Canon S3

[AndrewWG]

I am trying to take some macro/supermacro shots of some watches DH wants to ebay, but I am having an issue with shadows. If I get close enough to get a good shot, there is a shadow on the watch and in the pic. I've tried outside in full sun, outside in partial sun, in the house near a window, in the middle of the room, with and without flash. Any suggestions?

Here is what I would do:

Take the watch outside on a sunny day.
Place it in a sunny location.
Use a small mirror to reflect the sun across the face of the watch.
Snap away!

Your shadow should make no difference if the watch is lit from the side. In fact, it should help to have a full shadow from directly above the watch. I might not take SuperMacro with this as you may need to get too close for the light to come in from the side but give it a try.

This is a technique I use in cemetery photography. I use it on every headstone to get better lighting. Works fantastic for that and I would assume that it will work here as well, except on a smaller scale.

Andy

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I've been investigating this firmware hack for the Canon S3 IS camera and it is amazingly cool -- CHDK/HDK firmware! There's a lengthy thread about it here at the Photography on the Net Forum.

It's perfectly safe (it's just a firmware extension -- never actually does anything to your camera) and temporary (you need to enable it each time, but there are new instructions for making it autoboot).

Things you get:
RAW mode -- the ability to save your pics in RAW mode for easier/better PP!

Live RBG Histograms -- not just B/W -- multiple live histograms for RBG!!

Zebra mode -- the camera shows you over- or under-exposed areas with blinking light, right in the viewfinder!!

Battery indicator -- not just "replace batteries now" -- actually shows the % charge in the batteries and a more standard part-full/part-empty graphic!

Misc tools -- a text browser (put entire ebooks on your S3), a perpetual calendar, a file browser, two games (reversi and sokoban), "flashlight" (turn your LCD screen into a flashlight)!

It does a bunch of other things, too! It's got an on-screen DOF calculator, but I'm not sure it's working for the S3, yet ... it's calibrated for a different model....

How to get it:
http://grandag.nm.ru/hdk/ <-- download the test1-pre12-s3is-100a-12.zip file and manually (using a card reader or USB-enabled SDCard) put the two files in the root directory of the card. Start up your camera in View mode and access the menu ... at the bottom of the first menu is a new option Firm update.... select this and answer Ok ... that's all. To access all of the new menus, hit the 's' button (third one down to the right of the LCD).

Here's the information on how to use the features: http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/HDK_firmware_usage

 

[gabbyrosebud]

Gabby - welcome to another member of the S3 family! I think the noise you're hearing is the autofocus - I really noticed it yesterday when I was taking my tulip shots using macro and the camera was trying to figure out what to focus on. Enjoy your new camera and be sure to post your first shots here!

Thanks so much Amy! I was hoping it was just the autofocus. I just was nervous with it being a new camera. I love the photos I've been taking so far!

 

[gabbyrosebud]

I've been thinking of buying the S3. Target today it was $349! Is it a special at Office Depot this week?

Hi! I bought it last Friday, so I don't know if the sale is over.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Great pictures, Bob, thanks for sharing. Enjoy!!!

 

[SplshMtn99]

Thanks. I've been looking for any firmware updates - especially after the Daylight Savings Time change. I know Canon hasn't issued any.

 

[Anewman]

Does it void the Warranty?

 

[ukcatfan]

Does it void the Warranty?

I am not 100% on this, but I believe that it does.

Kevin

 

[SplshMtn99]

Unless I read it wrong, you are installing it to the CARD, not the camera. And you only activate it when you want it. It does nothing to permanently alter the camera. I wouldn't think that would void camera warranty.

Besides, you could ALWAYS go back & download the one & only existing Canon firmware version if you needed to. Right?

 

[ukcatfan]

Unless I read it wrong, you are installing it to the CARD, not the camera. And you only activate it when you want it. It does nothing to permanently alter the camera. I wouldn't think that would void camera warranty.

Besides, you could ALWAYS go back & download the one & only existing Canon firmware version if you needed to. Right?

I have never experienced this, but I have heard of firmware updates failing and rendering the camera useless. The only way to fix it was to send it in to the service center. If that happened to you and they found the hacked firmware, they would not do a free repair. This one in particular seems safe as it defaults back to the original and seems to just load an extension, but to me it is just not worth the risk.

Kevin

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Does it void the Warranty?

I am not 100% on this, but I believe that it does.

I have never experienced this, but I have heard of firmware updates failing and rendering the camera useless. The only way to fix it was to send it in to the service center. If that happened to you and they found the hacked firmware, they would not do a free repair. This one in particular seems safe as it defaults back to the original and seems to just load an extension, but to me it is just not worth the risk.

I don't believe this violates the warranty in any way ... it's an *extension* to the existing firmware, not a replacement or even a permanent upgrade. People have been using these extensions for the A series for years without any problems....

When you turn off the camera and turn it back on, the "upgrade" is gone.
You put the files on the card and that's the ONLY place they ever go. They do not get transfered to the camera.

There is no way to determine that someone had been using this extension unless you gave them the card it was on....

 

[ukcatfan]

You put the files on the card and that's the ONLY place they ever go. They do not get transfered to the camera.

Like I said before, being an extension it is probably safe, but I have to clarify one thing for you. It does not just stay on the card. The card is just a storage device. The card cannot run software. The software is loaded into the camera's memory each time you activate it. That is how all computers work(i.e. your hard drive does not run software, it only holds it waiting to load it into memory to process).

It sounds like as an extension, it loads into a memory location that is temporary and gets erased with each time you turn it off. It might even be loading it into the buffer or something. What worries me is that if it is loading into the same memory location as the firmware, it does have the potential to corrupt the firmware. Again, this is not likely, but still possible and not worth it IMO b/c I am pretty sure that you have to have functioning firmware in order to update firmware. That means that if it goes corrupt, then you have no other choice but to send it to Canon and they will likely charge you for the services.

It is a decision that everyone has to make on their own. I am just offering other information to people that might be considering it. It protects you in a way b/c if something does go wrong on someone else's camera, they cannot say that they were not warned that something bad can happen.

Kevin

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Like I said before, being an extension it is probably safe, but I have to clarify one thing for you. It does not just stay on the card. The card is just a storage device. The card cannot run software. The software is loaded into the camera's memory each time you activate it. That is how all computers work(i.e. your hard drive does not run software, it only holds it waiting to load it into memory to process).

I realize how it works, I know it doesn't RUN from the card ... my point is that at no point is it *permanently* transfered anywhere in the camera.

As in, when you turn off the camera it's gone and there's nothing that indicates that it was ever there. The *files* (DISKBOOT.BIN and PS.FIR) stay on the card, regardless of what happens to the actual program code.

It sounds like as an extension, it loads into a memory location that is temporary and gets erased with each time you turn it off.

This is exactly what it is ... according to the developer.

It is a decision that everyone has to make on their own. I am just offering other information to people that might be considering it. It protects you in a way b/c if something does go wrong on someone else's camera, they cannot say that they were not warned that something bad can happen.

Good point! This IS something that wasn't produced by Canon.

 

[Soupermom]

Sorry to hijack...I have a question that I hope LPZ Stitch can answer. I've been checking out the new Canon S3 Users forum website. I've registered but the site won't let me view any photos or post a thread (to ask why I can't view the photos). Can you tell my why or what I need to do?

Thanks!!

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Sorry to hijack...I have a question that I hope LPZ Stitch can answer. I've been checking out the new Canon S3 Users forum website. I've registered but the site won't let me view any photos or post a thread (to ask why I can't view the photos). Can you tell my why or what I need to do?

Did you verify your account? Until you follow the instructions in the email message they send to you, you have limited options....

You should have gotten a message that reads like this:
----------
Dear <username>,

Thank you for registering at the Canon s3IS Users. Before we can activate your account one last step must be taken to complete your registration.

Please note - you must complete this last step to become a registered member. You will only need to visit this url once to activate your account.

To complete your registration, please visit this url:
<there's a URL here!>
----------

 

[Soupermom]

Hmmm...

I'm not sure if I got that or not. I was away from my computer last week so maybe it got trashed or something. Does that mean I need to register again?

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Hmmm...

I'm not sure if I got that or not. I was away from my computer last week so maybe it got trashed or something. Does that mean I need to register again?

Well, you definitely should have gotten it ... no way to have an active account without it. Is it possible it's gotten stuck in your anti-spam software? That's usually where all of the email I WANT to get is caught, while the no-stop ads for internet pharmacies and hot stock tips gets through just fine!

You might have to re-register (and probably come up with a different name) if you can't find that email. I don't know of any way to make them send a new one. Make sure you use an email address you can definitely receive email with!

 

[madge]

Hi! I bought it last Friday, so I don't know if the sale is over.

Anyone that has a Best Buy rewards card, or has bought something from BestBuy.com... check your e-mail, I had one today for an extra 10% off, bringing the cost of the S3 down to $300.50 shipped ($283.49, plus tax and free shipping) I'm just about ready to hit submit order, LOL.

 

[denise5374]

This has probably been asked before but I can't find it. How do you get the "Canon S3" member picture in your signature??

Thanks!

Denise

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

This has probably been asked before but I can't find it. How do you get the "Canon S3" member picture in your signature??

Thanks!

Denise

Right-click on it in anyone's signature who's using it (like mine), and "Save Image As" to your computer's HD somewhere that you'll remember like your My Pictures directory.

Then get into the User Control Panel (User CP on the DIS menu at the top of each forum), and select the Edit Signature link.

In the "Signature Picture" box, click on the browse button and locate the picture you saved on your HD. Then, you have to click the Save Signature button. When the page refreshes, you should now see the 'DIS S3 IS' image in the "Your Current Signature Picture" box.

Click the 'Insert Signature Image' link and it will insert the text into your signature and you can then cut and paste it wherever you want within the code/text/other pictures of your signature! The text that gets inserted looks like this: [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]....

That should do it. If you've got any questions, just post 'em....