Digital-Camera Reviews

I take a lot of digital pictures. I am a freelance photographer shooting a lot of drama, music and dance events during stage performances. I bought and used the earlier Sony Mavica FD-91 with the image stabelized 10x zoom. People loved the closeup and personal images I could capture with it. However, at .8 Megapixels, the FD-91 was limited to smaller prints, and the 3.5" floppy disk had to be changed every 10 shots or so.

This new Sony CD1000 has same high quality zoom, plus 2.1 Megapixel capture for larger prints, external flash ability and a 156MB CD-R mini disk to store the pictures on. I get over 160 high quality images shooting the same 3:2 aspect ratio as traditional 35mm cameras.

But Sony, if you want five star reviews, read on... You will have to shorten the 1/2 second delay and viewer blackout after pressing the shutter release until the image is captured. I have to anticipate where a subject will be, take the picture and hope. And, if miss my shot, which happens a lot, I have to wait 3 seconds until I can try again. Sony, add some RAM memory, let us take three or four fast pictures in a row, then store them. You are so close.

I've had mine for over a month and shot 4 disks full. Many of the shots are amazingly good (I'm the one amazed) and the instant feedback so you can show your subject the picture is a real plus. We took the grandkids for a Christmas tree light tour the other night and when we got back, we just connected the CD1000 cable to the TV set and there were the Christmas lights for my daughter and son in law to see, with the grandkids filling in the play by play. Grandpa and grandma got lots of points.

The after-market CD-Rs not only are more than 1/4 the price of Sony, but they hold 200MB vs the standard 156MB. A warning does come up, recommending Sony Mavica disks, but all work fine, including downloads into the PC.

The economics of CD-R photo storage is incredible. The CD-R stores about the same as 4-5 rolls of 36 exposure 35mm film, even at the highest JPEG resolution setting for the CD1000. That's about $16-$20 just for 35mm film, not counting processing or printing vs the cost of the disk which is about 80 cents.

The bad stuff:

(1)The CD1000 cannot put up with even slow motion activity shooting. Basically, when you slightly depress the shutter, a green light comes on and the image "freezes", ready for the final press of the shutter to store "that" image, right? Not so. The green light and the frozen image simply "charges" the CCD array and when you press the shutter further to actually take the shot, the CCD receives whatever image is presented through the lens. If all is still, no problem, but if the image is moving, like at a social event, you come out with part of an arm, leg, or the back of a head or two. This takes a while to adapt to and if you're planning to use the CD1000 for a sporting event camera, forget it.

(2)Associated with the above problem, is the image in the view finder and LCD screen goes to freeze or blank when the shutter is activated so any action is lost. The view finder is a small LCD and not an optical look through the lens. Sure, on 35mm cams we lose the image during the shot, but only for the shutter speed. With the CD1000, you're off for as long as the CD-R write cycle takes, about 1 to 5 seconds.

(3)The flash "hot shoe" is not. It's only a bracket to attach Sony's own CD1000 optional flash that's non-standard via their interrconnect cord. That means all those smart flashes for our 35mm won't work. BTW, the CD1000 built in flash is good for about 5 feet with lots of controls. However, when the flash is up, the CD1000 compensates it's exposure and darkens the shot for longer distance. Better to make 2 shots, one with flash, another without, just for safety.

(4)Connecting the CD1000 to USB sounds and is simple. However, in very small type on pg.32, a warning that no other device be plugged into the other USB port. So if you have an HP Scanner already plugged in to USB and want to connect the CD1000 to the other port, forget it. I've heard sometimes it works. My installation issued "the blue screen of death" under Windows 98 SE. A call to Sony Tech Support, reminded me to "read the manual", even the fine print. This goes against the industry standard USB spec, but Sony says the CD1000 must "own" the USB environment and that's the way it is.

Other than (1-4), the CD1000 is still a great camera. Flexible to a fault, lots of storage, great shot economics (except the price of the camera), and Sony quality. I'll stay with it, even with it's faults.

I have had this camera for 4 years now and its still a great camera!!! I bought this camera new.
Writing to cd is really great. I can take 155 pictures on the highest quality setting.
The disc needs to be initialized before using, this can take about 30-45 secs. Then it has to be finalized, another 30-45 secs. That has to be done before you put it in your computers cd rom drive to view your pictures. However, you can just connect the usb feature and save from there.
The lcd on this camers is great too. You can also take a 1 minute long video.

Still very happy with it.

This camera seems to have it all for a sub-200 model! Although I am not a novice digital photographer, I am not a professional -- nor do I want to be. I wanted a camera that would take nice pictures of friends, family and the occasional scenery shot that could be printed out or uploaded. The Fujifilm 1.3 does this well, and prints very nice photos at photo size (I do 4x6, 5x7).

The selling points (besides the price) are as follows: 1) its very small -- making it easy to take with you in a pocket, 2) it works on both my Mac OS X and Win 98/ME PC via USB -- essentially plug-n-play, 3) it takes great daylight pictures, 4) it doesn't eat batteries if you don't use the display mode -- ie: operating it like a normal camera using a viewfinder. I have not filled up the 8 MB card that came with the camera yet, although I haven't tried very hard (maybe a max of 20 photos on fine resolution in a sitting). Because I download to a laptop, I don't really need to spend additional money for a bigger card. I've also dropped it a few times, without affecting performance, so its a pretty sturdy little camera.

The only issue I have with the camera is that there is a learning curve for most of the features that may cause you to lose good photo opportunities at first. You have to read the manual to know how the display works, and how to set the camera for different sorts of lighting schemes. I blurred a few photos because I didn't realize the macro switch had turned on while it was in my bag, and didn't discover this until later when I downloaded them. I haven't quite mastered the various flash settings and took a low-light, indoor shot from about 8 feet away that isn't great. If I were to put some time in learning the display functions, rather that setting it on "auto" and using the viewfinder all the time, I might become quicker at changing the settings for different lighting situations. As it is now, the camera is fine for my uses, and I can usually brighten the "mistakes" in Photoshop.

I've had this camera for close to 2 and a half years. It has put up with all my abuse, rain, rocks and snow.

I have no idea what the settings do. I keep everything on auto and come out with great pictures, just point and shoot. It's a great entry-level camera. I have rechargable batteries and they last a lot longer than disposables.

I'm in the process of picking out a new digital camera. I'm looking for more megapixels and an optical zoom. I absolutely love that there is almost no delay from when you press the button to when the picture is snapped. I'm worried that I won't be able to find a fancier camera that takes the picture right away.

This camera is so easy to use and practical. I would recommend it to anyone who isn't interested in optical zoom or more megapixels.

This is a great consumer grade camera. I have 2 SLRs, and 2 Nikon/Olympus One Shot cameras and for quick snaps, and sending pictures online - i'm hooked.

The 1.3MPix will fill a 1024x768 screen with sharp graphics. So far this camera's color accuracy amazes me. It is pocket sized, simple to use, and the price is tuff to beat. Most of my shooting is outdoors and it works well in a variety of lighting conditions - i usually shoot people with the flash.

The finepix PC software is basic. If you don't like it just plug in the Camera's USB port, and open the USB Device in Windows Explorer and use what ever you want. Buy rechargable batteries, you can maybe get 60 or so snaps with disposable's included.

In my opinion the next logical upgrade above this camera would be an optical zoom, and 2-3 MPix.

I read a lot of reviews and also some background info on digital cameras. I bought this camera for the features and price. Actually, it is a little more complicated than I wanted because I'm not a techno junkie. It takes great pictures and is quite compact. I also bought the Kodak rechargeable batters and charger, a 32mb smartmedia card, and a case logic brand case. The software was easy to install except you have to search to find the Adobe photodelux pgm. I did have to get usb ports installed ... I thought that would be better than having to buy a card reader. The transfer from camera to pc is fast, but with the included software, you have to save each picture individually while the camera is running. Instead, I learned to do it via My Computer by selecting all, copying all files, and pasting to a folder of my choice. I would like to get a card reader, but I need to find a reliable one without problems. In summary, the Fujifilm 1400 is a great entry-level camera. We bought it over the 1300 because of the lens cover.

I've had this camera for over 2 years now and haven't had the need to upgrade it. It takes clear pictures and the 3x optical zoom comes in handy. Memory is a steal nowadays. With a 64mb card, I can take ~150 fine pictures. I print photos at around 4" X 6" and they turn out fine. Perhaps I'll upgrade to a camera with a movie mode and tv out capability, but for a beginner that just wants a simple point-and-shoot or someone new to digital photography, I'd recommend the Finepix 1400.

Well, I did alot of research from the Amazon web site to CNet.com to pricegrabber.com. I already knew what my budget was for a digital camera (around $300.00 +/-) I compared brands, features, prices, and customer reviews. I narrowed my choice down to two, this one and the Olympus 360. If I remember right the only difference between the two was that Olympus had a video out so you can see the pictures on your t.v. But the Fuji did'nt yet the Fuji was USB compatible and the Olympus was just serial. I decided to forgoe the t.v. and go straight for speed so that I can manipulate the pictures and e-mail or print them. I am glad I did. The quality for an average occasional picture taker like myself is exceptional!! At the highest resolution the crispness, clarity, and detail is near 35mm quality. I do recommend as others have, buying rechargable batteries, and a bigger Smart Media card. I love this camera and for someone who is just looking for a good digital camera that takes quality pictures for an average picture taker, this is the way to go!!

I received my camera and immediately started taking beautiful photos. The menu is easy to follow and I like the scene option and quality of the display. I had compared it to the Sony DSCS70 with the Carl Zeiss lens and it was about the same in price and features, but I went with Nikon for their optics and menu options thining that I would spend the same amount of money. As well, I ordered the CoolPack for "all" coolpix 700, 800 and 900 series cameras. To my dismay the batteries that come with the CoolPack are not compatible with the 880 and the lens filters are not compatible either (I am assuming a step down ring is needed). I promptly returned it. I ordered a 64MB compact flash card for about $100. I took about 40 nice photos and kabam - the lithium ion batter was drained (it comes with a disposable battery). Each battery costs $12-13. Since I intend on taking many photos, I have opted to spend the extra $120 and order the re-chargeable battery, charger and small case. This is a hefty add on fee for what all the other digital camera's of the same price range come with standardly. The autofocus makes a rather loud noise. At first I was worried since it does not sound like it is a smooth moving part inside (lots of friction sounds), but I called tech support and was told this is normal for the camera to make these sounds. The lady at Nikon was professional and courteous, and hopefully correct in her information! All in all, I expect to take lots beautiful pictures very easily, but if you are not willing to invest about $1100 including the camera and accessories, then this may not be the camera for you. If the camera had come with the battery, charger and protective cover/case I would have given this a 5 star review.

I have been looking for another digital camera since my first camera (minolta dimage 1500 zoom)was a total disappointment. For the past six weeks I've researched the Internet (Steve's Review, DPReview, Imaging Resources, etc) comparing, as my final choices the Canon Powershot 20, the Fujifilm 4700 and the Coolpix 880. My main criteria are 3 megapixel and being able to take it along wherever I go in my pocket. After reading all the reviews I decided to go for the Coolpix especially considering the ability to do some manual adjustments with the camera, although I consider myself a novice/amateur. I got my camera from Amazon.com four days after I ordered it. I got my rechargeable battery and charger at another internet site where it was cheaper. After playing with the different controls of the camera I was able to even use the manual control and was very impressed with the pictures. I was not impressed with the "Scene" mode at all. I prefer the CSM, P and A mode which was very easy to use and get perfect results. The "Auto" mode also works very well. The quality of the pictures and the ease of control is almost like night and day in comparison to my prior digital camera. For anyone considering a 3 megapixel digital camera I would recommend this, with the reminder to also get the rechargeable batteries at the same time. The battery that came with the camera did not last long. It lasted only long enough to enable me to study the different functions of the camera and was able to take only a few pictures with the original battery. I would have rated this camera as 5 stars if not for the limited aperture control of only two.

Having used this CP880 for about 2+ yrs, I've still on the learning curve and have only scratched the surface . Although most shots are quite good with the Auto sequence, it's nice to have flexibility with manual settings. Be prepared to buy the extras to make your digicam experience practical: 2 re-chargeable Li-ion batteries and the charger; upgrade to a 64 or better yet a 128 MB CF card with card reader (supplied with my Lexar 64 MB CF card. USB connectivity reader greatly expedites transfer of files to PC); optional digital wallet (Minds@work 3 GB portable HD for travel and downloading on the road); belt case (to keep the CP close by for those "once in a lifetime shots"). I'm familiar with many controls but the manual is a bit cumbersome. I'm now reviewing "Nikon Coolpix 880 Photography by Dan Curtin...to pick up more nuances. The CP4300 may be a more current version and deserves consideration. All in all, a great camera. My 1200 shots taken in Oregon,Washington,Vancouver, and Victoria were burned to CD's with relative ease thanks to my CP880 and peripherals. Some of my Butchart Gardens shots were spectacularly polarized courtesy of a hand-held 52 mm polarizing lense from my old 35 mm Nikorrmat!!

That's right! Something that Sony doesn't tell you when you read the specs on this sucker! I bought mine and tried it out right away. It came with a set of batteries that I plugged in and started shooting. As far as taking pictures, it's pretty striaghtforward and easy to use. Here's the catch.

When I went to download the pictures onto my laptop, I opened up the manual and guess what it says? "Do not use battery power to download pictures to computer. You must use the dc power supply". Hmmm... So I rummage through the box and guess what there's no power supply. You have to buy it seperately!

You'd think that for $..., Sony could throw in a stupid power cord! I mean charge me more for it or whatever but I was pretty...[mad] that it didn't come with the camera. Also, it only comes with regular batteries - which is fine but using them to download pictures drains batteries dead.

So if you want the power supply and perhaps the battery it's going to cost you another $... You can get the Starter Pack which includes battery, charger, and case for $... If you seriously want this camera order it at the same time to avoid frustration.

I recently got this camera. Here are the things I noticed
1) You must have the Rechargeable Nimh 1600 amph batteries atleast 4 at hand.(better you order the sony starter or stamina kit, comes with charger, battery and cover)
2) Duracell AA(reg) batteries lasted for 4 pictures with flash and about 7 min of playing with the menu.
3) I feel the quality of the image is good. I also feel the image is slightly darker on the right or as a whole when you take in the night time probably because the flash isn't powerful enough. To get a better picture in the night you must be within 5ft max.
4) The pictures taken at the daytime are amazing the best of the cameras so far.
5) Mpeg has no audio but can record upto your memory stick capacity.(previous models have audio but they allow you to record upto 15sec(dsc-s50))
6)I agree with one of the prev reviews saying the viewfinder only shows approx 70% of the actual picture taken
Overall I would give 8/10 and I would recommend this to others.

thanks,
Jag

The P-50 and Canon A20 were my final two choices. I decided to go with the P-50 because it used only 2AA batteries and had the MPEG and Clip Movie recording features which is very neat.

I'm glad I went with the P-50. Here is my pro and con list for the P-50:

Pros:
* 3 optical zoom (it zooms fast)
* Uses 2 AA batteries. Don't get the battery pack. Just get 6 NiMh batteries with a rating of at least 1600mha, which are inexpensive. I got 4 Energizer 1600 mha NiMh batteries and a recharger at Target for only $... NiMH batteries last twice as long as alkalines and I haven't had to worry about my batteries dying.
* MPEG and Clip (GIF) movie modes are real fun. No sound on the MPEG, but spending an extra $... for a camera with sound wasn't worth it to me. For you who design web pages, you'll love the Clip (GIF) movie mode.
* Memory Stick, although expensive, is much more compact and stores more memory. However, the 4MB stick that comes with the camera is lame unless you plan to take only lower quality resolutions. I got a 64MB stick and at FINE quality (if using STANDARD quality, double all the numbers below) can hold the following: 67 1600x1200, 174 1024 x768, 400 640x480. As you can see that's alot of pictures.
* ISO flexibility and twilight mode. This helps when shooting in low light. The AF illuminator really helps the camera to focus in low light.
* Can crop pictures and cut MPEGs.
* If you change the Power Save mode to "off", then the camera lag time (a common complaint in these reviews) after you take a picture is very minimal. It's actually fast compared to other digital cameras I've used.
* Very fast transfer rate using the USB driver. The camera becomes another drive in Windows Explorer that you just drag to your hard drive. Very fast. I have Windows ME which allows Windows Explorer to view in thumbnail mode, so I can even preview all the pictures before moving them to the hard drive.
* The video out mode is cool. Just plug in the supplied jack cord to your P-50 and to your TV or VCR and see a slide show of your pictures you just took.
* If you auto-focus by pressing the shutter button half way, then the camera takes the picture very fast with almost no lag time, unlike other digital cameras in this price range,
* 37mm threads and the fact the optical zoom stays within the camera allows you to use an UV filter for better picture quality and as a lens protector.
* You can view your pictures taken also in thumbnail mode. Also, the camera tells you your settings (i.e shutter speed, iso, EV, etc.) of the picture.
* The camera allows the option to imprint the date onto your digital photos. This is a must for me as I never remember the date of the picture without this feature.
* The lens cap comes with a lens strap so you won't lose your cap.

Cons:
* 41mm lens. If you know photography, you will realize that most SLRs and point and shoots have 35mm lens. The lower the number, the better the wide angle, which allows you to take more area from the same distance making your objects also larger. However, the above pros by far outweigh this. If you're not a camera junkie like I am, you probably won't even notice this.
* The viewfinder only shows approx 70% of the actual picture taken and is slighty "skewed" to the left. If you think you got your object centered using the viewfinder, you'll will find out that the subject will be slightly left in the actual picture. The way around this is to use the LCD, which shows 100% of the actual picture and is not skewed.

All in all, in the 2.1 megapixel range and under $... as of 9/8/01, I feel this camera is the best one.

This is a good camera for awesome still photos, but don't get too close; tend to be blurry. And even in macro mode, you have to be perfectly still (tripod) as well as your subject. The lens did get stuck once, but has worked fine since.
My biggest pet peeve is that the video only records in .mov format. Only RealOne can play that. I cannot use it with Windows Movie Maker, as only Macs can. I wish it could have an option to record in .avi or .mpg formats.
So, when my husband lost it a month ago, I was a bit upset, but glad that now I can get a camcorder that records in a Windows compatable format and that takes stills as well. I will not buy any Minoltas until they offer those formats. It is very important to me; I have 3 children that are growing fast.
And I also have one more pet peeve: everytime your batteries die or you remove them, you have to reset your date and time. VERY annoying! No memory battery to keep data you entered. This camera is good, but with a few minor improvements, it can be awesome.

After extensive research on this site and several others, I returned my Canon S200 and upgraded to the Minolta F100. I am very pleased with my purchase, because this is an excellent camera well-suited to my two main reasons for finally making the move to digital: clear, quick snapshots and the flexibility to completely control the shot. With a set of rechargeable lithium-ions (not included - easily worth the $ I paid) and a 128MB SD card I was able to shoot over 100 pictures at a friend's birthday party (most with flash, including movies, motor-drive style, automatic and manual exposures). I dropped them onto my ibook and went right back out to try my hobbyist's hand at our historic village. I can't think of a thing to complain about: this camera is small enough to go into a jacket pocket, versatile enough to offer complete f-stop, shutter speed and exposure control, and it takes phenomenally good pictures at all image grades (from the 2 MB, small to the 4MB superfine level). No purple fringing, no unnatural white balance - just excellent pictures. Worth every penny. Finally time to retire my APS Elph after 7 years. (I had also considered the S230 and the S45, but they just didn't match up. The S230 was overpriced and limited in its flexibility, while the S45 was too big and too expensive. I'm hooked on the Minolta.

I've have bought both the Sony P7 and the Canon S230 in the past 3 weeks, and took them both back. The Minolta F100 blows them away! If you are considering either of these cameras, be sure to check out the Minolta first. It way more feature-packed.

The Sony had awful software (totally unusable) and the pictures were all fuzzy on the edges of the subjects - like I shot them with a softening filter. And having to charge the battery inside the camera with the bulky cords was a hassle.

The Canon, for a $400 camera, has no date stamp imprint! You have to apply it with their software! Sometimes I print right from my printer and don't even involve my PC. Completely unacceptable.

In comparison, the Minolta offers these added features:

*It's 4 Megapixels instead of only 3!

*A separate LCD display of camera settings and options, as well as having the option to display them in your main LCD too. Nice if you don't want your view to be cluttered with settings.

*I happened to find it alot cheaper online from a reputable major retailer than at the major electronics stores nearby. It came with an extra 64mb card and leather case for less than either the Sony or Canon! :-D

*It has a movie mode with sound, but you can also attach a voice message to any photo!

*I like the CR-V3 batteries. My Kodak had them and they don't drain as fast as everyone complains they do. They are not expensive...so just keep an extra handy.

*I have Windows XP, and had to download a software version updatefrom minolta.com to be able to transfer my photos, but it went smoothly.

*There are all manual settings too, for those that might want to have that control. My pictures on auto are fantastic.

*The only thing I don't like is that you have to have the camera in manual mode to have the date imprint. I don't really understand why, but it's a tiny tiny detail. I just put it in that mode but don't change any of the settings it already has - it works just fine.

You really need to give this camera a look! You won't be disappointed!

I got the camera today and proceeded to try it out both at work and at home. I had no problems whatsoever setting up the drivers and software either on my iMac at work or on my Win98 machine at home. The camera's really easy to use, the only possible drawback is that all the menu items appear as tiny little icons on the LCD screen - perhaps not a good choice for those with bad eyesight. We've been taking pictures all night, and everything seems to be working out fine. Obviously, I haven't tested it in all possible conditions, and I know that battery life will be an issue. I did a lot of shopping around, and this really did seem like the best bang for the buck. ...I'd definitely recommend looking around on the web, taking your time, reading reviews, and deciding what you'd like out of a digital camera. If, however, you're a novice user, would like something that's easy to set up and equally easy to use, I'd definitely recommend the Finepix 1300. The USB interface is quite speedy, it's lightweight and portable, and picture quality is pretty good. I'd think about purchasing some rechargable batteries, a carrying case (there's no lens cap), and perhaps a wall adapter (especially if you'll be using it for Ebay or something like that). Anice beginner's digital camera, with a lot of good deals out there if you look around.

This camera is alot like Apple computers, easy to use for a beginner, alot of options for more experienced people, and most of all great quality for price. i bought this camera mostly, because of the price, right before a vacation hoping it would work out ok. It turned out great.

First off this camera is a great start for people not accustomed to digital cameras. This camera is incedibly easy to use, novices can just use it as a point and click camera, with the camera automatically setting if flash is needed, and other more complicated details, which a more experienced person can set manually. You can take two different sizes of pictures, one normal and one smaller for use on the internet. The camera has 3 quality levels, but to tell the truth the normal is almost just as good as the fine level.

I'm not sure what the other reviewers are talking about but i had no problem loading the pictures. All the hookups are included, and it works on PC and Mac.

The only complaint is the lack of a zoom. On the smaller sized pictues you have a 2x zoom, but that's it.

But overall this is a great, high-quality camera for the price, you can get 2-32 megabyte memory cards with it and still be under the price of many other cameras. This is a great purchase, save you money in the first year, never buy film again.

i read someones review saying that this cammera drainded batteries, not at all i survived 2 weeks with 1 set of batteries, mabey the person never turned the cammera off, when in natural light you cant tell weather the cammera is on or off unless you have the display on beacuse the green on light fades and is hard to see.

I really love the quality of pictures on this camera, very crisp and clear. Comparisons to my old Nikon Coolpix 800 (2MP) are not even close. The Nikon was a great camera, but double the Megapixel and quadriple the zoom, and you have an amazing piece of hardware.

I made my decision to purchase this camera after comparing to the Fuji 3800 and Olympus C-730. I went to the store and physically picked up the cameras, the Fuji and Olympus were kind of awkward. The HP is large (I have man's hands after all! :) ) and feels like a quality camera.

Now, all is not perfect, as many have noted.

The cons of this camera include a limit of 60 seconds for video clips... now I have a 256MB SD card, and it can handle a lot of video, why only 60 seconds! HP please get a firmware update to allow unlimited video! Also, the included SD card is wimpy for a 4MP camera, offered a special when I bought this on other SD cards...plus SD memory is dropping in price daily. Get the largest SD card you can afford, you will not be sorry.

Focus, you must have a steady hand to focus in 8x Optical zoom! I find that the Digital zoom is almost as good as an optical zoom as well, if you have a tripod. It gets a decent picture, not perfect, but much better than the Digital zoom on the 2MP cameras I have used.

Also, I picked up the docking station. This is a great feature, no manually hooking up a cable and starting to offload pictures, just plonk your camera down on the dock, press the button to either print or send to computer and it is all automatic.

Overall, I think this is a great camera, and would suggest it highly. Hopefully HP keeps it up to date with firmware updates, as I would love to see faster focusing, and a mode which allows 'burst' type pictures to be taken. Even allowing different video sizes to be taken and having an opion to turn audio off on videos would be great.

I've had this camera now for over a year and it is awesome. First of all to the people complaining about the battery life, you must have a faulty unit because my batteries last forever. I am always taking pictures and very rarely have to change batteries. I spent 4 days in Vegas and the Grand Canyon last year and took over 600 pictures and never even had to replace the batteries and that was also with constantly looking at the pictures on the screen and downloading them to my laptop without using a power adaptor. The pictures I have taken are awesome but you need to take the time to learn the camera options. For example you need to learn when to use the flash or change the shutter speed to get good shots. Its not complicated but most people don't bother to do this and then complain about poor pictures. Its your own fault. I even had a professional photographist complement pictures I have taken with this camera. The zoom is awesome. I have taken pictures of things over 1500 feet away and they look crystal clear. If you take your time and learn to use the many features of the camera you will be extremely happy with the results.

The HP850 is a great digital camera. I decided to buy this camera because for its price of $[money], you get a 4 megapixel,
8X optical zoom camera. I couldn't find anything else even close to this level of performance for price.

You can also take short video clips with the camera, which is nice. The camera also lets you take pictures in rapid succession, even with the flash. I really like how quickly the flash can charge up and let you take the next shot.

HP got it right with this camera design. It has a very nice look to it and feels well balanced in your hands.

One thing you definitely need to do is get rechargable NiMH batteries for the camera though. It will quickly burn through normal Alkaline cells. It runs off of 4 AA cells (not 2), which is listed incorrectly on Amazon.com I found the battery life very long using 4AA NiMH batteries (1700 mAh capacity).

Also, the camera can recharge NiMH AA cells in the camera (according to the manual) but I haven't tried it yet. So you just need to buy the HP AC adapter and you don't need a seperate battery charger. ( I wish I new this before buying a seperate battery charger :(

My conclusion: The HP 850 is great!

V600 is the best, most expensive cell phones I have ever had.
Here are the pros and cons I have experienced so far.
PROS:
1) Pictures taken from its camera are decent when you see them on the large phone display.
2) Plays very clear sounds and videos
3) Free Voice dialling feature is a real cool feature.
4) Datebook, calculators and capability to receive free text messages (on AT&T) can make you much more organized
5) mMode subscription (AT&T) to surf the web can make you very productive.
6) Free earpeice was delivered with my item
7) Calls can be answered without have to open the phone!

CONS:
1) For AT&T customers, having the mMode key same as the general select key is a major problem. If you accidentally press the mMode key, the browser will launch and you will be charged for the data transfer. This is ABOMINABLE! Almost feels like a trap to make customers pay for web access even if they don't want to.
2) The user guide is 250 pages long! It takes time to understand all the phone features.
3) I had a little difficulty in putting my SIM card in.
4) The top display is very small and has blue background which makes it difficult to read.

Overall, a very good buy. It is almost a PDA at the cost of a cell phone.
CONCLUSION: If you are looking for a new gadget to play with, this is a good one as long as you get it for under $100.

I had Nokia 6610 for 6 months, and have been very happy with it. But wanted to buy a camera phone phone with bluetooth, so here in my opinion is one of the best choices. After using it for 2 weeks, this is what I think:

Pros:
- Decent camera with 4X zoom.
- Loaded with features
- Lots of "normal" ring tones
- Bluetooth (although haven't tried it yet)
- Keys nicely displayed, big screen
- Good battery life

Cons:
- The "on" and "off" keys are reversed, compared to Nokia and Samsung phones...A big nuisance.
- The antenna, although improves signal quality, is a pain in the a**.
- AT&T has the worst service, no fault of motorola.
- Usual problems with clamshell phones, like having to answer a call while driving is much easier if you have a "candy bar" Nokia phone.
- The phone is a little heavier than the new samsung and nokia phones, and is not as small as some pictures suggest.
- Some of the menu features are hidden way deep. Nokia, in my opinion, has the most user friendly menu display.

Overall an excellent phone, but seriously consider Nokia 6600.

A

V600 is the best, most expensive cell phones I have ever had and I soon realized that both men and women like it. Before I give the reason, here are the pros and cons I have experienced so far.

PROS:
1) Free, nice looking ear piece was delivered with my item.
2) With headset plugged in, calls can be answered without having to open (or even touch) the phone !
3) You can use it as a modem and for faxes!
4) Pictures taken from its camera are decent when you see them on the large phone display.
5) Plays very clear sounds and videos
6) Built in Voice dialling feature is a real cool feature.
7) Datebook, calculators and capability to receive free text messages (on AT&T) can make you much more organized
8) mMode subscription (AT&T) to surf the web can make you very productive.

CONS:
1) For AT&T customers, having the mMode key same as the general select key is a major problem. If you accidentally press the mMode key, the browser will launch and you will be charged for the data transfer. This is ABOMINABLE! Almost feels like a trap to make customers pay for web access even if they don't want to.
2) The user guide is 250 pages long! It takes time to understand all the phone features.
3) I had a little difficulty in putting my SIM card in.
4) The top display is very small and has blue background which makes it difficult to read.

Overall, a very good buy. It is almost a PDA at the cost of a cell phone.

CONCLUSION: A great gift for your significant other. While the men will love it for all the cool features and a chance to use some real complex ones like faxes, women will love it for its smooth top and chic look.

Pros: Super quality Best flash Advanced Software Email compatable Super battery life (except for the one it comes with) Strong Lightweight LCD Display Automatically emails when transferred Organized Bells and whistles Video option (if you have a Secure Digital Card) Wonderful camera lens Cons: Flimsy battery door Pictures are a bit darker than wanted (it can be fixed) Zoom only works with viewfinder (which drains battery) Triggers on when you do not want it to And worst of all, the batteries it comes with are intended to be used while you immediately run out of the house to get the batteries it needs. Suggestions: You do not need a Camera Dock. Best batteries are AA NiMH rechargeable batteries Do not leave it on overnight by accident or whatever Get at a 256 MB (or at least a 128 MB) Secure Digital Card if you want any videos Kodak Accessories are a bit pricey, so get the cheaper ones that work better. The one thing that irritates me the most is they jacked down the price right after I bought it (and it was previously the cheapest 2.1 MP camera besides Aiptek which works horribly). Fortunately, I can get my money back since it was only two weeks! I am 90% sure.

I came to this one because (a) I refuse to pay many times more for digital, and (b) I like the review & delete buttons on the back, instead of having to use a menu to delete.

By now the 6200 and 6320 models cost about the same (close to US$100), but the 6230 has 16Mb internal where the 6200 has 8Mb, and the 6230 also allows much closer-up pictures (special mode); so there's no reason to buy this one anymore.

I originally bought this as an inexpensive digital camera for my 12 year old for xmas. And boy was I immediately impressed with it. The quality of the picture was excellent; had a nice zoom capability; the viewing screen was very user friendly and intuitive; and it was very, very simple to shoot and operate. Then came the true test: whether I could download pictures to my PC. And to my amazement, it was surprisingly simple and wonderfully packed with great features. Loading an accompanying CD program was simple and rebooting my PC with Windows 98 easily loaded the driver for my USB connection. With the USB cable that comes with the camera, I connected it to the PC, and simply told the easy to follow menu to grab the pictures. After that it was very easy to organize and edit the pictures, including Kodak's red eye elimination feature. Emailing the pictures was a snap, sending pictures in a nice 3x4 size to the recipient. I was so impressed with the ease of operation and quality at this price that I had to write this review, something I generally wouldn't bother with. Compared with my girlfriend's $400 Minolta digital camera, the decision to buy this should be a "no brainer."