Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Summary:
I was very hesitant to buy an APS camera, having seen lousy results from my wife's Canon Elph for several years now. But the 1010ix won me over with it's beautiful minimalist style and low price (I'd love to have the titanium bodied 1000ix, but it's price tag is just too hefty for me). This little jewel is so small, I can take it with me everywhere (and I do). However, the leather case which comes with the camera is way, way too tight. You can't even get the camera back out of the case without the body sliding open. Instead, I use a tiny neoprene case made by OP/TECH USA (http://www.optechusa.com). Picturewise, I've been very pleased by the results, which I guess is the bottom line. Exposure accuracy is excellent and the pictures are very sharp. (The specifications say that the auto focus system has 281 steps. For comparison, the Canon Elph has 216, the Contax Tix has 156, and the Kodak T550 has 130). Pictures using the flash have also been very good, especially the daylight flash fill and the redeye reduction mode (which is quite effective). Ergonomically, the camera is an absolute joy to use. A single large 4-way button is used to control the flash mode, frame mode, mid-roll change feature, and the self-timer (which is of limited use, since the camera doesn't have a tripod socket). This button is so much easier to use than the usual tiny buttons of most APS cameras. The shutter button has a nice feel with none of the hair triggerness of some cameras (Yashica T4, Konica Revio). The viewfinder is bright and sharp, but it does have a fair bit of distortion which causes horizontal lines to contort across the middle of the frame. Another gripe I have (perhaps my biggest) is the difficulty of seeing the 'classic' and 'panoramic' frame modes. Fuji has elected to use semi-transparent masks and under certain lighting conditions, they almost disappear. But what really counts are the results, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Strengths:
- Style
- Excellent value ($125)
- Super small size
- Sliding case protects lens, LCD
- Sharp Lens
- Accuracy of auto focus
- Excellent exposure accuracy
- Very bright viewfinder
- Single large 4-way button controls camera functions
- Surprisingly good flash
- High max shutter speed (1/500 sec.)
- Mid-roll change

Weaknesses:
- No tripod socket
- Leather pouch which fits tighter than an isotoner glove
- Distortion in viewfinder
- 'Classic' and 'Panoramic' modes are difficult to see

Similar Products Used:
Canon Elph
Kodak T550
Konica Revio

Customer Service:
Not needed

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Model Reviewed:
Endeavor 1010ix MRC Tiara

Summary:
this is a great camera for its size even though the you might have to worry about the breaking of the camera

Strengths:
this is a very light and user-friendly camera. the menu is laid out very well and the lense seems to have great focus

Weaknesses:
this camera could break very easil, being small and PLASTIC

Similar Products Used:
canon elph
peantax efina

Customer Service:
not needed so far

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Model Reviewed:
Endeavor 1010ix MRC Tiara

Summary:
This is the ultimate SLR companion, especially for APS-SLR users like myself (I have an IX and an IX Lite)... it's so tiny it's always there. If you don't use it roughly, the plastic case version is much more affordable than its titanium twin (the 1000ix) -- but if you plan to knock it about, pay the extra for the metal body. The images are extremely sharp, and the camera has been very reliable for the six+ months I've been wearing it (every day!). I highly recommend a small, well padded neoprene beltpouch for it

Strengths:
Size. It's all about size. This is the smallest fully-featured APS camera you can get! It's so small that I wear it on my belt in a tiny neoprene pouch next to the leatherman, so that I always have a film camera with me wherever I go. It's got mid-roll change so I can swap the film with my Canon SLR APS cameras. I've used it for six months, and the battery is still going. It's extremely light, and very easy to use. The flash is decently intelligent, the film winding speed is fast and not too loud, and the menu/controls are well laid out. Lens is exceptionally sharp and well focussed for the pricepoint of this camera.

Weaknesses:
The 1010 is plastic (not titanium) -- so while cheaper, it is easier to break. I've not broken it so far, but I do worry about it. The start-up time after you pop it open is sometimes a pain (2 to 3 seconds) when trying to get a quick shot. There is no zoom -- which is the price one pays for having the camera so small. The included leather case sucks -- toss it out or use it to store a lenscloth. :) Lastly, if you have big fingers, the buttons may be a little hard for you to press.

Similar Products Used:
Tiara 1000ix

Customer Service:
Never needed it so far...