Pentax Optio 33L

This is a very nice camera that is packed with a surprising number of features for a camera in this price range. The manual is concise and the on-camera menus are easy to use. The picture quality is excellent for a camera in this price range, although colors are sometimes undersaturated. The exception to this tendency is for red images - reds are sometimes substantially oversaturated. Be particularly careful when you use the red filter - it can create some nice effects, but it can also produce weird, unrealistic images. The auto-bracket feature is very nice, especially in tricking lighting situations in which the initial auto-focus choice may be wrong. For shots in average conditions, the auto selections are generally accurate. Overall, this camera is a good choice for someone who is new to digital photography.

The camera is easy to use right out of the box. Reading through the manual with the camera in hand, one can be ready to start shooting in just a few minutes. The picture quality is great for a camera of this size and price - I've gotten excellent 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 prints, and even a very nice 16 x 20 poster. The macro mode is very good, and the 3x zoom is a nice feature. The camera is loaded with optional features: digital filters, portrait, soft-focus, panorama, landscape and macro modes, and the auto-focus selections are generally good. Auto bracketing is also nice, and it usually results in at least one usable picture in a set. Battery life is good - I got about 350 shots on one CRV-3 lithium battery. The fact that the camera only needs one CRV-3 or two AA batteries to run is a plus. I will be using rechargeable batteries most of the time, but it's good to know I've got some flexibility in battery choices.

The hinge for the swivel LCD screen is tricky to operate. I usually just keep my screen ready-to-use and store the camera in a small leather pouch to protect the screen. The swivel hinge also seems to be a little flimsy - I don't want to use it too much because it feels like it will break easily. The neck-strap that comes with the camera is not comfortable, but it is difficult to attach any other strap because the opening is too small and deeply recessed.

Olympus C-3000 digital camera; Canon ELPH 260 APS camera.

I have not had any need for this yet.