Digital-Camera Reviews

Although the camera is fine, the memory card format represents a fatal flaw that prospective buyers should consider. The memory cards are prone to format errors (Format Error 13-01) which can cause you to lose your photos. We have 8 memory sticks and have had problems with all but 3 of them. I recommend that any one considering a Sony camera purchase do a Google Search using search terms: Sony format error "13-01" to discover what disgruntled Sony owners are saying about this problem.

I have tried both a DSC-P8 and DSC-P9, and have had the same problem with both cameras. I have owned a Canon S110 for a few years now, so that is my basis for comparison.

If you own a DSC-Px, you can try this test for yourself. Try taking a picture of a friend indoors with low light. Have the friend stay about 10ft away from you. When you view the picture on the computer, you'll notice that your friend's skintone is very pixelated. This does NOT happen with other digital cameras. It definitely doesn't happen w/ the Canon. I thought I had a defective camera, but not anymore as I've had this happen with two Sony DSC-Px cameras now.

Someone who has never owned a non-sony digital camera probably won't notice the problem.

I do admit that the Sony is a great looking digital camera, and it seems to be the only camera which allows for nealy unlimited full motion video. I really wish this camera didn't have the problem I just described, because it would be my ideal camera otherwise. However, the problem is bad enough for me to stick with my Canon S110.

A great camera although it may seem a little pricey. The pictures look great even at the 2 Mpixel setting. It's great that the only limit in recording videos is the size of the Memory Stick, even on the highest image-quality setting (MPEG HQX). I noticed that a lot of digital cameras limit your recording time. Before you buy the DSC-P9, however, consider that Sony is coming out with comparable Cyber Shots in terms of features: the DSC-P2 (2 Mpixels) and DSC-P7 (3 Mpixels). They go for [price] and [price] respectively. You can see them at [URL] by following the links to digital cameras.

>When I first read about the 4500, I was really excited about some of the features advertised,especially the macro feature.(I am a tattoo artist, and this feature helps with documenting my work)Unfortunately,the camera is not really living up to my high expectations;
>It's macro feature never seems to capture a clear photo.(either blurry ,too dark,or the flash washes the image out.)
>It's auto focus doesn't do much better.
>Technical support seemed futile each time I tried.
>It seems nearly impossible to get any point and shoot from the camera at all.

>There is one feature that I enjoy, and that's the 35 second film snips it produces...otherwise, I'd recommend a more user friendly camera.

This camera came highly recommended by a relatively camera-savy friend, so I was a bit skeptical as most reviewers mention "options buried deep in menus" as a drawback. Before this, the only camera (digital or film) I'd ever owned were those disposable "fun-savers", so I figuered my learning curve would be huge.
Turns out, I love this thing. What sold me over the Canon G2 was the macro capabilities and the ring-light that was available, as I will be using it for both personal and dental (ie: macro) uses. I dont' find the menus too complex or anything like that....most things are just 2-3 clicks away at the most, and the menus are easy to follow. The ONLY negative I have found so far is that some things can "wash out" with the flash if taken 1-3 feet range, but you can avoid this by backing up and zooming in to the desired distance. So many features, hopefully I will use them all someday! Pictures are GREAT, close-up or landscapes. Swivel is handy, too. Hey, if I can use this thing, anyone can.

This Coolpix 4500 is my second Nikon digital camera. I'm still new to photography, but I can say that so far, the 4500 is an excellent camera.

The 4500 takes absolutely beautiful pictures, and the 16 modes go a long way to help novices take great looking pictures in all kinds of conditions. I like the new modes included over the Coolpix 885. The sports mode works well, and the panorama mode makes it very easy to create composite shots that look like they were created by a professional. Focusing is quick, and pop-up flash works well, and the camera feels solid.

Above all, it's pictures are amazingly detailed, with grat color reproduction. Highly recommended for novices and intermediate photographers alike.

I have had mine for approximately a year now and have had very excellent performance. I have experiance with many cameras, and digital is definately the way to go. The economics of it outways film cameras tremendously. I can hold over 400 photos on 100 floppy disks costing me only about $22.00 per box of 100 floppys. Try doing that with a film camera. And if you miss a shot or make a bad shot, just delete it, their's no waste. The only negitive aspects to this camera is the autofocus is quite slow for action shots, by the time it focuses and snaps the photo, the object is long gone. I have missed many shots due to this, I recommend planning action shots very carefully. The quality of the photos are very good for a 2.1 MP camera, you can make 8x10 photos with relitively good results. But if your looking for the quality like a 35mm film camera has than this isnt for you. And on occasion, you will find a floppy disk that won't format and won't hold any photos, I just ditch them and use another, the cost is very minimal. Overall this is a very good digital camera.

The new Sony MVC-FD95 digital camera is one of the best. I have the older model the FD-91 and love it, the only two things I would like added were added to the new FD-95. One was the limited flash. They have added a hot shoe for an external flash and it now gives you the same indoor flash quality as the old SDL cameras. The other was the somewhat low DPI. The older FD-91 was at 1024 x 768 the new FD-95 is way up at 1600 x 1200. The new eye viewer is centered in the camera and has a wider opening with eyeglass correction focus. The mike for audio in located on the front as before it was on top. I do miss the moveable LCD for seld portraits, but not many of them taken anyway! The steady shot is a must and was one of the best features. I used it all the time when you are on 10~20x it is a must. The only con's I have found is the battery charging system. I liked the old seperate charger that you could charge a battery as you are away using the camera, but then you can buy the extra battery charger as an accessory. The other was the video mode is only 15 seconds now. I liked the 60 sec. mode on the older FD-91, but the larger format is nice. The camera style is a little more compact and well balanced.

Super shot camera!!! Large enough to get your hands on and feel like a camera. What's more, it uses 3.5" disks to save your pictures on in low res to superhigh res. You can format the disks in the camera and after you have saved the ones to keep you can write on the disks again. I've taken pics of mountain goats and bighorns with the 10 zoom and have edited them with both corel photo and Adobe photoshop programs and have printed them to film quality 8 x 10's.

I have one of these in my glove box and use it all the time. My other Camera is a G2 and admit the G2 is far better than the S20. As most will agree the battery is flat too soon to trust for more than 20 mins. I've built some Li-ion batteries for this camera and solved the problem. I now can run almost 3hrs. before a charge in needed. Canon made a big mistake powering this with 5 AAA Ni-MH cells, should have been the Li-ion's like my G2. The G2 goes forever on a charge and the Li-ion batteries hold a solid charge with a very low rate of static dicharge.
The S20 is still a valid camera in my bag and many of my local news photos are shots taken with my S20. Its been a solid kick around digital thats hit the floor many more times than any plastic model could ever take, and if its too heavy for some then I guess you'd be crying about why Canon made the case out of plastic. Yes I have dents in my S20 but the case is why my S20 has lasted the many miles and bumps it has. OK so the S20 is a basic camera in todays market but as a used 3.3MP (Amazon's, header incorrectly states 3.2)
Digital its been time and road tested to be an Excelent example.

I love this camera. It is the smallest 3.3mp camera on the market and takes incredible pictures. The best part about this camera is its ability to take both type 1 and type 2 cf cards. This means that the S20 can use the IBM Microdrive (170 or 340 mb). With the 340 mb drive (@$400, with pcmcia card adapter), the camera can hold 379 shots at largest size with medium resolution, or 164 shots at largest size with best resolution. I literally shoot all day and sort the pictures out later. No more asking yourself, "should I take this shot, or will I fill the card too quickly." If you are not going to buy the microdrive, I really don't see the need to pay $800 for this camera. Its like buying a rolls royce and getting bicycle tires. Also, be aware that the S20 takes a proprietary battery (cannot be replaced by regular batteries in a pinch). When you buy the camera, buy at least one extra battery that day. Nothing is worse than having 150 shots left, but a dead battery. I love my S20, but be aware that after the camera, charger, 340mb microdrive and an extra battery, you are talking about $1350.

I just saw what Amazon is selling the S-20 camera for, and I just had to write and express my opinion about this item. This is simply an incredible deal. I've had years of experience in photography. (...) This little S-20 is so neat. It will fit into your pants pocket. And, in an instant it's ready to shoot a picture. The images it produces are extremely sharp and detailed. It allows manual control of several functions incl.: image size, flash, zoom focus, light balance, and many other items. This thing will take any CompactFlash brand card you shove into it, just hit the format key & it's ready to go. It will take a microdrive, which is something i haven't tried yet, but it sounds very interesting. And, if the rechargeable battery runs out, you can power up with off the shelf disposable batteries. (...)the main reason I like this camera is that it's the toughest little thing around. You can drop it on the ground, pick it up & it will still work. I've already dropped my S-20 several times without any negative results. Well, enough already. If you want a tough little camera, that fits in a shirtpocket & takes extremely sharp pictures, then this one is a no - brainer. I guess the only reason they're selling this for so lttle is that it's going to be discontinued. If that's the case, then get it. It's a classic.

pros:
- amazingly small and light - truly pocketable at 3.5 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches, weighing in at 2.5 oz!
- all-metal body.
- 3MP resolution.
- full 2" LCD.
- fast startup.
- virtually no shutter lag since lens has fixed focal length.
- fast shot to shot times.
- allows a surprising amount of control, including manual white balance
- plenty of preprogrammed scene modes.
- handy dock for photo transfer / battery charging.

cons:
- no optical zoom.
- mediocre picture quality - lots of noise, plus some blurriness and vignetting.
- high redeye occurrence.
- no macro mode.
- RAW and TIFF formats not supported.
- the LCD is a full 2", but is low resolution.
- no tripod mount.
- longest shutter setting is 1/4 second - with no tripod mount, it didn't make sense to have longer shutter settings.
- average movie mode.
- 10MB of on-board memory is definitely not enough - add $$ to your budget for more memory.
- so-so battery life.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- body easily scratched.
- manual is on CD.

i'm very impressed with this camera because of the engineering that went into this miniaturization marvel. but the small size forces the user to accept mediocre picture quality. in the end, portability is only half the story. if you end up not being happy with the pictures you take because of poor quality, then the camera has failed in its mission. if you can find room in your pocket for a camera that will be half an inch thicker and weigh 2 to 3 ounces more, i would recommend the pentax optio S, casio's ex-z3, or canon's sd100. these options will deliver much better pictures and have optical zoom.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

Pros:

- Great design. Very sleek. Large LCD is an attention grabber.

- Portability. Very light and thin. The actual size is not as small as you'd think. But the lightness of the camera and it's thinness makes this maybe the most portable camera. You can just put it in your front shirt pocket and not feel like anything's in there.

- Lots of cool functions. The best shot mode is awesome. It allows you to make your own settings, and use it at ease. ISO levels are pretty decent too, considering it's such a small cam.

- I thought that the quality of the pics were very good. I'm merely a beginner, so this may not mean much, but I really thought this cam took some nice pictures, and I didn't even set it at the highest resolution. Perhaps, if you are really into photography, you may notice, but if you are, you probably would want to go with the SLR's anyway.

Cons:

- Too small? Well, this is actualy a good thing, but because it's so portable, it's really easy to lose. I actually lost my first Ex-3 on my first week, then bought another one, only to lose it again! Luckliy, I found it the second time around, but it just shows u, how easy it is to misplace it.

- Lack of a good case. First, it doesn't come with a case. You have to buy it. But even the ones that are out in the market, are not that great IMO. The cases make the camera bulkier, kind of beating the purpose of having this camera.

- No Zoom. Yes, there's digital zoom, but like everyoneelse in this site has mentioned, is practically useless. You mind as well just take the picture normally, then zoom it up in photoshop. It'll give you pretty much the same effect. I found zoom to be quite a necessary feature in photography, after i played around with my friend's zoomable camera.

- No burst mode. yes, it's really fast and easy to turn it on and take a picture, but you still have to hold the camera steady for like a second or two, before it actually takes the picture. For example, if you wanted to take a picture of someone who didn't want to (hehe), you would probably take a picture of them on a surprise, but by the time the camera actually takes the picture, they'll have their hands on their face. So it's not 'instant', as I thought it would be. I think for it to be instant, it needs 'burst mode'. Comparable Kyocera cam has this.

- The recharger/USB port is cumbersome. It's nice when u have it at home, but if you were travelling, you'd have to carry that whole cradle with u, just so u can recharge ur batteries.

Conclusion:

Suffice it to say, I bought the camera again for the second time, after I lost it the first time. This should tell you how much I like the camera. It's really the most portable camera out there, outside of those 1 mega pixel spy cams, and its features and sleek look, make it a true winner. But for my next cam, I'm going to make sure that it has zoom capability and burst mode.

I have several Olympus Digitals that are excellent (5050 in particilar). But this Casio goes with me wherever I go. Consequently, I have taken many more pictures with this camera than with all the others combined (over 2500 in a year's time).

As for the case issue, I slip mine into an eyeglass case - the kind that is felt lined and has a pocket/belt clip attached. It fits nicely in my shirt pocket, dosen't fall out when I bend and
can be removed (and put back) in an instant.

Also, it is somewhat wide angle so it is great in small rooms.

Try it, you'll love it.

the minolta dimage z1 is an affordable and capable entry into the 10x optical zoom camera class. but there are a couple of watch-outs to consider.

pros:
- 10x optical zoom - this is the main selling point of this camera (make sure you get a tripod or monopod to hold the camera steady at 10x to prevent blurry shots).
- 3MP resolution.
- generally good image quality.
- good redeye performance (better than competition).
- uses a passive AF system that theoretically speeds up focus times at all light levels although low light focus speeds were not as fast as expected.
- has several burst mode options that should appeal to sports photographers.
- allows a great deal of manual control.
- fast start-up.
- minimal shutter lag.
- fast shot to shot times.
- external flash hot shoe - but only compatible with minolta-based flashes.
- support for optional wide-angle lens.
- bright, hi resolution 1.5" LCD display (smaller size than competition, though).
- has intriguing Switch Finder system reflects the LCD image to the viewfinder so you see what the CCD sees.
- movie mode supports VGA quality (640x480) capture at 15 or 30 frames-per-second plus the AF system operates continuously during movie mode ensuring sharpness.
- non-proprietary AA batteries used. this means replacement batteries are as close as the nearest convenience store (i recommend rechargeables though).
- not the most compact 10x zoom camera: 4.3 x 3.1 x 3.2", but one of the lightest at 10.8oz.
- for the price, has a solid feature set.

cons:
- noticeable purple fringing in high contrast and night shots.
- soft images with details having over-processed feel.
- some barrel distortion at wide-angle.
- does not support RAW or TIFF formats.
- build quality suspect as evidenced by lens rattling and a battery door that feels like it will detach easily.
- the feedback when using the Switch Finder system does not give the solid feel that is confidence building - will this system last?
- the passive AF system does not perform very well in low light.
- the supplied 16MB SD card is inadequate. be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for more memory.
- add more $$ to buy more rechargeable batteries and a charger (only disposable batteries are included).

the dimage z1 is a good value (for the feature set) in the 10x zoom camera class but two areas of improvement are: noticeable purple fringing and suspect build quality. if this camera holds up well, it's a very nice value. but if it breaks prematurely, you're out several c-notes. in the 10x optical zoom class, also consider the olympus c-740 and c750 as well as the fuji s5000.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

all you need after a purchase of one of these is a bag for it, 256MB memory card, a flash adapter (Z1 is poor at night), and rechargable batteries [AA] w/ charger, oh and a tripod preferably the tall one.
...go ahead buy it.

I've been using three major brand SLR cameras for the past few years.To satisfy & explore further stages of my increasing interest in photography I decided to move on to digital level. I started to look for a good digital camera. I wanted to have at least 3MP with zoom & other basic functions. Since my knowledge about digital cameras were limited, I researched a lot, starting with Steve's Digicams (www.steves-digicams.com), reading almost all the reviews posted on various sites on the net and trying out almost every possible camera on display. After reading all the reviews and observing the market prices I went for this model. Dimage Z1 looks and feels like a real SLR camera. Perhaps this may be the main reason that made me buy this model. However it turned out to be a ideal choice for me. I can't explain how easy it was to zoom in on distant objects to take a sharp, bright & clear picture without a tripod. This is one fine user friendly camera with too many features to mention, yet simple to use. Excellent battery life ! I love this camera !!! If you've time check out my photos located at
http://community.webshots.com/user/pindiyath100

The Intel PC Pocket Camera has the greatest webcam quality out there IMHO. It is affordable with a simple and nice design. The batteries last long. The USB connection is a fast and more efficient way for this came. Very user friendly and easy to install.
As a digital camera, it is best ONLY for beginners. The quality can be surprising wonderful in the right light. It's portability can let you take quick snap shots of anything quickly. It has 8MB of memory which is about 100 640x480 pics. A great digital camera for anyone starting out and to progressive onto the bigger names, like Kodak and Fujifilm.

This camera is great for quick snaps while out, webcam shots and netconferencing. Great deal!

what i needed was something simple, inexpensive but not cheaply made. i didn't really need megapixels because i post most of my photos on the web, so i prefer them to be a smaller size. the intel pocket pc camera fulfilled my needs.

this camera is a GREAT BUY if you want smaller images @ 640x480. it's compact and easy to take everywhere. downloading the pics is easy as a click away with its software. plus, it makes a great webcam so you can have video chats with friends on the 'net. also, webcam stills are very good quality!!

DO NOT BUY this camera if you want a camera that takes HQ images. there is no zoom and no flash, which is a setback because i can never take pictures at night. also, when objects are not in good lighting, images tend to be grainy and blurry. otherwise, images are usually sharp and clean during the day.

The Intel Pocket PC Camera is a great camera to own. I find the quality to be AMAZING. Sure it has no flash, but that's one thing i can live without seeing as to how i have ANOTHER camera with a flash that i use for backup. Anyhow, the CCD Sensor is probably the best thing about it. CMOS sensor cameras are usually [bad]and you can't see colors in shady areas (non-lit areas). The intel is very easy to operate and anybody could figure it out. The software is wonderful and the webcam is too. This whole camera is a great buy...the pictures will blow you away, just like it did to me. I have the rare black one so it looks less childish, heh. :o)

This camera may look ultra cool, but believe me, it's not. Unless you don't care much for how your picture quality is, then this camera may be ok, but if you do or eventually will, you are better off getting a better quality camera.

There aren't many options for your pictures that you're taking meaning you can't change the lighting effect (inside, outside, cloudy, snow, night, etc), size, picture type (black & white, etc) or many of the other things that you can on other cameras. I found that when pictures were loaded onto the computer, they looked grainy and dull, and if you used the flash, that also seemed to ruin the effect of the picture. There is also no zoom which is one thing I forgot to check out when purchasing this camera. I was not happy with this camera at all after a couple months when I needed better quality photos.

The video recorder of the camera was also a disappointment to me. The recording was very choppy and colors again were poor. On the bright side, it recorded the sound well.

I had no problem with the MP3 player or audio recorder, they both worked fine and were the quality that one would expect.

I now own a Sony Cyber-Shot camera which I am VERY pleased with. Basically you really need to think about what type of pictures you will be taking with your camera and if you want them to be the best quality possible, or if it simply doesn't matter to you to decide if you will be happy with this camera.

I bought this gadget for it's many functions although I mostly used it to take video and pictures, sometimes record audio. I really did like it, but after a while I couldn't justify the cost versus the quality... The video quality was ok, about what you get with a medium resolution avi file, but nowhere close to divx quality. Picture resolution at 640x480 was decent, but you'd definitely want better if you want quality pictures. Sound recording was good, but I could only playback on the unit. With SD cards you don't have to worry about memory. My main gripe about this gadget though is the absence of a zoom. I was using it one time when a friend asked me if it had a zoom feature. I told him "this is the zoom" and ran up closer to the subject. If Panasonic added a zoom feature I would definitely recommend it, but overall it doesn't excel in any area. You're probably better off picking up a megapixel digital camera that also takes video.

Ok, it may not take pictures/movies like professional digital cameras can, but it's still a good camera if you looking for something to do for fun. It's small enough to carry in your pocket, you can operate it on the fly when you need to, so its pretty reliable there. You have to mess around with the software a bit, and experiment with the camera a bit too but once you get the gist of how it works, you wont regret buying it. However, this camera is NOT worth paying full price for($200-$400). I bought a used one at Circuit City for only $125, I've had it for about a year and it still works great!

This camera may look ultra cool, but believe me, it's not. Unless you don't care much for how your picture quality is, then this camera may be ok, but if you do or eventually will, you are better off getting a better quality camera.

There aren't many options for your pictures that you're taking meaning you can't change the lighting effect (inside, outside, cloudy, snow, night, etc), size, picture type (black & white, etc) or many of the other things that you can on other cameras. I found that when pictures were loaded onto the computer, they looked grainy and dull, and if you used the flash, that also seemed to ruin the effect of the picture. There is also no zoom which is one thing I forgot to check out when purchasing this camera. I was not happy with this camera at all after a couple months when I needed better quality photos.

The video recorder of the camera was also a disappointment to me. The recording was very choppy and colors again were poor. On the bright side, it recorded the sound well.

I had no problem with the MP3 player or audio recorder, they both worked fine and were the quality that one would expect.

I now own a Sony Cyber-Shot camera which I am VERY pleased with. Basically you really need to think about what type of pictures you will be taking with your camera and if you want them to be the best quality possible, or if it simply doesn't matter to you to decide if you will be happy with this camera.

I bought this gadget for it's many functions although I mostly used it to take video and pictures, sometimes record audio. I really did like it, but after a while I couldn't justify the cost versus the quality... The video quality was ok, about what you get with a medium resolution avi file, but nowhere close to divx quality. Picture resolution at 640x480 was decent, but you'd definitely want better if you want quality pictures. Sound recording was good, but I could only playback on the unit. With SD cards you don't have to worry about memory. My main gripe about this gadget though is the absence of a zoom. I was using it one time when a friend asked me if it had a zoom feature. I told him "this is the zoom" and ran up closer to the subject. If Panasonic added a zoom feature I would definitely recommend it, but overall it doesn't excel in any area. You're probably better off picking up a megapixel digital camera that also takes video.

Ok, it may not take pictures/movies like professional digital cameras can, but it's still a good camera if you looking for something to do for fun. It's small enough to carry in your pocket, you can operate it on the fly when you need to, so its pretty reliable there. You have to mess around with the software a bit, and experiment with the camera a bit too but once you get the gist of how it works, you wont regret buying it. However, this camera is NOT worth paying full price for($200-$400). I bought a used one at Circuit City for only $125, I've had it for about a year and it still works great!

This camera may look ultra cool, but believe me, it's not. Unless you don't care much for how your picture quality is, then this camera may be ok, but if you do or eventually will, you are better off getting a better quality camera.

There aren't many options for your pictures that you're taking meaning you can't change the lighting effect (inside, outside, cloudy, snow, night, etc), size, picture type (black & white, etc) or many of the other things that you can on other cameras. I found that when pictures were loaded onto the computer, they looked grainy and dull, and if you used the flash, that also seemed to ruin the effect of the picture. There is also no zoom which is one thing I forgot to check out when purchasing this camera. I was not happy with this camera at all after a couple months when I needed better quality photos.

The video recorder of the camera was also a disappointment to me. The recording was very choppy and colors again were poor. On the bright side, it recorded the sound well.

I had no problem with the MP3 player or audio recorder, they both worked fine and were the quality that one would expect.

I now own a Sony Cyber-Shot camera which I am VERY pleased with. Basically you really need to think about what type of pictures you will be taking with your camera and if you want them to be the best quality possible, or if it simply doesn't matter to you to decide if you will be happy with this camera.

I bought this gadget for it's many functions although I mostly used it to take video and pictures, sometimes record audio. I really did like it, but after a while I couldn't justify the cost versus the quality... The video quality was ok, about what you get with a medium resolution avi file, but nowhere close to divx quality. Picture resolution at 640x480 was decent, but you'd definitely want better if you want quality pictures. Sound recording was good, but I could only playback on the unit. With SD cards you don't have to worry about memory. My main gripe about this gadget though is the absence of a zoom. I was using it one time when a friend asked me if it had a zoom feature. I told him "this is the zoom" and ran up closer to the subject. If Panasonic added a zoom feature I would definitely recommend it, but overall it doesn't excel in any area. You're probably better off picking up a megapixel digital camera that also takes video.

Ok, it may not take pictures/movies like professional digital cameras can, but it's still a good camera if you looking for something to do for fun. It's small enough to carry in your pocket, you can operate it on the fly when you need to, so its pretty reliable there. You have to mess around with the software a bit, and experiment with the camera a bit too but once you get the gist of how it works, you wont regret buying it. However, this camera is NOT worth paying full price for($200-$400). I bought a used one at Circuit City for only $125, I've had it for about a year and it still works great!