Review 3 of 3
Price Paid:
$540.00
from 17th Street Photo Summary: This is a fantastic camera! It takes great pictures and the 10X optical range is just outstanding. (Disregard any remarks of any camera about digital zoom. That feature is a sham!) I love the compact size. This camera replaces my Pentax full SLR camera---so I no longer have to frantically switch lenses to catch the action---just move the zoom lever! The 30 frames per second video is a great bonus feature. (A limitation: You can't zoom if you are using the built-in microphone. {If you really want to shoot video--buy a video camera!}) There are plenty of manual settings to satisfy the avid photographer like me. Or just use it as a point-n-shoot. The panorama feature is fun, too!
The "settings" menu can take some time to learn, but is worth it. Especially to correct for automatic functions that can be not exactly what you really want. I found that it is sometimes better to set the white balance to a preset like sunny, cloudy, Incandescent, etc. instead of auto. i.e. a close-up of the Statue of Liberty (green) against a blue sky came out with the sky appearing purple. Setting the preset to sunny fixed it. Note that to get to manual focus, just press the center (OK) button for> 2 seconds. This tip is not in the printed manual--only on the CD ROM.
If you want more range, like an even wider angle or longer telephoto, you can buy an adapter to file .5X and 2X lenses (and other choices, too). I did that but didn't buy good enough quality 2X, so I returned it. The .5X helps a lot because the camera at widest angle is only about 38mm. That is not always wide enough.
I highly recommend this camera! Strengths: 10x optical zoom, MPEG4 video, small size in relation to great number of features. Great pictures! Weaknesses: Auto white balance can be fooled, printed manual good, but not complete. (CD Rom manual is very good.) Image stabilization would have been nice.
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