Canon Ixus V3

I bought my Ixus V3 8 months ago. I can only describe it as superb. This camera is so compact and goes everywhere with us - as well as on nights out with groups of friends. It's so easy to use, everyone takes photos with it. I have taken well over 2000 photographs with it to date. I do occasionally have 'red eye' problems, but the software that Canon provide (Photoimpression)is so simple to use it clears red eye up in seconds.

I was no camera expert and this was my 2nd digital camera (previous Ricoh 300,000 pixel nasty thing), but I would recommend the Canon Ixus V3 to anyone, other than those who want to buy a camera for £250 and expect it to deliver £600 quality photos. If thats what you want then buy a camera for £600. Remember, you get what you pay for !!!

First impressions :

The camera retains all the qualities in both features and build that people have come to expect from the Canon Ixus range. In an ever changing world it is also reasuring to see that the functions and design of the camera remain largely unmodified.

Picture quality remains exceptionally high for the size of lens. Movie mode has been lengthened to a maximum of 3 minutes per clip. Multiple clips can be taken until the card is full of the battery gives out.

Menus remain largely unchanged and again this helps new and old users navigate a simple system that does not need embelishing.

As with all the other things about this model, the accessories are fully compatible and will work with no problem, including all bateries, underwater case, printers etc....

Useability :

As with the Ixus V2 all functions are very similar so getting to grips with this model was very easy. Things were where you expected them to be and had not been moved to satiate some marketing organisations desire to look like they needed to earn their keep. All the normal functions are present, including Various flash settings, Movie mode, various resolutions for still shots, White Balance adjustments, timed exposure, a timer for delayed shots, 6 special effects including sepia and Black and White, a preview zoom mode that allows you to zoom in on still shots upto 10 times, macro mode, and many more features that all aid in helping the photographer achieve good shots.

The Camera uses the same underwater case as the Ixus V2, the WDC300, underwater shots give a whole new dimension to photography and provide an additional bonus. Whether you use it on the beach, snorkel, or Scuba dive you can expect to get some very good images. As with the Ixus V2 the results are of exceptionally high quality and the improved movie recording time is the main reason I upgraded from the Ixus V2. Again when using the underwater case the camera functions are all available. The Camera case is also very reasonably priced at about £150 so this will not break the bank.

On a side note, when using the underwater case it is important to grease it up properly to stop possible leaks. This is a precaution to be taken with enything that needs to remain watertight and is not exclusive to the WDC300 case. Additionally you may notice the photos have a slight yellow and green cast to the out edges of the photos, this is caused by the additional properties of a piece of glass placed in front of the lens that exaggerates the normal refraction between air and water. You really have to look for this though.

Colour balance has remained good and the camera also feels faster than the Ixus V2 in use. I have not done timings to verify this and it is just my perception. Battery life has been improved by about 10% to 20% above the Ixus V2, these figures again are estimates, but are based on my use underwater filming scenes and taking still shots. With the LCD on all the time I have managed to get upto 1 hour of continous use with additional battery life for shots on the surface, where as the Ixus V2 gave about 45minutes to 50 minutes.

With a 512Mb Compact flash card you can expect to get between 20 minutes and 24 minutes of video or about 600 photos at top res with mid range compression.

Minor issues:

I have come across only 2 minor issues when using the camera and these can generally be forgiven when you consider the other features and size of this camera. Firstly the movie mode fixes the aperture at a level when it first starts recording the movie and even though it does an admarable job of handling the lighting it can catch you out, unlike a camcorder which will adjust when the lighting changes dramatically ie. moving from inside to outside and vice versa. Secondly the Lens can produce a lens flare artifact which covers upto 2% of the image when taking a shot with a strong light source in it. An example of this would be taking a picture of a sunset. Limitations of the lens size and the properties of glass make this almost impossible to overcome.

Both these issues are easily overcome anyway either with photo-editing software or thinking about the video footage you intend to take and planning ahead to prevent the problem occuring.

Conclusion:

As with all the other Canon Cameras I have used you get the feel that the cameras are made by people passionate about photography and making it accessible to real people, not just photo perfectionists. The camera has a quality that seems to permeate the entire product all the way through to the images it produces. With a good movie editing package it is possible to construct some very passable results of what ever you take a movie of, which is similar to the standard of the old VHS video camcorders. I have done some instructional Scuba movies that people are constantly amazed at, and find it hard to believe the results come from a small stills camera. I have a hard time finding anything wrong with it and if I was to recommend anything it would be either the Ixus V2 for the price conscious or the Ixus V3 for the extra movie mode record time. Before buying any product, try it out see if it works with you and not against you. Once again Canon have made a product that lives upto my expectations and build quality.

Note: I purchased the USA version of this camera and it is labeled the "Powershot S230." I will refer to it as the S230 instead of the "Ixus v3."

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For objects 6 inches or greater in distance, this camera does an amazing job in its ability to take crisp, clear images. I have had very little problem with the auto-focus. Due to its size, I have found it very convenient to carry in a variety of places. Users aren't merely resigned to taking bland photos as the S230 offers many unique shooting options. Automatic manipulation of the camera settings allows for adjustment for exposure time, light balance, and locking of the automatic focus for subsequent shots. I have been able to take some unique shots at various events and locations. Daylight exposures look very good and low-light shooting exceeds expectations. Even a long-exposure at night (8-10 seconds) was relatively artifact free.

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It is true that the camera has limitations - but for its size and pragmatic applications where a bulky camera would be unwelcome. If you want to shoot pictures of an anthill from 2 inches away, you will find it most difficult and blurry. If you attempt high-caliber sports photos, you will be disappointed. For me, I have no desire to do such things - and the images that I do wish to take look very good.

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The issue with red-eye being a problem is quickly remedied in digital imaging software applications. I do agree - the red-eye function on the camera is worthless, and I rarely use it. However, I have yet to see an affordable "pocket camera" that can completely prevent this effect in all cases. I feel that the quality of images in spite of the red eye more than makes up for this inconvenience.

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The only difficult shots that I have encountered are for items that are one to 24 inches behind a semi-transparent wall. By this - I mean items in an aquarium, behind a mesh screen, in a slight haze, etc. I have found some alternatives in forcing the camera to focus behind the semi-transparent artifact with marginal success. However, shooting at landscapes and items through a glass window has been superb.

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In summary, this camera is great. Its small size and features make it a great companion for traveling or daily activities where a bulky camera would become tiresome to carry. I keep the camera on my person whenever possible - which means that I only set it aside when I feel that it may be damaged. The S230 is a great value and a very nice camera for a casual photographer. It is a bit pricey - but very comparable to the competition. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who is seeking a compact camera.

Having looked around the internet for reviews on this camera (and only reading good things) I decided to use my hard earned cash and fork out the £350 for this one. After learing the basics I was out and about shooting all sorts. First thing I noticed is shooting using the flash results in extremly bad red eye, even when the redeye option is in use. Secondly using the long exposure results in picture quality being blurred.

Only get this camera if you plan on using it for still life images. I'll be taking mine back and demanding a refund.

Having owned the Canon G2 for some time and found it to be an excellent camera I was very interested in the new V3 to use in situations when carrying the "house-brick" G2 was not convenient. After a day of use I was utterly disappointed in the V3. The 9-point autofocus has a mind of its own with very little that the user can do to convince it to focus on the intended subject. I use the word focus here lightly since the images produced when it decides to focus on something you actually want are at best ok with close-subject indoor shots, but just outright poor for outdoors in almost all light conditions. A side-by-side comparison of the same shots with the G2 confirmed the wayward focus problem. Were the G2 was crisp the V3 was fuzzy, even in x1 shots. The colour depth of the V3 also not a patch on the G2. Yes the V3 has 3.2 MPix, but to make use of that resolution the focus problems need to be fixed. Spend your money elsewhere. Having said all that, anybody interested in a very lightly used V3?