Fujifilm FinePix JX250 14MP Digital Camera 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD plus BONUS Fujifilm 4GB SDHC Class 6 Card & Fujifilm Fitted Leather Camera Case Plus USB Card Reader/Writer Review

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(More customer reviews)The video clip was taken with my JX250 in my living room to demonstrate its optical zooming in movie mode as well as its indoor video quality. The video size was set to the lowest setting, 320x240 (QVGA). The 43-second clip takes up 24.5MB, in AVI format. Notice that there is no sound during zooming, and there is a clicking sound at the end of each zoom -- it came from the lens refocusing at the end of the zoom. Towards the end of the clip I tried to shoot a scene outside the window but the thick window screen prevented the camera from focusing properly.
The JX250 is a new ultra-compact 14MP 5x optical zoom digicam released by Fujifilm USA in April 2010. It's really small, measuring 2.7"x2.2"x0.7", and weighs 4.5 oz. including battery and SD card. (Yep, this Fuji takes an SD/SDHC card, not the old xD memory card.) The camera body's metal construction makes it feel solid and high-quality.
The JX250 is designed as an "idiot-proof" camera, meaning it's got all the automatic modes but little manual control. Indeed, the only semi-manual controls are exposure compensation, white balance choice, and ISO setting (100-1600, up to 3200 in 3MP or lower).
As is always the case with ultra-compact cameras, picture quality is not something you'd be boasting about. For an ultra-compact the JX250 takes very good ourdoor shots and decent indoor shots. Note that this camera does not have Fuji's famous SuperCCD technology, which makes the indoor shots not as good as the Fuji's with SuperCCD; in other words, its indoor image quality is average when compared to other name-brand ultra-compacts like Casio, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, or Olympus. The JX250 is best used as a companion "little camera" to a workhorse camera with better picture quality, such as a digital SLR or a compact (not ultra-compact) from Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Casio, or Fujifilm's own bigger offerings.
The JX250 has 5x optical zoom, yielding a zoom range of 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format equivalent, which is admirable for an ultra-compact. At the 28mm end, you're getting wide angle, great for scenic shots. It's only appropriate that this camera has a panorama mode. The lens is Fujinon, which is a high-quality brandname in the lens business.
The optical zoom operates very fast -- and you can zoom optically in movie mode, whether you're shooting in 720p, VGA or QVGA. Three things to note, though: first, sound is not recorded during optical zooming, you'll just get silence as you operate the zoom lever; second, at the end of the zoom, as the lens refocuses, the mechanical sound is recorded and can be heard, which can be annoying; third, I think the zoom is too fast for fine control. But it's really nice to have optical video zoom.
As a still image camera, the JX250 offers scene recognition as well as smile detection, face detection and blink detection. Indoor shots with flash are surprisingly good (at least for an ultra-compact). When shooting, you can choose the have the framing grid displayed, which is recommended for good framing practice. (This grid allows you to follow the "shoot in the thirds" rule.)
Typical of consumer-grade digicams, there is noticeable, 1/2-second shutter delay. (If you want zero shutter delay, get a digital SLR.) There is a convenient "silent mode" which turns off speaker, flash and self-timer lamp. (Hmm, I wonder if someone is going to use this as a spy cam, which, of course, may be illegal in your locale.) The JX250 uses SDHC cards and has 24MB of internal memory which can be used in an emergency. The LCD screen is 2.7 inches diagonally; out-of-box, there is this thin protective film over it, which you may want to leave it be to protect the LCD. The physically small LiIon rechargable battery is rated 720mAh and about 180 shots (half with flash); as always, I recommend a spare battery, especially if you plan to travel with this camera. Initial battery charging took about 90 minutes at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The companion software is compatible with Windows (all versions) and MacOS. The JX250 comes in black and silver; both colors are available at my local Costco, where I bought this for under 130.
In short, I find the JX250 to be an excellent secondary digital camera that can be taken anywhere (except under water) and allows you to capture pictures in a hurry (except situations that require 0 shutter delay). It supports 720p movie mode with optical zooming and despite the limitations in sound recording, makes a good personal video camera, too.

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The FinePix JX250 employs a 14-megapixel CCD, a 2.7-inch high-res LCD and a Fujinon 5x wide-angle (28mm-140mm) optical zoom lens. Soft, curved edges give it a sculpted, sophisticated look. Encased in a high-grade brushed aluminum metal body, it's not only well protected from bumps and scrapes, but features a simple, yet elegant design. The JX250 also has a new mode dial for additional convenience and functionality.HighlightsHD CapabilityThe new J-Series models all offer stunning movies in 720p with sound and high quality stills at 1920x1080. Tracking Auto FocusPreviously featured on Fujifilm's DSLR-style FinePix, the new J-Series models feature Tracking Auto Focus which is perfect for when you need to take a picture of a moving subject and can't keep your subject in the frame. Just switch Tracking Auto Focus on and it will track your subject and ensure that you achieve a crisp picture with you subject in the center of the frame in perfect focus.Smile & Blink DetectionPhotos are all too often spoiled by people blinking or grimacing. Smile Detection works with Fujifilm's highly-acclaimed Face Detection technology to detect smiles on faces: it will not take a picture until it detects a smile, so you're guaranteed happy shots! Another new feature is Blink Detection which warns you if you have captured an image with people blinking, to reshoot if necessary.Additional Features• Digital Image Stabilization reduces image blur and offers creative adaptability and excellent picture quality.• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, each J-Series model is fitted with Fujifilm's latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically

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Samsung TL240 - Digital camera - compact - 14.2 Mpix - optical zoom: 7 x - supported memory: microSD, microSDHC - black Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, I did a lot of research before buying a camera. I wanted a good compact camera that had decent features, but still worked well. After finding this is looked really nice. But I wanted to distinguish it from others. Like say.. the nikon with the OLED touch display. This one only has the WVGA touch display. Well, after handling them both at a local Best Buy, there is no competition on the screens.
The samsung is so much better! Possibly the best touch display, or display in general on a compact camera! It was so quick, responsive and the colors were fantastic. The touch was just as good as the nikon but it also has the accelerometer to go through the pics. Plus you can do stuff like draw an X on the screen to delete them. Its just so well done.
The camera design itself also looks great. It feels strong, sturdy, comfortable. They didn't overlook anything. They
even have a slight angle so you can set it down to take self portraits. The shutter button is slightly tilted for better grip. The screen also covers the whole back except a small spot with grips for your right hand to hold it.
The lens is solid too. It takes good photos and the 7x zoom is wonderful. I like the little daVinci inspired design is cool too. It shows what the lens is by reflection when the lens is extended. I am a huge fan of Nikon, and this is my first non nikon. But after a lot of researching, and now using, I see why everyone said the schneider kruzach lenses were better than the Nikkor.
What is also good to note, is that sure it has a lot of good hardware, but how is the software!? Well.. its wonderful. Its just he little things. It has motion tracking so once it focuses it will follow it and snap the photo when the object stops. It has a good timer, that even adds the motion tracking for a great feature! You set the timer, then go and join the photo, and when everyone stops moving, it will take the picture. One of my favorite things, that I always had problems with before, was focusing on a obscure part of the photo. You can actually tap on the screen what you want to focus on, and it will!
I use a mac, so I don't use anything other than aperture for importing so that will depend on your computer.
Overall! This is a great camera. Stand up software, and hardware that can't be beat. Samsung has been iffy for a while especially in the camera area, but after this new line up, they are back in the game. And they are in it to win.

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Samsung proudly introduces another in its line of leading edge digital camera technology. The Samsung TL240 lets you see every scene in a completely new and exciting way. A host of top-ranked features and technologies, turns this camera into a true must-have. And the small, handheld size makes it easy to take it with you everywhere you go. The TL240's 31mm wide angle lens plus 7x optical zoom gives you a wider shooting range from a shorter distance with more flexibility than 35mm cameras. Capture images of beautiful landscapes, entire wedding parties and skyscrapers without having to back up to get the shot. The precisely cut 31mm optical lens delivers clear, clean images with even resolution from center to edges.

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Sony DSC-W350 14.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch LCD (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking for a small camera to keep with me when I didn't want to lug my big and heavy pro grade DSLR, and I'm finding the Sony generally works out for me pretty well. It's easy-to-use and relatively high performance for a compact point and shoot camera, and it's capable of producing good images under a wide range of conditions when used properly.
I usually start my camera shopping by paying close attention to the lens, and the Sony comes with a Carl-Zeiss 4x zoom, biased towards the wide-angle end of the spectrum. I generally favor less zoom range if it means getting a higher quality picture, and this is exactly the approach Sony implements. Yes, you can get 5x - even 10x - zooms in camera like these, but in my experience, the sacrifice in image quality isn't worth it. Sony's 4x tends to mean I get pretty solid lens performance in a useful zoom range. To be clear, any DSLR with a good quality lens will beat the pants off the small lens on this sort of compact camera, but that's the nature of the beast...besides, if I'm doing something where absolute best performance is a requirement, I'm carrying my heavy-duty DSLR and lenses that cost ten times what this Sony does - that's not the mission I have in mind for the Sony anyway.
The 14.1MP sensor seems to be high quality, so long as you're using the camera in well and evenly lit conditions. Where the camera struggles somewhat is low light (high ISO), or when there is substantial dynamic range (difference between brightest and darkest parts of an image). Under good conditions - bright and evenly lit - the sensor provides excellent detail, certainly way more than adequate for email, web sites or prints up to maybe A3 (13x19 inch) size. Still, under more challenging lighting, the Sony may be a bit disappointing...where a large DSLR can capture details in highlights and shadow, the Sony tends to blow out the highlights or will transform shadows into a sea of black. Again, this is really normal for cameras with small image sensors - the Sony's performance is very good indeed considering the small form factor and product price point.
The camera's built-in software is also very good, helping to capture lots of detail even as images are compressed to manageable sized JPG files. In Photoshop, I compared a Sony-compressed image to a similar image taken by a pro grade DSLR, and there are few if any differences due to the image processing. Noise reduction and sharpening is handled well, and there are few digital artifacts visible. This is really the best performance I've seen for a camera in this price range.
In terms of construction quality, the camera is solid and seems to be well built. Most of the controls are easy to use, and you don't get the sense of "fighting" against it. The 2.7" LCD display is sharp and easy to use, although it can be a bit difficult in bright sunlight or for those like me with aging eyes that struggle with small text on the screen. Performance is generally quick, and you're not waiting for the camera to figure out what to do next. The camera is small, and one thing that helps me is Sony's well-designed image stabilization feature. I tend to have a hard time holding small cameras steady, and image stabilization helps me get sharp photos in most conditions.
Sony adds a number of cool features, such as Sweep Panorama, that allows you to take multiple pictures of a scene, and then have them "stitched" together in the camera for a wide panorama view. I have similar software in Photoshop to do this, but it's cool to see it implemented right in the camera. Sony also provides a workable HDR (High Dynamic Range) capability in the camera, giving you a way to handle certain otherwise difficult scenes. Both of these features make up for camera limitations, such as low dynamic range capabilities of small sensors and the limited zoom range. Sony also makes it easy to upload photos and videos to popular sharing sites, saving you a few steps from doing this on the computer.
The camera can also record HD (720p) video clips up to half an hour long. I rarely use this feature, so other than to say it works, I'll leave that one to other reviewers.
I considered several other choices from Nikon, Canon, Pentax and even the new Leica X1. I like Nikon because the software and menus are the same as my DSLR (also a Nikon). Canon seemed to produce slightly better image quality. I've owned several Pentax point-and-shoot digital cameras and found them rugged and long lasting. And of course, the Leica is in a class by itself in terms of quality. Still, while all of these competitors offered unique advantages, the overall package of price and performance seemed to be best with the Sony - at least today.
Overall, considering the price, I'm happy with the Sony DSC-W350 and would recommend it to anyone wanting a low-cost, easy to use digital camera that gives good quality images under a wide variety of conditions.


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The DSC-W350 captures images with amazing detail with its Carl Zeiss 26mm wide angle 4x zoom lens.Take breathtaking panoramas in Sweep panorama mode and review them on a 2.7" LCD.Record 720p high definition movies while Optical SteadyShot\' image stabilization, iAuto and Face Motion Detection makes taking great images in various conditions easy.

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