S3 accessories

[coltsfan18]

I just bought my Canon S3 and need to get a memory card and battery charger.

Which type works best with the S3? I know it supports a SDHC, but does it matter that much if I get a SD or a SDHC?

And which battery and charger will last the longest?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[piedownjoe]

Hey there.

I have a Canon S3. Your best bet for batteries is NiMH with 2500mAh rechargeable batteries. If you see anything higher than 2500mAh, don't do it. Half the time, these batteries are a joke. I swear by Digital Concepts NiMH batteries. They're cheap but very good and reliable (some may argue here, though). Search Amazon for them. You can also find them at OfficeMax or Best Buy. The Best Buy stores over here actually recommend the Digital Concepts brand when buying a new camera.

As far as storage, that depends on your needs. If you plan on taking hundreds of pictures in one setting or over a vacation period, you'll need at least a 2GB SD card. If you plan on recording movies or using burst shooting, it's highly recommended (not required, though) to use a high speed SD card that's at least 4 GB. If you're just going to do some basic photos and not a whole lot more, I wouldn't recommend dishing out more money for high speed capability.

Remember for movies at the highest quality setting, the camera will only allow you to take 8 minutes at a time. An 8 minute movie is already one GB, so if you get a 2 GB card, then record an 8 minute movie, you will have used half the card.

Hope this helps. Have fun with your S3!

Brian

[David Metsky]

I have a Canon S3. Your best bet for batteries is NiMH with 2500mAh rechargeable batteries. If you see anything higher than 2500mAh, don't do it. Half the time, these batteries are a joke.
I disagree. There's no reason to avoid 2700 or 2800 mAh batteries from a reasonable brand. They work fine and will last longer.

Brands of memory cards don't really matter much, IMO. I buy whatever is second cheapest (I don't like the lowest bidder) from places like NewEgg.com. SD or SDHC doesn't matter, but I'd avoid 4G SD cards as that is the ragged edge of the SD standard. If you are going 4G then go for SDHC. For SD 60x is fine. For SDHC you want class 4.

[jckm2000]

Hi,
I have a Toshiba 8gb SDHC class 4 running fine in mine and use a Uniross 1 hour charger and 2500/2700mah ni-MH batteries........

Cheers,

Jon.

[garbagio]

I'm sold on the Sanyo Eneloop hybrid batteries.

I have a set of Energizer 2500mAh batteries that lose all their charge while sitting dormant in the camera after about 5 days. I will admit that it's possible I may have messed them up by using an old Sony charger that wasn't meant for this type of battery, so it's probably not a completely fair comparison, but I've read similar complaints about poor shelf life. When freshly charged, the Energizers work fine and let you take a lot of shots.

The Sanyo Eneloops are rated at 2000mAh, but retain their charge as well as an alkaline battery! I've left them alone for several weeks and they're still fully charged when I go to use them.

[TheMayer78]

Please don't laugh me out of this thread because THIS IS NOT BULL$HIT, I just got an S5is and I have a drawer full of Energizer 2500mAh NiMH rechargeable batts that I use in my RC Helicopter transmitters and I got 639 shots out of my first run with them. ALTHOUGH I do admit they were fresh out of the charger. I will set 4 of them (fully charged) aside for 1 month and try them. See you next month!

TheMayer

[TheMayer78]

Also, I'm having trouble finding the perfect case that will accommodate my S5 with a conversion adapter. Everything I have seen is either the perfect size for the S5 without the adapter, or WAY too big. I bought the adapter primarily for protection so I intend to leave it on all the time, hence my bag requirements. I also feel strongly that when the cam is in the bag I want it to sit bottom down, I don't like the idea of a top loading bag. Any suggestions?

[piedownjoe]

Not surprising. Energizer 2500 mAh are excellent batteries.

[TheMayer78]

FOUND A CASE!!! It slightly too big for the S5, but it will fill out nicely when I get a few more accessories. It is actually a canon bag too, which is cool. It is the Canon 100EG, I saw it at Target for $49, when I got home I found it online at Dell.com for $19.99 with free shipping! What a deal!

TheMayer

[canon_A620]

Batteries:

Powerex 2700 mAh AA - These are hands down the best NiMH cells I've owned. Capacities over 2700 mAh and very low self-discharge.

Sanyo Eneloop AA - As a backup or use when the camera isn't being used frequently.

Case:

Tamrac 5696 - for use with Lens adapter.

[Gator]

Case:

Tamrac 5696 - for use with Lens adapter.
Looks small to me...does the camera fit in the case with the adapter still attached to the camera?

[canon_A620]

Looks small to me...does the camera fit in the case with the adapter still attached to the camera?It will fit with one lens snugly, there isn't room for 2 lenses. I have another case that I use when I'm taking the Wide Angle and telephoto lenses.