Please don't waste your money on this one!
Written: Nov 29 '00 (Updated Dec 05 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, simple to use
Cons: Picture quality is utterly awful
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| gecin's Full Review: Agfa ePhoto Smile Digital Camera |
This camera is not worth anything to me, much less the $89.95 I paid for it. Like others who have purchased this camera, it was my first, and I wanted a simple, inexpensive digital camera to send occasional pictures by email. A very simple wish, I thought.
When I saw the first pictures I took - simple ones, of my apartment - my first thought was that I must have received a defective product. They were so fuzzy, so snowy, so filled with vertical lines, and so awful (there's no other word for it) that I thought this can't be the way it's supposed to be. In addition, the battery indicator kept alternating from Full to Almost Empty, even with 2 entirely new sets of batteries in there.
I knew this would have to go back for a refund, but just to be sure, I contacted Agfa support and explained the problem. They reminded me (thank you very much) that the eSmile is a low resolution camera aimed at the beginner digital camera user. They forgot to mention that the user must also be half-blind in order to find it acceptable. They asked me to send them sample photos, and I will update with their response as soon as I get it.
I also tried taking more pictures, in different ways, to see if I could get anything at all out of this camera. I discovered that if I took the pictures from 3-6 feet away from the subject and I had EXTREMELY bright light, they looked okay. If this is the only way the eSmile can produce a useable picture, it is almost useless to me, since I do not live in a portrait studio but rather, in the real world.
I do not recommend this camera under any circumstances but here is a quick rundown of some of the features:
Good: *Simple to operate
*Comes with a video cable so pictures can be viewed quickly and
easily on your TV
*Small and portable
Bad: *Batteries do not last long and it doesn't come with an adapter
*Serial connection to PC makes for slow downloading of pictures
*2MB storage capacity (16 pics) is not enough
*Poor photo quality unless you live in a photographer's studio world
Update: Here is Agfa's response to my inquiry:
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Dear Alexandra,
Thank you for contacting AGFA Technical Support.
We have reviewed your images and determined that they are of normal quality for the ePhoto Smile. As an entry level digital camera, the Smile delivers results consistent with other products in it's price range. You may wish to return to your place of purchase and consider exchanging it for a model with capabilities which will better meet your needs. You can find information on our higher end cameras at www.agfaus.com.
Thank You,
Jeremiah
Technical Support
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Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
gecin
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Member: Alexandra Gecin
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 2 members
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