It’s funny how time flies. It seems like only yesterday we were reviewing the Canon PowerShot A700, which Canon announced at the PMA 2006 trade show this past March. Here it is October and Canon already has a new model in their popular A series to replace it, the PowerShot A710 IS.

To find out just what Canon did to improve on the A700, we headed to Giants Stadium in New Jersey, home of our beloved New York Jets, where Canon had lined up sideline access during pre-game warm-ups as part of its sponsorship of the NFL and the “Why We Love Football” contest.

As the name implies, the PowerShot A710 IS uses a lens shift-type Image Stabilizer (IS) system to detect and correct slight camera shakes that can cause image blur. Minute vibration gyros detect lens tilting caused by hand shake. These signals — up to 4,000 per second — are processed by a single-chip IS controller, which discriminates between hand shake and intentional camera movements. The IS feature really helped steady our shots as we snapped away at the guys from Gang Green.

The PowerShot A710 IS inherits many of the features found on its predecessor — 6x zoom, an extensive range of shooting modes, full manual control, VGA quality movie recording, ISO 800 shooting, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen — and adds an improved 7.1-megapixel sensor and a whole slew of new photo effects.

The design of the A710 IS is more curvy than the A700, and the camera sports a two-tone look with a curved, dark-plastic section on its grip. The camera might be just a hair bigger than the A700, yet it’s still well within the range of one-hand shooting. All the camera’s controls are nicely positioned within easy reach of your right hand’s fingers and thumb. It also has a bigger control wheel on the top of the unit that’s easier to turn. The battery/card slot is also upgraded from the A700, but I still fumbled with it a little while attempting to get the AA batteries and SD card in and out.

The 2.5-inch LCD retains a selectable Grid Line display for help with framing and leveling. Further assistance is provided by a useful 3:2 ratio guide, which displays an overlay of the print area for standard photo prints. A new overexposure warning feature indicates areas of overexposure in captured images. As an added bonus, A710 IS retains a valuable optical viewfinder. This real-image optical viewfinder enables framing without the LCD through the full focal range, which helps to extend battery life and gives you another composing option on sunny days.

The 20 shooting modes include Special Scene modes for help with many shooting environments you might encounter. There is no dedicated Sports mode per se, but the Children and are able to capture most action shots. A number of Manual modes give the more experienced user greater control over exposure settings. Artistic photo effects can be applied in-camera at image capture and in playback mode with My Colors, which tints and colorizes images. The PowerShot A710 IS also offers a choice of five movie mode settings including VGA (640×480 pixels) quality movies at 30 frames per second (fps) and QVGA (320×240 pixels) at 60 fps.

As with the A700, you can also attach accessory lenses to the A710 IS. A complete range of optional lenses includes wide (0.7x) and telephoto (1.75x) converter lenses as well as a close-up lens for macro photography. An optional High Power Flash extends the camera’s range on nighttime shots and expands the possibilities for creative flash work. The optional waterproof case, which is constructed with anti-fog double glass and a flash light diffusion plate, allows full control at depths down to 40 meters.

The A710 IS powered up quickly, about 1.5 seconds according to our stopwatch, and the first image was captured at 1.8 seconds. Continuous shooting was good, as we were able to capture the Jets running through some pre-game plays. Image quality was quite good as well. Colors were sharp with a plenty of detail. Although we were shooting mostly during the day, we did experience some noise after ISO 200 as the day got more overcast. Shooting indoors, we did experience some slowness with flash recycling.

Overall, we feel that image quality for the A710 IS is quite good for the price ($399.99 est. street) and its feature set will provide something for every type of user.
Key Specs
Focal Length: 35-210 mm (35 mm equiv.)
Sensor Resolution: 7.1 megapixels
Optical Zoom: 6x
Digital Zoom: 4x
Shutter Speed: 15-1/2000 sec.
Sensitivity: Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 360 shots with NiMH batteries with LCD on.
Size: 3.84 x 2.62 x 1.62 inches (WxHxD)
Weight: 7.41 oz.
Street: $399.99

What’s in the Box
PowerShot A710 IS body, AA-size alkaline battery x 2, SD memory card SDC-16MB, wrist strap WS-200, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC300

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Jets-QB-Chad-Pennington-and-TE-Chris-Baker

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When Casio hit the market with their Exilim line of digital cameras four years ago, they offered digital shooters cameras featuring a host user-friendly options in an extremely slim, compact design. As the years went on the cameras have gotten smaller, the LCDs have gotten bigger and the amount of new features packed into them has continued to grow.

The new Casio Exilim EX-Z700 proudly continues this tradition by delivering an effective 7.2-megapixel resolution, while offering Casio’s Super Bright LCD for better viewing in bright daylight.

The EX-Z700 is a stylish, slim camera that will easily fit in a pocket or a purse. The attractive aluminum body has a nice brushed finish and comes in black, silver and blue. The black model, which I shot with, was very ergonomic and although tiny, felt comfortable in my hands. The controls are nicely spaced on the unit. The EX-Z700 offers a plastic guard over the LCD and built-in lens cover. When the camera is turned off, the lens fully retracts into the body of the unit.

On top of the camera sits a power button, shutter release and microphone. The power button is tiny and recessed a bit to prevent accidental power on. This was a slight problem for me. On a number of occasions I had a little trouble finding and pressing down on the button to power the camera up and down.

The back of the camera offers a Super Bright LCD screen that is both big and bright: the 2.7-inch screen with 1200cd/m2 of brightness that gains up makes things easy to see. This LCD came in handy shooting in the hot sun of Las Vegas, but there were times when it did wash out in bright daylight conditions.

At a huge 7.2 megapixels, the EX-Z700 produced sharp images with plenty of detail. The long-life battery (CIPA estimate of 460 shots )is energized with enough power to shoot plenty of images on a single charge, and the camera comes with Casio’s patented Anti Shake DSP to reduce photo blur due to shaky hands or moving subjects. The EX-Z700 takes SD and MMC memory cards. It also offers 8.3MB of internal memory space.

The EX-Z700 strikes an attractive balance between slim, stylish looks and high-performance functionality. One of the things I liked most about the unit was the whopping total of 37 Best Shot scene modes to shoot with. A dedicated button provides quick access to the Best Shot menu. I had fun trying out many of the options available to me for different shooting conditions.

With this fun option I was able to make water stand still in the Splash Water Mode, the Retro Mode gave the New York, New York Hotel and Casino a 1940s look, and the eBay Mode caught Ringo and Chad’s best sides; although nether is for sale. (Check out the Image Quality Gallery to see these test photos.)

The popular eBay Best Shot Mode has been exclusive to the Casio Exilim line of digital cameras since it was announced at PMA 2006. The eBay Best Shot takes photos at a size optimized for display on eBay, allowing picture takers to quickly and easily create photos for selling items on the popular online auction site.

Layout-shot is another cool feature that allows users to combine multiple shots of friends taken with the same scenic backdrop into a single collage, or even mix shots with different compositions to create a single artistic layout.

Movies on the EX-Z700 can be captured in several modes: 640×480 and 512×384 at 30 fps; 320×240 at 15 fps.

The Casio Exilim EX-Z700 is ideal for someone looking to purchase a compact camera to take anywhere with them that sports some style and features. Since there are no manual modes, the Best Shot scene modes will guide you in your shooting. For the most part, the image quality was pretty good, especially in outdoor shots. Indoor shots in low light did offer some digital noise and graininess, especially as we went from ISO 200 to 400. All in the all the 7.2-megapixel EX-Z700 packs a big punch in such a small package.
Key Specs
Focal Length: 38-114 mm (35 mm equiv.)
Sensor Resolution: 7.2 megapixels
Optical Zoom: 3x
Digital Zoom: 4x
Shutter Speed: 1/2-1/2000 sec. (auto), 4 — 1/2000 sec (night scene)
Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 50/100/200/400 equivalent
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 460 shots with Lithium battery with LCD monitor on
Size: 3.48 x 2.24 x 0.81 inches (WxHxD)
Weight: 3.95 oz.
Street: $299.99
What’s in the Box
Casio Exilim EX-Z700 digital camera, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, USB cradle, USB cable, AV cable, Special AC adaptor, strap, CD-ROM

The post Camera Review: Casio Exilim EX-Z700 appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Just like the postman’s motto, the all-weather Olympus Stylus 750 can go virtually anywhere in all elements that Mother Nature can serve up. The metal body construction is durable and lightweight, with rubber gaskets throughout the interior to ensure that rain, sleet, snow or even dust from the Las Vegas desert won’t stop you from making your shooting rounds.

One of the new digicams that Olympus rolled out this summer, the Stylus 750 brings with it a sleek design and new features building on previous Stylus models. This stylish point-and-shoot unit offers a number of evolutionary technologies such as Dual Image Stabilization, Bright Capture Technology, and TruePic Turbo, as well as a powerful 5x optical zoom, all packed nicely into a streamlined metal, all-weather body.

Olympus has designed brand new lens technology into the Stylus 750 that enables the 5x optical zoom lens (36mm-180mm, f/3.3-5.0 equivalent for 35mm) to bring the action five times closer in a body that’s less than an inch thick. This is achieved through a number of key additions, such as Olympus’ high-refractive-index lens elements and newly developed dual super aspherical lens elements.
The Stylus 750 offers a nice mix of mechanical CCD-shift image stabilization and digital image stabilization options. The CCD-shift image stabilization uses built-in electro-gyro sensors to record camera movement and adjust the CCD image sensor. This helps the incoming image data to remain stationary on the image sensor, which helps maintain image clarity despite slight movements on the part of the photographer. The digital image stabilization mode boosts ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to minimize the blur caused by moving subjects. This powerful combination of the two image-stabilization technologies should result in sharp images in most shooting situations.

Olympus’ Bright Capture Technology allows users to compose images on the LCD in very low light. With specific scene modes for high sensitivity settings (up to ISO 2500 in some scene modes) and quick autofocus, even fast-action photos can be captured under low levels of available light. Although we were capturing images at night in the bright lights of the Vegas strip, there were times when we relied on this neat option to aid in our shooting.

The Stylus 750 is very ergonomic and despite its small size, fits comfortably in your hands. All the buttons and controls are laid out nicely on top and back of the unit. The camera is available in four colors: silver, black, green, and red.

Sporting a bright 2.5-inch LCD, the Stylus 750 also doubles as a portable digital photo album. This high quality LCD is brighter than some cameras we’ve tested of late but was no match for the extremely bright Las Vegas sun when we shot in the early afternoon.

Olympus’ exclusive TruePic Turbo Image Processor works to enhance image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds for rapid start-up, shutter release, and playback. TruePic Turbo enables the Stylus 750 to capture information from all 7.1 million pixels with what Olympus calls “micro-smoothing”¬ — which Olympus claims will deliver clearer and more color-accurate photos. The camera revs up in less than one second and the shutter release time was extremely fast.

With 23 pre-programmed scene modes, such as Beach and Snow, Available Light Candle, Sunset, Cuisine and Under Water Macro, the 750 is optimized for a variety of lighting and shooting situations.

QuickTime Movie Mode records VGA-quality videos with sound, limited only by the size of the internal memory (17MB) or xD Picture Card (sold separately) in the camera.

One other cool option on the 750 is the built-in Help Guide. It’s like having a mini-manual with you everywhere you go. With the Help Guide function, each of the camera’s features is described in a drop down menu. By simply holding down the Guide button on the back of the camera, users can access brief descriptions of each of the camera’s functions and scene modes. An improved auto-set Shooting Guide provides users with an explanation of which features to use in a given situation, and then sets the camera automatically for the selected feature in the Guide.

The large 2.5-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom, compact body size, and three underwater scene modes also make the Stylus 750 an ideal traveling companion when diving. The new PT-034 underwater housing (sold separately for $249) is constructed of transparent polycarbonate with safety-locked o-ring seals, enabling the Stylus 750 to safely travel down to 40 meters below the surface.

A slew of in-camera editing features such as red-eye fix, resizing, frames, text options, color brightness, and saturation adjustments enable users to edit photos in-camera.
Overall, we were happy with the images produced by the 7.1-megapixel CCD sensor. On-screen the photos appear sharp and vivid. In addition, they can be output to large-formats — up to poster sizes as large as 15 x 20 inches. We think users will enjoy the 750’s thin, sleek, take anywhere, all-weather design and the powerful 5x optical zoom.

What’s Hot
5x image-stabilized optical zoom
Fast Start-up
Compact, all-weather body
Built-in Help Guide

What’s Not
No viewfinder: Some LCD washout in very bright sunlight.

Key Specs
Digital Zoom: 5.6 X (Seamless to 28X)
Optical Zoom: 5X
Aperture Range: f/3.3-5.0
Exposure Sensitivity: Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (equivalent)
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 190 shots with Lithium battery with LCD monitor on
Size: 3.8 x 2.1 x 0.96 inches (WxHxD)
Weight: 4.2oz.
Street: $349.99

What’s in the Box
Olympus Stylus 750, wrist strap, WIN/Mac USB cable, audio-video cable, LI-42B Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger, instruction manual, warranty card, and CD-ROM with Olympus Master Software.

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Not to be confused with the way secret agent 007 James Bond likes his martinis, the Optio A10 from Pentax sports an impressive shake reduction system that really helps stabilize your shooting.

The slim, stylish Optio A10 is part of the point and shoot line introduced by Pentax earlier this year that offers a big upgrade of their ‘S’ series. As the flagship of Pentax’s new ‘A’ series of cameras, the Optio A10 is a sharp first introduction. This 8 megapixel point-and-shoot camera is chocked with great, fun features for the amateur shooter. In addition to the larger CCD sensor, the A10 features Pentax’s own shake reduction system, which uses gyroscopic sensors to detect and compensate for any kind of movement by physically shifting the sensor.

At about the size of a deck of playing cards, the Optio A10 can fit in almost any size pocket, and the durable metal body ensures it will stand up to the rigors of everyday shooting. The 5.5-ounce slim unit is very ergonomic; there’s even a convenient indentation for your finger on the left side of the camera top. I found it quite comfortable in my hands, with controls being well-placed and easy to access. The menu system is very intuitive, and nicely organized, which made for easy quick changes to camera settings.

On the back of the unit, controls include a standard zoom rocker, a playback button, a menu key, and a four-way cursor pad with embedded OK button. The large 2.5-inch LCD is the only viewfinder on the model, and is used for image composition and review as well as menu navigation. Not having an optical viewfinder is a big drawback, however. The LCD has a tendency to wash out in bright sunlight. I had some trouble viewing what I was photographing when I was shooting in the field of sunflowers, for example. The LCD also ‘conked’ out when shooting in the burst mode on a number of occasions.

Shooting performance was sometimes sluggish for a camera in this class. Turning on the camera to capturing the first image achieved in approx. 3.5 seconds. Shutter lag when pre-focused was approx. 1/10 of a second, slowing to an about 1.1 seconds including autofocus time.

The Optio A10 is powered up by a small 3.7v 710mAh proprietary Lithium-Ion battery pack, which can be charged in camera when placed in the included docking cradle or by itself. Pentax claims you can capture 150 shots on a full charge (based on CIPA standards.) We found the battery life to be unimpressive for a camera in this class.

The Optio A10 produced good images in most conditions we shot in. It produced good results with good detail and sharpness especially at ISO 50. However, there was a lot of noise when used above ISO 200 and above. The Shake Reduction system was very good and the A10 is probably one of the more affordable cameras that offer this normally more advanced option. The A10 offers a full boat of fun features, such as 640×480, 30fps MPEG-4/DivX movie clips, plus plenty of in camera editing options and a slew of shooting modes.

On the minus side the camera can sometimes be slow and unresponsive, and has a screen that has trouble in bright sunlight-with no optical viewfinder as an alternative option. Despite its flaws, the Optio A10 is still a fun camera for the amateur to get their feet wet in digital.

There are rumors in the industry that Pentax will be introducing an upgrade of this model in the near future. Perhaps this next generation in the Optio line-up will build upon the A10’s strengths and refine some of its imperfections.

What’s Hot:
Shake Reduction system
Great compact size with solid metal construction
Excellent resolution, natural accurate color, subtle processing
Low noise at low ISO settings
A host fun feature options
Image corrections and effects in playback mode
Playback mode and menu operation are easy and quick

What’s Not:
Short battery life
LCD Screen washes out in bright sunlight
No optical viewfinder
Slow focus, shutter lag
Slow flash recycling

Key Specs:
Digital Zoom: 4x
Optical Zoom: 3x
Focal Length: 38-114mm (35mm equiv)
Exposure Sensitivity: AUTO, MANUAL, ISO 50/100/200/400 equivalent (800 IN CANDELIGHT MODE)
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 150 shots with Lithium battery with LCD monitor on
Dimensions (WxHxD): 3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches
Weight: 5.1 ounces w/battery and SD card
Street: $349.99

What’s in the Box:
Optio A10 camera, USB Cable I-USB17 (39233), AV Cable I-AVC7 (B) (39553), Strap O-ST20 (39195), Lithium-ion Battery DL-18 (39121), Battery Charging Stand D-BC42 (39318), AC Plug Cord D-CO2U (39477), Software S-SW42 (CD-ROM), Operating Manual, Serial Number Card.

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The Samsung Digimax S series is targeted for families looking for an affordable first-time foray into the wonderful world of digital. The lineup includes the S500, S600 and S800, which offer 5, 6, and 8 megapixels, respectively, and come in silver or black shades. The Digimax S600 packs 6-megapixel resolution, a 3X optical and 5X digital zoom into a compact model at the low price point of $230 (street).

The slim and lightweight Digimax S600 can fit in a small purse or pocket, and its ergonomic grip makes it easy to hold. The boxy camera looks a little like some of the past models in Canon PowerShot A series, and it feels much lighter than other models in this class. The S600’s 3X optical, 35mm-105mm (35mm equivalent), f/2.8-4.9 zoom lens extends out from the front of the camera when turned on and retracts when turned off.

The camera’s power button (which is hard to press), the mode dial, and the shutter release sit on top of the unit. Most of the control buttons (zoom rocker, four-way menu etc.) are placed on the right side of the 2.4-inch LCD screen and are well within your thumb’s reach.

The Digimax S600 has some cool special effects functions-including Highlight, Photo Frame, and Composite Shot- that give users unique, and sometimes amusing, shooting experiences beyond conventional picture-taking. You can access each of these special effects with just one touch of the “E” for Effects button. The Digimax S600 offers first-time digital shooters 10 scene modes to obtain the best picture result in a variety of settings. The scene modes provided are Night Scene, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach and Snow.

Taking pictures is pretty simple with the preset modes but if you like to do some manual tweaking, you can play around with the ISO settings, color balance and exposure in Program mode. When selecting some of the manual settings, I found the menus to be a little confusing. I had to consult the user’s manual a number of times during my testing.

The S600 determines exposures with multi- or spotmetering, and offers 2.0 EV of exposure compensation in ½-EV increments. Good control for a camera in this class. Seven white balance settings are available including an auto mode, five presets and the ability to measure a custom white balance. ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically or manually, ranging from 50 to 400. The Digimax S600 also offers a movie mode, capturing clips at up to VGA resolution with audio, using MotionJPEG compression.

The camera took about 1.9 seconds to power up and capture its first image. Sometimes I had to press the power button a couple of times to make sure it was on. The S600 took fine outdoor shots. Its metering system and auto white balance did a good job and highlights had little or no color fringing. The flash, when used outdoor situations, was also adequate.

However, in low light situations the focusing mechanism started to suffer, especially when the battery was running low. You will see that image quality dips indoors, without using flash. A tripod and a higher ISO setting can help, but look out for a lot of noise and fringing in images at anything beyond ISO 200. At ISO 400, many pictures lacked detail.

If you intend to bring this camera for an extended period of night shooting, like I did on July 4th, make sure you have plenty of spare batteries on hand. The S600 uses up battery power very quickly with extensive use of the flash. Add to that the fact that you don’t have an optical viewfinder, so you’re completely reliant on the LCD screen. In addition, there is no button to temporarily switch off the display when it’s not in use.

Overall, the Digimax S600 is a passable entry-level camera for the first time digital camera buyer on a tight budget, but if you are more concerned with image quality in low light situations, you might want pony up a little more cash and look at other models in the Samsung family, like the L60 and L85, or other entry-level models from other manufacturers.

What’s Hot
Affordable price point.
Some manual controls.
5X optical zoom
6MP resolution

What’s Not
Lots of image fringing at ISO 200.
Poor startup times.
Menus are a bit confusing.
No optical viewfinder.
Battery drain.

Key Specs
Maximum Shutter Speed: 1/1,500 sec
Equivalent 35mm focal length: 35 – 105 mm
Effective flash range: 8 in – 10 ft
Dimensions: 3.8- x 2.4- x 1-inches (w x h x d)
Weight: 4.8 ounces
Street: $229.99

What’s in the Box?
Digimax S600 Digital Camera (Black or Silver), 2x AA Batteries (NOT rechargeable), USB Cable, A/V Cable, Camera Strap, Digimax Master Software, Storage Driver, English & Spanish Owners Manual

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Some of the greatest baseball players of all time, like Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Aaron were called “five-tool players” because they: could hit for average; could hit for power; had speed on the bases; were gold glove fielders; had strong throwing arms. In other words, they had these five tools that made them excel.

The new Kodak EasyShare P712 is much like those players, in that it possesses many of the photographic tools to help advanced amateurs step up to the plate and take major league images. A blazing fast autofocus system, a 12X image-stabilized lens, a 7.1-megapixel sensor and a slew of manual options, all combined, produce sharp, colorful photos.

Kodak’s EasyShare P712 is touted as a bridge or hybrid digital SLR camera, joining the P850 in line. It’s aimed at users who are on their second or third digicam and are looking for a more advanced model to take their imaging skills to the next level. The P712 is kind of in the middle of a point-and-shoot and digital SLR-not as compact as a typical compact digital model and somewhat smaller than an SLR. It has quite an expansive optical zoom range: 36-432 mm (35 mm equivalent) f/2.8-3.7, with a Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens.

I was really impressed with the zoom capabilities of the camera when I was shooting at a recent minor league baseball game. The 12X superzoom allowed me to easily follow the off-field antics of Long Island Duck team mascot, QuackerJack, as well as the on-field play of the team, who clinched the 2006 Atlantic League Half Championship on the very night I was there.

The P712’s optical image stabilization provides a two-stop advantage over non-image-stabilized systems for better capturing subjects in low light for both stills and video. It also minimizes handheld camera shake at longer focal lengths, which came in handy while I was shooting at the game.

The Kodak EasyShare P712 sports a kind of plain black plastic body and is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The camera has 32MB of internal memory and uses an SD card, which is purchased separately. For this review, I used a Kingston Ultimate 1GB SD card, which proved to be very fast.

The camera is compact for a bridge model. Its SLR-like ergonomic grip allows for one-handed shooting when you need to. The buttons and controls are laid out nicely and are all within easy reach. In addition to all the controls is the mode dial, which offers direct access to a host of customizable shooting modes including: full manual, aperture- and shutter-priority, program, and auto, as well 17 scene modes including the Sports mode (which I utilized quite a bit in my shooting). It also offers a hot-shoe, which can be used with accessory flash for shedding more light on your subject when you need it.

The P712 offers a large 2.5-inch, 115,000-pixel LCD screen as well as a 237,000-pixel electronic optical viewfinder. The P712 also has onboard metering options that include multi-pattern, centerweighted, spot, and selectable zone.

One major problem that you will probably encounter is a lot of noise, which we noticed in a lot of the low-light situations we shot in. At ISO 200, we started to experience some noise, and it intensified as we hit a lot more at ISO 400 and beyond.

While there are numerous noise issues with the P712 that might cause some swings and misses, the camera still has a lot to offer. Overall, colors looked sharp and well-saturated, and exposures showed plenty of detail. With a 12X superzoom, image stabilization as well being compatible with the EasyShare system, we give the EasyShare P712 a hit on our scorecard.

What’s Hot:
12X optical zoom.
Optical image stabilization.
A host of manual controls.
1/3-stop ISO increment settings.
Ergonomic grip for one-handed shooting.
Shoe-mount accessory flash.

What’s Not:
Lots of noise at ISO 200 and above.
Plastic body.

Key Specs:
Lens: Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 36-432 mm lens (35 mm equiv.) f/2.8-3.7
Optical Zoom: 12X
Digital Zoom: 5X
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 210-290 image on a single charge of the unit’s Li-ion battery pack
Dimensions: 4.3 W x3.3 H x 2.8 D inches.
Weight: 14.2 ounces w/o battery or card installed
Street: $499

What’s in the Box
Kodak EasyShare P712 zoom digital camera, USB and audio-video cables, Kodak high-capacity, 1,800 mAh Li-ion rechargeable digital camera battery-KLIC-5001, Kodak Li-ion rapid battery charger-K5000, neck strap, lens cap with strap, Kodak EasyShare software, getting started kit, custom camera insert for optional Kodak EasyShare camera and printer docks.

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The Canon PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH camera deals a deck of heavyweight digital photography mojo into a lightweight and pocket-sized package. Like its older brother, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH model, this diminutive digicam features 6-megapixel resolution, ISO equivalent speed settings from 80 to 800, and a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 35-105mm. Its very bright and large 2.5-inch, 173,000-pixel wide viewing angle-type LCD screen offers 15 brightness adjustments, while still leaving room for a very welcome optical viewfinder.
The SD600’s newly designed 6MP image sensor, used in tandem with Canon’s proprietary DIGIC II image processor, helps to dramatically reduce noise for better image quality. This increased sensitivity allowed us to utilize faster shutter speeds, reducing the effects of camera shake and subject blur when we were shooting in dim light.
The SD600’s exterior is constructed mainly of brushed metal. It is well-built for the most part, except for the plastic door over the battery and memory card compartment. The controls, however, are nicely located on the back of the camera within easy, ergonomic reach of your fingers, right next to the impressively high-resolution LCD screen.

Like the other cameras in the SD-series, the SD600 is essentially a point-and-shoot camera. It features few manual settings, so if you’re looking for more control, go with the older siblings in the SD family. On the other hand, the camera has a slew of scene modes, including continuous shooting mode, which can keep shooting pictures at about 2 frames/second until the memory card is completely full. The movie mode is also very slick, though a 1GB file size generally fills up in about 8-10 minutes. Alas, the SD600 only comes with a 16MB card.

The one area in which the SD600 lacked in performance was its battery life. You will probably need to purchase an extra battery if you are at an event where you plan to take a significant amount of images, or to shoot movies. CIPA estimates the battery will take up to 160 photos with the LCD on when fully charged.
Otherwise, SD600’s performance was well above average in most areas we tested. It revs up very quickly and focuses without much of a wait. Shutter lag was never an issue either. Low light focusing was also good thanks to the built-in AF-assist lamp. Photo quality was very good for the most part. The camera took well-exposed, colorful shots despite the overcast and rainy weather we shot in. The blues and greens even seemed to pop more. In general, most noise levels were low through ISO 200, and even for some shots taken at ISO 400. We also found the color swap and accent modes fun to experiment with.

Lightweight and feature packed, the fashionable Canon PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH can easily slip into a pocket or purse, making it the perfect on-the-go digital camera. It offers a nice combination of features and performance in a stylish, portable package. If you are looking for an ultra-compact camera that captures great images to take with you anywhere you may roam, this is it.

What’s Hot:
Great compact size with stylish metal design
Very good photo quality
Large 2.5-inch LCD is easily viewable in low light
Optical viewfinder
Very good movie and continuous shooting modes

What’s Not:
Short battery life
Plastic cover over memory card/battery compartment

Key Specs
Digital Zoom: 4x
Optical Zoom: 3x
Lens Aperture: f/2.8 (W) – f/4.9 (T)
Exposure Sensitivity: AUTO, ISO 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 160 shots with Lithium battery with LCD monitor on
Dimensions (WxHxD): 3.39 x 2.11 x 0.85 inches
Weight: 4.94 ounces
Street: $349.99
What’s in the Box: PowerShot SD600 camera, Lithium battery pack NB-4L, battery charger CB-2LV, SD memory card SDC-16MB, wrist strap WS-600, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU, AV cable AVC-DC300, 130-page printed user guide.

The Canon SD600 even makes this jumpy PopPhoto.com staffer appear sharp
in overcast light.

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Panasonic’s new Lumix DMC-FX01 digital camera efficiently squeezes a 6MP resolution, a 3.6x optical zoom, and an MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer feature all into a very lightweight and extremely compact body. The DMC-FX01 doesn’t disappoint, offering numerous upgrades on older FX models, and then some.

While still maintaining the same compact body size as past models, one major difference is that the DMC-FX01 incorporates a 28mm -102 mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x optical zoom Leica DC lens. This allows for wider shots, whether you are shooting group table shots at a wedding, wide mountainous landscapes or massive architectural structures.
The lens is comprised of seven elements in six groups, incorporating four aspherical lenses to generate high optical performance. The zoom ratio can be extended up to 5x in 3MP resolution mode with minimal deterioration, thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom feature. By using the central part of the CCD, this very powerful function allows you to easily shoot and magnify even the most distant subjects. The zoom is also quiet, smooth, and swift.

Panasonic has long been at the forefront of image stabilization technology, which the company first developed for its camcorder products many years ago. The DMC-FX01 utilizes dual image stabilization modes: MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.), and High Sensitivity Mode. The MEGA O.I.S. compensates for shaky hands to give you steady, focused images. We liked the High Sensitivity mode, which allowed us to shoot at sensitivity settings up to ISO 1600. This is an added benefit for indoor photography where you might be shooting at faster shutter speeds.

The DMC-FX01 offers the same sturdy, elegant design as previous models in the series. Our test unit featured a stylish silver metallic finish, but in some areas, the camera is also available in black, pink, and white.

The overall layout of buttons and controls is quite good on such a compact unit. The large, bright 2.5-inch screen takes up most of the back of the unit. The zoom, shutter, optical image stabilization and power controls are located on the top of the camera, all within easy access. Located on the back are the menu controls and the mode dial, which allow you to select from normal, macro, simple, scene, movie and playback modes. The unit also offers a Power LCD function, which helps you see the screen even on the sunniest of days. All you need to do is hold the Display/LCD button down a little longer and then select Power LCD mode from the screen. The LCD backlight gains up to approximately 1.4 times brighter to produce clear, easily viewable images, even in bright sunlight.

As far as speed goes, the DMC-FX01 incorporates the Venus Engine Plus LSI for high performance image processing while still going light on the battery. We found it to have a remarkably quick AF response time, especially in 1-point high speed AF mode.

If you’re into scene modes, the DMC-FX01 offers a whopping 18 different options, including: Scenery, Sports, High Sensitivity, Portrait, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self Portrait, Food, Fireworks and Starry Sky. When you select the mode you want, the camera automatically sets the exposure and white balance settings for you. The video mode has the ability to record at 30fps in standard TV format. In addition, users also have the ability to shoot motion video in a widescreen format-ideal for viewing on the newest widescreen televisions.

Panasonic has really done their homework the last few years to become a major player in the digital camera arena. If you are looking for a tiny, take-anywhere digital camera that captures great photos and features dynamite Leica optics, look no further than the Panasonic DMC-FX01.

What’s Hot

28mm wide-angle 3.6x optical zoom Leica DC lens
Mega Optical Image Stabilization
3 Aspect Ratio Shooting Options
Sharp LCD Screen
Solid, Stylish Construction
Good Movie Mode
Miniature size, Lightweight body

What’s Not

Some Noise Issues
No Viewfinder

Key Specs

Lens: Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens: 7 Elements in 6 Groups (4 Aspherical Lenses/4 Aspherical Surfaces)
Digital Zoom: 4x
Selection of 3 Aspect Ratios: The aspect ratio is easily selectable between 16:9 wide, 3:2 and conventional 4:3 to shoot in the framing aspect that best suits the subjects’ composition or the image’s purpose of use
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 320 on a single charge of the unit’s Li-ion battery pack (3.7V, 115mAh)
Dimensions: 3.70 W x 2.02 H x 0.95 D inches
Street: $349.95
What’s in the Box?: The 6MP Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 digital camera, battery charger, Li-ion battery pack, battery carrying case, SD memory card (16 MB), AV cable, USB cable, CD-ROM software, strap, 108 page printed operating manual

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Behold the new flagship of the Canon PowerShot A-Series: The PowerShot A700. This model incorporates all of the features included on the mid-level A540, plus much more.
New features in the A700 include 6-megapixel resolution along with a retractable 6x 35-210mm optical zoom. It also incorporates over 20 shooting modes from fully automatic completely manual to fit any photographic situation. In addition, the A700 is compatible with optional wide angle and telephoto lens converters, as well as a close-up lens and a wireless flash unit.

ISO equivalent speed ratings ranging from 80 to 800 with noticeably far less noise at ISO 400 than previous PowerShot models. The camera also features a huge 2.5-inch, 115k-pixel LCD color monitor, making it easier than ever to review captured images and navigate the limited in-camera image editing and retouching features.

The A700 is a just a tad bigger than the A540, but it can still fit in a large pocket. From an ergonmic point of view, it feels very comfortable in your hands. Like most models in the A-series, the controls are well placed throughout the body, all within the reach by either your thumb or index finger.

A full 6x optical zoom lens (35mm equivalent: 35-210mm) delivers sharp, bright results that get the most out of every pixel. In a first and major coup for a 6x optical zoom digital compact camera of this class, the PowerShot A700 features a real-image optical viewfinder, allowing quick framing and precise manual focusing without having to view the LCD.

The A700 also provides users the option of changing lenses: Optional wide (0.7x) and telephoto (1.75x) converter lenses definitely extend the focal length range. As a bonus, the A700 is also compatible with optional close-up lenses for detailed macro photography.

Creative Zone modes include Aperture Priority and Shutter Speed Priority. Special Scene modes — such as Night Snapshot or Beach — assist with tricky lighting conditions. Color Accent and Color Swap modes enable dramatic color effects to be applied to both images and movies directly within the camera.

Speaking of video, the A700 records 30-frame-per-second, VGA quality movies of up to 1 GB with sound. You can also create 60-frame-per-second QVGA clips for sharp slow-motion playback. A handy compact mode enables shooting of small format clips of up to 3 minutes for easy sharing with your friends and family via email.

The A700 is about as responsive as the compacts get these days. The camera powers up very quickly and there is no 5- or 10-second wait time between shots. The overall color is sharp, saturation is very good, and it produced some great results for us. As with most cameras in the A-series, you get a lot of features for the money (Street: $349). All you need to add is a much bigger media card and some rechargeable batteries and you are ready to shoot the world around you. Well done, Canon!

What’s Hot:

Full 6x optical zoom 6MP resolution
Large 2.5-inch LCD display is usable in low light
Quick startup and shot-to-shot speed
Impressive photo quality, even in relatively low light (ISO 800)
Accepts optional wide, teleconverter, and close-up lenses
Optional wireless flash available

What’s Not:

Slow flash recycling
Card/slot battery cover lock hard to open

Key Specs

Maximum Shutter Speed: 15-1/2000 sec
Lens: 5.8 (W) – 34.8 (T) mm
Battery Life: CIPA estimate of 100 shots for AA Alkaline or 400 with NiMH rechargeable batteries
Dimensions: 3.72 x 2.62 x 1.71 inches
Street: $349
What’s in the Box?: The 6.0-megapixel PowerShot A700 digital camera, 16MB SD card, two alkaline AA batteries, wrist strap, USB cable, A/V cable, CD-ROM featuring Canon Digital Camera Solutions, ArcSoft PhotoStudio, and drivers; basic printed manual and advanced printed manual.

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When Samsung’s Digimax L85 was released this spring, it was touted as the first digicam to offer users High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). HDMI is a ground-breaking technology, which lets the user view their images on a high definition TV screen in their original quality. While it’s a cool feature once HD TV’s become more standard, its not one to base a digital camera purchase on.

However, the L85 does make a strong case for the advanced amateur by offering them a nice feature set and plenty of manual options. The L85 comes packed with 8.1-megapixel resolution and incorporates a Schneider Kreuznach 7.8-39mm lens with 5x optical zoom. The L85 offers a host of scene modes to help with your many shooting situations including: Night Scene, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow and Text Recognition.

There are also a number of manual modes. A manual exposure control includes Aperture Priority for depth of field, Shutter Priority for high motion shots and Manual adjustment for full aperture and shutter settings. There is also a Continuous Shooting mode on board for consecutive shots and Auto Exposure Bracketing to shoot consecutive images with different exposure.

The L85 also bucks the trend on camera design. While most digicam suppliers today are churning out credit card-size chrome models, the Samsung Digimax L85’s rubberized black body with matte-silver accents pays tribute to the cameras of yesteryear. Samsung has also taken that same tack with their new NV series, which resemble the Leica rangefinders of old.

With the L85s design being bigger and “old school,” it probably won’t fit in your pocket. But, this stylishly designed camera offers a comfortable grip, ergonomic design with the controls nicely placed on the body. Most of them were right at my fingertips.

A 2.5-inch LCD display (approximately 230K pixels) provides the only viewing and shooting capabilities. An optical viewfinder would have come in handy when I was shooting in bright sunlight on the Orient Point ferry in Long Island, New York, because the LCD completely washed out on me. (I think camera manufacturers need to rethink camera design for future models and, in some cases, still try a have an optical viewfinder on board as a second option when extremely sunny conditions abound. Companies like Canon seem to be keeping this in mind with several of their point-and shoot models.)

The L85 provides MPEG-4 video compression, which allows recording times that are said to be longer than most standard models on the market. It captured movie clips in VGA (640 x 480) at a speedy 30fps.

The Digimax L85 is equipped with only 32 MB of built-in memory, so you’ll need to purchase an SD card. We tested the camera with a quick Kingston Ultimate 1GB SD card. For viewing those images you want to share in HD you’ll also need to purchase the optional docking unit.

We shot some nice images with the Samsung Digimax L85. The photos reproduced color well and displayed some fine details without distortion or compression artifacts. Even at 200 ISO settings, there was minimal observable noise. We did, however, experience some chromatic aberration, so some shots had a purplish-colored fringe to them especially shooting in woodsy settings. Besides lacking an optical viewfinder, the L85 also doesn’t have an image stabilization feature or high-sensitivity shooting modes for shooting in low-light. You can’t navigate past ISO 400.

But if you don’t need some of those options listed above and are looking for a model that takes good pictures along a host of feature and manual options to keep you busy, the Digimax L85 might be the camera for you.

Key Specs
Digital Zoom: 8x
Optical Zoom: 5x
Focal Length: 38-190mm (35mm equiv)
Exposure Sensitivity: AUTO, ISO 50/100/200/400 equivalent
Dimensions (WxHxD): 4.3 x 2.5 x 1.14 inches
Weight: 6.7 ounces
Street: $379
What’s in the Box:
Samsung Digimax L85 Camera, USB Cable, AV Cable, Camera Strap, Rechargeable Battery SLB-1237, AC charger, Software CD, Operating Manual.

What’s Hot:
Takes sharp, colorful images
Host of manual features
Retro design
HDMI viewing option

What’s Not:
Some purple fringing
Slow using burst mode
LCD Screen washes out in bright sunlight
No optical viewfinder
No image stabilization feature
No ISO support for shooting in low-light

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