One of the smallest feature sets that I've *ever* seen on a point-and-shoot!
353276
Had to install CHDK to get it to do *anything* remotely useful. Sensor isn't great, and shutter lag is about what you'd expect. N.b., this camera is *not* red -- it is *very* pink, which was a bit of a surprise, but this doesn't affect its photo-making abilities. Probably better off getting a slightly 'fancier' model, but I think that this will serve pretty well if you're looking for a 'disposable' digital.
2447745
This is a beautiful, compact and feature loaded camera. it is a little bit heavier and bigger than what I had expected a mirrorless camera would be, but still way lighter and smaller than a regular DSLR. About to head out on a vacation and will be able to report more on the picture quality, etc. So far, so good!!
562373
Pros:  Great zoom (16X), small size, lots of features, advanced Intelligent Auto (IA) mode.
Cons:  Battery life, especially with GPS on; GPS feature even less useful than I expected; Image detail not very sharp when blown up.

Bought this camera to upgrade from prior Lumix (TZ1), notably for the 1080 HD movie, advanced image stabilization, and increased image file processing speed with new MOS sensor. There are certainly lots of features (takes better part of day to review Panasonic on-line feature summary and the electronic user manual.

The IA mode certainly lives up to its promo's and delivers great picture compositions for most snapshots; and you can select from many other manual or semi-auto modes to meet most scene criteria.  The Handheld Night Shot mode does a nice job of enhancing low light shots IF you select this mode manually (but camera does not seem to select this feature when using the IA mode, as the instructions seem to imply it will).

Although I did not purchase this camera for its GPS feature, the GPS is the arguably the most disappointing feature.  It takes a long time to lock-on (and seems to lose lock-on if put away in pocket or car, or in walking in wooded areas); uses a lot of battery life; and the promoted 1 million landmarks do NOT seem to include many of the areas that I have used in our New England area (such as most town names or landmarks).  I learned to keep it set on the Airplane mode (GPS turns off when camera is turned off) to conserve battery life.  The GPS may be more useful when on vacation in larger cities with major landmarks.

As noted in many of the on-line technical reviews, the MOS sensor seems to lack the ability to provide detailed clarity even with the high pixel resolution count at 14 Megapix.  When comparing enlarged images to those on other cameras, there appears to be less clarity/sharpness.  This is disappointing, particularly when comparing the 16X optical zoom that gives a picture that may compare with a 12X zoom on other cameras when cropped to the equavalent size.

That said, the MOS sensor does allow for very fast processing, and that provides some convenient high burst speed shots that can exceed 10 frams/sec compared to 1.5 - 2.0 fps on CCD cameras.

I am still working on using the facial recognition features, but am not very satisfied at results so far.  First the camera has to achieve facial detection, and then perform facial recognition evalution based on my manual picture inputs for individuals I want recognized.  Many pictures are coming out without any faces detected and thus will not support recognition (this may be related to needing closer up shots, and at full frontal positioning).

I found the provided Panasonic PhotoFunStudio managing/editing software to be somewhat limited as compared to my existing software (MS Digital Photo) in editing capabilities.  Also, the Panasonic software is needed to get the full benefit of many of the image properties (such as GPS, facial recognition, and camera modes).  While the AVC HD video 1080 format provides small file sizes, I am still working on finding suitable video editing software (currently having problems with Roxio handling any HD settings).  However, both the camera and the PC software allow for fast and efficient cropping of video segments in-camera and on PC (very convenient).

Overall, I am pleased with large feature assortment and technical performance for this "pocket" camera.
572770
The TX200V is a wonderful little gem with some really nifty features. Most notable about this little guy is the outstanding quality of the lens they included. What you're ultimately paying for is a  great lens and sensor.

However, I don't think it's worth $500. This is much more of a niche cam. For $500 you could pick up a DSLR that shoots better pictures. For $500 you could also get a nice Panasonic camcorder that shoots better video. So, why buy this cam? Like I said, it's in it's own niche. It's small, it's sleek and stylish and it's pretty easy to use. Throw it in your pocket and you're ready to go. Also interesting that it can pull off underwater shooting. I'd never need it for that but it's worth mentioning.

What I don't like about it:

1) No remote. For $500 I want a remote. I prefer wired capability (add the jack guys, c'mon). But either way, an IR remote would be expected at this price point.
2) No AV out. They have HDMI out, I want AV out, too! The only thing you can hook up HDMI out to is an HDMI in device, which is basically a computer or TV - or a huge, expensive external monitor that no one would use with this type of cam anyways.
3) In what appears to be an attempt to scam customers out of more money, Sony wants you to purchase an extra AC adapter that will allow you to film while supplying power to the cam. If you try to plug in via USB or USB to Adapter, you get an error message along the lines of "Playback only during USB connection" - with no option to start filming. Luckily, I found a way around this is to start filming THEN plug it in (You can stop filming and start again after).
4) Touch screen is extremely annoying. Sometimes it's too sensitive. Sometimes I have to TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP to get into a menu. Most annoying is when I hold the camera backwards pointed towards me to take a picture or look at the front of the cam. I make a conscious effort to try and not touch the screen but of course it's impossible and just the slightest graze will spring a menu or stop recording. For a pick up and shoot camera, this is frustrating. They realy didn't need a touch screen - could have easily had 2 menu buttons - but it seems like they wanted to be "sleek" like the iPhone or something. In other words, they sacrificed usability for vanity.
5) Everyone has SD cards. The video function records at I believe 28mbps. I want to be able to pop in a huge 32gb+ SD card and record away. But no, you're limited to Micro SD cards. BOOOO!
4397449
I have one of these super little digitals in my pocket - smaller than my wallet, it's truly convenient for scenic shots. Its 3 X optical zoom is almost adequate, and helped by its 2X digital zoom. I agree with virtually all the pro's listed by the very enthusiastic fellow reviewers, but find the con's frustrating. These are (imho):
1. Low light focussing fails very often - the camera has no illuminating mechanism for autofocus - and allows a picture to be taken even if it has failed to find focus. Often it seems to guess - and will focus on distance once, then close, then distance again.... showing its little green "focus-OK" LED none-the-less. The focus-free setting is a partial work-around.
2. There is some barrel distortion on the wide setting - which at the equivalent of 38mm lens on a 35 mm camera - should really not yet occur. It also gets somewhat fuzzy around the edges at this setting. Group pictures focus at the centre - but people at the edges are fuzzy. This could be a depth of field problem, as the camera has only two aperture settings. This may improve significantly in the future as CCD's reduce in size, or Pentax my need to redevelop this 7 element lens with an aspherical lense system.
3. The camera emphasizes white, but I'm trying different saturation settings now.
4. The camera is not usually sold with the remote control - and the one I bought - which officially is the required one for the camera - lacks the remote controlled zoom described in the handbook. Seems there's a difference between intention and implementation at Pentax in this regard.
5. The flash ranges about 2m/6ft - much too short for a group picture in a room - compound this with the faults 1 and 2, and even some 1.3 megapixel cameras do better (less detail hides some of the errors.).
6. The camera has ISO sensitivities of 100 and 200. Many competing cameras have 400 also, which may have helped the flash range.
7. The LCD is rather small - necessarily a compromise of size - but allows one to zoom after the picture is taken - so if you want to check the quality of a picture you have taken - this is OK.
8. I soon bought a second (special) lithium battery, and the short battery life (about 20 pics at maximal quality, full resolution with flash and lcd or 32Mb - half the memory I've installed) is no longer a problem.
Lastly, it would be useful if the camera could be used as a webcam or controlled from a computer.., but cannot, as yet.
Personally, I am a little disappointed at the compromises made by Pentax - I was expecting more when I bought this little device. Its key advantage is small size, its light weight, the zoom, and its friendly and understandable menus that allow one to actually use its tremendous versatility.
The firmware version in my camera is V1.01. I bought the camera in October 2001.
I suggest you try this out with a few of the competing small cameras (and the 430) in different conditions, they all make compromises and this may be the camera you want. Pentax will probably improve this camera rapidly - they are so close to having a true winner.
3964686
This thing takes some amazing shots! I'm still learning the manual features and there are already some Great reviews on here so I will just say, my only regret so far is for about 5 dollars more I could have got the s4500, and I should have. 24x zoom is AMAZING. I was able to get shots of the craters on the moon! The 30x most definitely would require a tripod. 16gb Class 10 stores about 2900 HD shots. Only little over 9 min of vid though. I got Eneloop (White ones, low discharge) and I've shot about 150 pics and no battery warning light yet. BTW, this Camera is pretty small, and fits PERFECT in the Case Logic DCB-304.
3789333
I went back and forth on this and the Nikon Cool-Pix s8000, eventually going with this one because of lower price.  It's taking me some time to get use to various settings, especially no view finder. When zooming, this is biggest problem, the picture(my hands aren't steady) appears to move around. But once I take the shot, it's not bad! I wanted something compact to take on hikes and school programs, so this is fitting it's purpose. The macro does a fairly good job too.  The colors are true and does a great job of darks and lights together.  The only thing I really don't like is no delete button for picture just takened. On my Canon, you can delete immediatedly if it's a bad shot, on the Panasonic you have to switch a button and go to the picture. Just another step. It won't replace my dslr, but I am happy with picture quality, I'll just need more time to learn some of the features. So far I'm pleased with the purchase.
4733663
This makes great images for a point and shoot camera, with great colors and details. Also, the time between two images is very short and the menu is very prompt. The only thing I don't like is the design - while it is relatively functional, it is not the most aesthetically pleasing. For the money I'd expect a little better (and the images here are not showing it from all angles). Also I don't like the fact that I need to deal with charging batteries again (I liked the built-in one on my old camera). Anyway, this all is not enough to take off a star--this camera DOES take amazing pictures.
1925751
I haven't taken many pictures yet, but first impression is GOOD. I took SHARP pictures that look TERRIFIC even when you zoom in, even better than my last camera.
You should know it does NOT weigh 4 pounds as Amazon states; it is actually about a pound and a half. It's bigger and heavier than typical point-and-shoots (due largely to the big lens) and the case you have for your existing point-and-shoot will not fit, but the camera is light enough around the neck to satisfy most people.
Surprisingly, the manual is pretty good! It gives you some idea what different modes and features are really useful for, and, when it references another topic covered elsewhere in the manual, it gives the page number so you can look it up.
I also appreciate the ability to make fine adjustments quickly before you lose your shot; animals don't pose for long and without this feature, you would lose a lot of shots toggling through to different modes, or worse, switching to all-manual mode. It's like having limited manual flexibility in the different fixed scene modes -- the best of both worlds, so to speak, for anyone except a really experienced photographer who needs no help.
My complaints so far are relatively minor:
(1) The zoom is manual, a dial on the lens, rather than the motorized type you are probably used to. It's not as convenient to reach. If I could change one thing, that would be it.
(2) The menu buttons are small. Why? There is plenty of empty space around them.
(3) When you take a picture, it doesn't stay on the LCD screen long enough to get a good look at it.
(4) The swivel rotatable screen works nicely, but is a bit small.
(5) No lithium battery option, only the rechargeable pack (although it seems to last long enough with extensive LCD use). It seems to me regular lithiums lasted longer in my old camera than this battery pack does, but I DO LIKE the charger that is included with the camera. It is VERY small and plugs straight into an outlet. It will fit in any camera case so you can take it along with your spare battery and SD card and always have it on hand.
I will update later when I have more experience with this apparently superb product.
4576934
I've had this camera for over a year.  It is compact, (easy to carry in a purse or pocket), looks great, and has an interesting approach to auto settings; for example, it has a setting for "food," and separate settings for dark-colored/light-colored dogs, as well as dark-colored/light-colored cats.  There are undoubtedly more auto settings than any single person would ever use.

Still, if you want to have some fun, go and shoot some "food."  I learned the easy/hard way that if you do this in a restaurant, the chef may come running out of the kitchen to find out (a) what is wrong with your dinner, or (b) what newspaper you work for.

These are my problems with the camera:

It has no viewfinder, but of course I knew that when I bought it.  Since it was my first digital point-and-shoot, I didn't realize how important that detail would be.  In bright light it is very hard to see the image on the screen.  On the beach during a trip to Hawaii, I was reduced to point-guess-shoot.

The shutter button is not ergonomically designed, and it is very easy to jiggle the camera while trying to fit your finger down into the recess of the shutter release.  This surprised me; I have a small hand. My next camera will have a shutter button that sits slightly above the frame of the camera.

In that vein, the toggle for the zoom function is hard to use without shifting your grip of the camera.

As a result of the clunkiness, some of my still life photos are blurry, because I jiggled the camera while depressing the shutter release.  Other photos that should have been "zoomed" were not, because I would have had to move the camera away from my shot to do the zoom.

Picture resolution is so-so.  From dazzling to pretty good if you do not want to enlarge the photo beyond its initial size, but not so good if you do your enlarging in PhotoShop or a similar program.  One person I've talked with says "megapixels" are the thing, and another say "optics."  Supposedly, this camera has both.

The shuttler lag time seems very long, but I have to say I am accustomed to using a DSLR with no evident shuttler lag at all.  I did some shooting with a CoolPix, just to compare, and indeed, the Pentax is slower.  I've missed a lot of shots.

The camera has poor auto-focus under lower light conditions.

My best shots using this camera have been outdoor scenery or tourist photos, low to normal daylight.  My worst shots are those where there is little contrast, those where the camera went into digital zoom, and those  I wanted to enlarge and/or to crop and isolate details.

New, it cost me about $200 at a discount store.  As now priced (<$100) it is a nice buy and probably a good enough camera for almost anybody who wants high pixels with optics from a great company, many years in the camera business.
1716274
This little thing kicks butt.  For thirty-odd bucks, how can you wrong?!  It belongs in every NEX (& M4/3) owner's kit.

Pros:
- Image quality is pretty dang good and totally belies its price.  Get to know the advantages and shortcomings (see "cons" below) and work with its attributes and you can achieve some pretty awesome images.
- Very sharp frame center; on par with either NEX kit lens (18-55mm/16mm) if not maybe even a bit sharper.
- Super-small size makes the NEX closer to being pocketable.  Also available for M4/3.)
- Smoothly-damped focus and aperture rings.
- Comes with adapter!
- Wonderfully lightweight.
- FUN to use.  Brings the joy back into photography.

Cons:
- Doesn't stay screwed on to adapter very securely, especially when toying around with the aperture ring.
- Build quality is...interesting (off-center numbers, unfinished metal parts, questionable calibration, etc.).  But dude, it's only thirty bucks.
- Severe vignetting.
- Bokeh is harsh yet interesting and fascinating.  No smoothness.  However, it can yield some excellent renderings with creative post-processing.
- Poor contrast and flare control.  Contrast fixable in post, though, to a certain degree.)
- No impressive tech-factor.  You will look downright silly standing next to your friend with the NEX-7/CZ 24 1.7...ain't gonna pick up any ladies (guys) carrying this ugly thing around, guys (ladies).

Just add this to your cart and check out, will ya?  Only 30-some bucks.  If it breaks, just get another one!  It's less than filling up your car's gas tank!
2795564
I underestimated the size of the files coming out of this camera. Think about this twice prior to jump in. Honestly, unless you go on a safari and need to crop heavily or you print in huge sizes, I see no advantage to have 36MP.
The pixel size shows its limitations at 1600ISO (still quite acceptable with a bit of noise removal), but 3200 starts to really show a lot of it.
The camera seems to be as well way less tolerable to so-so photographic techniques, let alone fact that my sample seems to suffer from autofocus shifts, ...quite annoying really for a 3k$ camera.
Overall not very thrilled. Wanted to go FF from a D2X and D300 background. If I had known would I might have considered moving over to Canon (for smaller MP count, higher ISO handling and from what I have heard no autofocus issues), although I have to say the 14-24 2.8, 24-120 VR 4 and 85 1.4 I fit on the body are truly spectacular when the picture is nailed right.
Last, the camera itself feels very solid and extremely well built. I also love the Nikon ergonomics.
12736
I bought this camera because I needed more features than my Nikon point and shoot had and I wanted to keep the price in the sane range as a point and shoot. However, the biggest appeal is the ability to tap into a pretty nice lens and flash system (micro  4/3rds lenses and olympus remote controlled flashes) and still have a camera that is easy to carry around.  It really is a compact system. I can carry the equivalent of a 100mm macro, a 28-80mm zoom, 100-300 mm zoom and a 90mm prime, two flashes and assorted accessories in a small size courier bag weighing less than 5 lbs.

Pros: fantastic pictures with the kit lens it comes with. Very flexible, lots of configuration options. Also, if you want to upgrade, you can just buy a new body and keep all your old lenses.

Cons: when comparing to the latest generation of mirrorless cameras, the sensor starts getting noisy above ISO800 and the consumer grade lenses are a little slow. Also, the latest mirrorless cameras are running around 16 mp, significantly more than the 12 mp of this camera. Still, for the price hard to beat.
4082496
I've been using this camera since it's release and:  I have to say it feels good in my hand, perfect size for small hands.  The sensor cleaning isn't at all the greatest!  The viewing screen is amazing and the noise reduction feature it has is VERY amazing!  I use ISOs higher than I ever have at times because the image doesn't suffer as much!  Functions are easy to access and utilize while shooting!  Excellent camera for the price.
4708197
It's small, never in the way, i can use it from a good distance, though obstructions, and i can even override it if I forget it's there.  It focuses too, so you don't have to have your camera pre-focused on a set spot.  Wonderful!
1851272
This is a great little camera--small, easy to use, takes pretty decent photos and gives me some control.  I admit I don't use a lot of the features because I save the experimentation for my DSLR, but it's nice to know if I want to try something with it I could. I love how fast it is. My only complaints are those typical with point-and-shoots--the red-eye reduction only works if the subject is looking directly into the camera lens (and what baby/child does that?), focus isn't always spectacular, etc. But other common P&S problems can be fixed on this one--white balance, exposure compensation...and the many shooting modes give you a lot of control over the final product. I would say this one is in the above-average category for point-and-shoot cameras.
1824381
It's a very small micro 4/3 camera, as advertised. Basically little more than a 2.5" deep extension to your lens. I've found it useful to mount a 12mm lens to and take wide-angle supplementary photos, essentially shooting blind, in conjunction with my OM dSLR's.

While the Olympus app for your phone will let you access the settings on the camera, including all the usual suspects such as shooting mode, shutter speed, aperture, focus, etc., the controls are just awkward enough - particularly if you're trying to hang on to both the camera and your phone (recommended even if you have the phone mounted on the back of the camera) - that I wouldn't want to use this as my *primary* camera at any shoot if I had any other option. It would be a little too much like juggling.

That said, if you need a handy supplemental camera and are able to set this up someplace convenient - or don't mind firing a lot of shots without being totally sure at the time how the shots are framed - go for it. The sensor quality is on par with the OM series, and the build quality is good too. Despite its small size this is an optically capable device, and functions well.

The thing that cost Olympus the star here is that I don't know of a way to directly upload photos from this camera to my Mac. (I shoot raw, not JPEG, which does add a complication, but the functionality I'm looking for here is not especially difficult to manage.) There doesn't seem to be a way to do it via USB cable; I have to pull out the MicroSD card instead and pop it into an adapter, then into my SD slot, to get at the files directly. This is in contravention to the way the OM series dSLR's work, and a bit of an inconvenience  not just because you need to use an adapter, but also because you need to remove a couple layers of caps and hardware from the back of the camera to get at the MicroSD card. At some point, eventually, Olympus may address this strange oversight; if they do, I'll revisit this review.