ProductCritic: Canon PowerShot S3 IS Reviews

Digital Camera Magazine (100)

Even in fully automatic mode, the S3 IS delivers cracking image quality with a massive zoom thrown in. The viewfinder is a little small but its a fairly small gripe for a great camera. The real strength is the ease with which you can use the semi-automatic and manual features, taking your photography to another level.

Digital Camera Review (94)

The S3 IS is MUCH MORE camera than the vast majority of casual photographers, snap-shooters, and novice shutterbugs are ever going to need (or use). The differences between the S3 IS and the S2 IS are minor when compared to the similarities, so the substantially cheaper S2 IS may be a better choice for some budget-restricted purchasers.

Megapixel.net (91)

Positives: Excellent image quality, Stabilized 12X zoom lens, Sharp images at all focal lengths, Good sensitivity range, Very little noise up to 200 ISO, Swivel LCD Screen. Negatives: Too few changes over the S2 IS, Still no RAW image format, EVF/monitor still average.

The Techzone (90)

In summary, the family-oriented Canon PowerShot S3 IS is a feature-packed six-megapixel hybrid digital camera that is equally at home with photo enthusiasts and digital diehards as it is in the hands of the point-and-shoot “where do I press?” set.

Good Gear Guide (90)

Canon’s latest ultra-zoom model, the Powershot S3 IS, offers just about everything you could want in an advanced camera. The image quality is superb, the zoom is huge and the features are robust enough to keep most budding photographers happy. It does have a few minor flaws, but overall there are few cameras as complete as this one on the market today.

The Techzone (90)

The family-oriented Canon PowerShot S3 IS is a feature-packed six-megapixel hybrid digital camera that is equally at home with photo enthusiasts and digital diehards as it is in the hands of the point-and-shoot “where do I press?” set.

Digital Camera Resource Page (89)

While not exactly an exciting upgrade over its predecessor, the Canon PowerShot S3 is still an excellent ultra zoom camera that earns my recommendation. Overall, I really like the PowerShot S3, and it earns my enthusiastic recommendation. Yes, it has a few flaws, but doesn’t everything? For people wanting a solid and capable ultra zoom camera, this one should be high on your list.

Imaging Resource (89)

Taken as a package, the Canon S3 IS is one fine digital camera, and one that’s a lot of fun to use besides. Based on our testing (and playing with it), it’s clear that this is going to be a huge favorite in the market. The Canon PowerShot S3 IS is highly recommended, and an easy Dave’s Pick in its category.

Cameras.co.uk (85)

If the overall quality of the camera is more important to you then the price you pay then the Canon Powershot S3 IS is an ideal super zoom camera. It is packed with features and the picture quality is top drawer. I really struggled to come up with anything to put me off this camera.

Steve's Digicams (83)

The S3 IS presents a worthy alternative for consumer digicam users considering an upgrade to a consumer dSLR. While its image quality, responsiveness and viewfinder quality are not quite up to dSLR standards, the S3’s versatility, especially its movie mode and articulating LCD viewfinder, is unmatched by any dSLR available today.

PC World (82)

In our lab tests, the S3 IS delivered impressive overall image quality, its best attributes being color and exposure accuracy. The camera’s scores for distortion and sharpness, however, were below average. In my informal shots, the S3 IS generally delivered good results, though I did notice a fair amount of noise in landscape photos taken just after sunset and in close-ups taken during daylight in macro mode

ThinkCamera (80)

There are similarly-priced digital SLRS that have better performance; pay more and you’ll get better image quality too. But they’ll be bigger and more complicated. The combination of the excellent zoom, good image stabilisation and wide range of features and settings make the PowerShot S3 IS a flexible camera in a surprisingly compact package.

Pocket-lint (80)

The Canon Powershot S3IS offers a huge specification level, enough resolution for prints up to and over A3 in size, and provides great image quality, overall, so any of you interested in a long zoom and compact digital camera should put the S3IS very near the top of your list.

Let's Go Digital (80)

All in all, it didn’t take much for the Canon PowerShot S3 IS to convince yours truly. You can get started quickly, and you will be able to capture all your moments with excellent quality in no-time. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Canon PowerShot S3 IS rise instantly to worldwide bestseller fame. It is indeed a unique camera, suitable for everyone. Truly recommended to all that are looking for a high-quality versatile camera!

PC Mag (80)

There’s a lot to like about the 12X optical, 6-megapixel Canon PowerShot S3 IS superzoom, but the price is steep.

Digital Photography Review (80)

There are cameras out there that offer slightly better image quality (certainly in terms of sharpness), and I’m pretty convinced that the Panasonic image stabilization system is slightly more effective, but taken as a whole there is nothing out there that offers the feature set, handling and sheer fun factor of the S3 IS, and so it still – just – keeps hold of our top rating.

CNET (77)

True, a cheap dSLR will provide better performance, and a moderately priced one will deliver better photo quality. But the Canon PowerShot S3 IS’s combination of features, performance, and relatively compact design certainly gives megazoomers a compelling alternative.

Digital Camera Info (74)

The Canon PowerShot S3 IS has a lot of solid functions, but its actual image quality has yet to be tested. Its predecessor, the S2, produced noisy images that didn’t have great colors for a Canon. The Canon PowerShot S3 isn’t an incredible bargain, but does have more pros than cons and is priced right among its competitors at $499.

Digital Photography Interface (72)

If you can live with the small LCD and few tiny issues here and there, I’d recommend the S3 IS. Alternatively, there’s the Sony H5 if you’re willing to sacrifice the fancy movie mode and shutter speed (1/3200 sec vs 1/1000 sec) for a little more value for money and large LCD. Overall, it’s a tie between the Canon S3 IS and Sony H5. So you pick the features you need and naturally, the camera which fulfills your needs.

Photography Review (70)

The Canon S3 IS will be inappropriate only for those photographers who like to make high-contrast images or those who shoot into the light (something you’re not supposed to do, but I love the look and do it all the time). Otherwise, the S3 IS is tough to beat as an all-around multi-purpose compact digital camera with super zoom capability.

Neo Camera (65)

The Canon Powershot S3 IS is a good camera with some small improvements over its predecessor, the Powershot S2 IS.