Canon S3

[MiaSRN62]

Fantastic pics Denise
What night were you there ? I have this one from Feb 23 Princess and Pirate Night :

 

[nbodyhome]

That is a great photo! We went on the 15th. I've done photos in the MK with a tripod in the past (not sure if they are still banning them, but I think they did for a while - I stopped doing photography for a number of years). I was really surprised that a point and shoot type digital camera could capture the photos like it did! My other Canon would not have been able to do that.

I may have to give up film for good.

 

[AbbysFamily]

I may have to give up film for good.

YEP! My S2 had that effect on me too. It outdid a large percent of what my 35 mm rebel could do. I'd still love a DSLR now, but thats a big step. The S2 does a great job MOST of the time.

 

[nbodyhome]

YEP! My S2 had that effect on me too. It outdid a large percent of what my 35 mm rebel could do. I'd still love a DSLR now, but thats a big step. The S2 does a great job MOST of the time.

I've had few issues with the S2, and I've not done much manually with it yet (when I do, it will even be better!) I think the only problem is that I didn't see a cable release area on it, I'd like to be able to set it on a tripod.

For the price, I think the S2 is hard to beat. I did research it a lot, and my mom offered to buy me a more expensive camera for Christmas - but I thought the combination of price, reviews, and specs on it were hard to beat. The zoom is awesome, it's fast, it takes great fireworks photos. My SLR is going to get dusty. I've not had as much luck with developing SLR photos anyway lately at Sams, I don't know why (I don't do anything differently, but the photos don't look as good as they did before).

 

[AbbysFamily]

Nope - there is no cable release (and no IR port for remote either)

However there is a timer you can set for a delay. Not as good as a triggerable release, but it will let the camera sit stiller w/o shake on a tripod.

 

[nbodyhome]

Thanks! That will have to do for most of my photography when I start doing it at night again.

 

[MiaSRN62]

That is a great photo! We went on the 15th. I've done photos in the MK with a tripod in the past (not sure if they are still banning them, but I think they did for a while - I stopped doing photography for a number of years). I was really surprised that a point and shoot type digital camera could capture the photos like it did! My other Canon would not have been able to do that.

I may have to give up film for good.

wow, Denise....I had no idea tripods had been banned. I agree about the giving up film ! I haven't used film in close to two years now.
Again, really enjoyed your photos.

 

[MICKEY88]

I've not had as much luck with developing SLR photos anyway lately at Sams, I don't know why (I don't do anything differently, but the photos don't look as good as they did before).

odds are they have a new lab tech printing your pics, that can make a world of difference.

years ago when I worked at Ritz camera,I sold a 35mm slr to a customer, a week later he came into the store complaining about the quality of his pictures, I asked where he had them printed and he said walmart, so I asked him to bring the pics and negs in to me and I'd look at them to see what the problem was, he returned with them and upon looking at them it was clear to me that the negs were perfectly exposed, the pics however were awful there was a pic of a ghost white customer sitting on a pink riding mower, I took the neg sat down at our printer and printed the pic, making the proper adjustments and handed him a pic of a well tanned customer sitting on a red riding mower, so if your pics are not as good as they used to be check your negs, if you don't know how to read the negs for good exposure, find a lab person or photo sales person that does...and you'll then know if it's a printing problem or not..

 

[nbodyhome]

wow, Denise....I had no idea tripods had been banned. I agree about the giving up film ! I haven't used film in close to two years now.
Again, really enjoyed your photos.

Thanks!

And back after 9/11, Disney didn't allow a lot of things in the park. It seems to me that one of the items was tripods. But I don't know what the rules are, if there are any - I just got back into photography last year after a number of years away from doing much with it.

I used to carry a HUGE tripod into the park - I also wasn't used to carrying it around so a few people got hit with it. Nothing bad at all, but I would be much more careful this time!

 

[bsusanmb]

After reading the reviews about the S2, I really want to buy this camera. My question is this - and I am only an amateur and don't know the lingo here -
The other cameras I have used, Sony, Kodak and Canon digitals took so long after taking a picture that required a flash, and I lost the moment. Maybe I am not clear - when photographing my grandchild's birthday, the flash would go off and it would take a long time before I could take another picture. How will the S2 compare? Is this a problem with all lower priced cameras?

Thanks for any help...also, I am wondering if I can really use this camera in the video mode. I was looking at the Sony Handycam HC48 with a 25 optical zoom that is supposed to take decent pictures.

I visit WDW 5 times a year and also love taking pictures of everything. I have yet to take a camcorder - too much to carry, but it is just a thought.

 

[ukcatfan]

First, the flash recycle time on any point and shoot camera is not instant. Some are faster than others though. Most reviews will mention this. To get a really fast time, you would have to spend a lot of $$$ and go with a nice external flash (basic external ones still suffer from it). Some p&s cameras allow them, but usually you would be moving to a DSLR to take advantage of that. Basically, if you need a fast response at the level of camera you want, try to get the shot without a flash. This is not always possible, but many people over use the flash.

Second, the technology has not really advanced enough for a camera to replace a camcorder. The same can be said the opposite way, but in general I believe that cameras take video better than camcorders take pictures. You really should have both unless you only take short videos and do not take too many of them. It is not an option for regular users. About ten minutes burns up around 1GB of memory, and ten minutes is about the max length of each clip with the S2. Also, the resolution is not as large as a camcorder's, but it is very close and the quality is pretty high.

Kevin

 

[Jeanne B]

I agree with Kevin's response so I won't bother to repeat.

I have the S3 and I've used it for video a few times, it can be real handy for short clips under 10 minutes (assuming you have spare memory cards on hand) but I left my camcorder home on our last vacation and next time I'll probably bring it for the exact reasons Kevin mentioned. But I was quite pleased with the quality of the few clips I took so the S2 can definitely be used for video but it doesn't replace a camcorder (just as a camcorder won't generally replace a camera for picture taking). If you plan to use it for video you'll want to get a faster memory card, I buy the SanDisk 2GB Ultra SD cards.

There are a lot of happy S2 and S3 owners on this board, if you purchase the S2 I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.

 

[bsusanmb]

Thanks so much! I can't wait to get this! I really only video short clips at this point - the grandkids are toddlers and I just like to see little snip its. So this sounds like the best thing. 23 years ago, I got a Canon AE1. I loved that camera and it still works. Always had to focus it, but it was a great camera. So I am sure this S2 will be great!

 

[bsusanmb]

Ok, I decided on the Canon S2-IS, and I am stumped about the memory cards. What is the difference in a regular memory card and the Sandisk 1GB Ultra II Secure digital plus USB card? And then I saw a SanDisk 2GB Ultra II secure Dig card. I am perplexed. I want to get the best bang for the buck.

When I buy rechargeable batteries/charger, is it simply AA I want or a specific kind of battery?

I would have liked the ISO 800 with the S3, but the price difference is really a lot. I can't wait to get my camera, but I want to order the correct accessories also.

Where would I get a mini tripod? Thanks in advance!

 

[AndrewWG]

All that I can really answer here is the SD card info that I do. Personally, I like the faster SD cards like the Ultra II or pretty much any card that is says it is "50X" or greater. I am not sure that the S2 even needs that kind of speed, but it is so much more faster to transfer the photos to your computer if your card is a faster model.

The Ultra II 1GB with USB thing is a bit of a gimmick in my mind, because even if you do not have a card reader to attach to your computer, you can still use the USB cable that comes with the camera. The UII card with USB can just flip out and it has a USB plug that you can just insert into the computer if you want. Seems a bit silly to me.

One thing that I make sure that I don't do very often is remove the SD card from the camera. These cards are nothing like Compact Flash cards. They are flimsy at best in comparison. If my card isn't full (making me have to change it), I just transfer photos using the cable linked directly from the camera to the computer. The cards are so small and fragile that I fear I will damage one if handled too often.

My advice: Buy a Kingston Elite Pro 1 or 2 GB SD card. They are 50X, but work just fine for all of my uses. They are also quite a bit less costly than Ultra II cards. I believe they have an "Ultimate" version now that is even faster too.

I hate rechargable batteries. I have had no luck with them lasting very long. I have only tried Duracell ones though.

Andy

 

[handicap18]

You will be fine with any SD card no matter what the speed. Advantages to the more expensive faster ones are if you do A LOT of video or if you have a dSLR and do A LOT of continuous shooting. Otherwise all the other cards are fine.

I use the basic ones for my D50, but I don't do ANY video and rarely use continuous shooting.

You will see a bit of difference in transfering to the computer so you'll have to decide if the extra cost is worth that amount. Best options are to use a Card Reader and be sure your computer has a USB 2.0 connection. You can use your camera, however transfering to the computer really depletes the batteries in camera.

Here is a good deal right now for an SD card. I think I might pick up another one, not that I really need it, but AFAIC you can never have enough memory.

Kingston 2GB SD Card at newegg.com for $20.98 with shipping. I have 2 other Kingston cards and they work great.

 

[ukcatfan]

When I buy rechargeable batteries/charger, is it simply AA I want or a specific kind of battery?

I would have liked the ISO 800 with the S3, but the price difference is really a lot. I can't wait to get my camera, but I want to order the correct accessories also.

Where would I get a mini tripod? Thanks in advance!

You want to get MiMH rechargeables and preferably a charger that has individual circuits for each cell. It makes them last much longer and get the most charge. Walmart and Target have a Duracell model that has this. I have been using it for a few months now and have been happy with it. Some of the best online are Maha brand. Their main distributor is Thomas Distributing You also want to get cells that have a high mAh rating. That means that they have more capacity. If you do not get rechargeables, then go with lithium disposables. Never go with alkalines b/c they are just too weak.

You can get a mini tripod online or at Walmart, Target, BB, CC, etc. Do not get a tiny one, b/c the camera is too heavy for it. Get one with around 6"-8" legs. I had an old one with 3" legs and it was too small for my S1 IS.

All that I can really answer here is the SD card info that I do. Personally, I like the faster SD cards like the Ultra II or pretty much any card that is says it is "50X" or greater. I am not sure that the S2 even needs that kind of speed, but it is so much more faster to transfer the photos to your computer if your card is a faster model.

The Ultra II 1GB with USB thing is a bit of a gimmick in my mind, because even if you do not have a card reader to attach to your computer, you can still use the USB cable that comes with the camera. The UII card with USB can just flip out and it has a USB plug that you can just insert into the computer if you want. Seems a bit silly to me.

One thing that I make sure that I don't do very often is remove the SD card from the camera. These cards are nothing like Compact Flash cards. They are flimsy at best in comparison. If my card isn't full (making me have to change it), I just transfer photos using the cable linked directly from the camera to the computer. The cards are so small and fragile that I fear I will damage one if handled too often.

My advice: Buy a Kingston Elite Pro 1 or 2 GB SD card. They are 50X, but work just fine for all of my uses. They are also quite a bit less costly than Ultra II cards. I believe they have an "Ultimate" version now that is even faster too.

I hate rechargable batteries. I have had no luck with them lasting very long. I have only tried Duracell ones though.

Andy

You need a fast card on the S2 if you want to do any video. The brand does not matter all that much. Buying from a reputable place means more. Newegg.com has good prices and great customer service. Returns are easy with them. Kingston usually costs a little more than the true off brands, but are still cheaper than top of the line brands. I have liked all of my Kingstons, but also have had luck with PQI, Corsair, and Transcend.

I have to disagree with Andy on the durability of SD vs. CF and leaving it in the camera. The SD cards are more plastic, but as long as you do not abuse them, then they will be just fine. Mine have had tons of use with no damage. They have one big durability advantage over CF. The contacts on SD are many times over more durable than the CF prongs. Bend one of those on your camera and you have a costly repair. I always use a card reader for transfers to conserve battery power. Transferring from camera does a number on your batteries and even rechargeables have a limited life, so why use it up when it is not necessary.

Kevin

 

[ukcatfan]

You will be fine with any SD card no matter what the speed. Advantages to the more expensive faster ones are if you do A LOT of video or if you have a dSLR and do A LOT of continuous shooting. Otherwise all the other cards are fine.

Video mode on the S2 will not work correctly unless it is a high speed card. You would be limited to just a matter of seconds. You can also tell a difference in general responsiveness when a slow card is used. I speak from experience with this model and the S1 before that.

Kevin

 

[bsusanmb]

UKCAT FAN, what would you recommend then? If price were no object, and I want to do occasional snippits of video of the toddlers in action?

I have a port in my lap top that accepts my memory cards and I use that to down load. That being said, does one card download faster than another. I have a very powerful laptop that I bought just for photos and it is awesome.

 

[ukcatfan]

UKCAT FAN, what would you recommend then? If price were no object, and I want to do occasional snippits of video of the toddlers in action?

I have a port in my lap top that accepts my memory cards and I use that to down load. That being said, does one card download faster than another. I have a very powerful laptop that I bought just for photos and it is awesome.

Just make sure that it is at least 40x-60x. Much more than that would be a waste, but slower will limit your video useage. The really fast ones should work, but not any better than the range I mentioned and usually cost much more. Also compare the warranties. Some have only one year while others have lifetime(i.e. 10 years). My favorite brand is Kingston. Their fast cards are called "Elite Pro". Fast cards should read and write faster than standard cards.

Kevin