Canon PowerShot S3 IS Review,
Simon Joinson, May 2006

Review based on a production Canon PowerShot S3 IS, Firmware version 1.00

Like the S2 IS before it (and for that matter the original S1 IS), the latest version of Canon's flagship Image stabilized Ultra zoom PowerShot has been one of the most popular cameras on dpreview (measured by clicks) since the day it was announced. Unlike the S2, the PowerShot S3 IS is a relatively minor upgrade to it's predecessor, much more of an evolutionary change than a wholesale reinvention. The basic spec (aside from the sensor) is pretty familiar; 12x optical zoom, flip 'n' twist LCD, tons of photographic control and advanced movie mode with stereo sound. The S2 IS was one of the best big zoom cameras of last year, but this is a highly competitive sector of the market, so does the S3 IS still have what it takes to keep Canon near the top? Let's find out.

Headline features

• 12x optical zoom lens with USM and UD lens element
• Optical Image Stabilizer
• 6.0 Megapixel CCD
• 2.0” Vari-angle LCD
• 30fps VGA movies with stereo sound and Photo in Movie feature
• DIGIC II, iSAPS and Flexizone AF/AE for fast, precise results and 2.3 fps continuous shooting
• 20 shooting modes and My Colors photo effects
• High ISO Auto and ISO 800 for low light flexibility
• Widescreen (16:9) recording

Powershot S3 IS vs S2 IS; what's changed?

Aside from the move to the new 1/2.5" 6 megapixel sensor and a larger screen the S3 IS is, as mentioned above, a pretty minor upgrade. The most immediately obvious difference is the color; very dark gunmetal as opposed to shiny silver. Sat next to the S2 IS the new camera looks a lot more serious, and is a lot more inconspicuous when you're out shooting. Externally the cameras are otherwise almost identical (the S3 IS is fractionally heavier, not that you'd notice).

• New sensor (6MP versus 5MP)
• Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 800)
• Bigger LCD screen (2.0-inch versus 1.8-inch)
• New Sports mode
• Record Histogram
  
• Widescreen shooting mode (stills)
• Fractionally larger and heavier

	Canon PowerShot S3 IS	Canon PowerShot S2 IS
Body color	Gunmetal grey	Silver
Sensor	1/2.5” CCD, 6.2 million pixels	1/2.5” CCD, 5.3 million pixels
Effective Resolution	6.0 million pixels	5.0 million pixels
Maximum Image Size	2816 x 2112	2592 x 1944
Widescreen mode	Yes	No
Histogram	Record & playback	Playback only
Scene modes	• Custom • Portrait • Landscape • Night Scene • Sports • Stitch Assist • Foliage • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • Indoor • Night Snapshot • Color Accent • Color Swap	• Custom • Portrait • Landscape • Night Scene • My Colors • Stitch Assist • Foliage • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • Indoor • Night Snapshot
Continuous Shooting	2.3 fps, unlimited	2.4 fps, unlimited
LCD screen	• 2.0-inch TFT (flip out and twist) • 115,000 pixels	• 1.8-inch TFT (flip out and twist) • 115,000 pixels
Weight (no batteries)	410g	405g

Key specifications

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.

This article is Copyright 2006 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.