CNET Editor's rating: 7.7 out of 10
Reviewed by
Lori Grunin
Review date: 5/3/06
Release date: 5/15/06
The good: Fast and responsive; comfortable design; decent movie capture; flip and twist LCD; fast, high-quality lens with effective optical image stabilization.
The bad: Tiny LCD; lacks raw support; faux wide-screen capture.
The bottom line: A very well-executed megazoom camera, the Canon PowerShot S3 IS reminds you why dSLRs still have competition for photo enthusiasts' hearts.
Description:
The Canon PowerShot S3 is a 6-megapixel, enthusiast's camera.
Compared to other enthusiast's digital cameras on the market, it is midpriced at around $345.
Pros:
Has a 12x optical zoom, which is somewhat more powerful than some similarly priced digital cameras.
This camera also offers control over numerous exposure modes including aperture-priority, shutter-priority, program, and manual mode.
Cons:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
Suited for those who consider image quality and performance more important than ease of use.
A recommended use, based on key features, is framed photos for the home.
The largest recommended print size, estimated from the camera's resolution, is 12x16 or larger.
Value:
Overall, this digital camera's features seem a bit weak for its price, compared to most other digital cameras.
90 out of 100 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect
face change
I currently own the S2 IS which I bought as soon as it came out last summer for taking pics on... Read more
by joshUNC04 (see profile) -
March 4, 2006
AVI - 640 x 480,
AVI - 320 x 240,
AVI - 640 x 480,
AVI - 320 x 240,
AVI - 320 x 240
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory
16 MB Flash - SD Memory Card
Floppy Drive
None
Image Storage
Super-fine / large JPEG 2816 x 2112 : 4 - With 16MB card - 2.72 MB,
Fine JPEG 2816 x 2112 : 8 - With 16MB card - 1.62 MB,
Normal JPEG 2816 x 2112 : 17 - With 16MB card - 780 KB,
Super-fine JPEG 2816 x 1584 : 6 - With 16MB card - 2.03 MB,
Fine JPEG 2816 x 1584 : 11 - With 16MB card - 1.2 MB,
Normal JPEG 2816 x 1584 : 23 dBi - With 16MB card - 585 KB,
Super-fine JPEG 2272 x 1704 : 6 - With 16MB card - 2 MB,
Fine JPEG 2272 x 1704 : 12 - With 16MB card - 1.12 MB,
Normal JPEG 2272 x 1704 : 24 dBi - With 16MB card - 556 KB,
Super-fine JPEG 1600 x 1200 : 13 - With 16MB card - 1 MB,
Fine JPEG 1600 x 1200 : 24 dBi - With 16MB card - 558 KB,
Normal JPEG 1600 x 1200 : 46 - With 16MB card - 278 KB,
Super-fine JPEG 640 x 480 : 52 - With 16MB card - 249 KB,
Fine JPEG 640 x 480 : 80 - With 16MB card - 150 KB,
Normal JPEG 640 x 480 : 127 - With 16MB card - 84 KB
Flash memory
16 MB - SD Memory Card
Supported Flash Memory
MultiMediaCard,
SD Memory Card
Lens System
Type
Zoom lens - 6 mm - 72 mm - F/2.7-3.5
Focal Length
6 mm - 72 mm
Lens Construction
9 group(s) / 11 element(s)
Lens Manufacturer
Canon
Additional Features
Self Timer
Yes
Self Timer Delay
2 sec,
10 sec
Additional Features
AE lock,
AF lock,
FE lock,
DPOF support,
Direct print,
Audio recording,
Auto power save,
Built-in speaker,
Focus bracketing,
Histogram display,
PictBridge support,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Digital image rotation,
Digital noise reduction,
RGB primary color filter,
Display brightness control,
Camera orientation detection
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range
1.6 ft - 17 ft
Type
Pop-up flash
Flash Modes
Auto mode,
Slow synchro,
Flash ON mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction,
Auto mode with red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction
Yes
Effective flash range
1.6 ft - 17 ft
Features
AF illuminator,
Flash +/- compensation
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Color support
Color
Diagonal size (inches)
0.33 in
Resolution
115,000 pixels
Field Coverage
100%
Dioptric Correction Range
-5.5 to +1.5
Display
Type
LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2 in - Color
Mounting
Rotating
Resolution
115,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type
None
Microphone
Type
Microphone - Built-in
Mode
Stereo
Connections
Connector Type
1 x USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output
Expansion Slot(s)
1 x SD Memory Card
Lens Systems
Auto Focus
TTL contrast detection
Type
Zoom lens
Focal length
6 mm - 72 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera
36 - 432 mm
Focus adjustment
Manual,
Automatic
Min Focus Range
19.7 in
Macro Focus Range
0-50cm
Lens Aperture
F/2.7-3.5
Optical Zoom
12 x
Zoom Adjustment
Motorized drive
Lens construction
9 : 11
Features
UD glass,
Aspherical lens,
Ultrasonic Motor (USM)
Miscellaneous
Carrying Case
None
Cables Included
A/V cable,
USB cable
Included Accessories
Lens cap,
Neck strap
Min Operating Temperature
32 °F
Max Operating Temperature
104 °F
Operating humidity
10 - 90%
Power
Power Device
None
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating system
MS Windows ME,
MS Windows XP,
MS Windows 98 SE,
Apple Mac OS X 10.2 - 10.4,
MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later
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