Film-Camera Reviews

I have recently purchased the Seagull GC-109 as an upgrade from my Nikon F60. Although the F60 is an outstanding camera i was not able to print the sizes i needed with the basic 35mm film.However now i am able to print large pictures without any distortion.Its amazing and really nice to use. I advice any one whos looking for an ugrade to buy one.

There are many things that really make this camera worth buying. These are a few that sold me:

1) Form factor - The 601 has got a really nice upright shape that lends itself to smaller hands.
2) Controls - The basic point-and-shoot controls are very easy to manipulate. Switching between Movie, Auto Control, and Manual Control is a cinch and zooming and focusing is a breeze.
3) Picture quality - The pictures that are produced are almost always true to life. Even at 1 megapixel normal mode, the pictures are sharp and clear.

But since I bought it, there have been a few niggling inconsistencies and drawbacks that take the sheen off the thing.

1) No picture stabilization - If you have jittery hands, you will end up with lots of fuzzy pictures.
2) A bug in the lens retraction system causes my camera to not stow the zoom lens when I turn it off.
3) Complicated menus - Once you decide to leave the familiar point-and-shoot environment and start fiddling with apertures and f stops, the menus become very complicated.
4) FinePix software - If you can avoid it, just don't install it. It is slow and heavy. I suggest getting another imaging suite like Photoshop Elements or Macromedia Fireworks or Jasc PaintShop Pro.
5) Short battery life - At 1 megapixel normal mode, it is almost impossible to fill up a 128Meg SmartMedia card. The battery in this case lasts about 3 hours. This annoyance is offset by the fact that 128M is enough to fit about 400 pictures. I ran out of battery the other day, which is why I bring this up. If you are used to shooting 30-40 shots a day, then there is plenty of battery.

Still, it is a cool little camera that takes really good pictures and is small enough to take with you on your next outing. The price is a little high and you would do yourself right to compare this to other cameras in its range. The form factor may look cool now, but you should try it out before buying, some people really don't like the shape.

Hello ALL

Can any one guide me on how to reset the camera????

I have been using Finepix F601 Zoom serial number 2ML26749 around a year and have run into a problem. The Camera now doesnot power up anymore. The last working state before the problem occurred was as follows:

1. Connected the camera to the Picture Cradle .
2. Connected the cradle to Windows XP PC (Home edition) via USB
3. Powered on the Camera
4. Windows Task Manager prompts that a digitalk Camera is connected and display avaible options
5. Select Copy pictures from Camera to HDD
6. After Copying the pictures from the camera to HDD, We shut down the XP leaving the Camera Powered on and in "access via USB" State which was indicated by a USB icon on its display.

After the PC was shut down, the camera couldnot be powered off and hence leaving the only option to remove the camera from cradle and remove the battery manually from its compartment. Ever since I am unable to power the camera unit. I tried to replace the memory and battery but of not use.

Please email at rvinukonda@juniper.net

I started with a Fujifilm MX-700 four years ago as my first digital camera, and I waited until now to upgrade to the F601, which is essentially the 4th generation version of the MX-700. It has the same stylish (even better looking and a bit smaller) aluminum housing, and the features are now an order of magnitude better. The F601 image processing is fast--only about 2-3 seconds between pictures (even at hi-res), and the image quality is excellent. I figured out the camera controls in about 5 minutes without reading the manual at all--they are very intuitive. The full-VGA 15 frame-per-second video capture mode is also great for mini-movies, and you are only limited by the size of your smart card on the movie length. Many other cameras only do quarter-VGA (QVGA) videos with a 30-second limit. Plus, like the other reviewer said, the F601 fits inconspicuously into a front pants pocket, so you can take it anywhere. Caveats: I don't like that the file numbering resets to zero each time you clear the smart card. That makes it difficult to download all of your pictures to the same file folder. Even my MX-700 had an option not to reset the file numbering, so I'm not sure what the Fujifilm engineers were thinking. Also, you have to learn how to hold the camera, because it is easy to block the microphone or the flash or the exposure meter with a finger. Finally, you'll want to fork over the money for an extra battery and a 128 MB smartcard. But those are small quibbles. This is a great camera for beginners and experts alike. I love mine.

Quite a gem, Olympus has continued on with its tradition of providing great cameras matched with style and simplicity. I have taken this camera with me in both hot and cold weather, bright and dark conditions, dry and humid areas. It just works wonderfully. The only glitch is that the date printing somehow doesn't quite stand out at times. It also has taken its toll on getting wet, dropping it from 10 ft (slid from my hands while coming down the stairs), and eating dust but still worked great.

This camera is perfect for family picnic's, get together's and around the house use. I especially like the fact that is has the date on each picture, although, you have to check to make sure the correct date date is shown. The camera is easy to load, flashes automatically and easy to zoom. Plus it is small enough to carry in a pocket, purse, or backpack. Also perfect for baby showers.

I recently purchased this camera. For some reason it must have been me and not the camera as it performed 110%. I had to take it back because the pictures did not turn out like the ones from my " Olympus Twin Infinity" camera. I had sent it to Atlanta " Wolff Camera" for repair as light seemed to be getting in somehow and messing up a lot of great pictures. I have been having to press the back cover as tight as I can and use electrical tape over each of the areas where the back might let light in. If I could find this camera somewhere in a warehouse or maybe in an old store that still had some I would buy two as you see I have had so many compliments through the years about my pictures. This camera has a red button on top for close up or distance. It DOES NOT have the lens that goes in and out. That is my problem. With my vision and all this is the best yet not up to date cameras for me. So-o-o you see I really would love to get my hands on another one or two A.S.A.P. Or maybe you can give me an address where I can send it off with a guarantee that this will be really fixed. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Destiny

Hey this is for everyone buying cameras over the world out of the united states, I have a problem with my camera and I don't have anyone to help, I've been trying some help in amazon's help area but they just have thousands of links but any simple email where I can ask for some help, I don't really understand why is this site so well known on "customer service", but I just cannot communicate with no one in the company to ask anything, I'm just mad about this, if anyone can help me to contact amazon or fujifilm please post an email or whatever cause there's no such a thing like help in the "help area". I need to repair my LCD monitor of my camera, it's really fragile, so if you're still thinking on buying in this site or even buying something from fujifilm, don't do it, they don't care about the customer satisfaction at all.

Reading through the reviews I've noticed that a lot of the problems I've been having have been mentioned (reddish tint, background dark, inside pictures come out not well at all if there's not a LOT of light, and if you don't have the flash on, they come out pretty blurry). The way I get good indoor pics with this is to go into my well lit bathroom, stand it on a shelf, and take a picture with the like 10 second wait mode (I can't remember what it's called, but you push the button and 10 seconds later it takes the pic)BUT this eats up the battery like crazy. I wouldn't say it's a bad digital camera, but I bet there's better out there in the same price range, especially if you know what you're looking for, which I don't (first digi cam, bought Fuji on advice from a photographer). It has a great LCD screen and the controls are very easy to figure out, but for me it's just not convenient. The appeal of a digital cam is that you can take a picture whenever without worrying about film, but these pictures just don't turn out well for me. I tried the movie mode once and it was DARK. This camera's biggest problem is the lighting (at least in my opinion) but there are some cool features I will admit (but then again, first digi cam). I paid 200 for it, so maybe if I had bought it at the lower price they have offered here it would have gotten a better review.

I bought this camera for my 17 year old son for chanukah. He wanted to take pictures with his friends wherever he went. The camera looked small and seemed to be well designed. It is! This camera hardly weighs anything and can fit anywhere. The controls are easy to use and the instructions are not difficult to follow. When I used the camera the screen seemed a bit dark (in a poorly lit area) but the images were excellent. The USB cable allows him to download and share with friends quickly. The lens is covered when the camera is off which is important for a teenager who takes the camera with him often. I'm also amazed by the new xd card. It is incredibly small but holds a lot of images. I recommend purchasing atleast one extra xd card and carrying extra AA batteries. So far I'm really impressed and my son is very happy with his gift.

Why isn't the purchaser informed the camera comes without a battery? It's the first camera I have ever purchased which required a battery and wasn't delivered with one. Because of this I am not able to rate this camera.
I have tried to turn the camera on to no avail. My wife also was unable to turn the camera on. So, we have presumed the camera has no battery. Neither of us were able to open the battery compartment to verify the absence of a battery because evidently neither of us has the required strength to do this. I shall take this to a camera store sometime this week to check the camera out. I placed a roll of film in the camera but nothing happened when I closed the case. The film was not taken up. The number "1" did not appear on the screen indicating the camera was ready for action. What more can I say???

Great Camera for the price. It's simple and compact which makes it easy to point and shoot. I would have given it five stars but it came without battery. Overall very satisfied.

Nice camera, Nice features. Rating this camera low because it didn't come with a battery is nonsense. Takes good pictures.

The Canon EOS Rebel G SLR camera with its great 35-80mm Lens you will be zooming in for the good stuff. Its sleak body and easy to use buttons make it Ideal for new users but also with its interchanable lenes even the PRO can have fun useing it. For the money of this camera its not bad at all.

Review by Jack Sherwood

The Canon EOS Rebel G is absolutely wonderful. The autofocus is the fastest I've ever used. The metering system is difficult to fool, although I've still managed to do it a couple times. It has a wide range of automatic modes which all produce excellent results and save me a lot of work. But when I want more control, several semi-automatic modes and a fully manual mode allow me to do whatever I want with as little or as much work as I want. This camera has served well in all sorts of conditions in all kinds of situations. Even in the fully-automatic "snapshot" mode, the Rebel G can capture some unbelievable shots. It's easy to load, and the batteries last longer than I'm used to, so that's another bonus. Lots of extras are available which I can't wait to try out! You can't go wrong here. Buy it.

I bought this camera the day we were leaving for vacation. Of the three camera's brought on this trip, everyone who's looked at our pictures is amazed at how much better the quality is from the Canon Rebel. If you're not getting beautiful pictures from this camera, then you're doing something wrong. Having taken a photography class before, I love the flexability I have with all the different settings, while at the same time, any amature can take beautiful photos with the automatic settings. My only complaint is the auto focus. It's a little slow (especially compared to strictly automatic cameras) and when having someone else take a picture for you, you have to explain to them to hold the button half-way down until it beeps or your picture will be out of focus. Although I am so attached to this camera, it doesn't happen often! I love taking photos with it so much, our photo album looks like my family went on vacation without me! Regardless, it's light weight, easy to use, and produces the best quality photographs of any camera I've seen. If you enjoy photography, whether expert or amature, you will love this camera.

I don't care about whether pix taken with this camera are good or asthetically pleasing, if you like blur or vignetting or whatever, well great you can take pix like that with this camera or any other camera. and you can take sharp pix too. LS (lomographic society) makes several inaccurate claims about this camera.

1 they say it is sturdy, and robust: It's not. mine broke from a drop that wouldn't break an egg. (i'm not exaggerating). Ive heard of many other people having similar experiences, There are even glowing reviews and testimonies of the lomo that mention getting second and thirds because the first and second broke.

2 They say it is unique. Rollei 35 (series). Minox 35 (series). Olympus XA (series). Chinon Bellami. Cosina CX (series). The lomo is a copy, a poor copy, of Cosina's CX1. need i say more.

3 Dazzling supersaturated colors. If you put Portra VC through it you will get that. If you put Portra NC through it you get normal colors. If you put HP5 through it you won't get any colors. Generally lower speed film has greater color saturation and since it is only 400 fast (i think 800 is the begining of fast) results are generally saturated. it has nothing to do with the lens. I've seen the comparisons.

4. it's hip. Maybe four years ago it was.

5. It's a russian spy camera. Never was. it was a camera for the glorious prolatariat. Can you find mention of it in any KGB history/trivia/fan sites?

investigate your options before you buy if you are willing to pay big monies get a minox 35ml if you want it on the cheap get a olympus XA.

I've had this adorable camera for a year, and take it with me wherever I go. While other reviews recommend this for experienced photographers, I'm not convinced that would make much of a difference.
No, it is not a point-and-shoot in the traditional respects, but it is vastly simple. I've gotten fantastic shots in dimly lit bars and sunny Hawaiian beaches, all on the same "automatic" light setting. The compact size allows me to tuck into wee little evening purses and pester my friends all night long; yet it has a wonderful solid weight that means business and provides a cool retro feel.
My big issue continues to be with focusing, but sometimes the blurry shots are actually the best ones on the roll. There are four focul lengths-- 0.8 meters, 1.5 meters, 3 meters, and infinite. I find it hard enough to estimate distance in feet; switch to meters and it's even trickier. As the camera style provides no way to verify your subject is precisely in focus, this may lead to some disapointing results if you badly misjudge the distance.
My favorite thing about the lomo is the unexpected qualities in each shot. You may think you've got a roll of normal me-and-the-guys shots, but they come back from the developer with beautifully rich colors, amazing light effects, and a remarkable (and most pleasing) improvement to everyone's skin tone. If your goal is plain and simple shots, save a few bucks and go for whatever point-and-shoot is in your price range. If you want something a little more unusual, something that doesn't always provide the expected,and something that makes your and yours look like superheros,the lomo's what you want.
A note: there are nine small screws that hold the various parts together. It's a good idea to check these over and tighten them before you use your lomo the first time, as at least one has been loose in every lomo I've seen. They tighten with a phillips eyeglass screwdriver.

I've been a photographer for 10+ years and the Lomo has made me fall in love with photography all over again. You can take similar pictures with a good 35mm and a filter, but it's really all about the size of the Lomo that makes it outstanding. This thing fits in my pocket so that I can take it anywhere, and the results are incredible.

The Lomo is a whole lot of fun if you want to randomly shoot and don't mind blurry or streaked photos when the pictures come back. But it's a little difficult to use if you know what you want to do but don't know a whole lot about photography. Because it's a 2.8 wide-angle lens, depth of field and lens speed are welcome features for the experienced but may be a little mystifying for the novice. It takes some practice before you start to really know what you're doing and how to do it.

But it's unlike any other compact camera out there, and in terms of creativity, it offers an unprecedented amount of leeway. If you're dedicated enough and love photography, then this is for you. If you want a point and shoot for family pictures, don't bother.

I bought the Canon Elph 370Z in 2000. After 3 years of heavy use the camera had to go in for servicing last summer because an error message (H) had appeared in the LED. The cost for repairs was about 1/3 of the original price. Several months later the same thing reoccurred and Canon fixed it free of charge. This is the first camera that I've ever had repaired. All my previous cameras have also eventually broke down from use. But this is the only one that I liked enough to have fixed. Photo quality is excellent considering the size of the camera, plus the convenience of APS. The quality of the camera is very good, too.

I bought this camera in August 1998 after my Minolta 35mm X-700 was stolen. The best thing about this camera is the amazing pictures I've taken with it. After 15 years of using full manual settings with the very large and heavy Minolta, the automatic features and portability can't be beat for the picture quality. I can put it on my belt with the case that comes with it and hike the planet. I've taken this little wonder on numerous hiking trips in the Southwest. Never a problem since its so light weight and readily available on your waist for those shots that usually come up all of a sudden. I typically shoot 1 to 2 rolls a day on average 2 to 3 week trips. I've been doing this since I got it and the camera is finally showing the mileage of several thousand photos. The shutter doesn't always fire when the camera is turned on and I must close and re-slid the switch but it still works. I'm considering another one since I looked at the Canon Z3 but it doesn't have the lens quality of the 370Z. The one and only problem I've had with this camera is when I tried to get enlargements from the APS 25mm film. It just doesn't compare to 35mm once you enlarge beyond an 11 x 14 print. Otherwise, for the average user, this is a great camera for the price. I paid $285 plus tax back in '98 when it first came out. As far as that other reviewer saying that the shutter was delayed after hitting the button, the reason was probably low light. This camera has a built in feature of sensing the dim lighting conditions and slowing the shutter to allow more light to hit the film thereby slowing the shutter. I've gotten some blur in pictures with dim lights but it was only because I wasn't thinking about it and used an unsteady hand. This camera is definitely 5 stars, especially now that the price has dropped !

If you want a point and shoot camera that you can carry in your bag or throw in a shirt pocket so that its always available, then this may be the best camera for you. While its not deep on features, it has the ones that are most important for convenience: a decent flash, 3x zoom (better for wide angle shots than telephoto closeups), and APS film.

Make no mistake, you do not get the flexibility (shutter speed, apeture, optional lenses, external flashes, white balance) that SLRs and more expensive camera can offer, but what you do get is not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes (that's not politically correct, is it?).

I looked at a pretty broad set of cameras, including the other ELPH cameras, before selecting this one because I liked the zoon range and the size of the camera. I was pleasantly impressed by surprisingly good picture quality, and my wife can testify to its extreme ease of use. This ELPH is all about size, convenience, and simplicity. If that's what you want then buy it.

So I must disagree with the reviewer from Maine, who believe it or not cannot seem to spell anything correctly, thus I would expect her to rate this camera low as it is probably above her to even know anything about a camera much less operate one. My sister purchased the originial of this camera over the summer for her internship with Laura Bush, at the same time my other sister and my brother were getting cameras for the first years of university life and I must say that of the three cameras I liked the Fuji the best. My first digital camera 4 years ago was a Nikon CoolPix and I will NEVER own another Nikon. I purchased the Fuji the other night and am so pleased with it. The pictures look amazing on the camera, on my computer and in print. No complaints here! Thank you Fuji for securing my loyality for years to come.

I purchased this camera this afternoon. I didn't buy it from amazon. I purchased it at a PC Richards. I knew the salesman and he gave me a good deal. Anyway, I was going to get the 3 pixal one, but that was out of stock. The salesman sold me this one at the same price, which was $200. I was deciding between this one and a canon, and he recommended this one. I have had it for an hour, and I love it. It is so easy to use. I just skimmed throught the instructions. I was able to navigate the menu's with no problem. I wanted to point that out, since a lot of the compliants are that it is not that easy to use. I have about ten pictures that I took so far. I used my new puppy as my test subject. They came out great. It is easy to pick out the pictures that you want, and the ones that you want to delete. I can't wait to print some up. I just needed one with the basics. This has that and more. I love it, and I am glad I purchased this one. It is highly recommended. I only gave it four stars, because I wish the memory card held more. Don't have second thoughts on this. It is definitly a good price, and compact.

I just got this camera for christmas and it is relatively easy for a first time user so i give it 5 stars so i would recomend this camera to every one

... I would dare to say the photo-finishing lab has a lot to do with the results you see. I was horrified by one lab I tried recently. Incompetence in the lab can totally ruin your prized shots. As always, it's best to shoot a test roll or two and make sure you don't photograph anything you can't reshoot later. Test a new lab the same way, with photos that can be redone.
Keep this film cool. Refrigerate unopened rolls and let them aclimate before using. Try to load your camera in as much darkness as you can achieve. Process this film as soon as you can, after shooting. Leaving the film sitting around or in heat will cause the dyes to deteriorate. If you need to travel by air, ask for a hand-inspection at the airport. Don't pack this film in checked luggage. It is more sensitive to X-Ray equipment than an average film.
This film actually has a better grain index (48) than Kodak's professional negative film (Portra - index 50) at a 4.4 magnification, ISO 800. (I haven't seen any other index value data from Kodak for this film, so I can't comment about larger print sizes.)
If you need a fast color film for poor lighting conditions or for action photos, this is a good film. It is not as good in controlled lighting situations as the Portra or Supra or even Royal Gold films at lower ISO ratings. If you need the speed and don't intend to enlarge beyond 5x, this film is perfect. If you need to enlarge beyond that, the grain becomes more and more apparent. In photography, as in every other endeavor, choose the right tool for the job. Film is a very important tool for serious photography. Don't depend on just one type of film.

I have used this film for years--with both my older point and shoot Cannon 135 Zoom and my current Nikon N65. The fact that it is a higher speed film makes it very versatile for all types of situations I shoot in--indoors, outdoors, low light, beach photography, fast-action sporting events, etc. I have not had a problem with graininess but I have not blown pictures up past 11x14 size. I have shot approximately 200+ rolls with this film and my lab has never had to color-correct my film. I wonder if some people who use this film and have had problems with graininess have more of a problem with their camera or photo processing lab than it is with the film. This film can be used in all types of situations and I will keep using it with confidence!

This product gives you the type of performance it promises. I was absolutely amazed the first time I used Kodak Gold Max 800 film. The camera used was a Canon AE1 with a 75mm-210mm zoom lens. The subject...my mom and step-dads wedding. I took pictures under a variety of lighting conditions; from hair and make-up to the reception. All of my photos came out with similar quality. Bright vibrant colors! Great depth of field! None of the blue hues I often found on pictures using the 210mm zoom with 400 speed film. My only complaint is the amount of money I have had to spend on reprints, because everyone wants copies.