Problems with Canon Powershot S3 IS

[ColoradoMom]

I've owned a Canon Powershot S3 IS for about a year, now. At first, I was very impressed with the image quality and numerous settings. However, I noticed that it was pretty bad in low-light situations - creating grainy images with a lot of color noise. I thought it was strange that I got better low-light performance from my previous camera - a low-budget Nikon digital camera that was more than 10 years old. But other than that, it was great.

Over the past year, the problem has gotten much worse. Images often look dark and grainy, even in good light. Most photos come out blurry and pixelated. Recently, bright colors are starting to look blurry and washed out, while less saturated colors are turning grayish. I sometimes change the setting to the "Sport" setting to counteract the blurriness - but that causes greater noise.

In short, I think something is broken in my camera. I'd like to buy a new one. However, I want to be sure to avoid having the same problem again. This is difficult, since I don't know what caused these problems with my current camera. I have washed the lens very carefully, with no effect.

I'd rather not get a camera that is too complicated. I don't need to manually set the aperture or ISO settings. However, I would like to be able to change some general settings (my PowerShot allows me to change settings for moving subjects, landscape, foliage, etc). I would also like a camera that has a video capture option, high resolution, and a good zoom.

Any suggestions? Also, does anyone have any insight into the problems with my current camera? I can post images to show examples, if needed. I don't know a great deal about cameras, but I do love taking photos and I thought the people in this forum might be able to help me out.

Thanks!

[pippafox]

hello
cant help with choosing another camera i'm afraid.
however when i read that you had washed your lens, albeit very carefully, alarm bells rang within me.

i dont know exactly what you mean by 'wash' but my feeling is that could have made the lens worse.
personally, i never touch my lens. its protected with a glass filter (another debate as to whether adding another layer of glass impairs your images). the filter is cleaned occasionally with a specialist spray cleaner and not directly onto the filter but onto a specialist camera cloth which is then used to gently wipe the glass filter.
washing sounds drastic.

whatever camera you do decide on my advice, unless you are a pro is to protect the lens surface with a uv or skylight filter. and never ever touch any of the glass parts of your lens.

hope someone can advise further on what would be a good camera.
pippa

[ColoradoMom]

Thanks for the advice - I didn't realize just how sensitive the lens is. I used an alcohol-based glass-cleaning spray which was designed for glasses. I used the microfiber cloth that came with the spray. I put the spray on the cloth, never directly onto the lens. Do you think that could have caused the problems? I've always cleaned camera lenses in this way, but this is the first problem I've had.

I'm not a professional photographer, just a new mom obsessed with getting good pictures of my newborn son.

[pippafox]

your washing method sounds ok.

maybe its just a duff camera. i'd definitely take it back to where you got it from. is it still under warranty?

[ColoradoMom]

Unfortunately, no. I've had it a little over a year.

I like the way the camera is designed. I'd just get another of the same model, but I don't want to risk having the same problem again.

[Rrdjserv]

Vicki-

If it isn't broke, it sounds like the settings may be completely messed up. Have you tried to reset everything back to default? Do you know anybody camera savy that could take a look at it for you? It might be something simple. If it is broke, you can send it to Canon for repairs. You will just have to pay for it.

If you do decide to buy a new one, check them all out. There are reviews on everything. Here is one web site:
http://cameras.about.com/od/choosing...p/under500.htm

Good luck.
--Rick

[EventHorizon]

I just bought a Canon Power Shot SX100 IS and I love it. It has all the features you can imagine including video, 10X Optical Zoom, large display, easy to use, and you can just set it on auto if you don't want to mess with all the settings - works very well in most cases. Now, I bought this for a trip to Europe because I did not want to haul around my Canon 5D with 4 lenses, or my Canon GL2 for video. I have taken many very nice, professional photos with this (which I will be posting soon (I'm new to BytePhoto). So, if you are looking for a replacement, this is my recommendation.

Gene

[ColoradoMom]

thanks!