Digital-Camera Reviews

I have bought this camera for test purpose. For I have been doing research on the IP Camera market by testing all the Network Cameras.
But I observed most of the network camera I have played with have poor quality under low light condition. After I tried, this Axis 205 one has same low light issue too.
So with this price and the feature they offer, I would not suggest buying it. I know other network cameras with same quality and feature have better price to offer.
Recently I just found out one network camera named IP Camera 8000 from tlcstream.com (if you search Google with keyword ¡®IP Camera¡¯). This network camera has a lot more features than Axis 205 has. It has motion detect, email and ftp notification, more frequency and more resolution options, two level security authorization with more feature built-in. It also supports MSN and Yahoo messenger by acting as webcam. And the price to get is $99. I would suggest people to try this incredible deal -- better price with better quality.

The Axis 205 webcam is one the best to get in terms of image quality during daylight or adquate lighting conditions. When it is darker outside during the late afternoon and night, the image quality gets a little pixeled. One of the reasons that I purchased this camera is because of the numerous open servers on the net using this camera. From this, I was able to see the image quality under different conditions and some of the features.

The camera comes with a stand which to me feels a little too light (made of plastic) and screws to mount the camera to a wall. The only irritating thing about setting up the camera was setting the focus up "just right". I had to put the camera next to my monitor and adjust accordingly, then unplug, move the camera to where I wanted it making sure not to mess up the focus, and then plug everything back in.

The 206M and 206W are coming soon which feature even better image quality as well as wireless capability (with the 206W). What I would like to see Axis do is create a camera just like this (wireless or not), that can be powered over the existing ethernet cable. The problem with most of these cameras are placement which usually tends to have to be near an electrical outlet. Other features that I would like to see are a wide angle view, automatic & remote focus, and remote zooming. Remote movement (up/down, left/right) would be nice, but the price tends to be very expensive for these types of units.

Other than the wants, this camera does what it says it does. Stability is excellent and the image quality is worth the price. See for yourself by searching for servers with google. Hope this review helps!

I am amazed by the image quality and video from this little wonder product. Haven't see anything close at this price range.

I have tested two other products from Linksys and D-Link, but they dissapoint and I sent them back. This is the real stuff.
Wireless would be nice though.

This is a great little camera for quick shots but actually had less resolution even on the highest setting than my dinosaur of a 1.3 mp Olympus. Also, movie mode audio track has a lot of digital noise. If you're after a fun all-rounder, however, this is a great camera with a fantastic user interface and design

I bought the M20U (about 2 months ago) as a secondary cam, after purchasing the Canon IS S1 (wonderful camera), for a camera to have with me always. Obviously this isn't the "best" taking picture camera out there, but for the compact size, and I stress compact, it's smaller than a credit card super thin, and has a very durable steel body, and a very decent MP3 player, it was perfect for my needs. A camera to have anytime of the day or night (what good is a shot you could take if you have no camera at all). The flash isn't super, but adequate for portrait shots. Also, Casio really adds alot of features as mentioned above to this tiny cam, especially the auto lens cover. The picture quality is good, not great, it would never replace my S1. But if you want a camera to have with you all the time, I would recommend this tiny companion. If it's for your main and only camera, you may want to consider Canon or others. But as a complimentary camera, its perfect. I use the MP3 player everyday while im at work. I love it.. I tried the Pentax S4, ok picture quality also (the fuzzy corner issue there), but more expensive at the time and actually double the size of the M20 (depth wise) plus no MP3 player and macro. I wanted a camera that would fit in any pocket, shirt or pants and wouldn't notice the weight or bulk of it. Again, I would recommend anyone that can find one, try it out, it's a fun, fast shooting camera. I've got shots I never could have with my S1. I was really amazed how fast this thing can shoot. No AF lag whatsoever, and start up is fast, real fast. Great battery life also. I listen to my MP3 7 hours a day with life to spare. I usually charge it each night though. (...). Great site... Only cons, is, no optical zoom (never use digital zoom), but not a big issue, just move closer if possible to the subject.

Hope this helps someone out...

This camera is simply fantastic. Not only is it stylish and slim (will fit in your jean pockets with easy) but also takes fantastic pics, with great resolution even at 20x12. My grandfather recently bought a 4MP Olympus and he had to conceed how little difference there is in image quality. Unlike some more expensive cameras it also takes movies with sound and can be used as a dictaphone or sound recorded.

And if this wasn't enough the camera sports a cool MP3 player, allowing you to use the device as a music player with storage capicty limited only by the size of your memory cards.

The build quality and features have also improved since the M2/S2. Battery life is greater and the interface and controls are allot better.

I bought this camera and regret it since returning it will cost a huge restocking cost (i didn't buy it at amazon). For the same price as this A203...you can find the 3mpix version the A303. So why does Fuji even make this A203? I'm not sure. A good price for this camera would be (One hundred ninety nine dollars).

As for the camera itself, its picture quality is impressive...but the most annoying characteristic is its around 4-second delay after taking each picture. That means you cannot take pictures in rapid succession. Aside from that, it's controls are very easy to use, battery-life is excellent, and its compact size make it nice camera...but do yourself a favor and buy the A303. Might as well get 3mpix for the same price as 2mpix.

Another thing about this camera is that it is one of the few that is Made in Japan. So there is no cheap Chinese or Mexican labor involved in manufacturing this camera.

Its a nice camera, compact, and the quality of pictures is sharp & very good. I shopped a lot of cameras and brought earlier sony & returned it & brought this one. This is pretty good in indoors as well as outdoors. The memory is pretty good very fast. For the price, it has lot of features & very handy.
I recomend this to people to also wants the quality of indoor shots good & outdoor ofcourse is good in most cameras

This is a great camera, but the only problem is that its out dated. There are better, faster, and more stylish camera's out there now. But from when i bought it, till now, it has given me no problems.

I was first time buyer of this package deal, camera and printer. Was so happy when i got it home till i went to hook it up and OMG THE SERVICE I received from HP was so bad I will never purchase another product from them. IT JUST WAS NOT WORTH THE HASSEL THEY GAVE ME. AND THE RUDENESS TO A CUSTOMER.AND THEN LIE TO BOOT. OMG

Just bought this package and have been extremely surprised. I had been looking at digital cameras and just recently my printer went south. If you buy the camera alone it is 7/8's the total package price.Printer set up well and seems easy to use. No problems but don't really expect photo quality. Camera is great too for my purposes. Software quite simple. I recomend you also get the optional black printing cartridge and definately ugrade to a larger flash card like a 32 or 64mb. All in all I was not expecting a ... top notch printer [and camera] so I am very pleased. A real value. Only thing I don't like is HP sells the A/C adapter for [aditional money]. This is really necessary if uploading alot. And don't expect the batteries to last as long as the one in the TV remote.

I bought this package about 2 weeks ago and have been very glad that I did. I was looking for my first digital camera but did not want a 1.3 megapixel camera to start with. The image quality is quite good with great color and sharpness. I'd have spent double of what I did buying the printer and camera separately. It is a really sweet deal considering that I was only after the camera. What's more is that both are fully compatible with Mac OS X and iPhoto. I highly recommend this package looking for an entry level digicam and a good quality printer!

This camera bag fits the camera it was made for nicely, but in my case-I have 3 children who dance, play sports, etc. I like to carry as much extra stuff as i can, including spare charged up batteries plus charger. Therefore, although it has ample padding, there is not enough space and compartments and padding for they extra stuff you need.

Excellent case with more then enough room (maybe to much room). Highly recommend it, worth buying. Kodak DC280 fitS perfect with enough protection.

Not only does this case give protection for my Kodak DC280 but it also has plenty of room to carry the extras (extra memory card, extra set of batteries, charger , lens' & computer connection cord). Wonderful!!!!!!

This Kyocera S4 is a really compact little camera, with the great 4 MB resolution. The controls are pretty easy to use, but of course sometimes a little tough due to the small size. But in a high quality dig cam like this, i really wanted the ability to take good little video clips. The video clips on this cam 1) have NO AUDIO and 2) are very low resolution. For my money, I think I'll consider the Sony P9, Minolta F100, or Olympus D40. If all you need is stills, this is a great little cam.

I got the Kyocera S4 back in January 2003. Great "unkown" digital camera. For anyone who is doubtful of the quality, you should know that Kyocera makes digital cameras for Toshiba, and they are the parent company of Yashica and Contax, two of the most respected names in photography.

The design of this camera is simply beautiful. Gorgeous gun-metal aluminum body, solid zoom lens with built-in cap, simple button and menu layout, and overall, a very durable camera.

As this was my first ditial camera, I quickly learned the limitations of the unit. Some of the limitations can be corrected through simple upgrades, namely, the 16MB SD card included with the unit is not adequate for most users. You should get a 64MB or 128MB card so you can save more than 80 shots at a time. In fact, with a 128MB SD card, you can shoot over 170 photos at high resolution. It might be all the storage you're going to need with a simple camera like this. Also, I recommend getting the deluxe leather case with belt-clip (available from Kyocera or other camera shops), as the pouch included with this camera will not provide enough protection - even for such a durable device.

This camera competes with the Canon Elph and other "credit card" sized cameras (the front of this camera is precisely the size of a credit or ATM card). And it competes with them very well. The resolution is incredible, and the optical zoom is rock-solid. However, using the digital zoom does result in a loss of resolution (which may not be known to first-time digital users). And this camera has useful manual exposure and CCD sensitivity seetings, but no true ISO or "traditional" shutter speed adjustment. Also, this camera does not perform well in low-light or in taking shots of fast-moving objects. As much as I have experimented with its settings, it is obvious that this camera cannot do what the high-end digital cameras can do in twilight settings outdoor and dim settings indoor. Even shots of hockey players on a brightly lit ice surface required precise manual adjustment (and a lot of patience). This is a camera for daytime landscapes and close-ups of people and objects. It cannot compete with digital SLR's or rangefinders costing twice as much (or more). But having said that, I believe it is better than the Cannon Elph, and most other digital cameras of the same size.

Battery life is not spectacular. If you use the flash for most shots, expect to re-charge the unit every 20-30 shots or so. I even got a spare battery, just to be sure I was never caught without a charge for the flash.

The Kyocera S4 fills an interesting gap between the anonymous entry-level devices and the high-end units. It's best feature might be that it packs 4 megapixels of resoultion into a form factor the size of a deck of playing cards. That alone is a huge advantage. Even worn on a belt, it is no more obtrusive than a cell phone. If you need a camera that can fit in your bag and always be available without getting in the way, or if you need a camera for building a web site, selling items online, or just getting into digital photography, this is the only camera you'll need.

Now that I am happy with the Kyocera S4, I am ready to take ditial photography to the next level, and I think that will be the Leica 1 Digital. It has many of the same features as the Kyocera S4, except that it has a larger LCD, a bigger lens (to let in more light), an ISO dial, and longer battery life. But I expect to get thousands of quality shots with the Kyocera S4 regardless. It is not just another point & shoot camera. It is a great value.

The Kyocera Finecam S4 is a truly remarkable little point-and- shoot. I am a serious photographer, owner of high-end Canon film cameras and "L" lenses (not used since buying the Kyocera S4).

It is a point and shoot, rather than a professional camera, but the resolution is incredible, even at the lowest (normal) setting.

I have had no problems with battery life, although that is a common complaint (I use the onboard flash and LCD screen nearly all the time). It is packed with features (i.e. exposure compensation, manual override on just about everything, self-timer, red-eye reduction, etc.)

The color has been just phenomenal. I have had it for about three months and am extremely satisfied and am thinking about buying the S5 when it appears. I recommend getting at least a 64-meg. card, rather than the skimpy 16-meg card provided.

The LCD screen is hard to see during bright sun, but you have the option of using the viewfinder. In low light, there is a delay while device meters and focuses, but this is true of all cameras. It could mean missing the shot--but you don't have to wait for your film to come back to know you missed it. I am addicted to the instant feedback. It has made me a better photographer.

The video function is low-end, but basic. No audio, but if you want a video camera, buy one, rather than compromise a good digital still camera like this one. It is tiny and fits on a belt not unlike a beeper. I am never without my little companion and feel naked when it is not on my belt. For the convenience, the size and the features it is packed with, you can not do better in my opinion.

Ron Gollobin--Oct. 2002

PROS:
1. Compact. small form factor.
2. SD not CF
3. 3X Optical
4. Very inexpensive. I bought from Costco for $190 (but returned within 3 days because of the cons).

CONS:
1. All indoor pictures taken with flash came out sandy when enlarge to 200%. You can see freckles on the skin even though the person has no freckles!!!!
2. Failed to auto focus when using the digital zoom indoors. However hard I tried to get to autofocus while in digital zoom, I couldn't. Once I brought it back to optical, it focused clearly.

There are other pros and cons but they're minor. Some related to the user interface, some to batteries.

I bought one of these a few weeks ago as a second, smaller digital camera and can vouch for the excellent user interface and very good results offered by this well-priced item.

The ultimate picture quality is very slightly short of my other digital, a Nikon 990 (which cost over 5 times this much only a couple of years ago), but most people would be very-hard pressed to tell the difference, which is only noticeable when images are viewed 1:1 on screen. For those interested, the little Minolta's lens is a slightly less sharp into the extreme corners, and shows a little more colour fringing and a little extra CCD noise, but the results are nevertheless excellent, with particularly good (yet natural) colour saturation.

Macro performance is also remarkably good, and it's nice to have a camera this small that can be carried around all day with no inconvenience. The built-in flash works quite well but isn't as powerful as some others.

I bought this camera from Costco and the camera did the good job. It made nice and high resolution pictures. I had no problem about the digital zoom indoor or anything about the problem when zoom to 200%. All pictures are clear with no freakles on skin. I suggest use microsoft digital image pro 9 to edit and zoom the pictures. It did the perfect job. If you had any problem about the created image, your software must have problem. Now I enjoy all the pictures that I took because I really look like a professional cameraman. Five stars on this product. Oh ! except one con: battery drain too fast. Buy rechargable battery.. remember !

I CANNOT FULLY RATE THE QUALITY OF THIS PRODUCT YET. I AM STILL TRYING TO GET THE COMPUTER/SCANNER INTERFACE HARDWARE TO RUN IT AND I DO NOT HAVE A CHEAP COMPUTER. I HAD TO CALL THE MINOLTA SERVICE OFFICE IN NJ TO GET THE CORRECT INFO AND WAS TOLD IT TAKES A SPECIAL CARD AND CABLE (SO FAR) TO HOOK IT UP. BEWARE OF THIS BEFORE YOU BUY. I RECOMMEND GOING TO THE MINOLTA WEB SITE AND CHECKING THE REQUIREMENTS PAGE FOR THIS ITEM TO SEE IF YOUR COMPUTER IS COMPATIBLE BEFORE YOU BUY.

I've been using this scanner for the past several months with mainly color transparencies and have been very happy with the results. The Digital ICE feature is invaluable, saving me hours of time retouching. The software is easy to use and works well. If you want to do a full resolution 16 bit scan with ICE, it can take about 20 minutes, but everyday scans for web use are quick and clean. The few B&W and color negative scans have turned out nice too.

My only complaint is that once in a while, maybe every 10 times I use the scanner, it seems to scan poorly, like it's missing whole chunks of color. Restarting the machine and the scanner takes care of that though. All in all I'm very happy with it and saved a lot of money compared to a scanner like the Nikon Supercoolscan, it's nearest competitor.

Happy scanning!

I did quite a bit of research before deciding on this scanner, so I'll sum up for you what took me many hours. I also considered a couple of the lower end Minolta Dimage scanners, as well as the Nikon Coolscan and the HP Photosmart S20.

Essentially, they all promise to scan 35mm film, and with an adapter, it can also do APS. However, promises are just that - empty for most of these scanners. This one however does it all:

- Digital ICE (you absolutely need this for cleaning images after they are scanned in - do NOT get a scanner without this, you'll be sorry!). - 2,820 dpi resolution (you always want to scan as high as possible. You can always sample down and lower resolution, but you can't go the other way without quality degradation) - Fast scanning speeds (with the exception of $2,000 models, this is the fastest scanner around. On my Windows PC is takes around 30 secs. On a Mac is takes 10 or so per FINAL scan.)

The problem with the Photosmart 20 is that it doesnt have a proper ICE image cleaner and film scans poorly. The Nikon coolscan doesnt have a good dut guard, and you end up with dust on your negatives/slides, which scans in horribly! UGH!

This one has virtually no weakness. SCSI connection makes it extremely fast! Get it and you'll be happy you did.

This performed as wonderfully as other reviewers describe -- until I came close to filling it. Then it would not format via camera or computers. Of course, this occurred a week out of warranty. Lesson: I shall now exercise every bit of memory as soon as I receive it -- fill it fast or slow with data. That applies to all sizes and speeds of course.

I just received a SanDisk 512MB Ultra II Secure Digital card and did a quick & dirty performance comparison with the non-ultra SanDisk SD card. If you just want the results, then go to the bottom of the review. For the more inquisitive, here is my test configuration:

linux-2.4.22 (with ehci to enable usb2.0) connected to . . .
usb2.0 hub connected to . . .
SanDisk SDDR-88 usb2.0 memory card reader

commands for the write test:
- mount -o noatime,sync /dev/sda1 /flash_memory
- cat testfile > /dev/null
- time cp tesfile /flash_memory

The first command forces any writes to the flash_memory to happen immediately, so there is no caching going on. The second command reads through the ~50MB testfile and caches it into memory (no need to access the hard disk). The third command actually copies the test file to the memory card and times it.

commands for the read test:
- umount /flash_memory
- mount -o noatime,sync /dev/sda1 /flash_memory
- time cp /flash_memory/testfile /dev/null

The first command unmounts the flash memory and clears the cache. The second command mounts the flash memory so the computer can access its files. The third command actually copies the file, which must be read directly from the card because we cleared the cache, and times the copy.

The read and writes tests were performed multiple times, and the results varied little between iterations. The 512MB card was completely empty, and the 256MB card had a small 3MB file.

The SanDisk Ultra II card turned in some impressive numbers:
writes: 4.95MB/sec (5048.2KB/sec)
reads: 8.19MB/sec (8389.96KB/sec)

For comparison, here are the numbers for the SanDisk 256MB non-ultra card:
writes: 0.86MB/sec (876.44KB/sec)
reads: 1.53MB/sec (1570.69KB/sec)

If you need performance, then the SanDisk Ultra II series is the way to go. The Ultra II reads and writes more than five times as fast as the plain-vanilla SanDisk secure digital card. In my case, I will be using the card to store MP3 files for a portable audio device, and waiting around while moving MP3s is not how I want to spend my time. So, I bought the Ultra II. Your needs may vary. Buy accordingly.

Also, I realize that other manufactures market "high-performance" memory cards, but since I don't own one, I can't recommend/jeer them here.

I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say

is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made.

This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's

very easy to use as well!

I have bought other brands before, and this one just

blows everything else out of the water! I have to say,

everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop

thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it

the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY

POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I

GUARANTEE IT!!!

I had been using a 2-chip Hi8 camcorder for years, but my baby finally conked out. This machine was a godsend! Image quality almost as good, the ability to playback my old Hi8 tapes, and the digital recording and firewire output to my computer has completely changed the way I shoot, edit, and present my videos.

The only thing I could think of that I would want is a 3-chip version of The Little Camcorder that Could.

Whether you're an old hand, or just getting into video, you need to check out Sony's Digital8 system. The tape stock is a lot cheaper then Mini DV, plus you can still play back your 8mm/Hi8 tapes on it.

I liked all the features though indor pictures were alittle bad....but you can allways eit them on your PC.

The DCR-TR7000 is a great camcorder if you can find it at a resonable price. The DCR-TR7000 has all the features of the higher priced Sony Camcorders minus one option - the view window. Personally, I find the windows to be of little use unless you are viewing what you taped but you still need headphones to listen to the audio.

Of particular interest on these Sony Digital 8 are Steadyshot (works very well), Nightshot (can see subjects in 0 light via infrared light emitted from front of camera), the ability to send the digital data (via iLink (IEEE1394, Firewire)) to your computer and autofocus/exposure.