I bought an S3 at a real discount from a company going out of business. It was a demo model and did not appear to have been used much. It works well and so far I think it was a good choice.
However, I have discovered that the lens cap does not stay on. I took it to one camera shop and they said that was normal for the S3. Mine may be a bit looser than most, (according to the clerk) but the cap does not twist or pop on, just sort of sits there and comes off easily on this model.
I can't believe that is correct. What is your experience? Does the lens cap stay on?

My husband just got an S3 a couple of weeks ago. I know he bought a lens strap that holds the lens cap to the camera.

Maybe the cap is loose because of the feature that my husband showed me:

When you push the button to turn on the camera and the lens cap is still on, it automatically comes off.

-Granny Joan

Mine is attached by a strap. But it is so loose that it just falls off if you tip the camera forward. Or it gets pushed off when I put it in the camera bag. Seems like it should stay in place better than that.
Oh well...there is always duct tape to hold it on while traveling, I guess.

my canon s1 has the same problem so must be a canon s thing.

Ditto S2. I think Granny Joan is spot on. I never trusted the cap to stay on during game drives and held it in place. You can probably find a cap of some sort that will do as a replacement, but don't tie it to the lens!

Same with the S2. But if you stick part of the little string attached to the lens cap between the cap and the lens when you cover it, it tightens the cap a bit and helps it to stay on. That's a little trick I discovered.

Same problem with mine (S2). Tom (Cary999) came up with a solution I think, but he is in Africa right now, so hopefully he will read this when he returns (2 more weeks I recall).

Well, if it isn't a Fodorite Canon Club reunion!

I put a small piece of duct tape on the cap and that kept it on.

Ok...feeling better to know I wasn't just stupid to buy a demo model.

It was missing the basic manual. Which I finally figured out after trying to read the included manual which was the advanced one. Being ADD...that went right over my head.

I was able to download the beginner manual off the internet. I can perform the basics, but have signed up for a class from a camera store.

Dennis, did you also do something with the bit of string? Or is the bond weak enough that it would pull the duct tape off the lens when the camera is turned on?

An S2 owner: In my case the floppy lens cap is a blessing because I regularly forget to take off the lens cap and then as the lens extends it just falls off.

Otherwise, any bit of tape inside the edge of the cap has been the suggested remedy.

You'll get some great pictures, enjoy your new camera.

kimburu, yes the cap came off when the lens extended. the tape held it in place the rest of the time and i did leave the string on.