Pentax E85 - Great Value For Money

I just wanted to let everybody know what great value for money the Pentax E85 is.

Pentax Optio E85 Digital Camera - Black (12MP, 3x Optical Zoom) 2.7 inch LCD

Fantastic 12MP images, face detection, smile capture (good fun with the children), face detection and a long life rechargeable battery. We had great fun with this camera and it looks the part too! Don't hestiate .... you wont be disapointed!

Sony Cyber-Shot DSCW 180

Still testing this camera. To date, I have used it on a week cruising the Canary Islands. Good points were the handiness of the camera, which slips easily into handbag or pocket. The shooting button is a bit in the way due to the smallness of the camera, when holding. Picture quality and modes choice are excellent, and I am overall happy with the camera, but have yet to become used to it after using a larger, clumpier camera. The telephoto option is great.

Excellent Camera!!

I purchased this camera for my son's 9th Birthday in January 2010 and was so impressed that I bought another for my daughter's 7th Birthday in February, both love photograph and the camera is the ideal size for little hands and the results are excellent, they find it easy to use and are very pleased with their gifts. As a keen photographer myself I am very impressed with the image quality of this camera, well worth the money. 10/10

Lens shutter has stuck after 2 months since present

Now I purchased this as a Christmas present for my son to use on our holiday in February. So it hadn't had a lot of use before we went. Halfway through the vacation the lens protector/ shutter got stuck in the half open position. Not impressed, & I'm hoping that it can be fixed on warranty. Other than that it takes great pictures, but........ You'll have to do better Sony.

Superb piece of kit!!

Having shared my daughter's D80 for a while, I decided to buy one for myself. Finding that the D80 was now out of production I looked at the D90. What a camera!! The D80 is excellent but the D90 takes that quality to a new level. Spend time going over the instructions and familiarise yourself with the controls and menus and you will find that it has been time well spent. The camera sits comfortably in the hand, (I tried a Canon of similar spec and found it a bit fiddly and small in the hand), with all controls within easy reach and sensibly laid out. Superb photographs in all lighting conditions. A joy to use. Worth the extra expense over lesser cameras. Buy one and enjoy!

awsome

it is awsome, it really is good and protects you well,i got a knee drop between the legs and didnt feel a thing, im lucky.great product

Small and slinky

I recently bought this camera for my holiday and I was unsure whether to get it or not becuase there are a few other cameras on the Market which are probably just as good. However this camera did not disappoint and I am glad that I bought it. I spent a lot of time comparing cameras and found that this is one of the cheapest cameras in it's range in terms of functionality, quality and shutter speed etc. Amazon is also selling it at half it's original price.

When I got the camera I was amazed at how small it was it's very slinky. People with big hands may find the buttons slightly fidley but it's still usable. The screen is very big for the size of the camera with stunning display and colours. The quality of the photos and video is superb. I bought the ixus leather case to go with it which it fit snugly in to.

The camera is very easy to use and it recognises conditions well enough to adjust the settings on it's own which is a huge plus. I'm really pleased with the camera and am glad I bought it!.

Great DSLR for intermediate user

I got this Nikon D5000 yesterday and I have to say I'm impressed. I used a 35mm SLR for black and white stuff up until now, with the occasional use of a digital compact (Panasonic Lumix). I wasn't overly impressed with the quality from the panasonic but it was small so I forgave it..!

The Nikon D5000 though is a very good camera, the contrals are fairly intuitive, though do read the good manual if you're stuck on something, it helps! The quality of the images is good so far, only done night stuff but it handles very well and portraits are looking very good so far!

It's controls are good, I even managed to use it with gloves (in the cold Scottish weather!).

I'll update this in a few days I think, bit of a honeymoon stage at the moment...!

Amazing

Good points
Fantastic sharp pics
Fantasatic sharp motion pics in AVCHD LITE
The iA function does all the hard work for you, and it really works.
All the scene modes work and do what they are ment to. (some cameras dont seem to make much difference)
The starry sky mode is brilliant. (must use a tripod though)
Really easy menu to follow.
Battery lasts longer than I thought, some of the reveiws I have read did not give it much of a good rating, but i have had the GPS mode off and not tried it yet.
The Manual mode lets you change Aperture and shutter speed etc, but unless you know what you are doing with them there is not much point.
The 12x optical zoom is very good.
Build quality is excellent.
The software provided does a good job.

Bad points
Hard to keep your fingers away from the AF light on the front corner.
The AVCHD"LITE" (different to standard AVCHD)video files are not recognised by the older editing programs, I have had to upgrade my"Corel videostudio 12" to corel videostudio pro x3.
Quite annoying that the price will rapidly drop in a few months, so if you can wait,you will save a few quid.

Fantastic bit of kit

A wolf in sheep's clothing

I have a Canon PowerShot G10 and when the G11 was introduced I was tempted to upgrade to the newer model, but I didn't feel that I would gain much by doing so. The general consensus is that the G11 offers little over the G10 in terms of image quality - and I'm incredibly happy with the G10 (even if it does have a known bug where every-so-often I get a black line in an image).

However the S90 intrigued me - it offered the same sensor as the G11 but in a smaller package. Although I love the G10, it's certainly not small, and I find that it isn't with me as often as I'd like (I can't just slip it into my pocket). I've had the lucky chance to play with an S90 and compare directly with my G10 - and I was very impressed.

My initial impressions were that it didn't feel as rugged as the G10. The G10 is metal and feels like a 'proper' camera whereas the S90 feels much like any other point-and-shoot. It's when you start taking photo's though that you see why it costs a good £200+ compared to more basic cameras...

...The photos I took were easily comparable to the G10. When I first looked at the photos at 100% the G10 images looked terrible next to the S90, but the G10 images are much larger (nearly 15MP as opposed to 10MP) and when I zoomed out so that I could see the equivalent image coverage on the S90 images the two looked very similar. The G10 edged it slightly, but only just, and even then is was purely a matter of opinion. Given that the S90 is a small camera, it's incredible that it manages to achieve images which compare to the high end (not quite so) compacts which themselves are often said to perform favourably compared to some SLRs. The Panasonic LX3 is a similar rival, but for me the zoom on the S90 is the trump card - I like to have around 3x, but the S90 has a 3.8x zoom.

The S90 is a lot easier to control than other small cameras I've used, there is a control ring on the top of the camera (as with most) and there is a further control ring at the base of the lens which can be tailored to whatever function you assign it. The ring on the lens has a nice ratchet-style click to it, it might sound daft (and this is where I come across as a total amateur, which I am!) but it felt solid and was pleasant to twiddle! This helps to keep shooting options at your fingertips rather than having to constantly navigate through menus, there is still an element of menu usage but it's kept to a minimum.

I didn't really get to compare the flash between the cameras, but the S90 flash appeared more than adequate and although it's not everyone's cup-of-tea I loved the pop up flash and the smooth way it raised up. When closed, the flash fits flush with the camera and doesn't spoil the sleek lines.

I only quickly looked at the video capabilities of the camera as it's not something I really use, my cameras are used for still images and rarely for video. The video did look good and it was very smooth when played back on my Mac - but I know many will be disappointed at the lack of HD video capture. As I say though - it's not an issue for me.

In a nutshell: This camera offers a similar image performance to the Canon G10 and G11 and is far superior to cheaper models of similar size. If portability is not an issue then the G10/G11 are probably the best option for you - but if you require something smaller then that's where the S90 really shines. Most of my photographs are taken indoors and the S90 has an ace up its sleeve - an f/2.0 aperture allows twice as much light in as the G10 or G11 (f/2.8 at their widest aperture) which means less motion blur as the camera can achieve images in a quicker shutter time. The vast majority of my photos are of my family who tend to be active and animated most of the time - the chance to have a f/2.0 lens with image quality which is around the level of my G10 but in a camera which can easily fit in my pocket makes this a killer camera for me - anyone fancy buying a G10?

Panasonic digital camera FS62

Bought this for my teenage daughter who has been using this since Christmas and loves it petit size. Good solid product easy to store and carry around to shows etc, the quality of the pictures are great considering the size.

Disappointed

I read a lot of reviews prior to buying this camera. I had already tried other highly rated compacts including Panasonic Lumix, Casio Exilim etc after my previous Casio Exilim died on me and was getting pretty ticked off when none of them seemed able to take a decent reliable picture. I don't know what it is with cameras at the moment but they all seem kind of funny. My old Casio Exilim was great, wish I'd took better care of it now!

Well first thing I noticed about this camera is it is built like a brick- which is not necessarily a bad thing, however if you are looking for something sleek and stylish don't pick this. It is however a lot easier to hold a solid camera like this still, helping you take a clearer shot.....in theory.

However I have not been able to take a clear crisp picture no matter what I do with it. I was worried I had aimed too high and bought something too complicated for me to use, but even on auto, even on a tripod, in the simplest of conditions it is impossible to take a picture that you can zoom in on once uploaded. Like most cameras I have tried recently it is deceptive from the point of view that the pictures you have just taken look quite good on screen but when uploaded prove to be poor.

The focus is poor, images are soft, and greyed-out like there is something a bit wrong with the tone of the picture. I also find the pictures look small when uploaded, but that is the only size at which they can appear to have any clarity so I suppose that is the idea.

I get the impression all these cameras are being made with fancy stats just to dupe people, which I dont think is a very good long term business plan so I dont understand it. People are always raving about canon and everywhere you look you see this camera raved about too....I find it odd. Did these original reviewers actually use it? Are they real photographers? Because I'm not but I can plainly see it is poor. You'd get just as good a picture from any other random compact you can find with many less megapixels.

Poor for movies.

Great little camera for photos but not very good for doing movies -problem with sound -there is none don't know why?

A beginners opinion

I'm not as experienced as the others here so won't go into detail. However, if you're like me, looking for a step up from a normal point and shoot but not keen on the bulk of a proper DSLR, the G11 is perfect. It's not small, and is heavier than you'd expect, but it's a beautiful object and feels great in your hand. The movable screen is sturdier than I expected, and all of the knobs have a satisfying weight to them.
From what I can tell, it has all the functionality of a DSLR, whilst also allowing easy 'auto' photos which will really please you if you're used to 'normal' photos from more basic cameras. Super pleased I bought this.

Why

This is a good camera and a Which recommended.
Battery life is fair flash small and intense, but the camera likes to up the ISO rather than utilize the flash in auto modes.
You become lazy and tend to use it in the auto modes but for a compact why not.

Haven't tried the video as I have a much better alternative

Canon 500D and kit lenses

I am a retired professional photographer.
Despite the fact that I made my living with a camera I am still able to enjoy my photography.
The arrival of two new Grandchildren prompted me to update my photographic equipment and whilst I am not badly off in all honesty I didn't feel that I could justify the expense of professional cameras.
I have other interests and we have to eat.
I did a lot of reading and decided to invest in a Canon 500D together with 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses .A 430 EX Speed light completed the outfit.This flash is a super bit of kit.
By the time I had bought a spare battery,memory cards,filters and lens hoods etc., the"entry level" outfit cost wasn't far short of a thousand pounds.
Let me say at the outset that I don't begrudge a penny spent because I am pleased with my new gear.
The camera is intuitive in use,especially if you have had experience with earlier EOS models and the menus are clear and easy to read aided by the large bright LCD screen.
I am impressed by the two lenses.I sometimes wonder whether some of the so called professional reviewers ever abandon their MTF charts and get out into the real world with their cameras.Despite criticism from certain sources I found the resolution of these two lenses to be excellent.
Like many people I am unlikely to print anything larger at A4 but I can assure you that the combination of the 500d body and either of these two lenses is capable of producing much larger quality prints.
I try to ensure that my images are as perfect as possible"in camera" ( the result of working with reversal film for years.) but the bundled software is user friendly and quite capable without being too sophisticated.
One of the big advantages of the 500D is its ability to take HD movies (I think) Only time will as far as I am concerned.The quality is not in doubt but the whole procedure is cumbersome to say the least.

I have one or two reservations however. I wonder why it was necessary to increase the sensor size to 15.1 MB. I have an EOS 300D(6MB) and equipped with reasonable glass the images it produces are not so very far behind those of 500D.
Whilst I am not suggesting that they fully match the quality of those taken with the 500D I have wondered whether the cost of the higher resolution camera was justifiable in my case.
Another slight moan.Canon have gone to great length to expand the ISO range of the 500D which is great when one has to be discreet and not use flash,but it is hard to be discreet when the shutter release is loud enough to wake the dead.The focusing"Beep" sound can be turned off.Why not the shutter release sound Mr.Canon.

Recommendations. It rather depends on what sort of camera you have at the moment. If you have an earlier Canon EOS it may be more sensible to invest in the best glass that you can afford.If however you are looking for your first DSLR the Canon 500D is worth considering.It is a SUPER package and I am delighted with mine.
I hope these ramblings may be of some help.

I would have bought it, but for the pop-up flash.

I've been researching a good quality compact camera for about a month now, and I narrowed it down to this one and the Lumix TZ7. I almost bought this ... until ........

I had a play with it in a camera shop, and low and behold - the flash does indeed pop up as soon as you turn the camera on, and yes - you can't pop it back into its little housing while the camera is still on! Unbelievable!!!!

Canon, if you happen to read this - what were you thinking? What mental midget thought this up? Sack the moron immediately. How dare you take over the control of such a major aspect of photo-taking as whether the user wants the flash to stay up or closed. This really is insane. The flimsy plastic flash will snap off in a moment, and I can see myself being pounced on by museum guards constantly with the flash hanging out.

So I wont be buying this camera, I'll be getting the Lumix. It doesn't matter how great the camera is, or how great the photos are that it takes. Such a design fault as this needs to be corrected ASAP. You've wasted so much money in R & D with this thing. So, so stupid.

You're going to loose truckloads of sales with this idiotic design fault. And guess what? You deserve to loose the sales for letting this out onto the marketplace the way it is.

Great Compact Camera.

Very pleased with the camera. It's very compact, high quality and reasonably easy to use.
First pictures seem excellent. Delivery and price very good when compared to other sellers.

Very good

My aunt has this model and it is very very compact and good-looking and takes large sharp, well-lit photos with average colour reproduction (a little too light and dull). But considering you can just pop it in the handbag I would say this is the best camera ever. In comparison my Fujifilm finepix (7mpix) is slightly better for colour but only delivers around half the detail! But it is twice the size and has a much larger lense. This Casio Exilim is also very fitting the lady.

Sonly Alpha 230L feedback

Bought this as a Christmas present - so far, am 100% satisfied with the purchase. Not knowing anything about SLRs, I've found the options on this to be very useful. Apart from manually adjusting all the aperture and focal settings, camera has a series of preset options useful for landscape, night, portrait, sunset etc. which is good for getting a feel for what the camera can do.
Only 4 stars because the standard 18-55 lens doesnt really do anything spectacular - to really use the camera properly, you need at least one more lens.
Overall, delighted with the purchase and looking forward to many hours of happy snapping :)