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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

S3 Canon Powershot Lens Adapter

Nothing astronomical, but for overall terrestial usage

After reading plenty on the pros and cons of the 52mm vs the 58mm lens adapters, I decided on the 58mm and associated accessories. This adapter will enable me to attach and use various filters and lenses with the normally fixed lens system of the Canon Powershot S3.

I certainly was not going to go for the Canon adapter. Being plastic and more expensive...they should be ashamed of themselves! I explored extensively the posts and Ebay, Lensmate & Camera Filters.

I went with CameraFilters.com.

The S3 without and with optional Lens Adapter

I read about the products that Lensmate offers for sale, but I just couldn't see spending almost twice the amount for the same lens adapter that CameraFilters.com had for sale at $12.00. Others who bought from each of the two had either - absolutely no problems or a slight jiggle in the bayonet mount. Same thing on the vignetting. It was running 50/50, so I took a chance with the more economical supplier. And besides, they also had the other necessary accessories that I was looking for at one stop, and this was convenient and cost effective.

I got two lens adapters to keep the polarizer and the UV filter permanently on each one. Simple on and off, and no fumbling to unscrew.

The clincher here was the fact of No Shipping charge and 10% discount on 5 or more items. I was sold.


This is what I ordered:

1. Product ID: J27
Product Name: 58mm Adapter Tube for Canon S3 IS
Attributes (if any):
Price: $12.00
Quantity: 2

2. Product ID: PLC58
Product Name: 58mm Plastic Snap-On Lens Cap
Price: $1.00
Quantity: 2

3. Product ID: CK1
Product Name: Cap Holder 1
Price: $1.00
Quantity: 1

4. Product ID: HA8
Product Name: 58mm HOYA Green Label UV Filter
Price: $6.40
Quantity: 1

5. Product ID: TF16
Product Name: 58mm Tiffen Circular Polarizer
Price: $22.51
Quantity: 1

6. Product ID: G20
Product Name: 58mm Rubber Lens Hood
Price: $2.66
Quantity: 1

Grand Total: $52.71 USC

I should be receiving my goods sometime next week, as they processed my order prior to my posting this message, and sent me a confirmation email. There was a slight discrepancy on the 10% discount, as the shopping cart screen displayed it, but the final grand total did not. A simple email was sent out, and my credit card amount was adjusted immediately.

I almost got the conversion lenses too, but I need to heat my house...

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

My Adapters and Accessories have arrived!

This Monday afternoon, I got a pleasant surprise in my mailbox. There was a USPS box sticking out and it just had to be the adapters I ordered last Friday:

Sweet!

Excellent shipping and delivery. I ordered them Friday afternoon and it got here Monday afternoon. Really, if you knock off no delivery Sunday, It took about a day!

I opened the sturdy box carefully and layed out all my cool products:

Top Row: 58mm Adapter and ring - Lens Cap - 58mm Adapter and ring
Middle row: UV Filter - Lens Cap (Backside)
Bottom Row: Lens cap Keeper - Rubber Hood (with inside thread)- Circular Polarizer

I examined each one carefully, and found nothing amiss with any. So, I started to assemble the adapters for the S3. I eagerly placed one on the S3 and took a shot. The adapters are solid metal and a nice black. As the camera its self is gun metal grey, it doesn't exactly match, but it's fine.

Here, as shown above, I was puzzled on why there is a ring that comes off the adapter. I screwed it back on the front of the adapter and proceeded to attach the UV filter on top of that. You can readily see that the addition of the 58mm adapter causes a semi-circle of shadow near the bottom of the shot when used with the flash. This was to be expected and not a bother.

I attached the rubber hood and I like what I see. It isn't too big and folds down. I should have gotten TWO...one for each adapter! Damn!...:angry: The Lens Cap keeper was simple and has a plastic end to it that hooks around the neck strap eyelets on the camera. I felt that this was too far for the string length and I attached it to the "buckle" on the neck strap itself. Works fine. (What I may do with the cap is to place a velco dot on top of the lens keeper button and "stick" it somewhere on the S3 or neck strap when shooting.)

The camera now looks "Finished". It stands proud with extended adapter and hood, ready to take on any overly priced DSLR.

I wondered if I could easily snap on the end cap while keeping the hood on. At first I fumbled to squeeze the tabs and set it in place, but with practice one just needs to angle it in and just "snap" it in securely.

There is no vignetting with filters or hood combinations at all in any and all zoom mm's.

Here it is ready for sleep, until it's beckoned to capture life's moments.

Now the negative side:

I read prior about some jiggling of non-Canon adapters while attached to the S3. One had a slight jiggle and would make a slight noise if manipulated. About the same movement as the cosmetic ring covering the bayonet base on the camera. The other adapter was quite loose. Much more so than the first. I read where just a bit of clear tape tightens everything up, and so I went to work. I put clear postal grade tape on the three tangs on the rear of the adapters that snap onto the bayonet base, and now both are very tight and secure. No jiggling or movement at all.

I'm not all that disappointed with the potential jiggling of the $12.00 adapters and can live with the initial looseness. The polarizer adjustment ring is just slightly loose on itself, but nothing to get excited about. It fits tightly onto the S3 fine. No problem at all with the UV filter.

Overall, I am quite pleased on the order from camera filters.com and finally feel "complete"!...:pleased: More on it's performance when I have a good opportunity to put all my goodies to use.

Now, this afternoon I ordered the Slave Flash trigger to use my old Sunpack multi-element bounce head Flash with it's bracket.

More on that when it arrives.

Spur was right!

Ain't the S3 quite fun!...:sidesmile1:

------------------
Addendum:

I just received this email from the USPS on my shipment:

Track & Confirm e-mail update information provided by the U.S. Postal Service.

Label Number: 0304 1070 0001 ---- ----

Service Type: DELIVERY CONFIRMATION

Shipment Activity Location Date & Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivered CHICAGO IL 60608
01/29/07 12:46pm

Arrival at Unit CHICAGO IL 60608
01/29/07 7:41am

Acceptance OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73162
01/26/07 2:54pm


Reminder: Track & Confirm by email

Date of email request: 01/29/07

================

How we got along without the internet...I'll never know.

[Leo]

I'm a big fan of the Canon S series. I have the S5. I had the S2, the S3 and now the S5. I love bug pictures and someday may get a telescope to get into that end of it. I have the Raynox DCR-250, various adapters, both the expensive Canon type and the Chinese metal ones, some of which are looser than others. I've tried the lens reversed on the front trick too, but the depth of field is too shallow to make that much fun. I've really enjoyed reading about your adventures and appreciate the tips from you and others. Keep up that sense of adventure. Oh, and vote for Ron Paul.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Leo,

I went with the camerafilters adapter because it was cheaper and I got two. With just a little tape on the tabs, they fit just fine.

I have been having the greatest time with the S3, and working on adapting it to telescopes. I'm about to obtain a T-ring and eyepiece adapter, as I have had good results from using a friends mount. (Results found in the astrophotography thread).

I am looking at getting the 2x/3x teleconverter as well...and maybe even the wide angle one as well.

Astronomy and photography is a bottomless pit of financial desires.

Thanks for your note, and share some experiences here.

[Ed Evans]

Thanks Joe, for your excellent thread on the lens adapter for the S3 IS. I'd been looking into getting one and wasn't too happy with what I'd read about the Canon offering. My order is in, and I'm looking forward to getting my adapter and UV filter soon.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Ed,

I have been very satisfied with not only the Canon Powershot S3, but all the additional accessories I have obtained for it. The lens adapters are great and one holds an eyepiece adapter that screws on without having to take off the rubber lens shield and easily take thru-the-scope- shots.

Let us know on your experience with the new accessories for your camera.

Thanks for your note.

[JJ Moreno]

Joe: Is it possible to install my Canon S3IS to a SC scope? I have no experience on astrophotography and my concern is that I can not detacht the lens fron the camera, how can I make it works? Thanks!

Jan 29, 2007 20:35:09 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

My Adapters and Accessories have arrived!

This Monday afternoon, I got a pleasant surprise in my mailbox. There was a USPS box sticking out and it just had to be the adapters I ordered last Friday:

Sweet!

Excellent shipping and delivery. I ordered them Friday afternoon and it got here Monday afternoon. Really, if you knock off no delivery Sunday, It took about a day!

I opened the sturdy box carefully and layed out all my cool products:

Top Row: 58mm Adapter and ring - Lens Cap - 58mm Adapter and ring
Middle row: UV Filter - Lens Cap (Backside)
Bottom Row: Lens cap Keeper - Rubber Hood (with inside thread)- Circular Polarizer

I examined each one carefully, and found nothing amiss with any. So, I started to assemble the adapters for the S3. I eagerly placed one on the S3 and took a shot. The adapters are solid metal and a nice black. As the camera its self is gun metal grey, it doesn't exactly match, but it's fine.

Here, as shown above, I was puzzled on why there is a ring that comes off the adapter. I screwed it back on the front of the adapter and proceeded to attach the UV filter on top of that. You can readily see that the addition of the 58mm adapter causes a semi-circle of shadow near the bottom of the shot when used with the flash. This was to be expected and not a bother.

I attached the rubber hood and I like what I see. It isn't too big and folds down. I should have gotten TWO...one for each adapter! d**n!...:angry: The Lens Cap keeper was simple and has a plastic end to it that hooks around the neck strap eyelets on the camera. I felt that this was too far for the string length and I attached it to the "buckle" on the neck strap itself. Works fine. (What I may do with the cap is to place a velco dot on top of the lens keeper button and "stick" it somewhere on the S3 or neck strap when shooting.)

The camera now looks "Finished". It stands proud with extended adapter and hood, ready to take on any overly priced DSLR.

I wondered if I could easily snap on the end cap while keeping the hood on. At first I fumbled to squeeze the tabs and set it in place, but with practice one just needs to angle it in and just "snap" it in securely.

There is no vignetting with filters or hood combinations at all in any and all zoom mm's.

Here it is ready for sleep, until it's beckoned to capture life's moments.

Now the negative side:

I read prior about some jiggling of non-Canon adapters while attached to the S3. One had a slight jiggle and would make a slight noise if manipulated. About the same movement as the cosmetic ring covering the bayonet base on the camera. The other adapter was quite loose. Much more so than the first. I read where just a bit of clear tape tightens everything up, and so I went to work. I put clear postal grade tape on the three tangs on the rear of the adapters that snap onto the bayonet base, and now both are very tight and secure. No jiggling or movement at all.

I'm not all that disappointed with the potential jiggling of the $12.00 adapters and can live with the initial looseness. The polarizer adjustment ring is just slightly loose on itself, but nothing to get excited about. It fits tightly onto the S3 fine. No problem at all with the UV filter.

Overall, I am quite pleased on the order from camera filters.com and finally feel "complete"!...:pleased: More on it's performance when I have a good opportunity to put all my goodies to use.

Now, this afternoon I ordered the Slave Flash trigger to use my old Sunpack multi-element bounce head Flash with it's bracket.

More on that when it arrives.

Spur was right!

Ain't the S3 quite fun!...:sidesmile1:

------------------
Addendum:

I just received this email from the USPS on my shipment:

Track & Confirm e-mail update information provided by the U.S. Postal Service.

Label Number: 0304 1070 0001 ---- ----

Service Type: DELIVERY CONFIRMATION

Shipment Activity Location Date & Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivered CHICAGO IL 60608
01/29/07 12:46pm

Arrival at Unit CHICAGO IL 60608
01/29/07 7:41am

Acceptance OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73162
01/26/07 2:54pm


Reminder: Track & Confirm by email

Date of email request: 01/29/07

================

How we got along without the internet...I'll never know.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

JJ,

I have had great success with my Canon Powershot S3IS taking astrophotography shots with the adapter shown - and....

...this:

A friend sent away for this from China for me as a great gift.

This T-mount adapter screws into the 58mm threads of the Canon adapter...which connects to the camera body.

The 1 1/4" eyepiece fits into the T-mount and the set screws grab onto it securely. (I added the larger thumb screws later by drilling and tapping holes. This not only allows easier manipultion with gloves on and in the dark, but with a longer screw, I am now able to use my .096 eyepices that I use for a 63.5mm finderscope. And all with great results.)

All of the astro shots taken thru the 4.5"/C5/C11 were taken using this set-up.

Here is a pic of the T-mount and adapter connected to a Mak scope...

Here is a link to a similar set-up using the T-mount and a 2" adapter:

astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=ps3&thread=1280&post=8690

The limiting factor with the S3 camera is the 15 second maximum exposure...but it does a decent job of astrophotography.