Top Digital Cameras Reviewed to Date:

Looking for the best budget, ultra zoom, compact camera or Digital SLR? Then why not have a look at these Highly Recommended cameras:

Best Budget	Best Zoom	Best Compact	Best DSLR	Best Tech
Panasonic FS7	Panasonic TZ6	Panasonic FX150	Canon EOS 450D	Olympus E-P1
Canon A590 IS	Panasonic TZ5	Fujifilm F70EXR	Olympus E-420	Fujifilm F70EXR
Sony W220	Canon SX110 IS	Canon IXUS 980 IS	Olympus E-P1	Ricoh CX2

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Latest Digital Camera Reviews

Lego Camera 3mp	Ricoh CX2	Panasonic Lumix FS7

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Samsung ST550 TL225 Review - This One's Good!

The new Samsung ST550 (aka TL225) features dual LCDs - a touch screen at the back, and a 1.5" screen at the front for self-portraits etc. The ST550 features a high resolution 3.5" 1,152k pixel touch screen, a 12 megapixel sensor, a wide angle 4.6x optical zoom lens (27mm - 124mm), 720p HD video recording, optical image stabilisation, and 18.9mm thin body. The ST550 is available from £179 in black and purple, silver, gold, black, or orange.

Samsung have this to say: "Delivering an unrivalled user experience, the ST550's hidden 1.5" LCD located on the front of the camera allows you to take accurate portraits using the front image as a guide. Couple this with a huge 3.5" LCD that boasts the best resolution yet and you have a real winner. Storage medium: Micro SD card (not included)." read more on Samsung's Website.

View our Samsung ST550 / TL225 Sample Photo Gallery
Continue reading our Samsung ST550 / TL225 Review Here

Specifications / Features:

• 12.2 megapixels
• 4.6x optical zoom - 27mm Wide angle lens
• Dual Image Stabilisation - Digital Image Stabilisation and Anti-shake Sensor
• 3.5” LCD with haptic feedback
• Smart Gesture UI
• Perfect Self timer
• Perfect Self-portrait
• Face detection (up to 10)
• Blink detection
• Smile detection
• Beauty shot
• 720P HD Movie / H.264 Format (1280x720) HDMI
• Smart Face Recognition
• Smart Auto Mode (Scene Recognition)
• Scene mode
• Smart album
• Recycle bin
• Auto Contrast Balance
• ISO80 - 3200
• Li-on Battery, in camera charging system
• Storage medium Micro-SD card (not included)

Box Contents:

• Samsung ST550 / ST225 Digital Camera
• USB Wall adapter (USB cable connects to this)
• Samsung USB Connector to USB Cable
• Samsung USB out to A/V Cable
• Wrist Strap
• CD Rom User Manual PDF
• SLB-07A 720mAh 3.7v Lithium Ion Battery

A case isn't provided and I would highly recommend you invest in one, as well as a screen cleaning cloth as it quickly attracts fingerprints.

Picture size and Quality: Options are 12mp, 10mp (3:2), 9mp (16:9), 8mp, 5mp, 3mp, 2mp (16:9), 1mp, with three compression options: Superfine, Fine, and Normal. Higher quality images take a large amount of memory, so a high capacity memory card is definitely recommended, unless you're prepared to sacrifice image size or compression to fit more pictures in memory. There is a good choice of image sizes, compression options and aspect ratios.

Battery: The battery life was a little disappointing as I could only get about 100 - 140 shots on one charge. Luckily the ability to charge the camera through the USB cable helps combat this, because every time you transfer pictures from the camera to your computer you are charging the camera again.

Memory cards: A large memory card is relatively cheap, and highly recommended, I would recommend at a bare minimum a 1gb memory card, if you intend to take fine JPEG images, and preferably a 2gb memory card, or larger. The larger the memory card, the more photos you will be able to take. If you are likely to go on holiday then the largest memory card you can afford would definitely be worth investing in, as you don't always know when you will next be at a computer. You can use MicroSD or MicroSDHC memory cards. Have a look at our guide to digital camera memory cards or our article what size memory card should I buy?

Speed: The camera is generally quite quick - not noticeably slow. However the camera takes 3.3 seconds to switch on and take it's first photo which is a little slow - switching off the startup image speeds things up and it then takes 1.6 seconds to switch on and take a photo. Continuous shooting shoots at 1fps. Shot to shot time is around 2 seconds with preview off. Focus is quick at around 0.3 seconds, and shutter response is very quick at under 0.1 seconds (normally 0.05s).

Ease of Use (and Menu): The camera is easy to use - and the menu is fairly straightforward. The only difficulty is when you need to select a different mode by tilting the camera - if you've just been passed the camera then it doesn't come automatically to mind. There is a smart auto mode that helps for beginners, along with a number of scene modes, and the options are clear and easy to press without being too small. Image stabilisation should also help get clearer photos.

Ergonomics and buttons: The camera is very stylish - and looks much better in real life than in the pictures - although there isn't much of a hand grip and it's a little slippery at times so use the wrist strap is highly recommended. One downside for me was that the camera uses MicroSD cards which are small and fiddly compared to normal SD cards. The zoom control is also rather small.

Image Quality: The lens is good, providing a decent wide angle lens and a good amount of zoom, and image quality is generally good. The macro mode is good. View sample photos in the Samsung ST550 / TL225 Gallery.

Video: It records 720P HD videos as .MP4 files, with sound and has H.264 compression that means you should fit long videos onto your memory cards. Optical zoom is available however sound is muted when you use it. Video quality is very good. (Video grab shown above - click to enlarge - or watch the video on youtube)

Dynamic Range Mode: The Samsung has a feature called ACB - Auto Contrast Brightness - it adjusts the photo to give more detail in shadows and highlights and can work quite well.

The back screen is very high resolution - 1152k pixels - compared to the normal average of 230k this is very impressive - and photo viewing is a very good experience on the large bright screen. The front screen can be difficult to see in bright sunlight, however the back screen is good in most conditions.

Image Quality: Image quality is generally good - with good colour, detail, and low noise. Occasionally images seemed a little soft (however this could be due to the camera's small size and difficulty to hold firmly - it could also be due to the camera favouring lower ISO settings, rather than boosting the ISO) and there was some red-eye in flash photos. I didn't notice any vignetting (darkened corners). 8/10

Everything else (the camera as a whole): The camera is available in a number of colours as long as you want black - the colour that you can choose from is only on a small part of the camera. But nevertheless the camera looks good, and feels like a well built camera. The main selling point of the ST500 / ST550 is the front 1.5" screen which is great feature to have especially if you're socially active (or even if you're just social on the internet, on facebook or twitter for example). With the ST550, the large 3.5" screen on the back is very impressive with a very high resolution of 1152k pixels, and the touch-screen is good to use as well. The camera has a very good HD video mode, a 27mm wide angle lens, image stabilisation, and good macro mode. Better battery life would be useful. Is there anything missing? It would be nice if there was a rubber grip on the front and back, and a high speed backlit CMOS sensor. (And manual controls - although I think this would a step too far for the intended market) 9.5/10

Value for Money: Good - initially the price was quite high but over the months the price has become much better value for money - and is priced competitively with other compact cameras - and has one of the best touch screens available, and Samsung is in a unique position or being the only manufacturer to offer a front screen. Other compact cameras worth considering include the: Canon Digital IXUS 210 IS and 130 IS, Panasonic Lumix FP1, FP2, and FP3, Sony Cybershot TX7, and Olympus Tough 8010, or for more zoom the: Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR. 8/10

Conclusion: I've used a few Samsung cameras in the past and been a little disappointed, but not with this one! The front screen is useful, clear, and fun for social events - friends really like taking photos of themselves with it - so you tend to capture genuine smiles with it. The huge 3.5" touch screen on the back is very good - better than a lot of touch-screens on mobile phones! And the way you can tilt the camera to choose modes and scroll through photos is quite neat once you get used to it. (Although it can be confusing for people who want to switch from photo to video mode, and don't know how to do it). Image quality is good, and the camera provides a useful zoom range, and set of features, such as a very good HD video mode, the camera also fits very neatly into small pockets making it easy to take with you everywhere you go.

Samsung ST550 / TL225 Rating: Recommended (8.5/10)
Check for the latest prices on Amazon UK

What I Like:
Excellent 3.5" touch screen with high resolution
Fun Front screen
Good wide angle 4.6x optical zoom lens
Compact and stylish metal body
Recycle Bin (can undelete photos)
Good photo quality
Very good HD video quality
Good macro mode
Optical zoom available on videos (sound muted)
Includes face detection and anti-shake technologies
Focus assist lamp

What I Don't Like:
Uses MicroSD Cards (Small, fiddly, rarer than SD)
Small zoom control
Difficult to view front screen in sunlight
Slippery body - easy to drop
Poor battery life

View our Samsung ST550 / TL225 Sample Photo Gallery
Samsung ST550 is available from Amazon UK.

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK: Canon A1100 IS

Amazon UK are selling the Canon Powershot A1100 IS for £89 - the 12 megapixel camera has a 4x optical zoom lens, 2.5" LCD screen, an optical viewfinder and takes AA batteries. You might also want to have a look at the Panasonic Lumix FS7 which is available for £115 (also available in Pink!). Also worth mentioning is the appearance of the Nikon D3000 with VR kit lens appearing in the bestsellers list at number 19 (was 7) - priced at £340 (from Amazon).

If this doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 3", £199
2 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £39 (Pink)
3 - Samsung ES63 - 12mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £69
4 - Canon Powershot A1100 IS - 12mp, 4x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £89
5 - Fujifilm FinePix S1500 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 2.7", £115

Ricoh CX3 Review - Recommended!

We've just published our review of the new Ricoh CX3 - an update to the Ricoh CX2 - it features a new 10 megapixel back-lit CMOS sensor, 720p HD video mode, 16:9 aspect ratio, new Pet scene mode, Auto-Scenes, Noise reduction options (from the GR DIGITAL III), Face priority focus, and the same specifications as the CX2, such as 5fps shooting, wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens (28mm - 300mm), 3" 920k pixel screen, image stabilisation, Dynamic Range shooting, electronic level, AF bracketing. The camera is available in black, violet, and grey and pink for £299

View our Ricoh CX3 Sample Photo Gallery
Read our Ricoh CX3 Review

Ricoh CX3 - Digital Camera Review
Review Date: 12/04/2009
Rating: Recommended, 
Author: Stephen Waller

Introduction:Announced in February 2010, the Ricoh CX3 is an update to the Ricoh CX2 and features a new 10 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, ISO 3200 at full resolution, new noise reduction algorithm, scene auto mode, new "pets mode" and 1280×720 pixel HD movies. Other features remaining the same: 10.7x optical zoom lens (Equivalent to 28-300 mm for 35 mm film cameras), quicker continuous shooting (5fps) and improved auto-focus, 3" screen (920k dots), 1cm macro and anti-shake sensor. The Ricoh CX3 is available from around £299, £20 more than the CX2 when it was launched. The camera is enclosed in a metal body available in pink and grey, black or silver and measures approx. 101.5 mm (W) x 58.3 mm (H) x 29.4 mm (D) excluding protrusions, and weighs approx. 185g excluding battery and memory card. This review will deal mainly with the enhancements introduced on the CX3, and the Ricoh CX2 review will provide a background.

Ricoh have this to say about the camera in their brochure: "Low-light scenes of startling clarity. A new generation of high-sensitivity and low-noise performance. No longer be limited by low light. The all day high-image-quality compact: CX3" - Ricoh.

You can find more information on their web site.

The Camera: a visual tour:

Front view - camera off. (Photos of the camera taken with the Olympus EVOLT E-600)

Front view - camera on, flash, focus assist lamp, lens.

Top: power, shutter, zoom control, mode dial.

Size Comparison: Compared to a Pentax PC-550 35mm film camera - a medium/compact sized 35mm film camera.

Features new to the CX3 (compared to the CX2):

• 1/2.3-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor (total pixels: approx. 10.60 million)
• Noise reduction algorithm introduced (as on the GR DIGITAL III. Off, Auto, Weak, Strong, or MAX.)
• Scene auto mode (S-AUTO switches to the optimum scene shooting settings.)
• 1280 × 720 pixel high-resolution HD movies at 30 frames per second
• Smooth Imaging Engine IV
• ISO: up to 3200
• Pets mode (turns off the flash, AF auxiliary light, and operation sounds to avoid startling the pet.)
• Face priority AF (The faces of up to eight people can be detected.)
• Multi-target AF does high-speed consecutive shooting of five images (no longer seven)
• Diverse aspect ratios (the CX3 adds a 16:9 mode at 7mb)

Box Contents:

• CX3 Digital Camera
• Wrist Strap
• Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery (DB-70)
• Battery charger and lead
• USB cable
• AV Cable
• Software CD Rom

Average box contents. A large memory card would be nice and I highly recommend getting a case as one is not supplied as standard.

Picture Size / Quality: The camera lets you choose the image size (9m, 7m, 5m, 3m, 2m, 1m, VGA), and how much compression is applied to the images (Fine, Normal). In addition, aspect ratio can be set to either 4:3 (default), 3:2 (at 8m), 16:9 (at 7m) or 1:1 (at 5m). Higher quality images take a large amount of memory, so a high capacity memory card is definitely recommended, unless you're prepared to sacrifice image size or compression to fit more pictures in memory. There is a good choice of image sizes, compression options and aspect ratios with few cameras offering 16:9 or 1:1 square format photos.

Bottom - Battery (DB-100, 3.7v, 950mAh), memory card slot, tripod mount.

Battery usage: Battery life is rated at 310 shots (according to CIPA standards - screen on DIM) - this is slightly better than average for a compact camera. Battery life will be dependent on the kind of use you make of the camera.

Memory cards: The highest quality large JPEG Fine images take over 3 megabytes. Typically a 1gb memory card would provide room for about 300 images, which I would recommend as a bare minimum. You can use SD, and SDHC memory cards - I tend to use Sandisk Ultra II Plus USB SD memory cards (pictured above) as these let you plug the memory card straight into a USB socket making it easy to transfer images onto any computer, they may still be available as 1GB , 2GB , 4GB SD cards. Listed below are links to memory cards that will work with the Ricoh CX3:

Find the latest prices for SD memory cards at Amazon.co.uk: 2gb (2000mb): £5, 4gb (4000mb SDHC): £8, 8gb (8000mb SDHC): £15, 16gb (16000mb SDHC): £27. Need more help deciding what memory card to buy? Have a look at our guide to digital camera memory cards or our article what size memory card should I buy?

Back - 3" screen, adjust / OK / 4-way controller, play, Menu button, function, self-timer, display buttons, speaker. 

Ease of use: The camera is very easy to use, particularly in the AUTO mode or the Scene Auto Mode that help get good results. The other modes are easy to access, mainly thanks to the clear dial at the top right of the camera and a lot of the commonly used options can be accessed using the buttons on the back. It's easy to see when photos are in focus (thanks to the extremely clear, large screen) and the image stabilisation means that more of your shots will be blur-free. The built in level meter helps you make sure your horizons are level as well.

Image Quality: Here are some real world sample photos taken in various settings, such as Inside, Outside, Macro, to demonstrate the quality of pictures taken and also show different features of the camera. Larger versions of these photos, plus more photos are available in the Ricoh CX3 Sample Photo Gallery!

Inside: The camera has good colour - Colour is quite natural, although the flash has a tendency to overexpose the images this can be adjusted with flash compensation or manually reducing ISO.

ISO Noise Test: Noise is generally a bad thing - it fragments detail, and gives a grainy effect over the image. With digital cameras noise can be a real problem as it is often made out of blue, red or green dots. As the ISO setting increases, pictures tend to have more noise and noise is most noticeable in darker areas. The camera has an Automatic mode for ISO levels (ranging from ISO 80 - ISO3200), and manual ISO settings (ISO: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200).

ISO3200	ISO3200 noise reduction MAX

The new noise reduction algorithms appear effective in removing the most obvious noise in high ISO images. The level can be specified as Off, Auto, Weak, Strong, or MAX. Noise reduction processing is performed on the signal immediately after it is output by the back-illuminated CMOS sensor. This feature significantly improves images taken in poor light, extending the flexibility of this already very capable camera.

Smooth Imaging Engine IV This feature appears to be a circuit dedicated to enhancing the image by processing highlights and shadows, smoothing (as the name suggests) through interpolation, reducing whiteout and potentially shadow noise. It is not easy to demonstrate as there is no obvious option to turn it on or off. The claim is that processing by the engine renders a more life-like image.

Scene auto mode: Ideal if you switch frequently between scene modes. When in this mode the camera determines the most appropriate settings out of Portrait, Nightscape, Sports, Landscape, Night Port., and Macro Mode. The icon of the selected scene mode is shown on the display. It does appear to work most of the time, allowing you to concentrate on taking pictures.

Dynamic Range: On the CX3 this has been enhanced, and it is also now possible to specify detailed settings for dynamic range expansion effects by choosing the tone range to be given priority using the following options: "Highlights," "Shadows," and "Off" (no priority). This makes it possible to more faithfully record the scene.

Video mode: The camera features a new video mode - It can shoot 1280 × 720 pixel high-resolution HD movies at 30 frames per second with sound. Optical zoom is not available whilst recording, only digital. The videos are recorded as AVI files and quality appears to be fairly good.

Conclusion

Image Quality: Image quality is generally very good - with good colour, saturation and contrast. Noise can be noticeable but the new processing engine produces photos that are quite smooth with few hot pixels, compared to the competition, and detail is generally good (until ISO800 and above). To get the best results some tweaking may be required as images are slightly overexposed (particularly with flash) on default settings (increasing colour depth gives photos a bit more punch). I didn't notice any vignetting (darkened corners). The CX3 adds a 16:9 mode convenient for photo viewing on a wide-screen television. White balance and metering are impressive with plenty of scope to cope with different lighting situations - especially thanks to the Dynamic Range mode which copes with scenes with bright skies and dark areas. (8.5/10)

Everything else (the camera as a whole): The camera is available in black, grey and pink or violet, and has a compact and stylish body considering the 10.7x optical zoom lens. The camera has an excellent 3.0" screen with an impressive resolution of 920,000 dots. The camera feels robust, and is comfortable to hold. The camera is easy to use, and has quick access to the most commonly used options. The layout of buttons and controls is very good. The camera speed is good, with a good switch on time, quick focusing time, excellent shutter response, quick playback mode, quick menus, excellent continuous shooting (5fps), and good flash recharge time. The camera is packed with features that should suit photographers, such as "My" modes, dynamic range mode, numerous scene modes (including high contrast black and white and miniature), level and white balance compensation, good video mode, excellent macro mode, CCD-shift image stabilisation, a wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens, and the list goes on. (9.5/10)

Value for Money: The Ricoh CX3 from around £299, is only £20 (and well worth it) more than the CX2 when introduced, and is roughly the same price as other compact cameras with backlit CMOS sensors. The CX3 and Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR are some of the smallest digital camera available with a wide angle 10x optical zoom lens. The Ricoh CX3's main rivals are the Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR, Panasonic Lumix TZ6, and the Canon Powershot SX200 IS. (7.5/10) See more digital camera reviews sorted by megapixels here.

Summary: The Ricoh CX3 improves on the CX2 with a back-lit CMOS sensor by extending the useable ISO range. The changes introduced on the CX3 further enhance the photographic experience the CX2 introduced. If you can look past the seemingly high price then you could perhaps own the last camera you will ever need. Ricoh continue to improve their cameras year on year, and the CX3 is no exception.

Ricoh CX3 Rating: Recommended (8.5/10)
Check for the latest prices on Amazon UK

What I like:

• Great colour reproduction
• Improved noise handling
• Dynamic range mode improved
• High speed shooting - 5fps! better than some DSLRs
• Great wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens
• Back-lit CMOS-shift image stabilisation helps with zoom and low light
• Robust, compact metal body
• Good battery life
• Excellent macro mode
• Electronic level
• Numerous customisable quick access adjust / function buttons
• Two "MY" custom modes on the dial
• Snap focus shooting
• Quick performance

What I don't like:

• Relatively expensive
• Flash tends to overexpose
• LCD screen is difficult to see in sunlight

View more test images in the Ricoh CX3 Sample Photo Gallery.
Get the latest Ricoh Firmware here.

Leica V-Lux 20 Pocket Zoom with GPS Announced

Leica has announced the new Leica V-Lux 20 - based on the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 - it features a metal body available in black, and has a 25mm 12x optical zoom lens (25 - 300mm), GPS, 12 megapixel sensor, 3" 460k screen, 720p video with stereo sound, optical image stabilisation, and comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements. If you can't wait for the Leica V-Lux 20, the Panasonic TZ10 is currently available for £269:

"The Leica V-Lux 20 is the perfect tool with which to capture those wonderful moments in life as high quality pictures. Direct, spontaneous, and intuitive. This is made possible by numerous automatic functions and a versatile 12× zoom lens with an enormous focal range from 25 to 300 mm. The optional manual setting of apertures and shutter speeds offers even the most demanding photographers complete creative control. With the latest advanced features such as HD movie and optional GPS image tagging1, the V-Lux 20 offers the greatest possible flexibility and ease of use - for still photography or movies when you are out and about, and even for archiving pictures already taken. A camera for people who appreciate quality and love to own and use something special."

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK: Samsung WB500

Amazon UK are selling the Samsung WB500 / HZ10W for £139 (was £199) - the 10 megapixel camera has a 10x optical zoom lens, 2.7" LCD screen, and it is available in black or gun metal. You might also want to have a look at the Panasonic Lumix FS7 which is available for £115 (also available in Pink!). Also worth mentioning is the appearance of the Nikon D3000 with VR kit lens appearing in the bestsellers list at number 16 (was 7) - priced at £340 (from Amazon).

If this doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 3", £199
2 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £59
3 - Canon Powershot A1100 IS - 12mp, 4x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £99
4 - Fujifilm FinePix S1500 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 2.7", £115
5 - Panasonic Lumix FZ38 12mp, 18x zoom, 2.7", £241

Samsung WB500 / HZ10W Ultra Zoom Reviews

Trusted Reviews have reviewed the new Samsung WB500 (aka HZ10W) and have some very positive things to say about the camera - The camera features a 24mm - 240mm wide angle 10x optical zoom lens, 10 megapixel sensor, HD video recording, 2.7" screen, optical image stabilisation, and ISO upto 3200. It's one of the cheapest new pocket zooms and is available from Amazon UK for £139 (was £199) in black or grey.

"The new Samsung WB500 is an extremely impressive camera for the price. It looks good, has superb build quality, a huge list of features, and its performance measures up to cameras costing £100 more."

Read More Samsung WB500 HZ10W Reviews: Trusted Reviews, DPInterface, Photography BLOG, Cameras.co.uk, Buy n Shoot, Previews: Samsung HZ1 at Photokina

Ultra Compact Chobi Cam Mini Digital Camera Announced

GeekStuff4U are selling the new Chobi Cam Mini Digital Camera - it's a 3 megapixel camera that also records 1280 x 960 pixel video at 30 fps as AVI movies, it also features a MicroSD card slot, and voice recording. How small is it? It measures 4.4 x 2.9 x 1.2 cm and as you can see below is surprisingly small. Via Petapixel.

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK: Samsung ES15

Amazon UK are selling the Samsung ES15 for £49 - the 10 megapixel camera has a 3x optical zoom lens, 2.5" LCD screen, and it is available in black or pink. You might also want to have a look at the Panasonic Lumix FS7 which is available for £115 (also available in Pink!). Also worth mentioning is the appearance of the Nikon D3000 with VR kit lens appearing in the bestsellers list at number 7 - priced at £341.

If this doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 3", £199
2 - Samsung ES15 - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £49
3 - Canon Powershot A1100 IS - 12mp, 4x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £99
4 - Fujifilm FinePix S1500 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 2.7", £115
5 - Samsung ES63 12mp, 3x zoom, 2.5", £69

Ricoh CX3 Sample Photo Gallery Online

We've uploaded sample photos from the new Ricoh CX3 - an update to the Ricoh CX2 - it features a new 10 megapixel back-lit CMOS sensor, 720p HD video mode, 16:9 aspect ratio, new Pet scene mode, Auto-Scenes, Noise reduction options (from the GR DIGITAL III), Face priority focus, and the same specifications as the CX2, such as 5fps shooting, wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens (28mm - 300mm), 3" 920k pixel screen, image stabilisation, Dynamic Range shooting, electronic level, AF bracketing. The camera is available in black, violet, and grey and pink for £299:

View our Ricoh CX3 Sample Photo Gallery

Vivitar Vivicam 8225 Review - Do Not Buy!

Vivitar are selling the Vivitar Vivicam 8225 - the camera specification looks quite promising, especially as the camera is available from £40-£50, it features an 8 megapixel sensor, 2x optical zoom lens (apparently), 2.4" screen, lithium ion battery, SD/SDHC support, and VGA video mode (without sound), but is it any good? Found out below. The camera is available for £49

The camera uses a CMOS sensor and promises an "optical zoom lens" - the image quality from the 2x "optical zoom" photos looked more like digital zoom to me, and you would expect to be able to see MORE detail in the optical zoom photos, but I could not - in fact the movement of the "zoom" lens looks suspicious - it was fully extended when on wide-angle, then would zoom in and out while zooming in in a somewhat meaningless way. Then when I noticed hot pixels from the CMOS sensor that MOVED when using the "optical" zoom I had to investigate further. I removed the front plastic element from the lens (this improved image quality as ghosting issues disappeared) then I removed the glass lens element from the moving "optical zoom".* Yet AMAZINGLY the "Optical zoom" still worked!! How can that be? Oh yeah, it's not real optical zoom, it's simply digital zoom.

Press shots show "2x Optical Zoom" (and a completely different lens design) yet the box says simply "Optical Zoom" while the real product says: "Optical zoom" and "Auto Focus Zoom Lens" and "36-72mm f2.8" which appears to be blatant lying - apart from the Auto Focus part, which does appear to be true.

Continue reading our Vivitar Vivicam 8225 Review.
View our Vivitar Vivicam 8225 Sample Photo Gallery.

It's been a LONG time since I last reviewed a Vivitar camera - a lot has happened since then - they've gone bankrupt, been bought, and recently relaunched with a whole new range of cameras - near the bottom of the range is the new Vivitar Vivicam V8225 or 8225 - priced from £40, it features something somewhat unique in this day and age, a 2x "optical" zoom lens. Most cameras tend to have either no optical zoom, or at least a 3x optical zoom lens. It's price and features meant that I was interested enough to give it a try. It's cheap, but is it cheerful?

Front on - the zoom lens is a rather strange setup twisting out when switched on - and the front lens element looks so reflective I immediately thought that there was something stuck on that should be taken off. Unfortunately not - the front element is always this reflective and therefore creates some interesting lens flare.

Top - power button, shutter release, and microphone? Unfortunately not - it's just a speaker hole for the annoying beep that can't be switched off.

Bottom - SD/SDHC memory card slot, tripod socket, and battery compartment - it uses the Nokia BL-5B Battery rated at 700mah, 3.7v, (a clone, not a genuine Nokia battery) - probably because Nokia use this battery in a number of phones, and they've no doubt sold millions of mobile phones, making this battery one of the cheapest available?

Back - 2.4" screen, Mode button switches between Photo / Video and Playback modes.

Size - quite small - quite slim. Weighs 100g, and measures: 92.00mm x 58.0mm x 19.0 mm

Video - It has a VGA video mode, without sound.

Shown above - side by side - on the left a normal photo, on the right a photo taken with "2x optical zoom", the photos have been adjusted (levels and saturation) so that you can see the hot pixels and noise more easily, I wasn't expecting the clear round circle, but this just makes it all the more obvious that the camera is using digital zoom. I've uploaded full size images into the photo gallery if you want to view or compare them yourself. (Image 229, 230)

Conclusion: Considering a standard 8mp Vivitar with no optical zoom costs around £30-£35 (eg the Vivitar 8025) - this 8mp Vivitar with "pretend 2x optical zoom" aka no optical zoom costs £40-£50 - then this camera is not good value for money. In fact, I wonder whether they are breaking advertising standards by claiming to have "Optical zoom" when in fact it's simply digital zoom? In my opinion this camera should be pulled from shelves, and all shops that sell it (Asda, Tesco, Amazon etc) should send it back, and offer any current customers a full refund!

Some of the online material (site screenshot shown above, spec sheet, and official manual!) say it has a 3x optical zoom lens - please - make up your mind! What else are they not telling us? Could it be using a 5 megapixels sensor and interpolating the images to 8 megapixels?

Like:
Lithium-Ion Battery
Um...?

Dislike:
No optical zoom - only digital zoom!
Difficult to remove / put in memory card
Excessive barrel distortion on wide-angle
Says it's in Focus when it's not (and vice versa)
Beep can't be switched off
Lens flare
Poor quality screen - difficult to see what the photos will look like
Over-exposes bright areas on default settings (-1, or -2 exposure compensation needed)
Very Weak flash - red-eye reduction pre-flash is brighter than the actual flash!
Auto-focus hit and miss.
Flash defaults to off.

* You can also find out by gently holding in the lens when switching the camera on, take a photo, now hold it in whilst using the zoom, notice how the image on the screen gets larger, yet the lens doesn't even move! (I realise too that I could have done this without having to remove the lens pieces)

Photos of the camera taken with an Olympus E-600 DSLR.

This weeks best deals on Amazon UK: Pentax Optio I-10

Amazon UK are selling the new Pentax Optio I-10 for £149 - the 12 megapixel camera has a wide angle 5x optical zoom lens (28-140mm equivalent), shake reduction (CCD-sensor shift), smile detection, HD video mode, 2.7" 16:9 LCD monitor, 2.6fps shooting, and it is available in white or black. The top "SLR-like" features a flash on the front, and a speaker on the back, other design features include a thumb operated zoom control, the design was "inspired by PENTAX Auto 110", more information on the Pentax website and NeutralDay Review. The Pentax Optio I-10 is available for £149. You might also want to have a look at the Panasonic Lumix FS7 which is available for £115 (also available in Pink!). Also worth mentioning is the appearance of the Nikon D3000 with VR kit lens appearing in the bestsellers list at number 9 - priced at £349.

If this doesn't appeal to you, then here are some of the other best sellers on Amazon UK this week:

1 - Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 3", £199
2 - Sony Cybershot W180 - 10mp, 3x zoom, 2.7", £79
3 - Canon Powershot A1100 IS - 12mp, 4x opt zoom, 2.5" screen, £99
4 - Fujifilm FinePix S1500 - 10mp, 12x zoom, 2.7", £115
5 - Panasonic Lumix FZ38 12mp, 18x zoom, 2.7", £249

April Fools $299 Digital SLR Becomes Reality*

In 2004 DPNow reported that Zenit were due to release a $299 Digital SLR - the specification was basic - but the idea was good. Six years later and a number of Digital SLRs are now available for £299 - including the Sony Alpha A230 with kit lens - which is available for £299 from Amazon UK - (or £269 from Argos on special offer). The Sony A230 has a greatly improved specification, and features a 10 megapixel sensor, 2.7" screen, on screen help guide, ISO3200, SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization, 2.5fps shooting, D-Range Optimizer, Sony Memory Stick slot, plus SD / SDHC card support. * (Almost) US Prices start around $399 for a new DSLR.

Read Sony Alpha A230 DSLR Reviews: Pocket-Lint, Trusted Reviews, Photography BLOG, Buy N Shoot