Point and shoot has long been a mainstay of entry-level cameras. At this end of the market, you should be looking for a camera that takes good photos with the minimum of hassle. Recently, improvements in quality, miniaturisation and digital technology mean that for a reasonable amount of money, you can now buy a feature-rich camera. In this roundup we test nine cameras, some of which offer features you would expect to find on more expensive high-end
models. All of the cameras did a good job of taking quick snapshots and most were quite easy to use.
Most are 4Megapixel cameras but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between 4Megapixel images and 3Megapixel images. As an ordinary user who does not want to trawl through a huge manual just to take a picture, a number of factors come into play before deciding to purchase. These include: image quality, camera aesthetics, ease use, physical size, supplied software and memory. With this in mind take a look at our selection of cameras and see what each one has to offer.
Nikon Coolpix 3700
Price: €279.99
Contact: The Camera Centre 01 677 5594
The Nikon Coolpix is a very compact camera with an aluminium grey finish. It is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a F2.8-4.9 3X optical zoom lens, effectively a 35-105 mm lens. As an entry level camera, this offering from Nikon is good. All the preset functions are well situated and the software within the camera itself is easily navigable. Uniquely in this roundup, the camera has an attachable eyecup to cut out ambient light around the viewfinder or if you wear glasses. You can make small videos at 640X480, with sound.
Another very notable feature is the self timer. When in self timer mode the camera waits about 10 seconds and then takes the shot. If you double click the shutter release the delay is three seconds. Voice release is an extra feature in the self timer mode. Set up the camera on a tripod, prepare the shoot and then make a noise and the camera takes the picture.
The list of preset scene modes is impressive for such a small device. Back light, copy, close-up, beach, snow, dusk, dawn, portrait, sunset, and night portrait are just a taste of the presets. The on/off button surrounds the shutter release which is a little odd and the menu navigation is via a miniature joystick type button to the right of the 1.5-inch LCD display. The LCD display contains 134,000 pixels which gives one of the sharpest and brightest displays among
all the cameras on review.
Continuous shooting mode is available as is Nikon’s Best Shot Selector, allowing up to 10 shots of the same subject and the camera choosing what it thinks is the best picture. This comes in handy when camera shake might be an issue. Unfortunately, there is very little you can do with this camera manually. On a more positive note, the camera is clever, takes excellent pictures and for first time users it’s brilliant. The rechargeable battery plus charger is included in the box along with a 16Mbyte SD memory card. Nikon’s
Nikon View is the software supplied for basic editing and organisation. A decent manual compliments this package. Small in size but big on preset features, the Nikon Coolpix 3700 is very cool.
3 stars
Canon PowerShot A85
Price: €379.99
Contact: Canon 01 205 2400
Canon has long impressed with its cameras and the A85 continues that tradition. Unlike the Nikon Coolpix 3700, this camera offers full manual control and the lens is not of the fixed variety. You can buy conversion lenses and even an underwater case. There are 11 preset scene modes along with video mode with sound. Memory is supplied on a 32Mbyte compact flash card and battery power comes from four AA alkaline batteries. But you would be better off buying yourself rechargeable batteries with a charger as ordinary
batteries take a hammering. The A85 has a 3X optical zoom and 8X digital zoom. Photo quality is good and direct printing to a Canon printer is supported.
The look and feel of the camera is pleasing while the menu functions are easy to work through. One thing I find useful with Compact Flash is that you can format the card after downloading your images. This stops any problems with a camera after the card is reloaded. With a 4 Megapixel CCD and total manual control, the A85 has a lot to offer both beginner and enthusiast alike. The excellent Digital Camera Solutions software is very user friendly and will cover
most needs. After that you are into Adobe Photoshop territory. For its size this is a big offering from Canon and one that will not disappoint.
4.5 stars
Benq DC C40
Price: €270
Contact: Emcee 01 456 7911
Benq’s DC C40 is a 4 megapixel camera and is very compact and light. However don’t let the small form factor fool you. The 3X optical and 4X digital zoom are more than adequate while the 80,000 pixel 1.16-inch LCD makes it easy for you to review your photos.
Control of the camera’s functions is easy and not too tiring. Benq’s Easy Dial menu is a simple interface for beginners. This camera reflects a new trend in camera design where memory is integrated into the camera, in this case 14Mbyte. So no card is sold with the
DC C40 but a slot is provided for an additional SD memory card. The camera is powered by two AA alkaline batteries. The lens is fixed so no extra lenses may be attached. Manual control is supported for those tricky lighting situations and DPOF (Direct Print Order Format) is also supported. The supplied software comes from Arcsoft: Arcsoft Photobase, PhotoImpression; VideoImpression and Photoprinter. This software is bundled with many cameras and is reasonably easy to use. Photo quality is adequate in automatic
mode but really improves when you get into manual mode. White balance adjustment really made a difference when in manual mode. This is a solid no frills performer from Benq giving you enough control to obtain decent results.
3 stars
Samsung Digimax 430
Price: €299
Contact: Hahnel Industries 023 41606
This is one of the few cameras that comes with a decent carry pouch. A 32Mbyte Secure Digital memory card, strap, two AA Duracell batteries, good user manual, and USB and AV cables make up the package. The all-metal finish, lightweight and non-cluttered back plate immediately attracts the eye.
Again it is a 4 megapixel camera with 2.8x optical and 4x digital zoom. For review and preview, the 1.5in TFT screen is more than adequate. There is support for eight different power sources, which is not common and it also has a multi memory slot supporting both SD and MMC (multi memory card) cards.
For ease of use there are multiple shooting modes such as, Auto, Manual My Set, Nightscene and Scene. It is Pictbridge-compatible, meaning that the camera can be directly connected to a printer that can accept this kind of connection. The software CD contains the USB driver Digimax Viewer 2.1 and Arcsoft PhotoImpression 4. In use, the Digimax 430 worked well and the photo quality was excellent. The neat layout of the control buttons and camera
menu was a joy to use. I found the USB and DC-in cover on the side of the camera to be flimsy but Samsung is not the only one guilty of this small misdemeanour. Overall this is a good camera and one that any beginner or enthusiast would be happy with.
3 stars
Fujifilm FinePix F440
Price: €369.99
Contact: The Camera Centre 01 677 5594
This tiny camera is three-quarters the size of a pack of cigarettes. Talk about dainty! With such size comes one very minor irritant: if you have got thick stubby fingers it is not going to be easy to use. Although this is a compact, metal camera, it is still a 4Megapixel device. Because of its size, it does not take ordinary AA batteries, relying instead on a lithium ion battery that has to be recharged via an AC power adapter or the supplied docking station.
The included 16Mbyte XD picture card will hold about seven high-resolution photos. Picture quality is good as is the larger than normal 2ih LCD screen for review and preview. Navigation of the camera’s menus is a breeze, as is the supplied FinePixViewer and ImageMixer software. Video mode on this camera is nothing to write home about, 60 seconds at 320 by 240 is a bit dated in comparison to what is nearly the standard 640 by 480. Also this camera has
no manual controls. This means that under less than optimum conditions pictures will be good but not great. It is clear that the F440 is aimed at those who want a quick, acceptable photo. Despite its flaws, I liked the F440 for its design and size.
3 stars
Epson PhotoPC L-400
Price: €371
Contact: PC World 01 802 5555
Epson manufactures wonderful photo printers and this camera compliments and only works with its range of printers. Pictbridge direct printing, a near industry standard, is not supported on this model. That being said, the L-400 still has one great feature: you can review photos while recording at the same time. However the layout of the camera’s control buttons is poor. The on/off button is badly placed in the middle of the dial switch at the top of the camera and I found myself frequently turning off the camera when I thought I had taken a picture. The zoom buttons are too close to the viewfinder and in any camera with non-rechargeable batteries you would opt to turn off the LCD to conserve battery life. The on-screen menu was confusing and the video quality was poor.
Epson has a framing tool that allows you to add borders to selected images on the camera’s memory card. By selecting the PIF option via the camera’s LCD you can add some tasty frames directly onto your image. You can then take the memory card and print directly from there. Noteworthy as well is the fact that this camera supports both TIFF and JPEG formats. For its size, it is quite heavy as it takes four AA batteries. Memory storage comes in the form of a 16Mbyte SD card. The L-400 is fine for general use but lacks many of the
features found in other cameras in the same category.
2.5 stars
Casio QV-R41
Price: €399.99
Contact: BEE 01 450 9044
A basic manual gets you up and running with this compact all-metal camera from Casio. Two rechargeable NI-MH batteries, a recharger unit and accompanying cables make up the bulk in the box. The first noteworthy feature with the R41 is the 2in LCD display, which is clear and fluid.
In use, this camera is fast between modes and from a cold start-up it is surprisingly fast at 1.8 seconds. This camera is easy to use with a well laid out back panel and a software interface that is not daunting. The manual for the camera is on CD ROM and memory is 10Mbyte of built-in flash memory. Get an upgrade to at least a 128Mbyte SD card if you want to store more than a few high resolution photos. It has 3x optical and 4x digital zoom, and picture
quality is good. One feature that will appeal to beginners is Best Shot Mode.
From a list of 23 predefined scenarios such as portrait and sundown, the camera takes three shots and selects the best settings for the shot. The movie mode captures video 320 by 240 but without sound. The camera is light to carry but no pouch or case is supplied. PhotoLoader, Photohands and Kodak’s Easy Share are the supplied software packages and are again easy to use. This is quite a good camera from Casio, let down by lack of memory storage and inadequate movie mode. However despite these minor flaws this is a more than adequate camera.
3 stars
Oregon Scientific PV100B
Price: €329.99
Contact: BEE 01 450 9044
I was amazed when I first saw the 3.5 in TFT LCD display on this camera. Practically the whole rear of the camera is taken up with the display. There is no viewfinder on this 3Megapixel camera. Unfortunately I found that the image on the LCD display is poor and ultimately, this is the camera’s downfall.
In bright lighting conditions it was difficult to see what was on the screen. This is a pity as the idea of a large LCD is a good one. The internal flash memory is 16Mbyte and a slot is available to hold a larger SD card if required. There is no manual control of white balance or shutter speed but the on-board software is well presented. Arcsoft’s PhotoImpression is the supplied software
for the PC. Battery power is via a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a docking station is also provided. Digital zoom is 2x but there is no optical zoom. Video recording is done at 320 by 240 with sound. For inside work, this camera was fine but you can forget it for outside shots.
1 star
HP Photosmart R507
Price: €359
Contact: PC World 01 802 5555
The HP Photosmart R507 is a 4.1Megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and 7x digital zoom. This small compact design belies the power of the camera. It sports a metal front with a sculpted grip and feels comfortable to hold. The 3x Pentax lens ensures sharp, clear and accurate pictures while the supplied HP Image Zone and Arcsoft Panorama software are decent enough.
Of all the cameras in this roundup, this camera has the best on-board software. It offers automatic red eye reduction, HP Instant Share which is great for e-mailing shots, and the very clever Photo Advisor. There are enough manual controls to suit the more adventurous and one nice touch is when adjusting the white balance, the image on the LCD also changed, reflecting your preference. HP Adaptive Lighting technology is one cool piece of
software and is very effective. A good example of this is brightening objects lost in shadow. Onboard memory is 32Mbyte with a SD card slot also available as needed for larger storage.
The user manual is a very detailed 180-page booklet. Battery power is from a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Video mode is 288 by 216 with audio which won’t set the world on fire. The low video resolution apart, this is an excellent camera from HP. Of course it is optimised to work with HP printers but unlike the Epson it is Pictbridge compliant, which means it will work with compatible
printers from other manufacturers. As a beginner’s camera it excels with enough in-camera controls to suit more advanced users. The absence of a carry case/pouch is a pity as this would have rounded off a good camera offering from HP.
4 stars
PC Live! recommends…
Canon PowerShot A85
While the HP and Canon cameras scored evenly on tech specs and
performance, the ability of the Canon to add on lenses may be a deciding factor for those who wish to expand their cameras abilities and for that reason alone it is worthy of the Best Buy award.
29/11/04
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