Digital Cameras Ratings

The first reviewer gave a very low rate to this great camera, not fair. So I feel I should jump in.

When I decided to upgrade my old Canon S100, I was very clear on four things:

1) It must use AA batteries.Firm, very firm on this.As long as you must carry a charger, you end up never take the camera with you. As simple as that.

2) It must have macro mode to take good close up pictures. Without this, for example, your gadgets look horrible when you sell them on eBay.

3) It must do good enough video recording for occasional and short motion pictures. I always hate to take a camcorder with me, but I do find sometimes I miss it.

4) It must use SD or CF cards, not XD cards.SD/CF are popular and cheap and they have large capacity.Easy to insert them into my laptop, PDA or image bank to transfer images and/or view them.

So, that narrows down my searching to three models: Nikon Coolpix 3200, Kodak CX7430 and Pentax optio43WR.

The video taken from 3200 sucks, especially indoor video is garbage ¨C way too noisy.It¡¯s ruled out first.BTW, if you are going to take some video of your children indoor, don¡¯t get this 3200.The CX7430 takes fantastic indoor video, but I never be able to get a focused close up picture.Sadly put it out of this game.

The Pentax fulfilles all my needs and is clearly the keeper.It uses just 2 AA batteries and it is very compact.If I want longer battery life, I can use widely available CR-V3 batteries as well.Perfect.Its super macro mode is even better than the 3200 (1cm vs. 2cm).I could take a picture that just covers a dime with sharp focus, or a picture of my SMD circuit boards showing clearly the tiny components and their printed values.This is a surprise, because Coolpix series is well known for their super macro capability and Pentax only claims 10cm macro in its specs (a typo?).

It takes fantastic video outdoor and indoor.Even at very low light conditions, the video still look good (like CX7430, with some noise, but not annoying at all).Video recorded at 640×480@15 is smooth enough and, at 30, it is totally free of jerkiness.However, I did find that recording is not reliable at 30fps, it pauses every 10 seconds or so, but it might be due to my slow SD card (a SanDisk 256MB, not an ultra one).Anyway, 15 fps is good enough to me and I¡¯ll never need to carry a camcorder again, that¡¯s for sure.

43WR has many more features, but I cannot list them all. Unique water resistant, of course.Its lenses do not extend out like most cameras, very nice.It starts up very quickly (less than 2 seconds) and lags between shots are very short (about 2-3 seconds with flash).I have no idea why some reviewers such as Steves-digicams say it¡¯s slow.Actually, it even has a quick-start feature: when this feature is enabled (not by default), you don¡¯t need to press the power button first; you simply press the shot button and the camera will turn on and take a picture right way within about just one second, very handy.Its buttons and menus are very well designed.The LCD screen is very good, even under the sunlight. You can see thumbernails and zoom pictures.It displays multiple languages including Chinese. There are no doors at the bottom side; so you don¡¯t need to take the camera off a tripod to change batteries and SD cards.Overall, a very thoughtful product, which is harder and harder to see on market.Oh, for those who cares, the camera is made in Japan (other accessories may not).

The bottom line is: if you don¡¯t care about the video side, the Nikon 3200 is fine.If you don¡¯t take dime pictures, the Kodak CX7430 is decent.If you want all, the 43WR is the one, the only one right now.

Product Description
A second generation fully-immersable digital camera – the new Optio43WR. Featuring 4.0 effective megapixels, a powerful 2.8X zoom lens, and a JIS Class 7 waterproof rating that keeps the Optio43WR watertight even when the camera is rinsed, splashed or submersed in water. So, go ahead and dunk the Optio 43WR! The latest PENTAX Optio digital camera is the perfect companion for outdoor photography in rain, snow or a day at the beach.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax Optio 43WR 4MP Water Resistant Digital Camera with 2.8x Optical Zoom

The istD is Pentax’s first serious entry into the digital market.Pentax are the people who came up with the K-1000, the no-frills manual camera which was so popular among students and artists.When one thinks of a name brand camera, Nikon and Canon are probably the first names to come to mind.Pentax is the underdog in 35mm, now a serious competitor in the digital world.

The CCD (digital film) is identical to that used in the Nikon D100.The istD accepts all manual focus and automatic focus Pentax lenses.Focal lengths are a bit different – so, if you have a 50mm “normal” Pentax lens, now you will have a 75mm lens when connected to this body.

I plugged in a CF card from my E-10 and all the photos I took showed up in the istD.No drivers or special software required for the USB cable – just plug the camera into a Windows OS and a harddrive appears with your photos on it.

If you are familiar with Pentax’s Hyper-Program mode, you have it here again.Pentax is wonderful for tweak-ability.In “green” mode, you can set the program line to favor DOF or shutter speed.Hyper-Program mode allows you to tweak either the shutter or aperture.And, a totally manual mode is available.

There are three user-customizable banks of special tweaks, such as taking a picture before the flash full charges (option) or changing the action of a few of the buttons.In addition to a full bank of pre-set WB settings, there are three custom white balance settings which may be set using a greycard or piece of white paper.And, the viewfinder is loaded with indicators and a bar display light meter.

The best feature which made me say “wow” was the autofocus.Not only will the camera autofocus, but it flashes a red dot to show you what it is focusing on.You can manually select the focus point, or just override everything and put the focus dead center.If you don’t like the red dot overlay, even that can be tweaked off.

It’s fast.I took a few frames in rapid succession and was not left wanting for something faster.Of the most frustrating features of the Olympus E-10 was trying to fire off another frame – so many missed photos.Not the Pentax.When you need that little extra burst of speed, it’s pretty quick.

The camera is also surprisingly light and small.The more common settings are off the program dial, such as ISO, image compression, and pixel depth.Other settings, such as sharpness, contrast, and color saturation are quickly accessed though the menu.The camera turns on fast and ready to fire.Matrix metering, center weighted metering, and spot metering all available.PC socket for external flash plus a hot shoe.Manual, automatic, and predictive continuous autofocus.

And, of course, the images are clear and crisp.It accepts up to a 1gig CF card or microdrive.A single connector provides USB and video out.If you want the LCD display on while the video output is used, well – that’s a tweakable setting as well.

Product Description
Portability never looked like this. Weighing in at a mere 20 ounces with batteries, the lightweight, stylish *ist D does not sacrifice quality and performance. A 6.1 megapixel CCD with advanced data processing circuitry for astonishing image clarity and detail. A newly-developed 11 point autofocus with SAFOX Vlll for quick and accurate focus. A bright, high-precision viewfinder with superimposed AF-point display for super-clear views of any subject. And featuring a PENTAX K lens mount for compatibility with most existing PENTAX 35mm format lenses and accessories. All protected by a super-rigid, black stainless-steel chassis. Portable and maneuverable, the *ist D is the ideal go-anywhere traveling companion for advanced amateurs and photography enthusiasts.This bundle includes PENTAX lens. The PENTAX smc P-DA J 16-45mm F4.0 ED/AL is recommended for use with digital cameras. It features a 3X zoom ratio with focal lengths covering ultra-wide angle to normal ranges, incorporates a high-refraction extra low dispersion (ED) glass element to produce a high-resolution, high-contrast image with true-to-life color rendition, and aspherical lens elements to help transmit the light more efficiently through the lens to the film. The smc P-DA J 16-45mm F4.0 ED/AL is well suited for advanced amateurs and professionals.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax *istD 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with Pentax SMCPDA 16-45mm Zoom f/4.0 ED AL Lens

I bought the Pentax Optio 555 on 2 November 2003 in Hong Kong.

My number one reason for choosing the 555 was: The longer battery life. My second reason was the 5x zoom, followed by stronger flash and additional features to learn now to use. Saying that, there will be times I wish I had the smaller, lighter, faster Minolta G500… So it was a serious compromise that was not an easy choice – they are BOTH excellent options for a small light ‘everyday’ camera!

Very basic – but my very first photos are here – nothing special, just really posting them so you can see the image quality – almost all done in P mode… and straight from the camera! http://www.pbase.com/jaqatac/optio555_firstshots_hongkong (this expires 5 Dec 2003)

OK – I have never owned a digital camera before, but I have owned most recently a Nikon F100 and do know a little about film cameras…

I bought it, battery took exactly 3 hours to charge…

While I waited, I read the manual

Oh – and the first thing I did was stop all the annoying sounds by turning them all off in the user menu.
The second thing I did was turn the digital zoom off
I also turned the start up picture off

I do not have a stop-watch – but here are some approximate times.NOT ACCURATE TIMES, NO STOP WATCH!

Sunlight/brightly lit room – I found the shot to shot time to be incredibly good – even with the flash and the pictures again were in focus with excellent lighting…

Dimly lit room – wide angle – 1-3 seconds
Dimly lit room – full Optical zoom – 1.5 – 3 seconds

Totally DARK room – wide angle – 3-5 seconds
Totally DARK room – full Optical zoom – 3-6 seconds

I mean TOTALLY DARK! But saying that – the photos look great, are well lit by the flash and in focus…
With the zoom, it takes a bit longer to focus BUT once it gets it, it is perfect. (how, I do not know)

Here are more accurate times from another review:
Auto Focus LAG Wide angle:
0.8 – 1.4

Auto Focus LAG Telephoto
0.8 – 1.5

Shutter Release LAG Viewfinder
0.1

Shutter Release LAG LCD
V1: 0.1
0.1 – 0.2

Shot to Shot Wide angle
1.8

Frames per second
1.1

I am using the P mode and I quickly set up the User Mode as Gordon (see DP Review Pentax Forum) suggested:
ISO 200
AWB
Low Contrast
Spot Focus

I have a 256 Panasonic SD card (10Mb/Second)
MAX Resolution of 2592 x 1944
At 1 * it is 243 pictures
At 3 *** it is 75 pictures
I am switching between * and *** depending on the subject.
I am looking forward to Panasonic coming out with a 2 Gig card!!!

The user mode with these settings is faster than the P mode by about 1 second in the dimly lit and dark rooms.

continuous mode with no flash – that was really fast too – I did not time this.

PIC – Night Scene Mode – I went out at night on the streets of HK and took three pictures of the same things – P Mode, User Mode, Night Scene Mode.What the Night Scene Mode does is really light up the whole area – I don’t know how it does this, but the same photo in P mode was bright lights from the signs, and a bit dark everything else.While with Night Scene the whole photo lights up as if with a flood light – really amazing.At different times I would opt for P, User or Night Mode depending on my desired outcome.

Physical – the case seems sturdy, the buttons are well placed, it is easy to hold and shoot.I like the way it is easy to change what the LCD displays and to turn it off…It is not as [nice] as the G500, but it is a nice functional, sturdy camera!

OK – so this is the quick first impressions… but so far I am really enjoying it!…

Product Description
A successor to the popular Optio550, the Optio555 offers exceptionally compact and lightweight design that is ideal for use anywhere. PENTAX maximized the responsiveness of the Optio555 including reduced lag time so the camera is instantly ready when the power is turned on. In addition, a single touch of the playback button brings up recorded images and just a touch of the shutter button is all that is required to return to shooting. With enhanced operation capability and maximized responsiveness, the Optio555 allows satisfying shots to be taken with extreme ease. Add a powerful 5X optical zoom (4X digital zoom for a combined 20X total zoom), and the superb clarity of 5.0 effective megapixels, the Optio555 offers extreme versatility with superb detail and accuracy.The Optio555 also features PictBridge compatibility that eliminates the need for PC connectivity during printing by allowing the camera to be connected directly to a compatible printer. This feature allows direct control over printing and a full range of other functions.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax Optio 555 5MP Digital Camera w/ 5x Optical Zoom

I bought the Pentax S55 after my previous digital camera (a 4mp Sony Cybershot) was stolen. It took me several months to find what I wanted. I had never owned Pentax, so needless to say, I put in my research. While it was slightly more than I wanted to spend, it was what I wanted and I purchased it.

The camera, at first, was not liked. I didn’t like the picture quality, flash, or shutter speed. After reading the booklet, I discovered how to change these and now love my camera more than my previous Sony. It was definately worth the money.

A note of caution – the 2.5 LCD is WONDERFUL. However, rechargable batteries are a must. THERE IS NO OPTICAL VIEWFINDER (which some people, myself included, do not need). The battery life is decent, but I feel there is not enough warning before the capacity has reached ‘low’.

Also- a memory card of 156 or above is necessary for this camera. The bigger, the better – at least in my mind.

Overall- I was extremely happy with this camera, it is compact, has an excellent zoom, an incredible flash (I took a picture during a blackout and it was not apparent that there was a blackout), a large screen and marvelous picture quality. The only reason this camera did not recieve 5 stars was due to a shutter speed slightly slower than I wanted, but still is very workable.

Product Description
The Pentax Optio S55 is easy to use, easy to understand, and hard to put down.Incorporating a giant 2.5 inch LCD monitor, 3X optical zppm and the power of 5.0 effective megapixels

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax Optio S55 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

The istD is Pentax’s first serious entry into the digital market.Pentax are the people who came up with the K-1000, the no-frills manual camera which was so popular among students and artists.When one thinks of a name brand camera, Nikon and Canon are probably the first names to come to mind.Pentax is the underdog in 35mm, now a serious competitor in the digital world.

The CCD (digital film) is identical to that used in the Nikon D100.The istD accepts all manual focus and automatic focus Pentax lenses.Focal lengths are a bit different – so, if you have a 50mm “normal” Pentax lens, now you will have a 75mm lens when connected to this body.

I plugged in a CF card from my E-10 and all the photos I took showed up in the istD.No drivers or special software required for the USB cable – just plug the camera into a Windows OS and a harddrive appears with your photos on it.

If you are familiar with Pentax’s Hyper-Program mode, you have it here again.Pentax is wonderful for tweak-ability.In “green” mode, you can set the program line to favor DOF or shutter speed.Hyper-Program mode allows you to tweak either the shutter or aperture.And, a totally manual mode is available.

There are three user-customizable banks of special tweaks, such as taking a picture before the flash full charges (option) or changing the action of a few of the buttons.In addition to a full bank of pre-set WB settings, there are three custom white balance settings which may be set using a greycard or piece of white paper.And, the viewfinder is loaded with indicators and a bar display light meter.

The best feature which made me say “wow” was the autofocus.Not only will the camera autofocus, but it flashes a red dot to show you what it is focusing on.You can manually select the focus point, or just override everything and put the focus dead center.If you don’t like the red dot overlay, even that can be tweaked off.

It’s fast.I took a few frames in rapid succession and was not left wanting for something faster.Of the most frustrating features of the Olympus E-10 was trying to fire off another frame – so many missed photos.Not the Pentax.When you need that little extra burst of speed, it’s pretty quick.

The camera is also surprisingly light and small.The more common settings are off the program dial, such as ISO, image compression, and pixel depth.Other settings, such as sharpness, contrast, and color saturation are quickly accessed though the menu.The camera turns on fast and ready to fire.Matrix metering, center weighted metering, and spot metering all available.PC socket for external flash plus a hot shoe.Manual, automatic, and predictive continuous autofocus.

And, of course, the images are clear and crisp.It accepts up to a 1gig CF card or microdrive.A single connector provides USB and video out.If you want the LCD display on while the video output is used, well – that’s a tweakable setting as well.

Product Description
Portability never looked like this. Weighing in at a mere 20 ounces with batteries, the lightweight, stylish *ist D does not sacrifice quality and performance. A 6.1 megapixel CCD with advanced data processing circuitry for astonishing image clarity and detail. A newly-developed 11 point autofocus with SAFOX Vlll for quick and accurate focus. A bright, high-precision viewfinder with superimposed AF-point display for super-clear views of any subject. And featuring a PENTAX K lens mount for compatibility with most existing PENTAX 35mm format lenses and accessories. All protected by a super-rigid, black stainless-steel chassis. Portable and maneuverable, the *ist D is the ideal go-anywhere traveling companion for advanced amateurs and photography enthusiasts.This bundle includes PENTAX lens. The PENTAX smc P-FA J 18-35mm F4.0-5.6 AL is an ideal entry-level zoom lens designed to be used with fully automatic cameras. Its lightweight design makes it easy to handle and maneuver. It features aspherical lens elements to help transmit light more efficiently and Pentax’s acclaimed smc multi-layer coating to lower surface reflection, reduce ultraviolet rays, and deliver clear, high-contrast images.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax *istD 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with Pentax FA J 18-35mm F4-F5.6 AL Zoom Lens