Core Dump

Considering how fast the digital camera world moves forward (in terms of technology), you might find it surprising that I – a huge technology geek – am still using my 2006-vintage Canon PowerShot S3 IS camera, even though it has been replaced by more than a few new models from Canon (at least 5 new models, by my count – and quite possibly more).

Now you might be wondering why I’m sticking with an older camera like this – but I assure you, there is a very good reason. And that reason is, basically, that Canon has not come out with a newer, “better” camera that is comparable to the venerable S3 in terms of features, price, performance, and accessories.

For example, the direct successor to the S3 is the S5, which is basically the same camera, but with 8 megapixels instead of 6, a newer image processor, and a hot shoe for attaching an auxiliary flash.

Sounds great, right? Well, yes and no. While at first glance the S5 seems like it is “better,” there is one other change that’s really annoying – the memory card slot on the S5 is on the bottom of the camera, inside the battery compartment, instead of on the side like in the S3. This means that you can’t switch memory cards easily while on a tripod, since the battery compartment is usually blocked by your tripod mount. And while this seems like a minor nit-pick, you also have to consider that the other new features of the S5 just aren’t quite compelling enough to justify buying an entirely new camera. (Remember: these cameras aren’t cheap, and they don’t have the same resale value that a full DSLR would have.)

There are more examples as well. Moving up the Canon “S” series of cameras we come to the SX10 and Sx20. Now, these are both very nice cameras, but again, they have some downsides that make it just not-quite-good-enough to justify spending a whole bunch of money on a new camera.

One aspect of the new cameras in the “S” series is that the lens speed (i.e.,largest aperture setting) has been slowly going down.  My S3 has a max aperture of  f/2.7 at the wide end, and f/3.5 at full zoom – but the SX10 and SX20 have max apertures of  f/2.8 at the wide end and f/5.7 at full zoom.

And things don’t get any better if you jump up to the next range of Canon cameras – the PowerShot G series. Oh, sure, the early G series cameras had decently fast lenses (f/2.0 at the wide end, which is impressive for what is technically still a “point and shoot” camera), but the later G series all got bumped up to f/2.8 at the wide end, which is… not as impressive.

(For those who are a little confused as to what I’m talking about with these crazy f-numbers and references to “fast” lenses, this article from Wikipedia offers a good explanation. Generally speaking, a smaller f-number means a larger aperture, which means more light can come into the camera in a given amount of time.)

And let’s not forget that I’ve invested a fair bit of change into accessories for my camera. I’ve got filters and wide-angle lens adapters, which I would prefer not to have to re-buy with a new camera. Now, while the S5 would take the same accessories, but the SX10 and SX20 would not. And as for the G series, well, some of them support my accessories (mostly the earlier models) but some do not.

And I’m still not done – because some of the models above have the nice swivel-screen that is so handy to have, but others don’t. And some have the same electronic viewfinder, but others have a rather simple see-through preview hole, which does not actually show you what your picture will look like (instead, you have to use the full-sized screen).

I also am rather particular in my camera using regular AA-size batteries, so that I can find replacements easily in the field if I need to. Also, I can carry extra spares easily and charge them all using standard battery chargers, instead of needing special manufacturer-specific chargers.

So, as you can see, while there are many newer cameras to choose from, none offers the same excellent mix of features and accessories as my venerable old S3:

• Swivel screen
• Side-accessible memory card slot (not in the battery compartment)
• Uses standard AA batteries
• Accessories via a 58 mm mount on an adapter tube
• Viewfinder that shows a full view of what the sensor sees (it’s electronic, not optical, but it’s still handy)
• Good optical zoom range (12x)
• Decent lens speed (f/2.7 – f/3.5)

For sure, newer cameras offer some of the same features (along with other benefits from being newer & using better technology), but none of them offers the same blend of features. And none of the benefits of the new cameras is, as of yet, compelling enough to make me spend several hundred dollars on a new camera, when my old one does just fine, thank you, and has all these features that I like, and won’t require me to re-purchase all new accessories.

Maybe someday Canon will come out with a new camera that offers the same features as the PowerShot S3, but with upgraded technology (hint hint, Canon!), then maybe I’ll consider upgrading. But until that day comes, I’m sticking with my trusty little S3.

Photos licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 license. Photo credits: HendrixEesti, Yug and Rama. (Click on the photos themselves for further details.)

So I picked up a new toy attachment for my camera today – a Canon WC-DC58A wide-angle lens adapter.

I had wanted one of these for a while – I always feel like my indoor photos don’t quite capture the “scope” of some of the places I’ve been.

So, when the opportunity arose, I picked one up. If you do a little searching, you’ll find that these adapters aren’t cheap – they range from $150-$175, depending on where you go. And that price shows in the packaging – the lens comes in its own protective bag, with a cover for both the front and back of the lens. It’s also quite heavy – but then again, there is quite a bit of glass in this little lens!

This fun little device screws onto the front of the Canon LA-DC58E Conversion Lens Adapter, which itself snaps onto the accessory ring around the front of the Canon Powershot S2, S3, and possibly other S-series models’ main lens. And I have to say, it looks quite impressive there!

Though, the weight of the lens makes me worried, since the conversion tube is plastic after all… but I think as long as you’re not unnecessarily rough with it, it’ll be fine.

Of course, the most important aspect of the lens is not how it looks, but how it performs! So, I had to try it out.

Fortunately, I have a very useful test subject right here – my home office. My office is quite small & narrow, so it’s a perfect place to try out some wide-angle action.

Here’s a reference shot of my office, standing in the doorway to the rest of the house:

With just the stock lens, you can’t really see much of my office at all – the view is just too narrow.

Now, here’s a picture from the exact same position, but using my new wide-angle lens adapter:

As you can see, you can… well, see a lot more of my office (except for the floor, which is dark, because the light in my office is terrible).

In the first picture, you can only just see the very edge of my computer’s monitor, while in the wide-angle shot, you can see the whole monitor (and a little bit beyond). Also, you can see the bookcase on the left-hand side, which really helps show how narrow/cramped/small my office is – something that’s lacking from the first picture (where you might think the office is much bigger, and you’re just seeing a corner of it).

There is a very slight amount of distortion around the edges of the photo, but I had to look for it, because I didn’t see it at first.

All-in-all, I’m quite pleased with the results – and I can’t wait to give it it a try someplace more exciting than my home office!

I recently went on a photo shoot with some friends up to Franconia Notch in New Hampshire’s White Mountain region. While I did come back with some very nice photos (see my Flickr album if you’re interested), I may have gone a bit overboard with trying to be “artistic.”

Or maybe not… I do rather like the effect, and we all know I love seeing my name in print, so maybe it’s not that bad.

Still, I’m just glad I was able to get that effect I’d been going after so well!

I couldn’t help but notice the other night that the full moon was out – and it was really, really bright. So bright, in fact, that I decided I could hand-hold some photos of the moon!

In retrospect, I probably still should’ve used a tripod – after all, I was taking these photos at maximum (12x) zoom. Still, the moon was SO bright that I was able to take them with a relatively fast shutter speed.

They didn’t come out too bad; although they aren’t very interesting – there was nothing near the moon for a background or foreground or whatever.

Still, I’m pleased with the way they came out.

This last one is a shot of the moon without any zoom. It’s really amazing how small the moon is – or, to put it another way, how large it seems to our easily-tricked eyes!

I spent some time the other day with my telescope and the half-moon, but didn’t get any photos – although the view was spectacular. Once I figure out how to use my camera with the scope, perhaps I’ll have something I can share here. Until then, this is the best I can give!

The latest addition to my camera gear collection has finally arrived – a circular polarizing filter! Yay!

And here it is, in all its glory.

Almost makes my little (well, medium-sized) camera look like one of those big honkin’ DSLR cameras! Maybe now I can get the “big lens” effect – where people just “assume” you’re important if you have a big camera and lens (the same way people don’t question you in certain situations if you’re carrying a clipboard – you can imagine several others).

Here it is – a 58mm circular polarizer, mounted to the end of my Canon Conversion Lens Adapter.

I knew from the beginning that my Canon PowerShot S3 IS had the ability to add accessories like this via the adapter, and that was one of the main reasons I bought it instead of a “real” DSLR (the other reason was price – at the time, there was still a big difference between the S3 and the lowest-end DSLR). Now, I know it’s always going to be a compromise with this camera – after all, I can’t actually change the lens itself; I can only “add on” to it – but hey, we all gotta make some compromises, right? (Unless you’re rich and have an unlimited budge for photography, in which case why are you here?)

I must say, I’m looking forward to trying it out! I especially can’t wait to try it on water… or, since it’s winter, some nice snow shots. Should be fun!!