Canon: Image-stabilized PowerShot S3 IS launched By
Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Tuesday, February 21, 2006 - 06:00 EST)One of a whopping eight PowerShot digital cameras unveiled by Canon today, the PowerShot S3 IS won't fit in a pocket - but it will most certainly help get you close to your subject.
The largest of the PowerShots in this ramp of announcements, the S3 IS is still fairly compact by long-zoom camera standards, with dimensions of 4.5 x 3.1 x 3.0" - the same size as the S2 IS model in whose footsteps the new camera follows. Sensor resolution has taken a boost to six megapixels, and coupled with the Digic II processor, a maximum ISO sensitivity of 800 is now available. The Canon-branded 12x image stabilized zoom lens offers a range from a moderate wide angle of 36mm to a very useful 432mm telephoto equivalents. A VGA movie mode coupled with what is calling "MovieSnap" - the ability to capture six megapixel stills during movie recording - adds to the camera's versatility. A 2.0-inch tilt/swivel LCD display is rather smaller than some of the latest digicams on the market, but will let the camera be used in a wider range of situations than would be possible with a fixed LCD. Other features include USB and NTSC / PAL connectivity, SD / MMC card storage, and power from four standard AA batteries, with alkaline disposables included in the product bundle.
Canon PowerShot S3 IS
General
Camera Type
EVF
Manufacturer
Canon
Model Number
S3 IS
Dimensions
4.5 x 3.1 x 3.0" 113.4 x 78.0 x 75.5mm
Weight
410.0 g 14.3 oz
Image Capture
Sensor Type
1/2.5" CCD 6.00 megapixels (effective)
Aspect Ratio
4:3, 16:9
Image Dimensions
2816 x 2112 (5.9 megapixels) 2272 x 1704 (3.9 megapixels) 1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Modes: Auto, On, Off (red-eye reduction available) Range: 0.7 - 5.2 m (2.3 - 17.1 ft.) (W), 0.7 - 4.0 m (2.3 - 13.1 ft.) (T)
Flash Exposure Compensation
+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
Creative
Scene Modes
Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Indoor, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, My Colors, Stitch Assist, Movie
Digital Zoom
4.0x
Self Timer
Yes, 2 or 10 seconds
Movie Format
AVI (MotionJPEG / Stereo WAV) with audio 640x480 and 320x240 Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium
SD/MMC
File System
Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)
Canon: Image-stabilized PowerShot S3 IS launched
