Digital Camera Reviews

Kodak EasyShare V570 Review - DPexpert

Leroy Brown — Tue, 02 May 2006 18:34:09 +0000

DPexpert reviews the Kodak EasyShare V570 and although skeptical at first, they seemed to really like it - ‘Parting shot: The dual lens system looks like a gimmick, as though Kodak is straining to create some distinguishing feature for the camera. In fact it works well. For anyone planning a trip that will take in the cramped cities of Europe where it is hard to get back far enough to take in an entire building the V570 will be a boon. We like it!’

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Read more about the Kodak EasyShare V570.

Canon PowerShot A700 Review at Let’s Go Digital

Leroy Brown — Tue, 02 May 2006 18:12:19 +0000

Let’s Go Digital reviews the Canon PowerShot A700 and writes - ‘May the results of our tests be clear. The remarks made about the slightly more negative sides of the Canon PowerShot A700 are generously outweighed - and even erased - by the camera’s strong points and assets. The Canon PowerShot A700 is an excellent digital camera with major potential. A camera that suits a very broad group of consumers, not to mention a perfect first step to a more advanced camera. Its compact size and light weight encourage the user to carry the camera along often. The Canon A700 evolved from a strong concept, and will without question continue the success of the Canon PowerShot A series digital cameras. ‘

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Read more about the Canon PowerShot A700.

Kodak EasyShare V570 Review at Photography Blog

Leroy Brown — Tue, 02 May 2006 18:02:51 +0000

Photography Blog reviews the Kodak EasyShare V570 and writes - ‘Image quality is only average, with noticeable noise and blurring at ISOs 200 and 400, which means that the V570 is best suited to situations with adequate lighting, especially if you want to make larger prints. The Kodak Easyshare V570 is just a simple point and shoot camera in terms of creativity, with no control over aperture or shutter speeds, but Kodak have gone to great lengths to make the V570 easy to use, with a wealth of playback and sharing options available. Overall, despite only average image quality and some elements of slow operation, the Kodak Easyshare V570 is an intriguing and fun to use digital camera.’

Get the best price on the Kodak EasyShare V570.

Read more about the Kodak EasyShare V570.

Canon Powershot SD30 Review at DCRP

Leroy Brown — Tue, 02 May 2006 03:21:13 +0000

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Canon Powershot SD30 and writes - ‘The SD30’s photo quality is good in most respects. Outdoors it takes smooth-looking photos with accurate color and low noise levels. Corner softness i was an issue in some of my real world photos. Indoors you’ll be disappointed with the camera’s weak flash and high redeye, which is why this camera is best suited to the outdoors. Noise levels in long exposures were a bit higher than I would’ve liked. Also disappointing was the camera’s movie mode, which isn’t nearly as good as those on the other cameras in the SD series.
A few other minor quibbles: the camera’s battery life is okay, but the competition seems to be pulling away. Also, the included 16MB card is very small for a 5 Megapixel camera.’

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Read more about the Canon Powershot SD30.

Olympus SP-310 Review at The Imaging Resource

Leroy Brown — Mon, 01 May 2006 12:41:49 +0000

The Imaging Resource reviews the Olympus SP-310 and has this to say - ‘The 7.1-megapixel, 3x-zoom Olympus SP-310 is an excellent performer where it counts: printed image quality. It has a wealth of features in a surprisingly compact body; and though it’s not the most attractive design (in our eyes, anyway) you’ll start to like it right away when you shoot with it. Featuring a full range of exposure control, in addition to 24 preset Scene modes, the SP-310 caters to a large audience. Novices will appreciate the availability of pure point-and-shoot operation, while more experienced users will enjoy the option of full manual exposure control. A large 2.5-inch LCD monitor provides accurate framing, and a great place to view pictures, with a real-image optical viewfinder available to save battery power, a feature disappearing from most digicams with a large LCD. Though the camera’s Auto white balance setting tends toward a warmer color cast, overall color is generally pretty good, and exposure is usually about right. (It does tend to produce contrasty images under harsh lighting though.) Though the slow shutter lag numbers could have been better, the printed image quality of the SP-310 really surprised us, and it’s an excellent bargain at the roughly $250 street price it’s selling for as of this review date in mid-April, 2006. Even at high ISO, its images were usable at larger print sizes than most competing models.’

It sounds like, for the price, this camera is hard to beat. Get the best price on the Olympus SP-310.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Review

Leroy Brown — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 19:46:54 +0000

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has a truly unique design, in that it is like no other digital camera on the market. Designed to make it easy to shoot videos as well as images, the design looks good. There seem to be some ergonomics issues though - read on.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Specifications

* Shoots 5.1 Megapixel photos, MPEGMovie4TV videos
* 2.5″ LCD1 Screen tilts and twists to any angle
* Carl Zeiss® 3X Optical/2X Digital zoom lens
* Advanced circuitry for bright, low-noise images
* Cyber-shot Station™ cradle for quick PC/TV hookup

Pricing

Check the best price on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Reviews

The Imaging Resource reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 and writes - ‘The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is about as unique a digital camera as could be imagined. It packs a 3x zoom lens and high-resolution five megapixel sensor into a reasonably compact body, and offers generally good image quality as well as movies that are much better than average. The interface has been improved from the original DSC-M1, but still has quirks that could be ironed out. The interface is simply too complicated. The 5SEC mode seems to have no useful purpose, and the Hybrid mode may prove difficult for new owners to grasp and use. I’d like to see Sony change the camera’s design to simply allow a still image to be captured at any time, even if a movie is already recording, by pressing the Photo shutter button. More importantly, though, the M1’s zoom lever is far too small, too difficult to feel, and offers almost no tactile feedback. Other areas of the interface drew mixed opinions among the IR staff. I felt that the positioning of the four-way arrow pad on the LCD hinge was quite easy to reach with my thumb, but Senior Editor Shawn Barnett felt it was too difficult to reach.’

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Press Release

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 4, 2006 - The new Sony Cyber-shot î DSC-M2 digital camera combines great quality digital still photography and impressive movie-shooting capabilities.

Featuring 5.1-megapixel resolution, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar î lens and Sony’s Real Imaging Processor î circuitry, the camera offers outstanding image capture in either mode.

“We recognize that some people don’t want to have separate imaging devices for their photos and video,” said James Neal, director of digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “Our new Cyber-shot has been specifically engineered for these people.”

A New Way To Record

Designed for optimal photo taking and video making, the camera’s vertical one-handed grip sits comfortably in the palm of your hand. With just a gentle push to the side of the LCD panel, the camera powers up, the 2.5-inch LCD screen flips out, and it is ready to shoot.

Every moment becomes a full story with the camera’s hybrid record mode. When you press the shutter release, you get more than a snapshot. The camera automatically records five seconds of video before snapping the picture and three seconds after. There is no longer a need to choose between stills and video - you can get both.

Sony’s MPEG MOVIE 4TV movie function captures full-screen, high-quality video. At 640 x 480 VGA resolution and 30 frames per second, the resulting clips are ideal for viewing on television. The model’s sensor has been optimized with a high refresh rate, doubling the horizontal resolution.

The camera’s MPEG4 compression captures high-quality video in far less space than other cameras using MPEG1 technology. You can record high-resolution still images and video clips without a large-capacity media card. Or, you can purchase a 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ media card and record up to 1-1/2 hours of continuous video.

Additionally, the new camera offers stereo audio recording to truly capture the full experience of being there with surprising fidelity for such a compact device.

And, while some digital cameras do not let you zoom in movie mode, the DSC-M2 model continues to zoom in all modes.

The camera is supplied with Nero Vision Express 3 software so that editing footage and burning it to DVD is effortless. Convert video clips into home videos for everyone to enjoy. The supplied Cyber-shot Station cradle provides a convenient connection point for television viewing, USB transfer, and in-camera battery charging.

On-Camera Show and Tell

The new camera features pocket album and slide show plus movie functions to maximize your viewing enjoyment.

With each full-resolution image shot and stored on your Memory Stick, the camera’s pocket album function automatically stores a duplicate 640×480 resolution image in its internal memory, which holds 1,100 images. When the maximum capacity is reached, unprotected images are deleted leaving ample room for your favorites in pocket album for sharing wherever you go.

The camera’s slide show function brings photos to life without using a PC. Images and video can be played back with pans, wipes, fades and zooms, and then choreographed to pre-loaded soundtracks. You can even upload your own music to personalize slide shows using the supplied Picture Package software. A built-in speaker gives your slide shows that cinematic effect with sound to complete the experience. And, of course, a television can be connected for added enjoyment.

More Ways to Enjoy Cyber-Shot Digital Cameras

The camera’s image resolution is ideal for making high-quality prints. Simply connect the model to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer and print from the convenience of your own home. You can even create postcards or calendars using the printer’s supplied software.

With Sony’s ImageStation î online photo service, you can expand your options to print tens or even hundreds of pictures, create online photo and video albums, or make customized gifts from coffee mugs and photo books, to calendars and T-shirts.

Stylish and compact, the Cyber-shot DSC-M2 camera is finished in an elegant silver metallic aluminum case. The unit will be available this month online at Sonystyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and for about $500 at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin today at www.sony.com/M2

The camera is supplied with a Cyber-shot Station ™ cradle, which makes charging and connecting to a computer, printer or TV even simpler; an InfoLITHIUM ™ battery; AC adapter; AV/USB cables, PicturePackage v. 1.2.1 and Nero Vision Express 3 software; and a wrist strap. Optional accessories include a form-fitting case (LCS-MHB) for about $40, a travel charger (BC-TR1) for about $60 and a tripod (VCT-R100) for about $35.

Source.

Olympus Stylus 710 Review at Digital Camera Resource Page

Leroy Brown — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:43:34 +0000

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Olympus Stylus 710 and has this to say - ‘Photo quality is the Stylus 710’s weak spot. While it took well-exposed photos with accurate color and low purple fringing levels, fine details in my photos were quite muddy, even at the lowest ISO setting. In addition, there was noticeable corner softness in many of my sample photos. While this may not matter to the typical buyer of a camera like this, those who want to make larger prints or view them at full size on their computer screen will see this and will likely be disappointed. One thing that will get you no matter what size the print is redeye, which is quite bad on the camera. The built-in redeye reduction feature did not improve the situation, at least in my testing.
There are a few other things that I want to mention. While nearly all cameras in this class are point-and-shoot, most offer at least manual white balance and slow shutter speed options. The latter feature would’ve really helped on this camera, as the night shot was quite lousy since I was forced to use a scene mode. Second, the camera lacks an AF-assist lamp, which led to just average low light focusing. Third, you cannot swap memory cards while the camera is on a tripod, which may or may not bother you. And finally, the included 19MB of memory is very little for a 7.1 Megapixel camera.’

They sure don’t sound impressed. Image quality should be much better on a 7.1 megapixel camera, in my opinion.

Check the best price on the Olympus Stylus 710.

Lexar trying to get Toshiba NAND chips banned

Leroy Brown — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:22:48 +0000

Lexar is under the impression that Toshiba is infringing on its’ patents, and wants to stop production of certain Toshiba NAND chips. Why do you care? NAND chips are the basic building blocks of flash cards - SD, MMC, CF, xD, etc. If Toshiba can no longer produce NAND chips, at least until this suit is handled, that likely means higher prices for memory cards around the board. Not to mention a possible temporary shortage, as Toshiba is a major producer. We’ll have to wait this one out and hope for the best. Via The Digital Photography Weblog.

Olympus SP-310 Review

Leroy Brown — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:07:15 +0000

The Olympus SP-310 is the sister to the Olympus SP-350 ( 8 megapixel ). Not quite entry level, not quite high end, the Olympus SP-310 fits right around the middle. With 7.1 megapixels, this camera should product quite nice pictures. It does feature quite a few manual controls, but not so many as to be confusing to the amateur.

Specifications

7.1 megapixel CCD
3x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom
2.5″ color LCD
TruePic TURBO Image Processor
25MB internal memory
Accepts xD memory cards

Pricing

Get the best price on the Olympus SP-310.

Olympus SP-310 Reviews

Steve’s Digicams reviews the Olympus SP-310 and while impressed with image quality, did NOT like the speed and battery life. They write - ‘Battery life was also disappointing. At first I thought that the set of 2500mAh NiMH cells that I was using were bad. However it seemed no matter what set was used, it was about the same. Olympus does not specify a how many images can be captured, but I found it took nearly three battery changes to capture about 80 shots and conclude several of our other tests; this is using the LCD 100% of the time and taking a several photos with the flash.
Bottom line - just like the SP-350, the Olympus SP-310 was disappointing. When we first saw the specs of this model, it looked very appealing. And we loved its ergonomics, image quality, and versatile exposure modes. However the poor shooting performance and short battery life really brings it down and it is very hard for us to recommend this model. We feel the shooting performance suffers due to the very slow recording media (xD-picture card.) Olympus really needs to either join the SecureDigital media band wagon or release those newer and faster xD cards, right away!’

Olympus SP-310 Press Release

OLYMPUS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW SP-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS DESIGNED TO DELIVER PERFORMANCE AND CREATIVE CONTROL

New SP-310 and SP-350 Offers Advanced Manual Controls, 30 Shooting Modes and a Large 2.5-Inch Premium Size LCD

Melville, New York, August 29, 2005 â€“ With the release of two new SP-series digital cameras, the 7.0-megapixel SP-310 and the 8.o-megapixel SP-350, Olympus introduces state-of-the-art specialized features that enable photographers of all skill levels to express their creative vision. Both cameras offer the option of either manual settings for creative control or 30 selectable shooting modes for convenience and ease-of-use, along with optional add-on accessory lenses, an optional underwater housing, and a large, easy-to-view 2.5-inch premium size LCD. The SP-310 and SP-350 are highly versatile cameras, powerful enough to satisfy the creative needs of the advanced user, and expansive enough to grow as users develop their talent.

â€œWith the new SP-series digital cameras, Olympus offers a selection of cameras that are specifically designed for users with a variety of needs and photography skills,â€ said John McGuire, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. â€œThe SP-310 and SP-350 each offer users the versatility of an advanced fully-featured camera and an easy-to-use point-and-shoot in one compact unit.â€

High Resolution Image Sensor for Large-Format Prints
The SP-310 features a high resolution 7.0-megapixel CCD image sensor, and the SP-350 features an even higher resolution 8.0-megapixel CCD, to deliver super high-quality images that are consistently sharp and vivid even in large-format prints.

2.5-Inch Premium Size LCD
Composing and reviewing images is far easier when you donâ€™t have to squint. The 115,000-pixel anti-glare LCD enables you to view images in large and vivid detail. Whatâ€™s more, you donâ€™t have to download and print images each time you want to share them â€“ you can treat your friends and family to a slide show right on the back of your camera. With the large 2.5-inch LCD, the SP-310 and SP-350 are veritable walking photo albums!

PictBridge Enabled â€“ No Computer Necessary!
The power of PictBridge technology enables photos to be printed directly from the camera to any PictBridge-enabled printer without using a computer. And the new one-touch printing button makes printing a single-step process. Printing and sharing images has never been easier!

Manual Settings for Added Creative Control
The addition of manual Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes gives users versatility and control for optimal performance in any situation. Users can express their creative vision â€“ adjusting the f-stop for detailed portraits with softened backgrounds, or slowing the exposure speed to create the blurred effect of motion.

30 Selectable Shooting Modes
The SP-310 and SP-350 make it easy to capture great images in a variety of lighting situations with 24 pre-programmed scene modes, such as Night Scene, Indoor Portrait or Cuisine Mode. And with its QuickTimeÂ® Movie Mode, the cameras can record movies of any length, limited only by the size of the internal memory or xD-Picture Card in the camera.

Accessory Lenses & Flashes for Expanded Capabilities
Olympusâ€™ SP-series cameras feature a threaded barrel, which enables easy attachment of add-on wide angle or telephoto conversion lenses for even more creative control. Compatible accessory lenses include the WCON-07F wide angle lens, which enables a wider field of view for shooting skylines, landscapes or group shots, and the TCON-17F telephoto conversion lens, which extends the cameraâ€™s magnification capability by 1.7 times for bringing subjects dramatically closer, great for shooting sports events, concerts or wildlife.

The SP-350 also has a hot shoe for external flashes, providing additional versatility for more advanced shots when difficult lighting is an issue.

TruePic TURBOâ„¢ for High-Speed Response
Olympusâ€™ exclusive TruePic TURBOâ„¢ Image Processor enhances image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds for rapid startup, shutter release and playback. TruePic TURBOTM enable the cameras to capture information with pixel â€œmicro-smoothingâ€ that delivers clearer and more color-accurate photos, even at lower resolutions. The fast startup of less than one second and nearly instant shutter release time ensures a high-speed response so you are always ready to take great pictures.

High Quality Olympus Lens Elements
Olympus photos are known worldwide for sharp, vibrant image quality. This is achieved through a number of key technologies, such as Olympusâ€™ new high-refractive-index aspherical lens elements, designed specifically for digital cameras. The lens provides the equivalent of 38 to 114mm focal length, f2.8 â€“ f4.9 in 35mm photography, with 15x combined total zoom (3x optical and 5x digital) to bring the action closer, and a Super Macro Mode that captures details as nuanced as the iridescent petals of a flower, from as close as 2 cm.

In-camera Editing
With in-camera editing features such as Red-Eye Fix, color brightness and saturation adjustments, users can edit photos on the fly â€“ no longer do you have to tool around with computers and editing software for simple image touch-ups!

Style and Ergonomics
With the new SP-series cameras, Olympus returns to the traditional, compact appearance of its traditional range-finder cameras. At a compact size of just 3.9″ W x 2.6″ H x 1.4″ D and less than 7 ounces, tucks away easily into a pocket or backpack. The addition of an ergonomic grip makes it easy to hold with one hand, for capturing those photo ops when you are, literally, on the run.

Underwater Photography
The new PT-030 underwater housing is created specially for the SP-310/SP-350 cameras â€“ so you can take your camera with you on your underwater excursions. The large 2.5-inch premium size LCD, compact body size and three underwater scene modes make it the perfect camera to take along diving.

Easy USB Auto-Connect
Connecting the camera to a computer is easy with the USB Auto-Connect feature, which connects directly via USB 2.0 cable and requires no software.

OLYMPUS Masterâ„¢ Software
OLYMPUS Masterâ„¢ software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are searchable by date or keyword in the Calendar View. And with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye reduction, images can be touched up before printing or emailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away.

Availability
The SP-310 and SP-350 will be available in October 2005. Each includes: Wrist Strap, Camera WIN/Mac USB Cable, Video cable, 2 AA batteries, Quick Start Guide, Basic Instruction Manual, Warranty Card, CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master Software, and Camera Advanced manual.

U.S. Pricing
SP-310 Estimated Street Price: $349.99 (U.S.)
SP-350 Estimated Street Price: $399.99 (U.S.)

Canon PowerShot A700 Review at Digital Camera Resource Page

Leroy Brown — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 20:11:01 +0000

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Canon PowerShot A700 and writes - ‘The PowerShot A700 features both automatic and manual controls. For those just starting out you’ll find an auto shooting mode, plus numerous scene modes. While you won’t use them often, the My Colors features are fun to play around with. When you’re ready to use manual controls, you’ll find that the A700 has a full set of them, from exposure to white balance to focus. There’s also a nice burst mode, which can take 2 pictures per second until the memory card is full (high speed card required). The movie mode is also very good, though you’ll hit the 1GB file size limit in just eight minutes.
Camera performance was good in most areas. The A700 turns on quickly, focuses without much of a wait (it seemed faster than the A540), and shutter lag wasn’t a problem. Low light focusing was very good, thanks to the camera’s AF-assist lamp. Battery life was above average, with the A700 squeezing out 400 shots using two 2500 mAh NiMH batteries (using the CIPA standard).
Photo quality was very good. The A700 took well-exposed photos with accurate color, low purple fringing, and reasonable noise levels. The A700’s 6 Megapixel sensor has pretty good ISO performance, allowing you to print 4 x 6’s through ISO 400. The ISO 800 isn’t terribly useful, though you may be able to squeeze out a smaller print after running the image through something like NeatImage. The one area in which the A700 ran into trouble was with regard to “redeye” in flash photos.’

Check the best price on the Canon Powershot A700.

Read more about the Canon PowerShot A700.