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PowerShot S3 IS
The sleek PowerShot S3 IS digital camera offers you high resolution, an extra-long zoom, advanced yet easy-to-use movie functions plus great new shooting options. Also, with Image Stabilizer technology, images and movies taken with the S3 IS are sharp and smooth, even when the camera gets jostled. It's everything you need to capture the fun, excitement and beauty of your active life - wherever it takes you!
Average Customer Rating:
out of
5
28 out of 32(88%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for PowerShot S3 IS
Review 1 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Nickname: lambchops
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
love the camera except for 1 problem
Date: February 21, 2010
Pros: Nice features/settings
Cons: Difficult to use, language problem
the only problem with this camera is that its written in japanese and can;t figure out how to get back to english language someone please help
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Hanky
Location: Reno
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Great camera
Date: January 7, 2010
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Lightweight/Portable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: shutter lag
I bought this camera 3 years ago and made thousands of pictures and video clips ! I purchased immedeately an adapter that can hold filters to protect the lens . I have taken some great photo's with this little camera . The lens is of great quality ! You have to be able to spend time an tinker with the settings . With some patience you're able to make wonderful photo's . The shutter lag is the only thing that is open for improvement but other than that....the best camera I ever owned .
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Nickname: camera geek
Location: Washington
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Loved it
Date: December 30, 2009
Pros: good battery life, excellent image quality, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, Heavy/Bulky
I've had this camera for a couple of years. I'm not a professional photographer but have been able to capture some wonderful shots with this camera. I've had many people tell me that they want my camera. My biggest complaint however is that after having it for aprox. 2 years. I've had to send it back to get fixed once and in less that a year later, it needs work again. I must have received one of the bad apples of the bunch. I'm not sure what is wrong with the camera now. Seems like every time I try to take a pict. The image turns dark. As for taking pictures at night or indoors. It has not worked well. I don't like to use the flash because the picts. always show the "flash" Like I said. I'm not a professional and the lighting problem may be my lack of knowledge on how to use the camera. But.... I've been able to take hundreds of nice picts. before. So this time, I think it's the camera again!
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Judy G
Location: Chicago, IL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Outstanding Camera & Great zoom
Date: December 25, 2009
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Lightweight/Portable, excellent zoom capabilities
Cons: Complicated controls/menu, lens cap keeps coming off, wish i could add a uv filter to protect the lens, would like to be able to add polarizer filter, should have a bulb setting for extended exposures
This is an excellent camera. I have used mine for about 2 years. I love the zoom feature and and the picture quality. This camera has great low light capabiities. I enjoy taking most of my pictures using existing light conditions and this camera has been great for this type of work. I have known many photographers that have expensive SLR models which require changing lenses for telephoto or macro work. It is nice not to have to carry around 10 pounds of lenses to get the same results as this camera. Great value for the money.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Cheese
Location: Medway Ma
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
LOVE THIS CAMERA
Date: December 6, 2009
Pros: good battery life, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
I have had this product for a few years now, the picture quality is EXCELLENT!!!! I get compliments all the time on the quality of my pictures and i owe it all to this camera! The battery life is amazing!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Boo Boo
Location: Athens, Ga
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Excellent Camera
Date: November 28, 2009
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, durable, Simple controls/menu, easy to use
Cons: Heavy/Bulky
I have had this camera for over 2 years - have had no problems with it - some reviews have poor battery life - I use rechargeables and have no issues at all. Took the camera overseas for 3 weeks took about 4000 images and changed the batteries out once.
It is easy to use and the images are great.
It is easy to use and the images are great.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Lady Hazel eyes
Location: Colorado
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
amazing quality pictures!
Date: November 4, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable
Cons: Short battery life
This has a ton of great features and is easy to transfer your images to your computer!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: tillsonburg ontario
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera
Date: October 18, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, good battery life, durable
Pros, we purchased this camera 2 years ago and have not had a problem with it. Battery life is not a problem. we originally used smaller rechargeable batteries but changed to the 2450 mah. i can easily shoot 1000 pics with these.
Movie mode is simple. i have even uploaded to you tube. I get great shots and this thing is feature loaded. Can not beat this camera for the price.
Movie mode is simple. i have even uploaded to you tube. I get great shots and this thing is feature loaded. Can not beat this camera for the price.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: akmara
Location: alaska
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
fantastic camra
Date: October 6, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable, fantastic zoom
I live in alaska and i have used this camera year round for 4 years. T he batteries[ rechargable AA ] last a long time ,for example, I took a 9 hour hike last winter at -18 degrees and this camera lasted all day, taking over 400 pictures, outstanding!!! I can't say enough about the 12x optical zoom, it is just great!!! Durability is great ! I have taken almost 50 gigabytes worth of pictures with it at all temperatures and it just keeps going !!!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: nv
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: No
Great Camera, Great Value!
Date: October 5, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, good battery life, durable
Cons: Heavy/Bulky
I'm not sure why people are saying short battery life... I've taken over 2000 pictures since my son was born and have charged the batteries (I bought rechargable AA) once. This camera has taken such great photos and is really an essential part of our memory making. I also use the video feature often and post video to our website often. It is nice to have lower pixels for just family photos because it doesn't take up too much room on the computer and uploads are much faster!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
1
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
1
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Nickname: Maral
Location: San Diego
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: No
Short Battery Life!
Date: September 27, 2009
Cons: Short battery life
I purchased this camera almost two years ago. I was happy with this product for the first month only. There is no charger with this camera. I have to change and recharge batteries every 15 minutes. I do not use this camera anymore, planning to get rid of it.
Do not buy it!
Do not buy it!
3 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: tahtahtay
Location: Greenville, SC
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great Camera for those who drop them.
Date: September 17, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, durable
Cons: Heavy/Bulky, Short battery life
I'm a beginner photographer.
Also, I take lots of photos at concerts and local shows... where moshing takes place.
So... long story short, this camera has been knocked out of my hands and dropped on to a cement floor many times.
AND, it still works amazingly!
I love this camera.
I love this camera.
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Review 13 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Artie
Location: Montgomery, AL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
S3
Date: June 30, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, durable, canon quality
Cons: Short battery life, no available wrist strap
Plenty of features, not hard to learn, if you know how to use and navigate thru a cellphone setup you can operate the S3. Great pictures. Download the newest available software for transfer and editing photos.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: camerafan
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Incredible camera
Date: June 24, 2009
Pros: Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, durable
I use this camera for personal and business uses. I've taken many great family pictures, including sports pictures, using the rapid, hi-quality photos on continuous shot. I find the swing out display screen and the flash mechanism to be really cool.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Bob
Location: Matthews, NC
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
DURABLE!
Date: June 3, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable
I've had this camera for a few years. I really enjoy the swing-out screen which I see most manufacturers phasing out.
This past week I had an accident while hiking in the back country here in North Carolina. To make a long story short, I dropped my PowerShot S3 off of a 150-foot waterfall. The camera plunged down those 150 feet and into a deep pool of water at the base of the falls. It took me about five to ten minutes to climb down and locate the camera, during which it was completely submerged.
I thought that it was a total loss, but after getting it home and drying it out (using a hair drier), it works as good as new!
How's that for quality??
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Santo
Canon S3
Date: May 18, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, durable
It is one of the Best devices among canon products.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Nickname: Telar
Location: Central US
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
A Decent Value For The Buck
Date: May 6, 2009
Pros: Bright LCD, durable
Cons: Difficult to use, Complicated controls/menu, Missing features/settings, poor ergonomics
There are a lot of negatives below but if you are just taking snapshots for family use they don't apply. It can take some nice pictures in a variety of conditions. It is a good value given its many features.
Great lens if you are upgrading from something smaller. It gives you a lot more flexibility and detail. The zoom feature when capturing is smooth but a little fast, making it a bit harder to operate. The playback zoom forces set amts. of zoom.
The ergonomics need work. Too easy to press buttons inadvertently. Some controls are too close together and/or placed poorly. For those with smaller fingers this will be less of an issue.
Needs a way to retain settings after shutdown. This is very frustrating.
No RAW capture. This is an important feature when facing difficult or rapidly changing conditions.
The manuals are comprehensive and reflect a lack of coordination of features and processes forming a coherent pattern. It is hard to explain but the result is it is difficult to use all the features available.. The snapshooter can ignore this. He will not need all the features.
Great lens if you are upgrading from something smaller. It gives you a lot more flexibility and detail. The zoom feature when capturing is smooth but a little fast, making it a bit harder to operate. The playback zoom forces set amts. of zoom.
The ergonomics need work. Too easy to press buttons inadvertently. Some controls are too close together and/or placed poorly. For those with smaller fingers this will be less of an issue.
Needs a way to retain settings after shutdown. This is very frustrating.
No RAW capture. This is an important feature when facing difficult or rapidly changing conditions.
The manuals are comprehensive and reflect a lack of coordination of features and processes forming a coherent pattern. It is hard to explain but the result is it is difficult to use all the features available.. The snapshooter can ignore this. He will not need all the features.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Babs
Location: Chicago
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Great Features for the Price
Date: April 14, 2009
Pros: Nice features/settings, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, good battery life, durable
I just took a weeklong camera class, learning to take color nature photography. I was in a class with two others who had Canon DSLRs with extra lenses, etc. My Powershot took great photos, and in some cases, had a better feature range than the DSLRs. I couldn't be happier with this camera and will someday buy a Canon DSLR, but not for a while.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Tampa, FL
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Date: April 10, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable
A must for anyone, this camera has a huge range of uses, another great product from cannon, can't be any happier. Very easy to use !
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for PowerShot S3 IS
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: jugglemommy
Location: Dubuque, IA
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Absolutly love this Camera
Date: February 21, 2009
Pros: easy to use, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Bright LCD, excellent image quality, Good Low-Light Performance, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, durable
I can honestly say there is nothing about this camera that I don't like. It goes everywhere with me.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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