Photo Club

Just how much camera can you get for less than $200? A whole lot, it turns out. Our test case: the Kodak EasyShare Z885 ($166, street), which comes with 8.1MP capture (more than enough), a 5x zoom (a leap ahead of the usual 3x), and an ISO 8000 setting (holy cow!).

As for image quality, you also get a whole lot. At ISO 80 and 100, the Z885′s Certified Lab Test results were Excellent, with average resolution over 1700 lines, Very Low and Low noise, respectively, and Excellent color accuracy. At ISO 200 and 400 there was no significant drop-off in resolution, while the noise did bump up to Moderate.

By ISO 800, noise increased to the Unacceptable level — although not by much — with a mild drop of about 7 percent in resolution, to about 1590 lines, ranking Extremely High. At ISO 1600, additional noise reduction obviously kicked in, with resolution just squeaking into Extremely High at about 1500 lines. So the Z885 is still quite usable at ISO 800-1600, as long as you stay with moderate enlargement. (Compare it with other current compacts: Its noise performance at these ISOs is considerably better than the noise from the much pricier Canon PowerShot G7, Nikon Coolpix P5000, and Ricoh Caplio GX100.)

Casio Exilim V7 digital camera review : The name Casio makes most people think of watches and calculators, as opposed to cameras. However, this brand has been actively introducing diverse models since the beginning of digital photography. Indeed, Casio was a pioneer in digital photography and has held a large share of the market since the beginning, when the big traditional camera manufacturers still had to start. In the following years, Casio often introduced very good and unique digital cameras. When the famous photography brands Canon and Nikon arrived on the scene with their digital compact cameras, Casio’s market share declined enormously. In the following years it was evident that the German market share was the highest in Europe, but this was only a couple of percentages more than for example the Dutch or US share. What the ratios are now is not completely clear, but I can imagine that there have not been grand changes.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 – 7x Optical zoom
Casio is trying to increase its market share by introducing the new series Exilim cameras, and I must say that Casio has managed to, as always, introduce something innovative or at least unique. This is also the case with the outstanding Casio Exilim EX-V7 compact camera. To start with, the Casio EX-V7 is a slim camera, but most remarkably, it has an incredible zoom range for such a compact camera. It has a 7x optical zoom, which is equivalent to a 38 to 266 mm zoom. And that in such a compact model! To prevent movement blur, the Casio EX-V7 has a built-in image stabiliser; the image sensor can shift. On top of that, the camera has an Anti Shake DSP, so that as soon as the camera detects movement in the subject, it searches for the ideal ISO rate and shutter speed.

Casio V7 digital camera – Autotracking AF
The Casio Exilim V7 is a middle range digital compact camera with its 7 million pixels. This is more than enough for everyday photography, in fact, it is a standard resolution. The Casio Exilim EX-V7 has Casio’s newest processor, the Exilim Engine 2.0. This processor provides the camera with Autotracking AF, so that the autofocus follows the subject’s movement, controls for clarity so that dark photos are prevented, and controls for colour aberrations. Furthermore, colours can be corrected directly and placed in perspective. The processor is a valuable application, indeed.

Casio Exilim V7 compact camera – Design
Casio has managed to pack all these things into an ultra compact camera. The slimmest point of the camera is only 20.8 mm. The maximum dimensions are only 59.8 x 95.5 x 25.1 mm. It is a real compact camera, but it is solidly built, with a lot of metal in the body. The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is the first Casio that does not have an extendable lens. Thanks to the special lens construction, whereby light is led around a corner, they have managed to equip the camera with 7x optical zoom.

Casio Exilim EX V7 camera review
On paper the Casio is a very interesting camera. It took awhile before an actual sample was available for extensive testing, but we have had the Casio Exilim EX-V7 camera for an extended period of time in our test lab, and outside, to see if its specifications would hold up in practice. Our findings can be read in the next Casio Exilim EX-V7 digital camera review.

Comparing the Nikon S50 ($299.99, street) to the Nikon S500 ($259.99, street), you’d expect the S500 to be the much better camera. It only makes sense, right?

I had to wonder too, since the names are so similar, would people mistake one for the other and if they did, would they be as happy with the camera they thought they were getting? There’s a lot of communal technology shared between these two cameras and in most aspects they are almost identical internally, yet packaged differently. Still, there are subtle differences that can move a consumer to choose one over the other and by researching the differences, you can ensure that what you pay for is really what you wanted.

The confusing nomenclature of these two cameras is only aggravated by the differing S50 models. There’s the S50 and the S50c. The “c” designates the wireless model that allows you to connect, upload and send images from Wi-Fi hotspots. This feature allows the user to locate a wireless network SSID and either e-mail images using the Nikon Coolpix Connect 2 or store them on a photo file server. The S50c also allows the user to use WEP wireless security, which enables the camera to register with secured networks. It’s a great feature that begs the question: Why does Nikon market a “with” and “without” version — with just about a ten dollar price difference (on store shelves, that is — list is about $50 apart). Just give us the wireless already!

Image Quality Shots
• Nikon Coolpix S500
• Nikon Coolpix S50

The 7.1 megapixel S500 is a “Camera of Steel.” The entire body is made of high grade, thick stainless steel that feels rock solid in your hands and has a surprisingly weighty feel to it. The S500 is also considerably boxier than the S50 and is almost utilitarian in its simplistic design. The backside controls on the S500 are also more graphically muted than the S50, having a 2.5 inch (230,000 pixel) LCD viewfinder/screen and button design/function keys that are noticeably larger than the S50. The zoom toggle has a longer width on the S500, but is thinner vertically than the S50, making zoom functions on the S500 more difficult. Yet, even with that one shortfall, the S500 is the overall winner in button placement and design.

Great photos deserve to be admired — and not as tiny snapshots. They should be at least 13×19 inches. Pigment printers can be pricey, so check out two dye-based alternatives from Canon and Epson.

Canon PIXMA Pro9000

This new eight-ink model ($420, street), which makes borderless prints up to 13×23 inches, replaces the six-ink PIXMA i9900 and performs better with ChromaLife100 dye inks. It sets a speed record in this category, producing colorful 13×19-inch borderless prints (on Canon’s new Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss) in just 2 minutes, 27 seconds, and borderless 8.5×11-inch prints in a blazing 1 minute 5 seconds. Canon attributes this speed increase to the high-performance, 6144-nozzle FINE print head that’s capable of producing 2-picoliter ink droplets.

Canon Pixma Pro9000 Test Results

Image quality: Excellent for color and b&w prints on Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss. Color accuracy: Excellent (5.6 Avg. Delta E). Color gamut: Large, with some saturated yellows and dark purple-reds outside the Adobe RGB color space (transparent blue area in graph). Max. black density: Extremely High (5.7 L). Print speed: Color: Extremely fast. 13×19-inch borderless, 2 min 27 sec; 8.5×11 borderless, 1 min 16 sec. Black-and-white (using grayscale control): Extremely slow. 8×10 bordered print, 16 min 45 sec.

Canon Pixma Pro9000 Gamut

Unlike the i9900, there’s an advanced grayscale control in the print driver that lets you produce very pleasing black-and-white prints, in a variety of tones, directly from color images. Unfortunately, b&w printing takes more than four times as long (over 16 minutes for an 8×10). The Pro9000 can print on thick matte papers, canvas, and fine-art cut sheets (up to 14×17 inches) using a second paper path. The printer has built-in wheels so it can roll forward for the required 15.7-inch clearance. Nice touch.

The printer comes with Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint Pro software and Digital Photo Professional version 2.1. The supplied color profiles work very well with Easy-PhotoPrint Pro, producing stunning prints with high color saturation, excellent color accuracy, and decent blacks. Pure reds were on the reddish-orange side, but sky blue, dark purples, yellows, and greens were among the most accurate and saturated from any printer that we’ve tested.

Canon also includes a useful manual that details print-driver settings for a variety of papers in programs such as Adobe Photoshop. But the supplied profiles didn’t work well in Photoshop CS3, and we recommend the Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in to get accurate color.

Canon claims that prints on its Photo Paper Pro and Plus will last up to 100 years in an archival photo album and up to 30 years on display. That’s longer than most silver-halide prints, but not as long as those from Canon’s PIXMA Pro9500 or Epson’s Stylus Photo 1400.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a super-fast printer with a wide color gamut and fine-art paper compatibility, this is a great choice.

Canon Digital IXUS 60 review : Canon are moving along rapidly. Besides wanting to have a large market share in each segment of the digital imaging market, Canon are naturally also keen to hold the actual number one position, and it seems they are well on the way to achieve it all. This is only emphasised by the introductions of their new products; there seems to be an incessant flow of camera arrivals. At the moment, the cycle for consumer compact cameras is six months. The Canon Digital IXUS 60 was introduced in February 2006, just before the start of the PMA 2006 in Orlando, United States. The new Canon IXUS 60 carries on the IXUS tradition. With its attractive design, a compact format and a housing made from high-quality material, the Canon Digital IXUS seems destined to score major points for Canon once again.

Canon Digital 60 – IXUS series
The Canon Digital IXUS 60 is able to maintain a somewhat classical appearance without becoming boring. The Japanese designer must have an amazing eye for contemporary design, as virtually every single thing having to do with the IXUS name seems to guarantee success. And so, the new Canon IXUS 60 becomes the latest addition to the IXUS family. A camera with a decent resolution of 6 Megapixels, 3x optical zoom with a focal range of 35 – 105mm (equivalent of a 35mm camera), the renowned DIGIC II processor, advanced auto focus, a variety of built-in scenes, a high sensitivity setting, and many, many more handy and clever features.

Canon IXUS 60 – Camera resolution
The camera makes the step from 5 to 6 Megapixels, which is a logical upgrade considering the current “standard” resolution. For this type of camera 6 Megapixels is more than enough to erase any lingering thought of a 35mm camera, and provides the user with sufficient image quality to edit the image creatively and make, for instance, an enlargement of a crop. The 2,5 inch LCD monitor on the back of the camera is the ideal replacement for the optical viewfinder, which is still present but could really be easily replaced by a larger size LCD display. Canon have already proven with the Digital IXUS 65 camera, which was introduced at the same time as the Canon IXUS 60 and which we will soon also cover in a digital camera review, that this produces truly striking results.

Canon Digital IXUS 60 digital camera – ISO 800
In the past, we have seen the small IXUS digital camera struggle a little with capturing images indoors; especially in situations where the effective range of the internal flash wasn’t quite up to par. The Canon Digital IXUS 60 is equipped with a high sensitivity setting, which enables you to use the camera to take photos indoors without a flash. In addition, the high value of ISO 800 should also minimise camera shake; an inexpensive solution to achieve image stabilisation, which is emphasised by the quick button that is positioned on the camera.

Canon IXUS 60 – Wide-screen 16:9 mode
The Canon IXUS 60 is also equipped with a new wide-screen 16:9 mode, which enables the user to capture true wide-screen images. This seems to be a rising trend, and shows how certain manufacturers feel about the camera and its place in multimedia surroundings, which is how they like to think of the modern living room.

Canon IXUS 60 digital camera review
The Canon Digital IXUS 60 is a luxurious digital compact camera, of which the emphasis lies not solely on design and the compact size. The photo quality and powerful image processing solutions, which come in the form of a DIGIC II processor, are of significant importance for this digital camera. The first impression is pleasant, but it was in practice that we were able to form our ultimate opinion on how the Canon IXUS 60 should be judged. Just how our judgement turned out can be read in the following Canon Digital IXUS 60 digital camera review.

Canon Digital IXUS 65 digital camera review : If you can judge the worth of a concept by the times it is copied, then Canon’s IXUS series is a definite success. Many digital cameras currently on the market bear a lot of similarities to the Canon Digital IXUS digital camera. This is quite logical as Canon has achieved a perfect combination of design and functionality in this series. The latest top model, the Canon IXUS 65 has brought Canon one step closer to perfection.

Canon Digital IXUS 65 – 6 Megapixels
The Canon IXUS 65 first grabs your attention because of something it doesn’t have: many pixels. The Canon IXUS 65 only has six, less than many of its competitors. The Japanese giant made this choice deliberately, going for better instead of more pixels: quality above quantity. The Canon IXUS 65 has several remarkable features such as the sensitivity, which has been increased to ISO 800, a welcome feature in a compact digital camera.

Canon IXUS 65 – Touch Control Dial
The Canon IXUS 65 also has a larger screen, which is a comfortable three inches. This is not unique – indeed it is becoming more common – but it is still great to work with. Another new feature of the Canon IXUS 65 is the so-called Touch Control Dial, that is a bit like the click wheel that we know from the Apple iPod. It is a new approach to functions. It is not the usual button, but reacts to touch. An icon appears on the screen, so that you can still see what you are doing, even in poor light.

Canon IXUS 65 camera – LCD screen
The large screen allowed Canon to add a new checking mechanism; you can see a new photo plus an enlargement on the LCD screen simultaneously. The user can choose which part to enlarge. You can choose between the various AF-points or any other random point. It is a good way to check the sharpness beforehand.

Canon Digital IXUS 65 – Wide screen shots
Wide screen shots are becoming more popular. This is partially due to the growth in flat wide screen televisions. There is no real panorama setting on the Canon IXUS 65, but a wide screen setting in a ratio of 16:9, so it is HDTV.

Canon IXUS 65 – Triple optical zoom
The triple optical zoom with a range that corresponds to 35-105mm (comparable to a small screen 35mm camera) is still the same and is a good range for most applications. The resolution has also not changed; the Canon IXUS 65 has the same six mega pixel sensor as its predecessor. It goes without saying that the signal has been converted by the DIGIC II processor that is also a feature of Canon’s professional models.

Canon Digital IXUS 65 review
The Canon IXUS 65 digital camera has everything it needs to become a big success. The first reactions from consumers have all been positive and it seems that the camera has already become a big sales hit for Canon. We were able to try out the Canon IXUS 65 camera for a longer period and the results can be seen in the following Canon Digital IXUS 65 digital camera review.

Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti camera review : September 2006 marked the 10th anniversary of the IXUS camera, which gave Canon a good reason to celebrate. Ten years of IXUS is without question an impressive achievement in today’s rapidly changing camera world. Ten years ago, Canon embarked on their journey with an analogue IXUS camera, which proved to be the start of an impressive line of analogue and digital IXUS models. During the party, Canon introduced no less than three new IXUS models, among which the Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti camera. This new top model from the Digital IXUS series is equipped with the latest technology, and as one may expect of an IXUS camera, the Canon 900 Ti features a truly stylish design.

Canon IXUS digital camera concept
The compact Canon IXUS 900 Ti was introduced worldwide in mid-September. Visitors of the Photokina 2006 were able to thoroughly inspect the new camera, as well as hold it to their heart’s content. Although it cannot be escaped, we must conclude Canon is one of only very few manufacturers that have actually succeeded in maintaining their leading market position. It are the IXUS cameras in particular that appeal to a broad audience, and the fact that Canon have managed to do so for ten consecutive years should certainly be regarded as remarkable. During the party, which was held in a trendy London neighbourhood, we also heard from Mogens Jensen; head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. According to Mogens Jensen, a staggering 33 million IXUS cameras have already been purchased. This means in the past ten years, an IXUS camera was sold every 10 seconds!

Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti – Specifications
The latest top model, the Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti, aims at continuing the IXUS success story. The camera’s specifications show it is far from an average entry-level compact camera. A resolution of 10.0 Megapixels, a titanium housing, an ultra-compact 3x optical zoom lens, Canon’s new DIGIC III image processor with advanced Noise Reduction technology, and the advanced Face Detection AF/AE are all features that ensure the Canon 900 Ti stands out from the crowd. Face Detection AF/AE is a new technology by Canon that automatically detects faces in an image, and optimizes focus and exposure accordingly.

Canon IXUS 900Ti – DIGIC III image processor
For a while now, Canon have been successfully equipping their cameras with the image processor developed by themselves. The Canon IXUS 900 Ti features Canon’s DIGIC III (DIGital Imaging Core) image processor, which has already reached its third generation. Naturally, the new processor has been considerably improved from its predecessor. Significant improvements are noticeably faster response times, support of the Face Detection AF/AE technique and an advanced noise reduction. In addition to this, the DIGIC III image processor allows the application of faster internal working memory in the camera. DDR-SDRAM memory enables a doubling of the data throughput rate, which results in an instantly improved performance.

Canon Digital 900 Ti camera review
All in all, a very interesting Digital IXUS to review. The Canon Digital IXUS series cameras have already been enjoying a fair share of attention for years, and the introduction of the Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti is likely to see to it that this will continue. We had the Canon IXUS 900 Ti in our office for quite some time, and were able to test it extensively. Just how the Canon Digital IXUS 900Ti performed in practice, and whether or not it will contribute to the IXUS success, can be read in the following Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti digital camera review.

Canon Digital IXUS i digital camera review : Canon announced a massive introduction at the end of August 2005; from digital compact cameras to digital SLRs completed with an entire range of printers. In between all these new products, the Canon Digital IXUS i5 received a brother, the Digital IXUS i Zoom. This beautifully designed digital camera is completely designed in the same style we see on the successful IXUS series of digital cameras. The camera is accommodated in a solid compact housing and stunningly finished with a beetroot colour. The compact size does have some consequences for the size of the monitor, but you do get a beauty of a digital camera with the size of a cell phone in return.

Canon Digital i Zoom lens
The Canon IXUS i Zoom is equipped with a small zoom lens with a 2.4x optical range. In addition it’s featured with a 5.0 Megapixel CCD and of course equipped with Canon’s strong trump the DIGIC II processor which will offer the Canon i Zoom sufficient power to deliver a nice performance. The camera is standard delivered with a so-called Camera Station that makes a fixed connection to the computer, printer and television extremely easy. Besides that, the Digital IXUS i ZOOM has the advantage, compared to the IXUS i5, of an optical zoom and an improved users interface.

Canon IXUS i – Second generation DIGIC II processor
It’s quite amazing that Canon was able to equip a camera like the Canon Digital IXUS i Zoom with the second generation DIGIC II processor. This processor is without a doubt a surplus value for this camera and guarantees improvement concerning the speed in which the complicated editing algorithms are measured. Besides that the DIGIC II processor has to be able to keep the overall image quality on a high level without having this influencing the general performance of the camera. Look at the faster startup time and the higher processing speed of storing the images, and you can’t deny the fact that your holding a combination in your hands that is guaranteed to be successful.

Canon Digital IXUS i Zoom review
We tested whether this theory is proved to be true in practice. Canon takes their task as leader in the field of digital photography very seriously. And however the design is a strong point on the new Canon Digital IXUS i Zoom, Canon realizes that quality has to go hand in hand with the design in order to be able to continue the success of the Digital IXUS line. The following Canon Digital IXUS i Zoom review will get you acquainted with the performance of Canon’s new showpiece.

Canon EOS 5D SLR review : Since Kodak is no longer producing Pro SLRs, Canon is the only manufacturer with a digital reflex camera (D-SLR) featuring a full-sized image sensor. Until shortly the EOS-1Ds Mark II was the only camera containing such a sensor. A beautifully professional D-SLR camera but an enormous investment and possibly too big to handle for a large group of consumers. Moreover the demand for a compacter and lighter version seemed to grow and presently there was gab in between the EOS 20D and the professional Canon D-SLRs. Both gabs are now solved with the Canon EOS 5D. The Canon 5D is a professional, quite compact D-SLR camera with impressive specifications.

Canon EOS 5D SLR – Large image sensor
The main sales argument for the Canon EOS 5D is of course the large sensor. It’s a full-size image sensor meaning that the dimensions equal the 35mm format. And this means you don’t suffer from focal length multiplier anymore, and this is especially ideal for wide angle lovers. Producing a full-size sensor is extremely expensive, more so because there is a lot of remainder of the wafers that the sensors are made from. You’d expect Canon to use the same sensor they’ve used for the EOS 1Ds Mark II, because the higher the production numbers, the lower the price will be per unit. But Canon decided to put an entirely new 12 Megapixel CMOS into the EOS 5D. It has a pixel pitch of 0.082 mm which equals the pixel pitch of speed monster; Eos-1D Mark II N. It is therefore well possible that the EOS 5D features a larger type than the one used in the EOS-1D Mark II N. Some image characteristics seem to prove this thought.

Canon 5D SLR camera – DIGIC II processor
A 12 Megapixel sensor delivers large files. To enable speedy processing the DIGIC II processor is used; the strong Canon trump. The DIGIC 2 processor is able to process a large amount of data in a short time. In combination with the huge internal memory it’s possible to write many large sized files very quickly onto the memory card. The maximum image speed is three frames per second. That is one image less than the EOS 1Ds Mark II can handle, that is also capable of producing larger files because of its 16 Megapixels. It seems that Canon sort of went a bit skimpy on speed with the 5D D-SLR otherwise this camera might become a too big competitor for the Canon 1Ds Mark II. The DIGIC II processor also places the images extremely fast into the buffer and it knows how to empty the buffer quickly too. On paper 60 JPEG images will fit in the buffer or 20 RAW images. The amount however depends on the sensitivity used; the higher the sensitivity the smaller the buffer. Nevertheless; the amount of 60 JPEG images fitting in the buffer is enormous! Even the EOS-1D Mark II N stores fewer images. These staggering numbers make the Canon EOS 5D very suitable for the photo journalist who has to do reportages.

Canon EOS 5D – Built-in flash and viewfinder
Not only does the camera perform professionally, the camera itself is also of a high quality. The Canon EOS 5D is lacking the finishing touch of the EOS 1D line, but the 5D can still stand a mild rain shower. The resemblance with the EOS 20D is striking. Canon wants to make clear that the EOS 5D belongs to the Canon 1D series. The built-in flash is sacrificed for the sake of the enormous viewfinder. And I don’t think there will be many photographers who will miss a flash on a camera like the EOS 5D. Fortunately it also sunk in with Canon that photographers are very happy to have a large size monitor to be able to judge the images correctly and easily. The Canon EOS 5D features a monitor with a diameter of 2.5-inches.

Canon 5D digital reflex camera – AA size batteries
A very smart move of Canon is the fact that the renown BP-511 battery is also used on the EOS 5D. It’s already being used often in Canon models, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find an extra (spare) set of batteries for a reasonable price. A second battery can be placed in the optional grip or you can choose for six AA size batteries. The grip is one of many accessories that can be used on the Canon 5D. Besides that the photographer has a vast choice from lenses, only the EF-S lenses don’t go together with the EOS 5D. At the same time when the Canon EOS 5D was introduced, Canon also introduced a new lens in the f/4.0 series; the Canon EF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM lens. Especially on the 5D it offers an outstanding range and thanks to the image stabilisation, you can shoot holding the camera in your hand, even in difficult light circumstances.

Canon EOS 5D reflex camera review
It seems beforehand that the EOS 5D will become a gigantic hit. It meets the demand for a compacter professional camera; one that can fill up the gap between the EOS 20D and the 1D Mark II N. The grand surprise is that it turned out to be a full size model. Canon lent us the Canon EOS 5D with the EF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM for a short period of time. The results of our test can be read in the Canon EOS 5D digital camera review.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS digital camera review : The Canon PowerShot S3 IS is the successor of the popular PowerShot S2 IS camera, which was subjected to an array of tests in one of our previous in-depth digital camera reviews. Digital cameras such as the Canon S3 IS enjoy a considerable popularity, which arises from the fact that they have so much to offer for a relatively low price. The Canon PowerShot S3 IS features, for instance, an impressive 12x optical zoom, equipped with an image stabiliser, which enables hand-held shots even when working with long focal lengths. The rotating and tilting monitor allows you to capture your images from virtually every imaginable position and angle. The resolution of 6 Megapixels is more than sufficient to produce a beautiful A4, or even A3, print.

Canon S3 IS – Attractive type of digital camera
The Cannon PowerShot S3 IS is one of a truly unique group of digital cameras, and is particularly suitable for photographers that seek functionality, yet not the costs and size of a digital SLR camera. Naturally, the fact that the Canon PowerShot S3 IS allows you to zoom in to a great extend, should be looked upon as an enormous advantage; after all, this means you no longer need to invest in the extremely pricey lenses that the SLR camera requires. Image stabilisation is an indispensable factor when working with such long focal lengths, which is why you are likely to see at least one form of stabilisation on practically every single model in this segment of the Megazoom cameras. Remarkable however, is that the amount of megazoom models seems to dwindle. Apparently, manufacturers are failing to see the benefits, even though this type of digital camera remains very attractive to the consumer.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS – 6 Megapixels
As far as looks are concerned, there aren’t all that many noticeable changes from the Canon S2 IS. The black colour, however, is a definite improvement, and the different stickers also catch your eye. The resolution has increased slightly, and now stores a total of six million pixels. The DIGIC II processor converts the pixels to an attractive image. It is not, however, the amount of pixels that is of foremost significance. The Canon PowerShot S3 IS camera has also been equipped with a higher sensitivity, and is now able to capture images in ISO 800. This is particularly beneficial when working in low-light conditions, as well as with the long focal lengths.

Canon S3 IS – 2 inch Vari-angle LCD screen
The screen on the back has been replaced by a 2 inch vari-angle LCD. With the S2 IS, we saw a monitor of a mere 1.8 inch. The vari-angle in particular proves to be a pleasant improvement. You are now able to maintain a decent view on the monitor from many angles, even with a lot of light present. To meet the rise of HDTV, the Canon PowerShot S3 IS features the option to capture images in wide-screen format, with a ratio of 16:9. In addition, you will find further functions to enable the recording of video clips, as well as an extra Sports programme.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS review
All the positive sides of the PowerShot S2 IS seem to have found their way to its successor. The Canon PowerShot S3 is an exceptionally compact digital camera that is easily carried along. The DIGIC II processor ensures a fast and proper processing of the image information, just as was the case with its predecessor. The Canon S3 IS camera can be equipped with a variety of accessories, such as an external HF-DC1 flash, a tele converter, a wide-angle adapter and a lens hood.