PowerShot S3 Digital Camera vs Powershot SD series

[thelittleprincess]

Does anyone own the Canon® PowerShot® S3 Digital Camera? I want to hear feedback on this camera.

I've was gifted the Powershot SD230 series 4-5 years ago - and I've upgraded a few years back to the SD300. Good camera to tuck into my purse when I use to go to the clubs, bars, etc in my undergrad days. The disappointments with the SD series were the small optical zooms and lots of red eye problems which I read occurs a lot with small cameras.

But now I want a camera with better optical zoom without breaking my bank account. The S3 has 12x optical zoom. I checked out cnet reviews but would like to hear feedback from any S3 owners on this forum.

thanks.

 

[jpeyton]

What are you going to use it for? It's a brick compared to the SD series; not really something you want to carry everywhere.

 

[thelittleprincess]

i want the options to get better pictures (better zoom that i can't get with the SD series)

for instance, i've had decent seats at basketball games but my camera can't capture anything b/c of the horrible zoom (i think 3x on my SD)

i also go to lots of extracurricular activities that my niece and nephews are involved in such as soccer, violin recitals, ballet, etc and a good zoom is a must for those pictures. i'll probably start a family in a few years, but i may or may not upgrade the camera then.

is there a canon camera tha has great zoom that's not so bulky? i prefer canons, nikon or olympus - those brands are the ones usually recommended when i go to most camera places.

 

[George P Burdell]

The 12x zoom + IS is a killer combination. Even though the camera isn't exactly small, it's still way lighter/smaller than an SLR. The size is a problem sometimes, but the zoom totally makes up for it. The camera is just the right size and weight.

The video quality is surprisingly great. Videos at 640x480 are better than I ever expected a point&shoot to produce, but the obvious downside is the memory consumption for high quality videos.

But you shouldn't expect photo quality to be much better than a point&shoot. The camera has the same small sensor as the other compact Powershots.

 

[thelittleprincess]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
But you shouldn't expect photo quality to be much better than a point&shoot. The camera has the same small sensor as the other compact Powershots.

does this mean i'll still run into red eye problems with this camera?

 

[thelittleprincess]

bump

anyone else who can anwser my questions about the S3 or suggestions for a camera with good zoom?

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Panasonic Lumix FZ8. Just released and on the most recommended list of DPR.

$278 shipped! Text

 

[Mday]

dont have the S3, but just wanted to give my 2 cents.

Zoom isnt everything. And the red eye issue is not going to go away with the S3. It has to do with how close the flash is to the lens (indirectly).

Anyway, the S3 is a good camera.

 

[SZLiao214]

From what i read while researching my own camera the s3 gets high marks. The 12x optical zoom is very nice and as long as the area is well lit your picture should come in clear from that distance.

I myself chose to buy the s2 since it was a 100 dollars cheaper at the time.

 

[thelittleprincess]

Originally posted by: Mday
Zoom isnt everything.

Zoom isn't everything, but it's important b/c the 3x zoom isn't cutting it for me. i'm fine with as little as 5 or 6 megapixels because I don't plan on printing large photos. most cameras i come across are 5mp or higher. anyhow, zoom was never important before b/c my camera was more for capturing evening outs with friends such as clubbing, borthday dinners, etc.

it stinks when i try to take pictures of my neices & nephews' recitals, soccer games, etc and my zoom won't zoom in enough from where i am standing. I focus on the optical zoom and avoid using the digital zoom. I going away from having a small compact camera for my younger college lifestyle towards having a camera with good zoom so i can capture those moments from a farther distance - my graduation from grad school is coming up and it would be nice to be able to capture a good picture of me onstage when I get my diploma.

thanks for the input about the S3 as well as the recommendations from the other forum members here. i really appreciate it.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: thelittleprincess

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
But you shouldn't expect photo quality to be much better than a point&shoot. The camera has the same small sensor as the other compact Powershots.

does this mean i'll still run into red eye problems with this camera?

I think the red eye is less of a problem with this camera. However, I wouldn't rule it out yet. I haven't come across any yet, but then again, I haven't taken many photos in situations that are conducive to red eye. As one poster mentioned, the distance between the flash and the lens is greater in this camera as compared to other point&shoot cameras.

Red eye isn't that big a deal. Most photo processing software can get rid of it. I wouldn't recommend any camera's inbuilt red eye reducer though.