Canon S3

[AndrewWG]

Ok, so now I have a word of advice for all of you Canon sXIS owners. Even when life is hectic and things are coming at you fast, it is best to make sure that your camera is IN the car not ON the car before driving down the street. Bumbles bounce, cameras don't.

Surprisingly, it survived the fall at about 20mph (I made it quite a ways doen the road) I did see it bounce, and I figured I would open the case and find a bunch of broken plastic. The case I bought from Walmart seemed to cushion the blow quite a bit. I think it is ok, seems to work, but only time will tell when I use all of the features.

Perhaps if I cry, my DW will go buy me a 30D?

Andy

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Hope it's ok, Andrew.

Perhaps if I cry, my DW will go buy me a 30D?

Try some of these too.

 

[Amy]

Andy - OUCH!! Hope it's ok. Get out there and try some shots NOW!

 

[AndrewWG]

Andy - OUCH!! Hope it's ok. Get out there and try some shots NOW!

Ok, ok. Stop yelling at me!

So, it appears to be just fine. To prove that, here are a couple pics.

It was a real bummer watching it in the rear view mirror bouncing off the trunk and into the street. My main concern after that was to get back to it before the next car came by and drove over it. Anyways, all is well that ends well I guess...

Andy

The first one is done with macro (I'm just not that crazy) and the second is super macro.

 

[Amy]

Glad to see it's ok! (Or were you hoping it WASN'T ok so you'd have an excuse to get a new camera? )

 

[handicap18]

Ok, so now I have a word of advice for all of you Canon sXIS owners. Even when life is hectic and things are coming at you fast, it is best to make sure that your camera is IN the car not ON the car before driving down the street. Bumbles bounce, cameras don't.

Surprisingly, it survived the fall at about 20mph (I made it quite a ways doen the road) I did see it bounce, and I figured I would open the case and find a bunch of broken plastic. The case I bought from Walmart seemed to cushion the blow quite a bit. I think it is ok, seems to work, but only time will tell when I use all of the features.

Perhaps if I cry, my DW will go buy me a 30D?

Andy

That is just wrong. Glad to hear that it is ok. I'd still work on the 30D though. It wont certainly hurt to try!

 

[polkadotladybug]

We swim a lot in the summer and I'd love to try some underwater pictures - but as can be imagined - I would be terrified to take it even near water, much less under water. Any suggestions on affordable waterproof cases?

Thanks!

 

[HLAuburn]

First let me say that I just got my camera AND I'm not exactly a great photographer, but I'm having trouble with my S3 focusing when I'm zoomed in. For instance, I was trying to take a few shots of my little girl super close up (like just her face, I was about 2 feet away), and I can't get it to focus. I tried macro mode, portrait, and auto, and manual focus. Then I tried zooming in on a small flower, and I couldn't get it to focus on that either.

Any thoughts? Sorry this is so basic, but I'm definitely learning!

 

[AndrewWG]

Well, with the S2, I have similar problems. almost always when zooming too much. I found that I have to either back off the zoom a bit or back up a bit to get it to focus. I also have this problem when in macro mode and I am too close to the subject. Just simply will not focus until you are a decent distance away. Super Macro mode is the opposite. You have to be really close for it to focus.

Don't know why this is, but that's the way it is, I guess.

Andy

 

[HLAuburn]

Thanks. So how do you get it into supermacro? The manual says press and hold the macro button, but I can't get the "S" flower (supermacro) to pop up.

 

[AndrewWG]

You have to be in "P" mode or M or Tv or Av. I suggest "P" to start. Then hold in the macro button and it will turn to an S flower on the LCD.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Don't forget to depress the shutter button halfway to focus before snapping the picture. You have to play around with it a bit to get a feel for it.

 

[polkadotladybug]

OP, I know exactly what you mean. I'm just chalking it up to "operator error" (that being ME).

 

[JR6ooo4]

We swim a lot in the summer and I'd love to try some underwater pictures - but as can be imagined - I would be terrified to take it even near water, much less under water. Any suggestions on affordable waterproof cases?

Thanks!

Here is a budget version:

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=865569

or for $170, but it is out of stock....:
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CANDC20.html

or for $750...:
http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/can_s2is.html

Mikeeee

 

[S. C.]

Andy i'm so glad that your camera is ok. What kind of a case did you buy from walmart?
I bought a case logic case tonight from target. maybe i should take it back and get the kind that you have, sounds like it has lots of cushion.

 

[AndrewWG]

Andy i'm so glad that your camera is ok. What kind of a case did you buy from walmart?
I bought a case logic case tonight from target. maybe i should take it back and get the kind that you have, sounds like it has lots of cushion.

S.C.,

Thanks! I got a Samsonite case from Wal Mart. It fits the camera kind of snug but it has pockets that can hold extra batteries, SD cards etc. I have to wonder since I had the thing so packed with stuff, if that didn't add to the padding significantly. They no longer show it on the WalMart website, but here is a pic.

Andy

 

[Dan Murphy]

You might also try to focus on a part of the subject that is the same distance, but has a more definitive line break in it, like the edge of a flower petal rather than the petal itself. Then lock the focus. I have to do this at times in in regular mode.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Ok, so at one point in the past few months, I read on TheDis that you can put your name in your EXIF data on your camera. Does anyone here know how to do this on the S2 IS?

I'm not entirely sure that it works for the S2, but for the S3, you can use the "Camera Window" transfer program to set your name permanently in the EXIF ... it's on the 'Set to Camera' tab, second button down; 'Confirms/changes camera settings'.

Another neat feature of the 'Camera Window' is that you can upload other start-up images and sounds, too, with the 'Set My Camera' button!

I'm glad to hear that your WalMart/Samsonite camera bag protected your camera from a pretty serious fall ... I just bought the same bag!

BTW, great pic of the spider!

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Had some fun shooting Macro and Supermacro photos this weekend, here's two of the best:

Our flowering almond bush:

One little violet:

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Welcome to the "family"!!!

Taking low-light pictures (like at an indoor show) is the trickiest type of shot for almost any P&S camera ... even one as good as the S3.

To get the best pictures, you're going to need to get a handle on the Manual mode to take full control of the exposure.

You'll want the slowest shutter speed that can freeze the performers coupled with the largest aperture you can get t(o get the most amount of light) and try to keep the ISO at 400 or less.

Going to ISO 800 on the S3 adds a LOT of noise to your pictures and you'll definitely need to use some PP anti-noise software like NeatImage or NoiseNinja. Even ISO 400 is pretty noisy, but you can probably get a 4x6 without too much trouble out of it....

You'll have to experiment with the settings around your home to get a feel for how fast you can set the shutter for various levels of lighting.