Canon PowerShot S3 IS: The 12x Zoom That Runs on AAs

The Canon PowerShot S3 IS came out in 2006 as a refinement of the S2 IS rather than a revolution, and that is exactly why it has lasted. It is a camera Canon had already worked out: a 12x stabilised zoom, a screen that flips and twists, an electronic viewfinder, a movie mode with stereo sound, and four AA batteries to run it all.

Buy the S3 IS if you want a proper bridge camera with a bright lens and full independence from proprietary batteries, and you are happy with six megapixels of CCD character. Skip it if you want wide-angle shots, clean images in dim light, or modern video resolution.

The Lens Is Brighter Than It Needs to Be

The zoom covers 36mm to 432mm equivalent at f/2.7 to f/3.5. The wide end is bright, but the telling number is the long end. Many superzooms fall to f/5 or darker at full telephoto; f/3.5 at 432mm lets in noticeably more light, which means faster shutter speeds and sharper pictures of distant subjects.

Canon's optical image stabiliser helps further, and it works in movie mode as well as for stills.

Flip Screen, Viewfinder, and a Button Between Them

The S3 IS has both a flip-and-twist screen and an electronic viewfinder, with a button to switch between them. The swivelling screen lets you shoot over a crowd, low to the ground, or at yourself. The viewfinder is what you want at 432mm in bright light: pressing the camera against your face steadies it and the view does not wash out.

The Movie Mode Was the Headline

In 2006 this camera's video was a real selling point. It records VGA at 30 frames per second with stereo sound, and a high-speed QVGA mode at 60 frames per second. By modern standards that is low resolution, but the clips have a distinctly period look, and stereo sound on a stills camera of this age remains unusual.

The burst shooting impressed reviewers too, which, combined with the zoom, makes the S3 IS surprisingly capable at sport and wildlife in good light.

The Limits

Six megapixels is modest. For screens and ordinary prints it is plenty, but you cannot crop deeply.

The 36mm wide end is tight for rooms and groups.

The small CCD sensor produces noise quickly as sensitivity rises. This is a daylight camera, or a flash camera indoors.

And four AA cells make it heavier than you might expect. Rechargeable NiMH batteries are the only sensible way to run it regularly.

What to Check Before You Buy

Open the battery compartment and inspect all four contacts. With four cells there are four chances for a leaked battery to have left corrosion, and this is the most common way these cameras are ruined.

Flip and twist the screen through its whole range with the camera on, watching for flicker or a blank display — the ribbon cable in the hinge is the weak point on every swivel-screen camera.

Press the switch button and confirm the electronic viewfinder works, clearly and without dark patches.

Run the zoom from 36mm to 432mm several times, then half-press the shutter at full zoom and watch the stabiliser steady the image.

Record a short movie and play it back with headphones or on a computer to confirm both channels of the stereo sound are recording.

Bring a small SD card. Cameras from 2006 may not read newer, higher-capacity cards, so a 2GB card is the safe option.

Stock changes often at Silver Cam, so check the shop for whether an S3 IS is available right now. Every bridge camera we list has its battery contacts, screen hinge, viewfinder, zoom and stabiliser checked before it goes on the site, and we repair stuck zoom lenses on cameras like this one. We also buy old PowerShots you no longer use.