Amazingly Compact, Amazingly Difficult Settings
Pros:
Compact, many features, full featured for its price.
Cons:
Difficult to get good photos given the confusing settings.
The Bottom Line:
Spend a few dollars more and get a camera that operates reliably with less confusion in shooting.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I applaud Argus for making one of the most compact 5 mega-pixel cameras. For a beginner with digital cameras, though, its features are quite difficult for the average beginning user to fathom. The manual does list most of the adjustable features, but not all. This is true of both the printed manual, and the one accessible on-line. The features not mentioned in the manual are pretty important, such as the adjustment for under or over exposure. Because of the apparent lack of accurate automatic exposure you can easily wind up with badly underexposed or overexposed photos, particularly at close-up shots.
On the plus side, for a camera with a 5MP capability at a relatively low price, it provides a 4X digital zoom, a slide switch for macro shots, a self-timer, a slot for an SD card, and it can double as an video clip capture camera. Included with the camera is a combo USB and RCA jacked cable, and carrying strap.
I'd given this camera to a relative as a Christmas present, and although she was familiar with digital cameras, she could not get reliable photos with the camera. I also tried to take photos with it, and it really was haphazard in producing good photos whether indoors or out. I haven't given up on it yet, and will continue to try to puzzle this camera out. But, I'd not buy this camera again if it is intended for an amateur photographer who just wants to take good snapshots.
