10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Large 2.5 Inch LCD
By: Norcent Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 14
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 On: 2007-11-02
The worst camera ever... the battery will be over just for 10 shots...
Even the price is very low, dont be tempted by looking at 10 MP and price.
 On: 2007-09-25
I LOVE THIS CAMERA! I bought this as my sanity keeper for my family trip to Hawaii... (Im hyper and always need something to do..) In 10 days, I took over 1500 pix. and was able to do so unobtrusively--as the camera is VERY small and very powerful! I shot inside, outside, people, landscapes, flower closeups, historical locales, flashless photography in museums and at historical demonstrations... shots inside a battleship. The video functions far surpass my low expectations... (including a surprisingly good audio microphone!)(I used it upon my return to record my friends graduation with her PhD) I was sitting in west nose bleed and with a small small micro tripod was able to make shots look as though I was much closer.)
This camera was amazing--for a camera which I paid $99 at walmart dot com. (Not available in stores.) I cannot stress enough how important it is to READ and UNDERSTAND the manual. Many of the problems discussed in other reviews can be ameliorated by 1. a knowledge of videography/photography principles which can be learned free on line. and 2. BY READING THE MANUAL!!!!!!! the 8 hour flight to Hawaii gave me plenty of time to do that!
Basically this little fella was attached to my wrist by its strap unless I was swimming, showering, or sleeping... for 14 days and no one believed how many shots I had because I was able to do everything relatively quietly and without creating major drama regarding flash or lighting. (But this is because Ive taken a couple classes in photography and videography and understood how to change the aperature and shutter speeds to get the results I wanted! (and frankly the adjustments allowed my fidgety fingers to have something to do!)
I recommend some following "must haves" to answer some of the (true) short-comings my fellow reviewers have sited (correctly!)
1.) You must by an LCD shield for the screen if you want to have any hope of seeing anything on the LCD in moderate to bright sunlight. You will then need to use this as a Viewfinder and hold it close to your eye to see anything under these conditions. (Cost= $20ish)
2.)I bought the energizer 15 minute battery charger and 8 rechargeable "AA" batteries for this thing. These are a MUST--the reviews are correct this thing eats batteries and I too have gone through a typical battery set in 15 mins. of fairly constant shooting. If you can get the one with the free car adapter for the charger all the better :) (Cost: $25-30ish)
3.) MANDATORY-At least (2) 2 gigabyte SD cards or larger especially if youre planning to use the 10 megapixel mode (as I did!) or if you are planning to use it for video. I recommend two because if you go crazy like I did on the photos you CAN fill up one of the 2 gigabyte cards in a day (although I had 500 pics). (LOOK FOR SALES $20-30 each)
4.) Tripods a regular size one... AND a micro one... :) This allows you to take close ups... and video...and indoor shots with much better clarity. (under $10 for the micro and under $30 for a normal height tripod)
5.) Optional--I got a small, but well organized camera bag for this little guy... it was swimming in the bag for my old camera--with the little bag with room for batteries and memory card. I downloaded nightly to my laptop... and my 250gb portable hard drive... :) (I paid $3.00 for mine but discount shopping is rampant here in Northeast Ohio)
6. (Also optional) If your laptop does not come with a digital media slot where you can stick the sd card right into the machine directly, you will want to purchase a media card reader for hooking into your computer. (this will save batteries and increase download/import speed. (available for under $20) If you get this camera for the same $99.00 that I did, you can trick this out for under a total of $250.00! (Lets just say the guy at Ritz Camera was shocked and awed at the power of my toy-looking and feeling camera (the proof was in the shots!)
One thing my colleagues didnt mention is that the digital zoom is kinda fuzzy-though the micro tripod was very helpful with this problem... but the optical is clear as a bell... It also comes with a fun cable that lets you connect the camera to the TV and show all your photos. Whats great about this is that you can tell quickly if youve got a great shot, an ok shot or something that screams for deletion. (Also a great way to show your days take to your loving, patient spouse...)
I also managed to take pictures of realtives vintage photos that they didnt want to lend for scanning--the micro tripod and manual controls were a godsend... and Ive digitized some very important family memories.
Sorry this review is so long, but this camera has really allowed me to greatly enjoy my once in a lifetime trip, and take studio quality pictures of my best friend at her doctoral graduation... all for under $250! :) I couldnt be happier!
On: 2007-09-24
I LOVE THIS CAMERA! I bought this as my sanity keeper for my family trip to Hawaii... (Im hyper and always need something to do..) In 10 days, I took over 1500 pix. and was able to do so unobtrusively--as the camera is VERY small and very powerful! I shot inside, outside, people, landscapes, flower closeups, historical locales, flashless photography in museums and at historical demonstrations... shots inside a battleship. The video functions far surpass my low expectations... (including a surprisingly good audio microphone!)(I used it upon my return to record my friends graduation with her PhD) I was sitting in west nose bleed and with a small small micro tripod was able to make shots look as though I was much closer.)
This camera was amazing--for a camera which I paid $99 at walmart dot com. (Not available in stores.) I cannot stress enough how important it is to READ and UNDERSTAND the manual. Many of the problems discussed in other reviews can be ameliorated by 1. a knowledge of videography/photography principles which can be learned free on line. and 2. BY READING THE MANUAL!!!!!!! the 8 hour flight to Hawaii gave me plenty of time to do that!
Basically this little fella was attached to my wrist by its strap unless I was swimming, showering, or sleeping... for 14 days and no one believed how many shots I had because I was able to do everything relatively quietly and without creating major drama regarding flash or lighting. (But this is because Ive taken a couple classes in photography and videography and understood how to change the aperature and shutter speeds to get the results I wanted! (and frankly the adjustments allowed my fidgety fingers to have something to do!)
I recommend some following "must haves" to answer some of the (true) short-comings my fellow reviewers have sited (correctly!)
1.) You must by an LCD shield for the screen if you want to have any hope of seeing anything on the LCD in moderate to bright sunlight. You will then need to use this as a Viewfinder and hold it close to your eye to see anything under these conditions. (Cost= $20ish)
2.)I bought the energizer 15 minute battery charger and 8 rechargeable "AA" batteries for this thing. These are a MUST--the reviews are correct this thing eats batteries and I too have gone through a typical battery set in 15 mins. of fairly constant shooting. If you can get the one with the free car adapter for the charger all the better :) (Cost: $25-30ish)
3.) MANDATORY-At least (2) 2 gigabyte SD cards or larger especially if youre planning to use the 10 megapixel mode (as I did!) or if you are planning to use it for video. I recommend two because if you go crazy like I did on the photos you CAN fill up one of the 2 gigabyte cards in a day (although I had 500 pics). (LOOK FOR SALES $20-30 each)
4.) Tripods a regular size one... AND a micro one... :) This allows you to take close ups... and video...and indoor shots with much better clarity. (under $10 for the micro and under $30 for a normal height tripod)
5.) Optional--I got a small, but well organized camera bag for this little guy... it was swimming in the bag for my old camera--with the little bag with room for batteries and memory card. I downloaded nightly to my laptop... and my 250gb portable hard drive... :) (I paid $3.00 for mine but discount shopping is rampant here in Northeast Ohio)
6. (Also optional) If your laptop does not come with a digital media slot where you can stick the sd card right into the machine directly, you will want to purchase a media card reader for hooking into your computer. (this will save batteries and increase download/import speed. (available for under $20) If you get this camera for the same $99.00 that I did, you can trick this out for under a total of $250.00! (Lets just say the guy at Ritz Camera was shocked and awed at the power of my toy-looking and feeling camera (the proof was in the shots!)
One thing my colleagues didnt mention is that the digital zoom is kinda fuzzy-though the micro tripod was very helpful with this problem... but the optical is clear as a bell... It also comes with a fun cable that lets you connect the camera to the TV and show all your photos. Whats great about this is that you can tell quickly if youve got a great shot, an ok shot or something that screams for deletion. (Also a great way to show your days take to your loving, patient spouse...)
I also managed to take pictures of realtives vintage photos that they didnt want to lend for scanning--the micro tripod and manual controls were a godsend... and Ive digitized some very important family memories.
Sorry this review is so long, but this camera has really allowed me to greatly enjoy my once in a lifetime trip, and take studio quality pictures of my best friend at her doctoral graduation... all for under $250! :) I couldnt be happier!
On: 2007-08-27
I love this camera. It is my second digital camera. My first was a kodak easy share and I liked that camera but the flash went out only after a couple years. It was going to cost almost as much as I paid for this one to get it fixed. This camera take very good pix! It has alot of settings which I love- Ex. beach & snow, Sunset, kids.
 On: 2007-08-20
We purchased this camera for a recent trip to Italy, and I wasnt too impressed with the feel of the camera when it first arrived - specifically the function buttons on the back, as they had an inexpensive "feel" to them. I was also concerned about several reviews regarding short battery life.
But those negative impressions didnt remain for long. I purchased six rechargable AA batteries, but the battery life was never a real issue - especially if you activate the cameras power save mode.
The pictures had incredible clarity, and the close-up feature allowed me to take about twenty pictures, of pictures, from a relatives photo album. The quality of those pictures are remarkable!
The LCD screen is large, you can zoom in for a picture, capture it, and zoom in more when cropping, and the function buttons are rather intuitive once you learn them (including a high-quality video function).
I purchased, and recommend you get, a 2 gig SD memory card. I took over 500 pictures at 8 megapixel resolution & 3 long video segments and still have over half the memory left.
The only, and I do mean only, drawback on the camera is the time-delay from the pushing of the button to the taking the picture. It isnt immediate, and the 1 second delay can create an issue if you, or your subject, is moving.
But I highly recommend this camera. We spent a nice chunk of change taking 2 adults and 3 kids to Italy, and this camera was in a state of almost constant use while providing consistently positive results.
With a few rechargable batteries and a 2 gig SD card, you should easily be as impressed as I was. This camera delivers far more than you would expect, especially considering the modest price.
 On: 2007-07-27
Dont be fooled by its entry-level price. If you are looking for advanced easy-to-use and on-the-fly photography features, its a fine camera. However, the poor auto-focus and short battery life present some major problems sometimes.
Pros:
(1) Great photography features -- You can quickly adjust white balance, ISO, and exposure on the fly and see the image live while you adjust it for nicely exposed photos every time.
(2) You can record video and/or voice memos with your images.
(3) The cameras Macro mode will focus from less than 2 inches!!
(4) After an image has been exposed, you can crop it, save the file size down and make adjustments to it.
(5) Large, glare and scratch-resistant screen.
(6) All-in-all its very feature rich and has advanced adjustments and options to do just about anything you would need to do with a non-professional level camera.
Cons:
(1) Automatic focus is very poor. It will only focus correctly in high contrast or sunlight situations. Majority of indoor photos are not in sharp focus... which defeats the purpose of having the 10 MP capability.
(2) No manual view finder - so when camera is in use LCD is always using battery power.
(3) Lastly, the final major downside is that due to its over all power consumption, the batteries have a very short life span. Ive used them up in less than 30 minutes before.
On: 2007-07-05
We have had this camera now for about a month and we have been very impressed with it. It takes wonderful photos indoors or out and is for the most part point and click. It also has a very large LCD screen so its easy to line up your shot - this makes up for the lack of a viewfinder on this model. This camera also does short videos (length depending memory available) as well as timer settings and a 3 shot sequence which are all easy to access while in photo mode.
We use it to take family photos at events and just around the house and usually get great photos - when we dont its usually because we hesitated when pushing the button or shook the camera a little. Otherwise the photos are clear and of great quality.
There are some negatives, but they are to be expected from a 10 Mega pixel camera. For one, the battery life is a bit short, but a set of rechargeable batteries takes care of that - I recommend NiMh over NiCad.
I was also concerned about being able to see the LCD screen in bright sunlight, and although it is not 100% clear at that time, it is still usable in my experience. The camera also has a battery saving feature that dims or turns off the LCD after a period of no activity, but keeps the camera ready to take a picture.
The most important thing for me was that the camera had a memory card slot, and this one has an SD card slot inside the battery compartment. I currently have a 1Gb card in the slot and even at the highest settings, I can store 169 images on a single card.
I would have to say that despite the low price, this is NOT a low price camera. I am very satisfied with it, and although you can not change out the lenses which I would like, its far less expensive then a 10Mp SLR camera with excellent photo quality.
On: 2007-06-27
Super fast delivery. Great price on a 10 megapixel camera. Pictures are super sharp. Easy to use. Small and convenient to carry.
On: 2007-04-28
I did not expect much when I bought it for that price, but after I got it I am surprised I got a real deal. Very satisfied so far.
Pros:
It has every function a camera can possibly have, and very easy to access. It can print directly to the printer with picbridge. The vedio funtion is just superb, very good picture and sound; you dont need to buy a camcorder. Light enough for me to carry every day every where. Lcd is also not bad. All the keys are designed for easy access, most suitable for a newbie like me. 10M picture is very good, and you can also adjust it. 3x opitical zoom is enough for daily use. 2 AA batteries for easy change.
Cons:
Batteries use up fast, probably because of 10M pixels, but when I changed to rechargable batteries, it works good, and I usually have 4 batteries for backup. If optical zoom is 5x, its perfect :)
On: 2007-03-13
im very pleased with the camera i havent used it much but it was less complicated to use then i imagined with all those features. and the pictures ive taken came out really nice and i played with it alot and im getting long life out of the batteries, way better than my old camera. i like the fact its black too doesnt look like everyone elses camera i just wish i could keep my fingers off the screen more.
On: 2007-03-12
im very pleased with the camera i havent used it much but it was less complicated to use then i imagined with all those features. and the pictures ive taken came out really nice and i played with it alot and im getting long life out of the batteries, way better than my old camera. i like the fact its black too doesnt look like everyone elses camera i just wish i could keep my fingers off the screen more.
On: 2007-03-02
I recently purchased this camera and do like it very much. The pictures are very clear. One gripe is the lack of a viewfinder with an LED that would have allowed me to take pictures in a low light setting. It also could just be user error as a previous poster was able to take a night shot but Im an amateur. I think with practice and a little reading I should be better equiped for low light situations.
Great camera and relatively small. Large 2.5 inch screen is great.
On: 2007-03-01
I recently purchased this camera and do like it very much. The pictures are very clear. One gripe is the lack of a viewfinder with an LED that would have allowed me to take pictures in a low light setting. It also could just be user error as a previous poster was able to take a night shot but Im an amateur. I think with practice and a little reading I should be better equiped for low light situations.
Great camera and relatively small. Large 2.5 inch screen is great.
On: 2007-01-23
Pretty impressed, the only minor flaw I noticed is that when recording in the movie mode it flashes a red tint in the background but that may be some setup conflict I have.
On: 2007-01-22
Pretty impressed, the only minor flaw I noticed is that when recording in the movie mode it flashes a red tint in the background but that may be some setup conflict I have.
On: 2006-12-30
Negative:
Plastic cover,
small USB jack is very fragile and not a standard one. Be carefull not to break it. Automatic funcions are the main defect.
Positive:
Price.
You can change all values as if it was a manual camera. With it i managed to take a shot at night with no light or flash as if it was a nightscope. I could not do the same with a 400$ cannon. You can set values for exposure, shutter speed, white balance and ISO. If you know a little of photography you can take great pictures. Do not expect much from the automatic function. It is not a point and shoot camera.
Menues are easy to use.
Im happy with it.
 On: 2006-12-03
I was shopping around a basic digital camera and encountered this product. At first sight, this camera looked great. It has 10Mpixel and all common features, yet a real bargain price tag. The user reviews I found on the web were mostly positive. But once I tried it, I have to say I was very unhappy. Quite simply, auto focusing works only under very bright conditions and this camera does not have manual focusing. When I tried to take pictures in my home under normal room light, auto focusing failed quite often and the images are terribly blur. I dont know if this is true for all of this model or specific to the unit I got, since nobody else has reported this kind of problem. I hope more people would post a review of this product which shed some light on the focusing performance.
On: 2006-12-01
Great features and flexibility, takes great pictures - its a wonderful camera for the money.
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