Toshiba PDR M5

This is a great camera if you want an easy to use camera... the UI is very simple. I bought the Flash Path adapter (floopy disk memory adapter) and it makes using this camera so easy! The ergonomics of the camera are good. Its small and light. The memory cards are readily available and continue to fall in price. The picture quality is excellent...

the best thing about this camera is its "machine gun" speed for taking multiple pictures and the ability to alter picture quality right in the camera... Also the ability to go full manual and the spot metering are a plus.

This camera has lots of "professional features" that i'll bet most people don't use / apprecate /even know they exist...

what a shame...

good quality pics, zoom isnt bad, easy to use... very simple, but very flexible!

Hands down... you CAN'T reliably take indoor or low light pic's... sometimes it works some times it doesnt... roll the dice. I applied the 2.11 firmware and it helped more then what came out of the box (which SUCKED) but it still doesnt have ANY low light reliability. Yes like everyone else says. "the lense cap leaves something to be desired" and if Toshiba made a manual focus ring!!!! you have a winner...

also, my camera has a BAD "studder/freezing" habit... sometimes it just doenst do anything when you push the shutter release... appearantly, looking at others comments im not alone... this is HELLA frustrating... im thinking of sending it in for service...

ive used the Sony Mavica 95 and it was GREAT... only the pic resolution doesnt hold any thing up againse this camera.

This is a great camera if you want an easy to use camera... the UI is very simple. I bought the Flash Path adapter (floopy disk memory adapter) and it makes using this camera so easy! The ergonomics of the camera are good. Its small and light. The memory cards are readily available and continue to fall in price. The picture quality is excellent...

the best thing about this camera is its "machine gun" speed for taking multiple pictures and the ability to alter picture quality right in the camera... Also the ability to go full manual and the spot metering are a plus.

This camera has lots of "professional features" that i'll bet most people don't use / apprecate /even know they exist...

what a shame...

good quality pics, zoom isnt bad, easy to use... very simple, but very flexible!

Hands down... you CAN'T reliably take indoor or low light pic's... sometimes it works some times it doesnt... roll the dice. I applied the 2.11 firmware and it helped more then what came out of the box (which SUCKED) but it still doesnt have ANY low light reliability. Yes like everyone else says. "the lense cap leaves something to be desired" and if Toshiba made a manual focus ring!!!! you have a winner...

also, my camera has a BAD "studder/freezing" habit... sometimes it just doenst do anything when you push the shutter release... appearantly, looking at others comments im not alone... this is HELLA frustrating... im thinking of sending it in for service...

ive used the Sony Mavica 95 and it was GREAT... only the pic resolution doesnt hold any thing up againse this camera.

It looks like a lot people these days buy digital cameras but do not have adequate photographic expertise to use them. I read many of the review articles before I bought this camera and I found it disturbing that Toshiba could posibly put such a inadequate camera on the market and risk their namesake. Yes, the camera is little more difficult to use than most, but if you understand how to use its features and controls, you can take very good pictures. On paper, this camera is awesome, in the real world, you have to have some knowhow to actually use it. Yes, it does not focus well at night, but upgrade the firmware and get a little closer to your subject. Don't expect any built in flash to go more than 20ft. You can actually take pictures in low lighting without the flash, but you have to manually adjust the controls. Its not to hard to experiment with a digital camera because you can see your pictures immediately. People these days are too dependent on microprocessors to think for them, but remember, they can never replace experience. If you don't have time, then buy another camera.

Movie mode, burst mode, and ability to take pictures so quickly

autofocus system does not use infrared metering so its difficult to get very sharp pictures in total darkness

Canon EOS 750, Rebel II, EOS 2000, Olympus Camedia 4200

none

I have been in Photography still or video since 1958 and this camera is not for a beginner. The options are quite good and the burst mode for taking your golf swing and analizing it along with the mini movie are almost worth the price of the camera. Bought on Buy.com for 637/with $100 rebate. Good price. The low light quality and the flash are not really very good. And unless you wait for the green light of auto focus you will get an out of focus picture. The noise of autofocus could scare many sucjects except maybe a rock, but people, forget it. RLS

Burst Photography, Mini Movie, USB, Playlback zoom and others.

Does not perform well in low light and the flash is minescule in most situations. In low light grainy photos. Loud noise on auto focus. Shame Shame Shame. Not a camera for a beginner.

First bought AGFA 1280...Great camera. The only fault was the slow cycle time between shots. Missed a lot of good pictures, but the quality was excellent and still is.

NA

After many digitals, I find the Toshiba PDR M5 to be the most simple to operate, the hand configuration is superb, takes the best pictures I have ever seen, and downloads like lightning. The battery situation in other really good cameras makes them not worth fooling with because you are always buying batteries. The battery in this camera, outlasts regular recharables by 2 to 1, as I have experimented with both of them. It is extremely easy for first timers to operate if they page through the book only once. The best I have seen!

Awsom USB download, less than 1 second between shutters, fast focusing aperture, bright led, many more menu options than I have seen on other cameras, can pop of 4 imiges in the blink of an eye, twice the battery life of rechargables, very sturdy body and can take a good drop, I know.

Have not found many. Hand strap very inadequate. Kind of hard to see LED in bright light.

Also have PDR M4 and classify it in the same field. Have also had minola dimage, and several Kodak models, and there is no comparison to the PDR M5 camera.

Excelent. Needed help on installing new firmware, waited no more than 1 min for tech to walk me through. They are very polite, and very willing to assist you.