Broke in my pocket

I can't say that I got very far with the W170 because it broke in its first day of use. I am an everyday photographer, not an enthusiast. I still own a conventional SLR but since my first Finepix digital I have found that compact digitals fulfill my needs. My last Canon Ixus was very good but I wanted a wider angle lens and better LCD display. The Sony seemed to supply this and I took some lovely landscape shots before putting it in my jacket pocket (otherwise empty) and walking 3 miles to a pub for lunch. On arrival I tried to take a group shot and found that the lens cover was only partially opening. Inspection suggested that it had been distorted. I emphasise that it had not been struck or misused, it had just been in an otherwise empty pocket for a country walk.

I had bought a case through Amazon, but it arrived separately 2 days later. Perhaps if they had arrived together I would be writing a rave review instead? Certainly the few shots I took were in a difficult light across water with a low sun and I thought that the W170 performed very well with a clear image and good definition. As it is I can only say that the lens cover seems remarkably vulnerable to damage compared either to the Canon or Fuji in both of which it retracts much further into the body. If you buy a W170 I advise that you treat it very gently and keep it in a case at all times.

Digital camera battery problems

I don't have a DSC730 but I do have the similar Sony digital DSC600 camera which takes great pictures under all conditions, is very quick to auto-focus and fire, and is ideal for 'point and shoot' photo.

I also had problems with battery life (every time I picked the camera up the batteries were flat) until I started using Uniross HYBRIO rechargeable batteries, they come in 2100mAh AA size, which does not seem much, but where they score over normal NiMh batteries is that they come fully charged and have a very low self-discharge rate (they still have 80% of their charge after 12 months). Even when not in the camera, normal NiMh rechargeables lose their charge at a frightening rate and even 3 weeks after a full charge can be down to less than 50%, and fully discharged in a couple of months. With hybrio they normally last me about 3 to 4 months of average use (about 200 to 300 shots) - You can get Hybrio batteries from maplins and can use them straight away out of the box, then use your NORMAL NiMh charger to charge them.

The big problem even with very High capacity 'normal' NiHh batteries (2500 and 2700mAh) is that they still suffer from a really high self-discharge and people get fed up of having flat batteries even though they charged them up a few weeks ago have hardly used the camera. Bear in mind that your 'fully charged spare set' is leaking current away quite rapidly even though they are not in the camera, so you may be very disapointed when you put the spare set in the camera and are only able to take a few pictures.

Cheap and cheerful

Bought this after losing my Canon Ixus50 (5Mega-pixel). The camera is robust and has plenty of useful features - however the intelligent mode select and anti-shake are not great. I did get better results from my Canon. However at the price its good value. Takes SD cards which are cheap and easy to plug into most laptops and the battery lasts well. Prefer the Canons picture taking ability but a good cheap digital camera.

All that you need in a take it every where ultra compact P&S.

Build Quality is excellent: metal body, firm tactile buttons, no creaks in the casing and battery compartment is extremely secure.

Looks: Bearing the Sony Cyber-Shot name across the front against the brushed allumium is absolutely stunning with the dark metallic trim matching the body of the lens.

Battery life: It is quite good I haven't experienced it dying out in the middle of a day trip or occasion where lots of snaps get taken.

Images: Are as good as you can get in a Point and Shoot of this size. Extremely sharp n clear in daylight & darkness and the 4x optical zoom is great. Auto-focus and smile detection are useful for snapping the kids.

Ease of Use: Takes a bit of getting use to as I'm more used to big cameras, this is a solid compact camera with smaller buttons (easily fits in your jeans ((who's Jean? lol)) front pocket or a lady's purse) and the zoom is a tiny toggle button on the back instead of on top. Menus are easy to get round though....

Other accessories to buy are the Lowepro Rezo 15 case, screen protectors (helps reduce glare in high sunlight), at least 2GB produo memory cards and micromate MSPD card reader for convenience of avoiding cables. All available cheaply on Amazon.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Simply Brilliant!

I cannot add much more to everyone elses comments. I recieved this off my parents for Christmas to which I puchased an 8gb Sandisk HCSD card to go with it. Both married perfectly.

The camera is compact but has a reasuring bulk to it which I like due to the size of my hands, with the ergonomics becoming good after a day or two. With this this camera you simply do not need to read the manual, it is so simply laid out. You have the main functions at the top, and then a menu on the main control that does everything else.

Pros and Cons:

Pro:

* Large clear screen
* Large pixel range
* Build Quality (made in Japan)
* HD video
* iA mode

plus many many more.

Con:

So far the only con may be that the sound isnt the best on the video, but afterall it is a consumer camera so people should not get their hopes up. Other than that it is pretty much perfect I love it.

One this I should mention is set the colours to vidid that will bring the picture out more so you have less to do on Photoshop etc.

Great

I brought this camera a little over 1 month ago, and after extensive testing on a holiday to Berlin was very impressed with the features on this camera, only down side is the smile feature! i tied it out, and you need to be grinning ear to ear to make it work! but apart from that it is a good camera. Battery life is very good, and there is an internal memory just in case you run out of space on your memory card, i have a 4gb memory card and have found this sufficent for at least 4 days worth of photos, picture quality is very good as is the video recording. i would recomed this camera as it is light , looks good and packed with features.

Great point and shoot compact!

This is a great compact camera. It just sits on your palm snugly. The camera looks and feels solid but not too heavy in the pocket. It is also fast and responsive when taking pictures. The quality of the picture is beyond expectation from a point and shoot compact. If you are the regular SLR user but get fed up with the bulky camera then this compact camera would be the great alternative. The viewing LCD is big without the touch screen which is great as the touch screen would eventually get 'tired' and unresponsive with use anyway.
All the ISO associated noise etc are all common problems with any compacts anyway but in day to day 5x7 prints and web use, it gives really great pictures.
There is even a histogram too!
After using it a for a while, my wife loves it so much. She wants to add that it sits in the handbag really well without taking too much space among her other things (goodness knows what else she put in her handbags). The slideshow which can be shown on TV is pretty impressive.

Hmmm, not at all convinced...

OK, so I read all the rave reviews and bought the camera, but there were two things I really didn't like about it once I'd started snapping with it. The first relates to the build quality, which feels very cheap and flimsy, and the second relates to colour accuracy. I fiddled with lots of different settings, but couldn't get it to accurately reproduce greens and blues. In fact, I also had trouble with reds that came out rather orange looking. Needless to say, it's gone back to the retailer. However, I can't give it less than three stars because its autofocus and performance in poor light were excellent. I've now got the Canon SX10 and am very happy with it!

The best looking camera on the market.

People say dont let looks decieve you but not in this case...not only does this camera look superb (slim and precise design) but it performs like a dream....the touch screen is easy to navigate and the overall picture quality is nothing less than brilliant.... I bought this for my girlfriends birthday....im jealous because i want to keep it for myself!!

So.....if you have been looking at this camera and are not sure whether or not to get it....take my advice and buy it.....i have researched many reviews including 'which' magazine and all have said the same!!

a little disappointed....

I have recently purchased this camera as an xmas pressie for myself - firstly I was torn between the T700, T77 and even the T300, but the 700 won due to the draw of the internal memory. The camera is lovely looking - fits into your pocket easily (something I was looking for as I want to take it on holiday - and this was an alternative to lugging about my SLR). The touch screen is quite easy to use, but it just takes so long to switch between modes (having had several sony camera's before, the old dial system was quick and easy, but I suppose the camera is far too thin to put it on this one!). The lag time between shots seems to take a long time as well - one of my main reasons for buying a sony is that the Lag is hardly anything, making it easy to take consecutive shots. I have played about with it at a New Years Eve party and am disappointed to see that some of the shots are blurry.

I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a small slimline camera - but I am thinking maybe the T77 or even the older T300 version may have been a better buy!?

Excellent piece of kit!!!

Bought this as a handbag camera - have the Nikon D60 for serious stuff ( which is also excellent incidentally!!)

Great little camera, superb shots, fantastic price and is a WHICH camera of the year - so can't be bad!!

A superb sub-SLR compromise

I was wondering whether to go to the expense of an SLR when shopping to replace my Sony CyberShot DSC-W1:
Sony Cyber-SHOT DSC-W1 Digital Camera

In the end, I went for this and I have not been disappointed. Its response is very quick and it looks great, being not too big and in possession of a great screen to view pictures on. In the box you get a rechargable battery (Lithium-ion NP-BG1), battery charger, shoulder strap, lens cap, lens hood (for use when the sun is out) and lens adapter, which is used to attach the hood and other lenses that you might wish to purchase. There's a USB cable and TV connector, too. I have a Sony Telephoto lens (Sony VCL-DH1758.AE Tele End Conversion Lens) which increases the magnification/zoom by 1.7, and is a great addition.

The pictures that are produced are superb and the super-steady technology ensures no blur if you have shakey hands. Having a 10x optical zoom is incredibly useful, and the images are brilliant, full of colour, as the lens is able to capture plenty of light.

If you don't want the expense of an SLR and you find that your current compact is not up to the job, this is the camera. I have no regrets forking out for this at all!

The camera uses the small Sony memory sticks. My 4GB one holds about 1250 images at 8MP. Of course, lowering the resolution allows more, so 3MP is about 2500.

Handy inexpensive camera

This is a great little camera. It's very light and compact.
The features are basic, but the image is good quality.
I used mine for underwater shots (using the housing) and it was perfect. (I have uploaded the shots on amazon)
It can be a little slow, but for the price it is brilliant. It's easy to use and has a powerful flash.
I would recommend this to anyone wanting a camera for holiday shots or snorkelling/diving.

Good for underwater use poor at night

I bought this camera mainly to take underwater photographs with whilst on holiday. I chose this over a waterproof disposable camera as disposables are often expensive for something that will be thrown away and they also limit what you can capture and keep. This way I still had a camera to use after the holiday.

I was very pleased with the photographs and video footage this camera took underwater. (I have uploaded two underwater photos to the customer photo section which I hope are used by Amazon to show you what this camera is capable of). The general video footage (not just underwater) was of far higher quality than I expected for an inexpensive camera, a real plus point.

The camera is quite small and very light, which makes it easy for carrying around and the large screen is also a good feature.

The main negative point about this camera is how poor I found it with flash/at night time. In my experience the flash is far too bright and the photographs can be VERY washed out and pale.

Another negative point was my waterproof case cracked at the hinge joint (large pressure point) before I had a great deal of time using it underwater (second day of my holiday!). In a desperate attempt to capture some underwater pics I sealed the case up with several wound elastic bands for the rest of the holiday (not recommended but it worked for me!). This of course could be a fault with my item only and may not reflect this item accurately.

I would really recommend this for someone looking for a budget camera that takes some good underwater shots and video. However, if the waterproof element is not important to you I would not recommend this based on the poor flash/night time capability.

Zero star

i simply couldn't use this camcorder, it can not detect the 4GB card and can not format it, i have just lost my money for nothing.
i rated it one star because i can not chose 0 star

THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS!

UltraZooms have came to bridge the gap between Point-&-Shoot cameras and DSLRs. They may not be the easiest to carry in a pocket (especially in the summer) but offer much better lenses, sensors and features than their mobile-phone sized cousins. This is what has came to be known as the CREATIVITY segment of the camera market - and the PANASONIC FZ28 is the its absolute leader.

For months now I kept borrowing my brother's FZ18 as I was researching the market for my own UltraZoom. Since this could not go on indefinitely (and my summer vacation was coming up), I decided on the NIKON P80. Although a very good camera I found it fickle and unpredictable if left on full Auto. My belief that NIKON would never put out an inferior product was confirmed but I am not a professional photographer: I missed the simplified perfection of my brother's FZ18.
Luckily the Internet merchant I had bought my NIKON from offers an upgrade insurance option: for a small percentage of the total cost I bought the option of returning the camera within 12 months (provided in perfect working condition) and having it replaced with a latest model (from the same merchant of course). So, when FZ28 became available, I did just that.

As with the FZ18, the Intelligent Auto (iA) setting is a dream! Perfect crystal clear pictures under (almost) any conditions, EVERY TIME. There are more tweaking options than one could desire of course, but elusive scenes often do not allow for minute setting fidgeting: a reliable Auto is a good friend in a tight moment.
The older model was reported to sometimes have a problem when there were intense sunlight and shaded areas in the same shot: nothing of this sort with the FZ28. As soon as this becomes available I will post some sample photos to illustrate exactly this.

The new features of FZ28 include a new sensor (10.1MP/2.33") coupled with the also new Venus IV engine; an enlarged high quality LCD (2.7" from 2.5"); a wider lens system (starting from 27 instead of 28mm - but also ending at 486 instead of 504mm); a new auto-tracking focus feature; an auto backlight compensation function (missing from FZ18) and (finally!) zooming while taking video.
The cherry on this cake: FZ28 comes also with a leveling function which helps align buildings or the horizon with the subject - even after taking the picture! (OK, essentially it is cropping but still...)

My only gripe: as with FZ18, FZ28's zooming control is counterintuitive! One zooms IN the picture by pushing in it, whereas zooms OUT by pulling back. Well, as with the FZ18, the direction of the zooming control is in the opposite directions. (If someone knows how to contact Panasonic-Japan by email please let me know, I would like to offer them my opinion).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!