Is the Canon PowerShot S2 IS or S3 a good buy ?

Question

i hear it is a very affordable yet very good (with almost pro quality) just wanted to know what some of you guys thought b4 i bought one.

Answer 1

Yes, they're both very good cameras.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_s2is%2Ccanon_s3is&show=all
you can click-thru to see the owners opinions, plus in-depth reviews for both of these cameras.

Answer 2

The S3IS is a good camera if you are considering an "ultrazoom" one. However- it is a crowded and highly competitive field, with good offerings from Fuji (the S6000), Sony (H2, H6 and new ones), Panasonic (FZ series) and now Olympus has announced, the not yet available SP550uz, but it's priced a bit higher.

Image Quality will not be quite as sharp as that from a "pro quality" DSLR, nor will it be as fast to focus, or have the dynamic range and low noise high ISO (light sensitivity) capability. So- there is a difference - why else would someone pay $1500 for a camera if they could get the same thing for $400. But- that said, for anything up to an 8x10" print- the IQ of the S2 or S3IS is very good.

Here's an excellent review
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons3is/

you might want to save $100, and get a smaller- but very capable camera such as the canon A710IS if you don't need a full 432mm of zoom. The 710 is much more compact, has arguably better IQ and offers you a 35-210mm lens
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/

Answer 3

After extensive research, I purchased a Canon Powershot S3 IS two weeks ago. I absolutely love this camera, it's great for my specific needs and style of photo shooting. I really need and want a DSLR, but can't afford one yet, but needed to update my 6 yr old digicam, so this was a good compromise for me.

Here are some things to consider: what kind of photo's do you generally take? If you take a lot of low light photo's (without flash), or focus on high speed sports photo's, or wide angle landscape photo's, this is not the camera for you.

However, if you take photo's of nature, wildlife, animals, and such, or like to take photo's of people without them noticing you doing it, then the 12x zoom on this camera is perfect! Also, the swivel LCD screen can't be beat, even though it's smaller than the screens on most digital cameras.

Do look at the reviews, and compare sample photo quality. People's preferences vary, and the S3 has softer focus than some other cameras.

Another note on the S3 (yes, it's about $100 more than the S2, but IMO the few added features are worth it). ... this is not the camera for you if you just want to "point and shoot". On full auto setting, the pictures are unsatisfactory. Put it on "program" mode though and play with a few settings, and it's awesome! Macro mode is fantastic, and the video clip feature is excellent for a still camera!

http://www.imaging-resource.com/

feel free to msg me if you want more details or pointers on this camera.,

Answer 4

of course the s2 will be cheaper.
both of them are excellent.
remember, they have small screens (lcd)

Answer 5

NO! IT SUCKS! BAD QUALITY.