Rating: 
Summary: Need to take lots of pics? How about 248 @ max resolution?
Review: ... Pros: -Image Quality *and* Quantity. The 3000ex is a true 3.34 Megapixel camera which will give you 2048x1536 resolution max. At this, and the minimum compression, you can achieve 248 pictures on the microdrive. If you drop the resolution to a mere 1024x768 (most likely the size of your screen, or larger) you can get *999* images on the disk. That's alot of snapping. -Features. 20 second mpgs (no sound), shutter speed priority, aperture priority, clean back lit LCD screen, Panoramic(!!) shots, and special modes for Portraits, night shots, and landscapes. Color, B/W, Sepia modes, Red-eye reduction flash, macro mode, time stamp, 3x optical zoom(!!) 6x digital, and superbly done USB connectivity. -USB interface. Hate having to use a proprietary interface to get your images off a camera? You'll love this. Pop in the USB cable, and windows automatically sets it up as a removable disk drive. That's right, you can sure the camera as if it was a hardrive from inside your 'my computer'. OR, press a button, and have then all automatically loaded, and displayed. -Ease of use Even using the advanced features, it's a very simple to use camera. Everything is menu driven, and in a logical format. Cons: -Battery life. If you decide to use the LCD screen alot, the batteries do not last long at all. If you don't, on the other hand, they'll last for about 150-250 shots. Not too bad. -To get *full* 3.34 Megapixel *uncompressed* tiffs, you must find the secret option to enable it. WARNING: by enabling uncompressed tiff, you will get about 15 shots before the card is *full*. tiffs are 100% uncompressed RAW image data. -Size It's a little bit large for me. Not too bad, and for what it does it's decent, but if you're running around, it can get bothersome to carry. (The canon ELPH digital (2.1MP) is more like what I'd want to haul around..) ...
Rating: 
Summary: Poor service policy
Review: I thought the camera generally worked well and took decent pictures, but the other much cheaper digital camera that I used previously took just as good pictures. In other words, this [price]camera was clearly not worth the price. Further, the camera has now refused to turn on after only 6 months use. When I tried to get service from Casio, I learned that I would have to ship the camera to New Jersey to their only service center! There was no facility in my home state where I could take the camera for a quick repair. Finally, I am still waiting for my [price]refund that was advertised with the camera.
Rating: 
Summary: how to install usb connection with window me
Review: 1. Hood up the camera to your computer using the usb cable 2. insert the casio cd (came with the camer) into your cd rom 3. go to window set up and "add new hardware" 4. let window serach for new usb connection and ask you if you want window to search for a driver for you. 5. say yes then window will installed the driver (it will automatically seek the casio cd). 6. go to "my computer" now and you will find the microdrive will be recognized as a drive. 7. Proceed to install the photo loader using casio cd. 8. restart window and from now on when you connect the camera with the computer, you photos in the camera will be automatically loaded to you computer. any questions, you could e-mail me
Rating: 
Summary: Nice camera - shame about the battery life.
Review: Bought the 3500 with the Microdrive after checking out a few reviews. Overall impression of the camera good. Sensible range of features, excellent picture quality for a digital (the first dig I've bought, I'm a 35mm man!) though the camera is a tad larger and heavier than I might have hoped. But oh dear, the battery consumption is crazy. IT ate a newly charged set of NiMH cells in under twenty minutes use, total of 12 shots. I'm sending it back to Casio, I have to believe this is a faulty unit, especially after reading some of the other Amazon user reviews. Here's hoping, they replace it with one that's actually useable. Otherwise I'm going to have to take up my friend's advice and buy a second hand Nikon D1, which are coming up now that the new D1x is about to ship. 3-star rating will go up to five if the battery problem is really only this unit, not a design failing.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I could have downloaded pictures
Review: I was so excited to get this camera...my first step into the digital world of photography! (I am an avid SLR user.) I took some great shots...I think...of my 17 month old daughter only to find that I could not download them to my computer. I called Casio and was on the phone for 2 hours and 15 minutes as they tried to help me figure out what the problem was. I finally asked the service supervisor what she would do. She said "return the camera". So I have. I am heartbroken. Casio could not explain why I was unable to download the pictures, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I am running Windows ME edition, and the software included with the camera was written for Windows 98!! Now I am back to square one, and have learned not to take any good pictures on my next camera until I know I can actually print them.
Rating:
Summary: wow Casio QV-3500
Review: The QV-3000 EX is the best. It is fantastic. I used it for a month (my friend's camera). Now I am waiting for the QV-3500, is amazing!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Follow-up to my previous review
Review: I've now owned this camera for a little over 4 months, taken a vacation to Germany and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, and taken literally thousands of pictures with it. It was both a learn as you go thing, and an extremely simple thing, to take wonderful pictures in all kinds of situations. I can say that I completely back up the people who have said that this is an outstanding camera for both the amateur vacation picture taker, and the serious photographer. The more you want to do with the camera, the more you'll be amazed by what you learn about it. Especially, for the serious folks, some things that Casio doesn't even bother to document. (Why, Casio???) So, in addition to what I said in my first review, here are some thoughts and insights I didn't cover: -Optical view finder included. I wear glasses, and, in addition, framing shots on the beach in bright sunlight is impossible with any digital camera that only has the LCD and no optical view finder. Plus, this camera has a dioptic adjustment so you can focus the viewfinder, even while wearing glasses, or sunglasses, as it were. -340mb IBM microdrive. I was away from a computer for over a week in Lanzarote. Actually, I was away from my computer for 3 weeks over the whole vacation. I came home with over 900 images on the drive. What I have not seen mentioned here is that you do not need to take 2048x1536 size images in fine mode, of which the drive will hold 245, but that you can take instead 943 images in 1024x768 size in fine mode with the same resolution. If you are planning to put your pics on the web, this is the way to go. All you gain in the larger mode is the ability to print 8x10 photo, or slightly better than photo-quality pictures. The detail in the larger photos is amazing, and I usually have to crop and reduce them for computer presentation. But, again, it does both. -Versatility. I have no complaints about this camera that haven't already been stated. In all my research, for the money, it's still, after using, the best digital camera in its price range, if not better than some of the more expensive ones that overlooked small details that become big issues when you're thousands of miles from anywhere and have to use what you've got. I have posted some pictures on my homepage, which is strictly non-commercial, created as a vehicle for my friends and family to see where my girlfriend and I have been. You are free to view them at ... for shots from the Ahr River Valley in Germany, or change the URL to see those. They are presented very differently, but were all taken with this camera. I only ask that you respect my copyright. If you wish to use a picture for something, please email me first. There's a very satisfying feeling in spending money on something that you wind up happier than you'd even thought you'd be with it.
Rating:
Summary: Buy it for the camera AND the micro-drive
Review: I've had this camera for about nine months now... I've used it for outdoor photographs, indoor shots, and macro. It's lightweight, easy to use, versatile, and consistently takes excellent pictures. Moreover, if you want, it can become fully manual as well. But what makes this camera an especially good deal is the 340MB micro-drive. That's something like 900 shots on standard resolution. Wow. I've still got 300 shots left on this drive....and I haven't even deleted the "bad" shots I took when playing around with the camera. Two other comments, however. You will definitely need to use rechargeable batteries. However, on my vacation last summer, one set of batteries tended to last all day. I'd put one set in the charger when I left for the day, so when I got back, I just swapped them out for the next day. The other comment is a word of caution: the micro-drive (according to IBM) does not work in "high altitude" conditions (i.e., >9500'). So, if you're in mountain areas, you'll need to use traditional compact flash cards. However, I used mine in the Canadian Rockies (where the trails rarely exceed 9000') and it worked fine.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent camera with massive storage
Review: My wife and I spent several months researching the various digital cameras available on the market before deciding on this excellent camera. Each model we researched always left us cold in one area...storage space. That is, until we checked out the QV3000EX. The included 340MB Microdrive is a picture storage dream. Even at the highest resolution setting possible, you are able to take 245 shots! Take the resolution down to 1024 X 768 with the fine setting (350kb images) and it gives you a whopping 943 shots. Put this baby on 1024 X 768 at the Economy setting (150kb images) and you can store an amazing 2054 images. The picture quality is outstanding as well. I'm sure the primary reason for this is the use of Cannon optics by Casio. The resolution allows you to take very sharp & clear shots. We have found the color accuracy to be the best we've ever seen from any digital camera. Though, adaquate lighting conditions can affect this. The flash is very good and has a variable 3 setting mode if you need more light. There are multiple choices for light, focus, aperture and light balance settings which allow you to capture a perfect picture under almost any circumstances. The menu system software is very simple and easy to use. The TFT screen is very clear and easy on the eyes. I have read several comments concerning the optical view finder and it's use to be off center for shots. My experience is that, as long as you use the cross-hairs to line up your subject through the view finder, that the resulting shot matches the viewfinder view very closely. There are several picture "modes" that can be employed. The Panoramic mode is quite impressive. You can take up to 9 continuous, linked shots that blend beautifully into a single panoramic image. I found the method for utilizing this feature to be both easy to use and accurate in results. I have also enjoyed the "mini movie" 30sec AVI mode though, you have to wait aproximately 30 to 40 seconds for the clip to be written to the micro-drive when you have completed the movie shot. One thing I must emphasize about this camera. IT WILL EAT NORMAL ALKALINE BATTERIES FOR BREAKFAST. The camera came with 4-AA batteries, which was great because you could begin using the camera immediately out of the box. But, you can easily burn through a set of normal AAs in about 10 minutes or less! I purchased a rapid charger and two sets of the Ni-MH batteries and I get about 3 to 4 hours out of a single set under heavy usage. I just keep one set charging while using the other and rotate them out. Also, the AC power plug was a must buy so you don't have to sacrifice battery power when using slideshows to the TV or transferring pics to your laptop or desktop PC. Do yourself a favor before you purchase ANY digital camera. Find a local camera shop that has one of these babies and try it out. In 10 minutes you'll forget that other models even exist. Yes, the camera does cost almost $1000.00 to buy, but take the film and developing costs that this camera provides and you can quickly calculate a justification into it's purchase price. Moreoever, no other camera can even begin to match the amount of storage space aforded, quality, and features per dollar spent. If you are going to put money into a digital camera in the $700 - $1000 range, this camera is unquestionably the best choice available today!
Rating:
Summary: Casio Support & USB connection
Review: In an earlier report I complained that I could not get my Casio camera to communicate with Windows ME. Well we solved the problem. I installed a new hard drive. Loaded Windows ME then the Casio software. Do not let Windows locate the driver. Direct Windows to the Casio drivers and the IBM Microdrive will be identified as an additional hard drive. Plug in the USB cable and you can drag and drop files from the camera to the computer in seconds. I found a Casio support person that has some ideas on loading the drivers. His suggestion infolved removing files etc. We did not remove any files and everything worked as expected. You may contact Glen Crooker at gcrooker@casio.com if you have trouble. He seems willing to help.
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