Rating: Summary: Wide angle with flash a problem Review: We bought this camera because it had a wide angle lens which could be purchased and attached to the camera. When the wide angle lens is attached and you use the flash, there is a large dark place, (approx 1/8 of total photo) on the bottom of the photo. It appears the lens attachment blocks part of the flash. Very very poor design.However, in all other uses we are enjoying the camera. I just wish we had not purchased the camera for the wide angle capability.
Rating: Summary: The Best 2 megapixel choice Review: After Reading tons of review and viewing a lot of sample files, the bottom line was this is the best 2 megapixel camera in terms of picture quality. The price is a bit steep when compared to the other 2 megapixel models but it is well worth the investment. Having used the camera for the last 15 days I dont have any regret in choosing this model. This camera needs a lot of battery power and that is not a surprise since all the digital cameras with a LCD display chews the batteries. Get yourself a good set of recharable AA's. (Make sure that you buy the NiMH rechargables since the older type of rechargable batteries will heat up your camera).
Rating: Summary: Do you shoot rapidly moving pets and kids - Youll love it! Review: I've had this for about 300 shots (30 saved). I also have four cats, 2 adults and two rambunctious kittens. If I try to use flash, the red eye doesn't work very well on cats, but if I turn off the flash, the shutter speed gets faster and I now have a growing album of adorable kitty pictures. Also took it to a family gathering in a darkened room. There, the red eye was fantastic. When I used Nicad rechargables (I use Monster) I get about 200-250 shots per charge. I always carry a spare set of batteries, and the recharge time is under 4 hours. The Canon case ($10) has room for batteries and an extra memory card. Plus, even though you can control this as you might a 35mm, you can also "point and shoot" and you'll still get great pix. Comes with software and cables for PC, MAC, and TV.
Rating: Summary: Good Camera - EATS BATTERIES!!! Review: I have to start by saying that the pictures I have taken with this camera have been nice. Except for the 20 or so that got wiped out by a CF card error when the batteries went down. I would highly recommend to anyone buying this camera - get yourself a USB CF card reader and dump the images frequently to your PC. And try to avoid reviewing shots you have taken in the camera. Dump the files to your PC and then you can look at them all you like. I would also avoid deleting shots while shooting, as this will put you at a high risk of card error due to losing battery power while reading the CF card. Get a large capacity CF cards and edit the shots when you get home. Another annoying thing about the camera is that when the batteries expire (as they do constantly), the zoom lens is frozen in position. Without battery power, the lens doesn't retract into the camera. The integral lens cap also remains open. This has to have been an engineering oversight. Why couldn't the camera just close the lens and THEN shut down? Duh. Summary: Good camera, Frustrating power and CF card error issues. Don't believe the hype. Shop around and ask questions.
Rating: Summary: Picture Quality Won Me Over! Review: I purchased a Kodak dx3700 camera for Xmas for my extremely non-technical wife (no docking station). After reading countless reviews and visiting manufacturer websites, I decided on a Kodak Easyshare Camera. I originally wanted the dx3600 because it had an optical zoom lens. Unfortunately, due to lack of supply and time frame, I had to get to the dx3700 in order to have a gift under the tree. This was my 1st digital purchase. Ease of use and picture quality were my main concerns because we will primarily print the photos. To my surprise, the ease of taking photos and downloading photos was EXCEPTIONAL! I was even surprised that the photos had a date/time stamp and downloaded pictures were automatically categorized into new folders by date (GREAT FEATURE!). In regards to ease of use, THERE IS NOTHING BETTER! Literally, after 10 minutes, we were taking photos and making prints. We were all impressed. However, we had nothing to compare the picture quality to. My wife was also hesitant to let me know that she would have liked a zoom lens. I began to research "comparable" cameras with zoom lenses. After thinking about upgrading to a dx3900, I decided to try another brand. I already knew Kodak's picture quality because the dx3900 is basically a dx3700 with 2x zoom. After reading many more reviews and evaluating pros & cons, I decided to try the Canon A20. It was "only" 2.1 Megapixels, but it had a 3x zoom and looked like a Point & Shoot. Unfortunately, it did not have a date/time stamp. I purchased one from a retail store knowing that I would return it and buy it much cheaper online. I unpacked it. I immediately noticed that it required 4 AA batteries. The Kodak required only 1 Lithium or 2 AA Ni-MH. The Canon was MUCH more difficult to set up. Kodak had spoiled me. Canon's camera interface and software installation were MUCH more complex. I became nervous because I thought it would be to complicated for my wife to enjoy. I completed all setups. I had her hold the Canon and Kodak, then take some identical pictures with both cameras using the zoom and different settings indoors (where most of her pictures would be taken anyway). I printed them, then gave her a "Pepsi Challenge". All of the pictures that she preferred were from the 2.1MP Canon, not the 3.1MP Kodak. The Kodak's were not bad. The Canon's were just better. Contrary to what I would have thought (being a digital novice), she was right. Although Canon's "ease of use" was definitely inferior to Kodak's, it had superior picture quality and a 3x optical zoom (remember: the dx3900 only had a 2x zoom). Although we LOVED Kodak's simplicity, we had to opt for picture quality. Although there will be a greater learning curve, picture quality lasts forever (If I can only get her to truly believe that). I returned the Kodak, and ordered the Canon A20 online. I was even able to get the Canon for less than a dx3900. Although I will really miss Kodak's simplicity, every time I look at a printed photo, I will know that I made the right decision. I only hope that battery drain will not become too much of a nuisance.
Rating: Summary: The Search Ends Here Review: I gradually built up my digital camera collection as I searched for an ideal combination of megapixels, zoom capability, image quality, & price. The search is over. This is the one. The pictures I took on two recent trips to national parks in Wyoming & Utah were sharp, breathtakingly beautiful, & when printed out on photo paper by my HP 970 printer looked as good or better than those taken by a film camera. So much so that many of my friends had no idea that the prints were digital photos. I repeat, this is the one to get.
Rating: Summary: What's with this great battery life? Review: The disposable AA's that came with it were dead after about 20 shots at highest resolution and the homereplacements were about the same. This camera should be run on three sets of rechargeable 1600 MAH NnMH - one set in the charger, one in the camera and one on standby. I concur with almost all of the other reviews
Rating: Summary: Great from the start - Review: After doing an agonizing amount of research, I settled on the Canon Powershot A20 and do not regret it for one minute. I'm amazed by the quality of both the camera and the digital photos it takes. It definitely compares well with some of the film cameras I have owned and exceeds some too. Printed photos right up to 8 x 10 show excellent detail and all colors are true. I'm confident I made the best choice and I'm very happy with the camera. It's easy to handle and all controls fall right to hand. I recommend purchasing an extra compact flash card (at least 64mb), as well as NiMH rechargeables and charger. I also purchased a San Disk reader.
Rating: Summary: The Ultimate Stealth Digital Camera Review: I have had my Canon A20 for about 6 months and I love it. I went from a 35mm EOS to this and have not regretted it a bit. One thing I didn't want was one of those digital cameras that say "ooh look at me, I'm digital.." I prefer taking great pictures without drawing a lot of attention to myself-- more candid and natural looking photos that way. It is small lightweight and incognito.
Before getting the camera I was concerned about image quality being up to snuff and with this camera it turns out not to be an issue. I never use it at its highest quality setting and I can not tell the difference between my digital photos (even enlarged as 8x10s from ofoto.com) and my non-digital photos! Any more than 2.1 mega-pixels would definitely be a waste of money-- both on the camera and on the memory required. Really, don't bother.
The best and the worst thing about this camera are one in the same: editing out unwanted photos on the fly. How awesome is it to just trash the loser photos along the way so you only end up with all excellent photos? That is probably why I'd say I take better pictures with this camera than I ever have before! The downside is that it takes a few more button presses to delete that bad photo than I'd prefer. But, having used Sony and Nikkon Digi-cams too, it's about the same on them all. I wonder why they're all like that?
Accessory musts:
Sandisk compact flash card reader [price]
64mb compact flash card [price](stores about 100 quality photos)
Rating: Summary: This is a great camera! Review: I really like this camera. You get a great camera for the price you pay. It's easy to use, and the photo quality is way beyond what I expected. It's also realatively small and light weight, so is easy to carry around.
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