Canon S3

[SplshMtn99]

Good deal. I also got an S3 for $305 plus tax last week on Amazon.com, free shipping.

Now if I can just figure out how to use it. Have fallen asleep reading the manual for the past 5 nights.

I got mine end of Sept....and have yet to read the manual. JUST USE THE CAMERA!!! Its the best way to learn & retain. lol

But I have promised myself I will read it...eventually.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Splsh, I would like to thank you for starting this thread and posting your pictures. I'd been thinking about upgrading my camera but wasn't sure which model to get. Once I researched the S3 I realized it had what I wanted and decided to get it.

I had to at your response to me on another thread after I posted about falling asleep 5 nights in a row reading the S3 manual. "Just get out and use it" you said, LOL. So that's what I did today, and I thought I'd show you my first attempts. It wasn't pretty at first (I like to know what I'm doing )... but I'm getting there.

Unedited:

 

[SplshMtn99]

Seeeeeeeeeeeee, isn't that more fun than reading that dumb old manual? AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!

Are those in AUTO or any of the modes...or did you venture into those manual settings already?

OK, now where in MA is that carousel? Looks like a mall, right? Does Emerald Square have a carousel? Haven't been there in a few years.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes, you were right, it was more fun.

I used auto a lot but I did venture a little bit into playing with some of the other settings. I tried the night setting and increased the ISO for some night shots (not sure if I did both or independently of one another) but most of those [unposted] night shots came out grainy. However, that's a big improvement as far as I'm concerned, on my old camera everything was blurry on night shots without a tripod. So I just have to play with it some more.

In the mall for many of the shots I did not use a flash; just used flash on the carousel out of the ones I posted.

I also tried the macro setting but it was in a store and I was thinking someone was going to tell me I couldn't take pictures in there. So the one picture I took on macro came out blurry. I don't think I was close enough (read later you're supposed to be within 1/2 inch ).

So that was it for last night. Pretty fun. I can post some others for advice later on, right now have to get ready to trek into work into the snow. I was in Hyannis at the Cape Cod Mall; outdoor shots were from the Enchanted Village at the Cape Codder Resort.

I also stopped in Barnes and Noble and got myself a couple of photography books. I know, I'm hopeless.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Thanks for the info on shots.

Ahhh, yes, Cape Cod Mall. I forgot about the carousel. My parents live on the Cape (Dennis), but I avoid Rt 28 & south side of Cape in the summers, so I don't get down to Hyannis that much.

 

[Amy]

YIPPEE!!! I finally got a chance to get some decent, sunny outdoor shots with my S3, plus some great night-time shots.

Our pre-holiday tradition is to spend a weekend at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV, and enjoy their Festival of Lights. We've been going every year since 1990.

The resort has a very small zoo, so first I'll share some zoo photos. They are all straight from the camera, no touch-ups:

Meerkat, taken through glass:

Llama:

One of two bald eagles, taken at full zoom - I love the detail in his feathers!

Red panda sleeping in the tree, taken through the cage wires:

Poisonous tree frog, taken through glass; these guys were only about 2 inches long. The camera was hand-held:

 

[Amy]

And now some shots of the light displays at the Festival of Lights, all taken using Night Snapshot under the SCN mode:

Snowman family, hand-held:

Bringing home the tree, hand-held:

Cinderella's castle, using a tripod:

Close-up of the carriage with Cinderella peeking out:

And my absolute favoriate of all 200 pictures I took this weekend, the steamboat on the lake, complete with ducks. I used a tripod:

I was surprised how many of my pictures came out blurry, even though I used a tripod and even the self-timer so I wouldn't shake the camera pressing the shutter. Of course, I took them Friday night when that cold front came through and we had 50 mph winds......

 

[Amy]

Sorry, I have to bore you with two more. These are mistakes caused by hand-holding the camera. But they're kind of cool mistakes.

One of the two light tunnels you drive through, taken through the windshield while the car was moving:

And this is one of the first displays they put up back in 1985 when the Festival of Lights first opened, one of only a few displays that are left up year-round:

 

[SplshMtn99]

Excellent!! Even the "mistakes". lol I really should get out there & try some Christmas lights.

So, tripod & timer...you still ended up with blur? Are you thinking it was the wind moving the lights or moving the camera? Or both. lol

 

[jenr812]

Wow! I am so very impressed with the pics from this camera. My Kodak DX7590 is only 2 years old though, and my graduation gift from me to me is an 11 day trip to WDW. I don't see me getting a new camera anytime soon. Though I was super, super tempted to just give DD13 my Kodak and buy myself this Canon for Christmas (a good camera is #1 on her Christmas list!). I didn't feel quite right doing that though LOL

 

[robinb]

Just a little update. Someone pointed out to me that the camera is back ordered. *sigh* Estimated shipping date is 12/18 and I am leaving for WDW on 12/20. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. I guess I'll keep my eyes peeled for other deals while the camera remains on back order.

When Dell said that my order had a shipping date, they meant that the thumb drive had a shipping date. Not the camera. A little slimy AFAIC.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Robin, I don't know if this will help, but I saw it the other day and thought it was a good deal. Ritz Camera is selling the S3 for $399, however, you get a free HP 4X6 printer with it worth over $100 (and if I recall there were some other freebies like a free photography class and something else). I actually bought the same printer months ago, it comes in very handy. But if you don't want it, you could always sell it on EBay or Craigslist, or even give it to someone on your Christmas gift list. Just a thought. I know I'd definitely want to have the camera for my trip.

I was lucky on Amazon they were listing the S3 for $355 with a $50 rebate. The rebate was actually for when you bought a camera and printer, but they assured me I could get it with just the camera purchase, and made good on their promise by refunding me the $50 when I bought it.

HTH, and hope you get your camera before the trip.

 

[robinb]

Hmmm ... I don't think that the Canon is part of that promotion.

 

[Amy]

Excellent!! Even the "mistakes". lol I really should get out there & try some Christmas lights.

So, tripod & timer...you still ended up with blur? Are you thinking it was the wind moving the lights or moving the camera? Or both. lol

Thanks! I'm really enjoying this camera. It was killing me that whenever we'd have a bright sunny day, I wasn't anywhere "photogenic." Who cares about pictures of the dead leaves in my yard? I'm so glad to finally have some decent subjects! I took a whole lot more, but even with DSL, it takes about 15 minutes to upload 5 pictures at a time; ah, the price I pay for a camera with 6MP's!

I'm thinking it was the wind moving the camera on the tripod. Their light displays are very heavy-duty constructed (DH checked it out) and I don't think they move at all. 3 lb camera on aluminum tripod, yeah, I think the wind could affect the shot.

 

[grover]

have you purchased any lens's for your camera?
if so..care to share the details?

 

[makinorlando]

I have the S2 and I purchased the wide angle converter and the telephoto converter. I really don't use them much, and in retrospect wish I would have just put the money toward my DSLR fund!

 

[WDWAurora]

DH bought the converter and a UV lens on ebay. Happy with them, but don't want the added size most of the time.

 

[SplshMtn99]

have you purchased any lens's for your camera?
if so..care to share the details?

Stop spending my $$$.

 

[SplshMtn99]

OK, my turn, my turn!! I went out last night to take some Christmas lights shots. It was COLD, so I made it quick. This guy lets you walk around his yard, so I did. I was QUITE impressed when I got them into the computer last night.

(oops, a little big...sorry)
All shots HAND HELD....NIGHT SNAPSHOT SETTING IN THE SCENE MODE.

 

[grover]

great shots!! love that mickey appears in the holiday decor!!