Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $225.00 from B & H Photo

Summary:
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.

Strengths:
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.

Weaknesses:
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.

Similar Products Used:
Olympus C-3000 digital camera; Canon ELPH 260 APS camera.

Customer Service:
I have not had any need for this yet.