135compact.com APS ultra compact cameras Canon Ixus III (Elph Z3)
The
Canon Ixus III aka Elph Z3 is a small upper mid-range to advanced zoom
camera built for APS film*(see below). So it is no 35mm
camera, the APS main format is 30.2x16.7mm, a bit bigger than half
format. APS has been released in 1996 and was discontinued in 2011.
* The APS (advanced photo system)
film is 24 mm wide and has three image formats: H for "High
Definition" (30.2 × 16.7 mm), C for "Classic" (25.1 × 16.7 mm) and P
for "Panoramic" (30.2 × 9.5 mm). The "C" and "P" formats are made by
cropping the full image which is always taken on the film. So the
formats are just a code recorded on the film. The "ix" in the camera
name stands for "information exchange", date and camera settings could be written on a magnetic area on the film. MRC stands for "mid roll change". The APS system was a very advanced photo system indeed, but digital cameras made it obsolete.
This camera was a late APS release. I chose to show this model because it's quite small,
much smaller than half format cameras, and it's a complete differnet design from the Ixus II. Its main features are:
23.5-54mm
F4.8-7.6 Canon lens, including 2 aspherical elements, autofocus with
focus lock, min. focus 0,45m (~30cm in broad daylight) Electronic shutter, 2-1/666 (max. F14.1 at 23.5mm, max. F28.1 at 54mm) Size 98x50x33.4, Weight 150 gr. without battery 25-10000
ISO, automatic coding, self-timer, automatic film advance
and spooling, time/date/settings/greetings recording possibility
Camera closed.
Camera front open. Flash guide number ~17 (m/ISO 100). The
lens only moves out a little to wide angle position. The camera switches on by sliding it open.
Lens moved out to tele position.
Camera top. Shutter release, self timer. Back. From top: Viewer and
2 indication lamps, format switch. Small LCD screen
in the middle, indicates flash mode, date, full battery, film presence,
film number. To the left: flash mode selector and mode selector. To the right: wide/tele switch. Screen light button. Right edge: battery compartment.
Takes a CR2 battery.
Camera bottom view. Film compartment opening button and mid roll rewind button. You can change film at mid roll, it will be later advanced to the first unused photo automatically. Tripod socket. Film compartment door; motorized, only opens when film
is rewound.
This
camera is very easy to use, slide it on and it's ready.
Autofocus is responsive and works well. Putting a film is easy as well,
you drop the film into the compartment and that's it. It has quite some custom
manual settings if needed. Auto
flash at start, which is the case with most ultra compacts, can be switched off.
It's
a very good point and shoot camera
with a moderate wide angle to a moderate tele lens, good picture quality, high quality
finish in a very small and light pocketable body.
