Cons: No RAW mode, no hot shoe for external flash units, small LCD screen
The Bottom Line: The Canon Powershot S3 IS provides most of the capability of a dSLR without giving up any of the convenience and simplicity of a general use digicam.
Howard_Creech's Full Review: Canon PowerShot S3 IS Digital Camera
The Canon PowerShot S2 IS was last year's most popular monster zoom digicam because its fast image stabilized 12X USM zoom, best in class movie mode, compact SLR like body, and full manual controls dovetailed perfectly with the needs of a rapidly expanding prosumer market niche. Consumers who've been waiting for the new Canon Powershot S3 IS (the S2's replacement) to hit store shelves won't be disappointed.
The brain of the new S3 IS is Canon's second-generation DIGIC (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) II processor, the same processor used in Canon's top of the line "G" series digicams and dSLRs. The DIGIC II combines image processing, power management, and most auto camera functions (Exposure, White Balance, and JPEG compression) in one chip to more efficiently handle camera operation. DIGIC II image files are optimized for bright colors, tack sharp resolution, balanced contrast, and lower noise. In addition, DIGIC II noticeably increases operational speed for quicker startup, faster AF, near real time shutter response, and improved shot to shot/write to card times.
The new Canon Powershot S3 IS is an evolutionary rather than an revolutionary update. Canon didn’t add anything amazing, but they also didn’t subtract anything (prosumer level performance, long reach, sharp pictures, creative capabilities, advanced features, and enhanced usability) that made its predecessors "best buys".
What's new?
Canon recycled most of the S2 IS. The most noteworthy difference is the S3's new 6 megapixel image sensor which also graces the SD 700IS, SD 600, SD 630, A700, and A540 models. This new sensor was designed specifically to work in tandem with the DIGIC II processor to noticeably reduce image noise and extend sensitivity from ISO 80 to ISO 800.
Somebody at Canon decided to save a few bucks per unit and replace the S2's 1.8 inch Vari-Angle (camcorder style) LCD screen with the only marginally larger 2.0 inch Vari-angle LCD screen from last year's A620 model. A larger LCD screen (at least 2.5 inches) would have been better.
The S3 IS (unlike its predecessors) provides a live histogram display and a Sports Mode.
There's also a new sort of widescreen mode with standard 4x3 aspect ratio (2816x2121) images automatically cropped to 16x9 aspect ratio (2816x1584) so they can be displayed on a wide screen TV or computer monitor (don't try this with big vista grand landscapes).
The S2 IS's Champagne silver polycarbonate body has been very slightly re-designed and the color changed to a dark (pro look) slate gray.
NUTS & BOLTS
Viewfinder/LCD Screen
The S3 features a relatively high eye-point EVF (electronic viewfinder) that's basically a much smaller version of the 2.0 inch LCD screen. The S3's EVF provides average resolution and it's reasonably fluid. Shooters can use the Display button to toggle back and forth between the EVF and the LCD screen (only one can be active at any time). There’s a diopter adjustment for eyeglasses wearers.
The S3's camcorder style (flip-out, rotating) Vari-Angle LCD screen tilts/swivels 180 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically (the screen nests into the camera’s back deck when not in use and opens out like a book when needed). The screen can be nested into its well (facing out) for traditional LCD viewing, or tilted/swiveled through a variety of shooting angles including facing the front of the camera (good for self-portraits and allowing portrait subjects to fine-tune their poses in real time) or above the camera and facing toward the rear at a 45 degree angle (good for low level macro shots), or below the camera pointing backward (for over-the-heads of the crowd shots), or facing upward at a 90 degree angle to the back of the camera (for waist level viewing). When not in use the LCD screen can be flipped around and popped back into the monitor well (face-in) to protect it from scratches, smudges, and fingerprints (this position automatically shifts framing and composition chores to the EVF).
The S3 IS also provides a very useful record mode (live) histogram display that converts the image area into a graphic representation of the composition -- making it easy for users to spot (and adjust for) under or over exposure.
Zoom Lens
The primary reason consumers buy Monster Zoom digicams is for the long lenses, and in the S3's case the f2.7-f3.5/ 6mm-72 mm (36mm-432 mm -- 35mm equivalent) 12X zoom is worth the price of admission. This is the same lens that graced the S3's predecessor and a prime example of just how good digicam optics can be. This highly corrected lens features 11 elements in 9 groups including 1 UD (ultra low dispersion) element to reduce chromatic aberration and 1 aspherical element to improve sharpness and enhance color fidelity.
Throughout its extensive range (moderate wide angle to super telephoto) this lens yields images that range from very good to excellent. That's impressive optical performance, since monster zooms are inherently complex and as complexity increases optical faults are magnified exponentially. The S3's monster zoom makes good use of Canon's proprietary super efficient (and very quiet) Ultrasonic Motor (USM) to augment the obvious benefits of its superior optical engineering, Image Stabilization, and fast and accurate auto focus. What's equally impressive is the small very tidy footprint of this monster zoom when most of it is retracted into the camera body. Nature and Sports photographers will benefit most from the extra long reach of the S3’s monster zoom and the amazing efficacy of the Image Stabilization system, which allows users to shoot acceptably sharp and virtually blur-free images up to three stops slower than they could with a non-stabilized zoom.
Barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center of the frame) at the wide-angle end of the zoom is about average for monster zoom digicams. Pincushion distortion (straight lines bow in toward the center of the frame) at the telephoto end of the zoom is a bit better than average. Chromatic aberration (a slight violet colored fringe visible around the edges of some objects in high contrast color transition areas) is about average at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, but visibly above average at the telephoto end of the zoom. Corners are noticeably soft at the maximum aperture, but sharpen up somewhat as the aperture gets smaller. Minimum focusing distance (in Super Macro mode) is 0 cm/0 inches – that's right zero!
Image Stabilization
Image Stabilization allows users to shoot at shutter speeds up to 3 f-stops slower than would have been possible without IS. For example, if a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second is required to avoid the effects of camera shake (without image stabilization) the S3 can capture a reasonably sharp image of the same subject (everything else being equal) at 1/60th of a second. Image stabilization can also be a very useful asset when shooting indoors where higher shutter speeds may not be possible or would result in dark images with poor shadow/highlight detail. In addition, Image stabilization combined with higher sensitivity (like the S3's ISO 800 option) dramatically increases exposure options in low/natural light and dimly lit indoor venues where flash is prohibited. Users also benefit outdoors when shooting handheld at full telephoto in good light (where even the slightest camera movement is magnified 12X) because the image stabilization system automatically compensates for virtually unavoidable camera shake at the maximum telephoto setting.
Does Image Stabilization actually work? Yes, users can consistently shoot sharper images at shutter speeds up to two (and occasionally 3) f/stops slower than would be possible using a camera without IS. S3 shooters have a fast, accurate, and very quiet monster zoom that's capable of capturing sharp handheld shots at shutter speeds that are beyond the ability of other (non IS) long zoom digicams. IS opens up options like shooting at weddings and concerts (where flash is inappropriate) and using the zoom for capturing high quality video. Image Stabilization isn’t a magic bullet, but it does make a noticeable difference and that difference could result in capturing that once in a lifetime shot rather than missing it.
The S3's Image Stabilization system functions very nicely, but it won't neutralize sharp camera movements or reduce blur caused by moving subjects or too rapid panning. Potential purchasers should also keep in mind that IS noticeably shortens battery life, so a back-up battery is a probably good idea.
Auto Focus (AF)
The S3 IS features the same TTL Contrast Detection 1-AF point Flexizone AF system (which permits users to shift a single focusing point around the frame for maximum creative control) as its predecessors. AF performance is fast, accurate, and consistently above average. In low light the focus assist beam helps illuminate the subject for more accurate focusing. The S3's AF system delivers consistently sharp images in good lighting. “FlexiZone AF” can be coupled to the S3's Spot Metering function, allowing savvy users to lock AF and metering on the single most important element in the composition (like the eyes in a formal head and shoulders portrait).
Manual Focus (MF)
Shift from AF to the S3's Manual Focus mode and the LCD screen (or EVF) provides a distance scale and automatically enlarges the central portion of the LCD screen. The MF mode works fairly well, but those for whom MF is an important consideration the S3 (along with the vast majority of digital cameras) may not be the best choice. It is difficult and cumbersome to determine precise focus using the distance scale and stepped electronic focusing system, especially given the small size of the LCD screen.
Flash
The S3's built-in multi-mode flash provides a solid range of lighting options including: off, on (fires full time), auto (fires when the camera determines that ambient light isn’t sufficient), red-eye reduction, Slow Sync (balances flash output and a slower shutter speed with ambient light for a more natural look), first curtain synch effect (flash fires at the beginning of the exposure), and second curtain synch effect (flash fires at the end of the exposure). Flash compensation can be adjusted /-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments. Flash output power can be adjusted through a three step range. Maximum flash range is about 14 feet.
The S3 (like its predecessors) doesn't provide a hot shoe for external flash units, but Canon's HF-DC1 auxiliary slave flash will nicely extend lighting options.
Memory Media & Image File Format(s)
The S3 IS saves images in JPEG format (a TIFF/RAW option would have been nice) and stores image files to SD/MMC cards.
Connectivity
USB 2.0, A/V out, and DC in
Power
The S3 IS draws its juice from four (available everywhere) AA batteries. Canon includes four alkalines but most shooters will be much better off with 8 (two sets of four) high-capacity (at least 2300 mAh) NiMH's and a fast charger. The S3's image stabilized zoom produces consistently sharper images at shutter speeds that would normally generate blurry pictures, but this capability comes at a significant cost in terms of power consumption. Canon claims 550 exposures (with 2500 mAh rechargeables) but this number is derived via lab test/best case scenario and IRL numbers are likely to be much lower. That said, the S3 IS has excellent battery life (probably the best in its class). Based on my use, the S3 IS (with four - 2300 mAh NiMh AAs) is good for a short trip or a long weekend of moderate to heavy shooting.
EXPOSURE
The S3 IS will provide all the exposure flexibility serious photographers are likely to need, including: Auto, Program AE, Scene (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Stitch Assist, and Special Scenes – Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Indoor, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, and Color Swap), Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and full Manual modes.
In Auto (point & shoot) mode, the S3 makes all exposure decisions. In Program AE mode, the camera automatically selects the aperture and shutter speed, but users can select all other exposure variables. In all Scene modes the camera will automatically optimize all exposure parameters for the specific type of scene selected utilizing Canon's exclusive iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology to produce consistently accurate exposures. The camera matches the scene in front of the lens with an on board database of known scene types and then compares that information with the specific scene's subject distance, white balance, contrast range, lighting, and color (just before the image is recorded) to determine the best exposure. In Aperture Priority mode, shooters select the lens aperture and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed. In Shutter Priority mode users select the shutter speed (high shutter speeds to freeze rapidly unfolding action or slow shutter speeds to blur motion) and the camera automatically selects the best corresponding aperture. In Manual mode users select all exposure parameters.
Movie Mode
The S3 has the most impressive video capability of any digicam in its class. In Movie mode the S3 can record (up to 1GB) video clips at 640x480 (VGA resolution) @ 30 fps and record the soundtrack in stereo (Microphone levels are adjustable).
The S3's Movie Snap option allows users capture a full resolution still image while shooting video (video recording is temporarily interrupted while the camera captures the still image, but the break can be smoothed over via the edit option). Filmmakers can also Lock AF or exposure, enable Manual focus, or select Photo Effects and My Colors during video capture.
Metering
The S3 IS provides three light metering options: Evaluative, Center-Weighted Averaging, and Spot. Evaluative metering assesses numerous individual points across the frame and then chooses the optimum aperture/shutter speed combination to capture the image. Center-weighted metering biases exposure on the central portion of frame (great for landscape and travel images where the subject is likely to be centered). Spot metering reads only a tiny portion of the image frame allowing users to bias exposure on the single most important element in the composition (like the eyes or face in a portrait). The S3's metering is accurate and the range of metering capabilities (especially the option to couple Flexi-zone AF and Spot metering) should be more than adequate for most users.
White Balance (WB)
The S3 provides a very broad range of White Balance options, including TTL Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent (warm white), Fluorescent H (for daylight-balanced fluorescents), Flash, and two Custom WB modes. The Custom settings permit users to manually set white balance with a white card (wall or ceiling). The ability to save and use two Custom WB settings makes it easier for users to move back and forth between scenes with fundamentally different lighting (for example indoors and outdoors) situations. Auto white balance seems to be very accurate in outdoor lighting, but I didn’t get to try it indoors.
Sensitivity
The S3 provides an excellent range of sensitivity/speed settings including - Auto, High ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO. The new ISO 800 setting provides photographers with the flexibility to shoot indoors without flash, shoot at faster shutter speeds (to freeze action) outdoors, and to capture images in low/dim lighting.
In-Camera Image Adjustment
In-camera image adjustment capabilities are often overlooked by casual digicam purchasers, but savvy shooters know the ability to make subtle color/contrast/sharpness/exposure adjustments is a very important imaging tool and a simple yet effective way to overcome minor exposure problems. The S3 IS provides shooters with a very useful range of creative photo tweaks that can be applied in-camera with no need for post-exposure processing.
The S3's Exposure Compensation mode allows users to subtly modify exposure parameters. Very light or very dark subjects can trick light metering systems into underexposing or overexposing images. The S3's base exposure can be modified over a 4 EV range ( /-2 EV) in 1/3 EV increments to compensate for difficult lighting and subject/background reflectance/non-reflectance problems or to compensate for environmental exposure variables (by allowing users to easily lighten or darken exposures). Other tweaks include — Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, and Noise reduction.
My Colors mode permits users to adjust color saturation, select Positive Film (mimics slide film color, saturation, and contrast), Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, custom color (users can adjust color balance for red, green, blue, and skin tones /-2 arbitrary steps in 1 step increments), and Photo effects (vivid or neutral color saturation, low sharpening, sepia, and B&W), and touch up images in-camera (post exposure).
The S3's Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) mode permits users to capture three images with one push of the shutter button, each at a slightly different exposure setting. One image slightly over the base exposure setting, one image at the base exposure setting, and one image slightly under the base exposure setting.
CONTROLS, DESIGN, ENGINEERING, & ERGONOMICS
The S3 is a stylish and fairly compact prosumer digicam that looks and behaves like a compact dSLR. The camera is fairly lightweight and the built-in grip fits the hand nicely (for righties) and balances the long zoom nicely. Controls are logically placed, easy to access, and quickly become intuitive; especially the dedicated video button and omni-selector up/down buttons. The S3 IS is tough enough (polycarbonate body shell over a metal alloy frame) to go just about anywhere except combat and extreme climates.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 6 megapixels (2816 x 2112)
Viewfinders: TTL EVF and 2.0 inch LCD Screen
Lens: Canon USM f2.7-f3.5/ 6-72 mm (36mm-432 mm -- 35mm equivalent) all glass optical Zoom
Auto Focus: Single AF Point Flexi-Zone Contrast Detection AF system
Manual Focus: Yes
Exposure: Auto, Program AE, Scene, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, and Manual modes
Flash: Built-in multi mode pop-up
Metering: Evaluative, Center -Weighted Average, and Spot
Exposure Compensation: Yes ( /-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments)
White Balance: TTL Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, and two Custom WB modes
Sensitivity: TTL Auto and (35mm ISO equivalent) settings for 80, 100, 200, 400, and 800
Connectivity: USB 2.0, A/V out, and DC in
Image File Format(s): JPEG
Power: four AA batteries
Canon rechargeable NiMH batteries and charger, DC adapter, auxiliary telephoto and wide-angle converters, High Power Flash HF-DC1, Dedicated lens hood/lens adapter, Canon soft case.
In the Field/Handling & Operation
After my friend (who sells new and used digital and analog cameras and photographic equipment) bought a new Canon Powershot S3 IS for his significant other, he brought it by (so he could gloat) and asked if I'd like to join him in assessing its capabilities and performance. We started off by shooting some color tests using a homemade macro stage and a selection of brightly colored (red, green, yellow, blue, orange, and purple) plastic children’s beach toys arrayed on a white photographic background. This test allows us to check not only color accuracy but also the precision of the white balance system. The S3 IS (like the S2 IS before it) did an outstanding job---colors were bright and hue accurate with slightly punched up saturation. The S3’s Auto White Balance setting rendered correct colors for all the plastic beach toys, but the red shovel and blue bucket were a bit brighter in our images (viewed on a NEC 19" CRT monitor) than they were IRL.
After we finished our color tests, we headed for nearby Cave Hill Cemetery. Cave Hill is Louisville’s unofficial arboretum and one of the country’s best remaining examples of 19th century U. S. landscape architecture. The cemetery’s 300 acres are home to an amazing variety of exotic (and not so exotic) flowers, trees, bushes, and shrubs. Cave Hill is a popular destination for local photographers because there is always something to photograph - the place is filled with exotic plant life, thousands of headstones, dozens of ornate mausoleums, a rustic old groundskeeper’s cottage, and families feeding the resident ducks, geese, and swans along the shore of the small lake at the center of the cemetery.
The last couple of weeks we've had some really crummy weather, with lots of rain and unseasonable cold, but the weather gods smiled on us and provided a classic Ohio Valley Spring day (mid 70's, blue skies, puffy white clouds, and super afternoon light) for our first outing with the S3 IS. We cruised around the oldest part of the old cemetery, stopping to shoot some spectacular irises, a magnificent Japanese Quince with multi-colored blooms, and an early 19th century hand carved native limestone headstone surrounded by an ankle deep carpet of Bird's Foot Violets, Dandelions, and Spring Beauties. We also followed a pair of Canada Geese around for about half an hour as they took their two newly hatched (and improbably large) goslings for a tour. The geese were singularly uncooperative and wouldn't let us get close enough to get anything dramatic (in fact Poppa Goose took a special dislike to my friend and hissed at him every time he got any closer than 12 or 15 feet). The resident waterfowl at Cave Hill are usually quite tame (since most of the folks they see have bags of stale bread in hand) but the Geese can get a bit aggressive when they have babies in tow.
After we completed a couple of circuits of the narrow two lane roadways at Cave Hill we drove over to nearby Cherokee Park and hit the scenic loop to shoot some outdoor "people" pictures. We didn't find anything along the deeply shaded area of old growth trees parallel to Beargrass Creek, but once we got to the open meadows the area was runners, skaters, bikers, and dog walkers. We parked and spent about two hours shooting folks enjoying the lovely weather before we called it a day. During our first outing with the S3 IS we used the camera in Program mode, with WB set to auto, sensitivity set to Auto, and quality set to the highest resolution. All shots were handheld. We shot each subject first without IS and then enabled IS and tried to duplicate (as closely as possible) the first shot.
For our second outing with the S3 IS we got together on a lovely Sunday morning and headed for Louisville's Extreme Park. The Extreme Park is the go to place for local photographers looking capture action. When we tested the S2 IS last summer I climbed to the top of the 12-foot half pipe and perched on the narrow platform as boarders shot into the air less than three feet in front of me. I vowed I wouldn't do that again (after my friend barely managed to deflect an untenanted skateboard headed right for me at about 60 MPH). This time we focused on the bowls, where we could stand back a little. The kids at the Extreme Park make enthusiastic subjects because they love showing off for the camera. We spent about three or four hours shooting skateboarders. That may seem like a long time, but optimal framing/timing (centering the boarders in the frame and stopping the action in mid air) is very difficult. The image stabilization worked really well, allowing us to shoot at fairly high shutter speeds and use the IS to help (by countering camera shake) us freeze the action. Image stabilization isn't magic, if you shoot lots of action you'll still get lots of blurred images, but you'll also get some sharply focused images that you probably wouldn't have gotten without image stabilization.
PERFORMANCE
Image Quality
After we finished up at the Extreme Park we reviewed everything we’d shot over the course of the weekend on a 19" NEC CRT monitor. The S3 IS consistently delivered the goods. The S3's color is hue accurate, but (like many digicams) red and blue are noticeably punched up. White balance seems precise and dependable even in difficult lighting. Images shot at ISO 80 and 100 (ISO 80 and ISO 100 are virtually indistinguishable) had extremely low noise levels - dependably very good to excellent with good shadow and highlight detail and accurate skin tones. Noise levels start to pick up at ISO 200, but not unreasonably so. ISO 400 shots show some obvious loss of detail, but they are noticeably better than average (and they do appear to be slightly less noisy than ISO 400 images from the S2 IS). The S3's ISO 800 images are way too noisy, but they should be OK for non-critical e-mail and 3x5 prints. Outdoors the S3 IS is really in its element, but in auto mode both my friend and I noticed a slight tendency toward overexposure.
Timing/Shutter Lag
The S3 IS is a very quick digicam, equal to or faster than any other camera in its class and faster than some substantially more expensive digital cameras. The S3's DIGIC II processor improves operational speed noticeably, AF speed is less than half a second from scratch and virtually real time with pre-focus. The 12X zoom (once extended) only needs about one second to travel from wide angle to telephoto. Shutter Lag is about average for 6 megapixel digicams (from scratch) and almost real time with pre-focus. Shot to shot times are between 1 and 2 seconds, noticeably better than average. Write to card times are also a bit faster than average.
A Few Concerns
Here's a note for Canon’s design folks—for the S4 IS punch the resolution up to 7 or 8 megapixels, include a TIFF/RAW mode, and add a hot shoe. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is higher than average and corners are a bit soft across the board.
Conclusion
The S2 IS is very close to being as good as it gets in the five-megapixel digicam class, despite a couple of minor design missteps. The S3 IS doesn’t really tamper with that winning formula and that timidity may be its most serious shortcoming. Other than the expanded ISO sensitivity range and slightly improved noise management, the S3 IS doesn't really offer much in the way of substantive improvements. For shooters who prefer "pro" look black to amateur silver, and those who need the twenty per cent increase in resolution and the ten per cent larger LCD screen, the S3 IS will deliver (for a price). For those who realize that a twenty per cent increase in resolution is insignificant and that an LCD screen that is only 2/10ths of an inch larger the unit that graced its predecessor is much ado about nothing.
Serious shooters looking for a digital imaging tool that handles like an SLR and provides all the convenience and "gee whiz" features of a P&S digicam are going to love the S3 IS, but the remaining stock of S2's (can currently be found on line for $325.00 - $375.00) may be a better deal for many shooters. The S3 IS is almost a clone of the S2 IS, the differences pale when compared to the similarities.
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Recommended:
Yes
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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