Digital-Camera Reviews

I bought this camera a year ago as an upgrade from the P70 because I wanted something with manual focus and a higher resolution. I've been extremely satisfied with the picture quality, although a slightly faster lens would have made taking indoor pictures easier without the flash. The image quality is astounding; everyone around me is amazed at what this camera can produce. 5MP is plenty for producing decently-sized prints.

The camera works well with every computer I've plugged it into on a range of operating systems (Mac OS 8-X, Windows 98-XP,RedHat Linux 7.x) and shows up as a mounted filesystem that I can easily drag a drop to/from. I don't use the included software to edit images, preferring ImageMagick for quick edits or photoshop for more complicated work.

I would certainly reccomend this camera for anyone looking for capability beyond the basic point-and-shoot models. The manual focus and exposure settings are simple and relatively intuitive, and more complicated things like white balancing are properly available.

I would reccomend this camera for anyone looking for a digital camera, but still wanting to retain some of the flexibility of a SLR film camera.

Frankly, this IS an investment...you spending $1000+ for this camera plus some needed accessories. Few people will ever shoot 5 Mega Pixels (MP) shots every time, but serious (and serious amateur) photographers will certainly appreciate being able to produce stunning detail when the need arises. Look at images shot on your friends' 2 or 3 MP cameras...this level of quality is amazing...but you WILL want to exceed this occasionally, and (...) is the price you pay to get the technology NOW. A 5 MP head shot will allow you to EASILY discern individual hairs on life-size prints (as in 11x14)...it's truely amazing.

I looked at the Minolta Dimage 7...the auto focus zooms past the subject and back...it seems irritatiingly "loose", for lack of a better term. The Sony is a bit crisper in it's approach to auto focus, though not perfect.

Low-light shots are a challenge, but the viewfinder does have a tremendous amount of information available, including exposure "F" stops, shutter speed, low light warnings, etc. The true genius is that you can essentially operate the camera in a manual mode, quickly overriding the meter to compensate for the light in any situation...backlight, contrasty light, reflections, etc.

If you ever used a 35mm in manual in the old days (when you really had to KNOW photography), you'll love the control available. And younger photographers will find a whole new world in being able to make this camera do what most digitals will still not do...take the unusual shot.

The camera is well balanced, and rather sturdy. You will get used to the shooting position...give it time. My biggest complaint is that the zoom selection switch operates "backwards" to my taste. Intuitively, I want to zoom "in" pressing the "out" button (!)...

You have an adequate built-in pop-up flash...PLUS a PC connection for external flash AND a flash shoe! Slavery, anyone?

The memory stick is a bit of a hassle, but extremely convenient once you get over the struggle. Buy a small USB reader to use at work or home...I use the "Zio". And buy the 128 MB memory stick...nothing smaller.

There were early problems with "White Balance", as recently as Nov 01. Current cameras should be shipping with the factory fix, but Sony, to it's shame, STILL has no information on it's website detailing same, even though it required early owners to send the camera for a "free" repair. Not exactly good thinking for a $1000 camera.

The images are good, but I do have to compensate a bit in low-light. Based on shooting several thousand "test" shots with another camera, I'm happy with this one. It does the job and can satisfy both consumer and professional. Note that I do not plan to replace this camera for several years. Why? Because printer technology has not caught up to the resolution of the camera (at least for the home user) and no one really needs much more in a camera. Five Mega Pixels will generate a poster-size image with very nice quality...you won't be doing it often, but you'll be glad you did when you do.

I like it, and I shopped hard to ensure the most features with the best price. As with all electronics, find a cheap extended warranty. (...) . Cameras DO break.

Shop carefully for a CASE to put it in...the unique shape requires some thinking. I have 3. One for everything including cords and cables, one for the camera plus memory sticks, and a Sony brand "ever-ready" case. Depends on how long you're out and how fast you want to access the camera..at what level of protection. Think.

You'll want an extra battery. Perhaps a travel charger, otherwise you charge the battery by plugging the CAMERA in the wall (!)...thanks Sony. :-(

Buy a UV filter (58mm) to protect the lens.

This camera is expensive, and generally reliable - it's a Sony. Many features I have not detailed, and it has a superb 10x OPTICAL zoom (and a 2x digital). If you are thinking digital and want to not have to trade-up for a while, I suggest the Sony DSC-F707. If you love photography, do not buy a smaller CCD chip than 5 MP...even if you buy another brand. But I certainly recommend the Sony DSC-F707 camera for people to whom the image is important.

This is my first camera i ever purchased. It's great! I haven't had any complaints. It shoots great pics, the zoom is phenomenal, and the features are great. Its a quality camera

This camera case is constructed with good quality. The belt clip is quite handy. The small size gives you the option to slip the whole thing into the pocket. A reviewer suggested that the soft leather may not provide enough protection, but I think this camera case is a good compromise between size and protection. Really on a daily basis, the most fragile part of the camera is the LCD screen. This camera case would be sufficient to prevent scratches. There isn't a whole lot of reason to get a bulkier case and sacrifice the option to slip it into the pocket.

The fit for my S400 camera was too tight in the beginning, and it took some effort to get the camera out of the case. However, the leather stretched to fit the camera after a week or so. Now the fit is perfect.

What I don't particularly care for is the large, gold logo "Canon Elph" which I'm afraid invites undesirable attention.

If you have a Canon Digital Elph you need to get this case.

..............it can be easily and safely removed using a cloth dampened with either carbon tetrachloride or benzene. Rub it gently and it comes right off leaving the leather unmarked and undamaged. This is the perfect case for the ELPH series of Canon digicams from the S100 right up through the S400. I have had one for about 3 years now and they are hard to get! They were originally made for the Canon ELPH Jr. APS camera but stretch out just enough for the ELPH Sdigitals. If anyone knows where they are available (currently unavailable here on amazon.com) please let me know at prudhocjATolypenDAWTcom! I would like another one.

well.. the reason i have opted to buy a canon elph S410 over other cameras is the quality of pictures i get and its compactness. but once after buying this camera, i was looking for a case which can hold it perfectly and a compact one like my camera. apart from its compactness, there are some additional features like belt clip and a hole on the top of the case for the strap of the camera.. i think its the best design u can get for an elph model..

the quality of the case is very good.. smooth finishing and very light weight.. good deal for just $11.9..

i will strongly suggest this case for those carring elph cameras..

This camera is a joy to use. It has a solid feel to it, with the grip housing the CF card and 4AA batteries - the weight is just right for casual shooting (common CCDs take longer exposure time than regular films, so jittering is an issue with smaller cameras).

The camera looks well built, and has a mature, understated, and attractive design to it. (Everything on it has a purpose, like a dot near the flash to prevent flash from being covered by a finger; even the bezel around the zoom lens, which screws off to reveal a lens adapter socket!) None of the components (especially the battery/CF compartment) looks or feels flimsy - all the switches operate smoothly. The case has no jagged edges and sensible rectangular shape, so it'll fit in your pocket confortably. LCD is bright, colorful, and large enough. Viewfinder is, well, useable, but you won't be using this unless you want to save battery.

Zooming is a little slow, but this is not an issue with this price tag.

It is very robust. AA NiMH rechargeables, while not included, are cheap, reliable, long-lasting, and very easy to replace (you can just have a set of cheap alkaline battery as a spare). Don't get Ni-Cd - it's useless.

I've dropped the camera once already, but to my amazement, everything works perfectly.

Picture quality is great. It is more than adequate for most of the purposes - and it is great to experiment on shots before you commit to shooting with film. This will allow me to refine my composition skills. I do recommend getting 128MB CF card ($40-50 nowadays), which will definitely last you a good day or two, with 177 to1417 (high to low resolution) shots!

The camera has a lot of very useful functions, such as slow-synchro, timer, color-balance (very good compensation for fluorescent and tungsten light), image rotation, etc., etc. Stich-assist and included software is wonderful, as you can recreate the panoramic scene when viewed by QuicktimeVR. It sounds like a toy, but I'm certain you will be impressed by the effect it has on you.

Both PC and Macs are supported, and Mac software is decent. I have no complaints. It'll be perfect if you already own Photoshop and/or ImageConverter (the latter being absolutely a top-notch batch image-conversion shareware).

If I had any complaint, it is the warm-up time: You need to hold the power button for fully 3-4 seconds until the camera is turned on and ready to shoot. I'd trade lens zoom (which is not impressive anyway) with a faster startup - it'll be even more useful that way. Also, a way to set up timer length would have been easy to implement without additional cost (or a remote via USB, but that's ok)

Canon really meant the A10 to be a lean, versatile, mature product - it has all the functions a non-professional user can ask for, coupled with a well-thought out layout and a solid construction. Smart thing is that A10 and A20's accessories are compatible - I'm thinking of getting the wide-angle lens adapter, water-proof casing, and dye-sub printer. This thing *will* adapt to your lifestyle and won't cramp you with proprietary components and gimmicks (unlike A20's mostly useless TV output)!

After spending a bucket of money on my 35mm camera for development, I decided to bite the bullet and go digital. We have a number of digital cameras in our department including an Olympus 3MegaPixel and an Agfa 1.2MegaPixel. When using images for high quality printing the 3MPix was great, but the 1.2MPix produced wonderful screen images, more than adequate for web page and small printed sections (@300dpi you get 4"x3"). I wasn't going to be printing pics so I considered 1.2MPix enough for me.

Looking around at the various reviews it was obvious that Canon had put a lot of work into image compression speed, data transfer rate, and battery life. Combined with Canon's excellent quality optics ... well, this is the one I had to have.

I rushed out and bought a 256Meg compact flash card, for the long tours I occasionally do. I've taken 550 images in the first two weeks and I'm on the second set of batteries, the camera reports it can hold another 150 more! I could double that if I increased the image compression to "normal" mode. The image quality is just wonderful ~ 1280x960, bigger than my screen.

Only gripe is the view finder that you look through has a hard time showing the boundaries of the image, just a matter of getting used to it. Sure, I could use the LCD display to take the image (and I do on some close ups) but it drains batteries. Doing a wide mix of display use and flash, the supplied alkaline batteries lasted 260 shots ~ way beyond the Olympus and Agfa achieved.

And with zero development cost, I've done heaps of photographic experimenting that I would never have even considered with a 35mm just because of the cost of film and development.

So, YES, I highly recommend this camera. Also get some NiMH batteries and a charger, a dinky camera bag, and a big compact flash card (maybe 256Meg was a bit too much, 64Meg or 128Meg would have done the job nicely).

I purchased the A10 last November to take to Saint Augustine for our anniversary. This camera is a joy to use. Simple to learn features, great pictures, Canon got it right with this baby. One word of caution: batteries, place them in correctly, or you may have a fire as I a previous reviewer had.
You won't regret the Canon A10.

I was, and still am very impressed with the Epson 3100Z. I am adding this to my original review as a cautionary note. It seems all digital cameras suffer from the same inherent problem: difficulty in getting the white balance correct- some of them have more accurate white balance than others. Why is this important?- If the white balance is not correct, all colors in the photo are "off". I took a lot more samples - the Epson 3100Z against the Nikon coolpix 990, and the Nikon was better in this area- often, the white balance setting on the Epson 3100Z was close, but not correct. Manual white balance on the Epson works well, but is a hassle to constantly set- just be aware this is a potential problem. It still does not change my original reveiw- I am keeping the Epson as my camera of choice- it has so many user-freindly features over the Nikon, it is a no-brainer. The Epson is much easier to use in every day situations. And the Epson has a hot shoe for flash, which I believe all digital cameras seem to need- I had given up taking pictures with the Nikon built in flash- too weak. Hope this helps!

(4 1/2 stars)

This camera (huh ... Epson makes a camera?) is probably the best bang for the buck in sub-$800 digital camera market. This 3.3 megapixel camera combines the best features of a heavy duty SLR camera with all the manual trimmings as well as decent automatic settings and bonus features that many cameras leave out. Some of the standouts for me are:

--47mm lens adapter for adding additional professional macro/telephoto/wide angle lenses and filters

--lots of manual capabilities (like the up to 8s shutter speed for night or even astrophotography ... something I'd love to do)

--Panorama shots - wide angle and 360 degree shots can be created by stitching together several shots. This camera provides a way to help align successive shots right in the LCD viewfinder as you're taking the pictures.

--Continuous shot mode for action sequences

--Interval mode - allows you to take shots at fixed intervals ranging from 1 second to 24 hours. The camera automatically turns itself off and on between shots to conserve power.

--10 second timer

--25 seconds of video. Always a nice feature that most digital cameras have, since we can't always lug a camcorder and camera everywhere we go. The quality is reasonable 320x200 (approximately that of VHS tape).

--Audio annotation. You can annotate your pictures with audio snippets (up to 10 seconds) using the built-in microphone.

--External flash hot shoe adapter (like professional 35mm cameras) as well as a built-in flash

--Uses standard AA batteries. Definitely get yourself a set of NiMH rechargables however.

There's plenty more, including a print matching feature. Oh yes, and the clarity and colors of the pictures are stunning.

The 3100Z is by no means a pocket camera, but I actually prefer the heaviness of it -- it allows for a steadier hand. I'm only an amateur, but I'm loving every minute with this camera, and it only makes we want to learn more and experiment with the manual settings. And, hey, it's digital, so click away to your heart's content.

This is truly a wonderful little camera.
I do a lot of web design where I aquire all my own images as well as family photos and other such nonsense. This camera offers excellent manual control and also delivers great results using the fully automatic features. Do yourself a favor and use an Epson Photo printer for the best printing results, and get familiar with an image editor like photoshop and the sky is the limit. Appearently the product has been discontinued and I am having a hard time finding optical accessories for it. Awesome!

I'm a schoolteacher, and I'm no stranger to homework. I've agonized for almost a year on this. Being a manual SLR enthusiast for more years than I care to remember, going digital was a big decision. After taking Seattle vacation images on an entry level digicam, I was hooked.

I pestered camera shop owners, scanned the Web, magnified film, 3.3 digital and 2.1 digital images in 8x10 format. I finally decided on my first choice, the Olympus C-2100. My decision was partially based on magazine articles stating that this model was used by some medium-format professionals as their "test" camera. While I agree that 3.3 might make a better 11x14, I found no difference at the "atomic" level between 3.3 & 2.1 mp for an 8x10 printed photo, which is the largest I ever print. If I should ever want larger, I'll use my Pentax SLR. Photography is my passion, not my profession.

About the camera. Let me point out the negative: The 8mb card. Don't use it. It's almost funny. If you're going digital, expect some expense. Get the 64 or 128.

So much for the bad. That's it.

As I anticipated, I am ecstatic. I have found n-o-t-h-i-n-g that matches this 10x aspherical lens with IMAGE STABILIZATION at this price! I've tried taking bad shots, but it's not easy...this machine only wants to do right! And that's just the programmed mode. You just have to try the aperture-preferred, shutter-preferred, scene program, and MANUAL. If that's not enough, you will play with the sepia and black and white modes for nostalgia! At the price I paid, which is hundreds less than a year ago, it might be my last toy...

Armed with the included 1600 rated rechargeables, I took loads of photos in the back yard, Waikiki, flower farms, and scenics. Dumped unwanted images, took more, gave up counting, downloaded, and the original batteries are STILL going! If you use alkalines, this machine will drain them like a vampire; fifteen photos and they are deceased.

It may not be the norm, but the shot-to-write time ratio for the Smartmedia card appears to be much shorter with the 2.1 mp CCD, which may be why energy could be distributed more efficiently to the image stabilization feature. USB cable and provided Camedia software are excellent; Adobe Photodeluxe even fixed "b-a-d" images.

This camera caters to SLR lovers. If you want tiny, and if you want one to put in your pocket or purse, look to the C-700 instead, if you still want 10x zoom. It just doesn't have image stabilization. The C-2100 cradles readily into the hands like an SLR, but without the tonnage. Olympus even positioned the strap so it would counterbalance the feature item: The massive lens barrel housing. That way, the lens doesn't droop down looking at your feet. I've taken about twenty night shots, available artificial light, NO TRIPOD (even though I usually use one). Sharp, facial-stubble clarity, stunning color quality.

If you don't have one, you might invest in a CD burner and CD RW's for all the pictures you'll take. This baby is THAT good.

I recently purchased the Olympus 2100 camera after considering many alternatives. Here is what I like: Image stabilization and an all-glass 10X optical zoom means that the 2.1 meg pictures usually look better than any 3 meg camera. Great vide clip ability with sound that remains sychronized with the action. [A] Rebate if you buy Olympus accessories. Menu and controls are very easy to use - spend 1/2 hour with the manual and you'll be ready to go. Great battery life - I've shot about 100 pictures and a dozen video clips using the LCD display and I'm still on my original charge. This camera has the option of continuous focus - I usually lock the focus (1/2 press of shutter) at athletic events and then take the picture when the action happens. I had been concerned about slow response times of digital cameras (vs. traditional), but this camera works great in capturing the action when I want. Overall, I'm very happy with this camera. My only complaint is that the camera body is silver (instead of black). Other than that, it has completely exceeded my expectations. Buy a card, a reader, and another set of batteries and you're all set!

Simply the best and most fun camera to use....from Pro to amature....you won't be disappointed. I have owned mine for over 3 years now without any problems and paid over $900.00 for it new then. It is worth every dollar!

Great electronic LCD viewfinder!

Acts and feels like a true SLR 35mm, but takes GREAT...GREAT...Digital pictures.

Fast and easy adjustments from f-stop to speed, lighting, everything!

The best lens I have ever seen on a Digital Camera....has Sony beat hands down! The 10x is remarkable....I will never own another camera without 10x optical....ever!

I will use this camera till it dies, and I have owned Nikon SLR (FE, FE2, etc.) in the past....the ease of operation and output blows them away! Even at 2.1 Mp, the images are sharp and color is right-on!

If you can find one of these....buy it....you won't be sorry! It's worth 10 stars!!! I hope Olympus makes another just like it (same shape and not that square-instamatic-look)with higher MP in the future!

Dear all,

After a week of diagnostic and test-out the new Fujifilm FinePix S7000,
it has big improvement from the S602Z with so many cool features.
It worths the upgrade.

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

Pros of S7000 :

00. 6 mega pixel effective 4G Super CCD.
01. Battery life increases.
02. Faster handling and performance.
03. Better AutoFocus in dark area.
04. Better buffer handling on saving pictures.
05. Power management and stand-by mode.
06. F button switching to photo mode.
07. DROF and Exif compliant.
08. USB 2.0 support.
09. Cable Shutter release support.
10. Simplified Chinese as language for operation menu.
11. Color is more detail. - in landscape for both near and far objects, 4G SuperCCD do a better job.
12. Multiple Exposure mode.
13. CCD-RAW Mode support (12 megabyte), recommended 6 MP Native mode JPEG (1.7 megabyte).
14. Super pixel detail in 12 MP Fine mode JPEG with firmware sharpening.
15. 640x480 vivid VGA movie mode that record AVI until memory card full.
16. Proudly made in Tokyo Japan/Fujifilm.
==============================================

Cons of S7000 :

00. Over-agressive decompression on 12 MP Normal mode, created noise.
01. RAW conversion software is a plugin to finepix viewer, instead of a standalone application.
02. RAF format is proprietary for s7000 with its own header, not compatible with Fuji S2 Pro.
03. Lack 24bit Tiff format in firmware storage format.
04. F button can be confusing, needs to be accustomed to.
05. Low light operation is still not perfect, but improved from S602Z.
06. Need the new F700 "Green Light" assisted AF illuminator.
07. Would be nice to have a REAL optic image view finder.
08. Missing ISO 1600 for Manual mode, or 1 mega byte Auto mode
09. Software provided does not have nice menu, everything is in HELP directory in HTML format.
10. Need the S2Pro Hyper Utility EX or similar to ship with S7000 that can be standalone
and adjust all the image properties BEFORE converting.
11. Does support FAT32, meaning 2GB CFII is the maximum size supported.

I already send all my concerns to Fuji support, if you have similar concern feel free to voice them
to fuji since fuji is not a company not listening as my experience.

I recommend this Proconsumer Digital Camera which has a nice-grab, sturdy body, super fast startup+performance,
and professional features to all Digital Camera lovers, and it will serve you well,
and take photo that match the professional level camera with price 1k to 2k.

Please start this discussion group so all owners of s7000 can discuss about this camera here,
always thanks DAVE for his site and providing a space for us here.

PS : I already get the command line set of tools to perfectly
convert S7000 CCD-RAW format with higher resolution...

I had the chance to tinker with this camera and had it set to 12MP, Fine, and soft sharpness as suggested by one reviewer here. Started taking pictures mostly outside without the flash. I was so delighted with the shots that I had them developed at a local Kodak processing center. 5 A4 sizes and the rest in 6X4s. This is a native 6MP camera but the shots taken at 12 MP can rival a 9 or 10MP camera without paying extra. The printed photos were just amazingly clean of noise and artifacts.

I suggest getting a circular polarizer with it because it just brings out more vibrant color to your outdoor shots.

I am so thrilled with the performance that I have started buying accessories for it to really take advantage of all its features.

The accessories I bought are
1. Adapter ring (I suggest getting 55-55 not the suggested 55-52)I bought mine from cameragear.com because it is not availble from any stores in amazon.
2. Tiffen deluxe filter set (FL-D, Neutral Density, Warming Filter)
3. Tiffen circular polarizer
4. Vivitar 285HV Professional Flash (this one is highly recommended from pro to amateur users because of its price and features)I got mine from amazon as well.

All this accessories only cost me U$ 160.00 but it really brought out the best from the S7000.

For the price and feature set, nothing comes close to the s7000. It is the new king of prosumer digicams at the moment.

Go for it. I purchased 3 weeks back, taken 1200 snaps. Most of them superb. I am no expert ( used a 1.3 mp for some time), but I am sure, I will grow with this one. The Auto mode is decent. Even 3 MP pics in Auto are excellent unless u r looking for massive prints. Macro/Close Up mode is grrreat! Hope this works ok, and then I will really have a nice time.
The Good News : Any Novice can easily use it and churn out great photos.

However, get at least 256 Mb if not 256 in both slots. Forget Movie Mode, though it is clear, takes too much memory. Contrary to Review, the Battery lasts long enough. Get a rechargable in course of time. Also, think of a Bag to carry it around. It is quite big, bigger than my Sony TRV 19 MINIDV.

Worry : Why are prices falling fast ? I got for 590 less 100 mail in fr Fuji ( yet to get rebate).Now rebate is gone, but Amazon sells for 499. Buydig gives for below 450!!! What is Fuji upto?

As an user, I have to give it 5 Star. Its good, budd. Happy times!!!

I started looking at digital cameras when I got interested in posting pictures on the web or sending them via e-mail to family members in other states. There are both cheaper cameras and cameras with greater resolution avaiable, but for flexibility, ease of use, and convenience nothing tops the Sony Mavica series. I bought the MVC-D88 because it had a range of resolutions (from 640 x 480 to 1,280 x 960), supported a number of file formats including MPEG short film files, had a number of special effects options and a good zoom feature (8x optical and 16x digital zoom). I have never reqretted the buy. The camera feels good to hold, the LCD menu options are clear and intuitive, it is easy to focus and creates excellent images even under very low light conditions. The great thing, of course, is what made me want one in the first place - the Sony Mavica is the only digital camera on the market that writes directly to a floppy disk. The flexibility that gives one to be independent of a particualr computer with special cables and software for uploading images is alone worth the extra that one pays.

There are a couple of limitations that should be pointed out. The built in flash has no red eye reduction, so a disproportionate number of flash portraits have some red eye reflection that must be corrected with software editing. Also, there is no optical viewfinder and one must frame the picture using the 2.5 inch LCD color monitor on the back of the camera. This is easy to use indoors, but in any direct sunlight it becomes very difficult to see, so I have found myself reshooting a lot of outdoor images to get them framed correctly.

Still, those are small disadvantages compared to everything that Sony has done right with this camera. I highly recommend the Mavica to anyone interested in digital photography primarily for email or internet purposes. A great product.

What an AWESOME camera -- I can't say enough good about this camera. It is so user friendly that we purchased it for my 70+ year old parents for Christmas, and they are already using it to sell things at online auction sites. Resolution is EXCELLENT, ease of use is exceptional, and you cannot beat the convenience of just popping a disk into your computer and pulling up the images -- WHY would anyone waste their time (and more importantly their money) on those digital cameras with dumb "smart cards" that require cabling into your computer and all kinds of fancy software. The Sony comes with respectable software, but I HIGHLY recommend purchasing PICTURE IT software -- it is ideal for use with this camera. If I had one criticism it would be about storage space - the floppies don't hold as many pictures as I'd like, but it's really not a big issue unless you're going out somewhere with the intention of taking a lot of pictures and plowing through them later (in which case you just need to take some spare floppies with you). Truly a camera you will buy and be enjoying immediately.

The MVC-FD88 is the best camera I've ever used. We've now left behind our old 35mm camera in favor of using this exclusively. The camera takes excellent, very high quality pictures, indistinguishable from a good quality 35mm. Resolution is excellent, pictures taken both in low light and bright light show good color results. Used with Microsoft's Picture It software, this is a top line camera. On our recent trip, we took over 300 pictures using this camera. I've never gotten such a high percentage of shots that were excellent before.

Some important points: Use of the floppies for storage is perfect. We took twice as many as we expected to use on an overseas trip recently and began to run out. No problem, the nearest computer store had plenty at reasonable prices. The original battery life isn't really sufficient for the heavy user, purchase of the newer longer life battery is a big boost. A UV filter is also a boost just like with a standard 35mm, particularly on very bright days. The LCD is sometimes hard to see in very bright light, a viewfinder for those occasions would help. (However, I find I get better composition with the LCD in general since I can see greater detail.) Storage time on the camera can be somewhat slow when using poor quality floppies. It's worth investing in slightly more expensive, higher quality floppies to ensure the 2 sec recording time.

Overall, a definite 5 star camera.

I've been using this product for several months now, and I am very happy with it. To summarize its qualities:
1. high resolution
2. rich in features
3. reasonable easiness of use; pretty intuitive.
4. it doesn't require proprietary & dedicated external flash, a general good-brand external flash would do it as well.

The downsizes:
1. the flash that comes with the camera is a toy; you need to buy an extra one (which adds some $$$ to the cost - for a good flash).
2. Fuji doesn't provide a good fully-automatic flash for the camera. As mentioned above, there are very good manual flashes available are reasonable prices, but thus say bye-bye to the auto modes.
3. no remote. For taking the picture from a tripod, this may be annoying.
4. the depth of field is not very versatile - the camera is quite limiting in the respect of aperture.
5. the zoom is good, but not stellar. For a camera of this performance, a better zoom/aperture control would have made it of real 5 stars.

Overall, good stuff for the money.

Okay okay ... You can get this from several Z-shops sellers, starting at $438 (as of 12-26-03). There are some small errors in the description, which you may clear up for yourself at the Fujifilm.com site. But compare this to the S5000, which you can get new, here, for about $340. And if you hunt diligently, today you can grab it for $296. I am not repeat not talking about some auction sight, either. (Nor in Japan, where I live at the moment, though there is a place here I must check tomorrow just in case. Besides, delayed gratification is not my strong suit.)

The Fujifilm site gives a detailed description of their CCD (Charge Coupled Device) pixel array that to me sounds like the best thing going in what the working class like me can afford. The S602 is Fuji's 3rd generation CCD, the S5000 is their 4th generation. The 602 has 6x optical and 4.4x digital zoom (26.4x), the 5000 had 10x optical and 2.2x digital (22x). If that extra 4.4 turns your head, then shopping for a telephoto is probably something to consider. I find the greater lens power more attractive, and sould give clearer photos, at 22x side by side with the 602 at a comparable setting.

If you want to spend serious $$$ for something that has 5 to 8 megapixels, more power to you. But the S5000 is a better Fuji for less money ... the S602 is really last year's news. My hard earned greenbacks are on the S5000.

After a long search, I purchased the Fujifilm FinePix S602. Unlike the compact form factor digitals, this camera has buttons that can be operated by normal-sized fingers. It also handles both SmartMedia and Compact Flash cards; Fuji recommends the IBM Microdrive, but Compact Flash is about the same price, faster, and uses less electricity. I get 100 pictures on a 256 Mb Compact Flash with the 3Mb/Fine setting. The 3Mb setting takes great pictures for anything up to 8 x 10; most photo paper is only 4 x 6 anyway. I've never seen the need for anything more. In fact, for online publishing I have to reduce the image quality and size. The 640 x 480 video uses 1 Mb per second of video; it's a bit jerky, and the built in mic isn't terribly sensitive, but it's not designed to replace your camcorder anyway. This is the best camera I've ever owned. I take more pictures now because I can afford to; I'm my own photolab. On the negative side, the camera price is a little high, and the included software is lousy. You'll want and need better software, but it'll do in a pinch. Great camera, great fun, great geek cred.

The camera has many nice points. These have been covered in other people's reviews. I will mention the few items that I think are less good:
- It is not very good at focusing, especially in less light environment. I had the Olumpus people look at it but they said there was nothing wrong with it.
- It is terribly heavy.
- It is slow to start up.
Dispite the recomendations from Olympus to not use the Microdrive, I have found a somewhat safe way to copy the pictures from the Smartmedia card to the Microdive. In this way, I can take several hundreds of pictures without needing to upload to a computer.
My next camera will be a Minolta - also with a Microdrive function.

I've had a Minolta SLR for the past 10 years and been very happy with it, but after buying the my "other half" a Canon Digital Elph, I found the ability to immediately review photographs compelling. So, I looked for a digital SLR.

Olympus has hit the price/performance sweet spot with this camera. Competitive digital SLRs cost 50% more than the E10 for the body alone -- i.e. before you've bought any lenses. However, I was concerned that the E-10 would be an adequate replacement for my film SLR. So, The E-10 passed with flying colors.

What's good about this camera: terrific image quality, great lens (f2.0-f2.6!), all the control you could want (white balance, focus, zoom, exposure, flash), support for compact flash and smart media, and ability to take up to 4 shots in rapid succession, easy upload of images to a PC, Adobe Photoshop LE included and good battery life on Olympus NiMH AA batteries.

I took scores of pictures every day and was generally pleased with the results. The camera functions well in program mode, but immediate image review on the camera enables you to use more control if you don't get the shot you need. And with digital, you can just keep on taking shots until you get it right without worrying about film.

The ability to take 4 shots in rapid succession is useful when trying to capture spontaneous events -- like the procession of flag throwers (a Tuscan tradition that goes back over 700 years) out for a practice early one Sunday in Siena. Other digital cameras have big problems with both "shutter lag" (time from pressing the button to capturing the image) and the interval between shots -- especially with a 4 megapixel CCD where images take longer to write to flash.

I made extensive use of a polarizing filter to cut glare under the Tuscan sun, and the images came out with strong colors as a result. The E10 seems a little "flatter" in its color balance than Canon cameras, but color saturation can be easily tweaked in Photoshop if this is a problem for any given image.

I never managed to run the Olympus AA NiMH batteries (purchased separately) flat during a day's shooting, so camera power consumption seems to be excellent -- short battery life is a killer for many digital cameras.

The lens is very impressive. It has a great zoom range, and as the camera was designed for digital from the ground up there are none of the multiplying effects of film cameras converted for digital use (e.g. Canon D30). This means that the E10 has great short-range capability as well as telephoto without having to switch lenses. This is very important if you want to travel light, as I did.

What's not-so-good: problems with IBM Microdrive, autofocus requires care to avoid misfocus errors, viewfinder image location leads to orientation errors, general operation could be a lot faster, and the optional Olypus case is poor.

The E10 requires the photographer to carefully monitor whether it has successfully locked on the subject. Early on, I got several poorly focused shots because the AF didn't focus on the subject. It's easy to miss this in the viewfinder or on the LCD image preview -- you only find out when you get home... However, once you learn to watch for mistaken AF lock, it is possible to re-focus and avoid this. Still, after Minolta's exemplary AF system, this was an unpleasant surprise.

I also used an IBM Microdrive with my E10, but discovered that it does not work properly. I would be able to take several photographs, and then the camera would suddenly complain of flash card errors. It's easy to miss candid shots when you're wondering why the camera isn't working, then realizing there's a flash error, switching to smart media... so the Microdrive went back. Get a 256MB flash card instead.

The viewfinder image is large and oddly focused -- it's easy to tilt the camera about a degree and not notice -- until you get to image review. This can be fixed in Photoshop, but it's annoying to have to fix it.

Finally, the Olympus feels slower than many point-n-shoot cameras, and this is likely down to the embedded processor used in the camera. It takes several seconds before an image can be previewed, and it is slow to move around in image preview mode. Also, it seems to take a long time to compress an image and store it to flash. The 4 image buffer dramatically reduces the impact of this, but not entirely -- especially when you want to take one photo and see how it came out straight away.

Finally, don't buy Olympus' case for the E10. It is very cumbersome and you'll end up wishing you never brought it. I left it at home or in the car most days. You cant open up the case and leave it hanging off the camera -- it gets in your way. That means you have to totally remove the camera from the case and either put it down, stuff it in a bag or squash it under your arm while you try to take photographs.

The net is that I can't see why I'd go back to a film SLR. Although the Olympus E10 has its quirks, and Microdrive incompatibility is a drawback, it is a very good digital camera at an excellent price point for the value you receive. Olympus really doesn't have any competition for the money.

Incredible! Super! The first pro dg camera ever! It takes the best pictures and there's no competition. The quality is absolutely outstanding. Be prepared to spend twice the amount of the camera...

PROS : -Very sturdy, well designed body

-All the manual controls you'll ever need

-Impressive night and macro ability

-SmartMedia and CompactFlash Type II slots

-Ultra-fast shooting speeds

-Handy backlit LCD info display and swiveling LCD

-Ability to preview shots on LCD as well as viewfinder (a first for an SLR digital)

-Manual zoom(sweet!)

-There are lots of equipment for this camera

CONS :

-Lens not removable

-Somewhat sluggish in menus and playback mode

-Disappointing LCD quality

-IBM Microdrive not supported

TIFF mode is just awesome, but the average size is... 11,3 megs. So it`s 11 pics on a 128 meg card. This is THE camera right now for the pros. The super fast shots are incredible, it takes jpg pics like lightning. What can I say else?

This camera has many unique features that make it perfect for the right person. First, it doesn't store pictures on memory cards like most cameras, it stores on floppies. This means you probably already have the "memory." When I first purchased this camera, that was great because 16 MB memory cards were expensive and if you were taking a lot of pictures, it could add up real quick. Now, 128 MB memory cards are cheap and will hold 100x the pictures a floppy will hold. That said, the picture quality is great for this class, and the zoom will astound you. A friend has this same camera and uses some passive flash units with it to create off-center flash lighting. The built-in flash is only good for a narrow distance range of about 10 ft. Much closer and it floods the subject, much further and it doesn't reach, but this is easily overcome, plus, you don't need a flash with this camera in many situations where a conventional camera would need one. The flippable lcd display will flip so it shows to the front and automatically flips the image so you can see the framed image when doing self-portraits. Includes auto or manual focus and f-stop modes. It also takes very short movies with sound. Optional optical viewfinder. Rechargeable Infolithium batteries operate well but buy at least one spare.

But with the new ones coming out, I felt a little outdated.
I definiteltly love the floppy disk feature of holding images. It makes life soooo much easier!
Whenever I ran outta discs, someone always had extra or I could easily buy them very cheap.

The only bad thing was the battery life was soooo short and towards the last few months Ive had nothing but disc errors and lost pics.

I finally upgraded to a new camera but I don't regret this one at all.

I've used this digital camera many times...it's very versatile in that not only does it take good pictures but, you also can use many accessories that a photographer would normally want to use on his or her slr, i.e. close-up lens attachments, filters etc., etc. The amazing thing is that after taking those wonderful pictures you eject the floppy disk and insert it directly into your computer and go to work. Most of my work is law enforcement and this camera has been a God sent tool. Other features such as image stablizing lens and flash, what else is need, just point and shot...go to work with your images. The best of luck with yours.