Digital-Camera Reviews

The true measure of this camera is the quality of the pictures it produces. Here's my take on the reasons this camera takes such stunning shots (and is worth the cost):

1. Button speed. You will actually capture the moment you are looking for with this camera. Most digital cameras take bland pictures because, well, what they are taking a picture of is not interesting and the moment has passed. With this camera your eye will tell you when the picture is right, and blam! You'll have it captured.

2. Lens quality. The blacks are blacker, the whites are whiter, the colors are richer. Things are sharper. Nobody can deny Leica produces top-quality lenses.

3. Feel good controls. The camera body is Magnesium and feels fantastic. With it in your hands, it has a tendancy to outclass it's wearer, like a suit that's a bit too expensive for the occasion. An interesting thing happens, you will try to take better pictures. Don't underestimate this effect. Due to the excellent simplicity of the controls, when you do try to become an expert, you actualy can because the camera doesn't get in the way or make you squint endlessly at onscreen menus to change settings.

These are three very simple things that combine to make a very unique camera. I don't believe you'll find all of these things combined in any other digital camera.

Some have said there's a strange pattern or pixelation when zoomed WAY in on images on screen. Two responses:

1. You aren't going to spend any time zoomed in on pictures on your computer when looking at them in a normal manner. At display resolutions, these pictures are as clear or clearer than any from Canon, or Sony comparable models.

2. This *may* actually be intentional on Leica's part. If you print out a picture from this camera, it is always stunning, even at full size or larger. Some liken this to a stochastic (look it up) printing process. Whatever the case, find a print sample your self from this camera, there's no denying the overall effect more artistic and is a cut above simiar competitive brands.

I have had zero issues with this camera since ordering it from Amazon 8 months ago. My only complaint is that the Digilux 2 is even better...

The Leica Digilux 1 one may resemble a souped-up version of the old American 35mm Argus rangefinder camera, but appearances are certainly quite deceiving; it's images are far superior to any made by the old Argus. This is simply one of the best handling digital cameras I've held, producing images that are among the most brilliant, and rich in contrast, that I've seen from digital cameras. The controls may seem a bit large, but they should be comfortable to those accustomed to holding large 35mm autofocus SLR cameras made by the likes of Canon and Nikon. Unfortunately I don't own a Leica Digilux 1, but still I recommend it highly for anyone interested in getting the finest digital imagery from a relatively compact camera. Without question, Leica - in partnership with Panasonic - has made an excellent 21st Century camera worthy of Leica's dedication to optical quality and excellence surpassed by none.

OK, I admit that I am a sucker for the Leica name, but hey, it has meant quality and incredible optics for a very long time, so I had little difficulty choosing this camera last year when I decided to finally go digital. After one year of use, I have nothing but praise for this camera. Although I pine a bit for the Digilux 2, I am not ready to trade my Digilux 1 in and pay the premium. As a digital rangefinder, with excellent automatic and manual aspects, I have been able to satisfy both sides of my hobby: the snapshot photographer and the advanced hobbiest artist. The pictures I produce using this camera are stunning; the colors dense and true, and their ability to be manipulated in Photoshop a breeze. I highly recommend this camera to anyone considering it ... at this price, you're getting a bargain!

I'm thinking of buying this camera and wanted to know from the owners of the camera if this camera takes excellent pictures like Canon in low light/indoor conditions. I currently own a Sony DSCP9 Cyber-shot 4MP Digital Camera and it takes crapy pictures in low light conditions (even indoors). The skin tone is extremely grainy. Your honest experience with indoor and low light pictures would be greatly appreciated (especially skin tones).

This camera has to be one of the best cameras out there. When i first got it I noticed its sleek design. Its so small and light. It fights in the palm of my hands and I can carry it anywhere. I actuallly noticed too that its basically smaller than my nokia 6800 cell phone which is shocking. anyway the camera has a nice 1.8 inch LCD screen. The photos look amazing when you view them. When you are dealing with this camera you also get the FASTEST performance. The camera starts up in like 1 or 2 seconds and it shoots with NO LAG. Even if you are shooting with flash the shot to shot time is awesome. The zoom pops out very fast too which also makes a funny noise. i don[t reallyh ahve to explain the picture quality because you know Sony is always EXCELLENT with that. Others say that canon is better but I think Sony's a tad better well atleast with this camera anyway. The movie mode on this camera is comparable to a camcorder. It shoots VGA (640x 480) at an option of 15fps or 30fps. 30 fps is basically smoother but requires about twice the memory so 15fps would be sufficient for any user. To tlel you the truth i bought this camera for the movie mode too because its much better than the Canon S500. Lastly, the battery is outstanding. You can shoot pictures a little over 3 hours worth. I recommend geting the accessory kit from sony (comes with battery, case, wallet thing) about $65 on ebay and a 256mb memory stick card or 512 memory stick pro card. You can get the 512mb one for under $120!!

Oh and I forgot to mention the cool accessories available for this beastily camera. You can get 1.7X telephoto lens, 2.6X lens (turns ur compact camera to almost a 8X optical demon, lol), .7X wide lens, marine pack (underwater case) and external flash (some say the flash on the camera isn't bright enough so people buy external separate ones)

Ultra-compact digicam comparison: which ultra-compact camera should I buy? Make sure you read the whole thing - it'll give you an idea of what to look for yourself.

Considered: Fuji F610, Sony T1, Sony T11, Sony P100, Pentax Optio S4i, Canon S500, Nikon 3700/5200.

Fuji 610 (72 x 93 x 31 mm)
Pros: excellent camera with awesome image quality. Claim that vertical design will limit camera shake - maybe. Video quality excellent at 640 x 480 (30fps). xD picture cards cheap.

Cons: Larger than canon s500 and sonyp100 - but not a huge problem considering the better features (especially the amount of manual controls with shutter/aperture). BUT - NO AF ASSIST LAMP: therefore poor low light performance. Not able to switch off digital zoom such that the optical switches over to digital automatically - which will reduce image quality stored. But the clincher here is the lack of AF assist lamp.

Sony P100 (108 x 51.5 x 26.6 mm)
Pros: It's a Sony: their attention to detail is always guaranteed. Nine scene selections which makes shooting for amateurs so much simpler and takes you up that extra notch - read excerpt below. Option of attaching a wide-angle telephoto lens down the track - should you start to take your photography (more) seriously. Excellent video quality at 640 x 480 (30fps or 17pfs), size unlimitied). AF assist lamp. Battery life indicator: provides estimated mins remaining. Battery has also been found to be of exceptional stamina - compared to other digicams of this size.

I got this from Imaging-Resource: "Scene mode offers a range of preset exposure modes, including Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft snap, Snow, Beach, High Speed Shutter, Fireworks, and Candle modes. Both Twilight modes optimize the camera for low-light shooting by allowing shutter times as long as two seconds, while Landscape mode sets the camera up for shooting distant subjects. Soft snap mode warms skin tones and sets focus to slightly soft. Snow mode enhances saturation and adjusts exposure, to prevent loss of colour in bright white snow scapes, while Beach mode ensures that blue tones are recorded accurately in lakeside or seaside photos. High-speed shutter mode is for shooting action or bright subjects. Fireworks mode preserves colour in shots of fireworks or other night light displays by fixing the lens aperture at f/5.6 and setting the exposure time to the 2-second maximum. Candle mode slows shutter speeds and biases exposure to keep candlelit scenes looking natural; a tripod is recommended in this model"

Cons: Memory stick: expensive, but prices have come down and will come down further. Definitely get yourself a MS Pro Duo (either a 256, or better still 512MB). Getting the Duo now (which is not much more $) will keep you ahead of the game. Size: slightly longer than Canon S500 but thinner - so not so bad. Overall the cons are not awfully bad.

Sony T1/T11 (T!: 91mm x 60mm x 21mm)
Pros: Awesome design. Very thin. All other pros similar to Sony P100. Nice option of black.

Cons: NO tripod mount - sure it's an ultra-compact which you'd carry around, but sometimes it's nice to mount it for macro and other shots. I would have seriously forked out the extra cash for this camera but the lack of a tripod mount was the clincher.

Canon S500 (87.0 x 57.0 x 27.8 mm)
Pros: Size: I like to use this camera as a benchmark for size comparisons with other cameras. Design and form factor: almost as good as Sony: very elegant. CF - cheap, very cheap. I've previously had the Canon S230 (3.2MP 2X optical) and it was an excellent camera.

Cons: VERY, VERY POOR: no battery life indicator - with the S230 I have been caught out many times, this is especially so when other members of your family use the camera and you have no idea how much charge is left. The solution is to get a spare battery, but Canon should have rectified this issue by now and they have deliberately chosen not to and that tells me something. Video at 320 x 240 (15fps): if you want 640x480 only available at 10pfs: compare this with Sony and Fuji, both at 640x480, 30fps!! Now I know that this is a digital camera and not a camcorder - but it's nice to know that you can take VGA quality shots at an instant - so you're always prepared - because who carries the camcorder everywhere?!!

Pentax Optio S4i ((83 x 52 x 20mm))
Pro: Size. Size. And price.

Cons: No AF assist lamp: therefore poor in low light. Although a good camera, you'll read that it's more a 'fun' camera than half-serious like the Sony P100 or Canon S500. Of course the Fuji F610 takes it up a notch as far as manual features go. Also the video quality is poor: similar to the canon S500 - although I would imagine Canon would still do a better job of it.

Nikon 3700 (95.5 x 50 x 31 mm)
Pro: Scene selection. Size.

Cons: Some have claimed a disparity between sound and video - not sure about this though. Appearance: very uninspiring, like the rest of the coolpix family.

CONCLUSIONS
Rank overall:
1.Sony P100 (image quality, scene options, video quality, it's a Sony)
2.Canon S500 (two downfalls - and both quite big - no battery life indicator and low video resolution)
3.Fuji F610 (NO AF assist, can't switch off digital zoom)
If size and form factor the most important and tripod mount absolutely not necessary (e.g. if will be in handbag all the time): Sony T1

I'm thinking of buying this camera and wanted to know from the owners of the camera if this camera takes excellent pictures like Canon in low light/indoor conditions. I currently own a Sony DSCP9 Cyber-shot 4MP Digital Camera and it takes crapy pictures in low light conditions (even indoors). The skin tone is extremely grainy. Your honest experience with indoor and low light pictures would be greatly appreciated (especially skin tones).

This camera has to be one of the best cameras out there. When i first got it I noticed its sleek design. Its so small and light. It fights in the palm of my hands and I can carry it anywhere. I actuallly noticed too that its basically smaller than my nokia 6800 cell phone which is shocking. anyway the camera has a nice 1.8 inch LCD screen. The photos look amazing when you view them. When you are dealing with this camera you also get the FASTEST performance. The camera starts up in like 1 or 2 seconds and it shoots with NO LAG. Even if you are shooting with flash the shot to shot time is awesome. The zoom pops out very fast too which also makes a funny noise. i don[t reallyh ahve to explain the picture quality because you know Sony is always EXCELLENT with that. Others say that canon is better but I think Sony's a tad better well atleast with this camera anyway. The movie mode on this camera is comparable to a camcorder. It shoots VGA (640x 480) at an option of 15fps or 30fps. 30 fps is basically smoother but requires about twice the memory so 15fps would be sufficient for any user. To tlel you the truth i bought this camera for the movie mode too because its much better than the Canon S500. Lastly, the battery is outstanding. You can shoot pictures a little over 3 hours worth. I recommend geting the accessory kit from sony (comes with battery, case, wallet thing) about $65 on ebay and a 256mb memory stick card or 512 memory stick pro card. You can get the 512mb one for under $120!!

Oh and I forgot to mention the cool accessories available for this beastily camera. You can get 1.7X telephoto lens, 2.6X lens (turns ur compact camera to almost a 8X optical demon, lol), .7X wide lens, marine pack (underwater case) and external flash (some say the flash on the camera isn't bright enough so people buy external separate ones)

Ultra-compact digicam comparison: which ultra-compact camera should I buy? Make sure you read the whole thing - it'll give you an idea of what to look for yourself.

Considered: Fuji F610, Sony T1, Sony T11, Sony P100, Pentax Optio S4i, Canon S500, Nikon 3700/5200.

Fuji 610 (72 x 93 x 31 mm)
Pros: excellent camera with awesome image quality. Claim that vertical design will limit camera shake - maybe. Video quality excellent at 640 x 480 (30fps). xD picture cards cheap.

Cons: Larger than canon s500 and sonyp100 - but not a huge problem considering the better features (especially the amount of manual controls with shutter/aperture). BUT - NO AF ASSIST LAMP: therefore poor low light performance. Not able to switch off digital zoom such that the optical switches over to digital automatically - which will reduce image quality stored. But the clincher here is the lack of AF assist lamp.

Sony P100 (108 x 51.5 x 26.6 mm)
Pros: It's a Sony: their attention to detail is always guaranteed. Nine scene selections which makes shooting for amateurs so much simpler and takes you up that extra notch - read excerpt below. Option of attaching a wide-angle telephoto lens down the track - should you start to take your photography (more) seriously. Excellent video quality at 640 x 480 (30fps or 17pfs), size unlimitied). AF assist lamp. Battery life indicator: provides estimated mins remaining. Battery has also been found to be of exceptional stamina - compared to other digicams of this size.

I got this from Imaging-Resource: "Scene mode offers a range of preset exposure modes, including Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft snap, Snow, Beach, High Speed Shutter, Fireworks, and Candle modes. Both Twilight modes optimize the camera for low-light shooting by allowing shutter times as long as two seconds, while Landscape mode sets the camera up for shooting distant subjects. Soft snap mode warms skin tones and sets focus to slightly soft. Snow mode enhances saturation and adjusts exposure, to prevent loss of colour in bright white snow scapes, while Beach mode ensures that blue tones are recorded accurately in lakeside or seaside photos. High-speed shutter mode is for shooting action or bright subjects. Fireworks mode preserves colour in shots of fireworks or other night light displays by fixing the lens aperture at f/5.6 and setting the exposure time to the 2-second maximum. Candle mode slows shutter speeds and biases exposure to keep candlelit scenes looking natural; a tripod is recommended in this model"

Cons: Memory stick: expensive, but prices have come down and will come down further. Definitely get yourself a MS Pro Duo (either a 256, or better still 512MB). Getting the Duo now (which is not much more $) will keep you ahead of the game. Size: slightly longer than Canon S500 but thinner - so not so bad. Overall the cons are not awfully bad.

Sony T1/T11 (T!: 91mm x 60mm x 21mm)
Pros: Awesome design. Very thin. All other pros similar to Sony P100. Nice option of black.

Cons: NO tripod mount - sure it's an ultra-compact which you'd carry around, but sometimes it's nice to mount it for macro and other shots. I would have seriously forked out the extra cash for this camera but the lack of a tripod mount was the clincher.

Canon S500 (87.0 x 57.0 x 27.8 mm)
Pros: Size: I like to use this camera as a benchmark for size comparisons with other cameras. Design and form factor: almost as good as Sony: very elegant. CF - cheap, very cheap. I've previously had the Canon S230 (3.2MP 2X optical) and it was an excellent camera.

Cons: VERY, VERY POOR: no battery life indicator - with the S230 I have been caught out many times, this is especially so when other members of your family use the camera and you have no idea how much charge is left. The solution is to get a spare battery, but Canon should have rectified this issue by now and they have deliberately chosen not to and that tells me something. Video at 320 x 240 (15fps): if you want 640x480 only available at 10pfs: compare this with Sony and Fuji, both at 640x480, 30fps!! Now I know that this is a digital camera and not a camcorder - but it's nice to know that you can take VGA quality shots at an instant - so you're always prepared - because who carries the camcorder everywhere?!!

Pentax Optio S4i ((83 x 52 x 20mm))
Pro: Size. Size. And price.

Cons: No AF assist lamp: therefore poor in low light. Although a good camera, you'll read that it's more a 'fun' camera than half-serious like the Sony P100 or Canon S500. Of course the Fuji F610 takes it up a notch as far as manual features go. Also the video quality is poor: similar to the canon S500 - although I would imagine Canon would still do a better job of it.

Nikon 3700 (95.5 x 50 x 31 mm)
Pro: Scene selection. Size.

Cons: Some have claimed a disparity between sound and video - not sure about this though. Appearance: very uninspiring, like the rest of the coolpix family.

CONCLUSIONS
Rank overall:
1.Sony P100 (image quality, scene options, video quality, it's a Sony)
2.Canon S500 (two downfalls - and both quite big - no battery life indicator and low video resolution)
3.Fuji F610 (NO AF assist, can't switch off digital zoom)
If size and form factor the most important and tripod mount absolutely not necessary (e.g. if will be in handbag all the time): Sony T1

when i just bought it, its compactable size seemed to be its biggest advantage. however,its battery life isn't that good as it could only last for at most 2,3 days. sometimes, lesser than a day if many pictures were to be taken. also,its metal finish ain't that good as it is scratchable easily.Not good if you were prepared to have it with you for the rest of you life.thus, i find that only its size and mp3 function is a big plus for this little camera, without the fact of its poor quality of pictures. but hey, wad can you expect from a 2 megapixel camera...

The camera is extremely nice.. its small.. light weight.. the picture quality is nice.. even though while taking the picture using digital zoom just blows it up and makes it blurry.. other than that the quality its fine.. transfering files to and from the camera is easy..once its hooked up.. its detected as a removeable disk.. where you can preview all the images, delete, edit, and store.. you can also put mp3s on it.. there is already a seperate folder where you can put the mp3s... the battery life of the camera is fairly decent.. i was listening it for about 5 hours and it used only half the battery... while taking pictures... about 50 pictures with lcd and flash on will take almost half the batterys power.. the power button and the shutter button is very easily distinguishable and wont be that easily pressed unless you have enourmous fingers.. overall this camera is worth the money

I have this camera/MP3 player for a month now and I take it anywhere. the most usable feature for me is the MP3 player !
the camera is for fun and play.
I like to take lot of pictures and taking an expensinve camera in my pocket is not an option, so when I saw exilim I was amazed. this was what I was looking for and finding that it could be am MP3 player was a big bonus. later I found out that it was the other way around.
after recieving this camera, I started download MP3 from the internet and finally I had time to listen to the kind of music that I like, and not what you get on the radio or in music stores, so a whole new world has been open for me. by the way, the ear plugs are great too and you get a controller too.
the pictures are great, I work in many factories so I take pictures of the machines that I work on and the lighting are usually very bad, but on maximum resolution the pictures are great and the color definition is great too, I did not use even once a color enhance filter on the images.
so, if you like multimedia, this is a must!

THis camera worked for about 2 months. After that time it started not working properly. I couldn't use the LCD and the Optical Zoom didn't work. But I left it sit for about 2 months and it worked...wat a phenominom. I thought the image quality was good for 2.3MP. I found the software confusing though. I hated also how it sucked up batterys and it used 4 batterys. Also it was pretty heavy. But overall it was a decent camera but had some flaws.

Okay, I've had this camera for about 2 months or so. I can't complain, not at all. It came with everything I could have asked for, and then some things I wouldn't have thought about. It came with software, picture-on-TV display cable for viewing pictures on any normal TV, both USB and serial cables for transferring pictures and an 8 meg memory card (which holds 11 pictures at max res). I must say that this camera was straight up easy to use. I had no problems with it at all and I didn't even read the manual until days after I bought it.

For a 2.3 megapixel camera, I was surprised at how nice the pictures looked; so were my friends who also have digital cameras. The HP digital cameras in the same price range didn't come with half the stuff and didn't have optical zoom at all; nor did any other camera I looked at that was [not costly]. The LCD screen is very nice on the eyes and is bigger than most in the price range.

While when I first got the camera I was worried about breaking it, etc, I've taken it out on hikes a lot and it seems to be holding up well.

Two complaints that can't really be helped. This is true on all digital cameras right now, even the most expensive. A: All digital cameras eat batteries. B: This camera only came with an 8 meg memory card.

Two solutions I offer for anyone buying this or any digital camera: 1.) Buy one of the new battery recharging units and 8 rechargeable batteries for it (Rayovac has nice batteries out now that recharge in under an hour and can be recharged 1000 times, making them perfect for digital cameras. 2.) Go to a pricing service like pri ce wa tch and get a new memory card for the camera. You can get a 128 meg compact flash card for [a good price] that allows you to take a great deal of pictures.

Also, all digital cameras from amazon.com come with software for one of amazon.com's partner's, ofoto.com. I've done a lot of my prints through them. What can I say?; they rock. ofoto has brought the best aspect of normal film photography to the digital world.

I love my new digital camera. It has already saved me a great deal of money and has replaced my old standard film camera. I'll never go back.

The 2300z is the top of Polaroid line of digital cameras. It is designed and built by Pretec digital, a very reputable company. The camera takes some of the clearest and best pictures I have ever seen. And it is very easy to use, especially when compared to my old Sony digital camera.
[....]
The only things I have to say negative about the camera is A) 8 mb is not a lot, so you'll need a new CFlash card [...] B) You'll need to buy NiMH batteries to extend the battery life (which is quite long due to an econmic design and an auto shut off) and [...] C)The camera is a bit heftier than others, in size and weight, but weight is related to a good build, a heavy camera is that much better.

This camera is awesome, and the value is by far the best of any price or quality class, it's really unbelievable! So if your looking for a good, solid, family digital camera on a budget, look no further than the 2300z!
[....]

I purchased my Z2 and couldn't wait to see the great images it could produce with 4 megs and 10x zoom. What a disappointment! I want my old Olympus 510 back. The color is horrible on the Z2. I could get the color ok by adjusting the white balance in the program modes (not using a flash), however it's not adjustable in the "Auto" mode, which also meant switching back to "Auto" for a flash shot. Also, this camera's size and shape make it totally impossible to just carry around in your pocket. I have missed way too many shots because I didn't have the camera with me.

I've had this camera for a little over a month and so far, I love it. It's got the full-auto (point-and-shoot) mode for the casual photographer/beginner, but it also has a variety of manual modes and advanced features like aperture priority, shutter priority, program mode, and full manual, as well as manual white balance for those interested in learning the art of (digital) photography.

The two built in macro modes (close and *really* close) allow for excellent close-up shots. Despite having almost no experience in photography beyond point-and-shoot cameras, I was taking pretty good macro shots my first day with it (at least that's what mom said ;). The 10x zoom is great for the long shots. The 16MB SD card is useless (pick up at least 256MB). I still carry the 16 for a spare, but at the highest image resolution, I doubt I could fit 10 pictures on it.

Do yourself a favor and buy the lens adapter ring and a UV filter for the camera. The UV filter can be had pretty cheap, won't affect picture quality, and will keep your built-in lens safe from scratches, dirt, and UV rays (evidently pretty damaging to camera equipment). And having the adapter, you'll be able to attach other filters as your need/skill grow. Oh, and get a couple of sets of rechargeable NIMH batteries too. They'll save you a lot of money. I briefly looked into the Konika-Minolta LI battery pack that's made for the camera, but being more than half the price of the camera, decided it was more expensive than I needed. At least for now.

So far, my only complaints are: the battery cover door seems pretty flimsy. I'd like to see something more substantial. And, I'm not sure the idea of the mechanical mirror used to select the view through the eyepiece or on the display screen is wise. It just seems like more mechanical parts to fail in the future. Also, the use of the eyepiece won't prolong battery life as it would in most digital cameras.

So, it's few faults aside, I give the KM Z2 a solid 5 star rating.

This camera will do everything for you except hold it in place. The auto mode does it all. I was very impressed with the battery life and BRIGHT flash. The camera is just perfect, video mode is brilliant, no noise from the camera's AF feature. The zoom, well seeing is believing, you will not believe the details that you are missing on these 2x and 3x zoom cameras. Can't wait for the next generation. Get one!

Sending mine back-- liked the small profile and features. Shot a few minutes of video on a new tape. Brought it home to watch it and ate the tape up when I tried to rewind it. I'm glad I was only trying it out, I'd hate to have the tape of something important get eaten by the machine.

The Canon Elura 2MC MiniDV camcorder is a marvel of technology. It packs several great features (progressive CCD for great image quality, firewire output, up to 40X zoom, digital effects, etc.) into the smallest camcorder commonly available. Rather than repeating several of the great points mentioned by other reviewers, I'd like to elaborate on two specific details:

1) Size: The incredibly small size of this camcorder will absolutely change the way you film events - rather than spending a majority of your attention on the camcorder when filming a scene, the camcorder almost disappears in your palm and allows you to concentrate on your subject - and not on the act of capturing the moment.

2) Progressive scan CCD: The design of the image capture system means that every frame is captured completely. This differs from other CCD designs that captures half of the pixels each frame and combines two sets to create a still image. The Progressive scan system makes for crisp video images and clearer stills.

A couple of Pro's:

- The manual is clear, detailed and well laid-out.

- The camcorder comes with a battery charger than can hold multiple batteries (although it only charges one at a time).

A couple of con's which should provide only minor annoyance:

- The camcorder does not dome with the 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable that is required for computer connectivity. While I was able to purchased one for only $15.99, why isn't one included?

- The memory that holds still images (Canon's own MultiMediaCard) is proprietary, and replacement/expansions for this memory is difficult to find (and can't be ordered from Canon's website). I would have preferred either of two popular formats: SmartMedia or CompactFlash.

- Battery life is quite short (using the 2.5" display, the battery is done after only 40 mins). While this is required to reduce size, any sort of extended use will require several batteries.

------------

Overall, this camcorder sets the standard for all of Canon's competitors to meet. It's size advantage is even more impressive because this camcorder has all of the functionality of it's larger competition and more. This is a great camcorder for family/personal use - only those individuals whom need very high-end functionality (triple CCD or advanced white balancing) will need to look elsewhere.

This camcorder combines ease of use, picture quality and convenience in a very small package. It has a wide variety of features, most of which I have not even begun to play around with.

For travel purposes, I can't imagine going anywhere without this compact yet powerful camcorder -- you can throw it in a fanny pack and hardly even notice it's there (but be sure to buy the 2 hr extended battery if you plan on shooting footage for more than 1/2 an hour). It also doubles as a digital camera, but take note that the digital photos it takes on the multi-media card are not suitable for print-quality photos; rather, it's a handy way to take pics and send them over email or post them to a website with decent picture quality without having to go and buy a digital camera (or travel with both).

It's also great for capturing high-speed action with the digital scan mode. Tape a golf swing, hockey game or skiing action and replay it in slow-motion.

I have no complaints to level against this product, and I have no reservations recommending this if you're looking for a high-quality camcorder that you can take just about anywhere and not have to worry about weight and bulk.

This camera is a very good one for the price, although not for everyone. The menus are complex. Beginning digital photographers might be happier with a cheaper point and shoot camera with 3X optical zoom. People who take zoomed pictures in dimmed light might have a hard time holding the camera stationary to avoid blurring. However, I like the C-730. It can use both SmartMedia and xD cards so you can choose to go cheap with the SM cards now or get the slightly more expensive xD cards that will probably have much greater capacity in the future (I read that this format had a theoretical limit of 8 gigabytes). The camera has a number of programmed modes for moonlight shots, sports shots, portraits, landscapes, etc. It also has manual options on shutter speed and aperture settings. It takes quick-time movies with sound. It's also small enough to stick in a jacket pocket.

There are two things that I wish the camera had: (1) a stablized lens like its predecessor, the C-2100UZ, and (2) an infrared focus light for taking pictures in dim light. However, most people just think about megapixels. Maybe Olympus thought a cheaper, non-stabilized lens had a bigger market.

I bought this camera two months ago (October '02) from Amazon, and I could not be happier with it. I guess I am an experienced camera user, this being my third digital camera, and I have had a succession of 35mm SLR's too. The first two digitals were a Sony Mavica and a Fujifilm 2400. The Olympus 730 leaves them for dead for experienced users.

There are far too many features to review in detail, but the stand outs for me are the 10x zoom, the manual overide on everything, and the superb lens quality. This camera is essentially a digital equivalent of an SLR, but without the $3,000 price tag. Be warned, however, that it will be too complicated for most first timers to use. If you want a digital that allows all of the creative expression of an SLR then go for it, but if you want a point and shoot camera just for taking happy snaps then I suggest something like the Fujifilm 2600.

I use a 64mb memory card, which stores 80 pics at 2048 x 1536 resolution, enough for pin sharp blow ups to 8"x10" or 11"x14".In summary, if you would know what to do with three light metering modes, 5 film speeds, manual overide for depth of field manipulation, etc, then you will love the endless possibilities that this camera can give you. If not, get a point and shoot for less than half the price.

In a word, yes. However, I would say after all this time that some other makes are somewhat better at rendering truly faithful colors and that the Olympus autofocus mechanism is slower than newer digicams and therefore will more often yield a slightly blurred image.
That notwithstanding, the 700 was my favorite digital camera for a long time, that is, until the 720 came along. Then along came the 730, which maintained the 3+ megapixel resolution of the 720, while reinserting the 10X (true optical) zoom (the 720 has an 8X).
In point of fact, zooming at 8X or at 10X without a tripod or image stabilization (not present on either the 700 or the 720) is extremely challenging. Anyway, this camera is beautifully made and ergonomically engineered. The aspherical all glass lens system is excellent and the resulting 3 megapixel images are crystal clear at 8" x 10" and quite acceptable at 11" x 14". The zoom of course remains the trump card on the 730, and the smoothness (just the right damping) with which it reaches its 10x limit is awesome. Another nice feature is its ability to take QuickTime movies, which really adds to its versatility.
The news with the 730 is that it is the first Olympus to utilize the new xD memory card format, the "xD-Picture Card". This is a new type of ultra-compact memory media developed jointly by Fuji and Olympus. The main features of the xD-Picture Card are its ultra-compact size (20.0 x 25.0 x 1.7mm), its lower power consumption (the xD Picture-Card users will benefit from the convenience and savings of longer battery life on a single charge) and its faster read/write speeds. Of course, a new card means a new card-reader will be needed, but these are inexpensive and aren't immediately needed, as the camera can be linked by the included USB cable to your PC without too much fuss. Overall, I think the 730 is a winner, especially as prices have fallen steadily over the past year.

Do not buy Panasonic cameras. I bought a DMC-LC20 one year ago, and it died exactly one day after the warranty expired. It began taking pictures with green/pink tones. Support for digital cameras is terrible. They replaced the main board with a second hand one as a "favor" without improvement, now (6 weeks later) they still have the camera and now want to replace the CCD for $129.00 + labor. Panasonic has not returned any emails I've sent about my disappointment with this product. I will throw it away and buy Sony.

Purchased this camera recently and have been very impressed. It has all the features you would expect of a camera of this quality. The Leica lens alone is worth the money I paid for it and it is great to see that Panasonic aren't trying to do something that is not their main thing - ie. produce top quality lens'. They stick to the electronics and they do it well. The only reason I don't give the camera 5 stars (and would have given 4 1/2 if I had the option) is that the flash is esentially manual - even in Auto mode. You still have to push the button to make it pop up. Not a biggie but still takes that extra second or two to get set for a photo.It would have been nice if it knew when to pop up on its own. Also this is no small compact camera. It has an assured and solid feel to it that seems streets ahead of the opposition - just pick up a sony and compare!

Honestly do yourself a favour and try this camera - it can't hurt and you won't be disappointed.

This camera is amazing. I am getting more deeply interested in photography, and have had a great Minolta 35mm SLR for years and love it. I've been waiting for digital's quality to come up, and prices to come down for a few years. I felt that time had arrived, so I began seriously researching which camera to buy.

After spending much time learning about what the pros love, I basically decided to get the Leica Digilux 1 (www.leica-camera.com/digitalekameras/digilux1/index_e.html). Unfortunately, at 900 bucks, I was also planning to have to continue my wait.

Then I stumbled upon the Panasonic LC40 w/ a Leica lens. I read all I could about the camera, and noticed some serious similarities b/t it and the Digilux. In fact, I learned that Panasonic was sub-contracted to put their digital works in the Leica cam, while Leica puts their SAME EXACT lens (the Leica DC Vario-Summicron) in the LC40.

Got the LC40 for 1/3 the price of a Digilux, and got basically the same exact camera (minus manual focus and with a smaller lcd). If you look at the specs of both cams you'll see what I mean.

Most of the reviews here and elsewhere have highlighted much of what I want to say about this fantastic camera. But I have come across rare review-complaints about its darkening of pictures and bad low-light performance, color-shifting etc. These comments I have found to be completely untrue, and probably the unfortunate result of a lack of a basic understanding of photography. This cam is simply AMAZING in low light, without a flash. It focuses very well in extremely dim situations (we're talking DARK situations) and yields amazing results. The colors are crisp and neutral. Even in low light. I did not find a hint of even minor color shift.

Other nice features:
Clean neutral flash. Good redeye reduction. Multiple flash modes.
"Burst" mode a-la Girls On Film by Duran Duran ;)
SD cards (more $$, but smaller)
Fast USB xfer.
Ergonomically comfortable. Big enough to offer stability, yet quite compact.
Great price.

Minuses (almost a joke to bring up considering the price)
No manual focus
No focus tracking light
Minimal digital zoom.
No acc or flash sync (for external flash systems).
No remote.

In a world flooded with mediocre 4mp cameras and lenses, this one borders on pro for an extreme fraction of the cost. Go get one, because you'll easily have to go to the $1k range to compete with the LC40's results.

Do not buy Panasonic cameras. I bought a DMC-LC20 one year ago, and it died exactly one day after the warranty expired. It began taking pictures with green/pink tones. Support for digital cameras is terrible. They replaced the main board with a second hand one as a "favor" without improvement, now (6 weeks later) they still have the camera and now want to replace the CCD for $129.00 + labor. Panasonic has not returned any emails I've sent about my disappointment with this product. I will throw it away and buy Sony.

Purchased this camera recently and have been very impressed. It has all the features you would expect of a camera of this quality. The Leica lens alone is worth the money I paid for it and it is great to see that Panasonic aren't trying to do something that is not their main thing - ie. produce top quality lens'. They stick to the electronics and they do it well. The only reason I don't give the camera 5 stars (and would have given 4 1/2 if I had the option) is that the flash is esentially manual - even in Auto mode. You still have to push the button to make it pop up. Not a biggie but still takes that extra second or two to get set for a photo.It would have been nice if it knew when to pop up on its own. Also this is no small compact camera. It has an assured and solid feel to it that seems streets ahead of the opposition - just pick up a sony and compare!

Honestly do yourself a favour and try this camera - it can't hurt and you won't be disappointed.

This camera is amazing. I am getting more deeply interested in photography, and have had a great Minolta 35mm SLR for years and love it. I've been waiting for digital's quality to come up, and prices to come down for a few years. I felt that time had arrived, so I began seriously researching which camera to buy.

After spending much time learning about what the pros love, I basically decided to get the Leica Digilux 1 (www.leica-camera.com/digitalekameras/digilux1/index_e.html). Unfortunately, at 900 bucks, I was also planning to have to continue my wait.

Then I stumbled upon the Panasonic LC40 w/ a Leica lens. I read all I could about the camera, and noticed some serious similarities b/t it and the Digilux. In fact, I learned that Panasonic was sub-contracted to put their digital works in the Leica cam, while Leica puts their SAME EXACT lens (the Leica DC Vario-Summicron) in the LC40.

Got the LC40 for 1/3 the price of a Digilux, and got basically the same exact camera (minus manual focus and with a smaller lcd). If you look at the specs of both cams you'll see what I mean.

Most of the reviews here and elsewhere have highlighted much of what I want to say about this fantastic camera. But I have come across rare review-complaints about its darkening of pictures and bad low-light performance, color-shifting etc. These comments I have found to be completely untrue, and probably the unfortunate result of a lack of a basic understanding of photography. This cam is simply AMAZING in low light, without a flash. It focuses very well in extremely dim situations (we're talking DARK situations) and yields amazing results. The colors are crisp and neutral. Even in low light. I did not find a hint of even minor color shift.

Other nice features:
Clean neutral flash. Good redeye reduction. Multiple flash modes.
"Burst" mode a-la Girls On Film by Duran Duran ;)
SD cards (more $$, but smaller)
Fast USB xfer.
Ergonomically comfortable. Big enough to offer stability, yet quite compact.
Great price.

Minuses (almost a joke to bring up considering the price)
No manual focus
No focus tracking light
Minimal digital zoom.
No acc or flash sync (for external flash systems).
No remote.

In a world flooded with mediocre 4mp cameras and lenses, this one borders on pro for an extreme fraction of the cost. Go get one, because you'll easily have to go to the $1k range to compete with the LC40's results.