Consumer Reviews

Whether you’re a Vetran Canon Powershot S3 IS shooter or a beginner, chances are you’ll eventually want to shoot pictures to share with others on the Internet. Shooting pictures for the Internet is different than shooting pictures that you intend to print out. Some people never quite understand this.

Why is Shooting Pictures For the Internet Different Than Shooting Pictures To Print?

The main reason is the file size. A large file downloads a lot slower than a small file…as if you didn’t know that. Altough many of us have high speed Internet connections, some still use dial up. Try sending a 1 meg picture to friends or family on dial up and they will likely hate you in secret! It may take them an hour before they can see the picture!

If you want to print the picture out for framing or scrapbooking, then a higher setting is okay.

Pictures that you intend to use on the Internet do not have to have high definition or a huge size. In fact, the standard picture size of 640×480 pixels is more than enough for 99% of Internet use. Higher settings on your Canon Powershot S3 doesn’t mean higher quality on the Internet.

Changing the Setting on Your Canon Powershot S3IS for Internet Pictures

Now that we know that a larger file size is not advantages for posting pictures on the Internet, here’s how we can reduce file size for quick viewing by Internet users.

• Use the FUNCTION button to pull up your menu.
• Use the UP and Down arrows to select the menu item COMPRESSION Pixels
• Use the Side to Side buttons to select your COMPRESSION Rate

Once you’re at this point, you’ll have several choices.

• L = Large - 2816×2112 pixels - This is a large picture and not one you’d want to post to the Internet but excellent for printing pictures up to 11.7 x 16.5 inch prints.
• M1 = Medium 1 - 2202×1704 pixels - Still a large picture for the Internet but print pictures up to 8.3 x 11.7 inches.
• M2 = Medium 2 - 1600 x 1200 pixels - This setting is great for printing postcard sized 6×4 prints or 4.7 x 3.5 L shaped prints.
• S = Small - 640 x 480 pixels - This is the one you’re looking for to take pictures for the Internet.
• W = WideScreen - 2816 x 1584 pixels - This is a wide screen format and one we’ll not use on the Internet.

Once you have the size set to 640×480 pixels, now you’ll use the SET button to set the COMPRESSION RATIO.

You’ll have three choices to choose from, SUPERFINE, FINE and NORMAL.

For our purpose of posting pictures to the Internet, you want to choose NORMAL.

(photo from Canon S3 User Manual) 

Now you’re ready to share the pictures that you take with family and friends on the Internet. You have one of the best point and shoot digital cameras on the market with a Canon Powershot S3 IS, not get some extra SD cards and go have fun!

The Canon Digital Powershot S80 is a 8 megapixel camera that now takes SD cards rather than the Compact Flash cards. The Canon S80 is a neat point and shoot camera that Canon is famous for.

Here are some of the specs of the Canon S80:

• 3x Optical Zoom
• 4x Digital Zoom
• 2.5 inch display screen
• 20.7 millimeter maximum focal point
• 5.8 millimeter minimum focal point
• AV Connectivity
• 28-100 mm lens
• 21 shooting modes

 The Canon Powershot S80 is a high end compact digital camera that can go virtually anywhere and produces great photographs. The SD card gives it practically an unlmited suupply of photo’s.

This compact powershot SD80 is small enough to be carried anywhere. This makes it the perfect camera for a fanny pack, purse or glove box.

If you’re buying a used S80 off of eBay or another third party, make sure you update the drivers and other software before using them, especially if you’re using Windows Vista. The new drivers from Canon should work perfectly with Windows Vista, but you do need to get updated drivers and such if you haven’t done so already.

If you thinking about purchasing a Canon S80 or already own a S80, here are a few user tips.

- To protect the battery and prolong its life, do not charge it for longer than 24 hours continuously.

- Charging it within a temperature range of 5 - 40 °C (41 - 104 °F) is recommended. Charge times may vary according to the ambient temperature and the battery’s charge state.

- Do not charge Battery other than Battery Pack NB-2LH/NB-2L (sold separately) with the supplied battery charger.

- Even charged battery packs continue to discharge naturally. You are advised to charge the battery on the day of use, or one day before, to ensure a full charge.

- Since storing a fully charged battery pack for long periods of time (about 1 year) can shorten its life cycle or affect performance, store the battery in an indoor location with low relative humidity and between the temperatures of 0 to 30 °C (32 to 86 °F). If you do not use the battery pack for long periods of time, charge it fully and discharge it fully in the camera at least once a year before returning it to storage.

Battery life has been excellent in my Canon S80, but to maintain the very best battery life, follow the tips above.

The Canon Digital Powershot S80 was introduced in 2005 and it’s still a better camera than most of the 8 megapixel offerings on the market today.