Canon S3

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Thanks LPZ STITCH!

Also wanted to know . . .

1. What do you think about the size of the camera?
I know it's pretty small considering everything it's got, but do you think
it's big and heavy?

2. Hows the wide angle feature?
I know the wide angle on the SD 800 is good.

3. Is it pretty easy to use (like switching features ~ doing black and white,
then switching to "normal color", etc)?

Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks again for your help

No problem, I love my S3 and love talking/posting about it. It's the best camera I've ever owned.

1.) Size wise I think it's incredible for the features (especially the zoom -- 432mm is a BIG lens for DSLRs). It's not as convenient as any slip-in-your-pocket camera, but it's not completely unwieldy, either....

2) The wide angle is 36mm ... not very wide, but I've never had a problem with it. I bought the camera for the long zoom and spend most of my shooting time at the far end of it. I'm not a big fan of wide angle shots unless they're landscapes and the camera's got a panorama mode that makes up for a relatively narrow wide-angle.

3) it's very easy to use ... once you read the manual, once, the location of the buttons and controls makes sense and is easy to use even without taking it away from your eye (I prefer the EVF to the LCD for composing pics). It's got all of the features you'd expect in a high-end bridge camera (including full manual mode like the DSLRs) but plenty of "scene" modes for when you don't feel like fiddling with aperture/shutter speed/ISO settings....

 

[WickedWench]

Look carefully at the inside of the piano lid. On the first pic you'll see a grainy pattern, and in the second picture it's much smoother.

The same graininess can be seen in the backs of C&D's heads in the first pic, gone in the second.

The graininess is sensor noise from using a higher ISO than 100 or 200. The S3's noise starts to pick up at ISO400 and is very noisy at ISO800. Noiseware (or any noise reduction software) combats this, and makes smoother pictures.

That's it? Geez, I was thinking about getting the G7, but backed off because reviews and people here told me how bad the noise is with that camera. I was then thinking about the S5, but started to hear people say the same thing about that camera too, so I was ready to just forget it and stick with my SD550. If that's what's considered a noisy picture, you guys are way more picky than me! I still can barely see a difference. Maybe if I looked at all my pictures through a magnifying glass... ;>

 

[AndrewWG]

Although I am used to looking at "noisy" pictures and noticed the difference in the Chip and Dale pic, it is not the best example when talking about noise in a picture. I don't have a great example either, but this shot was taken the other day with my S2IS at 1/80 f2.7 but unfortunately I am not sure of the ISO. Anyways, the noise levels in the sky are pretty obvious and after running through noiseware, they are all but gone. It is also good to note that in a smaller pic like the ones displayed here on the board, the noise isn't quite as noticeable. I don't see it in this pic nearly as bad as I do in the original full sized pic.

Andy

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[psimon]

Pea-n-Me started a thread on panoramic shots yesterday, and I just HAD to try it on my S3. Here's my back yard:

What do you think? I was amazed how easy it was! Literally 10 min from reading how-to in the camera manual and Short Courses book to having the finished photo on screen!

I used the Panoramic setting (right next to the movie icon on the dial), took 4 shots, hit the "set" button when I was done. Downloaded them to my computer using the Canon software that came with the camera. Under the Tools menu there's a choice for stitching the photos together and viola!!

I too have been playing around with the panoramic picture setting. What do you do with these after they are stitched? Do you print them? Who will print photos like this that aren't the standard 4x6? Then there are the issues of albums or frames.

Any thoughts?

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[psimon]

For those that have bought a Gorillapod for their S3, which size did you get? Are you satisfied with it?

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[SplshMtn99]

Since they sell panoramic frames & photo album sleeves, I'm sure getting them printed is no problem. I have one printed from 15 years ago, but it was from a film camera. I'm sure they are even easier to have done today. At CVS (for film) you just check it off on the envelope or write it in special instructions.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Which version of Noiseware is everyone using? Free or paid for version? And are you running it as stand alone or as a plug-in? If plug-in, on what application?

I've been meaning to download this forever. And how about the other applications on that website? The portrait one?

 

[madge]

Which version of Noiseware is everyone using? Free or paid for version? And are you running it as stand alone or as a plug-in? If plug-in, on what application?

I've been meaning to download this forever. And how about the other applications on that website? The portrait one?

I use the Noiseware Community edition, the one that's free and a stand-alone.

 

[Amy]

For those that have bought a Gorillapod for their S3, which size did you get? Are you satisfied with it?

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

I got the medium-sized one - there's one that's bigger for video cameras and SLR's with big lenses. I took mine to WDW and only used it during Illuminations - I wrapped it around a wrought-iron fence. Seemed to work really well, only there was a tree in the way once the show started, so I picked up and moved and took the rest of my Illuminations photos hand-held.

Which version of Noiseware is everyone using? Free or paid for version? And are you running it as stand alone or as a plug-in? If plug-in, on what application?

I've been meaning to download this forever. And how about the other applications on that website? The portrait one?

I've been using the free version, stand-alone. Seems to work pretty well, although you can only do one photo at a time.

 

[meliahz]

Thanks again! I think I'll be shopping this weekend for a Canon S3!!!

 

[wdwmom2]

Here is a pic of the moon I took last pm. It is not great, but the best I have shot so far. Still need to get the exposure correct and it could be sharper. I did do alittle editing in PSE5 and ran it through Noiseware.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nice job, Sharon! I still haven't been able to get a good shot of the moon.

 

[wdwmom2]

Nice job, Sharon! I still haven't been able to get a good shot of the moon.

Thanks!!! I just googled photographing the moon, looked at some of the exposures that was suggested, mosied into the manual mode , and started playing around.

If the moon is out tonight, I may try again. This time I will try to stay out of digital zoom, and crop to enlarge. Although I didn't have it fully zoomed. I don't think I needed to use the noiseware, but sometimes you are just desprite enough to through every editing program at a pic to make it look better !!! I did crop this pic and sharpened it a bit, but noticed no difference with the noiseware.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

This time I will try to stay out of digital zoom, and crop to enlarge. Although I didn't have it fully zoomed. I don't think I needed to use the noiseware, but sometimes you are just desprite enough to through every editing program at a pic to make it look better !!! I did crop this pic and sharpened it a bit, but noticed no difference with the noiseware.

wdwmom2, nice moon shot!!

I'd recommend avoiding digital zoom, too; it usually makes a nice pic more grainy and Noiseware doesn't seem to help much. If you need to enlarge it from a crop, PC software is probably going to do a better job than DZoom.

I've found that I get my best moon pics by underexposing by 2/3 to 1 stop and then using PP "Levels" to balance the shadows and bright areas. The underexposure seems to preserve the detail better. I can't see your EXIF data, but you can get a sharper image (and less purple fringing) with the smallest aperture setting.

You really don't need to run moon pics through Noiseware because it's bright enough that you don' t need and ISO higher than 100. I've never tried it at ISO80, though ... that might be even better....

We should be having some clear nights coming up, I'll have to try again!

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

Thanks again! I think I'll be shopping this weekend for a Canon S3!!!

I think you'll be very happy with it. Just take time to learn about it's features and move out of the Auto mode as soon as you understand what the other modes are for.

The S3 is not a great P&S (using the term literally) because its Auto mode usually chooses an ISO that's too high and pics come out noisy. The S3 *is* a great camera, and you can get great pics out of it by making the most of the manual settings. Just moving to P mode, which is like a "smart" Auto, will get you better pictures.

 

[snowman]

Any tips on getting good Fireworks pictures w/ your S3? I'm waiting (not so)patiently for the 4th and local fairs so I can practice before Wishes.

Thanks

 

[AshleyMWC]

I just picked up my new S3 last night, and I am pumped....as you can see, I wasted no time in adding it to my sig I am leaving work early today (because not much is going on), and I am off to practice, woohoo.! Ah, I am so overwhelmed though!! I hope I can get at least decent by October when I go to Disney

 

[Amy]

Any tips on getting good Fireworks pictures w/ your S3? I'm waiting (not so)patiently for the 4th and local fairs so I can practice before Wishes.

Thanks

Hi Snowman! We just got back Saturday from WDW and Universal. I took tons of photos. I tried using the Fireworks setting on my S3, but it seemed like it had a really long shutter speed (I guess to make fireworks "trails", which I'm not particularly fond of). I ended up using the Sports mode to get the faster shutter speed. Had to put up with noise from the high ISO that the camera picks (you can't set the ISO in Sports mode), so I had to run my pix thru Noiseware. Here are my 3 best shots, all are handheld:

I used the continuous shutter, too, which really helped - my timing is lousy so this way I could just take shot after shot. Fireworks are really hard to shoot - I must have deleted 100+ of my Wishes/Illuminations shots. I can't wait to try again during our 4th of July fireworks - it'll be less crowded than Disney, so hopefully I can use a tripod and try some different settings.

 

[Amy]

Welcome to the S3 family, Ashley!! You're gonna LOVE this camera!

 

[snowman]

Thanks Amy! Those pics look great to me! I told DSO that we need to go to all of the area fireworks before we head to WL at the end of August so I can practice.

Hmmm, I wonder if taking pictures of sparklers would be a good practice run...lol