Canon S3 IS Review
 Canon
S3 IS
I often get asked for recommendations for cameras. When it
comes to anything besides Digital SLR, I think that it doesn't really
matter what you buy, as certain cameras in the same price range are
always comparable. Recently I was looking for something smaller then my
SLR but a bit more useful then my Point and Shoot, when I came across
the Canon S3IS (IS=image stabilized) that I found for slightly below
$300 on Amazon. What makes this camera so great is that it really
sticks out from its competitors in that it offers some features the
others don't.I am not going to pixel peep or show you graphs of noise levels. I think its enough to say that the camera offers enough resolution (6 megapixels) for decent prints. Although it is not comparable in terms of noise to a more expensive SLR, having a small sensor has its perks. It makes it possible to have a 12x optical zoom (36mm - 432mm equivalent) in a small and cheap package that you would have to pay an arm and a leg for to get on a SLR (and forget about traveling with that gear).  Person
Yawning - Canon S3 IS
Mostly I was intrigued by the swivel screen, that lets me shoot from
the hip and by the completely silent operation (after you turn off all
sound effects), which lets me shoot in places I would usually not dare
pulling out the SLR (airports, public transport).I recently talked about my new found passion of candid photography . I usually prefer to be upfront and use my SLR (Canon 20D), but in some situations you need a little bit more stealth. The photo to the right was shot in the San Diego Trolley and wouldn't have been possible with a SLR. The guy was sitting 2 feet away from me and didn't even realize it when I took his shot. The S3 has a bunch of features that you wouldn't expect from a camera in this price range (it was more expensive when it was introduced). Among those are image stabilization (this is a must for a camera of this size with a reach of 432mm). The image stabilization should give you at least two stops to play with, but I have managed to get decent photographs at the far end of the zoom with exposure times as long as 1/60s. The S3 has easy access to Flash Exposure Compensation (something that I had to teach my 300D a long time ago via a firmware hack). Lets talk about firmware for a while. Many reviews I have read about the S3 would complain about the lack of RAW recording. A RAW image is the unprocessed data directly from your CCD. It offers many advantages, such as a higher dynamic range and better post processing capabilities (no white balance applied yet, as the colors haven't been processed yet). You can find more about this in my Workflow Tutorials. The good news is, that there is yet another Russian firmware hack available for the S3, that gives the camera RAW capabilities. I have tried it out and I have been able to easily install it on my SD card (the S3 supports SD and XD cards). I have enabled the auto load feature, that loads the hack upon power up. The beauty of this one is the fact that it won't overwrite the current firmware. When you switch off the camera, the hack will be erased from memory (no more worries about the warranty that I basically voided when I flashed the firmware of my 300D a long time ago).  Cowboy
- Canon S3 IS
The hack has many other useful features such as scripting capabilities.
I can think of a million useful scripts like an improved DOF bracketing
(that allows you to reshoot the same image with a different focal plane
over and over again and combine them on your PC for unlimited Depth
of Field). Another script that I have installed gives me the ability to
shoot a series with programmable intervals (seconds to minutes) and
unlimited number of frames (you can be even stealthier if you don't
have to have your finger on the shutter release button, or set the
camera on the table and let it take pictures all by itself). RGB
HistogramThis display shows the blended version, but you
can also configure the histogram to show 4 channels (luminance, R, G,
B) separate
A full color RGB histogram, configurable display elements and a battery
meter (for some odd reason not included per default) are some other
very useful features that this hack gives you. When you consider the
fact that not even my 20D has a full color histogram, you can
appreciate the features you can get with this hack and this outstanding
little camera.As expected, the noise level is significantly higher then on my 20D (no wonder as the sensor is so much smaller). At ISO 80/100 the camera delivers good enough pictures (check the full resolution example below), but ISO800 is very noisy. I have still used 800, as a noisy shot always looks better then a blurry shot (IS only goes so far in darker environments). If you are looking for a camera that gives you more creative control then a point and shoot, and that has many advanced features, check out the S3. Even though the S5 is already on the market, a moderate increase in resolution (8MP vs. 6MP) wasn't worth the higher price tag (for me, as I already have a high quality camera). The hack isn't available for the S5 either, so that made it a clear cut decision for me. If you are not going to install any hacks and if you are looking for a small but powerful camera as your primary camera, you might want to check out the S5 too. If you are looking for a really affordable but powerful camera, the S3 might be for you. For some reason Adobe Bridge doesn't show the ISO information, but Exiftool does. I am not sure whats up with that, but again for many non professionals it might not be an issue and if it is, you can always use Exiftool. The Image below can be downloaded in full resolution and as a RAW file. You will still need the DNG converter or DCRAW to use the file, so please don't download it if you are not interested in using this feature (it consumes a lot of bandwidth). Rather click on the image to pull up the full resolution JPG file.  Canon
S3 IS Full Resolution Sample click to enlargeResourcesExiftool WebsiteThe Firmware Hack (and the Software to convert RAW to DNG for processing) Download the RAW File (I am providing this as I couldn't find it anywhere else, please don't use it just for fun since the file is large. Download the DNG converter to use it.) The image below demonstrates how you can pull detail out of the shadows and highlights of Images by using RAW. I also corrected the white balance somewhat. You can read more about this technique in my RAW HDR Processing Tutorial (this example was a simple exposure blending with Photomatix, no HDR).  Canon S3 RAW Image QualityThe table below contains all the exif data for the Full Resolution Sample as it was extracted by Exiftool.
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RGB Histogram
What is the RGB histogram good for except for looking good?
Histogram
Most camera's show only a luminance histogram which is the average value of all 3 channels (Red, Green and Blue - RGB).
Assume the classic outdoor situation with a bright blue sky. In this case the blue channel will show a lot more brightness then the red and the green channels.
The average luminance will probably not show any clipping of the highlights, but if you look at the channels individually you will see that the highlights of the blue channel might be clipped (resulting in a washed out sky). Now you might want to consider unerexposing a little to compensate for this.
Basically you can see the brightness values of each channel by itself and thus have more information available to expose correctly.
Where can I get the S3 hach you remind above?
I just want to make sure that I load in my camera that hack and not another.
Thanks
Dan
Here
You can download a version here:
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK#Download
There is lots of useful information on that page that should help you get started with the hack.
Color Fringing in Canon PowerShot S3-IS
The reviewer is very familiar with the features of the camera, but seems to be ignoring or to have not noticed a serious flaw in the images. I own one of these cameras and have been very disappointed by the amount of color fringing.
Look at the sample picture of the white gift shop and palm tree against a blue sky. Even in the small preview image one can see a bit of a red fringe down the right side of the palm tree trunk, and a bit of a green fringe down the left side. This preview image is only 4"x3" on my computer screen, and is certainly not high resolution. Click on the image to bring up the higher resolution image and you will see just how bad the fringing is on the tree trunk.
And you will see at there is color fringing on most of the objects in the image. For instance, look at the white wall in the lower left corner. Its top and right edges are fringed in green. Look at the nearby banner that says "Mineral Panning". Its left edge is fringed in red. Look at the porch pillars at the right edge of the image. Their right edge is fringed in red; their left edge is fringed in green.
And this does not just happen at the edges of the frame. Look at the four little signs in the middle of the image. "Jewelry" "Gems" "Beads" "Carvings". Each sign has a red fringe along the bottom.
These are not subtle flaws. This camera takes bad pictures. Doesn't that trump all the bells & whistles?
Fringing
Hello Mark,
first of all, let me thank you for your constructive feedback. I enjoyed reading it and verified that what you said is true.
However I personally feel that some color fringing is acceptable. If you shoot raw, you can even correct it to some extend with the RAW converter tools, create a profile and save it.
On the other hand, I am not expecting as much from a Camera that costs less then I spent for my last 2x zoom lens (Tokina 12-24mm) that exhibits worse fringing at the short end. However I have created some profiles and I am quite happy with the lens.
I agree however, that the camera does not fulfill the highest image standards. It is not a Pro Camera, but rather a nice small and stealthy camera.
I think it does this job very nicely though.
Thanks again for the feedback! I am sure it will be useful to many readers.
Fringing
Hi Andre,
Thanks for the reply. I don't think it is just "some color fringing", though. To see a really terrible example, go to the DPReview review of the newer Canon Powershot S5-IS. This camera has the same lens and sensor as the S3-IS. Terrible fringing. The S5 has a street price of over $350 (April 2008). I would much rather see Canon lower the pixel count, or reduce the zoom range, and market a camera that produced better images.
Thanks again,
-Mark
ps: GREAT web site!
Well
Well, actually the S5 has a higher pixel count then the S3.
I think you have to put things into perspective though. I am not sure what competitor model offers better performance at this price point, but I have paid more for lenses (like my Tokina) that exhibit a lot worse fringing.
I have profiled it out and after I sold some images shot with this lens, I have not heard any complaints.
On the other hand, it is always good to avoid these kind of scenes (silhouettes in front of bright background). I can see why you think that it is unacceptable and at the very least it should have been mentioned in the review to help people make their decision.
I don't use this camera much, except when I don't plan to do any shooting but don't want to be caught without a camera in case the Marsians land. I guess it depends what kind of quality you can get with this zoom range for that price.
Nothing is free and you get what you pay for. It is much cheaper for Canon to drop a higher pixel count sensor and it will attract a lot more customers who are bedazzled by pixel numbers and don't understand fringing. So its a good marketing proposition.
On the other hand, a good lens is very expensive. Even the most expensive SLR is cheap in comparison to the most expensive lens. It costs a lot to manufacture those.
I would argue that you should buy a SLR and invest in some really good lenses. It doesn't have to be outrageously expensive if you stick to prime lenses.
You will get a number of advantages from this setup:
-Your pixels are larger and thus your images have less noise
-You can create a shallow depth of field, something hardly possible with a small sensor
-Your minimum aperture is larger (diffraction limits this on small sensors)
-You can invest a lot of money into lenses that you can keep for a long time while you replace/upgrade bodies.
thankyou!
thankyou!
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