is S3 worth buying?

Hi,

I just got the canon ixus 850 and wondering if i should get S3 for more manual options? I heard that S3 can be consider as a semi dSLR? Is S3 picture qualities better than ixus?

if there is recommendation on a dSLR, anyone care to tell me which one is the best?

CK
Canon Ixus 850

S3 is better image quality than an ixus 850 (I have both), but it isn't an slr.SLR's are a big leap up. You can get full manual controls from a Canon A series camera if that is what you want. Use the 850 and learn more from this forum. Analyse your needs in a few months when you know more and then review what to get. Welcome to the forum.
Dave

If you plan on getting the S3 IS, maybe its worth it to wait a little bit to see if they announce the S4 IS. Its very likely that it'll be announced within the month. Just check out what the updates are so then you can make up your mind if the upgrade are worth it. Plus, when the S4 IS is announced, the S3 IS prices might drop slightly.

Hi,

Thanks for your valuable advice. Think I will just sit out and learn through my ixus 850 and see what I should get....

thanks again...

CK

nniemik wrote in post #2552158
If you plan on getting the S3 IS, maybe its worth it to wait a little bit to see if they announce the S4 IS. Its very likely that it'll be announced within the month. Just check out what the updates are so then you can make up your mind if the upgrade are worth it. Plus, when the S4 IS is announced, the S3 IS prices might drop slightly.

..

Why within the month?

Hi CK,

I wouldn't go as far as to say the S3 always gives better image quality than your IXUS/SD, but it's certainly an impressive camera. However please consider the bulk of the actual unit. If size is an issue, you could get buy with something like an A710IS, which boasts a very similar feature set, minus the optical zoom superiority of the S3. The best thing I loved about my S3 besides the absolutely fabulous level of control was the swivel screen, and excellent movie capabilities. The S3's movies were of stunning VGA quality, combined with stereo sound. The dedicated movie button on the camera is very useful.

Saudidave wrote in post #2552580
..

Why within the month?

Canon usually announces new products around Mar-ish & Sep-ish (i.e 6 month intervals). That isn't to say an S4-IS will necessarily be announced in the next few months, but if it is, it would be around Feb/Mar (along with all their other launches).

Good luck,

for the amount of differnt settings and controlls on it compared to other cameras id say its worth it. i just got my s3 over a month ago and i love it. i wanna see how the s4 is and i might buy that near the end of next year.

Save your money and buy a dSLR. I made the leap a few months ago and am beyond satisfied. Sold my S2 on Ebay and bought a 10D, ready to shoot. It only cost me 200CDN to upgrade, so older SLR's are much better than the P&S's coming out and are VERY affordable...take a look.

Ty

cool_dude07 wrote in post #2564307
Save your money and buy a dSLR. I made the leap a few months ago and am beyond satisfied. Sold my S2 on Ebay and bought a 10D, ready to shoot. It only cost me 200CDN to upgrade, so older SLR's are much better than the P&S's coming out and are VERY affordable...take a look.

Ty

I agree with this post. I have the S1IS and it's a great little camera, but I wanted to be able to make use of light and also have a camera which was much faster and a lot more versatile as far as lenses, etc. I still have my S1 and also all of the add-on Canon lenses for it. I have the tele-converter, the wide-converter, and the close-up lens. They are all great, but again I couldn't always get the shots I wanted because of low light, etc. and also I was really limited resolution-wise. The S1 is 3.2MP.

I bought a Canon Digital Rebel XTi about a month after its release and I haven't looked back. I will say this - I LOVED my S1 until I bought the SLR. But, do you know how many times I've used the S1 since buying the XTi?

......


......


......


0

I think that says it all from my point of view. If you have the cash go to DSLR.

It really depends on what you want to use the camera for. I've thought of making the jump to a DSLR many times over but hey, I take pictures of my kids, they can be out of focus, not composed properly and overblown and I'll still like them.

At the end of the day, i convince myself that I don't need a DSLR because 1) I don't have the money to buy a body and lenses to get the 400mm reach of my S2, 2) my current camera keeps me satisfied with manual controls , 3) our camera is part of our lifestyle so we normally take it with us everywhere so portability and not worrying about it breaking or getting stolen is important and 4) with 3 kids, I always have other things that needs buying first.

I think the S3 gives very impressive images. Beautiful colors and all. And although I heard the same thing being said about the S3 being dslr-like, I will have to add that after having it only a month I pretty much maxed out the settings. The aperture can only be so wide, shutter speed can only be so fast, etc etc. I sold it and then got the XT I have now. Regardless of the minimum levels of settings it is a brilliant camera. It made me some money.

I agree with mishnogram, that it depends on what you want to do with the camera. As for me, I speant more than 25 years carrying a large bag of SLR bodies, huge lenses, giant flashes, meters and the list goes on and on. Now I really don't want to mess with all of that, and I don't. But I can still get good pictures that suit me with my S2. I know it's limitations, and use it accordingly. It's not that I can't afford a DSLR system, because I can. It's my choice at this time to use what I have. And when I feel that I just must make some shots with an SLR, I drag out one of my film SLRs, load it with the proper film, and start shootin'. Believe it or not, but that stuff called film still works very well!

Don't you just love these threads?

I don't think I read the bit that said the S1/2/3 range was "as good as a dSLR"?

I have an S3 I love it I will use it lots and lots. Most people on this forum know there is no substitute for a dSLR if you need a dSLR. But that is the point, most of us don't need a dSLR and prefer the convenience of an all-in-one camera solution which allows real creativity.

I think it is really flattering that dSLR users seem somehow threatened by how close this class of camera comes to their hallowed ground. Be in no doubt the S1/2/3 are wonderful cameras and deserve to be in a class of their own. Equally these are not dSLRs. Please stop pointing out how they don't have this or that advantage that a dSLR has. All cameras can take pictures, lets stop this nonsense and get out there and take the best photographs we can with the equipment we choose to use.

I think that S3 is surelly worth buying. It has bunch of great options, very usable ISO 200-400, great lens, fast focusing, fast aperture on both ends, and it's much more compact than any dSLR. Not to mention that it's cheaper. Buying dSLR only because it has better low light pictures, doesn't seems very reasonable to me. But that's only me. Probably because here in Croatia, people buy dSLR's only when they are really interested in photography (because camera's here are much more expensive than in US
Anyway, I'm also getting S3 very soon (in a few days), because IMO, for that price, it's the best choice of non-dSLR cameras. Altough I'm already preparing to get some dSLR in this year

sorry all, i made a bad post, i should of been saying, that the S3 is a very good camera and has great reviews, i have my S3 and for about 2 weeks and love it, its nothing compared to a SLR, but cost wise, its very affordable for what it can do compare to standard P&S (point and shoot) cameras.