Great deal
Pros:
Many features, great deal, nice design, many settings, durable, good battery life
Cons:
Terrible shutter lag, slow loading, undependable battery indicator, flimsy battery door
The Bottom Line:
Good if you want a beginner digital camera for a nice deal with simple, flexible features and good-quality results.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I bought this camera while looking for another model at a small camera shop about six months ago for $80.
The camera itself is very nice, and doesn't seem to match its retail price. It has a sleek design and a strange rubbery texture that makes it very comfortable to hold. I've never dropped it, but it seems to be durable to some extent, besides a flimsy battery door.
However, the camera is very slow. I've never dealt with a digital camera of this standard, so I don't exactly have another to compare it to. It seems like forever when turning it on, and taking a picture isn't exactly fast. I don't recommend this camera at all if you plan on taking action shots. Any time I attempt at taking an action shot, it turns out very blurry. However, when set to full quality, still shots turn out wonderful.
The LCD screen is very helpful, so much so that I've never used the standard view window. Surfing through previously taken pictures is a breeze and you can even zoom in on them. Almost everything about the camera and its pictures is customizable, even the brightness of the LCD. I wish the flash brightness was changable, however, since sometimes it's too bright. It also has a video recording feature, which is also nice for the price. It's not exactly good quality, and the resolution and quality of the video is set and unchangeable, but it's a nice addition. Uploading the video is a little confusing, though. The self-timer is also useful and easy to use.
The retails websites say a camera pouch, TV cable, and other accessories are included. My camera may have been in old packaging, but I did not receive any of that. I received the camera, the wrist strap, and a CD. Getting the pouch and cable nowadays is an even better deal.
Overall, the camera is a very nice deal, despite slow loading time and terrible shutter lag. It's especially useful if you just plan on using it for vacation stills or just everyday use. It's definitely not a professional camera despite how sleek it looks. It's not a huge battery waster, and I don't have to change them like crazy. The battery life indicator, however, has a mind of its own. It will show full power, and the next second it will go into the red, making it very undependable. I'm usually surprised when the camera all-of-a-sudden won't turn back on.
I do recommend this camera, but it's simple, durable, comfortable, and a nice deal.
