It's good to have things coming in two variations. The S3 IS brings along the worthy features of its predecessor, but ups a notch by increasing the resolution and size of the LCD monitor. However, it's still a hassle to deal with the lens cap. Like its predecessor, the PowerShot S3 IS proved to be a formidable prosumer with a 12x optical zoom lens and the performance to boot, but it just didn't give us enough reason to switch unless you want your S2 IS in black.

Design
Like its predecessor the PowerShot S2 IS, the S3 IS stands between Panasonic's Lumix FZ30 and FZ7 in terms of size. However, Canon's PowerShot S-series adopts more graceful curves with rounded corners. So if it's a 12x optical zoom camera you're looking for, there's a variety to choose from: The slightly boxy Lumixes or somewhere in between--Sony's Cyber-shot H-series.

The S3 IS can almost pass off as the black version of the S2 IS, but you'll be glad to find a larger (2-inch) flip-and-twist LCD. It was initially awkward having to look at such a "small" screen since most compact cameras these days come with at least a 2.5-inch monitor.

Though flooded with numerous buttons on the chassis (similar to the S2 IS), these keys are in fact reasonably comfortable even for larger digits. We have one gripe, though, which happens to be the same we had with the S2 IS--the lens cap. On numerous occasions, the cap came off, leaving the lens exposed to potential scratches.

Of course, if you're upgrading from the S2 IS, working the camera should be a breeze. Otherwise, it may take a while for a new user to familiarize with all the controls on the S3 IS.

Features
If at this point of time you're still expecting a wardrobe full of new features on the 6-megapixel S3 IS, we can only say you'll be disappointed. The 12x optically stabilized zoom works between the 36mm-to-432mm range. For really close-up shots, there's a 0cm macro mode which can be activated by holding down the macro button on the left side of the lens barrel for 2 seconds.

A new ISO 800 setting is also available on the S3 IS for shooting in low-light conditions. A higher-sensitivity setting generally means you can shoot at a faster speed in order to prevent blurring of fast-moving subjects under difficult lighting conditions. If it's an absolute must that you have a camera capable of taking very high ISO pictures (even at the expense of having higher noise levels), then you should be looking at Fujifilm FinePix V10 or similar models with a maximum sensitivity level of ISO 1,600.

You can also capture images in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but the top and bottom edges of your picture would be cropped off. There are also a couple of in-camera enhancement features that allow the user to make adjustments like having a lighter/darker skin tone and more vivid blues, greens and reds.

What we would have liked to see on the S3 IS, but which was sorely missed, is support for the RAW format.

Performance
The PowerShot S3 IS uses four AA-sized batteries which are easily replaceable when your cells run dry. The flip side is a slightly larger and heavier body which, in some cases, still manages to please users due to the overall substantial feel of the unit.

Despite having an extending lens that protrudes about 3cm from the barrel, the S3 IS managed a zippy 1.5-second power-up and shutdown time. Time to first shot was about 2 seconds, and you can shoot thereafter every 1.6 seconds without flash and 3 seconds with flash.

This megazoom camera didn't have too much difficulty finding its subjects in ambient lighting conditions. On most occasions, it was able to lock its focus in 2 seconds.

Burst mode was a bundle of joy. We managed to capture a total of 88 6-megapixel frames on our Imation 1GB Secure Digital card in a minute, which worked out to be about 1.5 frames per second.

The vari-angle 2-inch LCD was useful especially in difficult shooting positions, but it also meant we had to squint when we were shooting above a crowd due to the size of the screen.

Image Quality
Noise levels were relatively contained though, at ISO 400 and ISO 800, our pictures were rendered practically useless, especially at the maximum sensitivity level.

We particularly liked the Super Macro mode on the S3 IS which allowed us to get as close as 0cm to our subject.

Overall, the camera took well-exposed pictures with good color reproduction. Purple fringing wasn't an issue in most of our frames as well, although there were the occasional clippings in the highlights and shadows which shouldn't affect general photography users.