Canon S3

[mhutchinson]

There is some information in this thread

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1212704

Mike

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Ok, so I absolutely love this camera. I got it for my birthday this year (late June) and have had a ball with it. I love how large the LCD screen is, and it takes gorgeous pictures. I still don't think I've even covered all of it's features. Here are some pics I've taken with it (note: none have been altered). And I'm sorry- I don't know why some are larger than others

Wow! Those pics are awesome!! Well, we just went out and bought the camera late tonight, so we haven't even used it, but I can't wait to try it out on our trip!!

Thanks to all for your advice!!

 

[valeriekc]

Thanks for the info...it was very helpful....how about the size of the camera? Is it too big to haul around the parks?

 

[Pugrpooh]

Thanks for the info...it was very helpful....how about the size of the camera? Is it too big to haul around the parks?

I took ours for a week in mid-August. It takes great shots in low light. I'm still experimenting with it, because I've basically been a point and shoot gal too. We have a small camera case that the H5 and our video camera fit into and we carried that around with us. DH would carry the case most of the time and I would always have the camera, since I'm the only one who takes pictures.

It got a little uncomfortable around my neck at times, but I would switch it to my shoulder or give it to DH to put in the case. I think there is a more comfortable strap that you can buy, but I just used the one that came with the camera. It's not really that heavy, but with the heat and humidity and always bending over for DD4, it got a little uncomfortable. Not enough to stop me from taking it to WDW again, especially if it were cooler.

It's got enough manual features to play with and learn, but with the automatic settings, it's not too intimidating

 

[manning]

Here is a review of the camera.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh5/

I have the camera and am enjoying it. Only problem is I haven't been able to get out to give it a workout.

The flash has a tendency to recycle slow but is due to fact that it is one of the strongest flash of the point and shoot cameras.

I have it on auto ISO and have taken pictures up to ISO 320 with clean results. Haven't taken anything over 320 yet.

 

[Tiggerlover48]

I just bought one too!!! So far, I'm really liking it. Haven't played with it a lot. I am also a point and shoot girl, and am hoping to learn some new tricks to take great pictures at WDW! I know that camera store that I bought it at highly recommends Sony and the H-5. I was thinking of buying a H-2, but BestBuy had a great sale on the H-5 for only $360 ($20 more then the H-2). I acutally bought it at Ritz Camera they matched the price. The sale is still going until until Sat.

 

[nee]

I have just bought the S3 and love it.
Firstly though can you get the number of possible photos you can take on a 1 MB memory card to show on the screen. On mine it just shows the number that you have taken so far ?
Also if I wanted to take a picture of a topery against a bright blue sky, I'm guessing that you need to set the metering, how exactly do you do this ?
Thanks

 

[ndelaware]

I would think you could change it to countdown the pictures left, which is much more useful.

 

[nee]

Thank you, I have found how to change the file order, but am still stuck on the metering. On a topery at wdw, do you set the camera for spot metering and then put the topery at the center of the screen and then set the AF point to follow it. ?
At easter when I went, a lot of those pictures were very dark with a bright blue sky.
Any help appreciated

 

[Dan Murphy]

Yes, I woud spot on the subject. That should properly expose the subject, probably overexpose the background some.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Yes, I woud spot on the subject. That should properly expose the subject, probably overexpose the background some.

then review the shot and reshoot if needed. Check the histogram! If you meter correctly and the dark is still to light you can use exposure adjustment to add + exposure or - variations from what the camera thinks is correct. Just rememeber to zero it when you change scenes/lighting.

The best possible picture would from using a tripod and shoot metered on the dark then another shot metered for the bright and combine them in post processing. maybe even a third metered on the middle exposure...

Spot metering is niiiiiice. My rebel XT does not have it. From what I have read the new xti does not have it???? But DWs rebel Jr(S2) has it!

Mikeeee

 

[nee]

Many thanks everyone,
I'll have lots of time to practice before we go to WDW in February. You have also given me an idea on how to fix the ones I took with the cannon rebel, maybe isolate the underexposed bits and use levels and curves in photoshop

 

[Philagoofy]

I recently bought this camera also & noticed the battery power shows half after a short time used. I usually leave the batteries in until they are used up. A few times I've put the used up batteries back in several hours or a day later & they show half used again and I didn't recharge them yet. So if you change batteries but later in a pinch, try the used up ones again, you may get a few more shots out of them.

You can purchase lithium batteries, they last longer but are not rechargable. We have them as backups. Energizer also sells a 15 minute recharger with batteries included. Don't know how it does it so fast but sure comes in handy when you've forgotten to charge the batteries last night & your just about ready to leave for the Kingdom this morning!

 

[Pugrpooh]

Shortly after I got my H5, I charged the batteries overnight and after I took one picture, the battery icon was only showing half charged. I took the charger back to Circuit City and they replaced it and I haven't had a problem since.

I review the pics a lot and zoom in and out and also turn it on and off quit often. I could usually get through a whole day at WDW with one set of batteries.

Lynn

 

[manning]

Don't pay any attention to the battery indicator. The batteries last a lot longer than the meter indicates.

Also with this type of battery you will have to charge them about 3-4 times before they will reach their full capacity.

 

[AHenson77]

To begin with, I know that you guys get asked these questions all the time and I apologize for asking this questions for probably the millionth time. . . I have decided to buy a new digital camera for my trip and have been looking online tonight. I'm drawn to the Canon S3 and the Sony H5. I am not a professional by any means and need something easy to work. I take a lot of pictures and hav been using a digital camera for abour 5 years now. My camera now is a Sony DSC-P10, which takes good pictures when they are not blurry. The things I DO NOT like about it are: the lag. especially when using the flash. it takes at least 5 seconds to "recharge" before I can take another picture. it is slow when taking pictures without the flash as well. Also, when not using the flash the pictures tend to not be as crisp. Pictures of anything moving come out blurry. Soo... I need your help because I don't understand a lot of the technical terms. I am willing to pay the $500 for the H5 but not if it has a lot of features I'm not going to use. I want something that is going to take clear (zoom is imporant but I have 3x which is decent) pictures without a lot of lag in between. Cicruit City has has the S3 on sale for $339 which seems like a great deal compared to $500. Someone please help me! I have soo many things to do before we leave next week I don't need to be obsessed with buying a camera right now. LOL

 

[Amy]

Can't help you with your decision, because I'm looking at the Canon S3 myself. One thing that's swaying MY decision is that I've been using a Canon A70 and DH has a Canon A95; both are cameras we LOVE. I'm used to the settings/dials, etc. and the software that came with the cameras. (I'm hoping to get PHotoshop Elements, but for now I'm using the Canon software to edit/print my pix.) I've played with the Canon S3 at Best Buy, and it seems to have less of a shutter lag than my A70. And the S3 has a 12x optical zoom. Sorry, I know nothing about the Sony.

Anyway, if you love the Sony you have now, and you're leaving in a week, if all things are pretty much equal between the Sony and the Canon and the price isn't too much of a factor, I'd say go with the Sony. It'll be similar to what you've been using, so you'll have less of a learning curve.

 

[Groucho]

You may want to read (if you haven't already) this thread where DestinationDisney is looking for a new camera, and those two were among the finalists. In this thread, you can read that she went with the Sony H5, also on sale at Circuit City.

 

[Tiggerlover48]

I just bought the Sony H-5 and am loving it so far. This is my first digital and don't have a lot of experinece, but I'm learning. I didn't go for a Canon only because I bought a sure shot and within 2 years it died. I just couldn't do it. I had a fuji before and also loved it. I posted several questions and many seem to love their H-5. Good luck.

When are you going?

 

[manning]

My wife has the H5 and loves it. I like it too. Takes very good pictures.

However there is one thing you may not like about it. You mention about how long the flash takes to recycle. The H5 has the same characteristic. It has one of the strongest built-in flashes. There are settings to speedup the recycle.

When not using flash lag time is excellent.