Showing posts with label digital camera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital camera. Show all posts

Kodak Easyshare Z740 5MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom & Kodak Printer Dock (Series 3) Review

Kodak Easyshare Z740 5MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and Kodak Printer Dock (Series 3)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Kodak's entry into the digital camera market was later than its rivals, the Japanese camera companies, such as Nikkon and Canon. However, with the release of the Easy Share Z740 5-Megapixel camera, Kodak establishes itself as a real competitor.
This is my first digital camera and I am quite pleased with it. I have been taking pictures with a SLR film Canon camera for over 25 years and was reluctant to go digital, as I had a great set-up (lenses and accessories) with the film format. Even so, it is readily apparent that film photography will soon be ancient history and digital photography will certainly become the future of picture taking.
The Easy Share is a very easy camera to learn. I spent about 45 minutes reading the manual with the camera in my lap exploring all the buttons, options, and settings. From that point on it was a cinch to take great pictures, as the camera is so easy to use. For those who want a simple point and shoot camera, the automatic setting will give you the simplicity you desire. For those who want more control over the camera settings, such as F-stop and shutter speed, there are settings for these as well. For this reason, the Easyshare Z740 is a great camera for general use. It has a very nice flash that pops up when you need it. The flash also has features that you can control if desired.
I bought the Easy Share because I read in reviews it was a good quality camera, and primarily for the 10-power optical zoom lens. The 10x lens is a good quality glass lens that gives sharp shots. I love the versitiliy it gives the photographer! Most digital cameras have 3x optical zoom lenses and then utilize a 5-10 power digital zoom. The Kodak Easy Share has a 3x digital zoom making the total zoom a 30 power combo. However, if you have any experience at all with digital zooms you quickly realize that they produce an inferior grainy (and usually blurry) image. However, because the Easy Share has a 10 power optical zoom, one rarely needs to go beyond this and use the digital zoom. Beware of cameras that proclaim their 20x or 30x digital zooms and the image will greatly disappoint you!
With a 512 MB flash (memory card), the camera will take about 350 pictures before having to download the pics to a computer for storage or printing. The transfer process is so easy. My wife, who is a computer illiterate can even manage this task. The software (computer) program that comes with the camera is very adequate and reliable.
The lithium battery for the camera is charged easily by simply plugging the camera into a pod that comes with the camera. There is a jack on the bottom of the camera that plugs into the pod and charges the battery without having to remove it from the camera each time, a feature that is very simple and handy.
The camera itself is much smaller than a standard 35 mm film camera so it goes anywhere with you. The controls are well-placed and easy to use. After a session or two of practice shooting, you will be able to operate the controls like a pro.
Finally, there is of course a color LCD screen that shows you the picture you just shot. There are additional controls that allow you to scroll through all your pictures, delete those you don't want, and save those you want to keep. Again, it is all very easy to learn. Coming from a film camera background, I found this editing feature to be the best aspect of digital photography, for there is no guessing as to whether you got the shot or not - it is right there on the screen in living color! If you don't like the exposure or cropping, simply take another one! In digital photography, there is no "wasting film"!
All in all, this is a solid digital camera that will please anyone interested in getting into digital photography. The price is very competitive considering the extensive options that Kodak packaged into this deal. If you are just getting into digital photography or are looking to upgrade to a higher megapixel camera, the Easy share will not disappoint you. I highly recommend it.
Jim Konedog Koenig

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kodak Easyshare Z740 5MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom & Kodak Printer Dock (Series 3)

Introducing the Kodak Easyshare Digital Photo Solution--the start-to-finish way to capture and share your memories in seconds. This bundle comes complete with a Kodak Easyshare Z740 digital camera and a printer Dock Series 3--everything you need to take, make, and share real Kodak pictures simply. Capture your images with the 5.0-megapixel camera, then print real Kodak pictures with one touch using the printer dock.The Kodak Easyshare Z740 camera is ideal for people who want to get close to their subject but enjoy the simplicity of a point-and-shoot digital camera. Its powerful 10x (38-380mm equivalent) Kodak Retinar aspheric, all-glass optical zoom lens can quickly zero in on a small object or distant scene, picking up the detail, color, and textures that a less powerful lens would overlook. The 1.8-inch, high-resolution, indoor/outdoor LCD screen and electronic viewfinder are designed for previewing a scene or reviewing and sharing shots just taken.In addition, the 5 MP Easyshare Z740 camera includes more advanced, yet simple to use, features to help people get exactly the pictures they want. These include 16 scene settings (e.g., party, sport, portrait) for various environments, continuous autofocus for crisp pictures, first and last burst modes for action photography, color options (e.g., black-and-white, sepia), and even PASM (program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual) modes for greater control and creativity.The exclusive Kodak Color Science image processing chip helps deliver vibrant, accurate colors time and time again. Each time you click the shutter, the Kodak Color Science Chip performs an instantaneous and advanced analysis of collected scene data to identify and adjust multiple factors that influence picture quality. The scene light source is detected and adjustments are made to capture bright whites and true, vivid colors under difficult lighting conditions--fluorescent, tungsten, or daylight. Scene content is analyzed for luminance, focal distance, subject matter orientation, and color to determine the correct exposure and to capture the natural details, accurate flesh tones, and rich colors you see in your composition.As with all Easyshare cameras, the Z740 includes the favorites feature, which lets people store dozens of pictures in internal memory for anytime, anywhere sharing; the Share button for designating pictures to be e-mailed or printed; popular Easyshare software for computer-based picture viewing, organizing, and sharing; and even high-quality video (640 x 480 pixels) for recording and sharing life in action.Z740 camera owners can also take advantage of a range of accessories for additional creativity, including a 0.7x wide-angle lens and 55 mm circular polarizer and neutral density filters.A Powerful Zoom, Because Close Isn't Close Enough
Get close to your subjects with 10x optical zoom and 5x advanced digital zoom (50x total zoom)
Create unbelievable-quality prints up 13 by 17 inches with 5.0 MP
Get rich, vibrant color under a variety of lighting conditions with the exclusive Kodak Color Science Chip
Capture consistently crisp, precise pictures thanks to the autofocus system with assist lamp
Kodak Retinar All-Glass Aspheric 10x Optical Zoom Lens
Capture your subject in crisp detail with the Z740's all-glass lens
Get amazingly close to your subjects with the 10x optical zoom (35mm equivalent: 38-380mm)
Get even closer with the 5x advanced digital zoom for 50x total zoom
1.8-Inch High-Resolution Indoor/Outdoor Display
View brilliant, sharp images even in direct sunlight
Review vertical shots vertically with auto picture-rotation
In review mode, quickly magnify up to 8x, fast scroll through pictures, or view multi-up
Manual and Custom Controls Turn your creative vision into reality with a full palette of advanced program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual and custom controls.High-Speed, Low-Light Autofocus
Using dual-sensing technologies, the Z7400's high-speed, low-light, autofocus system precisely fine tunes and sharply defines your subject in both low-light and bright-light situations
The autofocus system with assist lamp helps capture consistently crisp, sharp pictures even in low light
Continuous autofocus provides 0.42 second click-to-capture time (with preview on)
Continuous Shooting and Bracketing Modes
First burst mode--captures up to 4 frames in rapid succession at 2 frames per second (fps)
Last burst mode--captures up to 30 frames at 2 fps, with the last 4 frames saved
Auto exposure bracketing--3 images with user-selectable brackets (+/- 0.3, +/- 0.7 or +/- 1.0 EV)
Multiple Scene and Color Modes, plus Video Capture Free your inner creativity. The Z740 has a mode for almost any situation. You will get the shot you want, the way you want it. Choose one of 16 scene modes to get your shot, including:
Portrait--places the subject in sharp focus, softens the background
Sport--captures subject in action without blurring
Children--captures action photos of children in bright light
Party--use for photos of people in indoor setting in lower light
Beach--use for bright beach scene
Bring out your creativity with color modes:
High color--for vibrant colors
Natural color--for natural-looking colors
Low color--for muted colors
Sepia--for an antique appearance
Black-and-white--for a classic look
Catch all the action with continuous video:
Capture up to 80 minutes continuous video with audio, depending upon size of external memory card; or 5-, 15-, 30-second clips
Choose settings for VGA (640 x 480-pixel resolution) at 13 fps, or QVGA (320 x 240-pixel resolution) at 20 fps, both with MPEG-4 compression
Share universally with QuickTime video format
One Touch to Real Kodak Pictures in Seconds
Dock your Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera, press print, and create great-looking, borderless pictures up to 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 centimeters)
Transfer your pictures from camera to computer at the touch of a button
Recharges your camera's batteries in 3.5 hours or less
Imagelink print system compatible--print directly from Imagelink print system compatible products
Award-Winning Ease of Use
Simply dock your camera and push a button to create beautiful pictures from your Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera
Use the Kodak Printer Dock with or without a computer
Transfer pictures from the camera to computer at the touch of a button
Get back to shooting quickly--the Printer Dock recharges your Kodak Camera's battery in less than 3.5 hours
Start printing and sharing right out of the box with the included Kodak Color Cartridge and Photo Paper Kit (10 prints)
Expanded Flexibility and Printing Options
Fun ways to print your pictures the way you want with four selectable sizes ranging from 4-by-6-inch full photos, 3-by-4-inch credit-card-sized photos with borders, 2-by-3-inch wallets, and 1.3-by-2-inch mini photos
PictBridge compatible so you can print directly from any PictBridge-enabled digital camera
Print directly from most popular memory cards using the optional Kodak 8-in-1 Card Reader
Use With or Without a Computer With a computer:
Transfers your pictures from camera to computer with one touch of a button, so you're ready to start viewing, editing, printing, or e-mailing your pictures
Without a computer:
Get great-looking prints with ease--you don't even need a computer
Kodak Easyshare Software
The Z740 includes Kodak Easyshare Software
Works seamlessly with Easyshare cameras and docks to enable one-button transferring and sharing
The easy way to view, edit, organize, print, or view a slide show from your computer
Exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature automatically adjusts the settings on your inkjet printer to give you traditional quality photos when printing on Kodak Inkjet Photo Papers


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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 3MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 3MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've used this camera now for two months. I have to say: I very impressed. It took me a whole month to choose which camera to buy in this class (high optical zoom, 3-4 MP).
If you are looking at cameras of this class, you are also probably considering the Canon 1S IS 3.2MP 10x Zoom. In a moment you will see why I chose this camera over the Canon. What you will like about Lumix:
1. 12x Zoom with a Leica lens! (vs 10x zoom on the Canon)
2. Excellent image stabilizator (2 modes)! You need a tripod in most lowlight conditions (Canon's image stabilizer is just as good).
3. Focus illuminator (No such thing with the Canon, which makes the camera hunt for focus at night).
4. Live histogram! There's are brief manual directions on how to use the histogram to get the best images. (No live histogram with Canon, it does however show a histogram after taking the shot)
5. Many, many, awesome features like zooming in on the image after taking it (to see if its blurred, etc), making overexposed areas blink in black (I love this feature, whenever I overexpose the image I know instantly)... etc.
6. The lightest/smallest high zoom camera out there. I just put it in my pocket and I'm off.
7. Free hood! which gets neatly attached to the lens and you can carry it around, even if you are not using it.
8. Great battery life, you can take loads of pictures. (Better than the Canon)
9. Lithium rechargable battery. (Canon: normal AA batteries... heavy stuff, you gotta buy your own rechargables and charger... a good $30+)
10. Nice, professional design. I don't know for you, but I hate those little cameras which look like credit cards.
11. Easy, intuitive menus. Has a mode for beginners. Again, many features like aperture and shutter priorities, fascinating macro mode... etc etc.
12. Excellent price for such a camera, definitely worth it.
13. Unnoticible distortion at high zoom.
14. Barely any blue aberration and fringing errors. ( Canon has some visible fringing (especially at high zoom).
15. Really fast start up time. Fast shooting times.
What you might not like:
1. 3.1 MP... the zoom sort of compensates for it, but 5MP would have been great... (for the same price of course). (3.2 on Canon)
2. Movie mode. Okay, I didn't buy this camera to make movies, if you want a camera which can make good movies, get a camcorder. only 400x300 resolution (hm... check that out, not entirely sure) vs 640x480 on Canon, and you can use the zoom with Canon's camera.
3. No manual focus. (Canon has a manual focus mode)
4. Visible vignetting. That is, when you take a picture, the ends or sides of it look black. That is annoying, but you get only 2-3 pictures every 100. (Canon: no vignetting)
5. A stronger focus illuminator.
6. Flash cannot be attached. (check for Canon)
7. Canon has a rotatable screen... so you can take pictures of your ass while looking at it. Well, it's a good feature, but I don't need it. Plus, the screen is small.
8. You don't get a case for it, but then you don't for most cameras. Buy one.
9. Buy a memory card. SanDisk 512MB works great for me. +50 bucks there. You will only get 16MB with the package. But that's how it is with all cameras.
I have not had any problems with my Lumix camera for these 2 months and I am really pleased with it! It took me a while to choose, but I as you see, the 9 cons there are more of little annoyances and things that I wish were there, but the price didn't allow it. Buy this camera, it is worth it. If you have some more money and professional initiative though, I'd strongly recommend you get the 5MP version for 500 or so dollars.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 3MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom

2/8/200615-19-32...

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Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've been a Canon guy for several years and throught that they lead the pack in photographic innovation. My family has several Canon SLR's, assorted lenses and digital Elph pocket cameras (SD 400, SD450 and SD550). Pocket cameras trade performance and features for small size and ease of use. In bright light without flash the Canon Elphs usually provide image quality which is ok for 8 x 10" photos if one is not too critical about sharpness, especially near the edges and corners. This resolution limit has more to due with the lackluster optics being used than with the number of megapixels. Basically, the tiny lenses are the limiting factor and not the sensor.
The Fuji F30 is about the same size and weight as the Canon SD550 (or SD700). I bought it based on the rave reviews it got in the high-ISO, low light category. So, when I tested it against my 7.1MP Canon SD550 I was greatly surprised by the vastly superior image quality of the 6.3MP Fuji at ALL ISO settings. The Fujicon lens used provides much sharper pictures than the Canon from edge to edge. Sure, the Canon will make ok 8 x 10's but those from the Fuji will be much sharper and crisper, especially away from the center where the Canon image gets softer. The difference is even more striking in lower light, such as indoors or outside when the sun is low or under heavy clouds. The Fuji provides much sharper AND lower noise images at ISO 800 than the Canon does at ISO 200. Essentially, the Fuji can use the same shutter speed (to freeze action and mitigate hand-shake) in one-fourth the light while still producing superior pictures!!! The Fuji could also provide a shutter speed four-times faster in the same light and give sharper pictures and less noisy pictures.
Another advantage of the Fuji F30 is the option to have full manual control over aperture, metering, etc, just like an SLR (no manual focus however). The LCD on the Fuji is also much brighter and clearer (many more pixels and less reflective) than the Canon. One more advantage is battery life. The Fuji battery is about twice as large as that used in the Canon SD550. It is rated at 580 shots while the Canon is rated at about 150 shots. There's not nearly as much need to buy and carry a spare battery for the Fuji.
OK, the Fuji does have a few disadvantages over the Canon. The worst of these to me is the use of tiny xD memory cards. Not only do you need to buy yet another type of card but large 1GB xD cards require much longer times (about 5-10 times as long) to transfer images to your computer through a card reader than do 1GB SD cards. The reason for this is that the small sized xD card require special hardware compression to allow 1GB to be stored. In reading the card the pictures have to be uncompressed into normal jpeg format. This slows down the transfer. The xD card compression seems to have no effect on how fast the camera can take pictures. The Fuji is at least as fast as the Canon in starting up and taking pictures.
Another lessor complaint IMO is the supplied Fuji battery charger. It charges the battery only while in the camera and has a cord to plug into the camera and another long cord to plug into the wall. In contrast, Canon provides a very tiny battery charger with folding outlet prongs. This packs easily and charges the battery directly with NO cords. Fuji could provide a similar charger but, instead, offers to sell you their version of the Canon cordless charger for an extra $60-90 as an accessory. You can also buy a non-Fuji version of the cordless charger for about $28, so it's not a big issue, but is an irritation. It is also worth noting that the Fuji has no peephole viewfinder. I rarely use this but some folks may think this an omission. On the other hand, the Fuji LCD is much brighter and less reflective than the Canon screen so it can actually be used in bright sunlight when the peephole would be the only option with the Canon.
In summary, aside from the issues of the xD card and supplied charger, the Fuji F30 represents a significant breakthrough in image quality, low-light performance and optional manual controls for small pocket cameras.

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The Fujifilm FinePix F30 6.3MP Digital Camera is a revolution in point-and-shoot digital cameras for consumers. With full-resolution ISO equivalency speeds as high as 3200 -- a setting previously reserved for advanced consumer and professional digital camera models -- the F30 takes crystal clear photographs where other cameras would deliver blurry images. Higher light sensitivities allow this camera to shoot with faster shutter speeds, which lessens the likelihood of blurry pictures caused by ever-active children, fidgety pets, dim ambient light, or an unsteady camera hand.
Sized to slip into a pocket or purse, the F30 might be diminutive, but the extra-large 6.3 megapixel resolution is more than enough for high-quality standard 4x6-inch prints. However, if you'd like to make larger prints, or alter an image with photo editing software, the extra-resolution is a valuable asset. An extra-large, 2.5-inch (230,000 pixel) LCD monitor fills the back of the camera. With convenient features like Auto Brightness and an anti-glare, low reflection CV (Clear View) film, the monitor provides comfortable composition and viewing of photos whether in dim interiors or under bright sunlight. The responsive FinePix F30 is ready when you are, with a super-fast start-up time (1.4 seconds), a shooting interval of 1.5 seconds, and a shutter release time lag of a minimum of 0.01 seconds.
The class-leading performance of FinePix F30 is due in large part to the second generation of Real Photo Technology. This Fujifilm photographic achievement is a combination of Fujifilm's Super CCD sensor, its proprietary RP Processor, and a world-class lens from Fujinon. The camera's 3.0x optical zoom lens has a focal range equivalent to 36-108mm on a 35mm camera. Combined with a 6.2x digital zoom, this camera offers a 18.6x total zoom range that brings you closer to your subjects than ever before. Fujinon, Fujifilm sister company, produces these high-quality optics that are used by broadcasters, astronomers, scientists, the military and others to bring their subjects closer with crisp, clear image quality.
Fujifilm has also added a helpful "Picture Stabilization" mode dial setting to the F30. This easy-to-identify, automatic setting lets the camera choose the correct light sensitivity -- ISO equivalents up to 3200 -- and best matching shutter speed for the highest quality digital pictures.
In the past, high ISO equivalencies such as 3200 (or even 1600 and 800), had been off-limits to compact consumer digital cameras, but not any more. In addition to Picture Stabilization, the F30 combats the high-ISO, low-picture-clarity problem with the sixth-generation Super CCD sensor that produces less noise than its predecessor, and an RP Processor II that is finely tuned to remove even more noise. The end result is the FinePix F30: a camera that produces sharp pictures, full of rich color with dramatically less image noise, even in the lowest of lights.
Another innovation of the FinePix F30 that works in tandem with Real Photo Technology and higher ISOs is the Fujifilm flash system called i-Flash. More advanced than similar flash systems, the i-Flash can accurately detect the subtle lighting differences within a scene, and then light the subject accordingly with a wider range of flash intensities. This is accomplished with an adjustment to the flash's intensity based on a variety of factors, such as subject position in the frame, subject size, ambient light, and backlight intensity. So, even if the subject is off center and standing under a street light, the i-Flash system will expose the subject properly.
i-Flash is a tremendous asset to any photographer, particularly when shooting in low-light -- subjects look more natural in front of backgrounds full of bright and clear detail. However, the i-Flash difference is most apparent in portraits, delivering realistic facial tones without the washed-out look so often associated with flash photography. Basically, this smart flash control system recognizes conditions, and determines the optimum flash output to give you superb results.
Ever run out of digital storage just at the wrong moment? Not with the F30. With 10 MB of built-in storage you'll never have to miss that special shot. Think of it as your internal insurance policy for those great, not-to-be missed photo opportunities. Amazingly easy to operate, all you have to do is switch-on the FinePix F30, and you'll be ready to shoot. Controls have been arranged for easy, fingertip operation giving you quick access to all the camera's great exposure modes and scenes. The full range of exposure modes includes auto, aperture-priority AE, shutter priority AE, manual, movie, picture stabilization, and scene position modes; plus, a generous selection of 15 preset scene positions that include underwater, sunset, snow, fireworks, party, museum and more. Whatever the situation, the FinePix F30 makes it a snap to get great results.
Additional features include super macro mode; 30 fps movie recording with monaural sound for capturing quick, digital video snippits; a FinePix Photo button for one-touch access to frequently used settings (image size, ISO sensitivity, and FinePix color mode); continuous shooting mode; a USB interface for PC connectivity; a video output for your TV monitor (NTSC/PAL) to display photographs on your television; FinePix Viewer software; PictBridge compatibility; and an xD-Picture card compatible slot. The FinePix F30 is powered by an included NP-95 rechargeable battery and can take approximately 500 pictures on a single battery charge.
What's in the Box Fujifilm FinePix F30 digital camera, NP-95 rechargeable battery, AC-5VC AC power adapter, hand strap, USB cable, A/V cable, and FinePix Viewer CD-ROM.

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Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only) Review

Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only)
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After owning an Olympus E-510 for 8 months I had been looking forward to an upgrade to the E-3. When Olympus announced the new E-30 in November the upgrade waters became a little muddied. I poured over the differences between the E-3 and the E-30 and then waited for some of the initial Olympus reviews to come out. I further waited to hear from the more well known internet Olympus users and bloggers to see what they had to say. After all, they were used to shooting Olympus and had done so with most of the models currently out. Once I knew that the E-30 performed similarly to the E-3 I knew now that I had to pick one over the other. But which one?
Basically, any camera purchase will be based on a personal style and liking and not everyone chooses the same system or the same camera within a system. Gotta love diversity!
What I knew about Olympus that I already liked were the Zuiko lenses, the in body image stabilization, the smaller, lighter (but not cheap feeling) bodies, the image quality, the live view, the intuitive design of the menu system, their dust reduction capabilities, and their built-from-the-ground-up digital system.
I chose the E-30 over the E-3 because of two main reasons:
One was the fact that the E-30 contained much of the innovation and performance of the E-3, but with newer technology. In the digital world, I felt that was a plus.
The second was the actual weight difference. While I think the weather sealed body of the E-3 is great for someone who actually will need it, I couldn't see myself shooting in the rain. Since I have a bit of arthritis in my hands and wrists already, the lighter body of the E-30 was a better fit for me.
My thoughts on the overall performance of the E-30 is that it performs just as I had hoped it would. It's fast and responsive.
The 11 point auto focus points were a nice jump from the 3 points with my E-510 and after figuring out how to change from one to the other, it became pretty easy to handle.
The larger 2.7 in screen was nice, not to mention the fact that it can tilt and swivel. I sort of missed the tilt and swivel option from when I owned a Canon S5 IS.
I noticed a difference in the dynamic range too. I wasn't blowing out highlights as easily as I did with the E-510. Less "blikies" are always a good thing!
The image quality doesn't disappoint and the 12.3mp allows for larger prints.
I haven't used the art filters yet, but I'm sure it'll be just one more thing that I can play around with. It definitely doesn't distract or degrade the high quality you get with this camera!
If you want to upgrade from the E-4XX or E-5XX models this camera will not disappoint. If you are looking at this as a new DSLR purchase it will be a great camera for you as well.


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The Olympus E-30 is the newest addition to the interchangeable-lens digital SLRs (single lens reflex) within the Olympus E-System lineup. This new 12.3-megapixel, FourThirds-compliant camera reinforces the company's commitment to the standard. Positioned as a mid-level model, this new digital SLR camera is intended for anyone who wants to express their creativity through photography, whether they are just starting out or are a professional with years of experience behind them. The E-30 is a camera that has the speed of the E-3 and the freedom to express oneself with a variety of new creative features, from Art Filters that will let you control the way the image looks from a grainy black and white film to exaggerated colors. From the ability to shoot traditional multiple exposures in Live View for a wedding photographer, to the untraditional multiple exposure of the artistic, the E-30 is the camera for the creative shooter who wants to think differently and shoot in new ways.

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Kodak EasyShare V570 5MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom Review

Kodak EasyShare V570 5MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I was feeling a bit lazy and wasn't going to post a review of this camera, however, after reading a few of the other reviews I felt I had to put in my two cents.
First off, a little history. I searched for weeks and weeks to find a nice compact camera to replace my aging Canon S30. I was looking for something very compact in the 5 to 6 megapixel range. I finally settled on the Casio S500. After using the camera for a few weeks I returned it (see my review for my thoughts on that camera). I started searching again and found the pre-release information on the Kodak V570. I was quite interested so I checked out the V570's predecessor the V550. I found this camera to be quite nice and liked it enough assume that the V570 would be a good camera. I've had the V570 now for about two weeks and I must say that I'm quite pleased. Is it the perfect camera? No, of course not, but it is a camera that will meet most of your needs and do it in style.
Following is a list of what I consider to be the camera's pros and cons. I'll address a few of the other reviewers' opinions also.
PROS:
-Large bright LCD screen. The LCD on the V570 is quite bright and very large. The viewing angle on it is quite wide meaning that you can view the LCD from above, below, left, right or straight on and it will not wash out or go substantially dark. This was something that caused me to pass on a few Panasonic models. The LCD is NOT grainy except in very low-light conditions and this is normal with ALL cameras of this genre. The LCD is, after all, only a viewfinder!
-Nice, well designed controls. The Zoom button is NOT hard to use for anyone with normal sized hands. If you have very large hands then possibly it could be a problem, however, most compact point and shoot cameras would have the same problem. Personally, I find the zoom button and all the other buttons to be well placed and easy to use. The menu system is simple to navigate and is NOT slow. It's quite responsive, in fact. I do wish the camera would automatically save your custom settings on power down but I understand why it doesn't. I think there's an easy way to save your settings but I haven't explored that aspect yet.
-23mm wide angle lens. This is the camera's single best feature.I love to use wide angle lenses. They make pictures more dynamic and allow a much greater range of creativity than normal lenses. I do have one word of caution regarding the zoom on the V570. Go into the setup menu and disable the digital zoom. By default the V570 uses digital zoom to bridge the gap between the 23mm lens and the normal zoom lens. Digital zooms are bad! Optical zooms are good! Digital zooms simply crop in on the digital image and enlarge it to fill the same space as the original. As you would expect this destroys image quality. This is not a problem unique to Kodak so don't berate them for it. All camera and camcorder makers use digital zoom as a marketing gimmick. With the digital zoom disabled the camera will indeed "skip" from ultra-wide to normal range. I didn't consider this "strange" in any way. There is an expected amount of pincushion distortion when using the 23mm lens but it's not excessive or distracting. One additional feature when using the 23mm lens that I really find amazing is the camera's ability to take multiple image panoramas and actually stitch them IN the camera. I've played with this a bit and after only three tries I started getting quite nice results with this. The panorama feature isn't one of the things that really figured into my purchase of this camera but it is one of the things that made me say to myself, "very cool", when playing with it.
-Image quality. One of the biggest problems I had with the Casio S500 was image quality. Specifically, the Casio simply couldn't focus reliably in low light and the images were very noisy. The Kodak V570, on the other hand, nails focus each time and the images are high quality. Obviously, when shooting at high ISO settings image quality does go down but is still quite nice.
-Video mode. Most digital point and shoot cameras have a video mode nowadays. This is an awesome feature that might allow you to leave your camcorder at home on occasion. The video quality is excellent and is actually higher resolution than your standard television. You can hear the zoom if you use it when recording, however, most cameras don't allow you to use the zoom at all when in video mode so just accept it. Remember, this isn't designed as a primary video device but as a still camera with the ability to take videos. When you need the best video you can get pull out the camcorder. When you want an occasional video and don't have the camcorder with you...hey!!!...pull out the V570 and record away.
-Internal zoom mechanism. Most point-and-shoot cameras on the market have an external zoom lens mechanism. What I mean by this is that the lens extends out of the camera an inch or more. The V570 has an internal mechanism. What this means to me is that I don't have to worry about mashing the extended lens into something and potentially breaking it. I recall that with the Casio S500 that I had for a bit the owner's manual actually mentions several times to be very careful not to bump the lens into anything. No worries with the Kodak.
-Appearance. I really like the V570's looks. The design is a bit Art Deco. This is, of course, a very subjective thing but I find it attractive.
-Battery life. While not the best camera in regards to battery life, the V570 does just fine. The reviews I read state a life of around 170 pictures and from personal experience this seems accurate. This is an improvement over the V550. While some cameras can do better let's all be realistic here, 170 pictures in a day of shooting for the average amateur is a lot. If this isn't enough simply have an extra battery on hand. After all, Kodak has some of the lowest prices for extra batteries of anyone.
CONS:
-The flash is a bit on the weak side. The Kodak is a bit wimpy here but when you're within range the exposure is very accurate even when using for extreme close-ups. I actually took some close-up photos from a distance of about 2 inches and the flash exposure was right on. I was actually so close that the flash only covered the left side of the picture.
-The SD card door is indeed very poorly designed. I can see that if you intend on removing the SD card a lot you might eventually damage this. I initially planned on transferring images to my computer by pulling the SD card and using a card-reader but I've found that using the camera's dock is just as easy. I'm surprised that Kodak's engineers left this design flaw intact. Do yourself a favor and buy a 1 gig SD card and just leave it in the camera. Use the dock to transfer images and you shouldn't have a problem.
A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS: I just wanted to address a few things about some of the other reviews I've read here. First off, there is nothing gimmicky about this camera and just exactly how is this a "bait and switch"? Second, this camera doesn't do RAW because it's designed for amateurs and is a point-and-shoot camera. The average person doesn't even know what a RAW format is or what to do with it. Get real people. If I need to shoot in RAW format I'll grab my Canon 5D. When I want to take a small camera out for vacation or just day to day family pictures I'll take the V570 and leave the heavy hardware at home. Third, every single camera I've ever owned or looked at has at least one feature that I would think of as a "design flaw". Whether that feature is enough to keep me away from it is another matter. To say that this camera is a "typical poor American design" is simply rude and inaccurate. My goodness, I almost laughed when I read the comments about not knowing what side was up when pulling the camera out of your pocket. My God man, OPEN YOUR EYES. OK, now that I got that off my chest I can relax. This is a solid camera that I think most people would be happy with.
UPDATE: I just felt the need to update this review to address the comments made by "AJM". Now, I have no problem if people take issue with an item. If the product is poorly designed or doesn't function properly. My problem lies with people that simply make stuff up. When "AJM" says "when you eject the memory card, it will spring and fly across the room" I tend to get a bit angry. This is WRONG. I took my V570 and no matter what I did I couldn't get the card to "spring" more than half way out of the camera. To remove the card you simply depress it with your fingertip and it is spring loaded to pop up enough to remove it. It will not come flying out of the camera. It's obvious that AJM has never owned the camera and is probably just a plant for Canon. As for me, I'm a professional photographer in Wisconsin. I shoot on some pretty high-end equipment for work but when I'm out and about on personal trips I leave the big stuff at home and take a point and shoot. I have no allegiance to any specific brand of camera. In fact, I own both Canon and Kodak point and shoots and have done quite a bit of work on Nikon, Canon and Minolta Pro products too. There are a whole bunch of nice cameras out there. All I want to do is to present a fair review.

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Nikon Coolpix P2 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Zoom (Wi-Fi Capable) Review

Nikon Coolpix P2 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Zoom (Wi-Fi Capable)
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I read all these reviews and cannot FOR THE LIFE OF ME understand all the crying and whining about the WiFi mode. I keep hearing how "complicated" and "annoying" it is, but this is just plain WRONG. I actually set my WiFi up yesterday, and do you want to know how long it took me? About a minute. Pop in the setup CD, click "wireless setup only", plug your camera in by the USB cable (you need only do this the first time to set up! The setup CD will give you all the directions, just follow along), install it (takes all of a few seconds), choose your connection mode, name, and icon, and you're DONE. Then unplug the USB cable (you now no longer need it!), rotate the click-wheel at the top of the camera to wifi-mode, click "ok" and VOILA (you'll see the WiFi antenna flash blue). Easy as that, and it will download all of the images in your camera at a fast speed without any wires needed. How in God's name are people making this out to be a big deal?
Read your manual and you'll be fine. I did my homework for literally months and ended up choosing this model. I know cameras and this is easily the best deal for the money. Do get familiar with the scene modes, they're absolutely phenomenal and there is something for every shot and angle. Each scene mode has a choice of 3 different effects, which is really nice. The variety of shots you will be able to take is second to none. 5 MP is a perfect compromise for image quality, resolution, and price. Nikon as always is top-rate. Photography is something that seems to run in the family and when my grandfather approved this camera, I knew it was truly great.
The screen on this thing is AMAZING. 2.5 inches! The loss of the viewfinder is something you won't even notice, the LCD is a far more accurate tool anyway. Erasing pictures is simple, operating the zoom is a piece of cake, and the Zoom Nikkor lense is one of the best on the market, (along with the SchneiderKreuznach lenses on the Kodaks and the Carl Zeiss lenses on the Sonys). Nothing against Canon's Elph line because they're amazing, but the lense on the Nikon is better and I honestly feel that the Canon models are overpriced. Ever picked up an SD400 or 450? They feel far too tiny and almost flimsy. The SD500 and 550 are a bit better, but there's virtually NOTHING to grip. Trust me, when you want to really focus on a subject and get the perfect shot, the LAST thing you want is not to have a firm enough grip on your camera and have it slip. This also increases the likelihood of dropping it, which is never a good thing! Some complain that the red-eye reducer takes too long. The flash will go off three times in red-eye-eliminator mode, so if you're taking a picture of your dog, turn it OFF, (because the subject will have moved by then). For people though, it will be fine. The P2 comes with great software and it will take all of 5 seconds to remove red-eye manually once uploaded if the time before the final flash goes off bothers you too much. I've heard whining about the P2's size...why? Pick one up if you can look at one in person. They're wondefully compact yet still have a heft to them, and a very substantial hand grip that doubles as the battery casing. It's all metal and beautifully designed, the worksmanship speaks for itself. Nikon is a great choice, and I also recommend Olympus and Kodak (Kodaks are the king of easy-to-use cameras).
Even full price for this camera is worth it (400 dollars), though you'll see it advertised from between 250-350, which are very fair prices. You're going to love it, it's a very capable little machine that will take you gorgeous pictures. Nothing is off-limits and there is a scene mode for any situation. I have NO regrets. The rechargable battery is good to have and will save you money. I HIGHLYYYY recommend you purchase LCD screen covers to protect your very-large LCD screen. These can be bought on Ebay in packs of 3 for about 10 dollars with shipping.

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As one of the smaller digital cameras on the market, the Coolpix P2 combines a high-quality optical zoom lens with a range of automatic and preset shooting modes that will satisfy the most discerning of point-and-shoot photographers. With an 5.1-megapixel CCD, and a high quality 3.5x optical zoom Nikkor 3x ED glass lens, plus a 4x digital zoom for a total zoom of 14x, the Coolpix P1 can produce stunning prints up to 16 x 20-inch prints simply and easily. The Coolpix P2 also features built-in WiFi connectivity, which means that you can communicate wirelessly to either your computer or, through the use of an optional Wireless PD-10 Printer Adapter (sold separately), directly to your printer. This unique WiFi image transfer ability not only make it more convenient to off-load your images, it also permits a unique "live slide show" capability that is great for parties, weddings, and any other special occasion. Weighing a mere 6.4 ounces with the battery and memory card loaded, the Coolpix P2 is truly a "take anywhere" camera. With over 16 automatic and preset shooting modes, you'll always be sure to get the precise shot you're looking for. Best of all, "advanced scene modes" are available for 11 of the 16 presets and allow the user to customize the final image by providing a 3-level selection for enhanced creativity and control. Not to be outdone, the Coolpix P2 can also record high-quality movies at a rate of up to 30 frames per second. There are a total of seven movie modes to choose from, including six with the capability to record sound as well as a time-lapse mode that enables the user to capture events occurring over an extended period of time. The camera also features a built-in flash with six modes, and a built-in mic and speaker for including sound in videos and playback from the camera. A large, incredibly bright, 2.5-inch color LCD display and user-friendly interface means that you don't have to take the extra effort to get up to speed with the camera's functionality. Just power it up, and you'll be ready to go in no time. Other advanced features include Nikon's Exclusive Feature System, which helps turns "pictures" into "photographs." An In-Camera Red-Eye Fix takes "red-eye reduction" a step further by remove red-eye directly in the camera. Face Priority AF automatically focuses on faces for great portraits, and the D-Lighting feature offers in-camera repair of dark images. The included rechargeable battery gives you up to 180 images on a single charge. In short, the Coolpix P2 is perfect for novice users or anyone looking for a point-and-shoot camera that produces sharp, colorful photos with great ease of use. For advanced shooters, the P2 can server as a great "take-anywhere" snapshot camera. What's in the Box Nikon Coolpix P2, rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL8, battery charger MH-62, USB cable, audio-video cable, strap, and PictureProject CD-ROM.

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Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Review

Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)
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The Sony W55 is the followup to the successful and popular W50. It's a very good compact camera, easy to carry and easy to use, and reasonably priced - so most people will be happy with it.
Not much has changed from the W50, which in this case is a good thing!
One change is that the W55 is a 7 MP camera, rather than the W50's 6MP. Honestly, that's not a big plus, as they haven't made the sensor that catches the light any larger. Same (good) lenses, same size sensor = the same (good) pictures, but not better. (Though it might help a little on features like Smart Zoom.)
The obvious change is of course the colors. Don't make too much fun of that! There are 4 DSC-W series cameras in our family, colors would have kept my mother-in-law from taking my sister's camera home with her. A little personalization is a good thing.
The internal memory has been expanded (to 56MB), but I've never used the internal memory on the cameras that have had it, so I'm not sure that matters much. It might be worth knowing how to use as a backup, for another dozen or two shots if your card is full, or you have some other problem.
The controls, menus and interface on the W55 are reasonably easy to use. For example, the W55 has easy access to the various scene modes (twilight, etc), with some explanation on the screen of what those mysterious little icons mean (so you might actually use them, since it tells you what they do!). If you're new to digital photography, there will be a learning curve. But if you've used other cameras much, especially Sonys, you can pick this up and use many of the features right away.
Read the short introductory guide that comes with the camera, though!
The rechargeable battery should easily last you for a full day of shooting - hundreds of shots - with no problem. (Be a little wise about turning it off when you're not using it!) So you probably don't need a second battery, unless you're going into the woods for a while. It's nice not to have to mess with bulky AA rechargeables. Also, lithium ion batteries don't have a memory effect, so don't worry about partial recharging. Just charge the battery each night. So - before getting a second battery, try it for a while and see if you need it.
But get a case - something to protect the screen, at least. A fully closed one might help resist rain and splashes a little, too.
You'll also want to get a Memory Stick Pro Duo card - Pro cards are faster, and you need the smaller Duo size with this camera. Get a 1-2GB card so you don't have to think about running out of memory too much - if you shop carefully, you can find them for so little these days that it's well worth avoiding running out of memory. You might want a spare card if you plan to travel for more than a week, or use the video mode often - which is surprisingly good (though a bit dark) if set to fine, but uses enormous amounts of storage at that setting.
You can stretch your memory, and your hard drive space, by using one of the lower-resolution settings to take snapshots. You don't really need 7MP for all your photos!
The W55 will take better photos than those credit-card type cameras that have a tiny lens system - optics will always make a difference in a camera. Any reasonable person will be very happy with the pictures from the W55, given the size of it.
The camera will be a little slow and often take disappointing pictures in low light and dark situations. Try the High ISO mode in low light no-flash situations - the picture quality suffers some, but most people will find it useful. Realistically, no ultra-compact camera will work really well in that situation - if you need that often, think about something with a bigger lens and bigger sensor. Good light always gives the best pictures with any camera. There are limits to what you can currently expect from any ultracompact camera.
The W55 offers enough controls (through the scene modes and the Program mode) to allow a fair amount of control over the pictures, for an automatic camera.
The charger is fairly compact and rated 100-240V, so while you'll need a plug adapter overseas you won't need a voltage converter. The battery charger is a little slow, though probably OK.
Keep this camera charged and handy, and you'll find you take a lot of pictures because it's easy to carry and easy to use!

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Look as brilliant as your pictures will with the Cyber-shot DSC-W55 digital camera. Powerful, colorful and pocket-sized, this ultra-compact camera offers superb 7.2 megapixel imaging, Carl Zeiss 3X optical zoom lens, high ISO 1000 sensitivity for low-light shooting and Stamina battery power for up to 380 shots. A bright 2.5LCD screen helps you compose shots, check results and read menus even in bright sunlight. 56MB of internal memory lets you capture the moment without a flash memory card. And a built-in slot for optional Memory Stick Duo media makes it easy to save and exchange photos.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver) Review

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver)
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I bought this as a replacement when I lost my other Sony Cybershot camera (I think it was the T100, but cant remember it anymore). I was leary because I was not real happy with my other camera and was actually happy to have lost it. After reading reviews and looking at the things this camera could do, I took a chance and bought this newer, MUCH BETTER, version. I LOVE this camera!!! First, Im not sure why someone else had battery trouble, but I have taken this camera to every party and have taken well over 100 pics and some video and my camera has never died. I do fully charge it before I leave, and I always take my charger just incase (its small enough to throw in my purse or car), but I have never needed to use it!
Now, Im not a professional and Im not going to write a detailed description of ISO, and lighting specialties ect. I will leave that to the real professionals. What I will say is that it takes great pictures and it does so with ease. I dont have to change the scene, it automatically detects what I need (LOVE THIS FEATURE). I never really new what scene I needed anyway! Plus, by the time I would pic a scene the photo op was usually over anyway. I like to literally point and shoot! Thats what these cameras are supposed to be for anyway, right! But with the auto scene feature the camera is always ready to go! and it catches the greatest shots! and fast!! I can not tell you how important the quickness is when trying to take a picture of my 2 year old. Which brings me to another great feature...there is a smile detection setting!! You can set this camera to recognize when someone smiles and it takes the shot!! I didnt believe it until I tried it. And you can actually set it to detect just the childs smile, if you are taking a pic of with multiple people in the photo! Im not sure how the heck this works, but it is amazing and I am impressed!
There are so many other great features! I also LOVE the video capability. This camera has stereo recording, which puts this about 100 bucks higher than the same camera without stereo, I think its worth it because I find Im using it instead of my regular video camera. It has 3 recording levels, but even at the lowest you get a good quality video with great sound!
The editing functions in this camera are great too! There are simple actions as well as fun and (a little strange) options. There is actually an option to turn someone frown upside down! Seriously, if you take a photo and the person doesnt smile, you can edit it so that it looks like they are. Weird, right? But it is fun and a conversation piece anyway!
I could go on and on, but I am so glad I got this camera!

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"The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 camera combines style with power and intelligence. At just over 5/8" (16.3mm) thin, the T900 comes in 4 sophisticated colors and has a stylish look. With the T900 taking great pictures is now easier than ever. The iAuto mode goes beyond the traditional auto mode, thinking and working for you; recognizing scenes, lighting conditions, faces, and automatically adjusts camera settings resulting in clearer images, and faces with more natural skin tones and less blur. T900 also features HD Movie mode, recording in 720p and stereo sound for capturing your precious moments on video. Compose, review, and share your memories on the dazzling 3.5" high-resolution (921k pixels) touch-screen LCD. The DSC-T900 offers a step up in features and capabilities from the T90 with a larger and higher quality touch-screen LCD, and HDMI output with the included stand and stereo sound for movie recording.

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Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Review

Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
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In the last 3 years I have gone from 2 different point and shot cameras to the Canon 30D to the Canon Mark III. With each camera, I was telling myself - this should do it for some time. I read and learned as much as I could with each camera. When I got the 30D I was on cloud 9 - this was great - it would be nice to shoot faster though. When I heard about the Mark III coming out, I knew that was hopefully the last stepping stone I would require for sometime.
This thing rocked - couldn't believe how fast it could shot. I was surprised at how many shots were out of focus though (birding). I didn't experience anything like this on the 30D. I read about the AI focus problems and thought - well this is what is happening to me. For the next 5 months Canon stone walled me on a weekly basis. Promised firmware fixes, this fix that fix, reps telling me off.
I wrote a letter to Yoroku Adachi (President of Canon U.S.A.) and got a call back from one of his people. Very apologetic but same old please be patient and apologies galore - but still we won't replace it with a functioning camera - it is a minor issue (again I was told that by numerous reps) - I say it is only minor if you don't use those features.
5 ½ months later it got fixed. I missed the birding season but there is next year (I was told that by a rep too!). It looks like the problem is fixed and looking forward to spring migration. If someone is reading this and hasn't purchased any camera gear yet, buy Nikon. I have too much invested in Canon gear to switch.
I would probably give the camera 4.5-5 stars now. Canon Support would get a 0.
Updated: May 29th, 2008
With the latest firmware updates and hardware fix, I would give this Camera an easy 5 stars. I have shot plays indoors at ISO 1600 (no flash) and can't believe how sharp shots come out.
My issue is still with Canon Tech (lack of) Support. I called yesterday about the WFT-E2A and got the usual run-a-round about the product. If you don't think you will ever need Canon Tech (lack of) Support, go Canon.
Updated October 11th, 2009
Well, I finally sent my camera in because I have been getting Error 99's since February - It is nice that it is working agaiin but I have no idea what to say about this camera - when it works it is great but I have had it for about 26 months and out of that time it had either the auto focus problem out of the box and error 99 problems. I would say I have had to deal with the camera being defective for about half of the time I have had it. Canon Support had me do all this useless stuff which of course involved me spending money on memory cards, calibrating the battery, using the AC adapter, various lenses, and cleaning contacts.
I was able to limp along with the camera for about 8 months because I came up with my own 'solution' of pulling the memory cards out, removing the lens, using the ac adapter (instead of the battery), and plugging in the TC803 and just setting that to shoot away until the error 99's stopped. I would than leave the camera on it on and changed the tc803 to take a picture every 3 minutes so it wouldn't go off into error 99 land again.
If I were a pro I would have dumped all my canon gear because this thing has been so unreliable. I have resisted purchasing any other canon bodies because of all the headaches I have had with this thing. Canon Support was friendly but wasted a ton of my time and some more of my $$$. It would be nice to get some sort of gift card from Canon or a lens at cost for all my mental anguish.

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Canon's flagship EOS-1D Mark III is the most advanced EOS Digital SLR ever produced. It has a new 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-H size) with Canon's EOS Integrated Cleaning System and a 3.0-inch LCD monitor with Canon's Live View technology. The 1D Mark III has a redesigned 100% viewfinder, a new 45-point AF system, and can shoot up to 10 fps continuously with a maximum burst of 110 shots. Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processors work in tandem to speed up every process while refining image quality; a new, lighter body has improved weather sealing and shutter durability. Every facet of the EOS experience has been enhanced with the 1D Mark III. It's the new standard.

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Kodak EasyShare V610 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Dual-Lens Optical Zoom Review

Kodak EasyShare V610 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Dual-Lens Optical Zoom
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Kodak V610 review
I have owned this camera for about 3 weeks, and I love it. I have captured about 4 hours of video inside and outside and about 200 still shots inside and outside.
The V610 is a consumer point and shoot still camera and a great 640 by 480 - 30 frame per second movie camera, both with 10 times zoom. If you are looking to have a camera in your pocket whenever you come upon a situation where you want to take a high quality snapshot or a home movie video, I highly recommend this camera. It is fantastic. It takes a reliable snapshot and a very smooth video and fits into my shirt pocket
However, if you are looking to be the next Ansel Adams or need professional videos ... get other much larger and more expensive cameras, with much larger lenses and much more powerful lights.
In my opinion, this is the best and most powerful shirt pocket sized camera on the market today.
Prior to this I owned a digital still camera an Olympus Camedia C-4040 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Zoom and a very small DV video tape camera, a Panasonic model PV DV 201. Now that I own the V610, I no longer have to carry a camera bag with me to the zoo, or family reunions or other events. As a replacement for both of those cameras, this is a fantastic choice.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen great photo opportunities at events in the last several years before I owned this camera, but the appropriate camera was either in the camera bag or in the car, and how often I wanted greater than a 3x optical zoom in my still camera.
The 6.1 megapixel resolution is sufficient to allow you to capture nice snapshots, and with a powerful 10x optical zoom, you can be sitting in the back row still get a great still shot or a video and the video to my eye is nearly the equal of a consumer quality DV tape camera. I think that this is one of a very few digital still cameras that allow you to optical zoom while shooting videos.
As with most camera purchases additional equipment is necessary to make the camera most useable. I purchased the following additional equipment to go with the camera:
>> A 2GB high speed (x133) SD memory card which it allows me to shoot a combination of up to almost one hour of video or up to about 1,100 - 6 megapixel still shots- that's right, one hour of MPEG-4 video fits on the 2gb card, with good TV quality video and sound. I paid about $85.00 USD.
>> 3 spare non-Kodak brand batteries. I paid about $12.00 USD each.
>> A 6 in 1 San Disk PC card adapter - card reader for my laptop - no software needed for the laptop, and the SD memory card acts just like a hard drive and I copy the still pictures and the .mov quicktime videos to my hard drive (the provided USB cable is too slow and the camera needs to be turned on the entire time during downloads with a cable). I paid about $24.00 USD.
>> A thin leather case - To protect the camera. I paid about $15.00 USD.
>> A 250gb USB2 external hard drive for backing up the photographs and movies.


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Package Contents: EasyShare V610 Dual Lens Digital Camera, KLIC-7001 battery, USB and audio/video cables, AC adapter with power cord, carry strap, camera case, custom inserts for Freame and Printer Docks, EasyShare software
The Kodak EasyShare V610 Dual Lens Digital Camera captures all the vibrancy and color of those precious moments in your life. This 10X optical zoom digital camera features Kodak Retina Dual Lens Technology; it comes equipped with two professional quality Schneider-Kreuznach C-VARIOGON Lenses for exceptional clarity and sharpness. Embedded Bluetooth Wireless technology makes it easier to share pictures wirelessly. Its advanced engineering is rivaled only by its alluring design.Dual lens; 38-114 mm (35 mm equiv.) f/3.9-f/4.4 Aperture -f/3.9-f/7.1 at wide, f/4.8-f/8.0Shutter Speed -8-1/1200 sec.Scene Modes -Panorama, Sport, Landscape, Close-Up, Night Portrait, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Flower, Sunset, Custom and moreColor Modes -High Color, Natural Color, Low Color, Sepia, Black & White Up to 80 min. continuous video recording (based on memory capacity); saved as QuickTime VideoVideo resolution -640x480 (VGA) @ 30 fps; 320x240 (QVGA) @ 30 fpsSingle and continuous auto-focusWhite balance -Auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, open shadeFlash Range -2.0-11.2 ft @ wide; 2.0-10.8 ft @ tele Self-Timer -10 sec, 2 sec, 2 pictureAuto picture rotation & auto-orientation 32MB internal memoryStores to SD/MMC cardsBluetooth 2.0 EDR Wireless with object push protocol; Transfer rate -Up to 3 MbpsI/O interface -A/V output (NTSC or PAL), Kodak Camera Dock/Printer interface, USB 2.0 connectorPictBridge compatibleKodak Li-ion rechargeable digital camera battery (KLIC-7001) Built-in lens barrier1/4 standard tripod mountSystem Requirements -Windows 2000 or XP, Mac OS X 10.3 (or higher); 128MB RAM; 200MB hard drive sp

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Sony DCR-SR47 Hard Disk Drive Handycam® Camcorder (Red) Review

Sony DCR-SR47 Hard Disk Drive Handycam® Camcorder (Red)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Im a student film maker and was looking for a cheap camera just to get me going. If you want an amazing camera you cant really expect to pay less than 600 bucks, but i took the risk and im proud I did. This camera is a standard class of video, but it excels beyond the class and could even be compared to cameras of 100 to 200 dollars more.
-Out of the box the camera lacks some color to it, however if you adjust the settings things look great. Its NOT HD, but the quality is still fantastic for some reason. It does lack some saturation to some colors (greens and somewhat blues) but its all adjustable to an extent. I kinda wish it had that "film" effect that some Cannon cameras offer so i dont have to add it in via Sony Vegas, but im happy with the resolution it has now.
-The zoom is absolutely out of this world. I was just screwing around with it and decided ill look down and zoom in on my shoe laces. I could literlly see grains of dirt all over my shoe lace, my shoes are completely clean to the naked eye. I was also zooming in on letters in long distances and was completely able to read everything clearly. The zoom does get a little pixelated when you put it on a TV (i have a Samsung HDTV) if you go too far or move around alot. However the stabability of the camera is phenominal, normally a zoomed in shot would be real shaky and un watchable, not with this camera.
-Like i said im a film maker, but i prefer to use the screen. I was using it outside and its not bad at all, you can put a screen of it or you hand or something and see clearly. The camera is TINY! I couldnt believe it was so small, fit in the palm of my hand without a problem.
-Sound is pretty good. When im filming its completely quiet all around me so i can hear the people talking and what not just fine. It sadly has no option for an external mic though. Its a CLEAR mic that will pick up alot of noise though, wind blowing or something. The Directional Mic that it has does a pretty good job of cutting out some back noise, but id still love for it to have an external mic.
-The cool thing for film makers like myself, is its a extremely good intro camera that you can afford. Not only that but Sony offers a TON of accesories for it. Wide Shot lenses, Camera saturation covers, underwater casing, external lights, and things of that nature. I thought that was extremely neat and bought the lenses myself.
-I forget the file it records in, but it uses the file so that it can burn directly to DVD. The feature is neat if you have a DVD burner for it (about 100 bucks) but you need to convert the file on your computer if you want to edit it. Its all good though, and if you have a good program you wont lose alot of quality.
-The built in HDD is amazing, so much space i couldnt believe it. Not only that but the memory cards it uses are the same as the PSP, they are cheap as heck. So you could add over another 16GB to it with a single card. One reason i bought this camera over its competitior is purely the fact that it uses a hard drive and not just memory cards, trust me its alot cheaper and alot cleaner.
-How the camera runs is great. Flip the flap open and bam its on within seconds, push record and its almost instant. It also has a built in lense protector, so press the switch and it shuts or opens, the camera will also warn you if its close obviously. The touch screen is impressive, i was expecting a delay or inaccurate intereactions but it worked well. Its nice not having a wall of buttons on the side of the camera for you to accidently push while recording.
The bad things i can think of. It has no external mic option, however you can buy Lepel mics and just match up the audio if you wanted. The battery it comes with kinda sucks, only lasts 90 minutes and even less if your filming in the best quality. The single shot pictures are not the greatest, can get a little grainy, but you dont buy a camcorder for that. Its not HD, while i wish it was, you have to buy some of the newer models for 500 to 600 if you want HD and i cant afford that right now, the quality is still amazing though.
I tried to touch upon everything here if nnot ill try to update as I come across things. So far im extremely happy with my purchase. I love Sony products as its usually quality and this camera is no exception, if anything its advertising the other cameras they sell that ill probably end up buying in the future. Right now though this is what I could afford and to me it seems like i got a 500 to 600 dollar camera for 300 and thats not a bad deal in my books.

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Record those special occasions with the DCR-SR47 Handycam camcorder. A built-in 60GB hard disk drive offers extended, hassle-free recording and a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens delivers sharp, high resolution images. For close-ups, you will appreciate a powerful 60x optical zoom. Hybrid technology even allows you to record video to the hard drive or optional Memory Stick Duo media.

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Polaroid PoGo 5.0 MP Instant Digital Camera w/ Instant Digital Mobile Printer and Polaroid Zink media 30 Pack Photo Paper Review

Polaroid PoGo 5.0 MP Instant Digital Camera w/ Instant Digital Mobile Printer and Polaroid Zink media 30 Pack Photo Paper
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Fortunately for me, one of my friends knew about the Polaroid PoGo and gave me one for Christmas. It's a great little camera with the extra bonus of "instant gratification" with its built-in printer. The colors are crisp and sharp, the printer is amazingly fast and easy, and it's easy to learn and handle. I was also surprised by all the settings -- comparable to a "real" digital camera -- as I thought of this as more of a novelty than a functional camera. I was wrong. It's a great camera, and my Nikon hasn't left its case since the PoGo arrived.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Polaroid PoGo 5.0 MP Instant Digital Camera w/ Instant Digital Mobile Printer and Polaroid Zink media 30 Pack Photo Paper

The Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera is the first digital camera and printer combination that is small enough to take on-the-go. The digital version of Polaroid's iconic instant camera, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera is a full-feature digital camera with an integrated printer. The 5.0-megapixel digital camera with 4x digital zoom has a 3.0-inch LCD screen, an SD memory card slot for saving pictures, and a number of picture enhancement features including red-eye removal, image stabilization, face tracking, and smile detection. No computer connections needed to print the 2x3-inch full-color, sticky-back prints and you can document each picture taken by including print dates or file numbers. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts for approximately 20 photos before it needs to be recharged.KIT INCLUDES:* POLAROID POGO PRINTER.* POLAROID 30 PACK PHOTO PAPER.

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Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Review

Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
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I purchased the 20D as an upgrade from my Digital Rebel. The cost was certainly worth it.
This camera has many, many advantages to the Rebel (as I'm sure other reviewers will point out), but I thought three were worthy of mention:
ISO 1600 and 3200 have very, very low noise. This means that I am now able to get low-light shots that I never could before. For example, I often take pictures of crowded streets at night. Before, I needed to use a flash or else my shots would be blurred by camera shake and the motion of people walking. Now (with the help of a f1.8 lens) I can set the camera at ISO3200 and have the shutter speed be fast enough that I can get clear images. In fact, when I use the Black & White mode, the picture is virtually noise-free.
Rapid-Fire burst mode. When the "multi-shot" function is on, this camera fires like a machine gun. It also writes the images to the memory card much faster than the Rebel ever did. I shot a series of 25 shots in 5 seconds, and it still had them all on the card 6 seconds after I stopped shooting.
Black and White mode. Not just some toy feature, when you are saving as a JPG file (not RAW), the image is actully encoded as a B&W image--meaning a smaller file size. This means more shots per card, and also more shots being able to be held in the buffer. I was actully able to record 90 frames of B&W images (JPG-Large-Fine) at full speed (5 per second) without stopping (onto a 40x CF card).
Like I said before, I'm sure there are tons of other amazing features of the 20D, but I wanted you to know my favorites.
UPDATE: Over the past few months, there have been reports that the 20D locks up on occasion. I had that happen to me only once. Canon has posted a firmware upgrade on it's website that remedies this problem (as well as a few others). I upgraded, and have not had any problems since.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

The perfect EOS for advanced-amateurs and professionals alike, the EOS 20D sets new standards in its class. Featuring an all-new 8.2 MP CMOS Sensor, a second generation DIGIC II Image Processor, 5 fps performance for up to 23 consecutive frames and a 0.2 second start-up time, the EOS 20D is designed to capture richly detailed, perfectly exposed images with speed formerly found only in cameras several times the price. Other features include a top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec., flash sync at 1/2...

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Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera with 26X Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD Review

Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera with 26X Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD
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*Updated 18 July 2009
I bought this camera to replace my Olympus SP 565UZ. Overall the SP 590 out performs the 565 with the exception of its much higher price.
Zoom: I think most people who are looking at this camera are doing so because of the 26x zoom feature, so I will remark on this first. In my armature opinion the zoom on this camera is awesome. Obviously when you are stretching out to the full length of the zoom you are going to want some kind of support (such as a gorilla pod if you're a backpacker like me) because dual image stabilization can only do so much for you to prevent blurry pictures of something that is miles away. I have been able to capture some pretty good photos of objects that are not easily viewed by the human eye. I do recommend using light filters, but I definitely give this feature 5 stars
Physical features: As a previous reviewer noted, right out of the box this camera feels pretty cheap due to its larger size and remarkably light weight. After handling it for a while I defiantly think it is more durable than the 565 was though. Its access doors are much beefier than the 565's and it has an aluminum casing around the lens that you can grab onto. I like this feature because the 565 had almost nothing to hold onto in the front when you wanted to add that extra two handed stability to your shot. Once you throw some batteries into the camera the weight does go up and the cheap feeling goes down.
Battery life - I love the fact that the SP 590 takes AA's instead of a Li-ion batteries (this was a deciding factor in me not getting the Nikon P90) because it guarantees that I can just pick up another set of AA's on long trips or camping where you're not around a reliable power source long enough to recharge your batteries. I just took this camera on a two week backpacking trip and I went through two sets of Sony 2500 mAh Ni-Mh batteries. Conservatively speaking I took well over 1000 Pictures and about 40 minutes of video on just those batteries. I give these batteries and this camera's use of them 5 stars.
Operating software: A note on some of the software features. The SP 590 has a built in "beauty" feature and a few other "picture fixing" programs, these features seem mostly like a gimmick because it takes a lot of time for the camera to process the images, and it's something that is more suitably done on your computer with photo editing software. If you are in "beauty mode" don't plan on taking any quick shots because you can expect a 10 or more second delay between shots.
Manual features: As I've said before I am an armature at photography but one of the major reasons I bought this camera was because I had mastered what few manual controls there were on most point and shot cameras and I wanted to take the next step. The SP 590 offers plenty of room for me to grow in this department. This is no DSLR but it is a good in-between camera. I do wish that there was some way to use a manual focus, like there is on the SP 570uz, because when you are using the zoom it's hard to get the camera to auto zoom on the item you are trying to capture especially when there are items like power lines between you and the shot you want.
Media Card: I've said it before and I'll say it again, it finally seems as though Olympus gotten over their proprietary high horse when it comes to XD media cards. The SP 590 and all other new Olympus cameras come with adapters to allow the use of Micro SD cards. The problem with previous cameras was that if you wanted to take a panorama picture you had to have an OLYMPUS brand XD card. This is not an issue with the SP 590 as it allows you to take panorama shots with any card or even just the internal memory. The 590 also recognizes the higher write speeds of Class 4 and Class 6 Micro SD cards. Which has solved one of the major headaches associated with VGA videos on the previous models.
Video: The SP 590 offers VGA video recording size of 640x480 at 30 frames per second. Because the 590 recognizes the higher write speeds of the class 4 and 6 Micro SD's you can now record 20:00+ min videos without having to purchase a high speed XD type M+ card. Another major complaint of Olympus cameras has been addressed with the zoom feature in video mode. The SP 590 DOES allow you to zoom in and out while taking video, a feature that is not common on previous models.
Megapixels: This camera does take up to 12mp shots which is great if you plan on blowing all of your photos up to a poster size image or larger. But I usually print no bigger than an 8x10 and I don't want to fill my computer up with picture files (a 12mp picture uses over 2.5mb of space) so Leave my camera at 5mp (which only uses about 1mb of space).
Over all: Even though I feel the price is a bit high right now I give this camera 5 stars. It fits well in the hands and takes very good pictures. It's compact enough to take around on trips and you don't have to worry about having extra lens as with DSLR's, but you still get some of the desired features as a DSLR.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera with 26X Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD

The SP-590UZ offers the advanced manual controls that experienced photographers demand and find on a digital SLR (single lens reflex). At the same time, users can easily set the camera to operate like a simple point-and-shoot with automatic scene modes. It offers the compact body of an ultra zoom with the flexibility of high-performance optics usually found in interchangeable lenses for DSLR cameras, a 12-megapixel image sensor, Dual Image Stabilization, Face Detection, Ultra High-Speed Sequential shooting and a bright 2.7-inch LCD.FEATURES:Capturing It All--Near, Far and Wide - Optical precision is the foundation for creating quality images. The bright, f2.8-5.0 lens provides the equivalent of 26-676mm focal length. Users can get close to the action with the compact 26x super telephoto zoom and at the same time, the wide-angle (26mm) lens captures more in each frame. Its super-macro capabilities capture the subtlest details. The compact lens construction combines aspherical lens elements and extra-low dispersion (ED) lens elements to deliver edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity. Whether it is capturing fast-action sports or everyday snapshots, this sturdy compact body with a wide-angle and telephoto lens provides the versatility to get the job done.12 Megapixels for Superior Image Quality - The SP-590UZ has a 12-megapixel sensor that enables consumers to achieve consistently sharp and vivid images when producing large-format prints or cropping/enlarging a portion of an image.Unleash Your Creativity with New Artistic Scene Modes - Olympus\' ultra zoom cameras have been known for being the perfect, versatile solution for dual households; providing flexibility and manual controls for experienced shutterbugs, while being as easy and approachable as a point-and-shoot for novice or even first-time users. The SP-590UZ takes this to a new level with pre-capture scene modes: Multiple Exposure, So

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Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only) Review

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Black Body Only)
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[This is the same review I posted for the kit. If you're getting the body because you don't like the 18-55 lens, keep in mind that some dealers offer this camera in a kit with the much nicer 17-85 USM IS (image stabalization) zoom.]The new Digital Rebel XTi camera should appeal to a wide variety of users: those wishing to upgrade from a point & shoot digital, or those wishing to improve upon their first generation digital SLRs. Features and value make this a 5-star camera, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Compared to the previous Digital Rebel XT, important improvements are:
1) 10.1 megapixels. In digital camera circles, this is like saying a car has more horsepower than an older car. While this alone doesn't mean "better" pictures, in reality, combined with other improvements in hardware & software, the results typically are better.;
2) 2.5" LCD panel. This alone has more than one advantage. The obvious first one is that our pictures look larger in review. The second, and for someone approaching 50 (like myself), is that the LCD is now used for all the camera's data (shutter speed, aperture, shots left, etc.). It's much easier to read than the small LCD typically located on the top of the cameras. It might use up the batteries quicker, but, heck, if you can see the info this much easier, then so be it. One complaint, it does not appear that the data rotates when you do verticals (like the Sony Alpha 100).;
3) 9-point AF. The number of points are improved from 7, but the real key here is that it's the system from the 30D, which had a much higher degree of accuracy than the previous Rebels.;
4) Picture Styles. I didn't really appreciate them at first, but simply put, this is like the days of film, when we could use a "portrait" film or "landscape" film. For those that don't like to do a lot of computer work, these can be VERY handy in getting the right look in the camera.;
5) Dust cleaning system. OK, I think the dust problem will probably be a little overblown, now that Canon offers a solution, but it is a real, if not great, threat. Additionally, the way Canon has implemented it is second to none. The first is through hardware. An ultrasonic filter can simply shake the dust off. Second is through software. If you spot a nasty piece that won't shake off, you can do a reference shot, and have the dust removed by software on your computer.;
6)The grip has been improved a little. The rubber on the grip is improved, and an anti-slip strip has been placed on the back where the right thumb goes.
Most all other things Canon is know for still exists. The camera focus fast and quietly. Camera operations are quick and easy to locate and use. Pictures look great.
Now for the other side. This is an unusual time in that all the big players are comming out with a 10 megapixel camera at the same time, so the Canon has some stiff competition. Here goes a simple comparison.
1) Compared to the other two cameras already available, the Sony A100 and Nikon D80 (both also 5-star cameras), the XTi is considerably smaller, and somewhat lighter. Some will like this, even some with medium to medium-large hands. But most people with larger, and some with somewhat smaller hands may prefer the other two choices.;
2) The battery is somewhat smaller than its rival's, and may drain a bit faster due to the LCD being used for info all the time.;
3) Functionally, the rear LCD is not as nice as the Sony's. The Sony's rotates, can be set to enlarged type (50+ user again), and the system that turns it off as your eye approaches also starts the AF on the Sony. [Although many like the top LCD, the Nikon way of needing to push a button on the back, then peak over the top to see what you're setting is not as nice].;
4) No in camera stabalization. The A100 can shift the sensor to help eliminate camera shake. Nikon and Canon require you to purchase rather expensive lenses to get the anti-shake.;
Also, soon to be added to the competion will be the Pentax K10D. Specs are sketchy right now, but it appears to be enter the competition as a 10 megapixel camera with built-in anti-shake (much like their K100D).
Of these 3 currently on the market, the Canon is the least expensive; therefore, it's up to the other 2 to show they are worth more, a very difficult task, indeed.

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SO)CANON DIG REBEL XTI BLK BODY

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Nikon D70 Digital Camera (Body Only) Review

Nikon D70 Digital Camera (Body Only)
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I have been a Nikon user for over 20 years, and owned at least six different bodies and lots of lenses. My all time favorite is the FM2N. Why Nikon? It's the lenses! Nikon seems to understand this is the main selling point of their system. SO they have never changed the F lens mount. You can use older manual focus AI and AIS lenses on the D70. The bad news: The meter won't work. However on a digital SLR, the LCD confirmation mitigates this since you can check your exposures. You could also use a handheld light light meter. More good news: depth of field preview works with AI and AIS lenses! So I've been having a great time using my manual lenses on the D70. This camera is really a winner and costs no more than some of the ridiculous "prosumer" digicams out there. It's far more versatile.
It's easy to use-if you've used another digicam or even a recent Nikon 35mm SLR. The fact that I've been able to figure out most settings necessary without even cracking the manual is impressive.
The flash syncs at 1/500! This makes for some really creative fill flash outdoors or in the studio. All necessary settings are within easy reach, and no stupid five click deep menus for stuff like ISO. All the important stuff like ISO, Metering pattern, Exposure modes, White Balance, etc. have a dedicated button right on the body. No fumbling to change stuff while shooting.
Shutterlag is virtually non-existent. It's almost as good as my FM2N. But face it, if you want zero shutter lag then get a manual 35mm camera! However with the D70, you will not notice it.
The Lens-the kit lens is a 18-70mm (27 to 105mm). It's pretty good, and the color has that gorgeous Nikon hue. It's bright for a zoom. A lot of people are criticizing this lens unjustly. It does have a lot of barrel distortion on the wide end, but for landscapes you'd never know. It's got a very good wide angle range for a digital lens. It's a great value, and way better than any junk Sigma puts out.
ViewFinder-Some have slammed the viewfinder. It does take a little getting used to, like looking down a long dark corridor at first. But it's just as bright as any AF SLR once you get used to it. I think Nikon designed it this way to get people used to the CCD aspect ratio. It's kind of like watching a DVD in letterbox format. Good news: the viewfinder has a diopter for eyeglass wearers.
Picture Quality-This is where the rubber meets the road. At all ISO settings, the images are superb. Colors are saturated and lifelike, with the "Nikon Pop". They remind me of a good ISO 100 slide film like Kodak E100G, or Fujichrome Velvia 100. Best of all, the grain is very low, even ISO 1600 is not bad when printed to 8 x10. This is a huge advance over my older Canon G2 digital. Like I said, think ISO 100 slide film.
This is destined to be one of Nikon's legends, like the N8008, N90, FM2N, etc. You get a lot of value for your money, much more than the Canon Digital Rebel. A lot of pros are buying D70s for backup, and the Press Photographers Association of Japan just picked the D70 as new camera of the year! What else could you ask for? This is a top drawer camera with a great lens.

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Delivering top-notch performance and high resolution at an affordable price, the Nikon D70 digital SLR offers easy-to-use yet powerful features to a wide range of users--from novices to serious and experienced photo enthusiasts. Its DX format 6.1-effective megapixel CCD sensor is optimized to deliver images with excellent sharpness and clarity, and it's compatible with Nikon's DX Nikkor lenses.
Optics and ResolutionThe D70 incorporates a next-generation 6.1-effective megapixel DX format CCD image sensor that produces 3008 x 2000-pixel images, and is optimized to deliver a wide dynamic range and superbly sharp details. It also has 2240 x 1488 and 1504 x 1000 resolution modes.
Nikon programmed the D70's advanced system LSI processor for improved performance to produce vivid colors and clarity, optimized auto white balance, auto tone and color control, and to run real-time processes that diminish digital noise in long exposure shots for cleaner overall results.
More FeaturesThe Nikon D70 has been designed to offer faster operation at nearly every level of performance, with the camera ready to shoot the instant it's turned on. Compressed NEF (RAW) files are processed and stored exponentially faster, making shooting in compressed NEF mode easier and more convenient than ever. It can shoot a rapid 3 frames per second for a continuous burst of 144 pictures (using the JPEG Normal/Large setting and a 256 MB CompactFlash card) due to improved buffer memory handling, faster image processing, increased memory card access speed, and greater system bus bandwidth.
Other features include:
Built-in Speedlight flash with auto pop-up
1/8000 second shutter speed and a synch speed of 1/500 second for flash
Auto modes include Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait, and Night Landscape
25 Custom Settings allow you to personalize the operation of your D70 to match your shooting style or the demands of different shooting conditions
Shoot in any lighting environment with the D70's built-in creative lighting system and 3D Color Matrix meter with 1,005-pixel RGB Sensor
The D70 displays menus with simple or detailed information on a 1.8-inch LCD viewing screen
Choose from a variety of file formats, including Nikon's RAW mode (NEF), TIFF, JPEG formats or Nikon's exclusive compressed JPEG + NEF combination
ISO standard hot-shoe with safety lock
Optical viewfinder features high magnification, diopter correction, complete info display, and On-Demand grid lines to aid in composition
High-speed, high precision 5-area AF system with predictive focus tracking and Lock-on ensures quick response and sharp focus
Storage and TransferImages and video are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (Type I/II), and the camera is compatible with MicroDrives (no memory card is included with this package). Files can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1 connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Power and SizeThe camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-Ion battery pack (EN-EL3, included) or three CR2 lithium batteries (with supplied MS-D70 battery holder). It measures 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 inches and weighs 21 ounces (camera body only without batteries).
What's in the BoxThis package includes the Nikon D70 camera body, strap, body cap, eyepiece cap, LCD monitor cover, USB and A/V cables, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (EN-EL3), battery charger (MH-18), CR2 battery holder (MS-D70), and Picture Project CD-ROM. Optional accessories include: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (EN-EL3), Multi Charger (MH-19), Quick Charger (MH-18), AC Adapter (EH-5), Speedlight SB-800/600, Nikon Capture 4 (ver.4.1) Software, Semi-Soft Case (CF-D7)0, Remote Controller (ML-L3).

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