The largest of the PowerShots in this ramp of announcements, the S3 IS is still fairly compact by long-zoom camera standards, with dimensions of 4.5 x 3.1 x 3.0" - the same size as the S2 IS model in whose footsteps the new camera follows. Sensor resolution has taken a boost to six megapixels, and coupled with the Digic II processor, a maximum ISO sensitivity of 800 is now available. The Canon-branded 12x image stabilized zoom lens offers a range from a moderate wide angle of 36mm to a very useful 432mm telephoto equivalents. A VGA movie mode coupled with what is calling "MovieSnap" - the ability to capture six megapixel stills during movie recording - adds to the camera's versatility. A 2.0-inch tilt/swivel LCD display is rather smaller than some of the latest digicams on the market, but will let the camera be used in a wider range of situations than would be possible with a fixed LCD. Other features include USB and NTSC / PAL connectivity, SD / MMC card storage, and power from four standard AA batteries, with alkaline disposables included in the product bundle.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS
General
Camera Type	EVF
Manufacturer	Canon
Model Number	S3 IS
Dimensions	4.5 x 3.1 x 3.0" 113.4 x 78.0 x 75.5mm
Weight	410.0 g 14.3 oz
Image Capture
Sensor Type	1/2.5" CCD 6.00 megapixels (effective)
Aspect Ratio	4:3, 16:9
Image Dimensions	2816 x 2112 (5.9 megapixels) 2272 x 1704 (3.9 megapixels) 1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Quality	3 levels
Image Preview / Review
LCD	2.0"
Playback Zoom	10.0x max
Lens
Lens Type	Canon Zoom Lens 12x optical zoom 58mm lens thread, Body threads w/ adapter
Image Stabilization	Yes
Focal Length	6.0 - 72.0mm (actual) 36 - 432mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range	f/2.7 (wide) / f/3.5 (tele)
Focusing System	TTL with AF assist lamp Manual Focus possible (0) steps
Focusing Range	Normal: 20" - infinity (50 cm - infinity)
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800
Shutter Speed	15 - 1/3200 second
Exposure Modes	Aperture, Shutter, Manual
Metering Modes	Evaluative/ Center-weighted average/ Spot
Exposure Compensation	+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance	Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Custom
Internal Flash	Modes: Auto, On, Off (red-eye reduction available) Range: 0.7 - 5.2 m (2.3 - 17.1 ft.) (W), 0.7 - 4.0 m (2.3 - 13.1 ft.) (T)
Flash Exposure Compensation	+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
Creative
Scene Modes	Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Indoor, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap, My Colors, Stitch Assist, Movie
Digital Zoom	4.0x
Self Timer	Yes, 2 or 10 seconds
Movie Format	AVI (MotionJPEG / Stereo WAV) with audio 640x480 and 320x240 Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium	SD/MMC
File System	Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)
File Format	JPEG (EXIF 2.2)
Connectivity
Video	Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Computer	USB 2.0 Full (LOW) Speed
Other	DC In
Power
Battery Type	Alkaline disposable or NiMH rechargeable
Battery Form Factor	4 x AA
Product Bundle
Battery / Charger	4 x AA alkaline disposable battery
Flash Memory	0.0MB
Other
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant	Yes
PictBridge Compliant	Yes
Internal Microphone	Yes
Tripod Mount	Yes
Operating System Compatibility	Windows / Mac
More Photos