastic camera with warm, but vibrant color, excellent detail, and a lot of features. It can be simple enough for the beginner, but offers the control and functionality, allowing hobbyists and amature photographers to be a little more creative.






->Best Price

My first Canon---I'm hooked!!! I spend too much time taking photos and editing on my computer. It's just so easy and the functions are right there at your fingertips. The easiest camera to use. Pictures are sharp, bright and exact. What can I take a photo next!!! Got to get going!!!



->Best Price

A little small is my first impression but not something I can't get used to.
I'd love to be able to capture an image I have zoomed in the camera but quality suffers there so it is not usually recommended. And zooming would be more seamless were it so and not jumpy (as in the difference between digital and analog). An eye cup would be nice to block out the real world while peeking thru my viewfinder. I added the extension tube and lens shade which protects the front element of the lens and gives me something to hold onto when carrying the camera in my hand and shooting; I'm told it looks sexy as hell too (wish that rubbed off on the holder). But as a sometimes pro and addicted shooter (hundreds of exposures a day - some friends tell me they sometimes fail to recognize me at first without that black thing in front of my face. I think it adds to my cuteness) I do really like it, tho the stabilizer leaves something to be desired. I still love the heft of the Sony 717 and use it often but not as much as I used to. The Sony T50 would be the next addition to my stable of cameras.


->Deals

I bought this camera for my husbands birthday and he absolutly loves it. I also bought it because we are about to have our second child and our old camera was too slow when I wanted to capture those cute moments. It also always turned out fuzzy. With this new camera I can get every little detail and it is super fast. I never miss a quick smile anymore from our two year old. We also love the video feature and have quit using our video recorder and have just stuck with the cameras video option for all of those cute moments that we want to catch on video for the future.


->Cheap

I got this camera today and have given it all the tests I could think of. Played with all the different modes. Took it outside for some nature shots, etc. Overall it's a great camera, and the new lower prices makes it even a better deal. However, when shooting videos there is a very noticeable high pitched whine. I've tried adjusting all audio and video settings, turning off the IS, etc. There's nothing I can do to get rid of this annoying sound that occurs during all video recording. A quick web search turned up that this is a common problem with this camera and seems to affect most, if not all, S3s to some degree or another. Mine happens to be particularly bad. The user forums over at dpreview dot com talk about this problem. I've written Canon and am awaiting a reply. If they cannot fix this, my S3 is going back to the store. One of my reasons for choosing this camera was the great video features - however, this audio problem is rendering all videos shot on this camera unwatchable. Had this not been a problem, this camera would have gotten 4-4.5 stars. However, since this problem is so annoying and seems to be very common on S3s, I'm having to rate this just 2 stars.


->Lowest Price

I wanted a camera that was easy to use, that took really good pictures without much import from me, the camera user. This camera does all of that and moreover I have become fascinated by all it can do and what I can do with it. The photo software that comes with it is amazing and I have been editing away like mad and am so pleased with the final results, I feel like a pro!! My one criticism of the camera is that when holding it to take a photo my right thumb gets in the way of all the buttons etc or is it the other way around? Consequently I am still trying to find a comfortable (don't have to think where my fingers are) position to hold it. Nevertheless I am so pleased that I chose this camera for my birthday present.


->Cheap

I have taken numerous shots and am very happy with the detail of the picture.


->Wholesale

I am very happy with this camera. It was actually a gift for my dad after buying one in December for ourselves and finding it to be perfect. My dad liked the look of it so we bought him the same one. It's great because you can just point and snap if yo want to, but you can also do all the fiddly stuff too. A great buy at a very reasonable price.


->Prices

No fuss camera, with many functions and a so-so build. Entry level professionals may want to go a bit higher and go for an entry level DSLR. For the rest of us this is one of the best options available on the market.


->Deal

Its really a pride to own this camera.Picture quality is great and lot of features!!!


->Price

BY FAR THE BEST CAMERA ON THE MARKET! My friends are envious and I am a neebie at digital photography and I have taken some great photos. I did a lot of searching and found Amazon had the lowest price and fastest delivery!


->Deal

i have owned this camera for several months now and so far i am very satisfied with it. i especially like the 12x zoom capability with image stabilization and its macro capabilities. Since i am interested in wildlife and nature shots, i was able to take a picture up close of a nesting eagle up on a hill and take close-up shots of the ridges of a seashell using these features. Battery life is great, and i haven't had any trouble with this camera so far. I haven't explored yet all the features this camera has to offer, but i'm sure i won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.


->Sale

I went from having a so-so camera that only captured the side of my baby's head because of the delay. Now, my baby is the most beautiful baby in the world with this camera! The quality of the photos is just spectacular. I had wanted to buy a SLR but couldn't afford the $600 price tag (probably more), and I heard about this Canon, so figured I'd give it a shot. I absolutely love this camera. Cannot recommend it highly enough.


->Deals

I love this camera. This is the first "decent" camera I have ever bought. All my other cameras take horrible pictures...slow shutter speed, slow recording times, blurry pictures. This camera made me look like a pro photographer the first day of use and I don't know anything about taking pics! Very user friendly. Very fast to boot and take pics. Stunning clarity in pictures. Image stabilization is great. The camera is pretty heavy for its size and the lcd could be larger, but that aside... I LOVE IT!


->Deal

I bought this camera for my husbands birthday and he absolutly loves it. I also bought it because we are about to have our second child and our old camera was too slow when I wanted to capture those cute moments. It also always turned out fuzzy. With this new camera I can get every little detail and it is super fast. I never miss a quick smile anymore from our two year old. We also love the video feature and have quit using our video recorder and have just stuck with the cameras video option for all of those cute moments that we want to catch on video for the future.


->Deal

I got this camera today and have given it all the tests I could think of. Played with all the different modes. Took it outside for some nature shots, etc. Overall it's a great camera, and the new lower prices makes it even a better deal. However, when shooting videos there is a very noticeable high pitched whine. I've tried adjusting all audio and video settings, turning off the IS, etc. There's nothing I can do to get rid of this annoying sound that occurs during all video recording. A quick web search turned up that this is a common problem with this camera and seems to affect most, if not all, S3s to some degree or another. Mine happens to be particularly bad. The user forums over at dpreview dot com talk about this problem. I've written Canon and am awaiting a reply. If they cannot fix this, my S3 is going back to the store. One of my reasons for choosing this camera was the great video features - however, this audio problem is rendering all videos shot on this camera unwatchable. Had this not been a problem, this camera would have gotten 4-4.5 stars. However, since this problem is so annoying and seems to be very common on S3s, I'm having to rate this just 2 stars.


->Sale

I wanted a camera that was easy to use, that took really good pictures without much import from me, the camera user. This camera does all of that and moreover I have become fascinated by all it can do and what I can do with it. The photo software that comes with it is amazing and I have been editing away like mad and am so pleased with the final results, I feel like a pro!! My one criticism of the camera is that when holding it to take a photo my right thumb gets in the way of all the buttons etc or is it the other way around? Consequently I am still trying to find a comfortable (don't have to think where my fingers are) position to hold it. Nevertheless I am so pleased that I chose this camera for my birthday present.


->Cheap

I have taken numerous shots and am very happy with the detail of the picture.


->Compare

I am very happy with this camera. It was actually a gift for my dad after buying one in December for ourselves and finding it to be perfect. My dad liked the look of it so we bought him the same one. It's great because you can just point and snap if yo want to, but you can also do all the fiddly stuff too. A great buy at a very reasonable price.


->Buy

Got it just yesterday, absolutely love it. Still going through the manuals but whatever i could operate without even looking at the manuals , its just superb.


->Deals

Just received this camera yesterday inserted the batteries, the 1GB Chip, turned it on and started shooting. This camera is not for the novice. It can be used as a point and shoot or set it up the way you like it, it's very easy to use.


->Purchase

Highly recommended. My photos are amazing. The zoom is wonderful.
A lot of custom commands and very good presets, the sports settings is excellent to take fast photos.
You will not be disappointed with this product. 100% guaranteed.



->Cheap

I truly enjoy this camera! I feel as though I need to take a class in order to figure out everything that it is capable of doing. So, I guess in jargon speak, it is feature rich. There is not much "noise" produced when zooming, in fact I cant' seem to remember any so far. My DV camcorder recently died on us and now we are going to use the S3IS as our main camcorder for a few months. The video feature is great. It takes just enough frames per second to keep the video looking crisp and clear. Also, the fact that you can still zoom while recording, a feature I didn't have on my last still shot camera, is amazing to me.
Cons: I have been getting frustrated taking pictures indoors because of the lag time produced by the autofocus. In auto mode you may well miss that shot you wanted indoors because the camera was unable to set the distance properly and adjust the flash for the distance. Operating without the flash changes the lens speed so that those pictures are frequently blurry. So I have a choice, blurry pictures, or deal with the frustration of getting about 80% of the choicest little moments and big smiles from little 14 month old. I'm keeping the camera, its worth every penny I paid for it!! I'll figure out the indoor thing eventually.


->Price

camera is excellent . photo is as excellent. price is excellent. zoom is excellent.


->Comparison

I was given the S3 IS by my father when he upgraded to a Pentax dSLR and I've found it to be unbelievably easy to use and take very good, hi-res pictures. It is extremely simple to focus, unlike the S1 IS, which lacks the laser focus the S3 IS has. I've had the opportunity to do a lot of different types of photography with it, too, which is great--everything from low light to hand held shots of the waxing moon (super clear) to catching my daughter running around outside or at the beach, photographing birds at the local Audobon Society property, sunsets and sunrises. This seems to me to be just one step before having a DSLR--it has so many great functions and at this point in it's "distinguished career" is at an all-time low price on the website!


->

I have had the chance to use this camera in several different settings. I have had great results with sports action photos, low light situations as well as the normal auto mode. Zoom has worked great. Camera very easy to use. I debated on a digital SLR before buying this camera. I am extremely pleased that I chose this camera.


->

Coming from a strictly 35mm film background, I've only owned a couple of digital point & shoot cameras to use for snapshots. They served the purpose but that's all that I could say about them.

I wanted to replace a dead p&s model and decided to try something a little more advanced. My needs didn't require a DSLR so I stared to research other options.

My first requirement was that the camera have a way other than the LCD on which to compose. This eliminated a lot of cameras from consideration. There are a few with optical viewfinders but very few were more than higher-end p&s models.

That's when I started to look into models with EVFs. This narrowed the field down considerably. Every brand and model is a compromise of some sort and it came down to finding the ones with the fewest compromises.

The Canon S3IS turned out to be the camera. I bought it here on Amazon for about $20 more than it's selling for today. The price of this camera seems to be dropping almost daily. Possibly there's a replacement model coming soon.

I've only had the camera for a few weeks and haven't given it a full workout yet. Preliminary results show it to be a fine piece of equipment with more features than I'll ever use. I especially like the fact that it uses AA batteries. Rechargeable NIMH batteries are inexpensive and regular alkalines are available in an emergency.

Other than for 1 shortcoming, I would have given the S3IS 5 stars. The lens is quite prone to red fringing in the highlight areas at the longer end of it's focal length. I find this very disappointing coming from a company like Canon.

Perhaps I'm being too fussy about this, but I've used some fine lenses over the years and am very demanding of lens performance. Under most circumstances the fringing isn't an issue and at the 4X6 print size is really almost impossible to see. Be that as it may, I find it annoying and spoils what is otherwise a fine piece of equipment.


->Lowest Price

I thought I would never get my 3 years old Nikon for any other camera, but it broke on an accident and I had to do it. I did some research with friends and most of them recommended Canon PowerShot. It is a very good camera for people like me who like to take nice shots, but does not want to feel like a pro. It has lots of features I have not even tested yet, and I think it will take me a year to get all of it. This camera's operation is not intuitive, though. I had to read the manual to learn some basic things, like recording video and setting up image size and resolution. But after you learn those tricks, everything comes up easy.

Pictures in low light are very nice. I went to some underground caves, and the pictures I got out of it, even without a tripod, were good. If I had a tripod, and learned all of the functions it has, I bet they would have been Excellent.

In some situations, colors are not as bright as the ones I had from the Nikon, but most of the time I get better pictures from this Canon than the ones I got from my old Nikon (it is a 3 years difference in technology after all).

Overall, I feel satisfied with the purchase.


->Lowest Price

After searching through all the digital cameras available on the market, I selected the Canon Powershot S3 IS 6MP. This camera has all the features I wanted and could be purchased for a fair price. As of this point, I am 100% pleased with the camera. It is a very "User Friendly" camera and for basic photography, it is a "point & shoot". But when wanting to go deeper into more complex photography, the camera will be ready when you are ready. I highly recommend this camera.


->Deal

This camera is by far the best one I have ever bought. The flash is a little to bright if you are up close to a person subject, but I think you can adjust that, I just haven't figured it out yet. Other than that, no disappointments for this camera...love it!


->Affordable

I moved from a Canon A80 to the S3 and enjoyed the trip. The controls were familiar so I felt right at home, but it was like going from a fine little Ford to a Ferrari. Everything was faster, sharper, and better. Even the feel of the camera in your hand was more natural. Lastly, photo settings are far harder to accidentally reset on the S3 for which I am very grateful.


->Best Price

It took some time to learn; this is definitely not a point-and-shoot camera. But it pays to learn; the zoom and video are just awesome. The only negative is that it's not pocket-size.


->Deals

Great camera. It takes nice pictures even at night : I pictured some buildings in Las Vegas without flash and are very nice. I couldn't get the same results with a Panasonic Lumix from same category (even with flash ON).

It's a bit heavy but it's a nice camera overall. Nice IS too.



->Deals

graet camera, it has worked excellent for me.
It has the widescreen option that the S2 doesn't have.

The resolution and zoom are great.
Maybe not a good idea to use max zoom in a not too well illuminated area, but hey, no camera does. You'd have to get an extra flash for that.

I was impressed with the macro option it has, it's very good, and so is the Image Stabilizer.

So far no complains.

It's cheap for what it does but if you want to save a little more money you could go with the S2 instead of the S3.


->Best Price

I bought this camera last week, just prior to a long trip around Asia.

I used it for 3 days at my first stop, and enjoyed taking photos with it.

Once or twice, when I turned it on, the viewfinder just showed dark gray static, but turning it off and back on cured it. I didn't think much of it at the time.

As of today (day 5 of the trip), that's all it does, both in the viewfinder and LCD. I can vaguely see the difference between pointing it at a bright light vs a dark area (the screen goes between gray and black), but that's it.

All the icons display properly and I can review previously taken photos with no problem.

It was never abused in any way - for travel I packed it in the original box with original packing materials, in my carry-on bag, which was with me at all times and never banged or dropped.

I must assume the thing was just defective.

Now I discover that Canon's warranty only covers it in the US, so they will not fix it here unless I pay for the repair, estimated at half what I paid for it a week ago. The only alternative seems to be to send it back to the US at my expense (the return trip by FedEx will cost 75% what I paid for the camera). I had really looked forward to taking lots of photographs on this trip and now that's ruined unless I outlay a huge amount of extra cash. I am inclined to buy a different camera to replace it rather than take another chance with the S3 IS.

Obviously I can't speak to the general reliability of this model, but if you do buy one, make sure you do it well in advance of any overseas trip so you can make sure it's not a dud.


->Affordable

It has some great things: an awesome super macro mode, great 12x zoom, but also some annoying little factors: icky aut-focus and difficult manual focus, tiny and not clear LCD, horrible fake viewfinder.
I got really annoyed, especially when taking macro pics because the LCD made it look as if the picture was in focus, but when I uploaded the pic, it wasn't in focus at all! Maybe it's just because I'm not a great photographer?
Overall, its a nice cheap camera for amateurs...but maybe there are better choices.


->Lowest Price

This is my first digital camera, though I've used many. So far, I've been happy with the quality of photographs and the ease of use. It is not small enough to fit in my pocket, but it isn't heavy either. There are many handy features that I will be trying soon. I've used the timer, which works very well and was intutive to learn. The include memory card is pathetically small-16MB. Be sure you purchase at least 1 GB if you plan to take more than 4 pictures at one time.


->Compare

This camera does everything. It has tons of things to learn and is a challenge to use to its fullest extent, but I am not disappointed.


->Best Price

GREAT GIFT THAT CAN ALWAYS BE USED ANYTIME


->Sale

Very nice and solid camera, It will do everything you need. For this price is more tha enough. Compare with the similar model panasonic is 100 dollars more expensive.

Great movies...


->Wholesale

I've had the S3 IS for about a week now and am thoroughly impressed with it. Before the Canon I owned a Minolta Z6, and though both cameras' tech specs are similar, the Canon is far superior. I decided to migrate to S3 IS because of the Minolta's shortcomings, such as poor battery life, terrible handling of contrast, oversaturation of reds and bad white balance. As far as I can tell, the S3 has none of these problems. I was also worried about the learning curve -- changing brands can be daunting and difficult -- but the Canon is very intuitive and easy to set and handle, plus it offers tons of options to get it to do exactly what you want. It is also fantastic in low light conditions (as good as the Olympus C2100 UZ). The 12x optical zoom and image stabilization are fantastic. I have equipped the S3 with a Lensmate 58 mm lens adapter (several owners recommended the Lensmate product instead of the Canon adapter) and it works fine. It also spares me the minor aggravation of the original Canon lens cap, which comes off easily.


->Buy

I was debating on whether to upgrade to a digital SLR or go with a high-end digital. In the end, I decided I wasn't likely to lug around a bunch of lenses. So, I chose the S3 IS, because with a 12x zoom, it's like having a telephoto.

The camera takes great pictures, and has a lot of great auto settings - high speed, night, etc. I love pairing the AV mode with telephoto to create artsy photos where one item is in focus, and the rest is blurred.

While the LCD is smaller than some, the ability to flip it around more than makes up for it. Not only does it allow self portraits, but you can tilt it up to take ground level photos or tilt it down to take an over your head shot.

The video is also great quality, and you can zoom while filming and take still photos. However, if you take a still photo, when you plan back the video, there is a one second freeze where the photo was taken.

I really can't think of any negatives. I'm very happy with this camera.


->Best Price

I bought this camera and the new G7, the S3 takes pictures twice as clear as the G7...its just big and little ugly, but I love the S3


->Buy

After reading reviews of many cameras here and elsewhere, I decided on the S3. I am totally thrilled with it, it is more than I expected. The video and sound are very clear. The macro is incredible you can shoot up to the edge of the lens and its sharp. The stabilized zoom is very impressive, I shot a kilim wall hanging across the room on telephoto, downloaded and zoomed in and could see crisp threads in perfect focus. I find the buttons in logical locations, and have used many of the special effects built in. The only 2 things I am a bit picky about the design is the LCD when out is in some conflict with the strap, and the ISO range,I would have liked a bit more expansive, But for the price,it is great.


->Deal

I have had the camera for a couple of months. I had a digital camera with lower resolution that i really liked before buying this one. I only bring a basic competence in taking straightforward pictures and this camera works very well in that respect. I found the camera relatively easy to use on all of the features that i wanted and fairly easy to research some experimental stuff. Most of what i take includes still photos [inside and outside], some short video clips, and still photos with a timer at Christmas. i have tried some specialty features [night shots] and they are pretty easy to figure out. i am certainly not a camera pro but for a layperson it works very well and produces very good pictures. It also has enough features that i can learn some techniques from using the camera. The optical zoom is great.
i also found the shutter speed to be much better than my older camera.

The video card works well with my computer and the resulting photo prints are excellent.

If you want a small camera then this would not be your choice, but for ease of use, quality of photos and additional features then i would highly recommend this one.


->Prices

I love my Canon S3, has a great zoom and good quality pictures. Shutter speed can be a little slow, and sometimes I have had blurry pictures if I haven't kept the camera completely still.

But overall it is really great camera both for indoor and outdoor pictures, have taken pictures sailing, skiing, low light etc, all came out in great quality.


->Affordable

This is my third digital camera. I am semipro but my wife like to take some family picture too. This camera satisface both requeriment. Ligth and small. Good construccion and very ergonomic. The only concern is with lent protection that it need a big adaptative ring, the same that you need to acoplate other lenses. I dont like this ring because the camera losse its small size.


->Buy

We wanted an 'almost' SLR and the S3 really does the trick. We looked at a lot of photos on Amazon and Flickr taken by this and other cameras, then looked at prices and accessories and the Canon won out. We've had it long enough to do our first trip with it (Australia and Japan) and we're happy with our purchase. You can use the auto function for those "snap snap snap" family get-togethers or flip into manual mode when you want to take that personal masterpiece (or movie or macro). This camera _does_ do well in low light, which was our biggest worry. Even when it suggests using the flash, you can often still pull off a good pic without. Even if you do use the flash, you can adjust he intensity of it which is just... awesome. I hate over-lit pics like we often got from our previous digital cameras. Those days are gone. Also, the zoom, lens and stabilizer are top notch. Based on our satisfaction with the S3, we'll probably buy a Rebel (or whatever it's called in the future) when we next upgrade.


->Affordable

I really enjoy this camera, I like how it takes pictures,how light it is,and It's just as good as any pro-camera out there,if not better.
D.palmer


->Deals

This isn't a review of the S3 specifically, although I just got one; rather, it's a review of Canon customer service. My S1, which purchased about 3 years ago, recently broke. However, Canon had issued a consumer advisory on the particular problem I experienced and, through the advisory, offered to fix the problem even if the original warranty had expired (which was true in my case). Anyway, I sent my S1 back and after a couple of weeks, Canon sent me back a refurbished S3. While not brand new, I was very pleasantly surprised: the S3 is clearly a significant upgrade over my S1. Considering that my camera was 3 years old, the trade off was more than worth it.

I'm looking forward to using the S3, since I was alreadly pleased with the performance of the S1.


->Deal

YOU WILL ENJOY THE POWERSHOT. IT BRINGS THE SHOT TO YOU


->Prices

A wonderful camera! It has so many great features and with a little reading and practice, you will feel at home with it and be able to do more than you thought you could with it. I did quite a bit of research before deciding on this camera and it was definitely worth it. I love it! I would recommend a 1 GB card, however, especially if you plan on using the video feature. All in all, this camera is worth the money for those who wnat more than a point-and-shoot digital camera; I would say it is almost a DSLR camera, which can be a very expensive purchase for most of us. Highly recommended.


->Prices

I bought this camera mainly because I wanted more zoom than I could get with one of the pocket cameras. That feature works very well, though I'm still learning the other camera features.

The LCD panel went out 2 months after I got the camera. The camera was still operable, but I had to look through the viewfinder, both for taking pictures and for navigating the menus. I'm glad it wasn't a disaster, but it was a pain, especially since it broke during a family wedding, when I really wanted to take good pictures. I sent it back to Canon, and they repaired it under warranty, but I was out about $10 for shipping/insurance and without my camera for almost 2 weeks.

I also agree with other reviewers that an optical viewfinder would be better - especially in the bright sunlight, I have trouble seeing what I'm shooting.


->Buy

I am not a professional photographer that is why instead of getting a SLR I decided to get this one instead. However, this camera is great, allow you to do everything automatic with good quality or set it up manually. The only bad thing that I found so far is that there is no battery indicator in the camera. So when the batteries are going to die a battery blinks.

Overall, this camera is excellent.



->Best Price

I think it is an overall good camera. I am pretty new at the more advanced options. The manual is kind of vague. I upgraded from a kodak CX series, so getting used to the setup was my initial challenge, but once you learn what everything does, it becomes fairly simply to operate. Trial and Error worked the best for me. The zoom works wonderfully-with the image stablization. I would say it is worth the money.


->Wholesale

No complaints - this camera is great. We especially like:
- the zoom
- easy battery replacement
- picture quality
- options for managing exposure
Thanks.


->

This camera is fantastic. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said about it. It is easy to use, fairly lightweight/easy to carry around, and great quality for the price. I absolutely love this camera and all it has to offer.


->Wholesale

We spent quite a bit of time looking at a variety of models to determine which features were important to us. We chose the S3 because for these features primarily: viewfinder AND LCD screen, image stabilization, good zoom options, ability to operate manually, fairly quick shutter response.

Overall we are fairly pleased with the results. The shutter response is reasonable, the LCD screen is a good size and quickly/easily switches to viewfinder. The dial on top to change functions is user friendly and logical. We especially like that we can zoom/unzoom and take pictures with one hand due to the location of the buttons. We are also very pleased with the adjustability of the LCD screen that has allowed us to sneak around corners to catch grandma's and aunties changing the new babies diaper or to shoot over a crowd at a wedding reception!

Only a few (slight) disappointments: the sensitivity of needing flash when using "auto" mode- there have been numerous cute baby pictures in low light that either have been missed because there wasn't time to flip flash (or change to low light) or the shot ends up overbright when the flash is used.... the quick usage of batteries which is why we are researching and planning to convert to rechargeables.


->Prices

This camera give all the convenience and ease of use of a point & shoot camera. However it has all the creative features of a dSLR without the additional cost or inconvenience of changing lenses. Many dSLR users pay the price of this camera just for their flash, or much more than this for their dSLR body.
If you want a camera to impress your friends with then an overpriced dSLR with a gigantic lens may be for you. If you want a camera which will never cause you to miss a superb still shot or even excellent video clip then this is the only sensible choice.


->Cheap

This camera is one of the best lower priced cameras on the market. I had used this S3 on my vacation and the image stabilization was a priceless feature.I was shooting pictures from a moving car on telephoto and coming out with perfect shots.Battery life is great with six aa batteries.The camera uses a sd memory card which can be found online,I purchased two 2gb cards.The flash is substantial.I am very happy with the canon s3.


->Deal

I had looked long and hard for a medium sized digital camera, not full 35mm size but not the small pocket size either. The S3 is the answer. It has the various program modes like my 35mm Canon so there was very little to learn. The controls are ergonomicaly friendly, especially the grip. The camera is very quick to respond and the pictures are very clear and sharp. I did notice that there is noticable noise at the higher ISO settings, especially at 400 and above. The flash is more than adequate but must be raised manually. The image stabilization feature really works well and provides steady shots that otherwise would have been blurry. The video mode provides great video clips with stereo sound and the ability to take stills even while taking video. Overall, I am very pleased with this camera. It is a smaller version of my Canon Rebel but takes much better pictures. I would recommend this camera if you are looking for a midsized format but with all the bells and whistles of the bigger models.


->Best Price

Great photos, great functions. Love the camera but have not had a chance to use all the functions. Mostly photographflowers and wild life. The season was short by the time I purchased the camera.


->Buy Online

Excellent picture quality, very long battery life, quick response. Everything that you need in a point and shoot camera but with SLR like features. I strongly recommend S3IS to anyone who is looking for a good digital camera.


->Compare

This was the best camera I could afford... I wanted the Canon EOS Rebel, but that was out of my price range... this is better than the typical compact digital camera...

Make sure you buy rechargeable batteries though, or you will be burning up your AA batteries!

I am happy with this purchase.


->Deal

This camera give all the convenience and ease of use of a point & shoot camera. However it has all the creative features of a dSLR without the additional cost or inconvenience of changing lenses. Many dSLR users pay the price of this camera just for their flash, or much more than this for their dSLR body.
If you want a camera to impress your friends with then an overpriced dSLR with a gigantic lens may be for you. If you want a camera which will never cause you to miss a superb still shot or even excellent video clip then this is the only sensible choice.


->Deals

This camera is one of the best lower priced cameras on the market. I had used this S3 on my vacation and the image stabilization was a priceless feature.I was shooting pictures from a moving car on telephoto and coming out with perfect shots.Battery life is great with six aa batteries.The camera uses a sd memory card which can be found online,I purchased two 2gb cards.The flash is substantial.I am very happy with the canon s3.


->Deal

I had looked long and hard for a medium sized digital camera, not full 35mm size but not the small pocket size either. The S3 is the answer. It has the various program modes like my 35mm Canon so there was very little to learn. The controls are ergonomicaly friendly, especially the grip. The camera is very quick to respond and the pictures are very clear and sharp. I did notice that there is noticable noise at the higher ISO settings, especially at 400 and above. The flash is more than adequate but must be raised manually. The image stabilization feature really works well and provides steady shots that otherwise would have been blurry. The video mode provides great video clips with stereo sound and the ability to take stills even while taking video. Overall, I am very pleased with this camera. It is a smaller version of my Canon Rebel but takes much better pictures. I would recommend this camera if you are looking for a midsized format but with all the bells and whistles of the bigger models.


->Buy

Great photos, great functions. Love the camera but have not had a chance to use all the functions. Mostly photographflowers and wild life. The season was short by the time I purchased the camera.


->Deal

Excellent picture quality, very long battery life, quick response. Everything that you need in a point and shoot camera but with SLR like features. I strongly recommend S3IS to anyone who is looking for a good digital camera.


->Deal

Great camera. Easy to use. Super-fast, free delivery! Very pleased.

It takes great pictures and movies!


->Price

I waited for a long time to get this camera, and it was worth the wait. Don't try to read the manual before you use it, it will probably scare you. Load up the batteries and the memory chip (like all digitals, you'll need more memory than what they come with...I'm using a Kingston 2GB Elite with great results...I've tried other chips...256MB is usable, but you will want at least 512MB!), and go out and play with it. When you can't figure something out, look it up in the book (which is pretty well organized, just a little intimidating because of the number of features the camera has). I've taken about 800 photos and about 40 minutes of video so far. Video quality and sound quality are very good. Picture quality is very good, although if you use a lot of zoom ,especially in low light conditions, the autofocus is a little slow. The camera has features to deal with this, however, and I'm getting better and better pictures as I become more accustomed to it's personality. This camera can do so much, it WILL entice you to find out what it CAN do. The factory zoom is so much better than any other digitals I've used, and the convenience and quality of photos has made my Minolta 35mm a very lonely camera indeed.


->Best Price

Its boon for amateur photographer, who wants to learn photography. Though pros can do a lot with this.

Amazing clarity and prints. Its more than just Value for Money.


->Price

This is a great camera with so many cool features!!! Love it!! I would have rated it higher but I am still learning about all of the features!! I would highly recommend this camera with all of its features!!


->Discount

This was a Christmas gift for our son. We did a lot of reseach before we bought this camera. It was highly rated, and as far as our son is concerned, he feels that it certainly has lived up to its reputation. He is very pleased with its performance. It is easy to use and produces pictures of high quality. We purchased it from Vanns. The price was very good, and we received it promptly as promised. We would definitely do business with them again through Amazon. Thank you.


->Compare

I was in the market for a camera with a capable zoom and the ability to use some manual features, and the S3 IS fit the bill.

When I was shopping for the right camera, I narrowed the search to either the S3 or the Lumix FZ7. Because the Lumix was a little less expensive, I went to the store hoping to love that one. But despite the good reviews for it, the Lumix felt cheap next to the Canon, and the shots just weren't as sharp.

I like that the Canon uses standard AA batteries; I picked up some rechargables that last for ages...and if I'm out an in a pinch, I can pick up spares at any store.

I've taken a wide variety of shots, and I'm consistently impressed with how the camera performs. I didn't want to drop the money on a dSLR, but I wanted to have control over the camera-- and this one does the trick.

The S3 IS has enough heft to feel like a serious piece of equipment; but is compact enough to fit in my coat pocket. And from a features to cost perspective, I really don't think one could do any better. The video features really limits my need to use my video camera that cost three times as much as the S3, actually.

In general, the combination of the powerful zoom and the continuous shooting mode has been great to get just the right shot both for my two-year-old, and to get quality action martial arts shots. The camera peformss fairly well in lower light situations, and I've been able to get some really nice night shots without a tripod because of the IS feature.

I highly recommend the S3 IS. I ended up buying it for about $220, and I've seen people spend much more on far lesser cameras. There is a lot of bang for the buck to be had here.


->Discount

This camera has been fantastic. All the different settings come in handy and the zoom is great.


->Compare

As a friend once told me, it is hard to go wrong with a Canon. This is so true. The S3 is the fourth Canon in our family and it is an upgrade to the PowerShot G2. What can I say except "wow"? The crisp pictures and wonderful zoom have made this upgrade an absolute dream. The next best thing to a digital SLR without the hefty price. I also purchased the 2x zoom lens (also from Canon) and am pleased with it as well. Focus with the zoom lens is a little more difficult in low light but overall has been great. My understanding is that this is NOT much of an upgrade from the S2. But going from the G2 was like moving from a Toyota to a Porsche.


->Wholesale

I bought this camera a few days ago, and used it extensively for a wedding rehearsal/ceremony/reception, as well as a birthday party. It did a great job. I'm coming from a point-and-shoot with no optical zoom, so obviously I had some pretty under-whelming experiences before, but I've used the Rebel series before, and while this certainly isn't a d-SLR, it really does a fantastic job. It is pretty much the perfect balance between a d-SLR and a point-and-shoot.

The image quality this puts out is really nice. Low-light shots don't give it much trouble, and coupled with the high-power flash, this was generally not an issue at all. The optical zoom does a fantastic job (I noticed some slight artifacting when zoomed at 12x in low-light, but other than that, no problems).

Surprisingly, the video recording capabilities of this camera are startling. I do video production for a living, and work with an HDV camera most of the time, but use normal DV cameras as well. The quality of the video the Canon S3 can put out is at least equivalent to a decent DV-cam. Taking into account the low cost of SD flash memory nowadays (I acquired a 2GB card for $35 from a retail store), you can easily use the camera to store 20-30 minutes of video. Once 4-8GB cards become economical, I would certainly consider recommending others to look at this camera if they have neither a camera or a camcorder. The quality of the still shots you will get on this will be much higher than the stills you can get on most camcorders, and the video you get on the S3 is pretty close to what you would see on most consumer-level DV-camcorders.

In summary, this is a great camera, at a very reasonable price. I would highly recommend it for those that want something more than a point-and-shoot, but don't quite need all the bells and whistles of a d-SLR.


->Compare

My last digital camera was a Canon S20. I have small children and needed a digital camera that took pictures as soon as you pressed the button. This camera was exactly what I was looking for. Once you press the button the picture is taken. There is no delay as there is on many digital cameras.

At first I was going to purchase an SLR but that was too much camera for my needs. This is an SLR with out the lens changes.

I originally purchased a Olympus SP-500 UZ Ultra Zoom and when you zoomed it was almost impossible to keep the camera focused without a tripod. I returned it the next day. The S3's image stabilization feature is awesome. Even when in digital zoom mode you get clear, focused pictures.

Since I own a Canon i900D printer I can print pictures directly from the camera to the printer. There was absolutely no set up at all. Totally integrated. This is a great feature when you need a quick print on the go.

The Zoom Browser software is great but if you are familiar with the Canon Digital Camera products then you know that already. It is improved and for throw-in software it rivals some of the other off the shelf packages.

The only negatives I would mention is over course the lens cover. Damn thing never stays on. Also the manual focus is a bit user unfriendly.

Overall a great camera.


->Compare

This is the closest thing to a digital SLR I've seen and is absolutely AWESOME! It has wide angle and telephoto lenses available, has digital viewfinder with the option to look at the LCD display or through the lens. MANY optional modes. Took incredible pictures at Disney and Bush Gardens Tampa. Can take high resolution shots for large photo reproduction. Easy photo transfer to computer or printer.


->Best Price

This camera is fantastic for the beginner photographer who wants to really learn about photography. There are both "point and click" options as well as manual settings to allow you to learn about different camera operations such as aperature and shutter speed. The menu pads are well laid out so various settings can be found simply and quickly.


->Sale

I'm very, very happy with my S3 IS. I previously had a Nikon 4800; this camera is easier to use, much faster and takes better pics.


->Prices

Excellent camera with very quick response time when you press to shoot. Also great quality images. Has a lot of bottoms to help get quicker to a function but lacks of helps menu or little info when you get to a function like some other have.




->Price

I have owned 2 Sony Cybershot Cameras, a Pentax Optio, a HP ??. I used to do a lot of SLR film photography and have never been satisfied with the switch to digital until now. Very happy with ease of use and QUALITY of pictures.


->Comparison

After a lot of research, we bought this camera for our daughter who works on her high school yearbook. She has loved it. It has every feature you could want at this price, including an extra long optical zoom.

Be careful where you buy this camera, though. Because of its popularity, you will see many drastically reduced prices, but caveat emptor. After I first ordered it from a seemingly reputable internet vendor for about $170.00, I received a call from a rep asking if I wanted to upgrade to the "American" model for more money. It seems that my great deal was for a Canon S3IS designed for the Chinese market with a ONE WEEK warranty. I cancelled immediately and ordered from Amazon.


->Comparison

This is a great little camera. It's plus features are:

- Takes excellent pictures, even from far away. I wanted to photograph a friend's daughter in a program at my kids' school, and she was far away, in dim light, and moving. I put my Canon in sports mode and no flash and let it adjust the aperture. The picture came out a little grainy (to be expected), but otherwise was fine. That's pretty good - my friend's camera had no chance at getting that shot.
- Has a good digital interface, with the one little caveat below.
- It's not tiny, but it's small enough I could buy one of those little leather point-and-shoot cases and it slides in.
- I have heard negatives from others about the on/off switch, but I find it works really well. It doesn't go on by itself, but if you press and turn it works fine - I can even do it all with one finger.
- The video capture is very good, recording in stereo. You can even take stills at the same time (since it uses a very intuitive red "record" button for the video, just like a camcorder), although taking a still photo stops the video recording for the time it takes to take the still. In fact, I'd have to say that the combination of video/audio is one of the best things about this camera. For most of us, there's no longer a need to lug both a camcorder and still camera to all our kids' events - the Canon does both very well.
- The display screen, though a bit on the small side, works just like a camcorder - you can flip it out and rotate it 180 degrees.
- The supermacro mode is simply amazing. I have taken pictures of objects right up next to the lens, and the amount of detail you can get is no less than astounding.

It has a few negatives also:

- The lens cap falls off because it was designed to stay on with friction. Oh yeah, that makes sense. Make sure you bring lens cleaning papers and solution, because you'll be touching the lens alot. There's no way to attach an ultraviolet filter to the lens, either (common with point and shoots).
- The camera acts as a USB disk drive to let you copy pictures OFF the camera, but to copy them back on you have to use the supplied software. The major problem with this is that you effectively can't put edited pictures back on the camera, because they don't match the exact format expected by the supplied software. Go buy a little adapter to attach the SD memory card to your USB.
- The bayonette mount is plastic, as noted by others. I haven't really had to use this, but it seems like they should have made it of metal since that's a pressure point.
- There's no remote control, which would be really nice when using the camera as a camcorder and taking a video of yourself.

In summary, I definitely recommend this camera for the parent who wants to get good quality (but not necessarily professional) pictures. You want professional, buy a DSLR - but if you want a reasonably-priced, small camera that takes great pictures and is extremely flexible, buy the Canon. You'll be glad you did.



->Best Price

This camera exceded my expectations. The pictures are clear and the color is outstanding! I'm still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying my new hobby, photography. I'm a novice, so I should have started with something less complicated. I find it very easy to download the pics to my computer. It's a great camera at a reasonable price.


->Deals

First, I'm 64 yrs old, never owned a digital camera. Kinda talked into this by my three sons.

The camera does everything I want it to do. Have to admit there are alot of buttons and stuff on it that I don't understand, therefore I will never use. Not smart enough, I guess.

But to get back to the main theme. It takes really good pictures, the software accompanying it is good, and for someone with experience at a level less than novice (if there is one) it was a really good purchase. And Amazon is outstanding. Shipping, cost, etc, excellent.


->Wholesale

As I other users have provided very detailed review of the technical characteristics I will just say that this camera is absolutely marvelous.

You only need a large enough memory card 1GB, 2GB or more and you will have great fun with it. Its performance all around is great.

My favorite feature is its video mode. It creates beautiful (rather large) videos.


->Purchase

view finder is to dark. Buttons are to close and to many. Other then that I like the camera alot. For the money I would buy this camera again.


->Lowest Price

Takes wonderful picutres. If you know how to use all of the manual settings, you'll take amazing pictures! A little advanced for the average consumer, but on auto setting it's hard to take a bad picture.


->Cheap

I love this camera. I own another digital canon but I wanted more opitcal zoom. My son is in a university drumline and I wanted to get good close up good shots of him on the football field. This camera worked great. I was able to get clear shots from the sidelines. The zoom is great.

I also took shots that zoomed into the pressbox from the opposite side of the field. I played with the camera at the games and took great photos of the teams on the field.

The video is pretty good also. I have not learned how to use all the features yet. If you are not a camera buff you may get frustrated with this camera. You can point and shoot with this camera but it has so many more features.


->Buy Today

I purchased the S3, as a loyal Canon consumer, almost immediately after its arrival in the stores. I did not buy my Canon S3 from Amazon. However, I have purchased several cameras from Amazon, with absolutely no complaints. That being said, the S3 has proven to be a phenomenal little powerhouse! With the ability to insert abundant memory, its uses are almost limitless. Since six megapixels is at or above 35mm picture quality,there is no need to get hung up on the whole megapixel scam. In some instances, a higher megapixel camera can actually do more harm to your photos than good. I also own a Canon rebel XTi with an assortment of lenses, but find myself falling back on this Canon S3 time and time again. I will resist the temptation to delve into heavy technical details, and simply state, there is more "bang for the buck" in this little camera than you can possibly imagine. A nice finishing touch, would have been remote access, and the ability to use a shutter release cable. I would recommend the Lens Mate adapter, as they are of superior quality and allow you to use filters. The adapters sold by Canon at equal or even a higher price are nowhere near the quality of the Lens Mate. I have used their adapters on all of my Canon cameras with excellent results. You simply will not disappointed with this precision instrument and its plethora of capabilities. Of course, you can always set it to auto and shoot your hearts content. Canon's auto feature is insanely accurate and has produced some very high quality pictures for me. I tend to use the S3 as a backup for the XTi, simply setting the S3 on auto as to not miss a shot. When I purchased my S3 it was $500. I believe at this point, they are hovering somewhere around $300? At $500, plus adapter and filters. I thought I got a great deal, at $300 ... it would be a phenomenal deal. This is also a great introductory camera to practice with, prior to buying into the DSLR systems. Although, like me, you might step up to the DSLR, but find the S3 in your hand more often than not. Enjoy and happy shooting!!!


->Buy

I was first introduced to this camera on a vacation with another couple about six months ago. I was amazed at the fantastic picture quality. The husband of the other couple has a Canon EOS SLR digital camera and bought this camera for his wife. He feels that this camera takes somewhat better pictures even than his Canon EOS and is much easier to use. That is why I asked for this for Christmas. I have an older pocket digital camera that takes OK pictures. I was looking to upgrade to something that would take much better quality pictures but was not sure I wanted to go all the way up to an SLR camera. This camera takes fantastic pictures. You can leave it on fully auto or your can adjust all of the settings manually or even combinations where the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed but allow you to manually adjust the aperture or vice versa. I am particulary amazed at the quality of close pictures and low light pictures something that digital cameras in general do poorly. You can also shoot video with this camera; something you cannot do with an SLR camera. I have had Canon cameras in the past. I purchased this camera partly because of the brand name. I also like the Canon is a big supporter of Public Television. My only complaint with the camera is it is hard to hold onto. While this camera is not as large as an SLR camera is it much larger than a pocket camera and relatively heavy. It is hard to hold onto without touching one of the buttons. There is a finger grip on the front and a pad for your thumb on the back but it is too small. I end up holding it by the edges which is awkward.


->Deal

I purchased this camera after doing a lot of online and in-store research, so I was expecting the camera to be perfect, and it pretty much is (at least for my wife and I). As weird as this sounds, I was looking for a new camera because our old sony digital camera had ergonomic issues - my wife could not press it's shutter button due to her long fingernails. We also wanted to take just 1 camera, not 2 ( a still and video camera )to our daughters' cheerleading competitions.

This is what is great about this camera (for us):
1) The shutter button is easy to press, even with long fingernails.
2) It's "sport" mode is easy to access via the mode wheel on top of the camera - much quicker and easier than trying to access it via a menu list.
3) It takes amazing video WITH STEREO SOUND. You can zoom in and out while recording video, which you cannot do with many other " still " cameras. You can record around 37 minutes of video on a 4gb SD card at the highest quality recording setting. Owing to it's great 12X optical zoom, and image stabilization, this camera shoots better video than my dedicated JVC digital video camera. It is also far easier during editing to work with video clips from a flash memory card than from a digital video tape.
4) It has a "rotating" lcd display - this means that you can flip the lcd display around to protect the screen if you have the camera hanging around your neck but not in the case.
5) It accepts 4gb SD cards, even cheap no-name brands.
6) It takes great pictures.

This it what is not so great:
1) You can only record a little over 9 minutes of high quality video at a time before the camera shuts off recording (but you can immediately start recording again, assuming you have the memory space). This is really not such a negative for us, as for recording "family" events rarely involves a video clip of more then 5 minutes.
2) The camera will not output pictures in RAW format. As we don't do a lot of serious photo editing, this was not a big issue for us.

So that's it. As there is not another super-zoom point and shoot camera with stereo video recording and a rotating lcd screen out there, we purchased this one, and are quite happy with it.




->Compare

My husband bought this camera for me for Christmas. I love it. It takes 4 AA batteries, and they are surprisingly long lasting. The flash is very bright. The zoom is great. You can zoom in on animals, getting a very clear shot of them without them even knowing you are there. I am over all very happy with this camera. If you are buying a camera for the close up macro mode however, you might want to go with the Canon Power Shot SD 450. While the zoom is excellent with the Canon Power Shot S3 IS, the lense gets in the way of the flash when trying to take close ups, creating a shadow over the item you are taking the picture of. It has a hard time focusing super close up in the macro mode. If you are looking more for a great zoom, this is the camera for you. I own both the Canon Power Shot SD 450 and the Canon Power Shot S3 IS. The S3 IS is excellent with zooming in on far away subjects, not so great with macro. The Canon Power Shot SD 450 is great with macro close ups, really great, I've tested a lot of cameras and this was the best, but it's not so great with zooming in on far way objects and getting a clear picture. So it all depends on what you are looking for. Having both I feel I have the best of both worlds. Now, if only I could find a camera that was great at both close ups and far away zoom shots. I have overall been very happy with Canon cameras.


->Compare

works great, the first one I recieved had a slight defect, but amazon took really good care of me and appologized many times and sent me a new one for free. great cammera and even better customer service.


->Cheap

I am by no means a professional photographer and might be closer to being an advanced novice. I've tried out almost all the different features on this camera & I'm convinced that this camera is definately under priced. Everyone of my friends that sees this camera perform keeps asking my how much I spent on this thing.
The Zoom is incredible, the burst mode is faaaaaast. A lot of people didn't make a big deal of the color swap & color accent modes but I'm a graphic designer & being able to do those 2 functions in 2 steps in REAL TIME is amazing for a camera. The Photos are sharp and crisp and in the 3 days I've had it I've hardly been dissapointed with any of my shots. I have yet to really test it out at night but it certainly performs like a champ in the day.

Bottom line, buy this camera.


->Deals

is the movie mode. maybe i'm using it wrong, but i've looked through all of the books and still cant figure it out. but i had an old camera and a movie would shoot with maybe 25 MB for a little over a minute, this camera, will shoot 53 mb in just about 30 seconds :-/. if anyone knows how to fix this could you help me?


->Best Price

I bought this camera early October 06 for my wife. It's the third Canon camera I've purchased and I exclusively now recommend Canon to novices who ask my opinion on which camera to purchase.

Pros
Impressive looking photos straight out of the box
Good resolution, Good color, good exposure, generally accurate focus
Solid construction and good handling
Fast and responsive, Enjoyable and easy to use
Great battery life with NiMH cells
Optional flash and lens add-ons
Good macro
Packed with features
Very quiet
12x zoom offers excellent 36-432mm range
Image stabilization works well and can be used in movie mode
Surprisingly little distortion
Stunning movie mode with high quality stereo sound
Impressive continuous (burst) shooting
Clean images at lower ISO settings
Swing out tilt 'n' swivel screen
Optional wide and tele adapters
PC controlled shooting (via USB)
Customizable shortcut button, and ISO buttons

Cons
ISO 800 mode is very noisy
ISO 200 noise reduction too pronounced
Occasional focus hunting at the telephoto end of the zoom in low light
Viewfinder and screen can be difficult to see in very bright conditions
Images are slightly soft
Doesn't have a RAW mode but 99% of users will never use this anyways
Occasional highlight clipping due to over exposure of contrasty scenes
Limit to highest shutter speed usable at wide apertures


->Prices

I purchased both the Sony Cybershot and the Canon Powershot and ended up returning the Sony. I found the Canon to be more user friendly. We only came across two downsides: the flash and batteries, but easy to deal with. The Sony was nice, but it was slow between shots, felt clunky and I didn't like the location of the buttons. Both are good cameras, I think it comes down to personal preference.


->Deals

I purchased the S3 specifically because I wanted a good digital camera along with the capability of shooting quality video. The S3 fits that description.

As multiple reviews here and elsewhere have indicated, the video function on the S3 surpasses all the still cameras on the market today (as of late 2006). We're not talking professional quality here, but it should be enough for anyone who shoots short segments (under 10 mins.) just for fun and doesn't need a full fledged camcorder.

As someone who's owned a dozen different cameras since the 80s, my reaction to the photo abilities of the S3 is a mixed bag.

On a recent shoot I experienced two minor problems in terms of color reproduction. In one shot the white in a woman's sweater (which was all off-white) was so degraded that the texture became blurred and flat. In another shot the setting sun caught a woman's face and created another blurred effect. In both situations the shutter speed was fast enough to prevent blur and the image quality was set to high.

I'm not saying this is a terrible camera. I love using my S3. It's a really fun camera to use. But the cold hard reality is that my recently purchased 35mm Olympus IS-2 (which cost me about $40 used) can still run circles around the S3 in terms of picture quality and speed. In the time it takes the S3 to take one shot and be ready for the next my "new" 35mm Olympus can take three.

I mention these flaws because these are what I considered the trade offs of purchasing this specific camera for its video capabilities.

If you're not going to use the video function then I would strongly recommend a different camera with a better image censor and faster speed. I recommend anyone concerned with these issues, especially image sensor ability which is more important than megapixels at this point, to check out imaging-resource dot com. That site shows how each camera handles low light and ISO settings, image sensor abilities and other issues.

Minus the lack of true image stabilization, the Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd is one camera that they show to be clearly superior to the Canon in terms of picture quality. The lack of IS might be a deal breaker for some. The IS on the S3 is superb. Buyers just have to weigh their preferences and decide what they need the most. For some the S3 will be the best choice, for others it won't.

Edit:
The 800 ISO on the S3 is extremely grainy and would be only useful in the most dire situations. It's not for everyday use. The ISO 400 is passable, but of low quality. For the best quality, especially if you plan to do any enlargements above 4x6, ISO 200 or lower is necessary.

The lack of a RAW option on this type of camera is almost meaningless. If you require RAW then you're already looking at an SLR.

The wide and tele adapters are a great option, but the Canon made versions might not be the best choice. I picked up a Raynox tube adapter (an adapter is necessary for any converter or filter, regardless of brand) and .66 converter for less than one hundred thirty bucks - great quality and cheaper than Canon.


->Deal

I was looking for a camera that wasnt too expensive but that was fast enough to catch my two toddlers. I have found it! I love this camera. I have already taken so many pictures with it and I am so happy with my choice. Even when my kids are not sitting still I still manage to get great pictures. I highly recommend this camera for anyone with kids or any kind of action photography.


->Deals

I had my doubts. Since my work requires photography, I'm very picky and only used to professional cameras. I've always hated non-SLR digital cameras because of slow response times, slow shutter speeds, noisy/grainy image quality, and just the hassle of not being able to see my actual shot through the viewfinder. On the other hand, I was tired of carrying around all my heavy bags and lenses every time I just wanted to shoot some fun shots for myself. So, I decided to buy something lighter with a fixed lens just for snapshots, and live with the compromises.
I had a hard time deciding between this and the A640, but chose this for the zoom and the extra creative features, even though it is not as compact and the pictures not quite as sharp.

Well, let me tell you, this little camera is not much of a compromise at all! I've been extremely impressed with both the performance and the handling. The features are simple to learn and use and photos are much better than the test photos I saw online. In fact, the chromatic aberration / fringing problem inherent in these compact zooms has not been a problem in any of my pictures, so far, and the color and image quality are very impressive. The camera is fast - not as fast as an SLR, but sure faster than any of the other digtial point-and-shoots I've tried. The unlimited continuous shooting mode, which is perfect for catching fast-action sports shots, solves the problem of slow shutter speeds and is not found in any of the other camera's in the S3's class. I've also been very surprised by the functionality of the EVF (electronic view finder). I've never used one and was prepared to dislike it, but I actually love it. Since the "real" viewfinders in non-SLR's don't show the actual shot, you can't really use them to hold your eye up against, which helps to steady the camera during zoom shots. I assumed the EVF, with it's low resolution, would be dificult to see through and too annoying to use, but it's not at all. The picture, though a bit fuzzy, is easily used to frame the shot and it makes the camera function almost like an SLR. So, far, I have never found the EVF difficult to see through and now that I've used it, I'm glad it has this feature. The camera is also much lighter weight to use than it seemed in the store. Yes, it's heavier than the smaller compacts, but it's still very light compared to an SLR and I barely notice it when I'm hiking along.

The bottom line is, this is a fast, fully-featured, easy to use little camera that takes fabulous pictures and has more going for it than any of the other long-zoom compact digitals on the market. The quality of the photos is what has surprised me the most - they really are very good. I would not hessitate to recommend this camera to anyone looking for a point-and-shoot with a few more features and a good zoom. If you don't care about the zoom, fast sports shots, or better movie mode, I'd recommend the Canon A640 or A630.


->Purchase

I purchased a Canon SI IS and have sent it to their Factory Service center twice, it is still not working right. Now that it is off warranty their answer is for me to purchase a "refurbished" S2 IS for $199...
Their support of their products is terrible, this camera has not worked right since I bought it and they dont care! Do yourself a favor and buy a Panasonic product, they make great products and they support them, unlike Canon


->Deal

This is not a good camera, but a good video camera.
Purple Fringing is horrible, and image quality is way worse than its main competitor: The Panasonic family of megazooms. Purple fringing happens easily for megazoom cameras if the lens is not top-notch. S3 IS got poor glass.
Canon S3 IS only has one advantage over the Panny: excellent video functions. You can actually zoom when taking a video, which the Panny cannot.
Future buyers, please go to your local store and try this one out with the Panny side by side, copy the photos to your laptop, and zoom in to see the purple fringing difference. [...]


->Sale

I know how to take a picture with a digital camera and I have been patient with this camera trying to get a good picture out of it but I have reverted back to my old Kodak for picture taking. All the picture's look fuzzy and I have even used a tri-pod. I only hope there is something wrong with it and Canon or Adorama will replace it. If my unit is not defective then don't buy this. I will update my review if and when I get another camera to review.


->Best Price

I got the S3 from Amazon a few weeks ago when it was $350, before the holiday shopping season kicked in, and I love it. It's a giant step up from my previous point-and-shoot.

12X optical zoom increases my versatility in shooting situations immeasurably.
The Image Stabilization system really works.
Canon doesn't get carried away with noise reduction.
In this camera, Canon doesn't get carried away with megapixels (6 is perfect for this sensor).
It feels great in my hands, handles well, and maintains some degree of portability (unlike Panasonic and Fuji's ultrazooms)
I've had no problems with red eye.
I love what the supermacro setting can achieve.
Movie mode is awesome, especially how the IS makes the motion of the camera look smooth and almost professional.

I have found only very minor faults:
-sometimes autofocus is slow at full telephoto
-manual focus is great with most stationary subjects, but is not easy to control at telephoto end of zoom, and not very practical for fast moving subjects

Panasonic's FZ50 is quicker and has a better lens, and I was impressed with its handling when I tried it out, but here's why I didn't buy it: excessive-as-in-past-the-point-of-no-return noise reduction (read smeared images at higher ISO), excessive MP for that sensor, more expensive than the S3.

I don't think any other camera exists that comes close to the S3's image quality, size, handling, feature set, and price.


->Buy

I am brand new to photography and was worried by other reviews that this camera may not be for me. However I bought it anyway. Boy, am I glad I did.
The features of this camera are amazing--the color accent, for instance is great. I showed a few friends a picture I took using this feature and they asked how I did it and how long I've been shooting because the photo quality and picture was incredible; remember I my only experience is with 'point-n-shoot' cameras. You can always use photo editing software to perform some of the functions the camera does, however having the features in the camera motivate you to take those shots you otherwise may have not.
The camera is extremely simple to use right out of the box. Simplicity of a point-n-shoot with quality of DSLR photos I've seen. Tackling the manual mode is a continual learning experience, however the more I learn, the better quality photos I take. Don't get me wrong, auto mode takes some remarkable photo's, but manual enables you to take breathtaking photos.
So if your on the fence about the complexity of the camera if your an amateur, don't worry, just by it. And, unless you really need a SLR camera, this is the one for you.


->Lowest Price

I bought this camera last Saturday 12/2/06 and i'm very satisfied with it, didn't buy it from Amazon tough, I had a better deal at Walmart for $317 =)
Very easy to use and great features!!(so beginners shouldn't have much trouble with it)


->Compare

This camera is truly amazing. This is my first digital camera however I have been a photography aficionado. I am trying to learn the tricks of the trade. Coming back to the point - the camera has truly brilliant colors, the 12X optical zoom is very powerful (look at some of the images I have posted).

It can be a point-n-shoot for one who does not want to play with a bunch of settings, yet has enough challenge for the person who wants to learn more about it. However if you are looking for an ultracompact point n'shoot this is not for you.

I have not shot any movies with it yet, so would not review movie mode yet. The specs. though say that the maximum size of a movie is limited to 1GB (even if you have a 2GB or 4GB memory card). If you want movies to be bigger than 1GB (15-20 mins. best quality video can fill-up 1 GB) - you will have to break your movies into multiples of 1 GB.

Pros: Brilliant colors, feature rich (stitch mode - used to stitch several photos together like a panoramic landscape, color-swap), powerful 12X optical zoom, solidly built, pro-look, zoom browsing s/w is simple, powerful yet easy to use, eletronic view-finder is a good alternative some times, Made in Japan, Image Stabilizer really works !

Cons: Battery compartment - a little clumsy to close the battery compartment after loading it, fear I could break it. I think there is a trick to it that I have not picked up yet. The only other thing I can think of is - no display for remaining battery life, it will give you a warning that you are on low battery, and a final warning before dying on you, in other words there is no progressive display for battery life. The 4 AA's that come with the camera only last a couple of days - 50 pictures, aprox. Also may be a slightly bigger LCD display would help (it is 2.5", 3" is desirable)

Overall it is a stellar camera, go for it !


->Buy

I will not bore with too many tech-specs here. I read a review that suggested that this camera was meant for PROs and almost decided against it for PRO sounds like "too complicated for me buddy". However, I decided to give it a try. The store I went to, did not Canon S3 IS in stock, but they had S2 IS. I had already seen a lot of Kodak and Sony in action and was almost decided upon buying Kodak Z612, when the performance and features of S2 IS took my breath away. I am not a PRO, yes, but I know how to follow instructions. I read product manual carefully and VOILA! I had found what I was looking for. It took me a while to understand, but looking at the output shots any trouble taken to first understand this product was worth it.

I compared specs of S2 IS and S3 IS, and decided that S2 IS was damn good, but S3 IS would be a real treat. And, I will not be disappointed. I have had chance to do some benchmark testing of Sony, Kodak, Olympus and Nikon in same class since. S3 IS is a clear winner...

So whether you are a PRO covering a fashion show or an average daddy taking memory-shots of your kids over weekend, you will love this camera. I learnt a great deal about photography in past two months I hunted for a good camera - learnt what defined a good and clear shot...and this is the camera that can deliver it.


->Deal

Having owned this camera for several months now, here are my reactions.

This camera takes the best pictures that I have ever taken. But I had to learn to use it.

This is NOT a good choice for the weekend photographer who just wants to take pictures of the kids. This is a state-of-the-art photography platform with literally hundreds of settings.

Some early reviews complained about blurry or grainy pictures. These people did not know how to set up the camera for the conditions. Some reviews complain about the color balance or saturation. But color balance, contrast, gamma, etc. are completely configurable in this camera, so there is no basis for these complaints.

A lot of people assume that the "Auto" setting will let them take pictures casually or mindlessly with this camera, and get perfect results. That might be largely true with the cheaper point-and-shoot cameras with smaller lenses, but not with this one.

The cheaper cameras with smaller lenses are not capable of attaining the superb performance of this lens. But because they are smaller, they are "in focus" over a wide range, so they produce acceptable pictures more or less regardless of settings or focus.

If you are willing to take the time to learn this camera, then I cannot think of a better one. But like with a musical instrument, you will need to practice. It takes some time to learn where to put your fingers, and where not to put your fingers, because there a lots of buttons and settings exposed on the surface of the camera. You will need to learn to use the autofocus to best advantage, and learn the proper program modes to match with your shooting conditions.

If you take the time to really learn the camera, you will control a device that covers the range from a microscope to a telescope. In macro mode, it will focus down to objects actually touching the lens. Or you can crank it up to a 50 power zoom. It takes excellent movies under a wide variety of conditions. Image stabilization makes it seem like your handheld home movies are taken from a professional camera dolly. It takes pictures without flash in conditions so dark that I could not see the subject at all. With the built-in image stabilization, it is capable of taking handheld pictures that rival the sharpness of a large format view camera on a tripod.

But if you just want an easy to operate camera for good snapshots, you should look for a simpler camera. Some of the less expensive models of the Powershot might be better for most people.


->Best Price

Well... This is was my replacemente over Sony, to have a camera to take everywhere, instead of my CANON Digital Rebel 350D.

I Must say that I am very pleased with the camera. It has a very nice battery usage, something that got me concerned at first since I had to deal with Rechargeble batteries. They last for a long time and can handle many shots, just about what the Manual says...

I have the need for the Manual Settings on any camera, and this is a MUST as well.. And the MANUAL setting is pretty straight forward with this camera. Fast and easy to use...

Also, the speed on the shutter lag !!
This camera is FAST !! For a camera that is not a REFLEX... Way to go...
One of the fastest I have seen on this category..

The LCD monitor that swivels is also a very nice addition, and already help me out a couple of times.. and when it comes to recording videos, it turns into a very good feature.. :-)

And that brings the camera to another HIGH LEVEL Spec.. The Video..
This Camera has Stereo Sound Recording ! How good is that ?!
And the video is very smooth, but be prepared to have a big SD card on it in order to be using video all the time...

Other specs which are great as well have to be mentioned, like the 12x Zoom with Image Stabilized is a very great feature of it, the good grip, handy controls.. and the list goes on...

So after all this, why not give a 5 star... One annoying thing !!
The FLASH !! After a nice work on a camera, I don't understand how Canon plain and simple do not apply a automatic Flash to it.. Raise with your own hands ? A message saying that you need to raise it on the LCD ?
This is so not Cool.... But, as everyone says... Nothing is 100% perfect

In the overall..
I give this a thumbs up big time.. I like the camera and all it's features, apart from only one drawback, but enough to take one star out of it, since I can live with it !

After all, you will be very pleased.. Believe me !


->Price

I've had my camera for about 2 months now. A few points I must praise are the compact body, and super fast shutter speed (I've never owned a Digi Cam with such a quick shutter speed... very nice!) But I'm having some issues with the camera that I'm hoping to "fix" thru experimentation. These are to include;
Trouble with focusing in low light conditions; shadowing on the super macro function; washed out background color (this applies only to my outdoor shots; indoor shots are fine, but my skies in all my outdoor pics are washed out to the point of being white, while the foreground and land in the same picture are almost over-saturated in color).

Also, another downside is that you have to manually raise the flash when you need it. I've not found any instructions on a way to make it pop up automatically. This can be very frustrating when you don't think you need the flash, get your shot lined up, and then try to take the picture, only to get a flashing icon telling you to "raise the flash".

I've pretty much only used Nikon in the past, and will most likely sell this camera and go back to the Nikon. However, the sharpness and vibrancy of the pictures used with this camera are quite good. I'm no pro, and I know that the user, not the camera, will dictate how good a final shot comes out, but I've not had these issues with my Nikon's, so I am not sure who is to blame for these issues. Canon is still a great company, and I think the majority of consumers will appreciate and enjoy the S3.


->Deals

I have recently decided to update my digital camera. I have been using the Canon A40 since 2002 and have been largely very satisfied with it (see my review and photos for the A40). The Canon S3 for me is the logical upgrade. I haven't purchased it yet but it was my favorite after examining the data on the Panasonic, Sony, and Kodak competitors. Well, after returning from a little time at the stores to get a feel for the various cameras, I have a couple things I think might be useful to other searchers that I would like to share:

The Canon S3 is the most unintuitively designed camera in its general class. I thought the A40 was overly complicated and the S3 is worse. It has poor ergonomics but is better ergonomically than the Sony H2/H5 which I felt was nearly impossible to use one-handed. The Kodak Z710 was absolutely the best design with intuitive buttons and a wonderful feel in hand. I have fairly large hands but I found it very comfortable to hold and also had no problem taking photos with one hand or changing the settings. Yes, I like a camera that takes quality pictures but I don't want to be fumbling so long with settings that I lose the joy of a spontaneous moment of beauty either. Regretfully, the noise on the Koadak Z710 was unbearable to me even at ISO 100- worse than the noise on my old Canon A40 with it's relatively less substantial 2 MP resolution and 3X optical zoom. I just can't buy a camera that takes worse pictures than my outdated Canon A40 (the photos I've taken with the A40 beat out a lot of those taken with cameras I am reviewing here).

The viewfinder of the Canon S3 is extremely dark as other reviewers have said and I found it absolutely impossible to use. It does have a lot of bells and whistles- some of which are entirely useless (menu themes!?!) and some which are highly attractive (color accent and color swap). The camera does produce some beautiful photographs with the excellent color that Canon is known for.

If you can get past the two-handed photography and the viewfinder which protrudes uncomfortably past the camera body, the Sony H2 is an excellent choice. Depth of field is not as nice as with the Canon but the photos are still near professional quality and I know many happy users personally who wouldn't trade it for any other on the market.

I have not been able to field test any of the competing Panasonic models, namely because I have been to 4 large retailers and one camera shop, none of which carry any of the Panasonic FZ series. I do have to say though that I am very attracted to the Leica lenses- very high quality lenses used in the manufacture of medical research equipment. And I've seen some absolutely amazing professional quality photos come out of them. If any of you out there in Amazonia have an idea where I can find a retailer that has the Panasonic FZ series cameras, please comment.

If the engineers at Canon would have streamlined the Canon S3, it would be in the mail right now but with its ergonomic design shortcomings and higher price, I simply have to take a harder look at it's competitors.



->Compare

This is a near pro camera in disguise. This little wolf really needs you to study it and play with it to get the best pictures, but when you do you are really rewarded. When I say worse, if you just want a point and shoot you will get crappy photos sometimes and think you were cheated.

If you just select Auto, you will probably be disappointed. Canon makes better point and shoot cameras like the S series. My wife uses the S80 for her business, my daughter has the S70, and we have two other Canon P&S around that we all use for fun shots. I needed something with a real zoom lens and didn't want to do all the way to DSLR as I wanted something that also shot movies. I'm a HS tennis coach and I wanted to be able to take short videos of my players to help them see their strengths and weaknesses.

The S3 takes unbelievable videos! Better than my sony video camera that cost much more AND it is easier to get them into my computer, edit them, and produce a CD to hand to one of my players. A feature that I didn't find on any of the other competitive cameras was the ability to snap a still picture in the middle of taking a video. Also like the separate video button so you can take videos without changing anything on the camera, just hit the video button and it starts.

It also takes GREAT pictures. When you understand the options on the camera, you can take pictures that are close to the best you can do with a pro DSLR camera. I now shoot all my normal pics in P mode with it set for ISO 100 or ISO 200 and a 3 shot bracket. Great pics everytime. The anti-shake (IS) makes it easy to take great pics in low light. In low light when I let it go up to high ISO I can get noise like you wouldn't believe. However, I still get the pictures. Now that I know better, I can set up the camera to get really good low light pictures without going into high ISO ranges. I also have been able to take wonderful pics of my Koi, my cats, my kids, my wife, my car, my anything that takes my fancy. I have a framed 10x14 picture in front of me taken of a squirrel in the very top of a 100' redwood tree with the camera at max optical + digital zoom of 48x. Hand held and clear as a bell due to the IS and the optional settings available. Try that at home with any other camera in this price range.

Bottom line: after looking at all the current offerings from Panasonic/Sony/Nikon et al, this is the best of the bunch for a prosumer big zoom camera. None of the rest of them paid any attention to making videos, canon did. All the rest tried to get our attention by promising more pixels, but Canon when for quality and a reasonable price. This camera takes better pics than the Panasonic Lumix that costs several hundred $$$ more and has 10 mega pixels -- oh, and the canon is considerably smaller and easier to carry.

Accessories: I recommend that you get the Lensmate 52mm lens adapter and the Tiffen 3 pack of filters. I didn't bother with the Canon 58mm stuff, just got everything in 52mm. Unfortunately Amazon doesn't carry Lensmate but you can Google them. I also got the Raynox .7x wide angle lens from Lensmate at a good price. It has a bit of barrel distortion, but easily correctable with software -- big feature is that it is extremely clear at full zoom. Much better than the Canon wide angle lens. Case Logic makes a case that holds the S3 with the lens adapter on, so I can carry it around with the UV filter in place. The Lensmate lens adapter is made from metal and gives you a place to grip with your left hand so you are extra steady. Wish that Canon would just put threads on the end of their lenses, but they have their way of doing things.

Also got the Transend 4GB 150x SD card. Works like a charm. Make sure you low format it before your first use and then do that again every so often to keep the card clean. Very fast and lets me take up to 30 minutes of videos if I want. Get the SD cards wherever . . . Fry's had the Transend card for $10 less than Amazon.

Great camera, well worth the time I spent researching and testing everything available in September through early November of 2006. I did test every Panasonic, Sony, and Canon model in my price range of $250 to $750. Bought an SD card first and then went to camera stores and tried them all, bought the card home and looked at every pic and video. I ended up paying $350+ here at Amazon for the S3 which was the best price from a trusted source.

Again, what I wanted was a digital camera that could zoom to 10x+, take videos that were as good as my video camera, take fast action still shots in varying conditions, and had a resolution of 5mp or more. I also wanted it to be compact and easy to use, with the capability of using storage cards larger than 2GB. I already have taken almost 2 hours of action videos of my tennis players and several hundred pictures of them. I also have a batch of family pics that range from grainy to perfect as I learned how to set the ISO properly and use the features of the camera. Lots of educational help available online from Canon and others that is specific to the camera.

Bottom Line: buy it.


->Best Price

Pros: Excellent picture quality, great zoom, nice panoramic feature, SD card, great video and sound quality for a picture camera, the best that you can by for this money and the LCD can rotate in any angle.

Cons: Flash does not pop up automatically; just 16mb SD card in the box.

PD: this camera size is not a pocket one but the size is good enough to shoot with one hand.

Advice: use rechargeable batteries and a large SD card (2 or 4 Gb) cause the video is so good that you will love shooting. Also, must of the times you will need the flash indoor other way you will have bad pics; with flash results will amazed you.



->Buy

I initially had a canon S1IS (just 3MP, 10x optical, CF card) and needed an upgrade for the same as I was visiting Disney, LA. The S3IS (6 MP, SD card) delivered with gusto with its image stabilization and higher ISO modes. I have a full video and reasonably good snaps of the Disney parade during the evening darkness (switch to highest ISO with the dedicated ISO button) with:

1. Amazingly low jerkiness due to the image stabilization. The IS here is of course better than the S1IS.
2. The snaps came allright even with the maximum zoom - if there are slight blurs, you can maybe use software like coral to adjust. As others have said here, yes, a tripod is the best, but who has the time or the patience to set it up.
3. Even many of the disney fireworks snaps came out ok in the night mode with the maximum ISO setting - though of course a tripod would have helped in the darkness here, for sure :)
4. Best value for price. In Nov 2006, a nice deal would be getting this camera within 350$ as in Amazon.

Two things here:
1. I would not be buying a videocam as I had planned earlier, the S3IS vidoes suffice for most situations - sending videos to AFV for instance.
2. For the last point, I would recommend waiting for 3-4 months till the 4GB SD cards come into the 50$ range. But as others have mentioned before, please have at least a 2GB card. Look in Amazon or in Fry's as I did for 35-40$ deals on 2+ GB cards.


->Deal

My search for a semi pro Digicam made me do a lot of research and after I shortlisted a few models I had to find the best deal. Amazon helped me get that deal and today when I look at the performance of the camera so far.. I am amazed... The camera was bound to be good but a special thanks to Amazon.com for helping me get one at a gr8 price.


->

Am very pleased with all aspects of the camera except one. I do not like that the viewfinder is no longer operational once you flip open the LCD screen. Sometimes I like to verify my shot with both.


->Deals

Great camera, easy to use after reading the manual.
Light, easy to handle. Unfortunately a little pricey.


->Comparison

This is my second Canon. There is a lot of whistles and bells on this camera that will take time for the novice to figure out. My biggest complaint is trying to remember to take off the lense cap before turning it on. My other cameras did not have the cap. All in all it takes excellent quality photos, so you will not be disappointed.


->Deals

Works great as point-and-shoot in auto mode. Camera has just enough advanced features to keep the novice photographer happy for a long time. Battery life is great if you purchase top quality rechargables. A large, at least 1G SD card, should be used. Image stabilization works well. Tripod is necessary if using camera at full zoom.


->Deals

This is a great camera for those who need more than a point and shoot but do not want to carry a bag full of lenses. Also, with a large SD card (1 to 4 GB) this camera will replace your video camera. One thing to note, when you take pictures while recording video, it stops recording a second or two while it processes your picture. This is very obvious when watching your video.


->Best Price

Over the last 50 years, I have purchased four film cameras and five digital cameras. By far, the Canon S3 IS is the best camera I have owned. And most of the cameras I have bought cost more that the S3. I returned recently from a three-week trip to Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Russia. During the trip, I took almost 2500 photos with the S3. The photo quality was excellent, the camera controls were easy to use, and the camera performance was outstanding. I expect to use the S3 for many years.


->Discount

I bought one when it first came on the market back in May. Half a year and 5,000 pictures later, here are some of my comments:

- It is a GREAT digital camera in its own class. By "class" I mean one should not compare it with a dSLR because the S3 is not one. So do not expect it to overcome "shutter lag" easily, although among other DC (digital camera) I have used, shutter lag on S3 is greatly improved--to a degree that I feel comfortable taking photos in very fast pace, e.g., catching flying birds. (However, only good dSLR can completely eliminate shutter lag and S3 is not a dSLR.) One also should not compare the S3 with the "small" point-'n-shoot DCs. S3 is not as small as those--it won't easily slide into your pocket, unless your pocket is relatively big and loose (like mine). But the slightly larger body brings great features none of the small DC can offer.

- Big optical zoom (12X) and IS. 12X is GREAT and combined with Canon's Imagine Stabilization, S3 turns into a powerful large zoom camera with superb imagine quality. My recent trips included shooting (with cameras in case you wonder) wild wolf at Yellowstone National Park. And this little S3 came out as the only one that can capture the animals at great distance, along with other "big guns" the professionals carry. The IS feature eliminates hand shake with great effect and I could shoot at 12X with low light and still get quality photos. I also highly recommend the "TC-DC58B Tele Converter Lens" for the S3 (or S2) which gives you another 1.5 zoom that effectively make S3 18X zoom (equivalent to a 600mm lens). Check how much those big telephoto lens cost (close to 10K) ...

- Excellent video shooting. Again a feaure one almost never finds on any other DC or dSLR. The S3 takes DVD quality video in stereo sound, not just video clips that most DC can do. This little (almost) pocket-size camera now forces our digital videocam into an early retirement.

- Many other great features. However those are more or less standard and one can always try to argue some other DC may have similar or better features. I won't comment on those.

In summary, the S3 is a great small-size DC. Its superb lens offers big 12X zoom and IS, two technology of Canon's pride. It also offers DVD video shoot with stereo sound--this feature alone can save you a digital vidoecam.

One suggestion--do get a big SD card if you want to shoot video too. I have a 4G SD card and I think 2G is a must. Also battery life is excellent. It uses 4 AA-battery, which seems a lot odd at the beginning. But it comes in handy because as long as you can get AA battery you never worry about power. With typical dSLR, if the battery is out you are done for the day unless you find a power outlet to recharge (and have your charger with you).

I do have one small complain. The Menu button at the back of the camera is at the location where my palm presses the body. Sometimes I raise the S3 and I see the menu in viewfinder because my palm has pressed it strong enough to trigger it. Another press is needed and I lost several shots because of this.

I have other dSLR with quality lens. But I always take the S3 with me on any trip.


->Best Price

This camara is great for taking pictures with Celebs. I took a picture of my friend lil Jimmy with black Sabbath and it came out great. He was recently diagnosed with HIV and this was his greatest wish. I suggest a larger memory card though. The optical zoom is phenomenol. Good luck bro


->Compare

This is a perfect camera and I'm so glad I bought it. Amazon had the cheapest price around and I wouldn't trade my camera for anything. Now I can click away and not have to worry about wasting film - and I get better pictures, because I can take more, and therefore have more to choose from.


->Compare

This S3 IS is really worth for those who want great looking pictures with stunning clarity. The autofocus is really good and accurate. Also has more special scene modes and picture effects. We can take full resolution pictures simultaneously while recording a movie. Overall, it is a good camera with rich features.


->Prices

Great quality. Movie quality is really astounding.


->Cheap

I've had the camera about 3 months. I bought a 1 G memory card 150X. I added rechargeable AA batteries. I recently went to the Smokie Mountains in East TN and took over 600 pictures. I have taken another 36 using flash and the batteries are still going. The pictures are vivid and sharp. The 12X lense and image stabilizer are terrific. The start up time is phenomenal. The multiple shot feature is out of this world. This is one great camera that I am more than pleased with.

My only complaint is that the menu and set buttons on the back keep getting in my way. Other than that, it is an excellent camera.


->Sale

No complains yet. Good pictures, good zoom, good image stabilizer, lots of functions, good price.

Summarizing, excellent camera.


->Deals

The good:
fast; mid-weight, plenty of shooting options. I like having video hence no need to jump to an digital SLR.

The bad:
software a little clunky, camera view finder could use more of protruding rubber shield - I only like to shoot through view finder and find this aspect too much like the cheapy quick point shoot with too much light distraction from perhiperal.


->Best Price

The Canon IS S3 is a great camera for the person who wants to get that professional touch but doesn't want the hassle of owning mulitple lenses and also wants the flexibility to just snap pictures very quickly.

The 12x zoom is excellent. This camera has a huge range of setting so you can get very creative.

Excellent value for money!!


->Cheap

I love this camera even though it took some time to discover all that it can do. And also to learn what I shouldn't do - like erase all the photos instead of just one! It is a light and compact camera. I was glad that the instructions for each language were in separate books. I could discard the ones I didn't need. I haven't used it too much yet but the holidays are coming and I plan to put it to a lot of use.


->Prices

Since I am not any kind of expert in photography, I am writing this review just as a means to highlight a few features of this camera that really impressed me. Ages ago, I used to own and use an SLr, but for at least the last 20 years I have worked only with point-and-shoots, first film and them digital. My most recent digital was a Canon Powershot S510, and that experience helped convince me to go with Canon again when upgrading.

My reasons for picking this over some others that were similar:

- I already have lots of SD cards from my previous Canon Powershot, so I wanted to preserve the investment. The Sony I looked at, for example, would have required me to reinvest in new media.
- Use of AA batteries; I will not consider a camera that uses proprietary batteries
- Quality (i.e. similar to digital camcorder specifications in resolution and frame rate) movie mode with zoom that works while shooting the movie.
- Ability to add decent auxillary lenses.
- A good zoom with wide range.

Some favorable things I have found out or otherwise experienced since buying the camera:

- The zoom plus digital image stabilization works well together. I can zoom across two rooms and read 12-point text from a memo on the wall.
- The add-on lenses (my experience is limited to the WC-DC58A Wide Angle lens) snap on quickly rather like an SLR, although the original lens does not come off, rather the aux lens just surrounds the original and puts the new optics out in front. However, I was a bit disappointed that the wide angle with the aux lens on is only slightly wider than with it off. At least this aux lens is only about $30 street price and it does help a little bit. In order to add on any of the aux lenses, you need to buy the (also inexpensive) Lens Adapter & Hood kit LAH-DC20. By the way, with the hood attached, the affects of glare when shooting outdoors are eliminated.
- The camera allows a WAV format sound file to be recorded for any picture or pictures and stored to the memory card; this is useful for later identification of pictures and what is in them. The sound files are separate from the picture files, but share the same file name with a different extension (e.g. 00001.JPG & 00001.WAV). This is very useful.
- The camera has a separate movie button that starts & stops the recording of movies. It works at any time regardless of picture taking mode, so you can start a video while in the middle of taking still pictures, or you can take a still picture(s) while recording a video. The video is recorded at the specified video settings and the still picture is taken at the specified photo settings, so one does not influence the other.
- The combination of mini-LCD 'optical' viewfinder (for privacy or shooting outdoors in bright light) and the swivel type main LCD viewfinder is unbeatable. The main LCD would be larger without the swivel feature, but I think it is a good trade-off.
- All controls are very ergonomic in appearance, placement and functionality.
- The built in flash is pretty good, but for a modest extra cost you can get the optional slave flash unit, which goes off when the primary flash does, and it covers a much larger area.


->Deal

There are a lot of things to like about this camera.

The image stabilizer works. It won't freeze subject motion, but it does a very good job of freezing camera motion. One of my first low-light hand-held shots has a blurry subject (he moved while talking) with a rock-solid background and foreground. This feature makes everyone a better photographer.

The lens is near professional quality. It's bright at f 2.8 (wide) and f 3.5 (telephoto) so you can shoot available light as well as long zoom. The brightness also means you can lock the camera on ISO 80 or 100 to keep highest image quality. The image stabilizer means that you can use the really long zoom without camera shake ruining the shot.

The sensor has enough pixels to do the job. Last night I shot full moon shots at max zoom (using a tripod). The moon was well up in the sky (making it smaller) and looked no bigger than a pencil eraser on the display. Inside on the monitor, the shots are great. There are enough pixels that when I crop to get the subject, I still have a very nice shot. Fall foiliage shots have so much detail you could almost teach a biology class on leaves from your snapshots when you blow them all the way up. I mught be able to use more pixels, but I don't *need* more pixels.

The Auto and Program modes are great for beginners. Pick it up, turn it on, frame and fire. Most of the time this will suffice and the quality of the shot will be determined by the eye of the photographer. Some times you need to take control, and the camera has the modes and controls for that too. Indoor, low light, no-flash, long zoom is the one that hits me; in default mode the autofocus hunts if you don't help it. Now I know what to do, but a novice will fight it.

The camera has a host of handy features like self timer and continuous fire and red-eye reduction and... A novice can ignore them but with experience you can exploit them.

Like every digital ever made, the display washes out in sun. The viewfinder can seem cramped if you are used to an SLR. The rotatable display lets you hold the camera away from your face and get good shots (overhead and from waist level are the most useful). Shooting from the waist or with the camera in your lap can get you some great candid shots.

Love the movie mode. You'll want a 1G or bigger SD card.

It doesn't fit in a pocket, but it is reasonably easy to hold in your right hand. It is way smaller than an SLR, so you can lurk with it concealed mostly in your hand. I haven't found a case I really like for it yet. The strap is a tad short on me.

Professionals will find that the ISO 800 setting works but is too noisy in the low light conditions that demand it. It is useable, but you get snapshot quality.


->Purchase

I cannot express in words exactly how much I love this camera, especially the amazing zoom. When shopping for camera, I wasn't specifically looking for a camera with a zoom this long-- I thought, foolishly, that it wouldn't matter to me that much. I ended up buying this camera because it was a good price, the zoom seemed nice, and the picture quality I'd seen was good.

Then I actually recieved the camera, and realized exactly how much I'd been missing without a good zoom. I can finally get good, closeup shots! My last camera had 3x optical, so the difference was really startling. And even better, the photo quality is really nice. I'm taking a photojournalism class, and when I showed my teacher some of the shots I'd taken, he said "those shots were taken by that little thing?!" Also, the image stabilizer is really quite good; if I ever tried to take shots at full zoom on my little Canon Powershot A80, they'd be completely blurry, but with this camera I can shoot at full zoom with barely any blur, even in low light. I was taking pictures at a concert last night, and got some really nice pictures even though it was pretty dark.

The only problem I have with it is that it is rather large. I can't cart it around quite as easily as I could my last one. Also, there's tons of tiny buttons all over it, and it took a while before I could find a place to fit my (rather large) hands without pressing them accidentally. However, these aren't huge detractors for me-- I'd rather get good quality pictures and have to deal with the size and the buttons than get cruddy pictures in a tiny camera. Oh, and I really wish they'd provided a wrist strap along with it, but oh well.

I've only had this camera for about 3 weeks now (still running on my first set of batteries), so I haven't been able to go through all the neat features on this thing, but I do know that I wouldn't trade this camera for anything else in its price range.


->Affordable

I'd rate myself as being relatively low tech. But I want advanced features available in case I need to access them. This unit is the ideal blend. I started taking great pics right away with very little study or prep. It was easy. And yet, the advanced features are available for situations where I would want to take more time to figure them out.


->Price

I love the canon it is great. Took it to Europe in the fall and it took great pictures. Easy to use for an average person with little camera experince. I love it..


->Comparison

For those who want more than a point and shoot camera, but don't want to pay the high price of a SLR.


->Best Price

This camera has great capabilities. I continue to expand my application of them with every use. I replaced an Olympus Digital Camera and a Sony Camcorder with the Canon S3.


->Comparison

Just great pictures. Only one issue that flash is not automatic as you have to raise it manually.


->Price

My number one reason for purchasing a new camera was dead pixels on my G2. I've had it for four successful years, but got tired of photoshopping all my pics to conceal the dead spots. :( The second reason was size. The G2 is a great camera, but kind of a brick. And since I travel a lot, I was looking to reduce the bulk in my travel bags. However, I did not want to lose the full-feature manual controls of the G2.

Although I've read good reviews of Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, etc., I love the G2 photo quality, and so to make life easier and narrow the search, I decided right off the bat to stick with Canon.

I began my research in the PowerShot A series. My next requirement was the swivel LCD. This is such a useful tool for me, especially in crowds where you can raise up the camera and still frame a good shot. Also with kids, you can lower the camera to your knees and compose without bending over backwards or getting in the dirt.

With my primary requirements being swivel LCD, full-feature manual controls, and size constraints, it came down to the A640 and A630. I read all the reviews, and was simply trying to decide between the 10M with black housing (very slick!) or the 8M which is plenty for me and my 5x7 or 8x10 prints. I thought that noise would a problem for the 10M A640. However, the test shots on Digital Camera Resource http://dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a630_a640-review/index.shtml looked like the A640 slightly outperforms at 400 ISO. Maybe Canon is test-marketing a new noise reduction system in the camera?

In any case, I really liked the less conspicuous black, and decided on the A640. I went to the camera store (yes, I still prefer to buy from the local shop vs. online) and was disappointed that they don't keep the A640 in stock. No worries, how about the A630 then. But while handling the A630, I noticed the S3 IS right there with its sleek black housing, and incredible 12x optical zoom. I thought for sure this was an $800 camera. Surprise - same price as the A640. Now this threw a monkey wrench into my decision! I had to go back and research everything all over again; now comparing the A640 / A630 to the S3, even looked into the G7. The G7 lacks a swivel LCD and has a $500 price tag, so it was quickly thrown out.

Here's my conclusion on the A640/A630 vs. S3. Feature for feature, they're basically the exact same camera. The only exceptions are sensor size, megapixels, zoom with image stabilization (S3), live histogram on the LCD (S3), and of course the bulk or size of the camera itself. The only other thing I noticed was that the physical controls are slightly different on the A640/A630 vs. the S3. The button placement on the S3 is more like the G2.

Tough decision for me now. The A630 has everything I need, but the S3 will expand my photography with its amazing 12x zoom. I knew that if I got the S3, that every time I lugged it out, I would kick myself for not getting the slimmer A630. And I also knew that if I were to get the A630, then every time I tried to zoom in close, I would kick myself for not getting the 12x S3.

Finally, I went to the camera store convinced of my original motivations (size) and determined to purchase the A630. But when I got in the store, and held the S3 again, it just felt so natural, and the 12x optical zoom simply can't be beat! I also thought the learning curve would be lower since the controls were laid out more like my G2. I ended up with the S3, obviously. That night, I took some shots of the moon, hand-held no tripod, and they are incredible!

I know I will still kick myself when I travel and fumble around with the bulkier S3, but I suppose I can always buy the A630 on-line for ~ $250 as a back up. So far, however, I'm thrilled with the S3.



->

I bought this for my wife, as we were having our second baby and needed something a little smaller than my D SLR.

Overall this camera is amazing. The continuous shooting mode is great. The flash charges very fast. Batteries seem to last forever. I shot several hundred images the night out daughter was born, then maybe a hundred more over the next 2 days on 1 set of AA batteries.

The optical zoom is excellent and fast from wide to tight. And even works while shooting video. The video mode is a very nice plus. It is a little grainy in moderate light. But in well lit situation is works fine.

Negatives: Red-Eye. This seems to pop up a lot. I have an older Olympus E10, and I don't think I ever got a red eye shot while using that camera for 5 years. But with the Canon, seems very common. Easy enough to remove after the fact, but would be noce to not have to.

Negative: Focus. It seems to not find focus in some situations. I haven't narrowed it down, but when there are small objects nearer the camera it seems to choose them.

But I would highly recommend this camera. Even with the 2 limitations mentioned, the lens, battery life, overall quality of images among other positive make this a great mid size camera.

Scott


->For Sale

PowerShot Pro is a very good series of cameras from Canon. Very fast delivery and good follow-up from seller.


->Deal

Professional camera at an affordable price, November 3, 2006


Canon Powershot S3 IS 6MP could in many ways qualify as a professional digital camera. It has powerful features in a dial button and a user friendly display on its swivel-tiltable LCD. The setting menu is easy to understand and systematic. A comprehensive digital manual and software in CDs are also provided and are downloadable from the Canon website. The camera is programmable, customizable, automated and enhanced with other features, such as photo stitching for panorama effect and fun features like color accent, color swap, and fireworks. For those who have been struggling for a long time to film moving objects or have had problems with lighting adjustments, this camera will make it easier by providing selectable settings. Find a fit infrared filter, this camera is also capable of infrared photography. I have tested and explored most of its feature in the deserts of the Middle East and in tropical lands and have also compared it to another brand that I have owned for two years.

The minus point about this camera is its flash. The mechanism is prone to break and needs careful attention when it is upraised/ activated. A shadow effect can also appear, resulting from the lens body for very near objects. I prefer a camera provided with a hot shoe to attach a separate flash unit.

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, this Powershot S3 IS will give you quality digital photography at an affordable price. One more thing, there are many third party manufacturers who can provide you with a range of accessories, such as teleconverters, lens adapters, filters or simply a lens cap replacement.



->Comparison

Have four days now, bought to suppliment my Kodak P850. I will write more as i use the S3 in weeks to come, at this moment i am in Bliss, excellent piece of equipement. Blows the Kodak away in terms of response , a Buick to a BMW. GOOD JOB CANON !


->Deals

I have a canon digital slr, an s1 is, and a s3 1s. I carry the s3 is when I don't want the bulk of the slr and lenses.I bought it because I wanted the 435mm lengnth(relatively fast) without spending mega bucks. The canon teleconverter ads 1/2 again as much and is pretty clear. I love it. It's quality and functions are the best. It doesn't have the sharpness of the L series lenses but not much else does. I hate second rate equipment. This camera is first rate.
pros: 6mp, range, 35-435mm, compact, great price compaired to slr lenses, 58mm adapter available so You can use common filters, Image stabilizer, It shoots 3 pictures with different light settings.(I use this feature often when I am not sure about light settings)excelent vidio capacity. Great battery usage. these are just a few pros
cons: it is easy to change the quality settings on accident. ( I check it often because it has happened.)Preview isn't the best. I simply shoot loads of shots. I thought thats why they made digital anyhow. Only ex film shooters would have a hard time with that.
Bottom line: don't hesitate any longer. buy the camera. You won't be sorry


->Buy Online

This is a fantastic camera.Brilliant colors,creative features,good fit in the hand,easy controls,just about everything a person would want in a p&s camera.The vivid colors feature really make filters unnecessary.I took plenty of nature photos and the colors were so crisp and clear that if I didnt take the pictures myself I would think they had been taken to photoshop or any color enhancing program.The auto focus was pretty quick for a p&s.The rotating lcd screen came in extremely handy when shooting low or overhead.Do not underestimate that feature.The controls were nice,very creative.You could combine different features to create another feature.It seemed like it was limitless.The supermacro feature prooved to be well beyond my expectations.I took incredibly close photos and the auto focus worked great,and the image was in fantastic detail.The zoom is something that really puts canon on the map.Crazy zoom.
Now you know you cant have the good without the bad.Even though I said the autofocus was good it wasnt great.There were times where I went to focus in on something and despite plenty of light,the object I was aiming at was still,it would tend to lose focus.It was beyond me why this was.The ISO speeds provided some noise,especially the higher the speed.This camera is very SLR-like.You do have the option of adjusting settings and whatnot but I found out about a month into having the camera that I had maxed out these options.They can only go so far.And since they could only go so far I did sell it and get a 350D(XT).But that is only because I want to learn more about the technical side of photography,so again dont let that turn you away from this camera.And then there are the little details.Like that the camera mount was made out of plastic.Meaning if it were screwed too tightly on a tripod there is the possibility it could crack.Whenever the mermory card door was open it would turn off the camera,causing you to lose any buffed images.Even though in my mind these "complaints" or "imperfections" are extremely petty and shouldnt really deture you from buying this camera.I feel that they were things that would keep this camera from being perfect,and thus I had to mention them.
Conlusion:Get this camera.You wont be sorry.Fantastic features,a step above what Ive seen in other cameras.The rotating screen is very very handy in certain situations.Good feel in the hand.It even has some attachments that you can buy to enhance you photos.Which means you can add filters,even though the vivid colors feature recreates that.Brilliant point and shoot camera that gives SOME feel as if it were a DSLR.Again,Canon has put out a very worthy camera.And for the price you really cant go wrong.


->Best Price

The Canon Powershot PRO is just that...it's a very serious digital camera. The days of 350 dollars buying you a basic 2 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoon are long gone. For the money, this Canon model seems to be what would have cost THOUSANDS to get your hands on just a few years ago.

The camera comes with a 12X optical zoom, and it extends that with a massive digital zoon. (Remember, optical is a CLEAR image, digital zoom is just that...it loses clarity but gets you closer to the action.)
The 6MP gives you TONS of FINE HIGH quality picture taking ability. You can set the camera to the quality you feel is needed. I paired this with a 2GB sandisk card, at lower quality it held 1700 pictures, at highest it still held over 900 pictures. The LCD is clear, but the menus are complicated. It has TONS of options, and enough buttons to confuse a novice user. I am fairly technically savvy, and it took me a while to get comfortable with this advanced digital camera.

Once I connected it to a computer, the images were awesome on the monitor, and even better when printed at the local photo shop, some big, and some average size. Quality was not compromised.

Overall my take on this camera is that it's LEGIT. It's A LOT of camera for the money, even at full retail which Amazon does NOT charge you.
I reccommend the 2 GB memory card, AND the Canon rechargable batteries...this thing went through REGULAR batteries like nothing. Spend the extra money and save in the long run.

Good luck!


->Price

This camera is really awesome!!! It offers great pictures, great battery life, great zoom, great settings. It's a great alternative if you are not yet ready to spend the big bucks on a canon rebel. Of course, it's not a rebel, but if you are not a professional photographer, you'll be totally satisfied with this camera.


->Comparison

High-quality camera for the price! Great zoom and I am MORE than pleased. Easy to use and download of photos. Highly recommend.


->Discount

I bought this camera to replace my Olympus UZ 770, which I adored but it had some noise issues at 400, noisy zoom, no IS, & buried functions.

The Canon was a little pricey, but so worth it. Yes, there are some noise issues from 200 ISO on up but with IS I don't usually use 400 or 800. The bracketing feature is AWESOME. I also find that the IS is more effective on the 2nd & 3rd shots, due to the fact that you don't have to press the shutter for those last 2.

The ISO button being right there is great too, and the function button is a great shortcut to exposure & flash adjustments, white balance, color options, and the bracketing choices. I also like that it saves whatever setting you were on last, although sometimes I forget and wind up using tungsten WB in daylight, but I find the Auto WB works great so I usually use that.

The noise issue doesn't bother me for what I expected, and I plan to use noise reduction software anyway. I don't expect Pro SLR results out of what is essentially a feature loaded point and shoot.

It's also very quiet and I haven't had issues with the lens cap coming off - unless you're careless with it and you shouldn't be anyway.

Love the rotating screen and am not bothered by the size. I suppose if you have bad vision or like to show instant results to others a lot a bigger screen is nice, but I'm fine.

I also ADORE the included software although the red eye function is a little finicky sometimes.

I also use it to preview what to expect when shooting 35mm film, until I can afford the Canon EOS 5D.


->Deals

I'm a very experienced photographer, been published and won a few contests too. I use Canon SLR cameras, lenses and equipment which is GREAT stuff. So, when I wanted to add a professional level point-and-shoot camera the Canon Powershot S3 IS was an easy choice. It has excellent optics and essentially the same technology used in Canon's SLRs. So what could go wrong?

First and foremost, everyone should know the Electronic Viewfinder on S3 is VERY pixelated and dark - like looking thru heavy mesh screen. It's difficult to know when you have a sharp focus. Also, the LCD screen is VERY small and dark. It's difficult to see images on this screen in bright light. It simply does not work well for me doing fine art photography. If you plan to use this camera 100 percent of the time in autofocus, these concerns do not apply to you. However, if you plan to do any Macro photography this will be a problem. Personally, I like to know with absolute certainty my photos are sharp and subjects are in focus. No one likes to see fuzzigraphs!

I have also found it far too easy to accidently push one of the many buttons scattered over the camera surface. For example, I had set the camera to best quality, highest resolution to shoot flower pictures. Somewhere along the way I hit the wrong button and took a few low resolution images before discovering the change of setting. My SLR's have lots of buttons too, but I've never had this happen before.

The macro (close-up)capability of this camera is greatly over-rated. It only works on wide angle settings of the lens. Therefore, you must be VERY close to the subject photographed. I bought a Canon 500D close up lens to take macros and still have the full 12X zoom of the camera's lens.

A few reviewers have commented on the very poor quality of the manual that accompanies the S3. I must agree. It IS hard to figure out and I've got a lot of experience reading Canon manuals, figuring out Canon menus and setting camera dials. It's been my experience most folks don't read the manuals. They learn just enough to take pictures and never explore the full power of these devices. The big "P" on the Program dial does NOT stand for "perfect". So, if you don't read manuals, ignore my comments.

The picture quality is very good and should not disappoint anyone - assuming of course it's properly focused. The one thing you need to know is that as good as the meter is in this camera, you will have to learn about Exposure Compensation if you expect properly exposed images. Over- and under- exposures can be avoided with compensation and using the camera's histogram features.

I gave this camera a 3 star rating because it does not live up to the quality and performance I've come to expect from Canon. It's a decent camera, but for it's price it should be MUCH BETTER.


->Comparison

I bought Canon S3 1 month ago based on Amazon's review. But after study it and use it for more than 1 month, I am very disappointed.

1. this product is not easy to use. I had other several digital cameras before and find this camera is more complicated than it shall be.

2. it does not auto-focus easily when zooming even with IS turned on.

3. the Macro does not work as it claimed.

4. the layout of buttons on the digital camera are not great. It's very easy to press one of the buttons when shooting.

I suggest to try out the camera before you purchase it. By the time you figure out this camera has problem, you might already pass 30 days return policy like I am.


->Best Price

Got this camera after reading good reviews. Out of the box, I noticed there was a couple of dust particles INSIDE of the lens. I then compared it to another new S3 that a coworker purchased- she has dust particles inside her lens. Went to Walmart to have a look at their new S3- dust in that lens. What's up with that? I was hoping to just return it and get one without a dust covered lens. But no, not an option. Guess I'll pay to have it sent to Canon to have them clean it like it should have been in the first place. I encourage all to use a small flashlight aimed at an angle, and look at the inside of the second layer of glass in the lens. Or just look at it in the sunlight. Dust?
Otherwise, this camera is excellent so far. Love the movie mode. The zoom produces a surprisingly good image in good light. This camera feels so good in my hand! Too bad about about the dust.


->Deals

Just when you thought all was going well
Canon comes out with a new one S4 IS (Oct 13-06)
that is why the S3 have gotten so reasonable in price


->Deal

This is an excellent camera, especially if you have previously owned a simpler Canon. The Icons and buttons are very easy to understand and the camera is very logically set up, again, especially if you have owned a Canon. The camera has a comfortable feel and the zoom is just spectacular for a very reasonable price.


->Lowest Price

After taking 400 shots I find the camera excellent all around, and have only one major complaint: its maximum f-stop is 8.0, and the default f-stop in Auto mode is low, typically 2.x. So the depth of field you can get is modest at best, particularly for closer work. As a minor complaint, I find you can't capture RAW images with this camera -- as a first-time digital photographer I didn't know anything about the uses of this format, so didn't know enough to look for it in a camera. These two complaints are not against the high quality of the instrument; they are only a caution that if these two features (shooting at f/16 and having your choice of image format) are important to you, look for a different camera.


->Price

I've been using this camera for a few weeks now, and I've taken at least a thousand photographs with it. It is easily the most versatile piece of photographic equipment I have ever owned, and I grew up using film SLRs. This camera has almost all of the features I love in SLR cameras, including fairly intuitive control over exposure settings. I also love the video feature.

My favorite features are:

- The 12x zoom lens which can easily capture close-up subjects from the opposite side of a large room.

- Super-macro mode shoots clear pictures less than an inch from the lens.

- Excellent TV quality video with good stereo sound (no HD).

- A variety of shooting modes let you capture a detailed close up in vivid color one moment, and a fast action shot seconds later with the turn of a dial.

- Adjustable flash output.


That said, there are a few things that really irritate me about this camera. For instance, the manual focus is a pain to use. Instead of twisting the lens, you are forced to hold down one button while you press up and down keys. Autofocus is essentially worthless when you combine low light and fast action (such as a lively concert, like the one I shot pictures at tonight). A usable manual focus is essential for any serious photographer!

Another thing that bothers me is the lack of an external flash hook-up. It makes it difficult to avoid red-eye when photographing people in low light.

I don't understand how such basic features were overlooked when this camera has everything else but the kitchen sink. While this is certainly the most versatile camera I've ever owned, and I love it for what it is, I would not buy it again. I would look for a similar camera that includes a twist-lens manual focus and a flash hot-shoe.

One more critique - photographs are often unusably grainy with ISO settings at 400+. You'll want to stick to the 80 - 200 range, if you can. The lowest ISO setting possible for the situation will deliver the best image the camera is capable of.


->Prices

I decided to get an ultra-zoom digital camera this summer. After many weeks of reading online reviews and visiting electronics and camera shops, I finally decided to order the Canon S3 when the price finally fell to under 400 dollars. I have had the camera for two weeks now, and I must admit that I do not understand what all the glowing reviews are about. The camera is not terrible, but it is cluttered with tiny, flimsy buttons marked with icons or abbreviations that are not at all intuitive. It is virtually impossible to hold the camera without hitting one of them by accident. The manual is incredibly frustrating. This is not a minor problem. Nearly every entry has a parenthetical reference or footnote telling you to jump to another page. When you do find what you are looking for, it is usually written in the defective, non-native English that has become all too common in product manuals these days. I suppose the camera has all the wonderful options, settings, and features that I've read about hidden somehwere behind all those buttons or in all those menus and sub-menus, but I'll never figure out where they are or how to use them from this horrible manual. The LCD screen is OK, but smaller in reality than it seemed in the store. The viewfinder is perhaps the most disappointing feature of the camera. The resolution is very poor. The image is so heavily pixelated and fuzzy that I have no idea if the subject is in focus or not. As others have pointed out, the lens cap is cheap and falls off for no apparent reason. I didn't realize how annoying this would be. Even at the reduced price, this just should not happen. Most of the pictures that I have taken using the factory settings are OK, but not that much better than my old 3-megapixel Pentax Optio point-and-shoot model. Overall, I am not completely disgusted by the camera, but, so far, I feel no great enthusiasm for picking it up and using it. I can't help but wonder if I would have been happier with the Panasonic FZ7 or the Sony H5.


->Sale

I'll admit, the first two weeks I used this camera it was great. However, I never really had the chance to find out for sure b/c after two weeks my camera stopped working. It shut down during use and wouldn't turn back on. I sent the camera back to Canon Factory, hoping it would be fixed or for a replacement, however, I was told that it was unrepairable and I was SOL - basically. Reason? corrosion. From what? - Canon wouldn't say. How is this possible after two weeks and only 3 uses?!?!?!?! So i'm out $500 and I'll be sure never to buy another Canon product. I feel I've been had by the Canon people. After reading reviews/complaints I found that this was a common problem among Canon products. Advice for consumers - keep your camera in bubble wrap and don't use it. This way it will last at least a few months. Good luck!


->Deals

This is the best camera out there...at any price. It is easy to use and takes wonderful pictures. It is simple enough for beginners to just point and shoot, but has all the options for a real photo buff. I highly recommend the camera. The movie option is also simple and creates nice, clear movies, with no time limit.


->Comparison

Image quality was excellent and so happy about that. However, video captured system noise(beep and wheel sound) which is never seen in any other cameras. Even camera is not for video, but its noise is so annoying and video feature is useless. So I gave it up and returned. Later found it is only defect on that camera. If you buy this, please check this earlier in case. Yeah, I didn't notice this till after 3 days.


->Deals

With previous Canon models didnt have date stamp on pictures
Looking to buy this camera if it has date stamp on the picture


->Price

In reading reviews about cannon S2 and S3 I couldn't decide on one. So I bought both to campare them. I printed out pics and family voted. The S3 were much clearer. I tired the S2 first and didn't think it could get easier. I was wrong. The S3 is so easy.I know nothing about photography and in no time I was taking beautiful pictures that others say look professional. I love the macro mode to get closeups and the S3 has the iso button on the front so you can change it when you want. no having to go through menu looking for it.
In reviews I read that this camera might be too much for a beginner. That couldn't be more wrong. So the S2 went back. Not that it's a bad camera at all but I thought the $40.00 more was worth the better picture quality I got.


->Compare

We spent a month to find the perfect camera and we did a great job!!!!
The pictures are amazing! I love the color accent mode (it allows you to take black and white pictures leaving one chosen color) and super macro mode. The image stabilizer works pretty well ( when you don't zoom). Batteries last long. Movie mode is amazing (you can zoom during recording). Camera is a little heavy and big and the LCD is only 2 inches, if you want something smaller with a bigger LCD pick the Canon PowerShot SD700 IS. We decided to get the S3 because:

1 More optical zoom
2 Better movie mode (zoom in SD700 doesn't work and it doesn't have such nice sound )
3 LCD won't scratch (it closes)
4 Uses batteries (thanks to that we don't need to take charger to Europe)
5 The same price

The SD 700 makes pictures faster than the S3 (but after having a Sony Cybershot is not bad at all).

After having camera for a month I would give it 3,5 stars.
You can't see anything on LCD when you are outside , especially on a sunny day!!!
Image stabilizer might work fine but when my kids move just a little bit during picture , whole picture is blurry!!!! Does anybody know a good camera that would prevent that?


->Deal

The image quality is really good and Color Ascent feature is the best from Canon.
The only problem i see is the size. This is bulkier than the small & compact point and shoot cameras in market..


->Affordable


I am an artist, a traditional painter, and I needed a camera to create my own images for prints and cards of my paintings. This camera is more than enough for what I need, but when it comes to detail, resolution, and color clarity, you can never really have too much.

And I am NOT a camera techy, as many of the reviewers on this camera seem to be. However, with that said, and with all of the features this camera has, the functionality of this camera became VERY intuitive after just a few hours of referencing the manual and working directly with the camera.

Another thing I want to point out is the bundle this camera is packaged with. Personally, I give Canon a great deal of credit for making this package. The 16MB SD card it comes with is NOT useless! It is perfect for grabbing the camera right out of the box and putting in the batteries (4 included!), and giving it a whirl. I know 16 MB is very little space, but slow down------it's not a "scam" to get you to buy more and more products, or to spend $600 when you thought you were only going to spend $350 on your new camera, etc. Yes, you will want a bigger card---of course you will! But this package gives you another opportunity to save more money, and to expand your options on your own personal terms. I can only imagine if the camera was bundled with a 1GB stick that people would complain about the size or quality or the rise in price, etc.
No, it doesn't come with a carrying bag either. But do you determine what golf club to buy based on wether or not it comes with a sleeve/cover?


I have the lens adapter/converter to 58mm and the lens hood as well, and I am definitely glad I purchased them all together.
NOTE-----I HIGHLY reccomend also buying a UV filter for the camera, if for no other reason than protecting the lens. You will be much more nervous and meticulous if you have to clean the camera's own lens rather than a filter.

I can't argue much about the technical specifics of cameras, etc, but the setup on this camera was a breeze. I plugged the A/V cable into my TV, and there it was----stereo sound from the movie I had just recorded, no messy setup, and immediate results. Easy! It even functioned to display the viewfinder contents on the TV itself when in camera mode, which was a nice surprise if nothing else!


For my two cents, if you are looking for better quality pictures but, like me, you are NOT a techy or a professional photographer, and your budget is NOT $9000 (there IS a guide on Amazon for a $9000 budget), I recommend this camera to you. The camera DOES look like a big, complicated mess and it can certainly be intimidating. But you probably thought the same thing when you first started to drive a car. By now, you don't have to put too much effort into driving your car, and this camera quickly became as familiar and intuitive to me as well. And the results speak for themselves----the pictures are remarkable, and every time a friend sees a movie clip I have taken with this camera they smile and laugh and often tell me how surprised they are that a camera can do all of that. I am very pleased with this camera, 5 stars in any category that is relevant to me and my needs.



->Affordable

We LOVE this camera! It makes a professional out of any amateur! It's VERY easy to use and is not too bulky to carry around all day. Great for wildlife and sharp details. The colours are spot-on and don't require touching up in Photoshop. Movies can be made for full screen viewing - and the image stabilizing capability has finally made the digital camera for photos and film a crisp, clear non-blurry experience. I can't recommend a camera more highly!


->Deal

I have been taking film pictures with a professional Canon SLR for over a decade, and have been holding out on purchasing a DSLR until they come out with a sub-$2,000 full-frame body. A few years ago, I bought a Canon digital Elph (S330) just for some everyday digital point-n-shooting. While the Elph has served me well, I find the lack of manual settings too limited for my taste. If I were to upgrade to a DSLR, I would get either the Canon 1Ds or the 5D (both of which carry full-frame sensors, a requirement for me), but I'm just not prepared to spend $2,500 for the 5D or 3x that for the 1Ds yet.

With the recent addition of my family (a new baby), I started to look into buying a replacement for the Elph so I can take more baby photos. The film SLR takes great pictures, but traveling with 3 lbs+ of photo equipment is just not practical. I needed something compact (not necessarily pocket sized), but gives me the options to take pictures on manual settings like an SLR. I did quite a bit of research, and determined the Canon S3 IS would be the best camera for my purpose. I've used it for the past month, and it's been great! It's shaped like an SLR, only smaller. It has most, if not all, of the manual settings of a full-size DSLR, minus the interchangeable lenses and an optical viewfinder. Obviously, with an EVF camera like the S3 IS you gain live preview capability, movie mode, and the absence of sensor dust issue. The live histogram is also a huge advantage over competitor models. With a long-zoom and image stabilization, the S3 IS is priced at a fraction of a DSLR. While nobody should expect the same picture quality out of the S3 IS as a DSLR, especially at high ISO, this is truly a great camera for photo enthusiasts who are just not ready to buy a DSLR, or DSLR owners looking for a more compact digicam for traveling or everyday work.


->Affordable

I am very pleased with my purchase of the Canon PowerShot S3 IS. So far it has taken great pics and haven't had any problems at all. The battery life seems to be holding out very well. I ordered energizer lithium rechargables (2500 mah) and they last a long time.

The picture quality has been good, but if you want to mess around with the advanced setting it takes a little getting used to. Overall this camera has been exceptional so far and haven't had any problems.

Also if you buy this camera I would recommend getting the Canon lens adapter set and some 58mm UV filters to protect the lens.


->Best Price

I used the camera twice before it died on me. I took about 15 pictures in total. So, keep in mind that I haven't gotten much use out of it (I'm asking for a replacement, rather than money back).

The good:
1. It uses alkaline AA batteries.
2. It's light.
3. It fits my hands like a glove. On a piano, I have about a 10-12 key stretch.
4. I'm techy enough so while a bit overwhelmed with all the options, I can handle them.
5. Loading from the camera to the computer is a snap!
6. The RCA jacks are a hoot, allowing displaying pictures on a t.v. easy and fun.
7. There are various instructions booklets for them and they're separate English and Spanish - not both. One set can be discarded!
8. I got some great shots for someone who just replaced her very good Nikon SLR for her first digital camera.

The Bad:
1. I only took about 15 pictures before the camera literally just died on me; it wouldn't power on for a third time. Of course, I tried a couple of different new sets of batteries and the originals should have been fine.
2. Is it black to cover the potentially flimsy plastic body? (The S2 - that I refused to buy - had "silvery-cheap" look and feel and the S3 seems like a stones throw away.)
3. Red-eye is pretty bad due to the low flash to the body and the software that comes with the camera, while having the option to "edit it out" puts human eyes in; this looks really creepy when your main subject matters are a dog and cat.
4. It is a bit heavy; be prepared.

I've looked for a couple of years for the right camera to replace my Nikon 35mm. The digital camera needed to be:
1. Light
2. Produce good quality pictures (overall)
3. Have good reviews by users, not "editors." One never knows if a review by an editor is a paid advertisement in disguise.
4. Be easy enough for me to handle and to teach my partner, who's less of a techy to use.
5. Have image stabilization (the jury is still out on how real that is... got some fuzzies when I wasn't expecting it)
6. Have a very good optical zoom

It meets and exceeds most of those requirements. So, I'm asking for a replacement, rather than a refund. We'll see where this goes from here.

The replacement from Amazon came faster than a speeding bullet and worked at first shot (to my delight). I've used it to take pictures from the car as we passed unimportant things, just to see what it would do. At 40-45 miles an hour, it freezes signs so read them (one cannot tell they were shot while we were moving). The ISO setting is high, there's no blur. The camera is amazing and with the steady decrease in price, I highly recommend this to anyone with a glimmer of being able to adapt to lengthy and clear directions and who can handle the many features this camera has to offer.



->For Sale

What an excellent camera!!!

I recently bought one and took it on a trip to Europe. We're just back and the photos are amazing.

I tried the various photographic modes and they deliver the goods.

The camera is very easy to operate, and the zoom is very very useful.

I would suggest at least 1/2Gb memory because of the size of the photos.



->Best Price

This camera was great. Easy to use, fun to review the photos. SD cards work very well. Video is easy to turn on. Though turning it off, you tend to take your eye off the subject. But I think I can edit the video clips later to have better starts and stops. Camera is small enough to go just about anywhere. and light enough to not be a issue while walking around. Reading the manual and understanding all the features is a bit tough. but the presets work pretty good and I'm very pleased with the purchase.


->Best Price

I am generally happy with this S3, but as I have gotten older, and my eyes are dimenishing, I need a quality viewfinder. This one is electronic and suffers a clarity that I do not have in my other cameras- a digital rebel and old sureshot. At times I have taken pictures not knowing its focus, only to be pleasently pleased later on. The LCD is also not as good as I would wish. I think the IS is unbelivable, and its movie capabilities are amazing for its quality. I do not want to sound negative, but this has been my experience.


->Deal

I bought the S3 as a replacement for my PowerShot S10 which has served me amazingly well since I purchased it. My old S10 is only a 2.1MP (megapixel) camera but that suited me just fine, taking tens of thousands of pictures over the past six years that I owned it. My only complaint about the S10 is a common one amongst digital cameras: a crappy 2x optical zoom. The S3's 12x optical zoom was its main selling point for me, and having the PowerShot name behind it sealed the deal.

This camera does FAR more than I'll ever use so I'll instead focus (no pun intended) on the things that I particularly like about the camera, from a point-and-shoot perspective. Some of this info may be old hat to the point-and-shoot digital camera crowd, but remember that I'm coming off a six year old camera that doesn't have half as many features. :)

Although the camera is not an SLR camera, it behaves like one. There's an LCD panel on the back of the camera for lining up your shots, of course, and there's also a viewfinder. Looking through the viewfinder reveals another LCD screen that shows you what the camera's CCD is showing. In effect this gives you the benefit of an SLR camera without the extra cost. This forced me to change my shooting style; when I took close-up shots through the (straight-through) viewfinder on my S10 I had to purposefully aim the camera slightly higher in order to properly frame the shot. With the S3 I don't have this bother any more.

The screen (both the LCD screen and the one in the viewfinder) displays an astonishing amount of information, most of which I ignore. Two very helpful bits of info: There's a white rectangle in the center which defines the balance point of your shot, and more interestingly, a black grid that really helps you make sure your images are straight. (Speaking of straightness, the camera also has an automatic sensor to determine if you're taking portrait or landscape shots. When you download the pictures into your computer, they're pre-rotated correctly. Very handy. (PS: It interfaces with a standard mini USB cable, and it works flawlessly with Apple's iPhoto software.)

If you're taking a picture and you need a flash, the camera will alert you to this fact which is great. Not so great is the fact that it won't alert you until you actually go to take the picture. Considering that you need to manually raise the flash when it's needed, this has the potential for making you lose some candid shots. Tip: Keep the flash raised at all times, and set the flash for "automatic" so it fires when needed.

The image stabilization feature is downright awesome. I actually had to make a conscious effort to get the camera to take a blurry picture with stabilization enabled. One-handed overhead shots are as clear as a tripod shot.

As I said, I bought the camera for the zoom and it doesn't disappoint. The zoom ring is variable in speed (the further you move it, the faster the zoom moves). The image stabilization feature really comes into play at full zoom. I was able to take a not-blurry photo of a news helicopter hovering overhead, with the camera at full optical zoom and without a tripod.

The camera takes four AA batteries; Canon provides you with a set in the box. That will be good for about 100 shots, depending on how much you use the flash. Rechargeable batteries are a must; a decent set of rechargeables (2000mAh or greater) will give you about 500 shots. Well worth the extra money. However, I do like that it will take standard AA's in a pinch; my old S10 took a proprietary rechargeable battery and I occasionally found myself with a set of used-up rechargeables when a photo opportunity arose.

I have but two complaints about the PowerShot S3 IS. Complaint #1 is the body of the camera is constructed of plastic. My old S10 was metal bodied and survived several trips to the concrete floor with only superficial damage. I daresay a similar incident with the S3 will result in a shattered body. Complaint #2 is Canon's incredibly lame inclusion of a puny 16MB SD memory card. At full quality and full resolution, you might get 4-5 pictures onto the card before it fills up. Canon is just adding to the nation's landfills with these things. The first purchase anyone will make is a larger card (I bought two 2GB cards) and Canon's cards are more expensive (sometimes significantly more expensive) than the competition. The inclusion of a 16MB card is either a joke or an insult; at the very least Canon should have included a 128MB card.


->Wholesale

I was getting ready to buy the S2 IS 5MP when Canon came out with the S3 IS 6MP. Why have 5MP when you can have 6MP in the same camera? Takes great pictures. Zoom? Its got all the zoom you need. Soon as you start playing with all the features it gets easy. I have a Canon 4 by 6-inch printer and that makes it even more fun. Instant printed pictures. The picture quality rivals my big Canon 35mm. I also bought the Canon wide angle lens for this camera with its adapter. Wow!


->Purchase

I researched cameras for six months before I had the money to buy. I wanted a mega zoom with a good feature set and high quality video, since I knew I couldn't also afford a video camera. It shoots such good pix in auto mode, that I find myself rarely using the other settings, at least so far. You can shoot photos while shooting video or shoot video while in still photo mode. The video is high quality, AVI at 30 frames per second, which I believe is better resolution than standard TV. You can use the 12x optical zoom while shooting video. Most digital still cameras shoot video at just one focal length. The camera has two mikes and records CD quality stereo sound when shooting video, though you can set it for lower sound and picture qualities if you like. The built-in flash does an excellent job, and with the standard setting I have yet to get red eye.

Image stabilization works very well and is essential with a 12x zoom, especially when shooting video or low light stills. Picture quality is just wonderful in both video and still picture modes. After buying the camera and a 2 gig SD card, I took a bus trip through 28 states visiting friends, shooting hundreds of photos and about 10 minutes of video. The results were great.

Photo stitching software comes with the camera and it is excellent. I had been concered about the very limited wide angle capablity, equivilent only to a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera. But by taking overlapping photos I got wonderful panoramas and group photos without the usual wide angle distortion and with more detail. While this works best with a tripod, with a little care you can shoot by hand and get excellent results.

The batteries are AA. Get a charger and NiMh rechargable batteries. The nice thing is, if your batteries die, you can get a set from the store [uses 4] in a pinch. I was able to shoot 10 minutes of video plus about 150 pix on the batteries that came with the camera. I could have done better, but I spent at least a couple of hours with the camera on, fooling with menus and settings and reviewing the photos and videos.

At best resolution and least compression, a 2Gig SD card will hold 715 photos or 15 minutes of best quality video. 4 Gig cards are available, and if you intend to shoot a lot of video, I would strongly recommend one. Also, the faster the card the better. Slow cards won't keep up with best quality video, and time between still shots will be longer. If the card doesn't advertise it's speed it isn't fast enough! Get 133x or 150x speed. This translates to 20mb or 22.5 mb per second. In theory the camera's single shot limit for video is one hour, but it's a non-issue as the 4 gig cards will only hold 30 minutes of best quality video.

Things I don't like: 8 gigs for an hour of video is way to high. MPEG2 DVD's will hold up to 4 hours in the same space. The view screen should be bigger in this class of camera. It's better than the previous model -two inch versus 1.8 inch- but it really needs to be larger...that said it's adequate for my old guy eyes, and if I had to give up the ability to adjust the screen to get a larger size I wouldn't. I would also like to set the zoom to a slower rate of zoom when shooting video. Rate of zoom is adjustable, by how far you move the lever, but the throw is too short to be precise.

Basically, if you can do without the camera fitting in your pocket you will be very hard pressed to do better than the Canon S3IS.


->Lowest Price

I'm not sure what the macro problems are the poster a few reviews ago had. There might be someting wrong with that camera and I would seriously consider sending it back. One thing to remember is for VERY close photos, be sure it is in super-macro mode, not just macro mode. It will focus on dust on the lens (0 cm!) and takes stunning photos. I have quite a few extraordinary shots in super-macro and macro mode, all auto-focused. I wish we had more info on that problem, because I'd say the S3 takes better than average macro shots!

All-in-all, I'd definitely say this is about my favorite non-dSLR camera on the market.


->Prices

I was between the panasonic, sony and the nikon point and shoot zoom cameras. I bought this one from other views I read and they way it felt in my hands. I love the features on this camera like the beach and snow shooting. I'm not a major photographer, but do take loads of pics and this camera sure can dish it out. The pics are wonderful. I am so happy wiht it. I did buy a fast speed sd 2 gig card and it makes a difference. I liked it much better than the panasonic, that one felt cheap and did not have the bells and whistles. The sony was nice, but did not fit my hands and I did not like how it was laid out. THe nikon wsa nice except no view finder, just the view screen. I have had this camera for 3 weeks and love it. So far the only downer is that it has so many new things on it over my kodak camera. Its far better than the kodaks.


->Buy

My family has loved having a digital camera so far. I love being able to just keep on clicking and then being able to deleted the ones that I do not want. Our family recently went to Disneyland for vacation and the camera was perfect. We still have a lot to learn about all the features that this camera has. It is easy to use and the pictures turn out very well when I have them printed out.


->Compare

All I can say is about this camera is it is really great and I HIGHLY suggest this camera to anyone with an interest in good photography. The manual settings are a must for anyone into birding/botany/nature. Everything is awesome about this product, although consider buying a tripod, bag, 1GB+ SD memory card, and maybe some optics, although the optics aren't really needed to get really, really great images with this camera. If you want a video camera and a camera, consider buying this all-in-one camera/video, because the movie mode is perfect and works great for anything. I've even used it in documenting a severe storm in our area; recording hail, wind, and flood damage. Can't beat it in any area!


->Prices

In all fairness to Amazon, I need to write this review. I just returned my Powershot S3 IS because it did not do what I needed it to do. The ability to take macro photos is critical to me and this camera, despite claims to the contrary, does not have any real macro capability. The reviews on this page did not mention the macro mode in any substantive way--and now I know why.

In macro mode, the zoom function is very limited. Only about a fifth or less of the 12X zoom can be used. After that, the camera will not focus. The field of view is about the size of a sunflower, if you are shooting flowers. I couldn't figure out how to shoot objects the size of bugs or coins without cropping. In supermacro mode, the zoom is unavailable altogether.

This may be a very fine camera for other purposes, but if you want to use the macro mode, don't buy it.


->Price

As an editor and designer (but not a professional photographer), I wanted a camera that wouldn't look ridiculous on a shoot, wouldn't require me to fiddle around too much with nuanced settings, and wouldn't require me to invest too much in lenses to coax some good shots out of it. I also had gotten used to some conveniences from point-and-shoot digital cameras that I thought I'd lose out on by going SLR.

There were other cameras I had considered, especially from my old favorite brands, Olympus and Fuji. But the closest contenders were the S3's predecessor, the S2, and the Panasonic Lumix FZ7.

The Panasonic was making a hard sell: same optical zoom, similar if not better performance in speed tests, similar reviews regarding color and overall quality of their photos. And, really, the Panasonic was tremendously less expensive and featured a Leica lens, which made the brand-whore in me a little excited. But the final blow: The Panasonic seemed to have a goofy rechargable battery system, which is great if you have replacement batteries of the same type, but not so great if you're travelling. The S3, on the other hand, uses regular AAs. That meands I can use rechargeables as I like, or get some Duracells. On the road, that's important: I can't worry about whether I packed a charger, an extra battery or if the voltage is going to be alright in the country I'm in. The other big factor, the trademark Canon swivel-mount LCD display, was critical to my decision. I love having one on my Canon DV camcorder, especially when I'm taking overhead action in a crowd (or just trying to get a better view of the stage at a show!). And it beats the heck out of trying the classic hey-let's-point-the-camera-at-ourselves-and hope-it-works-self-portraiture technique. Just turn the LCD around toward the lens and, as long as you avoid looking to the side at yourself while taking the actual photo, it works like a charm. And just as your lens should have a cap, the LCD screen tucks away to protect it from fingerprints and grit that can mar it just as easily as the lens.

So, moving away from the Panasonic, I had seriously looked at an S2, since most reviews had talked about the S3 not being much of an upgrade from that model. After some consideration, I decided that the LCD of the S2 was a little too small (though the S3, with a slightly larger screen, is no prize-winner in that arena either) and the additional resolution of the S3 would help with zooming and cropping on otherwise too-wide shots. But the real reason I chose the S3 is much more shallow: the black S3 passes off much more like a professional camera than the silver-toned S2, which screams pocket camera. I really think that makes a difference at an event-- you'll get more cooperation from folks if you look a bit more on-the-job, than just a groupie taking snapshots.

So far, I have not been disappointed. The thing that makes me most happy about my decision, especially in the way of not having gone the SLR-route, is that going fully-automatic with the camera doesn't fail to come out with great images. I'm no pro, but I've got some sense of what I'm doing photographically. I've played with a lot of the settings and going manual when I have had the chance, but at least 80% of the time, letting the camera's auto mode do the work comes up with the best shots. And when I'm taking quick shots at a crowded event with no chance to mess with settings, that always makes me happy. And I've only replaced the batteries once, and the second set is still going strong after a few weeks--I suspect the batteries in the box didn't have much to them.

My only two real complaints at the moment: the small, but awkward dimensions and the color compared to my old pocket camera. The size of the camera is actually a plus; it's smaller than an SLR--with or without the lens attached--and can easily be "palmed" with one hand without feeling like it's going to slip. On the other hand, I've never had a harder time trying to find a nice camera bag that wasn't too snug (the lens barrel with cap can make most "digital camera cases" fit much too tightly to be of any convenience or protection) or too roomy (even the smallest SLR bags are too big and DV camera bags a little too compartmentalized or too "secure" with multiple zippers and flaps). Because of that, I just place it in my satchel with the rest of my stuff and hope for the best.

As for the color: I feel like everything I've shot so far has been okay, but comparing the color produced by the S3 versus my old cheap Fujis (the last being an A303 or my brother's current F470) reveals a big gap. Under good, naturally-lit conditions, the colors from the Fuji cameras always come out bright and deliciously saturated. The Canon's seem true enough, but muted and almost dull relative to my old photos. It's nothing that makes me disappointed, and perhaps I can play a little more with what I'm doing in sunlight, but I would love it if I could get flowers to look as beautiful or kids at play look as full of life without even trying.

All in all, it's everything I wanted it to be in a semi-pro camera, and the LCD and battery features have already shown their worth. Until I make the plunge into a nice digital SLR, I'm really glad that I made this my latest camera.


->Compare

I am most happy with the Cannon PowerShot Series S3. It will do everything I need to do.I have gotten some great shots.


->Best Price

Excellent camera, many useful functions and easy to operate


->Sale

I've taken a couple of thousand pictures with this camera and the results are generally very good. One serious flaw, however, is its electronic viewfinder. I wear glasses and the viewfinder is difficult (sometimes VERY difficult) to see in many outdoor lighting situations. (Of course the LCD screen is equally useless in bright light). If I take off my glasses so my eye can fit snuggly against the viewfinder, the view is fine. But if you wear glasses for distance, you know that taking your glasses off each time you want to shoot is not a reasonable option. Of course, this is a problem with optical viewfinders, too, but the problem is not nearly as severe. So, I would strongly advise those who wear glasses to test the camera thoroughly in a variety of lighting conditions before buying.

I will get to the good points in a moment, but another annoying, though not so serious, flaw is the setup for using shutter speed (and aperture) priority. The shutter speed is set using the four-way controller, located in the top right corner on the camera back. The problem here is that there is no way to select a shutter speed and lock it. Because of the position of the four-way controller, it is very easy to push it accidentally, while simply holding the camera between shots, which changes the shutter speed. This means being very careful how you hold the camera and checking the shutter speed before each shot to be sure it has not been changed. The shutter speed is displayed in the viewfinder, but the aforementioned problem with the viewfinder makes this problem doubly irritating for us glasses wearers.

Having said all that, I still like this camera. It has great flexibility, and operations are fast, smooth and quiet. The pictures are excellent. The rotating LCD is very useful, allowing the camera to be placed in positions where using the viewfinder is impossible. The IS is helpful, though some physical stability (tripod, tree, post ..) is still needed at the longer end of the telephoto range. The flash is OK, though red eye is definitely a problem. I've experimented with a few of the special modes and some worked well, while others did not. Selecting setting manually is often better.

There's a sizable learning curve with this camera, because of the numerous buttons, the many special shooting modes, and various options available. I still have much to understand, but the more I learn the more I like the camera, in spite of the problems discussed above.



->Affordable

I've probably researched to death digital cameras and finally settled on this one. Is it the best? Depends on what you are looking for. Then again I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars for a digital slr camera and a separate digital movie camera. I wanted a digital camera with a very good zoom lens, movie capabilities, and image stabilization and wouldn't be too bulky for taking on vacations. This one in my opinion fitted the bill. I probably really wanted the Panasonic FZ30 which is now going to be the FZ50 but noise and other issues kept leading me back to the Canon S3 IS. If the need ever arises to take high quality photos I can always dig out my old film 35mm SLR.


->Compare

For many people the Canon S3 is the camera they really wanted. The majority of the owners' reports here are testimony to that.

For the rest of us the Canon S3 came tantalizingly close to being that ideal camera, but fell short for various reasons. We had hoped for more, not so much in features and options, but mainly in the quality of what was offered. I found that it missed out in four principal areas:

1. its LCD screen is small and its resolution poor. The same is true of its EVF (viewfinder.) The LCD solarizes in bright sunlight making it impossible to use and is not bright enough to use in very sunny conditions.
2. it has chromatic aberration (purple/green fringing) especially at the telephoto end of the lens
3. it has no RAW mode
4. it's overpriced.

If the LCD & EVF had had decent size and resolution I probably could have lived with the other three. Almost every review mentioned this shortcoming. I liked the articulated screen - a must for me. But so small and so lo-res just didn't cut it for me. One user told me the EVF image was so pixilated in bright conditions he couldn't really tell what he had until he saw it on the computer.

I had hoped to do some semi-pro work with this camera. Doing it with this LCD would be difficult and difficult I don't like. And that missing RAW mode, lamented by many reviewers and offered by other cameras in this class, confirmed that it was -almost - a photographer's camera, as distinct from a point-&-shoot, that didn't quite make it. And that disappoints me.

I saw a lot of tele shots with purple fringing especially at the extreme end of the lens. Most of that could be eliminated with Photoshop work or by using a shorter focal length. But if you can't use the full length of your lens or you have to fix the image later, those are major shortcomings I don't want. An aprochromatic lens system, admittedly more expensive, would eliminate this problem.

I think the price factor worth consideration. The current best price here on the West Coast of Canada was $C580. But you need to buy a charger and batteries $39, plus a memory card since the ludicrously small one supplied could take only four hi-res pix, another $39. And a bag, say $20. And of course sales taxes. And you've got a camera costing around $800. And if you wanted a lens hood and supplementary lenses you're getting close to $C1,000. So it's not really a $500-and-change camera: in this price range it's competing with SLRs and other high end cameras.

For me, with the limitations I have described, that's just too much. For my eight or nine big ones I want top of the line quality. I hope that Canon hears the laments from many other reviewers and myself and rectifies them in the S4. They came so close this time but just missed the ring for so many serious photographers. I'm hoping the S4 will be THE one and not, like the S3, the one that might have been. And if not Canon then perhaps some other manufacturer will seize the opportunity. I'm waiting.


->Lowest Price

I selected this camera for its 12x optical lens and its professional stabilizer, and I'm not disappointed... Also very convenient to manipulate.


->Prices

I purchased this camera to use during our choir's tour through Austria and the Czech Republic. The pictures came out great; the image stabilization was very handy in many cases. One pleasant surprise; I used the sound recording capability extensively throughout our tour; I recorded all the choir performances using the camera, and the sound quality was quite acceptable.


->Comparison

This is my first serious camera sonce buying an old DImage from KM years ago.

Forst of all, it takes great quality photos once you learn how to play in manual and creative modes.

It dosent offer the latest in specs, but Canon has done a good job at making the camera friendly to use that is makes getting to its limits that much easier.

The only downside is the somewhat rickety body that makes it feel more fragile than other cheaper P&S units. The handgrip flexes and the memory card door dosent exactly fit flush.

Its also a little more expensive since you have to spring for a charger and a lens hood. (Sony includes both in their H5.)

Hopefully Canon can include a bigger LCD and a more solid body in the S4.

I'd recommend buying a cheap memory card reader so that you wont have to connect the camera via USB port and save that USB door from use.


->Compare

I have had the S3 for about a month ...and so far so good. It took some time to understand all the icons and different settings (still learning - but thats half the fun). I have been doing some experimenting with the many options on the camera to see what it can do. For those who are looking for a camera with growth potential....this is for you. It can take point & shoot shots on auto mode, or you can explore further with p mode, tv mode, and others that offer more custom settings.

I ordered and received an adapter and some filters from another site and I am looking forward to using them. A uv filter will also help protect the glass lense on the camera.

So far the S3 seems to have a large amount of creative options that I am looking forward to exploring more....all in a neat little camera.



->Deals

Excellent Camera. Easy to use for basic photos and capable of great shots under difficult conditions.


->Sale

I just recieved this camera, and I am in love. About a year ago I bought the A95, and loved all the shooting options. But as I have gotten better(a little) at photography, I realized a supper zoom(Among other things) would be "heaven sent".
This camera has it! The zoom is great! We are not talking a telescope here, but to catch birds, far off views, etc is wonderful.
And talk about shooting options! There are more possibilities for custom colors and lighitng conditions than I ever could have dreamed of!
...ok, after gushing, here are some real pluses;

Live Histograme.
Grid for Straight Horizons.
Intensity control over the flash.
Control over when the flash fires, before OR after the shutter opens.
Ablity to skip 1, 9, 10 or 100 images at a time. OR by shooting date, OR by folder. (Helpful when you have a almost full 1,2 or 3 Gig card)
Auto Exposure Bracketing.
White Blance control.
Color choice. (Vivd, vivd red, green or blue, B&W, Sepia, Custom, Positive film, etc.)
World time set. (You're traveling, and can have time set for where you are, and where you came from.)
High Zoom.
Macro and Super Macro. (Shooting ablity from 0cm!)
Preset(Portrait, Landscape, Sport, etc.) shooting modes, up to full control shooting.
The most advanced movie mode out there at the moment.
At about 6.0 mega pixles, there is enough info to print a 11 by 16 print!
...and in defense for a previous review;
Date stamp. (You have to set the option on the menu, then when printing, the date will be added.)
Hand pop up flash.(So no more accidental flash during a concert, or ruining a close up with a forgotten setting!)

And finely;
I never use the view finder, it is not optical, so you see the same thing on the much bigger flip screen. And it has seemed plenty bright. A step up over the A95.
The menu is almost the same as the A95 has, just with more options.

All in all this is an amazing tool, especially for those of us who are hesitant about investing in a DSLR or an SLR. I'm still learning where the "sweet spot", for shooting with this camera is, but I know it is a "sweet time" learning where it is : )



->Purchase

I like the S3. I am still learning to use the camera. I do agree with others that it is challenging jumping through the manuals. It would have been helpful to me for there to be a complete manual that gives all the details in how to use the camera in a logical sequence. And a quick start pamphlet just to get you going. I had to jump back and forth between the two manuals and that made it difficult for me to learn how to use this camera as I am new to the digital camera with so many features.

The view finder can be improved. I have difficulty seeing the messages/symbols. Also, I had to kind of guess that I was right on target for my shots.

The photos I have taken came out perfect despite me not being able to know exactly what I was looking at. The batteries have a nice long life for what I am doing.

I haven't tried the video yet.

I do like the camera. It works fine for what I am using it for.


->For Sale

Great camera . . . I took many long distant (12X zoom) pics of my daughter during her graduation and they all came out great. I highly recommend this camera.


->Compare

I bought this camera right before a trip to Paris and Burgundy. Normally, I'd take my 5D DSLR, but a hand injury dictated a much lighter camera. When I bought it, I thought I'd really compromised on image quality.

Having looked over the 300 shots worth keeping from the 900 I took, I have to say that the compromise in quality was very small indeed. I took a large number of low light shots on manual setting in the glorious Saint-Chapelle. Virtually every one came out a winner. I got the best shot I have ever taken of the circular stained glass on the west side of Notre-Dame. I got great causal shots of families relaxing in the Place de Vosges. And the IS on full telephoto shots in Puligny-Montrachet showed no shake at all.

I do wish that the camera supported RAW. And manual seems to take the resolution down by one notch, although I am still researching the user guide.

That said, for $500 you get almost DSLR camera quality which is easy to carry, easy to hold, and a joy to take shots with. This is a perfect starter camera for any one, and a great backup for DSLR users who can't carry a lot of kit.

Bravo, Canon!


->Lowest Price

The Powershot S3 is a good choice for those needing an extended zoom range, but wishes to avoid the cost and bulk of Digital SLR designs.

The S3 has a very fine, 12x optical zoom, that is quiet, smooth and quick. The stabalizer comes in very handy for still shots, and is a must for video.

The 6 megapixel images are clean and above average. Try to avoid higher ISOs on any of the compact cameras, but if you must, Canon's new 6MP sensor/processor combination is good.

Camera operation works well in the various automatic modes, and is also easy to control manually (except for manual focus). The eyelevel LCD is good, but everyone seems to have a different opinion on what looks good here. The rotating back LCD makes easy work of high level, low level or table-top copy work.

Video is unsurpassed in this type of camera. Stereo sound really gives this one a dimension that others lack. You can also easily switch on the fly. In the still modes, you can just push the button on the back to instantly start a video. During this video, you can instantly override the video, and take a still, then is picks back up on the video (it does, however, interrupt the video).

I won't revisit all the advantages of SLRs here. Although a good camera, this doesn't replace the speed of autofocus, continual shooting and quality of those cameras.

There's really not a lot of cameras in this category, but there are some definate winners, and the Powershot S3 adds to that list!


->Buy

I started to wonder this afternoon how many of the reviewers for this camera are on somebody's payroll....
I ordered it based on the reviews here as well as the review on stevesdigicam.com and received it the other day. Fully confident it would be a great camera after all the mostly glowing reviews I also ordered the lens shade, rechargable batteries, memory card etc etc.
Well I was pretty disappointed by it.
I bought it to replace my aging Sony F707, although afterwards I started to wonder exactly why I was replacing it in the first place... The photos I took with the S3 were lacking in comparison. Not only that, but I kept getting the "camera shake" icon in soft early morning light and the photos were actaully out of focus. I took the same shots with my Sony and it gave me fine results. And the S3 has Image Stabilization?
If that weren't all, a big reason I actually ended up getting this camera was for its video capabilities. However I ordered it before Kevin Fosler updated his review. I had no idea I could only shoot 8 minutes of high-quality video. Even with larger memory cards it would make no sense.
On the positive side, the camera is well laid out and I like the menu functions. It looks pretty nice too. So 1 star for those thing.
Well, the search begins again. The lesson I learned: next time I'm not just going to read reviews, I'm going to find a place where I can actually try out the camera I'm serious about buying. And I guess if I can't find one I'll just have to take my chances and at least I can send it back to Amazon.


->Price

This camera lacks....

..Time/Date Stamp
..Must raise flash to use
..Has image stabilizer but alot of my pics still blur




->Buy

I write martial arts books, most of which require numerous illustrations and photographs to help readers understand and perform the various techniques. After years of spending thousands of dollars per book with professional photographers, I finally decided to purchase a high-end camera so that I could do the shots myself. I needed something simple enough that I could hand it over to an assistant who would take the pictures, yet good enough to produce professional quality results. Ease of use, powerful optical zoom, and superior picture quality were my main requirements.

After weighing the options I decided to go with this model. For about what I would have spent on a mid-range digital SLR by itself I was able to invest in not only this camera, but also two 1 GB memory cards, a dozen rechargeable batteries, a padded hard case, a tripod, a complete lighting package, and a backdrop with stand. The whole set-up ran roughly $1,600. Since the highest resolution photos use up about 3.5 MB apiece, it is good to invest in a couple of large capacity, high speed memory cards. The batteries last for several hundred shots if you use the viewfinder so a couple of sets with a high-speed recharger ought to do for most applications. The cannon soft case isn't all that great so I decided to spend a few bucks more on a good hard case to protect the camera and accessories.

I am very happy with this investment. The camera performs admirably. Indoor pictures are clean and clear, even without the fancy lighting. I took a few test shots using the built-in "indoor" setting which compensates for fluorescent lights. They turned out remarkably well. With the extra lighting the indoor photos go from remarkably good to absolutely great. Outdoor shots on "auto" and "sports" modes work very well too, with or without a tripod stand. It's not quite as fast as an SLR, of course, but takes multiple shots with adequate timing for my needs. The manual adjustments work well if you're well versed in photography and know what you're doing. I've found that the pre-set modes meet such a wide variety of applications that I don't need to tweak things manually all that often. The only major feature that I have not tried yet is the movie mode. Since I have a good digital camcorder too, however, I'll probably never need it.

The only serious drawback I have found so far is the viewfinder, which is a bit hard to see through in direct sunlight. Worse yet, the flip screen is nearly impossible to read in bright light too, even with the contrast turned-up. Similarly in very dark settings it's quite challenging to aim properly. The photos turn out quite well but I have found that I have to take several shots to frame things properly. Not a huge deal for what I'm doing since I bought all the fancy lighting, but something to consider if you plan to take a lot of shots in bright sunlight or darkness. As others have pointed out, there are no filters available for this model though there is an adaptor to add other lenses which could be filtered.

I purchased the 3.2MP S1 IS years ago so adjusting to this new model's features was a breeze. They are not identical, of course, but the layout is quite similar. It's fairly intuitively obvious too. I have actually read the manual and have concluded that this camera has way more functionality than I could ever imagine needing. It's nice to know that it should last for years to come without need for another upgrade though. It is so simple to use that just about anyone can take good pictures using the built-in settings straight away. It is also very easy and quick to download files to the PC for storage or further processing. If you've got Windows XP it's truly plug and play (no praying or special software necessary).

All in all, this camera is exactly what I needed. Great quality, reliable pictures at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!


->

Received the camera very quickly and very pleased with how it operates. Still learning about all the camera functions. Love it and still learning.




->Best Price

Since no camera is perfect for everyone, I truly hesitated (for over a month) to write this review. But, since I wrote a glowing review of another Canon camera model (the A620), fairness almost demanded a less positive review where equally warranted.

Like a previous reviewer, I also returned the Canon S3 IS recently purchased. And, just like that other reviewer, a significant reason was the small LCD display. I found it nearly impossible to use without reading glasses - not an obvious issue until actually using it in the "real world." Of course, the Canon A620 has the same small display, but one is more willing to overlook an annoyance such as this in a product costing considerably less. But, with a camera costing as much as the Canon S3 IS, there is little excuse today for such a small display (indeed, several other cameras in this price range offer a larger display).

Regardless, if this were the only issue with the Canon S3 IS, it might have been possible to live with this annoyance as well. But, added to that, the overall quality of this camera bothered me. Some aspects of the camera, such as the plastic tripod mount, suggests cheap construction. I seriously doubt a plastic mount can survive the repeated punishment of the often sharp metal screws found on the typical camera tripod. Plastic into plastic, perhaps. Metal into metal, of course. But not metal into plastic. Canon should know this, but went ahead with the plastic anyway. Since I use a tripod often (anyone seeking good images should), this annoyance was a little more difficult to ignore. But, moreover, this got me thinking about the rest of the camera. If Canon was so willing to cut corners with a plastic tripod mount, one has to wonder how far they went to cut corners in places consumers cannot easily see - the electronics and mechanics inside the camera.

There were other minor disappointments (weak flash, noisy EVF, and so on), but I could reasonably live with those. None, including the above, were enough to cause me to utterly rule out the Canon S3 IS. The early reviews of the newer Sony DSC-H5 were the final straw. A look at the features, and a trip to the store to actually handle the camera, was enough to finally cause me to switch.

The Sony offers an additional 1.2 million pixels of image resolution (even if one doesn't make larger prints, the extra resolution gives more room for cropping images), a larger LCD display, a better EVF, a metal tripod mount, a stronger flash, and more. It also performs better at ISO-400, offering another full stop of usable exposure over the Canon S3 IS (important to me during the long dark winters of northern Europe, but a benefit to anyone shooting in low-light conditions). The Sony doesn't perform exceptionally well at the larger ISO settings (ISO-800 and 1000), but neither does the Canon (no ISO-1000 setting, but similar performance at ISO-800). Otherwise, both the Sony and Canon are pretty evenly matched - little else gained or lost by chosing one over the other. I did lose the articulating display offered on the Canon S3 IS, but, more importantly, gained significantly in the other areas mentioned in this paragraph.

Like the other reviewer, perhaps a future Canon S(?) IS camera addressing these issues might tempt me to return to the Canon fold. But, in the meantime, Canon has lost this customer to Sony.


->Lowest Price

Muy buena resoluciòn, las pilas hace la camara un poco pesada pero la recompensa con una larga duraciòn de baterìa, solo recomiendo mejorar la pantalla lcd que es de baja calidad


->Affordable

In all honesty I think there is really NO difference in picture quality between this one and the S2. I returned mines back to Circuit City and ate the damn 15% restocking fee. If you're really interested in this camera, then save your money and get the S2 because you really will not see much difference except the impact on your wallet. I am assuming allot of these glorious reviews are from folks who never owned the S2 to see and compare for them selves. I am not saying that the S3 is a bad camera; I am just saying that for the money difference, the image quality is tooooo damn similar. For this kind of money I highly recommend going with something like the Sony H5. You get more mega pixels, bigger screen, and awesome results. If you don't want to take it from me just visit dpreview.com a highly respected website when it comes to camera reviews. Anyway I sincerely hope this review helps some people before making the same mistake I did.


->Comparison

This is a rewrite of a previous review, hoping to be more concise.

Pros:

- Feels good, looks good, great ergonomics. Usually I de-emphasize this, but this is an exception.

- The pictures turn out great.

- The movie mode is awesome, good stereo sound (but see below under cons)

- It is quick and responsive, for zoom and focus.

- The rotating display is nice not only to take pictures of myself, but also to take closer pictures of other people in a candid way -- i.e. you won't be in their face with the camera obviously pointed towards the person.

- Some scene modes on the selector dial which is convenient.

- Flash doesn't automatically pop up. Most people see this as a disadvantage. I see it as a great advantage. If I don't want flash, I leave it down. It suggests using flash on the LCD. If I want to use the flash, I then flip it up.

Cons:

- Small 2" LCD, plus inferior viewfinder. This is almost a show-stopper for me. This camera is basically an upgrade to the S2. Due to competition, the next version of this camera is likely to have a larger LCD. It depends on whether you need an ultra zoom camera now, vs. waiting for next spring.

- There is no date stamp on the photos. This can be added using Canon's software according to their technical support.

- Plastic camera tripod mount.

- The movie mode produces really high quality videos. The problem is that they aren't compressed, or as compressed as other cameras. A movie can be only 1G, and only 8 minutes of video can fit on a 1G SD card.

- Lack of scene modes.

A comparison with the new Kodak p712.

The new Kodak, also an upgrade (of the 850) now focused quickly and has best in class low shutter lag. I had the 850 and have the 712, and there is a big difference.

The Kodak has better image stabilization.

The Kodak has *many* scene modes. This helps the non-professional get the settings right.

The quality of the images is about equal (other than the canon not being as good with image stabilization at maximum zoom).

There are more options for flash types

There are more buttons on the camera for faster settings.

The LCD and quality viewfinder make the Kodak a more fun camera.

The disadvantages of the Kodak over the S3, is that the Kodak doesn't have a rotating display, so photos of people could be more intrusive. The Kodak doesn't have the great feel or looks of the S3.

I think that I will be rewarded if I wait for the next iteration of Canon's ultra zoom. With Kodak's larger display, Sony's 3" display, Canon will have to make theirs bigger. A Canon with a larger display plus other improvements they may add would be my dream camera.

I am not going to keep the Kodak p712 either. I love that camera, but I want a rotating display. Having tried the rotating display, I am hooked on it.


->Deal

I just upgraded my digital camera from an older Canon Powershot G2 to this new S3. I recently attended a reception and all I can say is Wow! I loved my older camera but dark scenes posed a particulary nasty problem. With this camera I was able to capture people across the room with only the flash on the camera. So far, this camera rocks. I'll be taking it on a long trip in August to test out all the options. Only thing I miss is the remote control.
A nice thing about the camera is the viewfinder. It fits very comfortably on the eye and I'll never take a lens cap picture again, since like the digital slrs, what you see in the viewfinder is what the ccd actually sees.


->Buy

Ok, first of all I have no photography training, I've only taken pictures as a hobby, and for the last several years I've used my Fujifilm 3800, which was my starter digital. It got frustrating for me because I would see pictures other people would take and I couldn't understand why I couldn't take the same type of pictures. I looked and every photographer who's pictures I enjoyed (on Flickr, Blogspot, etc) were using Canon's. I've always thought that Canon's (for single image photography) were out of my league as a hobby photographer, but I wanted to take pictures of plants, trees, various things around me which I believe is interesting. So I did my research comparison shopped and picked this Camera.

It is amazing.

This camera has so many bells and whistles, but each one is there for a specific reason. One of the features I use a lot is the SCN function. It tells the camera the type of environment you'll be shooting in, beach, snow, indoors, foliage, etc etc etc.

The video this camera does is almost as good as the video on my actual Canon video recorder, the picture is a nice size with minimal compression so if you edit it with Windows Movie Maker you don't have the annoying (and very amature-ish) compression boxes.

Another nice feature is the color change, I love taking photos outdoors in black and white, with my old camera I had to use a software program to change the image to B&W, with this camera you can do it right then and there, and still have the original color image as well.

The Image Stabilizer works very well, and I shake like a leaf in a strong wind storm. I found that when using the zoom it's best to use 2 hands (which I never did before, like I said amature no photography training) and the shots come out great without having to use the flash.

I'm sure as I take more pictures, and do more research and study to improve my photography I'll be changing the ISO & shutter speed to meet my needs, otherwise this is exceeding my expectations and making me look like I am a better photographer than I really am.


->Buy Now

If you are interested in all the specs and opinions about the features of this camera, then refer to digital camera review sites for this camera (such as dpreview.com and steves-digicams.com). If you want someone to have done all the work for you comparing the cameras, then consider this: I did extensive research on this item during the month of June, 2006 and I compared this item to other similiar cameras in its class, and this camera is - by far - the best in it's class. I did not weigh price into this decision, because I feel like the cheap price of an inferior camera should not give it points over a superior but more expensive camera. All in all, this is the best camera in it's class of high power zoom digital cameras. You won't be disappointed.


->Prices

SO MANY FEATURES. SO LITTLE TIME.

Is it possible for a camera to make an amateur photographer better? Apparently this is Canon's goal with the S3. It provides easy access to controls that compensate for common difficult shooting scenarios. Most point-and-shoot (P+S) cameras have few buttons - relying instead on hidden menu driven options. While this may make the camera appear less intimidating initially, locating the correct setting while attempting to frame and photograph action or bad lighting subjects is frustrating. As a result, many features go unused.

By way of comparison, the S3 has at least ten more buttons than my discontinued P+S MINOLTA Dimage G500 (5MP 3x optical zoom). And many of the buttons on the CANON are multifunction depending on whether you are shooting in one of several modes, playing back stills, or movies - providing dozens of useful options.

The CANON S3 has a button for instant access to movie recording (with on-screen options for 320x240 15/30/60 fps or 640x480 15/30 fps) up to 1GB or one hour per clip. Stereo sound and zoom functions accompany movies. There are dedicated buttons for ISO, sound recording, flash, continuous shooting, macro, manual focus, display, and a customized shortcut. The mode dial on top of the camera includes settings for many typical situations such as portrait, landscape, sports, nighttime, and panoramic. There is also an AUTO[MATIC] mode. But if all your shots remain in this setting, you might as well use a P+S model.

The key benefit of the many buttons and dials on the S3 is quick access to a wide variety of useful features without taking your eye off the subject. The FUNC[TION] button can present a tremendous amount of pertinent information while the focused image is visible. Everything from remaining number of pictures and image quality to white balance and ISO feedback neatly border the subject. The DISP[LAY] button activates grids and histogram, switches between LCD and viewfinder, or reduces the amount of on-screen information. Either screen is equally informative and useful for making adjustments. The MENU button differs in that it brings up infrequently used options that temporarily replace the focused subject.

Elaborating a bit further on the impressive display of the CANON S3, it does a good job of simulating selected options. Punch up greens, blues, reds, all colors, neutralize, lighten or darken skin tones, photograph b+w or sepia and see the results before snapping the picture. It is possible to obtain untainted color even with mixed indoor lighting. In addition to AWB (automatic white balance) there are seven other settings accessed from the FUNC[TION] button. The last is custom metering. Just point at a white object in the room and press the SET button. No more green or orange casts on indoor photos!

Another common lighting problem occurs when a subject stands in front of a bright background or if frontal light from the sun washes out the highlights on faces. After a quick tap of the FUNC[TION] button, the first option in the upper left corner is exposure compensation. Use the omni selector left arrow to darken the foreground or right arrow to lighten it. If indoors or a relatively short distance away, you might also enable the flash. (For those with traditional photography background, there are also options for aperture priority or shutter speed priority on the mode dial.)

Despite efforts to write a short review, there is still much more to talk about. Image stabilization (IS) and the 12X optical zoom are significant features that work well together. In fact, now I understand why smaller digital cameras without IS typically only include 3 or 4x. The slightest hand movement is greatly exaggerated at high magnification. IS compensates for this movement. The S3 provides four options for IS: 1) continuous (constantly stabilizes preview which uses more power); 2) shoot only (stabilizes image when shutter button is pressed); 3) panning (stabilizes vertical movement only for tracking horizontally moving cars, race horses, bikers or runners); 4) off (stabilization is not necessary for tripod).

The 12X optical zoom can optionally be supplemented by 4X digital, making it possible to achieve as much as 48X zoom. A ring around the shutter button rotates clockwise to enlarge and vise versa. This brings up a slider in the viewfinder. If digital is activated, the white slider goes to a point and stops at 12X. Press it again and the slider is appended with blue as the digital zoom is progressively applied. I uploaded a picture of a bird in a a 16 foot palm tree with 21x zoom.

Panorama assist is yet another outstanding feature. As each photo is clicked, a portion slides over in preview, making it easier to align the next. Software is included to stitch the pieces together or you can use Photoshop's Photomerge under the Automate menu.

Image bracketing is also nice for difficult-focus situations; with one press of the button, three slightly different focuses are shot within a couple of seconds - a light, medium, and dark. This is not to be confused with continuous shooting (sometimes called burst mode), which shoots multiple images with consistent exposure as long as the button shutter button is pressed. This is extremely useful when photographing groups of people since it is often difficult to get everyone's eyes open and smiling at the same time. It is also great for photographing small animals with rapid movements like birds.


WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?

There are a few annoyances that could be solved by spending more. After all, Cannon makes cameras from under $200 to several thousand. Despite big features, the S3 is, relatively speaking, on the low end of the scale. So any apparent design omissions must be kept in context.

LENSE CAP FIT: The most minor annoyance is the loosely fitted lens cap that frequently disconnects. Make certain the lanyard string is attached to the neck strap so it won't be lost. The obvious concern is smudging or scratching of the lens. While carrying, frequently check to make certain is on.

ACCESSORIES: Canon cut accessories to the bear minumum. There is no case (strap is included), no power cord, no lens hood, and only Alkaline batteries. Purchasing all the necessary options can break your budget by $150-$250 USD. Fortunatelly, some items are common enough that you may not need to purchase everything. I already had a couple of 256MB SD cards for my prior camera. You'll need to factor in the cost of a fast charger with four 2500+ mHa AA batteries (currently around $35). There is also a need for a high-capacity SD card. The included 16MB card will only store four of the highest quality images. About 90 stills can fit on a 256MB card at the highest quality setting. If you require more images per session or will be recording movies, consider a high-speed 4GB card (currently around $100). The S3 is optimized for high-speed cards.

LCD BRIGHTNESS: More of an annoyance is the limited pivoting 2" LCD screen brightness. Take comfort in the fact that some expensive DSLR cameras have only a viewfinder. Fortunately, when the LCD is not visible, the viewfinder on the S3 can be used. The diopter adjustment is handy since I may be wearing single-vision prescription shades, trifocals, or no glasses at all. The two independent brightness settings for LCD or viewfinder are a noble consideration. The LCD just doesn't get bright enough. In time, it is easy to get used to the viewfinder.

IMAGE FORMATS: A camera with so many features naturally appeals to the prosumer not ready to make the leap to a full-fledged DSLR. Though this would result in better high-ISO nighttime shots and better daylight images, the cost with multiple lenses could easy triple the price of the S3 and you'll lose some consumer-oriented features. Nevertheless, a non-compressed image mode would be useful - especially with the availability of high-speed 4GB SD cards.

Test shots of straight-up blue sky in large "fine" and "super fine" modes both exhibited pixelization when examining up close. In fact, super fine is slightly more pixelated in large areas of SOLID (perhaps due to sharpening?). This may be considered simulated film grain. There is more color averaging with fine mode producing a smaller, visually smoother images. The "large" image setting is 6 megapixels so the anomalies I reference when zooming in 400 percent in Photoshop are not visible on typical prints. When the composition includes many different color changes and fine DETAIL (landscapes, architecture), the super fine mode is much better. Otherwise the detail becomes muddy.

I developed a Photoshop action called Smooth Pixels. Though not always necessary, it provides moderate smoothing on 6MP images to reduce pixelization in large areas of flat color. It can also be used to minimize artifacts occurring as a result of saving a JPEG image with too much compression. If you have Photoshop experience these settings may be familiar to you. Opacities can be increased as much to as much as 60% with minimal loss of detail. (A screenshot of the Action palette has been uploaded.)

1 Make snapshot
2 Duplicate current layer
3 Smart Blur (Radius: 1, Threshold: 12, Quality: High, Mode: Normal)
4 Set current layer (Opacity: 40%)
5 Duplicate Background
6 Gaussian Blur (Radius: 0.5 Pixels)
7 Set current layer (Opacity: 40%)
8 Flatten image

RAW, LZW TIFF (compression usually requiring a PostScript level 3 printer for decompression) or standard TIFF options would be appreciated by those concerned about consistent pixels within continuous color with no artifacts surrounding high contrast colors. It should be noted that each time a JPEG is opened and saved (even with no edits) in an image editor application, there is slight degradation of image quality. This does not occur with TIFF or RAW.

WIDESCREEN LIMITATION: I was fooled by the boast of widescreen pictures. This applies only to STILLS. The WS stills are about 25 percent smaller than the maximum 6MP images. The viewfinder adds black bands to help frame WS pictures. Don't expect a low-cost HD WS movie function from the S3.

FLASH OPTIONS: The manual pop-up flash could be a bane or boone. It is reasonably strong and there is a three-option dedicated button to 1) always enable the flash, 2) automatically flash only when required, or 3) disable flash. If you forget to lift the flash, automatic doesn't lift it for you. Conversely, lifting the flash when the user option is set to never flash results in no extra lighting. One could look at this as a benefit since less flashing preserves the batteries. It would make more sense to me for the flash to pop-up if needed in automatic mode. Get used to the icon in the viewfinder that indicates the status of the flash (which is grayed when the flash is not up).

The S3 has also been criticized because it does not have a hot-shoe connection for a replacement flash. (A handheld flash farther away from the lens is the true solution to red eye.) Canon's less than optimal answer is to provide an optional slave flash that can be used as a supplemental bounce flash positioned closer to the subject or mounted onto the camera using a bracket that connects to the tripod thread. (I have a much less expensive non-digital Canon T-50 SLR with multiple lenses with a hot shoe so adding one to the S3 is possible.)

TRIPOD THREAD: A plastic tripod thread is never appreciated. Be careful not to damage the threads or consider using a tripod quick-shoe attachment.

ABERRATION: Though improvements are being made, digital cameras (particularly less expensive ones) suffer from aberration, sometimes called purple fringing, surrounding high-contrast areas where a pixels along edges are discolored. The S3 is not exempt - more notably a few pixels of red (NW) and green (SE) misregistration. This is most apparent on photos with very light objects next to color away from the center of focus - particularly on overcast days when the sky is white instead of blue. A 6MP image is scaled down so much for standard prints that the aberration is not usually noticeable. For large prints this may require additional image editing.

UPGRADE FROM S2: Owners of the Canon S2 will not find the S3 a significant upgrade. This camera appears to build on prior success with a few additional features to keep it competitive with other brands. In doing so, Canon has left room for even more improvements in an S4. Differences between the S2 and S3 are summed up below.

* New sensor (6MP versus 5MP)
* Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 800)
* Bigger LCD screen (2.0-inch versus 1.8-inch)
* New Sports mode
* Record live Histogram
* Widescreen shooting mode (stills)
* Fractionally larger and heavier
* Dark gunmetal (gray) as opposed to silver body

The difference between 5MP and 6MP is not perceived in standard size prints (both have far more megapixels than necessary). The extra pixels in the 6MP are useful for retaining more detail when cropping small areas of a photo with image editor software. High ISO (400+) is used for dark scenes when no tripod is available. ISO 800 is largely symbolic in the S3 since results are too noisy (aberrated pixels) to be useful. The 2-inch screen has the same amount of pixels as the 1.8 but it's scaled up a bit. The histogram is an animated graphic that indicates whether the framed subject is under- or over-exposed; this should also be apparent in the viewfinder preview image. Of course widescreen images can be cropped in post-production if it's only an occasional desire.


CONCLUSIONS
It will take some time to become familar with all the CANON S3 features. If results are too noisy or blurry, it is likely because the correct setting was forgotten. The CANON S3 is not perfect but, in its price range, includes a very good combination of available technologies with slight image quality sacrifices. Professional photographers may be inclined toward an entry level DSLR (perhaps CANON DIGITAL REBEL XT, CANON EOS 30D, or SONY ALPHA). The S3 is a nice alternative to a dedicated digital camcorder; it can even zoom and shoot high-resolution stills without exiting movie mode. For the best quality stills, movie recording is sacrificed in higher-end cameras.

If this review seems like too much to read then the S3 is not for you. There is much more to read -- beginning and advanced manuals for the camera itself in addition to manuals for the software. Prosumers that invest time reading can be rewarded with greatly improved image quality from the S3. Of, course composition is still up to the photographer. (www.photoinf.com) The prior S2 model may be a better bargain for the cost conscious unless some of the new S3 features listed above are absolutely essential. The typical no-frills consumer might be put off by the plethora of options and prefer a compact P+S with less buttons (CANON POWERSHOT S80, SD500, A540, or A520).

(See uploaded pictures of bird in palm tree and building exhibiting aberration. Because the Amazon image processor scales down images as much as possible, there are more image artifacts on samples than on original photos.)


->Discount

This is my first digital camera. I was doing research for about 6 month already until I settled for S3 IS. I was comparing many of them and Canon was able to offer more than its competitors were. I have been using camera a couple of days now and I am very pleased with the results. I am in the process of experimenting and I think every new user should do that. I was reading many reviews with comments on poor picture quality in low light settings and similar, but I think it is just matter of practice and knowledge. As per my experience, if you put camera in low light settings and put the flash on, pictures are very good.
Camera like Canon S3 IS requires you to go through the manual and make yourself familiar with many of its options.
Adjustable LCD viewfinder is very helpful especially if you are taking pictures above your height/sight of to low.

Personally, I would like for the flash to open itself automatically, rather than manual. Another thing that I would like is for the pictures to be dated. Since I have baby girl I would like my pictures to have the date on them, this way you only have date in the picture info.
I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants better than average, quality, and stylish product.


Pro: Many features offered to fit any ocassion
Con: My inexperience with digital cameras


->For Sale

Unless you are a professional photographer this is an awesome camera. I have one other Canon A85 digital still camera, a Sony f717 and a Sony f828, a Nikon d50 and I know I will be using the s3 IS more then any of them. It's small, sharp pictures, as well as movie clips make this a real winner. I owned the s1 IS for a year and thought it was a great camera, my only complains were poor low light focusing, shutter lag, and no hot shoe. Well the s3 IS fixed two out of the three. Focus is much better and lag is almost none, very fast! They also added a lot of bells and whistles to this thing like color swap and color accent. (You can look on canonusa.com to see what these are.) I know how hard it is to make up your mind when buying one of these and I spent days reading reviews, but I have to say... if you want a camera to carry with you and get great shots... this will do the trick in spades.


->Lowest Price

Excellent camera, I got mine a week ago and I am very impressed. Overall it has a nice solid feel. Resolution is just fabulous. I originally wanted a compact camera that I could fit in my pocket to take places where an SLR is just too big and cumbersome. At first I was looking at the Leica D-Lux 2. But I found it too small for my large hands and fingers. Also the Leica is so smooth that it is sort of slippery to hold. The Canon does not have as high a resolution but is certainly acceptable, it is bigger which means it only fits in big pockets, but it has a nice grip. It is quite comfortable. The flash is not super powerful, but it is adequate and comparable to other cameras with built-in flashes. It is good for about 15 feet. Oddly enough you have to flip the flash up yourself but I don't consider it an issue. Outdoor photos are spectacular. I bought a 1 gb card for it and am quite happy. Battery life seems good too.

My only complaint is not even really a complaint. There are so many features packed into the camera that it takes a significant amount of time to traverse the menus. I am sure that when I become more familair with it, it will not be a problem.


->Buy

I'm in love with my new S3 IS! I've been a die-hard Canon SLR fan for a long time, but my first digital was the Kodak Z7590. I was looking for high mega-pixels and the Kodak had the best optical zoom available at the time (10X). I was deeply disappointed in the quality of the images produced by the Kodak and am thrilled to have replaced that camera with the Power Shot S3. It is fantastic! Would highly recommend it!

The flip out LCD image finder is the best improvment over the S2 and I love the fact that I can add lenses to the camera at some point as well.




->Best Price

I purchased this camera on the basis of reviews at Amazon and elsewhere. I have been an avid photographer since 1959, starting with the Leica. The enthusiasm of other reviewers for the S3 IS is certainly well deserved. The speed and accuracy of the self-focusing as you change focal lengths is astonishing. At a single focal length moving the camera past a window from inside the house results in a breathtaking and precise change of both exposure and focus.

The movie facilities are well displayed also by turning slowly inside a house and watching the exposure and focus change to produce surperb results even through the windows. This is one fine movie camera. The 1 gigabyte limit on a movie should not be a problem since it permits roughly an eight minute movie. Downloading a two minute movie to my Dell desktop required about 10 minutes. After which I had a two minute perfectly focused and exposed movie with stereo sound!

As you will quickly find, extreme handheld close-ups will self-focus exactly at the Canon specified distance. Get too close and the camera focuses sharply on the other side of the object you wanted to photograph. Example, small flowers on a bush.

One more example. to check the focusing I picked our sleeping dog. Her fine fur was crisply focused and, to my eyes perfectly exposed.

This is the camera that until now existed only in my dreams.
Thanks, Canon. The S3 IS was well worth waiting for.





->Comparison

I struggled with buying a DSLR, having some photography experience, but the attraction of carrying one camera to get both Video and still photos overrode my desire to be a photo purist. Thus I bought the S3 and am extremely happy with both the quality of the video and the still photos.

A few minor drawbacks - I bought the Canon case for it (and sent it back). Unless you will be carrying the camera as is, without the lens shade/lens adapter, the case is useless, too little extra space for any extras. I bought the lens shade/lens adapter as it is the only way to be able to put a protective filter on and I read some reviews that advised it because it protects the lens barrel. I returned those as well. I found lensmateonline.com that makes 2 size lens adapters (52MM and 58MM) in metal (as opposed to Canon's plastic) both in black for the S3 and silver for the S2. They also have a retractable rubber lens hood available. I found that if you leave the Canon lens hood on inside while using the flash, you get a dark shadow in the picture, the retractable lens hood saves you the hassle of unscrewing your lens hood - which can be dangerous especially with the plastic lens adapter as it can get cross threaded.

The camera itself is phenomenal...




->Best Price

This is my 4th digital camera. I was going to buy a Canon SLR and found that it was out of my price range. The S3 IS was right there at the top of my range so I went to the local camera store to ask about it and look at it in person. I can tell you that it is a very solid feeling camera. It fits in your hands very well and the buttons are all within reach. The photo quality is really amazing. Image stabilization really helps with those long range shots. The multiple shooting modes are really handy too. The only down side to this camera is the number of options available. You can literally get lost in the manual. No worries though. Put the camera in AUTO mode, point and shoot. For most people this should work just fine. The camera is VERY fast. There is NO lag time from the moment you push the shutter button and the time the photo is taken. No more predicting your shots. I am not super happy with the lenses cap. It fits loosely and tends to fall off but there is a lanyard to keep it attached to the camera. Not the most important feature of a camera. The 2" LCD is pretty impressive as well. The movie mode is nothing short of amazing. If you use it make sure you get a large memory card. I filled a 256 MB card in about 45 seconds of shooting at the highest quality setting. Bottom line...GREAT CAMERA!


->Buy

This is my 3rd digital camera and my first Canon. I moved up from an Olympus Ultra Zoom 2100. The 2100 has 2.1MP 10x optical zoom with image stablization, and lo-res movie mode. The reason I was attracted to the S3 IS was because it offers 6MP with 12x optical zoom and image stabilization, and VGA quality movie mode in stereo. Since purchasing the S3 IS I have not been disappointed.

I also bought a Transcend 4GB SD memory card which can hold about 32 minutes of video, or over 2300 photos in the highest quality. No problems addressing the 4GB memory, or doing a low-level format of the card in the camera.

Shooting both photos and movies is easy. The S3 IS has a separate button that you press with your thumb to start shooting a movie. While you are shooting, you still take snapshots with the shutter button. There are 2 stereo mics built into the front of the camera, along with a software selectable wind filter. While shooting, you can use the zoom feature with no added noise to the movie; it's very quiet. Image stabilization is still active when shooting a movie.

I think the S3 IS is good enough as both a digital camera and video camera that I no longer need to haul around 2 cameras (digital and video) to every event.


->For Sale

You can have peace of mind that you own the best digital camera on the market when you purchase the Canon Powershot S3 IS camera. When you go on vacation, you want the photos that are going to impress and with the 12x optical zoom, the photos will impress! Since this camera is brand new, everyone is going to be asking you about it. They can go ahead because I will tell them this Canon camera is the best! The photos have color and sharpness that seem to want to jump right out at you. I took a movie and I am amazed with the clarity. There is no other camera better than the Canon Powershot S3 IS. I also own a PIXMA photo printer, so, I have the best of both worlds.


->Cheap

I thought I wanted a micro-sized camera and bought 2 different brands of compact cameras just to return them because of sub-par picture quality. After that experience, I decided to give the new Powershot S3 IS a chance. Sure it might not be small enough to fit in a pocket, but what a camera! The pictures are great with sharp images from corner to corner, a 12x zoom lens, and an extremely effective Optical Image Stabilizer. The benefits of the the Optical Stabilizer cannot be understated on a camera with such a long zoom range. When you zoom into maximum telephoto every slight movement of your hands results in a huge movement at the lens. With the stabilizer though it eliminates that problem. The pictures have low noise levels from 80-400 ISO, I have not tried the ISO 800 yet, though it should be nice to have in a pinch. The tilt and swivel LCD is awesome, you'll wonder how you got along without it before. Battery life is excellent and I cannot underemphasize the benefit of the camera running on standard AA batteries. If ever you find yourself in the middle of a day of shooting and the batteries die simply pop into a local convenience store and pick up some more. I would suggest you purchase a good set of rechargeable NiMH batteries though. The movie mode is great with the ability to zoom, a dedicated record/stop button, and stereo sound! Plus, finally a Canon digital PowerShot with a live histogram! You will not be disappointed in this camera.