A Fantastic camera, but a really really crappy lens.
932193
This camera is really unbelievable for the price.  If we're talking about the camera body (with no lens), I prefer it over the Canon Rebel XSi anyday (and I've used both).  The problem for Sony is that their lens is sooooo crappy that the image quality goes straight down the toilet, and Canons lenses are for the most part very sharp and colorful.

The solution?  Minolta lenses.  I got my camera in the mail this morning and have played with it all day.  From the second I unpacked the lens I was disappointed- even before I put it on the camera.  It has an extremely cheap and plasticy feel, probably because it is cheap and made of only plastic.  I'm actually pretty sure there's not a single piece of glass in the lens (which means, for those of you are new to this, that it sucks).  I put it on and sure enough the results were not pretty.  Don't run off to Canon's page so quickly, though- remember that this IS a 5 star review.

What makes up for sony's crappy crappy lens is the fact that you can use any Minolta lens from the past 20 years.  In anticipation of purchasing this camera I brought 2 Minolta lenses from a garage sale a few weeks ago for a hundred bucks, and when I put them on the camera it was like magic.  The autofocus still works in an instant, and the sharpness and color combined with Sony's 14megapixel sensor have left this former film-snob utterly impressed.

So my advice to advanced amateur photographers is to buy this camera.  But just the body only.  Save the hundred bucks to buy yourself a Minolta lens (or two).  I thought I'd throw in the extra hundred bucks with this cam just to have an extra lens for my collection, and it was absolutely not worth it.  I don't even know if I'll mount it onto my camera ever again.  Seriously-  It's a big plastic turd.  I wouldn't buy it again if it was 20 bucks.

Also-  I learned the complete menu for this camera in less than a day. The only negative things about this camera (except for the crappy turd plastico lens) are that it's not a full frame sensor (look it up, and then decide if you really want to spend and extra 1300 dollars to get a full frame sensor DSLR), and that there's a really dumb and pointless digital zoom button that is a total tragic use of space.  I could think of ten more used/usable functions that could have gone there instead.

Really though, I couldn't be happier with this camera.
973146
When I finally decided on a megazoom, it came down to the Canon 20is (would have preferred the 10is, actually), and the FZ35.  I was able to have hands on time with the Canon first.  My top priority is picture quality, and it just didn't measure up.  Add to that its lack of filter threads (WHAT??!), no raw format, AA batteries (hate 'em), excessive size and weight, higher price, and past bad experience with a Canon, and I opted to buy the FZ35 sight unseen, risky as that was.  The reviews for this camera are really stellar, and well deserved.

Some have said the FZ35 is lightweight, and because of that, feels cheap.  Personally, I don't need for my camera to be heavy/bulky to prove it is quality made--I need it to perform, and this one does. All the extra weight of those cameras that feel more "quality" starts to hurt when you've got your arms over your head waiting for your shot.

Not many people have talked about the joystick.  I'm a big fan of joystick control, because it puts so many functions at the tip of your thumb, and accesses them quickly without having to move your hands around the camera.  Holding it in briefly gives you the Quick menu, where you can alter the stabilizer, metering mode, focus mode, white balance, ISO, intelligent exposure, file size, quality, and LCD options.  With the camera in Manual Mode, you can change the aperture and shutter speed in a split-second using the joystick.  (Those two parameters are displayed at the bottom of the screen, and I like that shutter speeds less than a second are displayed as a fraction, not as just the denominator of the fraction).  Half-press the shutter, and you get a meter showing over- or under-exposure.  This will slide as you alter your settings so you know where you stand.

The manual focus is also done with the joystick, which is unique.  I like that you don't have to remove either hand from the camera in order to focus.  If you need to autofocus for the moment while in manual focus, you just press a little button on top and it's instantly done for you, while still keeping you in manual focus mode.  Nice way to cheat when you're in a hurry.  

I find the LCD nicely accurate.  On my old Piece-O-Junk Canon, I had to run in and load the pics on the computer to know what they really looked like, and often it was an unpleasant surprise.  It took way too many shots to get a few good ones.  I've had no such experiences with this camera.

The battery pack is also a big PRO for me.  Regular AA batteries never quite pulled the weight of my Piece-O-Junk.  A lame camera became even lamer, and I hated dealing with all those AA's.  This nice little battery pack is wonderfully compact, easy to handle, and fits nicely into my camera case (Lowepro AW 160--holds my camcorder too), as does the included charger.

Best of all, the picture quality is excellent.  I've taken over 800 pictures with the FZ35, mostly in Manual Mode, and have been nothing short of thrilled with the results.  I've finally got a camera that is a joy to use in so many ways.  The macro mode is incredible, BTW.  I've also gotten good results indoors without flash, but in my dark house that requires manual control and sometimes a tripod (or skip all that and just use the flash).  What this not-so-little gem has accomplished is nothing short of incredible.

The FZ35 is so capable and gives you so much control, it's almost a bit of a waste to use it in Auto mode.  I would strongly encourage you to plug thru the manual, buy a book on digital photography if needed, and experiment.  This is a sophisticated camera with many options, some of which you just simply won't discover without reading the manual.

I haven't used the movie function at all, so can't comment on that.

Sample photos can be viewed at [...].  When viewing a shot, note the camera used in the right column, as my old junk cameras (Canon and Olympus) have shots up there too.  Also remember that I am totally an amateur attempting a little more serious photography.

Summed up in seven words, I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!
3568574
I must say the order was delivered pronto, got it just in
time to have my sis take it to Ja for New Years Day.
The camera itself is excellent and the lens (18-55 / 75-300)
are ok too.

My beef is with the cheap substandard quality of the bag- the
straps broke after a couple weeks. The tripod was a mess as while
I was extending the legs for the 1st time one of the latch broke
as well.......... real disappointment! But I really do love the
T2i so I guess that compensates for the crappy add-ons
3031557
The F3 is great. it does it all, stills, video etc. The image quality is what you would expect from an APS-C size sensor. The kit lens is just fine, super sharp in the middle and great on the edges. The color rendition is excellent and on par with Canon and Nikon. (Sony is no stranger to color, they own the pro video market). It is small and very portable.
The bad: The screen is almost useless in daylight. Details are smudged away by aggressive noise reduction (use RAW to get around this, which I will not do). The lens choice is limited and expensive.
I sold this one also, still like my old Sony A300 better, the CCD senor color rendition is superior in my estimation.
4699755
I love everything about this camera except a couple things, one of which is almost a deal killer.

I bought the 310 HS nine months ago as a replacement for my Canon 870 IS.  The 870 had served me flawlessly for years, but the flash finally poofed out.

The 310 is everything everybody is saying about it.  It takes great pics, has an unbelievable zoom range, and really good video.  Contrast range is good.  Nice warm colors.  28mm wide-angle equivalent is awesome.  And packing 8x zoom into a package this small is unbelievable.

So what are the flaws?

* Wind noise on the mic - They moved the stereo mics up on top of the camera (vs. the front on the 870) and it picks up wind noise really bad. The "reduce wind noise" feature is weak at best.

* Lens cover/protector jams - This is a crucial feature.  They came up with some half-baked, chintzy, super-thin lens covering system that is super fragile. I keep my camera in a padded case, I've never dropped it, and I handle it with care.  Yet that lens protecting gizmo jammed after six months.  The lower leaf got stuck in the "open" position.  So I had to send the camera in for repairs.  Fortunately it was covered by warranty.  But the camera was gone for two weeks, and I had to pay one-way shipping.

I never would have bought this camera if it weren't for the superb optics, 28mm wind-angle lens, and optical video zoom.  It's really THAT good in all other respects.  But the lens protector is a fragile joke.  I hope Canon gets rid of it.

If you're tough on gear and/ or plan on using this in dusty situations (which would get into the fragile and tight settings of the lens-covering gizmo), then this is NOT the camera for you.  But if you can take reasonable care of it and make sure you keep it in a padded case, then you'll probably do okay.
1451473
I love everything about this camera and, having switched from Olympus, find the low-light capabilities to be extraordinarily. The real technical details may be found in other reviews and consider using [...] to see how it compares to other DSLR choices.

BUT...and this is a very big but, there is a problem with the mirror locking up that is pervasive and Pentax refuses to acknowledge and remedy this fatal flaw either with firmware or fix/replacement options. You will be right in the middle of a shoot and the camera locks up, forcing you to pull the battery, replace it and sometimes, give it a little hit on the side. Search the web and you will see the magnitude of this concern. I even bought a battery grip, hoping it would fix the problem but to no avail. It seems most frequent in the Tv mode but can occur in any mode of shooting, including manual.

So if you are shooting a wedding or happen on the Loch Ness monster you may be be very frustrated. Even during casual shooting, this is a major pain for a flagship camera.

So caveat emptor and save all your receipts and warranty cards. Mine started doing this about 14 months after I bought it through Amazon and I thought it was a fluke until I read up on the problem, now widely reported on the net.

This issue aside, it is a great camera and for the current price (about half of what I paid shortly after release) it is a lot of bang for the buck. I would just get the body and consider the Pentax 16-45mm and the 55-300 WR lenses for starters. I've added several in addition to these but find I use these lenses most with the 16-45 clearly a cut above the very decent 18-55 kit lens. You can get very good lenses at reasonable prices. I scored a 50mm 1.7f manual lens on Ebay for $55 and it is the sharpest lens in my kit.

And besides...it is pretty cool to not have what everyone else has dangling from your neck and produce images that often blow Canon and Nikon shots out of the water. Just try the in-camera HDR function when you are out with some friends on a shoot and listen to the ooohs, ahhhs and "what are your settings?" Heh, heh, heh.
1606373
This is camera is capable of taking terrific photos. I have been impressed with the quality of the final product. Focusing is very fast and accurate. Its basic functions are solid and I suppose I do not regret buying it from that point of view.
The design of the camera leaves a lot to be desired.
First problem is the user information available. THERE IS NO USER MANUAL (except for the almost useless news print booklet included. It answers almost no questions). If you want detailed answers, you MUST go to the on-line Q&A site. Downloading a complete user manual seems impossible.
Second, Sony's usual poorly done software. The lack of a user manual you can actually consult combined with what I think is a confusing and incomplete  and inaccurate menu system built into the camera can be a real problem. Also, to get some of the functions to work (e.g., downloading the pictures through wifi) the instructions in the included "manual" seem to be wrong. One must download software into the computer to make it work, in theory, but the software does not work properly. There are numerous other examples.
Third, the batteries are entirely inadequate for the machine. I am glad I have 3. I need them all charged when I go to do a shoot.
I consider some the built in "features" silly, e.g., "scene selection".
Fourth, (and I admit, more minor) the manual controls (the buttons on the camera) are poorly laid and obscure.
I have used Canon cameras for years and never run into any of the problems I have had with this.
As someone who works with computers professionally, I vowed years ago never to buy Sony equipment because of a long string of problems with many different devices. I decided to buy this camera because I wanted a full-frame digital and this seemed to be the best. And it may be the best at the moment, but its flaws make using it frustrating and some of the "features" are difficult to get working. And the arrogance of not have a complete user manual available for a device that is not always used where a connection to the internet is available is just unforgivable.
As I said at the beginning, it takes fabulous photos but you are also paying a lot for poor design and bad software.
3021672
The V2 is a very powerful camera. The 1080p recording is quite good; it has 4k bursts at 30fps or 60fps that can be in JPG or RAW.
The form factor feels great in my hands, and it takes nice photos.

The problems arise in Nikon's firmware.  Unless you use a nikon-confirm lens, you will lose lots of menu options that are important, such as focus zooming.

Video recording is completely automated with regards to exposure.  The viewfinder presents an automatically adjusted exposure as well, and I can't find a way to change the setting.

Nikon needs to throw us amateur photographers and videographers a bone, and stop locking their products down so much. The V2 has stellar hardware, but the software aspect hampers it
498550
I probably won't add informative value to the discussion that's been going so it's just my 2 cents. I am so happy with the image quality, build quality, features and basically everything about this little dusty gem. The positives are countless and other reviewers provided excellent insight on the capabilities of this camera and that's why I didn't give it a 1-star review, because IT'S indeed a great camera. Scores speak for themselves. I used a D300, D700, D7000 before and the D600 really outperforms all of them in every aspect, except that the AF in the D700 is superior especially in low light. I used to shoot a lot of HDR but now I hardly do HDR due to the incredible dynamic range of the D600. ISO performance (not highest ISO setting) is one the best among all FX cameras if not the best based on scores and what I have seen. In a nutshell, for the price (or even for a much higher price) the D600 sets new standards for full frame cameras at this price level.

Now of course you saw that coming, the dust/oil issue. Folks who are apologetic/fanboys/offensive, seriously quit it. The issue is real whether you like it or not, and no it's not a fact of life with all DSLRs and those experiencing it SHOULD be upset, and they are many and I dare say more than those who are happy. If everyone is apologetic like you then the D800 AF issues and the D7000 issues would have never been addressed, if they were addressed to begin with. Not just users are complaining, even lensrentals, DPreview and many other credible photography communities have confirmed it. You only have to watch the now famous/infamous timelapse video to realize that the issue is internal, it's a design flaw with regards to the shutter mechanism. Wet cleaning your sensor every 500 shots is not normal. Wet cleaning a new camera is not normal. Bragging that you only shoot wide open and never noticed the issue is off-topic since it doesn't mean everyone shoots wide open. I mainly shoot landscape and typically use slow apertures for maximum depth of field (f/8-f/16) and a single spot would ruin the image for me. It's true that it's easily fixed in PS but that's only if it's one or a few spots, not hundreds, and certainly not in every image!

IMO, the main idea behind writing a review is to help potential customers decide whether to buy the product or not based on a general consensus provided by previous owners. Most of us who see a 2-star product with 100 reviews will shy away form that product without even bothering to read the reviews. That's why I think it's not fair to give the D600 a 1-star rating because of the dust/oil issue since it's a great camera in all regards. My 3-star rating is just a warning for potential buyers that if you are going to buy the camera expect dust, lots of dust even after sensor cleaning. Now I heard the issue goes away after 10000 clicks or so and I will update my review accordingly.
1670082
We got this as a gift from our wedding registry. It's really a great camera! The image quality is amazing, the software is easy to use, the portability is superb and it's just kind of cool. Two hours may not sound like a lot of time, but it's plenty and since you can easily download the videos to any computer (while charging it at the same time) it's no problem at all. I find now that the focus is not great when shooting stuff up close, and the zoom is not great. But for making clips of important (and silly) moments, it's really great. Here are some other things to consider:

-The camera's lens is not protected, so make sure it's always in its sleeve.
-The software also allows you to make movies and clip collages, which is great.
-That being said, the software has a strange (non-modifiable) way of storing videos on your computer.

Overall we have found it really great for what we need. Thanks Flip!
2278650
Got this camera over the holidays, and I have to say that everything good that has been said about it is true. Powerful zoom, powerful image stabilization that goes along with it and allows you to easily snap 30x shots freehand (albeit more blurry than wide angle shots but that's inevitable), fully auto and fully manual exposure, focus, and aperture, loads and loads and loads of features that you'd normally expect on a DSLR. Image quality is great (there is some very fine grain, however, but it has that "actual photo" feel to it rather than the square JPEG-y stuff or color noise common with digital cams), and with all the features you can get great shots in any situation. I've been able to resolve individual cells on flower petals in super macro, take super-zoom shots of details you'd need a telescope to see, and take nighttime photos that look like daylight. In short, you can definitely push the limits with this camera.

Of course, everything comes at a cost, and here the main cost is speed (and battery life, but more on that later). It's certainly not the best camera for capturing extremely spontaneous/unexpected moments, but 98% of the time this has not been an issue for me. Actually my camera does something odd and I don't know if this is a common problem, but it gets progressively slower the more full the card is (reaching downright unbearable levels on a full card). I don't know why this happens, or if it can be fixed with a faster card. Frequent image dumping to the computer keeps this issue to a minimum for me. Anyhow, on an empty card I find the camera's speed perfectly acceptable. Keep in mind you can press the shutter button to get right back to shooting after taking a pic.

As for layout design, it works pretty well for the most part. I love the quick access to options by using the slider wheel. The one thing I have a gripe with is that you cannot access focus modes directly but have to cycle through them. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that every time you pass "super macro" you have to wait for the lens to reach its preset zoom level, and then wait again for it to go back to the previous zoom once you leave that mode. This can make going from macro all the way back to auto a bit of a pain. I am very puzzled as to why the focus wasn't placed as one on the scroll wheel options.

Now as for the batteries. Yeah, it's a fairly big camera with serious features; don't expect it to run on mist. I'm very confused about people's comments bashing the choice of AA batteries versus bulit-in, however. Lithium ion isn't gonna get you that much farther per charge than NiMH will, but if you are out somewhere where there is no electricity and you run out of juice in that one battery, you are *DONE*. On the other hand, you can carry an arbitrarily large arsenal of AA batteries with you, reload, and keep shooting. If you're into the whole hiking and nature photography thing, you most definitely do not want an irreplaceable battery. I also didn't notice it chewing through a set THAT quickly; I guess it depends on flash use, which I almost never do.

If you're a shutterbug who just wants a camera that you can whip out and snap shots and put away, which works with no fussing or any effort to understand its functioning, this camera is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, you are serious about taking good pictures but don't want a serious price tag, this is definitely the best or one of the best cameras for you. If you are the type who can handle technology with a few small quirks rather than flipping out at them, if you don't mind taking the time to understand how everything works, this camera will be a formidable tool in your hands.
3871071
This is a fantastic lens, don't get me wrong; incredible color, contrast and sharpness, however, it's very heavy, and is not easy for a woman to carry around - one should definitely have a tri-pod when using this lens.  Mine was one of the many I have heard about with "soft images" - that, coupled with the fact I would need to bring so much equipment with me on the field for good shots, made me exchange it for the 28-135 with IS, which is much more portable, takes fantastic shots, better zoom range, and 1/3 the price.  Sure, if you blow up the pics 200% you'll see a difference, but to me, the price, portability and IS make it a much better choice for the amateur.
164241
I picked up this camera two weeks ago at a local store. Overall, it's a solid camera. Color reproduction is wonderful, it's quick, low noise with high iso, and terrific macros. The camera is blazing fast. Please refer to the other posters for the good points of this camera.

Now i'll discuss the shortcomings. The major one, which has been referenced to in various forums such as dpreview and a few online review sites is poor AutoFocus. Not all cameras are affected, but mine was. If you shoot at an object from w/in 10 ft, it has trouble over 50% of the time picking up the autofocus point and often selects the wrong point. If you use center focus, it gets pretty close but final image is still a bit blurry. It becomes a bit sharper w/ the live view autofocus system. When I took some outdoor pics of some animals, i couldn't quite lock on what i was interested in. Even when taking shots of people outside w/ a prominent background, it seems to have trouble deciding if it wants to focus on the person or the background. I'd say that 20% of my shots were actually in focus and those look wonderful. The remaining ones had the focus off. So i'm gonna send my camera to canon for repair. I went to best buy and tried out a 40D and the focus was rock solid. If you get a good camera, kodus to u.
4975027
The camera is great, but it could be better.
I would be nice if the lens was sold separately, but it's not so lets go from there.
The manual focus is complicated it would be better if the lens had
a focus ring.
It would be better if it had more Mega pixels
All that said, I've gotten some great pictures of wild life and some
amazing shots of the moon, I would strongly recommend it to anyone
interested in taking those kinds of pictures
2482071
My primary camera is a Nikon DSLR, I got this Canon camera to carry around since it's much smaller. It was wonderful until the one day I received a lens error after dropping it in dry sand. Now it is worthless. After doing some research and trying to fix I can see why they have discontinued this camera. Sounds like lots of people have had this lens error. They are no longer manufacturing this camera and for good reason. Go find something better.
1499899
Really good camera, amazing pictures (if you're good ;)
3390600
It's either my camera has always been defective or the majority of people here compare the photos to their old cell phone camera. I am a very experienced user and I understand well the functions of this camera, how to shoot and divide the light metering on a screen, choose shutter speeds and iris functions, target correct ISO to prevent image noise, choose a great color mode etc. Please consider that ween you read the following:

Pros:
Great construction
Great lens
Great basic features
Excellent ergonomics
Was considered high megapixels when it came out (now 10.1mp is below average)
Great battery life per charge
Very nice HD video

Cons:
Photos appear great on LCD, but when you transfer them to the computer, everything is out of focus and horribly pixalated. That is true even for excellent light conditions
This camera is unable to do macro. About 1 out of 20 shots come out right  in terms of focus (but then it's probably a very noisy photo). The camera has a strange auto-focus function: You see it focuses on the object perfectly, it then pass the focus point and remains blurring the image. You constantly have to change the setting, lighting or your angle to capture macro objects and trick the camera to put them in focus. Often you have to stand far and zoom into it, but then you have to put the camera on a tripod because touching it when taking a macro photo from afar will cause it to move and blur the photo. It's really very-very poor.
Night shots are very poor quality when comparing with other cameras
Memory Stick Duo is slow and proprietary. Chances are you will need an adapter for most computers out there.
Camera takes long time to turn on and take a first photo
Difficult to operate manual modes, very limited.
SLR-like form factor accommodates large lens, but the lens cannot be interchanged.
Flash cannot be adjusted and your choice is either burnt photos or dark noisy photos
A bit heavy and bulky for its size. It's not an SLR but it's also not something you can carry in your pocket. In other words, you are robbed out of the benefits of SLR but you don't gain the compact benefits of a point-and-shoot travel size camera (which may have similar specs and price point) so it's quite pointless
What you see on the LCD is NOT what you see on the PC. In fact, if you read the manual there are many troubleshooting tips where Sony themselves tell you that dots, streaks, wrong colors, etc. that you see on the LCD are not recorded in the real photo. What's thr point of this? The LCD should ALWAYS represent EXACTLY what you will see on your computer screen. Moreover, because it is small, you cannot see how pixalated, noisy or out of focus the photos really are, which you discover later when you transfer them to your computer.  This means you have to always take many redundant photos with changed focus, settings and angles just to make sure. It makes the photo taking an annoyance. Not only is it not fun but you run out of disc space and have to then sort many more photos than reasonable -just to dig a few good ones.
Sony's instructions also keep suggesting to avoid all kinds of terrible results by changing the scene, lighting angle or how you center objects in your photo.  I am sorry, but a scene should NEVER accommodate a camera. Camera is a passive device that helps the person behind it tell a story and document or memorize a scene.  My camera should never dictate the scene itself.

Overall, poor camera. It is probably best to get a nice point-and shoot or a nice SLR rather than this failing hybrid. It's just bad.