MaximumPC 2005 05

Reviews

P

oint-and-shoot digital

cameras are multiplying

faster than rabbits in a

lunchbox. And the trends and

technology shifts are about as

hard to track as Bugs’ family tree.

It can be a daunting task indeed

to try to pick out the right camera

for you.

And like rabbits looking for a

mate, you needn’t run yourself

ragged looking for the one , there

are probably several cameras out

there that will meet your needs.

We’re here to narrow the field of

potential suitors.

Here are three of the latest

midrange point-and-shoot digital

cameras in the 5- to 6-megapixel

range. Taken together, they

provide a very accurate snapshot

of the industry’s state of the art.

—STEVE KLETT

Epson L-500V

Prior to the introduction of the

L-500V, Epson’s last digital-camera

play occurred way back in 2001.

We’re glad the self-imposed hiatus

is over.

The L-500V’s 5MP image sensor

and 3x optical zoom capabilities

are standard fare, but we find

this little bugger remarkable for

a number of other reasons. For

starters, its compact,

all-metal body is unique,

comfortable, and rugged. It houses

one of the largest LCDs you’ll find

in a camera this size (the screen is

just a little bigger than a pack of

cigarettes).

The 2.5-inch LCD incorporates

Epson’s Photo Fine technology,

which first appeared in Epson’s

line of photo viewers. Essentially,

Photo Fine gives the LCD a

higher pixel-density than most

competing displays. You also get

three colors per pixel, compared

with one color per pixel on most

other displays. The result is crisp,

colorful images with smoother

gradations and fewer “jaggies.”

Epson’s stated goal is for the

pictures you see on the LCD to

match what you see on your

computer monitor. Unfortunately,

we found that the images on the

500V consistently looked better

than they did on our PC—colors

displayed on the PC were often more

muted. But this discrepancy can be

easily fixed with editing software.

The 500V’s LCD is awesome—

and it needs to be. Because there’s

no other viewfinder, you’re 100-

percent dependent on the screen

for composing and shooting

pictures. And this works fine until

you’re looking at the LCD in direct

sunlight. Other downers include

a laughable 16MB SD memory

card (we recommend at least

256MB); the menu interface makes

it tough to change resolutions

quickly; and outdoor shots were

often overexposed. Overall, image

quality was not quite as good as

with Fujifilm’s E550.

But these are forgivable

sins, particularly when you

consider the L-500V’s ability to

continuously shoot up to three

pictures per second (at the highest

resolution, 2560x1920) until the

SD memory card is full. We’ve

yet to find a camera with a better

burst mode at this price point.

A generous selection of

automatic program modes and

manual control options, and a

Print Image Framer feature that

lets you smack a digital frame onto

your pics for direct-printing, round

out the 500V’s solid resume.

Fujifilm FinePix E550

This camera might look Plain Jane,

but it’s really Clark Kent. Beneath

its unassuming exterior lie a bevy

of options that make the E550 an

ideal choice for the intermediate-

to-advanced shutterbug.

The E550 uses Fuji’s fourth-

generation Super CCD image

sensor, which has a native

resolution of 6.3MP (2848x2136).

This renders the camera capable

of making prints as large as

11x14 inches. The “Super”

comes from Fuji’s proprietary in-

camera interpolation function,

which effectively increases the

megapixel count to a whopping

12.3 (4048x3040). In-camera

interpolation results in less image

noise at higher ISO settings and in

less-than-ideal lighting situations.

Unfortunately, you’re forced to

shoot at the storage-consuming

12.3 Fine setting (interpolated

raw-image mode) to get the

camera’s highest-quality images—

at an XD storage-consumption

Digital Decadence

A snapshot of the compact

digital-camera scene

76 MA XIMUMPC MAY 200 5

Fuji’s E550 offers

a ton of features

and excellent

picture quality

at a reasonable

price.

Epson’s 500V

sports one of

the largest,

sharpest LCDs

you’ll find in

a camera this

size.

MA XIMUMPCVERDICT

EPSON L-500V

8

Excellent burst mode and LCD display; simple to

use; stylish, intuitive design.

Pics tend to look better on-camera than onscreen.

No optical viewfinder.

$350, http://www.epson.com

MEGA-RIFFIC

MEGA-IFFIC

3.62“

2.45

“

4.1“

2.^5

“