Showing posts with label point and shoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label point and shoot. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Black) Review

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I'm a DSLR photographer who shoots professionally and has managed a camera store in the past. I wanted something I can take with me everywhere but still produces good quality shots. I also wanted a camera that could shoot good looking videos. I researched several models and after much deliberation decided on the Canon 300 HS. I'm very happy I did.
Image Quality:
I tested cameras and lenses all the time while managing the camera store so whenever I purchase a new camera or lens I always test it. The Canon 300 HS doesn't produce the quality of images my Nikon D7000 does but I didn't expect it to. The edges get a little soft with the 300 HS when looking at the image at 100% whereas the D7000 images are almost tact sharp.
Comparing the 300 HS to the Canon Powershot SD1000 from a few years ago, the 300 HS blows it out of the water. The SD1000 is a 7 MP camera. Shooting the same shots on a tripod with the same focal length on the lens the 300 HS uses its extra MPs well. When looking at the images from each camera at 100%, at the wide angle zoom setting and normal zoom setting both cameras have about the same relative slight softness on the edges. However the 300 HS has more MP so it actually produces much more detail in the image. I think it was smart for Canon to keep the MP at 12 because last years models while being 14 MP (SD1400) didn't give any extra detail from what I could tell than the 12 MP version (SD1300). The SD1400 was basically just creating larger files. When zooming in the telephoto setting the 300 HS clearly produced a sharper image than the SD1000. Often cameras have sweet spots in the zoom range in which it will produce crisper images. The 300 HS has consistently good sharpness throughout it's zoom range.
HS system and ISO:
The image processing with the HS system truly works to reduce noise at higher ISOs enabling people to produce better quality images in low light. The improvement in image quality gets more and more visible the greater and greater the ISO. ISO 400 with the 300 HS was almost as good as ISO 200 on the SD1000. ISO 800 on the 300 HS was a tad better than ISO 400 on the SD1000. ISO 1600 on the 300 HS was between ISO 400 and 800 on the SD1000. ISO 3200 on the 300 HS produced the same quality of image (noise) as ISO 800 on the SD1000. A 2 stop in film speed improvement is big.
1080p video and slow motion:
With good light, the 300 HS produces wonderful smooth 1080 videos. If you look at a lot of HD videos from compact cameras the video often looks jumpy. From what I've seen it wasn't until you got to the Canon G12 or Panasonic LX5 that the video looked smooth. Both of those cameras only shoot 720p whereas this camera shoots 1080p. The video also very good detail. It truly looks HD.
If you are wanting zoom and continuous AF with your video this camera is the one you want compared to the 100 HS which doesn't allow you to zoom. The continuous AF with face recognition is stellar with this camera in video mode. I was videoing my wife while she was driving. It focused on her face. I switched to the scenery outside. It immediately focused on that. I then went back to my wife and it found her face and focused on it right away. I even videoed her reflection in the rear view mirror and it found her face in the mirror no problem and focused on it. AMAZING!!!!
Commenting on a complaint I've read about the zoom being slow in video mode. If you like getting motion sickness whenever someone rapidly zooms in or out during their video this is not your camera. As smooth looking as the video is, the zoom is also. The smooth zoom creates nice looking transitions instead of warp speed ahead looks.
The slow motion is a fun feature that works well. You need to have good lighting though. In low light even with high ISO's it produced very dark videos. In a review someone commented that it should have sound with the slow motion video. I honestly don't know how that could work unless you want to listen to everything at 1/5 it's normal speed. I think it's a good thing that it doesn't have sound with the slow motion videos.
AF:
I commented on AF partially in the video portion of the review. It does have several AF modes for various situations. The face detection works great. If you have a person in the picture but want something other than the person to be in focus you will need to change AF modes from face detection. The reviewer that had the problem with the 300 HS focusing on things he didn't want the camera to focus on likely didn't have the correct AF mode for the shooting situations. The 300 HS does have a center AF if you prefer that.
Areas for Canon to improve on with the 300 HS:
The camera is so well thought out that I'm surprised Canon let this slip. I love having a wide angle zoom go down to 24mm. It's great for scenery and photojournalist type shots. If you shoot at the widest angle zoom and use the flash, the lens on the 300 HS blocks the flash's exposure on the bottom right corner of the image. The corner is completely black. If you zoom in a bit so you aren't at the widest angle setting when using the flash you will be fine. Still all Canon had to do is not put the flash so close to the lens.
When shooting video in lower light situations the video does start to get noisy and grainy quicker than some other cameras.
Conclusion:
All in all this is a wonderfully thought out camera with great image quality and image processing and it shoots stellar videos for it's compact size.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Black)

The Canon 5096B001 PowerShot ELPH 300 HS Black 12MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom and 2.7 In. LCD Display has a slim profile that will not only make you stand out from the crowd, but it will also deliver incredibly brilliant still images and amazing 1080p HD videos. Once you turn on the camera, be prepared to be amazed at how much is packed into one of the slimmest point-and-shoot digital cameras on the market. So let your imagination run free and let the HS SYSTEM, 24mm 5x Optical Zoom and 12.1 Megapixels help you achieve great images everywhere.

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Nikon Coolpix S7c 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

Nikon Coolpix S7c 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This camera is stylish, thin enough to be comfortable to carry in a pocket for entire day, has a large screen, but the performance is overall disappointing.
Battery life was hardly 100 pictures.
Focusing and taking a picture is very slow...usually more than 4 seconds when it has to use the focus assist light indoors. Everyone comments on that when I'm taking their picture. In addition, unlike most cameras that have multiple focus points (7,9,11,etc), this camera only focuses on the middle point of the picture by default. There is a nice feature that lets you manually move the focus point around to anywhere in the scene, but it takes a lot clicks and time so I don't bother using it.
The lens is not wide enough for daily use and most pictures come out very soft in the center with bad chromatic aberration and a lot of distortion at wide angle.
WIFI is slow and useless in all but the most rarest of situations. They should have just used Bluetooth so that anyone could use their phone to email the picture or at least be able to email/ftp directly to any email/ftp you want.
The screen smudges very quickly, but it's easy to clean and can't see the dirt when the back light is on.
The camera decides when the electronic VR (image stabilization) gets used and most of the time doesn't activate it. And even when it does activate it, it just increases the noise and the picture still comes out soft. There is an option to clean up the image after it's been taken, but the camera tells you that it's not able to do it for many images.
The camera corrupted my Sandisk ultra II sdcard, something that my former compact digicam didn't do in two years.
The movie mode, on the other hand is very good. The movie files do get fairly large...about 1mb per second, but very smooth, very stable and have good color. There is a constant buzzing noise in movies though.
The scroll wheel is fantastic and should have been incorporated into many other cameras. It makes browsing pictures and menus extremely fast and easy. It really saves thumb fatique. The camera is quite fast at switching between pictures, modes, etc. So that...(plus the movie and style factor) are the ONLY redeeming features.
It's also very hard to get used to not having an actual switch to switch between movie and picture mode. Having to go trough though the menu can sometimes make you miss a photo opportunity because the camera is set in video mode and switching to photo is not a one button operation.
Overall, I don't think it's worth the price.What am I getting to replace this one?.....the Canon SD800.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nikon Coolpix S7c 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

MD) CL) AA) NIK COOLPIX S7C DRK GREY

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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Brown) Review

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Brown)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Please note that for a point and shoot, this camera deserves a 5-star review. But in fairness to certain small details, and Amazon's inability to allow users to give partial stars (e.g. 4.75 stars), I will have to settle for 4-stars.
Cosmetic PROS: Unlike some of the SD and Elph cameras in the past, this one feels solid. Canon even improved, to some extent, the flimsy-feeling battery door. It is a HUGE improvement over the previous flimsy plastic doors on earlier models. The large 3"x1" screen is sharp and beautiful and gives an accurate depiction of what your camera will capture. Switching between full program mode and full automatic is a simple slide button on the top of the camera allowing an advanced user and a novice to both have their options easily. This also prevents any accidental mode changes that can happen with setting-wheels or external buttons.
Cosmetic CONS: The lens cover seems a touch too loose, at least on my specific camera. It rattles and moves slightly when handling the camera after the power is off and the cover is closed. Not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but you might notice this rattle too. The card slot, at least on my specific camera, is strangely snug. When I slide the card into place, there is some friction that made me question whether I was forcing it into the slot in the wrong direction. I pushed the card in until it clicked into place, but then it did not rebound like normal (like when clicking the top of a retracting ball-point pen.) Again, it may just be my specific camera. (Edit: I forgot to mention that while the battery door is now more durable, the A/V door feels very flimsy. It doesn't swing out like a door. Rather, like the cap on a tupperware drinking bottle lid, the door detaches from the camera but remains linked to it via a moderately flexible piece of plastic. And because the door snaps firmly in place when closed, you really need fingernails to get any sort of leverage to open it. For what its worth, if I had to choose only one, I still much prefer the more durable battery door than a durable A/V door.)(Edit: Also, while I love the huge screen, please note that if you wear polarized sunglasses, you may have issues shooting on a sunny day with the screen appearing to disappear. This is more of a problem of the polarized lenses than the camera, but its worth noting.)
Touch screen: Personally, I prefer standard buttons. However, this touch screen is fine. It is big enough that my fingers are able to select menu items easily. For those of you coming from touch screen cell phones, you may find this screen less sensitive than your phone, thus requiring you to apply more finger pressure than you are used to. This isn't a flaw in my mind, but I can see where others may think the screen is being non-responsive. The lanyard comes with a tightening slide. And this slide also has a fine point on it to help you make selections on the touch screen if you are having problems--similar to the stylus of the old palm pilots. Hard to use if your hand is in the lanyard, but hey, its a start!
Features: My main reasons for purchasing this camera was to get aperture priority, shutter priority, and a macro setting as options. Unlike the Canon's S95 with an external ring control, the aperture settings on the 500HS are buried in the touch screen menus. That is fine for my uses and will be fairly intuitive to previous Canon users. The f2.0 aperture setting DELIVERS! For those wanting shallow depth of fields on their point and shoot...wow! I loved this! I haven't had any problems (yet) with the camera focusing on the wrong subject even in macro setting. And because this comes with Focus Lock, you will probably be able to work around that problem if it ever arises. Strangely, but not a deal breaker, the camera doesn't seem to have a BULB setting for shutter speed and maxes out at 15". I don't use that setting and speeds enough to warrant complaint, and maybe there are slower shutter speeds and I just missed them, but I figured I would share that tidbit with others who may be needing those speeds. It is just odd considering my old-old Canon SD630 had bulb setting and I think 2 minutes (but its been so long, I may be mistaken.)(edit: Just realized that this camera doesn't have exposure bracketing (where it takes three automatic shots with different exposures.) It still has exposure adjustment allowing you to +/- exposure stops, but I am a little surprised to not find this previously included feature. There is something called Best Image where the camera takes 5 continuous shots but automatically keeps only the best shot, but this seems to be geared toward facial expressions/blinks/etc. and not exposures. The lack of bracketing is only a minor drawback for me--heck, its taken me a couple of weeks to realize its not present--but its worth mentioning.)
Video: Because I didn't buy this for video, I cannot well judge its abilities. I will only say that the few test videos I took were sharp, with decent sound. However, the volume of the voice of the person holding the camera will be noticeably less. Whether thats a good thing or bad is up to you. Note too that the video is recorded in stereo sound. But I can't gauge its quality. (edit: Having tested the video out more, the sound from the person recording the video (i.e. behind the camera) is actually much better than I originally thought. Apparently, I had the volume turned down too low. But once I adjusted the setting, the sound was rather clear and crisp. I was very impressed.)
Review pics: Everything on this camera is on the touch screen EXCEPT for the review button. The lone, solitary button on the rear of the camera is dedicated to allowing you review your shots in one touch. After hitting the review button, you can either slide your finger across the screen, tap an arrow on the side of the screen, or even BUMP the side of the camera with your finger to see the next shot! There is also a motion detector or internal accelerometer of some sort that allows you to quickly scan through your review pics by tilting the camera slightly on its side. Those last two features are very reminiscent of smartphone technology and makes the camera feel that much more advanced than others. (edit: After more use, I *really* need to emphasize that I like the bump feature! It makes reviewing a bunch of pics really very easy!)
Compared to S95, the 500HS is in the lead in my opinion. The S95 was supposed to be the intermediate step between point and shoot cameras and DSLRs, giving some advanced features without the expense of the DSLRs. The 500 HS is $100-$150 cheaper, more compact, and has a ton of settings and features--yes, it does have miniature model shooting mode and 1080p HD video. I think this camera is the new intermediate step to the DSLR. To give you more perspective, my other option to fit my needs would be either a DSLR Rebel or D50 or D60...$500 at absolute minimum for the body, plus another $299 for a macro lens. In other words, $800 minimum to get me the features I needed. Compare that to the 500 HS at $299! BARGAIN!
Now, I haven't had time, yet, to see if the image stabilization and low light settings are better than in cameras past--especially since I normally have "IS" turned off. So if those features are important to you, maybe visit a camera store and see the camera in person. But since the release of this camera was supposed to be March (if I am not mistaken) and since the earthquake hit Japan in March, you may have a heck of a time finding this camera in stock anywhere. I know there are a few pink colored models for sale. And I completely lucked out with finding this silver model, but keep trying! It seems that a few more stores that I frequented started getting these cameras trickling in over the past 10 days. But they seemed to be getting only 2 or 3 cameras at a time.
Good luck!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Brown)

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Brown)

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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with  3x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The W50 is the sweet spot in the Sony W series lineup, for most people. You can take it everywhere and get very good pictures. But it's not that expensive, so there's no reason not to take it everywhere (except maybe that kayak trip).
If you're wondering whether to get the W30 or the W50 (especially given the lack of reviews on the W30) - go with the W50. The W50 is a little smaller and lighter, and even with the bigger screen has lower power consumption than the W30 - so you don't have to worry that having the big screen will cut your shooting time. The W50 also comes with a combination computer / TV cable.
The S600 is somewhat interesting at the price, but a step down in LCD size and features and a little bulkier - as noted below for most people you can get plenty of battery life and a smaller size with the proprietary battery cameras.
In general, you'll also get better pictures with a W50 than with credit-card type cameras that have a tiny lens system - optics will always make a difference.
If you've used an older generation camera, you may have some misconceptions about battery life. Many newer cameras have sharply reduced power consumption, so the powerful proprietary battery can get you through a day of shooting hundreds of shots with no problem. (Be a little wise about turning it off when you're not using it!) So a lot of the conventional wisdom about batteries is wrong - you probably don't need a second battery, unless you're going into the woods for a while, and you don't need to mess with AA rechargeables. Also, lithium ion batteries don't have a memory effect, so don't worry about partial recharging. Just charge the battery each night. So - before getting a second battery, try it for a while and see if you need it.
But a case is a good idea - see the LCS-WF, or LCS-WE, or LCS-CSG maybe - there are a lot of cases out there.
Get a Memory Stick Pro Duo card - Pro cards are faster, and you need the smaller Duo size with this camera. Get at least 512MB, and maybe 1-2GB, especially if you plan to travel for more than a week, or use the video mode - which is surprisingly good, if set to fine, but uses enormous amounts of storage at that setting.
I've been using the Sony DSC-P200 for over a year now. Reviewers generally rated it as the best of the compact cameras. The W50 can't match it in some respects - the P200 has a bigger sensor and a bigger lens, both a fundamental to picture quality. But any reasonable person will be very happy with the pictures from the W50, given the size of it.
And the controls, menus and interface on the W50 have definitely been improved - for example, the W50 has easier access to the various scene modes (twilight, etc), with some explanation on the screen of what those mysterious little icons mean (so you might actually use them). Try the High ISO mode in low light no-flash situations - for nit pickers the picture quality suffers, but most people will find it useful. And again, if you need that often, no ultra-compact camera will work really well - think about something with a bigger lens and bigger sensor.
But the W50 still offers enough control (through the scene modes and the Program mode) to allow a fair amount of control over the pictures, for an automatic camera.
The build quality seems fine to me.
By the way, it uses essentially the same cable as the DSC-P200 for the USB/AV cable.
The charger is fairly compact and rated 100-240V, so while you'll need a plug adapter overseas you won't need a voltage converter.
My only real complaint so far - the battery charger is a little slow, though probably OK. Sony isn't doing itself any good on customer satisfaction by not including the (optional) fast, compact charger to go with the fast, compact camera.
A few common problems and easy fixes:
- All of these cameras will focus on what's in the center when you press the shutter halfway down. If the center of the shot you want to take is background, and not subject, you'll get the background in focus. So aim at the subject, hold the shutter halfway down to fix the focus and exposure, then compose the picture and press the rest of the way down.
- Flash pictures rarely look really good on most cameras. The W50 is pretty good, but you might have even better luck using the P mode and setting the flash to the - setting, especially for closer shots (across a table, for example). Or, use the + mode if you're in a big room.
- Try using the P mode and putting the ISO setting to something very high if you want to force a fast shutter time (for example, for action shots).
But of course good light always gives the best pictures with any camera. There are limits to what you can currently expect from any ultracompact camera.
Most of the complaints are from people expecting a camera to do everything. Be a little smart about it, and don't expect the (currently) impossible - and you'll be surprised at how many good pictures a camera like this can get for you.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

The compact, hi-tech Sony DSC-W50 delivers superb 6.0 megapixel quality for cropping images or making big prints -- with an extra-large 2.5" LCD screen and Function Guide text and icon display for adjusting color, sensitivity, brightness, image size and more. High Sensitivity Mode and Sony's Clear RAW NR circuitry get great results in low light. Also features a top-quality Carl Zeiss 3X Optical zoom lens, 32 MB Internal Memory to capture shots in-camera, and StaminaLithium Ion battery for up to 390 shots -- enough for a whole vacation.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Pink) Review

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Pink)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Please note that for a point and shoot, this camera deserves a 5-star review. But in fairness to certain small details, and Amazon's inability to allow users to give partial stars (e.g. 4.75 stars), I will have to settle for 4-stars.
Cosmetic PROS: Unlike some of the SD and Elph cameras in the past, this one feels solid. Canon even improved, to some extent, the flimsy-feeling battery door. It is a HUGE improvement over the previous flimsy plastic doors on earlier models. The large 3"x1" screen is sharp and beautiful and gives an accurate depiction of what your camera will capture. Switching between full program mode and full automatic is a simple slide button on the top of the camera allowing an advanced user and a novice to both have their options easily. This also prevents any accidental mode changes that can happen with setting-wheels or external buttons.
Cosmetic CONS: The lens cover seems a touch too loose, at least on my specific camera. It rattles and moves slightly when handling the camera after the power is off and the cover is closed. Not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but you might notice this rattle too. The card slot, at least on my specific camera, is strangely snug. When I slide the card into place, there is some friction that made me question whether I was forcing it into the slot in the wrong direction. I pushed the card in until it clicked into place, but then it did not rebound like normal (like when clicking the top of a retracting ball-point pen.) Again, it may just be my specific camera. (Edit: I forgot to mention that while the battery door is now more durable, the A/V door feels very flimsy. It doesn't swing out like a door. Rather, like the cap on a tupperware drinking bottle lid, the door detaches from the camera but remains linked to it via a moderately flexible piece of plastic. And because the door snaps firmly in place when closed, you really need fingernails to get any sort of leverage to open it. For what its worth, if I had to choose only one, I still much prefer the more durable battery door than a durable A/V door.)(Edit: Also, while I love the huge screen, please note that if you wear polarized sunglasses, you may have issues shooting on a sunny day with the screen appearing to disappear. This is more of a problem of the polarized lenses than the camera, but its worth noting.)
Touch screen: Personally, I prefer standard buttons. However, this touch screen is fine. It is big enough that my fingers are able to select menu items easily. For those of you coming from touch screen cell phones, you may find this screen less sensitive than your phone, thus requiring you to apply more finger pressure than you are used to. This isn't a flaw in my mind, but I can see where others may think the screen is being non-responsive. The lanyard comes with a tightening slide. And this slide also has a fine point on it to help you make selections on the touch screen if you are having problems--similar to the stylus of the old palm pilots. Hard to use if your hand is in the lanyard, but hey, its a start!
Features: My main reasons for purchasing this camera was to get aperture priority, shutter priority, and a macro setting as options. Unlike the Canon's S95 with an external ring control, the aperture settings on the 500HS are buried in the touch screen menus. That is fine for my uses and will be fairly intuitive to previous Canon users. The f2.0 aperture setting DELIVERS! For those wanting shallow depth of fields on their point and shoot...wow! I loved this! I haven't had any problems (yet) with the camera focusing on the wrong subject even in macro setting. And because this comes with Focus Lock, you will probably be able to work around that problem if it ever arises. Strangely, but not a deal breaker, the camera doesn't seem to have a BULB setting for shutter speed and maxes out at 15". I don't use that setting and speeds enough to warrant complaint, and maybe there are slower shutter speeds and I just missed them, but I figured I would share that tidbit with others who may be needing those speeds. It is just odd considering my old-old Canon SD630 had bulb setting and I think 2 minutes (but its been so long, I may be mistaken.)(edit: Just realized that this camera doesn't have exposure bracketing (where it takes three automatic shots with different exposures.) It still has exposure adjustment allowing you to +/- exposure stops, but I am a little surprised to not find this previously included feature. There is something called Best Image where the camera takes 5 continuous shots but automatically keeps only the best shot, but this seems to be geared toward facial expressions/blinks/etc. and not exposures. The lack of bracketing is only a minor drawback for me--heck, its taken me a couple of weeks to realize its not present--but its worth mentioning.)
Video: Because I didn't buy this for video, I cannot well judge its abilities. I will only say that the few test videos I took were sharp, with decent sound. However, the volume of the voice of the person holding the camera will be noticeably less. Whether thats a good thing or bad is up to you. Note too that the video is recorded in stereo sound. But I can't gauge its quality. (edit: Having tested the video out more, the sound from the person recording the video (i.e. behind the camera) is actually much better than I originally thought. Apparently, I had the volume turned down too low. But once I adjusted the setting, the sound was rather clear and crisp. I was very impressed.)
Review pics: Everything on this camera is on the touch screen EXCEPT for the review button. The lone, solitary button on the rear of the camera is dedicated to allowing you review your shots in one touch. After hitting the review button, you can either slide your finger across the screen, tap an arrow on the side of the screen, or even BUMP the side of the camera with your finger to see the next shot! There is also a motion detector or internal accelerometer of some sort that allows you to quickly scan through your review pics by tilting the camera slightly on its side. Those last two features are very reminiscent of smartphone technology and makes the camera feel that much more advanced than others. (edit: After more use, I *really* need to emphasize that I like the bump feature! It makes reviewing a bunch of pics really very easy!)
Compared to S95, the 500HS is in the lead in my opinion. The S95 was supposed to be the intermediate step between point and shoot cameras and DSLRs, giving some advanced features without the expense of the DSLRs. The 500 HS is $100-$150 cheaper, more compact, and has a ton of settings and features--yes, it does have miniature model shooting mode and 1080p HD video. I think this camera is the new intermediate step to the DSLR. To give you more perspective, my other option to fit my needs would be either a DSLR Rebel or D50 or D60...$500 at absolute minimum for the body, plus another $299 for a macro lens. In other words, $800 minimum to get me the features I needed. Compare that to the 500 HS at $299! BARGAIN!
Now, I haven't had time, yet, to see if the image stabilization and low light settings are better than in cameras past--especially since I normally have "IS" turned off. So if those features are important to you, maybe visit a camera store and see the camera in person. But since the release of this camera was supposed to be March (if I am not mistaken) and since the earthquake hit Japan in March, you may have a heck of a time finding this camera in stock anywhere. I know there are a few pink colored models for sale. And I completely lucked out with finding this silver model, but keep trying! It seems that a few more stores that I frequented started getting these cameras trickling in over the past 10 days. But they seemed to be getting only 2 or 3 cameras at a time.
Good luck!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Pink)

Canon Powershot Elph 500 HS 12.1MP 4.4X HD Digital Camera Pink.

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Friday, August 5, 2011

Kodak EasyShare V803 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Midnight Black) Review

Kodak EasyShare V803 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Midnight Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I really love this camera. I had a Kodak before, but my use finally took a tole on it-so I had to get a new camera. I have had nothing but good experiances with Kodak, this camera is no exception.
+ It is easy to learn how to use.
+ The screen is great size
+ Small enough to fit in your pocket.
+ Takes wonderful pictures. The blurry alert is really helpful-there are 3 color modes-green, yellow, and red-so you know what you can expect when you take the picture.
+ The color is wonderful.
+ You can choose your sounds that you want heard-shutter, focus, startup, etc.
+ The video mode is really great-you can make a picture from a movie right on the camera.
+ Also the panoramic stitching is incredible-does it right on the camera so you can see if it turned out. - If you are new to Kodak-the manual is not in-depth-maybe harder to learn.
- No viewfinder. I haven't used it in bright sun, so I don't know how the screen will show.
- The microphone is on the bottom right (looking at it from the front) and that is where I tend to put my fingers when I want it to be steady-Then the sound isn't recorded-they should have put that on the other side of the lens. You just have to remember that when you do a video.
Again, this camera is fantastic, and for the price you really can't beat it! Kodak did a really great job on this one!


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The Kodak EasyShare V803 Zoom Digital Camera with 8-Megapixel Resolution has 3x Kodak Retinar Aspheric All Glass Optical Zoom Lenses with optional fun accessories to match your personal style. The Kodak EasyShare cameras features a new menu feature called Maintain Settings to store your preferred settings for flash, white balance, ISO and resolution between uses, saving you time and assuring you have the camera set up your own personal way. The Kodak EasyShare V803 produces vibrant shots with dynamic picture quality that can be viewed on the large 2.5" (6.4 cm) color LCD screen.36-108 mm (35 mm equiv.) f/2.8-4.9 Lens 4x digital zoom enlarges your pictures even more 2.5 LCD (6.4 cm), 150K pixels Sensor type -1/1.8 CCD Shutter speed -8-1/1448 seconds Scene modes -Portrait, sport, landscape, close up, night portrait, night landscape, snow, beach, text/document, fireworks, flower, museum/manner, self-portrait, high ISO, children, backlight, panning, candlelight, sunset, custom, panorama and anti blur Digital IS using anti-blur mode -Reduce blur caused by camera or subject movement Flash Range -2.0-9.8 feet (0.6-3.0 m) at wide ISO 140, 2.0-6.6 feet (0.6-2.0 m) at tele ISO 200 Tripod mount -1/4 inch standard Dimensions -Width 4.1 Height 2.1 Depth 1.0 (103 54.5 25mm) Weight -5.0 ounces (141.5 grams)

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