S3IS broken...Please Help :(

I've had my S3 for a little under a year now. I like the camera alot, but lately it has been acting up.

Whenever I power the camera on, it shuts off. There is no certain time that it stays on for...sometimes it will stay on for a few minutes, other times only a few seconds. The camera does not go through the shutdown procedure when it does this/lens does not shut. It simply shuts off. I know it is not a battery issue as I have tried several different ones (All brand new) It seems to aggravate the camera more when I zoom in or out, as after doing so the camera will shut off a few seconds after. This happens consistently each time.

The camera is pretty much unusable like this...please help!

If you got it new, then see about sending it back under warranty. It certainly sounds like something's gone bad.

Yeah send it back. If it's past the warranty. Then go buy a new one. They don't cost too much.

I was looking for information on the warranty and can't seem to find a warranty card or anything of that nature. I think it is a 1 year warranty?

Yes, it is. Do you have your proof of purchase? That'll be necessary, the warranty card less so.

I have the original box, papers, even the receipt from Wal-Mart. I'm not sure where to go from here though. Do I return it to Wal-Mart? Or send it to Canon?

You'd send it to Canon. First call their tech support number (go here and click "Support" in the top menu bar). The people there will try some basic trouble shooting; if they can't get past the problem, they'll be able to tell you where to send it, how to pack it, and what to include with it. Plus that'll get it on record that you were having this problem before the warranty expired.

Thanks for your help!

Just called the support center...very helpful, and fast. They'll fix it under warranty for no charge.