Kyocera Finecam SL400R 4MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom
By: Kyocera Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 23
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 On: 2007-09-23
Ive had tons of fun with my spy cam but am putting it out to pasture because of the battery situation. Worked well the first half year, then before the warranty expired I sent it in, they didnt tell me what they did, it improved and then returned to the same problem even after I bought a new battery. I dont get many photos or much play with photo review and zoom before the battery gets sucked down to nothing.
 On: 2006-08-18
Ive had this camera for over a year now (purchased from Radio Shack for $235) and have loved the compact portability, features, and picture quality. Sure its picture quality cannot compare with my film camera, a Minolta XD11 (SLR purchased in 1978) with several intercahngable lens, but what digital camera can? I wanted a digital camera that I could put in my pocket and not worry about - not my usual semi-pro 230 mm focal length behemoth (camera with telephot lens) swinging from my neck and requiring a trip to the local film processor. On the golf course, hiking the forest, around the yard, at family reunions, parties, special events, this little wonder can be pulled out of a jacket or pants pocket, powered up and the photo captured before anyone knows you have a camera in hand. When taking pictures of my sons running track, I found the rapid fire picture taking especially useful - capturing every nuance of one son soaring over the high jump. Picture quality, although not as good as a film camera, matches some 6 and 8 Megapixel cameras. I know this because some pictures, taken of events where such other digital cameras are used, were selected superior and used by the people who took photographs using the other cameras. The icing on the cake is that I carried the camera with me in my shirt pocket - and no one knew it. If you want a camera that is easy to use (dont even have to read the manual) and carry, this is the one.
 On: 2006-03-02
This is the most convenient camera I have ever used. The expanded memory card I bought allows me to take a ton of pictures (over 100). The only problem I ever encountered was the original battery has no life longevity. I am in the market for a new battery. It has been 2.5 years since my purchase, and I guess that batteries dont last forever anyways!!
I have had "Wow"s every time I pull this camera out of a pocket of my jeans. People are amazed at the size, design, and picture quality. I think with better marketing, this camera could have been HUGE!!!
On: 2005-07-07
Hey, people ! This is a compact camera with a tiny lens , so picture quality will not be the best no matter what .Still, in my opinion it beats some cameras with picture and movie quality. The price you are paying is the price of comfort of having this little device in your pocket all the time.
The battery life seemed short for first few charges but now it is OK. Why dont you all complainers get an off market battery and charger for around $20 (for both) and stop whining.
This camera has the best features/settings Ive seen in a compact camera (this is my 5th digital camera). If you cut a window in the case, you dont even have to take it out of the case to shoot a picture .
 On: 2005-06-25
I Loved this camera when I first bought it, my dad even bought one after he saw mine, the design is amazing, small to fit in your pockets and the feature where you can take pictures of your self with someone or only a portrait of yourself is great and its the only camera I know of that can do that. I get so many compliments on it and my friends always take it from me to take pictures of themselves, and the video feature on it is great, but the HUGE problem with this camera is it does not have any battery life. I love taking pictures which is why I wanted a small compact camera to take everywhere, but it runs out of batteries so fast! Which is a great disappointment when you take it on vacations and special events. The pictures also dont come out to great, but I think from reading allot of their reviews on small cameras has to do with the fact compact cameras has such a small flash. Its definatly not worth the 400, buy yourself a cannon or Nikon you wont regret it.
 On: 2005-03-12
This camera was fine while it lasted -- which was about 5 days. Then the LCD screen started flickering & freezing up and the camera would shut itself off after only a few minutes of use. This wasnt a battery life issue (I know thats a problem other buyers have reported).
I sent it to their service center and was given a 2 week estimate for the repair -- and that was about 2 months ago, so naturally Im curious as to whats taking so long. Ive sent 6 e-mails and left numerous voicemails with their customer service department over a 4 week period and have yet to receive a single response. One rep I actually got to speak with gave me a direct extension for the repair department. I called that number twice -- the first time I gave up after waiting on hold for half an hour, the second time I actually was on hold for close to 2 hours (left it on speakerphone, went out for lunch, ran some errands, came back and still no one had answered).
I feel like I bought a $300 dollar disposable camera. DO NOT BUY IT -- Its not worth the risk.
On: 2005-02-26
Ive owned several digital cameras in the last few years, from a Kodak DC to a Canon Elph, to now, a Kyocera. While the Kyocera is certainly the fastest in terms of turning on and shooting, it lacks in the most important areas: battery life and picture quality. After reading the reviews here, you will see that everyone complains about the battery life. It is in one word, pitiful. Ive owned my Kyocera now for 1 year and Im lucky to get 15 total minutes out of a charged battery. That is down from the 30 min. total that I got out of the battery freshly charged out of the box. That is simply unacceptable. The picture quality is fair, but for the price, I expect better. I would not recommend this product and I advise looking elsewhere. Dont make the mistake of dropping $300 - $400 on this camera only to be dissatisfied and already shopping for a replacement within 1 year.
On: 2005-02-25
Ive owned several digital cameras in the last few years, from a Kodak DC to a Canon Elph, to now, a Kyocera. While the Kyocera is certainly the fastest in terms of turning on and shooting, it lacks in the most important areas: battery life and picture quality. After reading the reviews here, you will see that everyone complains about the battery life. It is in one word, pitiful. Ive owned my Kyocera now for 1 year and Im lucky to get 15 total minutes out of a charged battery. That is down from the 30 min. total that I got out of the battery freshly charged out of the box. That is simply unacceptable. The picture quality is fair, but for the price, I expect better. I would not recommend this product and I advise looking elsewhere. Dont make the mistake of dropping $300 - $400 on this camera only to be dissatisfied and already shopping for a replacement within 1 year.
On: 2005-02-12
This camera is fun..I throw it in my pocket and have it handy whenever I need it, but it has a major problem. YOU CAN ONLY TAKE ABOUT 20 PICTURES ON A FRESHLY CHARGED BATTERY BEFORE IT DIES. You MUST charge the camera battery EVERY TIME YOU USE THE CAMERA. Many times the camera stopped working during great pic moments, like XMAS, parties, on vacation.
The compact sleek design and ease of use almost makes you forget about this problem. Picture quality is great.
Make sure when you buy a digital camera you find out exactly how long the batteries last.
If you only take very few pictures this camera might be for you. Dont be seduced by its great features and design. Considering the cost, IT SHOULD PERFORM BETTER. Look around before you buy.
On: 2005-02-03
This is my first digital camera that my wife and I bought to take on our honeymoon. We wanted something really, really small that had enough battery life to go for a few days without charging. Well, we got the small part, but the battery life on this camera is horrible! It will loose all its charge overnight, and even then we could only take about 20 pictures before it was dead again. Im purchasing another battery to see if that makes a difference, but Im kind of disappointed already.
The pictures are fine, and it has all the bells and whistles to adjust exposure time, sharpness, etc. The only thing I noticed is that you have to hold the camera very, very still or the pictures will come out blurry even on the fast "shutter" speeds. Its difficult to clean the lens without removing the tiny plastic lens cap, and unless you keep the camera in its case, youll have to clean it often since there is no other lens cover when you power off.
Overall, an okay camera, but Id see if there was anything else better out there.
On: 2005-01-18
This is really a great little camera, very fast, easy menu access, great instruction manual, and above all produces just beautiful photographs, they are extremely sharp and the color is sensational., I am very satisfied ,and would recommend it to anyone, great price, small and does it ever work.
Its only real technical weakness is the flash, it is very puny and sometimes does not go on, you can get around this very easily, what I do is pick up the EV value by +.7 EV, my living room is 21 feet long, and with previous procedure, it makes a big difference, can shoot from one end to the other, sometimes you will not get a conformation beep, shoot anyway, shots come out almost perfect.
This is hard camera to beat in anyway shape or form.
And now for the stupidest thing that any camera manufacturer ever did with an included accessory, with the 400 you get a very nice looking case for the camera, problem is it is too small and you can barely close the velcro.
Today I went and promised to shoot some scenes for an attorney friend of mine, when I readhed the location, I pulled out the camera from the case, and found that the battery was fully discharged, very embarassing for me, I was ripping mad.
Upon furthur examination, I discovered that the case cover came down on the power button and discharged the battery, even though I set it for 1 minute power off, when I removed the camera from the case, it was hot as blazes, recharged it now, its ok, threw away the Kyocera case and bought a cheepie at staples.
SHAME ON YOU KYOCERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still,I love this beautiful machine and will never return it.
Kyocera, get your act together, I am sure no one even realized what just happened to me , just shameful, but, I still rate it a solid 5, this goof just fell thru the cracks.
Brooklyn Photographer
On: 2005-01-17
This is really a great little camera, very fast, easy menu access, great instruction manual, and above all produces just beautiful photographs, they are extremely sharp and the color is sensational., I am very satisfied ,and would recommend it to anyone, great price, small and does it ever work.
Its only real technical weakness is the flash, it is very puny and sometimes does not go on, you can get around this very easily, what I do is pick up the EV value by +.7 EV, my living room is 21 feet long, and with previous procedure, it makes a big difference, can shoot from one end to the other, sometimes you will not get a conformation beep, shoot anyway, shots come out almost perfect.
This is hard camera to beat in anyway shape or form.
And now for the stupidest thing that any camera manufacturer ever did with an included accessory, with the 400 you get a very nice looking case for the camera, problem is it is too small and you can barely close the velcro.
Today I went and promised to shoot some scenes for an attorney friend of mine, when I readhed the location, I pulled out the camera from the case, and found that the battery was fully discharged, very embarassing for me, I was ripping mad.
Upon furthur examination, I discovered that the case cover came down on the power button and discharged the battery, even though I set it for 1 minute power off, when I removed the camera from the case, it was hot as blazes, recharged it now, its ok, threw away the Kyocera case and bought a cheepie at staples.
SHAME ON YOU KYOCERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still,I love this beautiful machine and will never return it.
Kyocera, get your act together, I am sure no one even realized what just happened to me , just shameful, but, I still rate it a solid 5, this goof just fell thru the cracks.
Brooklyn Photographer
On: 2004-12-08
This camera is great - so much faster and much more intuitive to use than my previous digital camera - which I vowed to replace after missing several shots at a family wedding! The size is great, very thin, but still easy to hold steadily.
On: 2004-12-02
I just recieved this camera today, and right out of the box it impressed me. First of all this camera is tiny. Its about the same length and width as my Palm Tungsten E, and only a little bit thicker. The rotating lens is a very cool feature, and makes it easy to take self portraits. I also bought a Sandisk Ultra II 512 MB SD card, and it works greats, especially for the high speed mode. The zoom works well, and is relatively easy to operate while pressing down the shutter. The auto focus takes a little getting used to as you have to hold the shutter button down halfway. Connecting it to my Windows XP computer was easy and required no software installation. I highly recommend that you use the included Adobe Photoshop Album software. Image quality seemed good to my relatively untrained eye, and an 8 1/2 by 11 print from my printer came out very nicely. Overall this is an excellent camera with a small size, good pictures, and a great wow factor.
On: 2004-10-11
i like the camera. photos are good and its compact. i got what i paid for. the minuses are bad photos in low light and the lcd screen does not show you the true quality of the photo. i use sony software when i put on pc and hit autoadjust and the photos in low light look alot better. dont be afraid to buy this camera if its what you are after.
On: 2004-09-23
When purchasing a compact digital camera (fits in your pocket, without the case), I expected to forfeit some quality. To my surprise, this camera contained all that I needed and more. Its also quite adaptable - transition quickly from taking poster-size prints to smaller file sizes used mainly for internet sharing. Zoom in on any picture youve already taken, making your own thumbnail right on the camera - no fancy program necessary! The video and sound quality is excellent - the length of video limited only to the size of your memory card. Scene modes (portrait, sports, night shots, macro and more...) make taking quality pictures simple for those who dont want to sort through a bunch of different settings.
I definitely recommend this product for any digital camera user - even those not particularly interested in a lightweight.
On: 2004-09-05
The best thing about the Kyocera sl400r is the size. To get a camera this small results in some compromises, so image quality and ease of use are compromised. Thats true of all cameras in this size class. In terms of volume, the Pentax Optio S4i is smaller, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 and Konica Minolta DiMAGE Xt are slightly larger. The Kyocera sl400r offers 640 x 480 30fps video quality until the card is full, which is as good or better than any of the other cameras (though the quality of sound from the built in mic isnt great). The menu lay-out is intuitive and you wont need to refer to the manual very often. Start-up and shot-to-shot time are best in the class as well. If you buy a fast Secure Data card (I got a 1Gb Kingmax 60x SD card for a little over $100 that works great), the Kyocera can shoot at 3.5 frames/second until the card is full, far beyond the capabilities of other cameras in this class. On the down side, low light performance is poor, there is no optical viewfinder, battery life is short (extra Kyocera batteries are $75, though you can fine generic replacement batteries for $25) and the lack of a lens cover makes the lens a fingerprint magnet. I find I use mine mostly for video. My 1Gb Kingmax card will give me 7 and half minutes of video at 640 x 480 30 fps, or 30 minutes at the 320x240 30fps setting. Its a great gadget that fits easily in your pocket, but it wont replace your slr.
On: 2004-08-24
Im not an expert photographer, Im barely a photo enthusiast and I love this camera!
Even in its carrying case, its smaller than my wallet. I can take it anywhere, even places that dont allow cameras. Because the camera is so small, the controls are small. It takes some time to get used to, but well worth it (unless youre arthritic).
This camera is fast! There is almost no start-up time and very little processing time between shots. Just turn it on and youre ready to go, which is great for spare-of-the-moment pictures.
Because it takes less time to load, it doesnt eat the battery as much. I dont feel the need to keep it on for long periods of time, "just in case I miss something". Also, the battery is easily rechargable. Just plug the camera into a wall socket. I may invest in another battery in case I go hiking or camping, but for day to day use the battery seems just fine.
Im only taking snap shots, so Im satisfied with the image quality. All the default settings have been working fine for me. If I was entering photo contests and actually understood compression, ISO and all that other stuff, then I would go for a bulkier, higher end camera.
There is no lens cover, but the hood and the included case (which fits like a glove) does a great job avoiding dust and fingerprints. It also comes with a little lens cleaner in case someone sticks their digits in there.
The only downside (and I use that word lightly) I can think of is the included memory card. 16 Megs is really nothing more than a tease. Like all the other reviews say; get a high capacity, high speed SD card (makes sure it says "high-speed", "32X" or something like that) and youll be ready to shoot plenty of continuous shots (great for sports) and movies.
On: 2004-08-20
The unique features of this camera are not very clearly covered in the description. As a photographer/artist I was a bit wary of buying a camera made by what I thought was just a cell phone company. Having used mine for a few days now, Ill share some observations.
The size - so small its almost awkward. It takes some getting used to, but it truly is a "pocket" camera. I was attracted to this camera because I am accustomed to using a nikon 990, which has the same (smart) twisting structure. I think this is a more durable system than a fold-out screen, and on this camera, it keeps it compact while letting you take otherwise impossible photos. It has just the right amount of heft to give it some stability, but I tend to be a bit shaky with it. The no-lens-cap thing is really a non-issue; the tiny lens hood protects the lens from direct hits. Just use a fair amount of care and it will be fine.
The LCD screen - this has to be seen to understand it. Outside, on a sunny day, you can literally turn off the backlight for the screen - you wont need it. It is so well illuminated by ambient light you cant even tell its off. I would think this pretty much solves the battery-drain issue. You just need to remember to turn the display off when not needed (which is a very simple, single button operation).
The speed - it really is amazingly fast. Perfect for that camera that you always have with you, my fellow, obsessive recorder-of-serendipitous-images. But TAKE NOTE - you must get a HIGH-SPEED SD memory card to take advantage of the full-speed movies and continuous shooting mode. They dont cost much more than regular ones.
Image Quality - this is the one area that is somewhat disappointing, especially because its really just a compression issue. The jpeg compresssion used, even at the "Fine" setting, is unnecessarily severe. The images show a little too much compression-artifacting, which is too bad, because the pixel resolution is decent, and the lens seems good as well. The affordability of large memory cards really makes such high degrees of compression pointless. The flip side of this - set the ASA to 800 and shoot some intensely grainy images that look like early color photograph technology!
Movie Mode - Again, get a high-speed card. Im not convinced that the 640x480 mode isnt just an interpolated 320x240. The image is a little chunky. But it still is amazing for such a small thing. It is unfortunate that you cant set a fixed exposure before shooting video; the image values can shift quite a bit as the values in your subject matter change. The sound quality is decent, provided there is no wind. I checked it with Quicktime player, its 8kHz, 16 bit mono.
So, its a fun camera, and Im sure Ill make good use of its size and quickness. I cant imagine getting a different camera for that price.
On: 2004-08-04
Ive been researching for some time for an ultra-compact digital camera to take with me while on vacation or whenever I might need to "capture the moment". I already have a decent all-around digital camera but wanted an inexpensive compact to carry with me most of the time. I really wanted to get the Casio Exilim Z40 but the picture quality just wasnt up to par after viewing the samples on some of the digital cameral review sites. So after checking out the SL400Rs sample images, I decided to give it a shot (especially with Amazons overall lowest price and the $50 gift certificate to seal the deal).
My wife and I went to Vegas last week and I had the opportunity to put the camera through the test. I can honestly say this cameral rivals my Nikon for outdoor shots. The colors were much more vibrant and the images were sharper. And when I print the images on my Epson RX500, you would think I had a photo lab print the shots. The only downfall is the quality of indoor pics with low lighting. The prints appear grainy and not well illuminated. But I didnt purchase this for indoor shooting. The only other downside to this camera is that it doesnt include a lens cover. You do get a compact camera case but that does add to the bulk a bit. I just made sure I carried around the included lens cleaner stick thats included for those times I chose not to put the camera in its case.
Overall, I couldnt be happier with this camera. Every time I bring it out, it draws oohs and ahhs from the people around me - its so small, very stylish and best of all has the rotating body to shoot those hard to reach shots. This cameral was well worth my small investment!
On: 2004-08-03
Ive been researching for some time for an ultra-compact digital camera to take with me while on vacation or whenever I might need to "capture the moment". I already have a decent all-around digital camera but wanted an inexpensive compact to carry with me most of the time. I really wanted to get the Casio Exilim Z40 but the picture quality just wasnt up to par after viewing the samples on some of the digital cameral review sites. So after checking out the SL400Rs sample images, I decided to give it a shot (especially with Amazons overall lowest price and the $50 gift certificate to seal the deal).
My wife and I went to Vegas last week and I had the opportunity to put the camera through the test. I can honestly say this cameral rivals my Nikon for outdoor shots. The colors were much more vibrant and the images were sharper. And when I print the images on my Epson RX500, you would think I had a photo lab print the shots. The only downfall is the quality of indoor pics with low lighting. The prints appear grainy and not well illuminated. But I didnt purchase this for indoor shooting. The only other downside to this camera is that it doesnt include a lens cover. You do get a compact camera case but that does add to the bulk a bit. I just made sure I carried around the included lens cleaner stick thats included for those times I chose not to put the camera in its case.
Overall, I couldnt be happier with this camera. Every time I bring it out, it draws oohs and ahhs from the people around me - its so small, very stylish and best of all has the rotating body to shoot those hard to reach shots. This cameral was well worth my small investment!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-26
Quite an amazing camera for the size. This Kyocera is capable of producing some fine detail in photos and does all this with speed that is usually not found in smaller pocket units.
I normally use the large Sony 828 which is far removed from a pocket camera but Kyocera gives many of the features of a mid range camera in a compact size. The Kyocera SL400R fills the need for a smaller unit and at 4MP it can produce close to the same quality for routine use. Focus can sometimes present a challenge but overall, this is worth a look. For its size and capabilites, this Kyocera is gives an easy five-star performance.
On: 2004-06-23
First off, Im extremely pleased with this little camera. Does it have shortfalls? Yes, but not many. I bought this camera for specific reasons and it performs 100% of what I want it to do.
Im in the military and on the go quite a bit so I needed something small and easy to use.
One of the biggest pluses (to me) is not needing a tripod. The swivel body is perfect for setting about anywhere and getting the shot (of myself) wherever I am. No more balancing my camera on a pile of rocks till I get the lens angle to where it doesnt cut my head off in the picture.
The instant on feature is awesome. Turn it on and its ready to shoot a picture.
The fast shoot is the best thing ever. I cant tell you how many pictures Ive missed with my other camera because its focusing and processing whatever information. Push the button and it takes a picture, not "takes a picture 2 seconds from now."
WIth a high speed card you can take really great 640 x (whatever) movies. The movies are good quality and full motion. Not a camcorder replacement but fun for taking action movies at the drag races or whatever.
I havent had problems with battery life. I think for the size and intended use its fine. I turn the camera on, take a pic and turn it off. If you leave it on constantly, yeah, its going to drain the battery. With the instant on and fast shooting, you can turn it on, take a pic and turn it off before most cameras can take a pic with it already on.
With the camera being so small, I dont mind taking my camera everywhere with me. Its nice because Im taking pictures of a lot of things I never felt like lugging a camera around to take pictures of.
Ive got Windows XP and there have been no problems (as stated earlier). Give your battery a full charge before you first start playing with it. I bought an extra battery but I dont think its going to get much use. Dont forget to buy a high speed SD card. I got a 512m 32x speed and I think it will work for about anything I need. You could probably get away with a 256m no prob though.
Overall, I think its an awesome little camera. If it had a little bit better zoom it would be perfect. Its an everyday camera. Fun to use.
Its not a replacement for my other camera though and I didnt buy it with those intentions. Keep that in mind and you will be extremely pleased.
On: 2004-06-09
I liked a lot of things about this camera, but had to return it for the following reasons. First, it has no lens cover, so it is not a good idea to carry it around in a pocket unless you also carry around something to clean the lens. Second, for some reason my very modern and up-to-date home computer (Windows XP) would not recognize the camera as a USB removable drive as the manual said it should, so I was unable to retrieve the pictures Id taken at home. Finally, once I was able to download the pictures to a work computer, I did not see a marked improvement in picture quality over the pictures my old Canon S230 takes. Another negative is that charging the battery requires hooking the camera up to a 2-piece AC adaptor-like cable. Compared to the kind of charger that the Canon digicams come with (a small plastic unit that holds the battery and plugs right into the wall), this seemed like a step backwards. On the plus side, this camera is small, has lots of functionality I hadnt seen in a digicam before ("Portrait," "Sports" modes, can take multiple continuous pictures, movie modes, etc.), is very easy to use, and also the manual was extremely useful and easy to read.
On: 2004-06-05
In a rather negative review, an earlier entry indicated very poor battery life. I will admit that it would be good to have an extra battery or two, but let me share with you the very first (quite positive) experience we had.The camera arrived on a Friday and after a few quick calculations I ran out and bought a 512Meg memory chip. Then the charger was hooked up and I handed the instruction guide to my wife and said - "go to it". We were having the annual show of our barbershop chorus the next day and she was going to take some pictures. She brought the camera and took about 25 photos of the cast in preparation for the show, and then switched to movie mode (using the lowest resolution - to get as much as would fit on the chip) and took about 200Megs of a movie (about 20 minutes) before the battery ran out of gas. Im not sure what the prior reviewers problem was, but that was a single battery and one full charge. As to the quality, because the lighting was limited to the available stage lighting, the pictures were very grainy. VERY. But that is to be expected in low light. The sound was acceptable and we have an archive copy of what the start of the show looked like. Not bad for a first attempt. A few more cautions - the multiple photo option is great but I have a tendency to move the camera while pressing the button. This "user error" causes the photos to be blurry. So when using that mode Id recommend finding a place to rest the camera or something to lean against to avoid problems. So with those caveats, Id recommend this camera to anyone who wants to have a camera that can be slipped into a pocket or purse and used at a moments notice.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-18
I read about the batteries have a low life but just buy an extra battery try 3 or 4 batteries more like it at $60 bucks a pop. You barley get 20 indoor flash pitches with a brand new freshly charge battery. The battery will only get worse over time I think.
This dos not work for my style of shooting if you only shoot one roll of film it might work for you, but why pay $300 $400 to only shoots 19-20 shots with a digital camera.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-22
Image quality:
Daytime images: Excellent image quality, that fully meets expectations of a 4M pixel camera.
Flashimages: There is a built in flash, that allows taking pictures over reasonable distances (2 to 4 m). Unfortunately the autofocus works poorly under dim light conditions and there is no built in light assist autofocus. Fortunately the camera comes with a built in manual focus so that you can always use the camera.A major adavantge of the camera over any other ultracompact is the swivel body. Thanks to the swivel body you will be able to put the camera on any flat surface or hold it onto a poll etc so that you can take night time images and self timer images without a tripod. I like this, because I seldom carry a tripod with me - in particular when I go out with a compact camera. Another major advantage of the camera is the optional filter thread. This way you finally have a compact camera that permits you to add polarizer filters etc that used to be the privilege of larger cameras. (Polarizer filters are used to filter white glares from the sun that take away quite a bit of the colors). Video quality: The quality of the videos you can take with this camera will suprise you (30 fps with 640x480 dots). You may take video clips of any length - of course this takes memory. The only thing I found is the somehow grainy video quality under dim light conditions. Yet, all of my other cameras have the same issue to some extent. To refill the battery you only need to attach the power cord to the camera without extracting the battery or needing a cradle. The camera has the standard small USB connector, which makes directly downloading images without card reader very convenient. Kyocera provides the USB to small USB converter cable within the package. All the features are easily accessible and conveniently located. It is hard to say which of the two cameras, the Sony DSC-T1 or the Kyocera Finecam SL400R is any better without performing a in-depth test series.From what I have read and from what I see now from the Kyocera, I tend to believe that the Kyocera can keep up or exceed the image quality. However, the swivel body and the optional lens makes this camera way more versatile then the Sony.
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