The Toshiba PDR-M70, nothing but quality.
Written: Jul 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great AVI system
Cons: Kind of pricey
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| brad_cantrill's Full Review: Toshiba PDR-M70 Digital Camera |
Mention the name Toshiba and I'll be quick to give it praise. From cordless phones, to inexpensive labtops, and now digital cameras they make some of the finest electronics products that I've ever come into contact with. When I heard that Toshiba was making a 3 megapixel digital camera, I knew that it was worth investigating. So when I came across it last weekend, I had to take the opportunity to "break it down" and investigate the features. Let's look at the specifications:
Toshiba PDR-M70
3.34 Megapixel resolution, with settings up to 2048 x 1536
An all glass aspheric system with 3x optical and 2x digital resolution
Enhanced AVI system
USB connections with a lithium ion battery
apeture settings of 2-2.5f and burst settings of 1.4 frames per second
16 mb smart card
Translating the Specifications into English
This particular camera is classified as a 3 megapixel camera. That means that for the avid photographer it pretty much do anything from web photos to 11 x 14 glossy shots. Photos can be recorded in many different settings ranging from JPEG graphics to uncompressed TIFF images. The interface is very easy to use and operate on the slightly oversized 1.2 LCD display. Creating e-attachments or editing your photos is simple with the pre-packaged software. One thing that I particularly like about Toshiba-the company is that they have a history of simplifying products and offering good directions. The PDR-M70 is no exception. In a matter of minutes I was navigating through all of the relevant features and practicing my photography. Therefore, I'm confident the novice will have little trouble getting started with this camera.
Toshiba gives you everything that a user would expect out of 3 megapixel camera in the way of optics. The camera comes with both a digital and optical zoom. The camera can be adjusted manually or automatically at just the touch of a button. If your serious about your photography a commercial lens can be added on for extra zoom with the attachment of a filter. This camera will take you as far as you want to go. Though you will never get the resolution of a true "point and shoot" 35 mm camera (about 6 million megapixels), you can take just about any shot that your heart desires.
Now one of the things that makes this camera really special is the AVI system. If you like the idea of creating home movies with your digital camera, then this is the machine for you! Imagine being able to film up to 5 minutes of video with 2 minutes of audio on a single card. With that kind of short-term video, this camera could begin to double as a video recorder. Now add that with the fact that this information can be transferred to an attachment and you have a powerful tool at your fingertips.
A word about price, and other considerations
The Toshiba PDR-M70 will cost around $899 retail. It comes with a 16 mb smart card and is USB compatible. The camera operates on a lithium ion battery. For accessories, you might want to consider purchasing an extra memory card and some rechargable batteries. Recharable batteries will make your life easier, b/c digital camera burn up a tremendous amount of energy when in use. Rechargable batteries will allow you to change on the fly and eliminate any problems that might arise while travelling. Also, high-quality photos take up a tremendous amount of space (E.G. a 16 mb card can only hold 5 photos in TIFF format). Therefore, extra memory might be prudent. Happy photographing
Recommended:
Yes
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