Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

I am an amateur photographer who's always used point-and-shoot cameras. Finally, I got up the nerve (and cash) to get myself a DSLR.

I started doing lots of reading and reviewing the various reviews/features of different cameras, eventually settling on the Pentax K200D.

I have never owned anything made by Pentax/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Sony before, so I didn't have any sort of brand loyalty ties. I took long, hard looks at the features and performance and went from there.

There are several reasons why I chose the Pentax K200D over similar models from other manufacturers:

1) Weather sealing -Pentax claims their camera is the only environmentally sealed camera in its class ("starting DSLR"). Nice to know it's there, even if I don't plan on intentionally testing it out!

2) Saving High quality JPEG and RAW at the same time (RAW+). Some of the other models I was considering didn't allow RAW + High JPEG, only medium JPEG.

3) Very high build quality. This thing feels like it's built like a tank. After reading literally hundreds of user reviews from Canon owners, Nikon, etc. the general consensus was their bodies (and cheap lenses) felt a little flimsy. I must admit, I went to the stores and tried out their cameras (the entry DSLR) and I felt the same way.

Popular Photography's preview of the K200D said it best: "Mate a tank with a SLR body..." or something to that effect.

4) AA batteries. I know some people consider this a downside, but decent 2500mha AAs are extremely cheap and work great. If I ever run out of juice, I know I can hit up practically any store for a recharge.

5) You can mount any lens Pentax has ever made on this camera. Of course, you may not get all the features, but the consistency of the lens mounting was a plus for me.

6) In-body stabilization A real biggy for me, as this translates to any lens you buy for the system! It has already saved several of my shots.

7) It's an APS-C sensor -this discounted the Olympus line immediately.

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So how do I like the camera? So far it's great!

I've only owned it a few days, but I've been doing lots of testing with the kit lens (which, according to "the net", isn't as horrible in quality as some other kit lenses).

Autofocus is fairly quick, though low light seems to be throwing it off sometimes (duh!)

Light metering seems to be very consistent -I'm not getting surprise too dark or too light shots unless I intentionally screw the shot up (like forgetting to reset EV , doh).

Burst rate is a bit low at 4 JPEG or RAWs but I don't plan on doing too many sports shots so hopefully this won't be a limiting factor. I'm awaiting some Sandisk Ultra II SD cards to come in before I see how much this low rate limits me -hopefully the fast card will allow a quick buffer flush.

The grip is confortable for me, a 6-foot tall male with large/medium hands. So far I haven't accidentally hit a button while operating the camera, etc. I haven't done prolonged shooting yet.

The menu options are pretty self-explanatory, and I like the manual they give you (though it's huge) -They do a pretty good job explaining what various functions do, etc.

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So, the verdict? If you're moving from a point and shoot digital camera (I had a Kodak Easyshare Z612 6MP), this thing is going to blow it away!

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. The kit lens isn't total garbage, the menu functions are easy to access and the camera performs admirably.

The only thing I miss moving from my PNS camera is the zoom.

My next purchase will probably be the fast 50mm prime lens for portraits.

I've been shooting in low-light situations (my house tonight) and so far it's doing great.

I've also taken it outdoors on a sunny day for some pretty good looking shots. I can't wait to upgrade to a good zoom to catch more wildlife.

I previously owned a Pentax K100D. I decided to step up to a DA* lens and wanted a body to match its weather sealing and SDM motor. The K200D is the perfect prosumer DSLR. It has all of the great features of the K100D Super (the K100D with dust removal), plus many more. The 10.2MP sensor takes great photos. The construction is solid and the dust/water sealing clearly visible on all doors. As with the K100D, this model uses AA batteries, a feature I love. Paired with a couple of sets of NiMH rechargeable batteries (I have 2500 ma Sonys), you are set for over 1500 photos. Also included, built in support for wireless flash operation with the internal flash as master (the K100D required an external flash as the master).

Overall an excellent upgrade from the K100D, and a bargain compared to the K10D from which it gets its CCD. I highly recommend it for prosumers and entry-level professional photographers.

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I am not sure why my first review didn't end up getting posted . So I am writing it again.

I have had this camera for about a month, purchased from Amazon, which got it to me less than 48 hours after I clicked "order" with the free shipping amazing.

This is my first DSLR. I owned two digicams before, a 2000 Olympus C3030Z 3 MP, and a 2006 Nikon Coolpix L1 6 MP.

Price wise, the K200D is a steal, especially with the rebate deals going on this summer about $550 after rebate with the DA 18-55 AL II kit lens. Compared to other DSLRs, the only other comparable model feature-wise in this price range is the Olympus E-510.

I can't believe what I have been missing ! The colors with the K200D are just vibrant and nothing like the digicams. Right out of the box, with kit lens (DA 18-55 AL II), the pictures are sharp. The extra megapixels don't hurt either. I wish I had this camera years ago on my previous trip. Most of my old digicam pictures looked washed out to me now, especially with the older Olympus :(

The ability to attach filters to the lens, such as a polarizer for outdoor use, greatly helps in the ability to enhance the picture and get incredible blue skies. That alone is worth getting a DSLR over a digicam.

The shake reduction is great. It is basically impossible to get a blurry picture with this camera in daylight, except if you move it on purpose like crazy. At night time, it can still occur occasionally. And what's even better, since the SR is in the body, it works with all lenses that you attach to it, even 40 year old Pentax lenses made for 35mm film cameras ! The only other manufacturer to have in-body SR is Olympus, in some models.

The camera is very fast. I verified that I can indeed take 2.8 pictures per second as advertised in continuous mode. There is never any noticeable waiting to save a 10 MP shot in JPEG mode, that is to say less than 1/3 of a sec. My Nikon could take several seconds to save a 6 MP JPEG onto SD, and my Olympus 30s for a 3 MP TIFF onto SmartMedia !

One of my favorite cost-saving features is the AA battery support. This is what made my decision to buy the K200D over the Olympus E-510. With the K200D, there is no need to buy expensive proprietary batteries, that can only be used in one device, and will be obsolete for the next camera, or to carry another charger when traveling. Olympus also makes you purchase a quick charger. They only bundle a slow charger with the camera. Once you factor the extra charger and at least one spare battery, the 2 cameras are no longer in the same price range. AA batteries are available everywhere, and cheap NiMH rechargeables work great. I can use the same AA battery type for my flash and my DSLR and only have one charger. I was able to take 1600 pictures on a single set of 4 AA NiMH 2500 mAh batteries in continuous mode, including 100 with the built-in flash. That's way more than Pentax says I could (they claim only 700 with NiMH). This may be because I wasn't using the LCD due to the continuous mode. Even after that, I kept shooting with the same batteries for another week. They were not depleted. But the 1600 pics filled up all my cards so I thought it was time to stop the test.

This camera is not perfect.

It is heavier and larger than most of the competition. It will not fit in your pocket like a digicam, but then no DSLR with a lens attached will, either. The size and weight are somewhat mitigated by the fact this unit seems better built than others, and is weather-sealed, which means it will probably last longer.

It doesn't have Live view. At this price, only Olympus has it, with the E-510. I won't miss this feature much. Actually, I missed the viewfinder in my Nikon Coolpix L1 digicam far more than I miss Live view on the K200D. It was difficult to compose shots on the L1 LCD in daylight without a viewfinder. So, I am very glad to have a viewfinder back now in the K200D. Live view would help a bit when using the tripod upwards, such as for moonshots with a big zoom lens. However, I have found the camera does very well handheld with the SR for those. And for tripod use, if the camera is in an awkward position, you can use a right angle finder admittedly an extra expense and accessory to carry.

Compared to other brands, it is also difficult to find new accessories, such as lenses and flashes, for this Pentax camera locally at stores, because many of them (I tried Ritz camera and Fry's electronics) do not carry anything Pentax. If you want new, then you have to order online. On the other hand, you don't have to buy new when there are plenty of used old lenses to go around on craigslist and ebay, that work perfectly fine, many of them manual mode, and some autofocus. I say the compatibility with old lenses means it's an environmentally friendly camera. :)

If I had to choose again, I would make the same choice in a heartbeat.

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For over five years I used 3.2MP Olympus D-540 camera.

It still works fine. But I decided to step up for some more megapixels.

I purchased Panasonic Lumix LZ7... It was ok, but I didn't get "wow effect" as I expected...

Then I purchased Olympus FE-340, same absence of "wow".

Then I got Fujifilm Finepix S700... I still felt that my old Olympus was getting better shots.

Then I decided to get a real camera... After a lot of research I decided to go with Pentax K200D. After I saw the first shot with it, I got that "wow effect" I expected. Really sharp photo and real colors.

And this camera still makes me wow each time I make a shot. Like another reviewer said: "you really can not make a bad shot".

It's my first DSRL camera, so I can not compare it to any else. But some things that convinced me to get it were:

-Weather resistant build. It even has seals in memory slot, USB port and battery port.

-Hardware shake reduction function. Still didn't get any blurred image, and I believe my hands are not "shake-free".

-Accessible AA batteries (you can get it in every shop)

-Really fast Autofocus (according to one review 1.2 seconds compared to Rebels 3 seconds)

The only bad thing I found (or may better to say: I didn't expect) is that you are obliged to see thru viewfinder to make a shot... Something I didn't expect from a digital camera. But I'm used to it, because I still remember how to use my father's old Zenith 35mm camera.

Other than that it's a great camera that takes sharp photos with life-bright colors.

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I have had the K200 for 2 days now...

I got the K200 instead of the K10 for several reasons. (1) I wanted a DSLR(tired of my "point-n-shoot" and out grew it), (2) My wife needed to be able to use it for her business. Probably more me than her. I had been admiring the K10 for a while and played with it at the store, really wanting it. When the K200 and K20 came out the K10 only remained for sale on line, at least in my area. I drove my wife crazy for weeks reading reviews and even downloading the manuals from the Pentax website as well as other brands. I didn't want to spend this kind of money without actually holding the camera(it's not in the stores yet). Almost all the stores never even heard of the K2oo because the K20 takes top billing..14 mega pixels. Long story short...the advertisement on the K200 is as far as I can see very accurate. Its for those graduating to DSLR and still need some AUTO features. I am not going to try to fool you with a lot of professional sounding lingo. Lets just say I would have preferred the K10 but love this camera. You cannot shoot a bad picture...REALLY! If you can skip through the technical talk in the manual, it tells you everything you need to know. The camera still has plenty of room to play for those of us learning more about how to manipulate shots how we want them plus the auto features for those who aren't. I really like the way Pentax feels like a REAL camera, not cheap plastic like others. My brother owns a popular Cannon. See for yourself, go to a store and hold any of the Pentax late models(K10,K200,K20). I am still fixated on the more advanced K20 but that's for the near future. Then my wife can have this one back.

By the way, Thanks Amazon!!! You sent me a message saying my shipment might be delayed but you upgraded the shipping so I still received it on time...You ROCK. I will continue to use you.

Prolite 2.8X DSLR LCD Screen Viewfinder for Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D & T1i, Nikon D90,

I bought this LCD Viewfinder for making videos on my Caon 7D and Panasonic GF1. It works very well for what it was intended: an LCD sun shade.

You can find other LCD viewfinders that look very simialr to this but priced between $100 and $180. There are a few reviews on different websites that claim that cheaper LCD viewfinders are exactly the same as the more expensive ones, I cant say for sure if they are, but this one is very well constructed and works perfectly.

This LCD viewfinder comes with and adhesive backed thin metal mount that attaches to your camera. The viewfinder has magnets that securely connect to the thin metal mount. The only problem with the metal mount is that it isn't exactly the same size as the LCD on my GF1 so you have to be careful when sticking it on. It does not block any information on the display if you position it properly.

The inside of the LCD viewfinder is lined with felt to minimize reflections.

I was worried that this did not have an adjustable diopter. I think I read somewhere where the diopter was a -1 to +4 fixed diopter. I'm not sure what that means, but I normally wear +1.25 reading glasses but I do not need them with this LCD viewfinder. I also read that you can pop out the diopter and replace it with a lens from some inexpensive reading glasses with a little work.

An added benefit of using a viewfinder like this is that it stabilizes the camera a lot when you are shooting video.

I'm very happy with this purchase!

I bought this for my T2i thinking that there was no reason to pay upwards of $375 for a "modified loupe" but maybe I was wrong. My only expectation was that the viewfinder would focus on the LCD screen (and stay attached to the camera) but for whatever reason, the focus is off. I do not wear glasses (though occasionally I do wear 1.25 reading glasses for small print books). It is as if the length of the loupe is about a quarter inch too short. I can overcome the problem by wearing a pair of 1.25 reading glasses but that becomes cumbersome. Just for the heck of it, I held a photo loupe on the LCD and it was sharp. Well, maybe it is me old age setting in poor eyesight encroaching but I really don't think so. An adjustable diopter might have resolved the problem but a quarter inch is a lot to make up!

The magnetic frame system works well enough and holds the viewfinder okay.

The eyepiece has some trouble staying on you will probably need to secure it with some rubber cement or something as it will occasionally fall off.

Unfortunately, there are not many solutions for the LCD viewfinder at a reasonable price. Unless Prolite comes out with something that can focus on the screen I would stay away from this one.

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I have a Canon T2i, and a Canon 7D. The frame that sticks to the DSLR's it's the reason why I gave this viewfinder only 3 stars. the frame sticks well with the Canon 7D but it's a different story for Canon T2i, because LCD screen for that DSLR is smaller and has a small sensor right on top of the screen and when I stick the frame on the T2i, it covers the sensor.

But other than that, it works great on my Canon 7D and protects the screen out in the sun from direct sun light.

Read Best Reviews of Prolite 2.8X DSLR LCD Screen Viewfinder for Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D & T1i, Nikon D90, Here

Same experience as James Cooper this is out of focus (by a wide margin) when mounted on the viewfinder. It would need to be about 1/2" taller to be able to focus properly. And since the lens is not adjustable, it's useless. I returned it.

Note if you look at the photo you might think it is adjustable, because of the way it appears to have a knurled focusing area below the eye-cup. But that is merely decorative; it doesn't focus.

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It works and for the price, its OK. I bought it to see how a viewfinder works attached to the back of a DSLR, before I invested much money in a higher quality one. Now I know what I want. What I have learned is that its a deal because its not made to pro standards. There isn't any diopter adjustment OK I expected that for the price, but one of the little magnets on the back (there are 6 of them) kept pulling off of the viewfinder and sticking to the metal plate that you attach to the camera. Finally it disappeared and now I'll have to either do without, or contact the company for a replacement. Then I'll have to figure out how to glue it back in.

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Zeikos MB-D80 Vertical Multi-Power Battery Grip + 2 EN-EL3e Batteries + Accessory Kit for Nikon D80

This vertical grip is surprisingly well built. It makes a solid connection to the camera (in my case a D90 but it also works with a D80). The controls have a solid feel and there is a certainty when you push a button or turn a dial. The rubberized panel adds to the solid feel and provides a bit more "camera to hold on to." This is especially important if you are used to larger SLRs (e.g., D200).

A few years ago I bought an after-market battery grip (made by someone else) for my D200 and was very disappointed. It didn't connect solidly to the camera, the controls didn't always work, and the rechargeable batteries need to be inserted into a small tray and *that* was slid into the camera. I was concerned that all aftermarket vertical grips were made to that same low standard. My plan was to buy the "real" Nikon grip for my D90. However, after reading a lot of good things about this version decided to take a chance on this version. I'm glad I did.

Not only does it work perfectly but it also looks like the camera.

I can't imagine the Nikon grip could be made better or fit better.

Obviously this makes it more convenient to hold your camera in a vertical grip. Since it holds two rechargale batteries you can shoot longer before having to change them. It also include a carrier that allows you to use six AA batteries. This is handy if you ever find yourself with dead rechargeable batteries (and still manage to have the carrier with you).

Perhaps a lesser known benefit is that you get increased stability. This is due to the extra weight provided by the grip and battery. A final benefit is that you can use Da'Grip (as described in The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes, a book every photographer should read), this is money well spent.

There are several grips available, most more expensive and a few less, that provide many or all of these same benefits. What makes this product stand out is that is has best-of-breed quality while remaining one of the least expensive.

If you want a vertical grip then this is the one to get. The only question is if you buy this package and get the extra stuff or of you just buy the grip alone: Zeikos ZE-NBG90 Battery Power Grip for Nikon D80 & D90.

I got this grip for my D90. Since the grip requires two batteries and I only had the one that came with the camera I figured I'd give this version a shot over the grip alone. The grip works just as advertised and provides better ergonomics for vertical shots. The batteries hold a charge just fine so far and the AA adapter works as well. The camera recognized the AA batteries automatically and showed the battery level for the two camera batteries like it's supposed to. I really like the extra capacity so I can set a long duration for the remote shutter release and use live view as much as I want.

I wouldn't recommend assigning too much value to the accessory kit although the blower works and the brush has fine bristles. The bulb smells like cheap rubber from China the kind where the smell never goes away...but don't let that hold you back from purchasing. Shipping by this seller was fast.

11/26/11 Update: I have been using this grip for a while and still recommend it with two caveats: 1) it's not really rigid enough to use with a tripod, especially with a longer lens as it adds a little unwanted motion. 2) I've been using a strap that connects to the tripod mount (and I really like the strap) but it doesn't work with the grip. Since the camera hangs from the bottom of the grip, the grip's electrical connections intermittently loose contact inside the camera so I have to wiggle it to turn on.

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First of all the battery grip is good for the price. Of course the built quality is not close to that of Nikon brand. Nonetheless, the battery grip does what it is designed for. The transition between empty battery to full battery is smooth. However, after a year of use, I do notice some problems arising. First of all, during high humidity weather, the battery grip do have connection issues. Secondly, when it was new, the battery grip completely drains one battery before switch to another. However, after a year or so, I have noticed that the secondary battery can't held its charge while the primary battery is in use.

As for batteries it's a hit or miss situation, one of the battery works great, and is still kicking well a year of abuse. Meanwhile, the other battery started to have problems after two three months. The battery started to have transition problems, for example if the primary nikon battery drained completely, this third party battery work kick in. I had to remove the Nikon battery and restart the camera. After about 6 month later the battery died completely. Meanwhile the other third party battery still works fine.

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I purchased this product about a year ago for $72 and its been working well. Fools the tools into thinking my D90 is a D3 especially when I put my Mamiya 645 120 Macro on it. But this aside this product is worth it for the batteries alone. I find they charge as quickly as Nikon's own and give me roughly the same number of shots. The best part is being able to take 2000k + pics and not have to worry about running dry or storing another Li-ion.

The grip itself is sturdy and reliable, makes for a much better shooting experience both vertically and horizontally. Makes gripping the camera easier in general with any type of lens espeacially heave glass. You can hold it walking around with out that feeling its going to slip out of your hand as your fingers can really secure themselves.

Strong enough to work on my Manfrotto with no torque shake and is even strong enough to carry around locked to your pod provided you have a metal shoe and trust your gear.

GREAT VALUE AND NO COMPLAINTS

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It wasnt actually the item i was expecting because i was expecting a Zeikos MB-D80 but instead I got a vivitar MB-D80 it works great but it wasnt what i was expecting. But other than that I was a great addition to my business.

Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom

The Camedia body design has always been traditional, which I've favored over Sony's outlandish model F717 & F828 body/lens layout. The C8080 has a nicely refined body style. It's a compact 4.75" wide, by 4.7" deep, and 3.4" high. For old-school film SLR users like myself, it resembles that look and feel. The ergonomics is just about perfect. It's a real joy to hold, even with one hand. The controls are easy to see and become acquainted with. The shutter lag is almost undetectable. And if you set it for continuous frames (1.6 fps), it will give you 3 to 5 shots in quick succession. The lens and picture quality is up to par with the previous Camedias. Olympus lenses are outstanding. The 8 megapixels sure help.

The things I like about the C8080 are: 2 memory card slots (CF and XD)and you can toggle between the 2 cards. So if you have a 512 MB capacity for both cards, that's 1024 MB total. If you want more, get an IBM 1GB microdrive. You don't have to download software. Plug into the USB 2 in your PC, and you're in business (Win XP os). The viewfinder is electronic, which saves on battery consumption. The display screen can tilt up or down, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It's very comfortable to hold and shoot. And of course, it's got 8 megapixels. The thing I don't like about the C8080 is you have to remove the battery to charge it.

For pro-level amateurs and professionals, I recommend it highly.

If your like me and dont have a bunch of lenses already there that could be added to the camera as in the Canon Rebel then the next best choice is to try to get a camera that has all you need in one camera. This camera also feels better than any other camera I tried. And I tried them all, HP, Canon, Minolta, Fuji, Sony, and Olympus less expensive older models.

That is what I see is one of the main advantages of the Olympus C-8080. It is a very flexible highly featured camera. The lenses on it feature both wide and telephoto capabilities and Olympus has taken the time to make sure that the lense does well in these areas. They were special produced for this camera.

I have been able to get some excellent image quality out of my Olympus C-8080 so far. By excellent I mean that there is alot of detail in mid tones. Some of the noise artifacts in high contrast areas in other cameras such as purple hazing seem to either not be there or greatly reduced. In other words I have not seen that as an issue. This is attributable to a new CCD for the camera that impliments cyan dots into the color capture system. I love the extra colors I am getting from the CCD on board that has increased my color ranges in blues and greens as well as neutral shadow areas.

Olympus also implimented an anti noise feature in this camera that is said to help with those issues.

This camera is complex. It will take alot of time to be able to use all its featured capabilities. The menu system is intuitive and very customizable.

Am I glad I bought it? Yes definitely.

Also look at the built in historgram. Better than any of the competion. That is because it has a historgram in a historgram. You can learn on line how to use historgrams and then that feature will mean more.

Negatives:

Red laser focus system can be blinding for shooting portraits

lack of stablization system like Minolta uses

Lack of illuminated controls for night shooting

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Make sure your read the last paragraph of this review to see why an outstanding camera gets only three stars.

Before buying this camera I read a variety of professional reviews on various websites. The consensus seemed to be that this was the best of the lot of the new 8 megapixel cameras. As a lifetime Canon owner who also has a Canon D60 6.3mp SLR digital camera I was disappointed that the new Canon Pro1 didn't get as high ratings, but I believe that quality pics beats any brand loyalty that I might have.

I was in the market for one of these new high resolution cameras because I wanted something to carry around for quick shots when I didn't want the trouble of lugging my Canon D60 and a host of lenses.

I took it on a recent trip in to the California coastal mountains. I was totally pleased with the results. The professional reviewers were all concerned with noise in higher ISO settings for this breed of cameras. All of my pictures were shot in the range of ISO 100 to 160 in bright light. I used Photoshop to greatly enlarge pictures taken at 100 and 160 and compared them for noise. ISO 160 pics were noisier, but still printed out clear 7.125 by 9.5 prints. Colors were very accurate, and I noticed no significant distortion.

The large number of buttons and menus posed no real problems for me. You just work yourself gradually into this, and soon you are at ease. I particularly liked the button on the top that allows you to make a custom setting. I use it for ISO settings, making it a breeze to quickly change ISO when I want to.

What criticisms can I make? Here's my brief list:

1. Buttons on the top right of the camera are very crowded, and it takes a while to get used to them, and not be changing the wrong one. I find it somewhat difficult to hold down the custom button and rotate the selector wheel at the same time.

2. I am not too enthralled with the electronic viewfinder. I found it sometimes difficult to see things clearly, and colors were harder to detect as accurately as in a normal viewfinder. I particularly had problems adjusting a circular polarizer filter to best effect.

3. I am used to manually zooming an SLR camera, and the power zoom on the c-8080 is a bit frustrating. It is difficult to zoom to the exact point that you want. You keep over and under zooming it. But I suppose this is a problem found on most power zoom cameras.

As most professional reviewers have noted, this camera is built like the photographic equivalent of a tank. It feels solid and indestructible, a heft that you usually find only on very expensive professional cameras.

Oh yes. Why did I give this camera only a three star rating. When I received the camera the software disk was broken. The disk is important insofar as Olympus is too cheap to provide a complete manual with the camera, and a further 180 pages or so of it are on the disk. Three phone calls and an email, and over a month later I get a software disk in the mail. But it's not for the c-8080. Another phone call and I am told the that the c-8080 disks come only with the camera itself. They have no extras, and I will simply have to do with this one which is written for other cameras. It supposedly will suffice for the camera to computer interface, although the c-8080 is missing from the reference manual of listed cameras. When I first called and waited on hold for a long long time no one even new how to deal with this problem. I was given the run around from department to department to department. You better hope that nothing is damaged in shipment, and that you never ever need tech support from them.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom Here

After some extensive research on 8-megapixel digital cameras, I decided on the Olympus C-8080 for several reasons. I'll highlight a few of them below.

* The magnesium cased Olympus C-8080 has a quality feel to it in my hands. It feels solid. This camera won't creak or flex when handled like some of the others I tried.

* The Olympus C-8080 power up time is extremely fast which is important for catching those special moments. It has one of the fastest power up times of any 8-megapixel camera.

* The C-8080 has one of the best lenses available in its class with just the right balance of range and speed... The lens is rather large for good light gathering ability. It's also very sharp. At 5x and 28mm 140mm (35mm equivalent) range, some might lean more toward a camera with a broader optical range sacrificing speed and quality. For me, it's about quality not quantity! I find that I often use 28mm indoors where space is limited or for those wide outdoor scenic shots. And 140mm is usually sufficient for most of my 'telephoto' needs. You can also purchase optional adapters for wider angle or more zoom if you find it necessary.

* Battery life on this camera is top notch... it's one of the longest lasting and far superior to most other 8-megapixel cameras. Although I own 2 batteries for my Olympus C-8080, I have yet to need more than one for an entire day of shooting. My findings pretty much mirror what the professional reviewers have tested with regard to long battery life on the Olympus C-8080. I have yet to see my 'low battery' indicator come on!

I should also mention that I wear eye glasses which is a problem for me with some viewfinders. Not so with the Olympus C-8080. The ring surrounding the viewfinder is rubberized and when I place the lens from my eye glasses up against the view finder, I can see the entire frame clearly and comfortably. The viewfinder also has a diopter adjustment to compensate for less than perfect vision.

Some people have commented that the controls on the Olympus are a bit confusing. The camera is very versatile with many features and I've gotten used to the controls. Also, the power on/off button is located fairly close to the shutter release button but I got used to this within just a few minutes. It really isn't a problem. Unless you're seriously lacking in manual dexterity, you'll get used to it very quickly.

Also, don't skimp on the memory card. I have a 512MB xD card in the camera and keep a blank 256MB card in my pocket in case I fill up the first card before getting a chance to download all the images to my PC. I might just get a 512MB CompactFlash card as well since the camera has a slot for both xD and CF style memory cards.

To quote another reviewer, the Olympus C-8080 is the one to get!

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Some thoughts from an amateur having been using it for a while. Note that my overall score is high and I'm very happy with this camera: bang for the buck this is great.

So these comments are deliberately critical since I think that's what most people want to know about. If something really cool stands out such as dark frame subtraction on this camera for us astronomers then I'll point it out.

1. Do not look at this camera as a 'point and shoot, slip it in my pocket' sort of camera. This is big, has many functions and can be overwhelming at first if you're new to this level of camera. That said the functionality and positioning of features is exemplary: for example the dual use of buttons to allow quick access to features and settings. Also, assuming you've got the camera setup how you want it you can flick it on and be snapping away pretty quickly; the 'user setting modes' are great in this regard, since you can save different types of setup to allow quick access.

2. In auto focus mode, the camera can be a little slow to focus and you can miss your intended photo moment frustrating! You can set it to manual focus mode, but that can be slower since there isn't a focus ring for you to turn a-la-SLR. You have to use the buttons to focus and that can be tricky with your eye wedged up to the viewfinder on sunny days!

3. A full printed manual isn't provided it is online on the CD only. I think that is cheap, Olympus!

4. I'm an astrophotographer and so far I've only been able to take piggy-back shots (not a problem with the camera I just need to make some adapters). Dark frame subtraction in night mode is extremely useful, but so far it seems the noise generated by the CCD is too much for it to handle, even in relatively short exposures (on a 75 degree F night at ISO400). I'm going to try slower ASO speeds since that should improve it a litle, and I know cooler evenings will help a great deal, but still not off to a great start. Also, cooling would help but at 800 bucks you can't get everything! ;-) ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this camera works OK as an astrophotography camera, but basically you get what you pay for. Because it isn't an SLR, it is difficult to achieve focus using the camera with it's fixed lens, through an eyepieve and into the telescope. hugely magnified and actually too much noise to speak of. I'm persevering, but I'd recommend the extra step to an SLR if you're going to be into astrophotography (Canon 20D)

5. The remote shutter release doesn't plug into the camera: you have to buy a power battery holder and plug the shutter release into that. That seemed a little stupid to me and just an excuse by Olympus to make you buy more stuff.

6. I find it very frustrating that you can't plug the camera in to the mains (with the optional mains adapter) and CHARGE the battery with it still in the camera. You have to remove the battery and use the separate battery charger. That means more stuff to carry and that's annoying.

7. Battery life seemed exceptionally good to me, but because of the charging scenario described above, I would get a spare battery

8. Video quality is good: I've taken a few but for some reason I have to convert them on my PC, presumably because of some coding issues (they import into Adobe Photo Album v2.0 but won't play). ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this is now resolved and is not an issue related to this product, but rather some clash in load order between Adobe and Quicktime.

9. I don't like Camedia Master, whatever version. I'd personally recommend the use of a separate photo manager and ditch Camedia. The only useful thing I've gotten out of it so far is stitching some panorama shots together, which worked quite well but it won't stay installed on my PC just to do that! Other software can do that, too!

Overall? I like the camera and it's taking some great shots that have printed onto 11x14 photo paper to produce stunning images. I find it comfortable, easy to use (after a simple learning curve) and everything you'd reasonably expect from a camera at this level.

So far, though, I haven't been that impressed with the night time photography but I'll be able to test that extensively soon so will update this review at that time. ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: my conclusion for astrophotography is it is worth saving some extra pennies and going for an SLR (the Canon 20D). For daytime shooting, this camera has produced some stunning shots and I'm extremely pleased with it.

Happy shopping

JB

Nikon COOLPIX S9500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 22x Zoom and GPS (Black)

I have had a Nikon Coolpix S600 for 5-6 years now and it has been my go to camera to have around because of it's handy size and it has never let me down, except that recently the zoom function is intermittently working. So, I decided to replace it with the S9500 and just got it this past week and really wanted to put it through the paces a bit to see how functional it would be around town and in the field.

The wi-if transfer is really handy when your out and about and want to transfer photos to a cell phone or tablet that has data capability so they can be uploaded to a website or to just back them up on another device. I used my iPad and the free app from Nikon called Wireless Mobile Utility (WMU) which can be found in the App Store, it's really quick and easy to use. It also allows you to setup your camera and remotely take pictures with the app, I found that I could only be about 30 feet away from the camera with my iPad before the wi-if signal was lost so it has range limitations.

The 22x zoom is fantastic for this size of a camera, it takes really nice clear photos even zoomed all the way out. The anti vibration works well also if you al moving about and taking action shots.

One big complaint I have so far is the placement of the record button for starting video recording. I have hit this button numerous times on accident and there is no way to disable the video record function, it's always at the ready when you are in photo mode.

I will probably update after more use (especially in low light situations), but so far this camera is great for what I will use it for. I love concerts so that is my main point of having a camera and then for family/friend get togethers. I love the zoom on this camera and the many functions it comes with. I can easily and quickly touch up photos right on the camera, which is a great function. The GPS is there too, if needed, but I haven't really had the need to test that out. It powers on quick, there are several settings to choose from, the look and feel of the camera is great! I'm not too fond of where the flash is because I always end up putting my finger there to take a picture and have to remove it for the flash to come up, but that's just a habit I'll have to start putting my finger elsewhere!

I originally went in to buy the Nikon P510 because I heard that was great in low light and has amazing zoom, but it was just too big for me at this time. Maybe down the road I'll go toward that size, but it's not for me right now and was informed the S9500 had really good zoom and low light qualities as well.

Two reasons for the 4 stars are:

You have to charge the battery IN the camera. The camera doesn't come with an external battery charger. I had to buy an external charger (another $20) that plugs directly into the wall without the cord to charge the battery outside of the camera. Nikon does sell an external batter charger for this but it's a charger that has a 4 ft cord that plugs into the wall case that came with the camera, again, not very functional unless you don't mind a long cord to charge your battery. The cord for me would have sufficed if I couldn't find a different charger, but I did. This comes in a few days so if it works, great! If not, then I will go back and get the corded charger.

The second reason is the WiFi. Not a deal breaker for me, but it seems to be a bit finicky and doesn't stay connected very long. The app needed for the WiFi isn't the greatest and the functions are very limited and you will need to set the settings on your camera to where they need to be before connecting WiFi because once WiFi is on, you cannot change settings on your camera (unless I'm missing something), only through your phone and those functions are limited to zooming in and out and is not quick at all. It also took me some time to get the WiFi to connect, but I think this was because the instructions on it weren't the clearest.

Overall, great camera for what I will use it for and the WiFi and battery aren't deal breakers for me. I will update later once I put it to test in a concert setting.

Update 4/28/13: I took this camera to a concert last night and was rather impressed. It took great pictures in the low light and the zoom is awesome! I didn't zoom to the fullest as it wasn't needed, but am impressed. And my battery was hardly used at all and I took about 100 pictures within a matter of a few hours.

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In the couple of weeks I've had the camera, I've really enjoyed it. In good light, it takes great pictures with vibrant colors and the flash works very well. The menu system is well designed which provides easy access to all of the camera's functions. I especially like the GPS features and panorama and 3D modes. Of course, the 22x zoom is great.

One big problem however is the cameras operation in even moderately low light situations. There are times when it refuses to focus even in normal indoor lighting especially when the zoom is being used. This prevents even taking a flash photo. It's especially frustrating since it seems to start out with a good focus and then veers away from it when it locks in. I'm hoping this is just a bug that could be fixed in firmware. My son's camera from a competitor works perfectly every time in identical situations.

The omission of an AC adaptor that allows operation of the camera (in addition to charging) is baffling. The cumbersome battery substitute adaptor is a poor alternative to this obvious feature. Not a deal breaker though.

Most importantly, certain basic functions are missing from the firmware. It's as if a marketing guy told the engineers to get rid of every extra item that could confuse a user rather than sensibly tucking them away into a separate area for when the user gains more experience. Here is a list of seemingly simple changes that I hope find their way into a firmware update before I have to decide whether to return the camera:

1. Get rid of the GPS log warning when powering down or at least let the user dismiss it. Waiting 10 seconds before you can put it back in your pocket gets annoying very quickly.

2. Provide basic shutter and aperture priority modes. The camera often makes wrong decisions, especially in dim light, and this would provide a fallback.

3. Provide additional focus modes for infinity (without having to be limited to a landscape scene) and maybe a distance focus control for situations where the automatic modes don't work. This may not be necessary if the engineers can get the low light focusing to work properly.

4. Allow control over how long the preview shows after taking a picture.

5. Allow edited images (zoomed, softened, etc) to be transferred via wifi. The instructions don't say they can't be transferred but they are disabled with an X through them on my iPhone with the Nikon app.

6. Allow full res images to be transferred to a smart phone via wifi.

There are probably more missing basic features but these are the ones I noticed right away. The first three especially are reason enough to return the camera if they are not fixed. It would be a shame for such a great camera to be hobbled by substandard firmware. Since I generally enjoy using the camera, I really hope Nikon is listening and has the technical skills to fix the problems.

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I was excited to get this camera as I'd had earlier versions of this Coolpix series and overall they are great cameras. It takes a good photo and is easy to use. But after using it for about 2 weeks, it started freezing after taking a few shots. I'd have to take the battery out to reboot and after that it would work for a few shots. The problem is getting progressively worse and I'm sending it back today for repair. For it's class this is a relatively expensive camera and it's disappointing to find this problem with the Nikon. Now in surfing the net I see that this is a more systemic problem than a one off outlier as I see others are reporting this too.

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The Nikon S9500's wide angle and premium zoom were excellent features that worked well. I had the camera for one day when the battery, after a couple dozen shots needed to be recharged. It charged for several hours but the error message was only ever "battery exhausted." I was exhausted trying to get it to charge. This camera seemed to have a lot of potential but didn't want the headache of dealing with something that didn't work well right out of the box so I took it back.

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JVC BN-VF714U 3 Hour Recording Data Battery for GR Models

This is much better than the battery supplied with the camera but I prefer the bigger battery available for this really cool camera, the JVC BN-VF733. CAUTION, don't be fooled (like I was) by buying so called "compatable" batteries, they do not work. The money you think you are saving is better spent buying the real thing.

James Hatsis

James1@OconeeAirService.com

First of all, the camera that this goes to is slightly dissappointing. That's beside the point of this review though. The reason you are probably looking at this product is because you might be tired of the standard battery's short lifespan. This product lives up to the three hour life when you use it in viewfinder mode. The only thing I don't like about the battery is the size. It extends further than the standard one and it's almost embarrasing to have it. Other than the size the battery is a great and I would say must have accessory for this particular camera.

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I've had this battery for a month or so, and upon each consecutive use/charge, I'd have to say I'm pleased. When fully charged, the camera's battery indicator usually says about 170-180 min total-use time... which is about what it claims. It DOES take awhile to re-charge... about 2 1/2 hrs IN the camera, but that's not too bad.

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I bought this battery as I had a two hour concert to record, and I figured a three hour battery would be ample. Using it with the JVC hard drive camcorder, I get a maximum of two hours battery life, not three. Maybe with a different camcorder it is three hours, but not mine.

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I was counting on a THREE HOUR working battery. After all, that's what it says it gives you. So far all I get from it, after more than a month of use, is two hour, max...

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