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Connectivity
Software
The Canon PowerShot S3 IS comes packaged with a CD-ROM of browsing and editing software. Canon Solution version 28.0 software has a utility program that connects directly with the camera to manage folders and allow remote capture. As usual, users can also select files to download and load them into ZoomBrowser EX, an organizational and simple editing program with three viewing modes: zoom, scroll, and preview. The zoom mode shrinks all of the images to fit on a single screen, then magnifies them when scrolled over. The scroll mode lets users scroll through thumbnails and control their size. Finally, preview mode has the scrolling view at the bottom, then shows a larger selected image at the top of the screen.
There are several organizational features in the software. Users can rename files, manage folders, add comments and keywords, rate pictures with one to three stars, and search files by rating or keyword. The organization of the software is great, but its editing features are a little too basic – especially for the target enthusiast audience of the Canon S3 IS.
Editing options include the following: rotation, red-eye correction, auto adjustment, color/brightness adjustment, sharpness, trimming, and text insertion. In all modes, images can be exported to home printers or online printing services. Slide shows can also be played on the fly, with more options than the setting on the camera. There are 32 different transitions and picture intervals of 1-120 seconds.
Jacks, ports, plugs
Rubber covers hide the power adaptor and USB ports on the Canon PowerShot S3 IS’s right side and the AV-out jack on its left. The AV-out cable connects to televisions, delivering stereo audio as well as the images, and can be set to NTSC or PAL standards in the setup menu. The USB 2.0 high-speed mini-B jack connects to computers and PictBridge compatible printers, so that users can download images or use the included software to remote capture. As an incentive to use their printers, Canon offers ID Photo Print and Movie Print modes that are only available when connected to Canon CP and Selphy photo printers. The camera comes with the USB and AV cables, but does not include a power adaptor. This optional accessory will be quite necessary if users plan to use the intervalometer (time lapse) feature or the remote capture feature.
Direct Print Options
The S3 has a designated Print/Share button, but it isn’t as prominent as it is on other PowerShot digital cameras, perhaps simply because of the number of buttons on the S3’s back. At any rate, this model has DPOF version 1.1 and is compatible with PictBridge printers. Users can scroll through pictures, select which ones to print, and choose the number of copies—from 1 to 99—that they’d like. They can also select all the pictures at once, but can only print one copy of each. A printing menu within the playback mode lets users create index prints, include the date and file number on images, and manage print orders. An ID Photo Print mode, available only on Canon CP and Selphy photo printers, creates passport-sized pictures. Also exclusive to Canon printers is a Movie Print mode that makes an index print of a movie, similar to a filmstrip. Printing directly from the camera is easy, and plenty of options ensure that users get what they want.
Battery
The Canon PowerShot S3 IS runs on four AA batteries. Canon claims that its Digic II image processor and iSAPS technology conserve battery power. That may be true with Canon-branded Ni-MH batteries, with which users can get 550 shots per charge. However, the camera comes packaged with cheap alkaline batteries that only take 110 shots before they’re toasted. When the batteries run dry, users will only get about five seconds’ warning before the camera shuts down. There are some ways to conserve power: an auto power down feature is available in the setup menu, and the display can be shut off after inactivity from 10 seconds to 3 minutes. Even with all of the battery-saving techniques, though, alkaline batteries just won’t last long. For $45, consumers can get the Canon CBK4-300 batteries and charger kit, which will last much longer. Changing batteries requires some effort, as the compartment below the hand grip is a tight one.
Memory
The S3 has no internal memory and only includes a 16 MB SD card. Because only 4 full-resolution pictures can fit on this tiny card, users will want to look into purchasing a larger SD or MMC card. On the cards, users can create folders manually or set up the camera to automatically create daily, weekly, or monthly folders, setting the day of the week and time for exactly when they want it. The formatting options are in the setup menu. Besides the standard Cancel and OK options, there is a Low Level Format function in case, as Canon’s user manual says, “you suspect the read/write speed of a memory card has dropped.”
Other features
Sound Recorder – The S3 has a voice recorder, available from the playback menu, which can capture stereo audio for as long as the card can store it or the batteries last. Users can change the sampling rate and play audio back with 5 steps of volume.
Value
The Canon PowerShot S3 IS is priced at $499, which puts it in the upper level of the ultra-zoom digital cameras. Its unique feature set—a folding and rotating 2-inch LCD monitor, an electronic viewfinder with a cushioned eyecup, a full range of manual and automatic control, a movie mode with plenty of clip sizes and frame rates, and options to adjust the audio sampling rate and the stereo volume level—justifies its inclusion in this range. The $499 price tag is definitely cheaper than buying separate digital camera and camcorder devices would be. Still, users will have to spend extra cash on AA batteries and more memory.
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