Samsung Digimax 4500 Super
Written: Mar 06 '04
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Pros: compact, feature rich, good optics, versatile, good USB file connection, easy to use.
Cons: Red Eye reduction, time between pictures, somewhat dated software.
The Bottom Line: Good all around camera that will suit most users.
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| chasman's Full Review: Samsung Digimax 4500 Digital Camera |
I am a beginning photographer, this is my first digital camera and I am a poor speller. So take what I say with a grain of salt. Purchased the camera at Costco for $299 minus $50 rebait from Samsung. Great value for money. Camera was somewhat difficult to use at first because of inexperience. But since then have taken many pictures indoors and out under various lighting conditions. The easy mode produces good pictures. I now use the 3 user settings as a general start. I made a 2+ minute movie with camera and was quite surprised how well it did. Records excellent sound. I also used it as a PC CAM. The camera is quite versatile in what it can do. I wish it had MPEG4 or MP3 capabilities but that's not a drawback. I upgraded the SD card to 256 MB what a difference in storage capacity. The camera came with a bonus package: DC charger, AC adapter, and rechargeable CR-V3 battery. I bought a car charger as well. Finding a spare CR-V3 battery has been difficult.
The optics are very good with excellent skin tones and natural colors. The telephoto and wide angle modes are quite nice and work well. You can really zoom in on fine print as well. The LCD and menu settings work well after you master them. It was daunting at first for me, but reading the manual and taking test pictures taught me everything I needed to know. The flash system works well in dimly lit situations. Red eye reduction could be better. The elapsed time between pictures could be faster so allow for that. Turn off all automatic viewing modes helps a little. The "MY User" settings can be a boon if you set them up right. I use 2 settings for indoor lighting and 1 for outdoor. Once you learn what works best for you, storing those settings in the camera makes it easy to use. The small compact size of the camera allows me to carry it in my shirt or pants pocket and/or briefcase and you can instantly whip it out for spontaneous pictures. I even carry it on me while bike riding in case a picture needs to be taken. Be sure you have a steady hand because sometimes it takes longer to take a picture and you can get out of focus pictures if your not careful.
The software provided is all right. You can also use your camera as a USB mini digital storage device because it formats the memory in FAT 16 format and you can store data files there. The camera will not recognize them, but your PC will.
All in all I'm delighted with the camera. It has more features than I'll ever use. But if you want a camera that you will not outgrow for a while, try it, or look at the new V5 series that have MPEG4 capabilities. For what you get for the money, I think it hard to beat.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 249
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
chasman
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Reviews written: 1
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