Really good camera for the price you pay
598235
This is a great camera by Sony, inside the price range you can get it. The photos are beautiful, with great definition and colors. It's not as slow as Sony cameras are heard to be considered, even when it's not light-fast.
the only problems I see on it is that the LCD display, even when it's big and have good resolution, has a problem showing the real colors and brightness of the image, you it will take you a good time to learn how your real picture will look based on the one on the LCD. I have been taking pictures with all of the options of the camera and I still couldn't learn which one to choose. the other problem is that it's really hard to focus on close objects, even faces or solid objects.
But, for the money you pay for this camera, it's overall an excellent camera.
1584643
This cam is Brilliant for the price you pay for it. (Especially as I was lucky enough to get it for 125$ a few months back on Amazon)
I guess everyone has covered how awesome the pic quality and everything is so i'll skip to some of the minor issues I encountered with it.
1) I bought an 8GB 15Mb/s HCSD card for this. It supports, but after taking a few thousand pics (maybe 4GB or so) the cam startup time tends to slow down dramatically. - however this is not a problem if your not that trigger happy and going on shorter vacations ;)
2) Dont expect much form Video. It's almost unusable in low light conditions, and has trouble keeping focus in even average lighting. Also, sometimes switching to video mode from any other mode takes ages (15-30s!) and that's really annoying.
3) Recently i came across this issue, it suddenly switches off and doesn't come back on. But a quick re-insertion of the battery sorts it out.
3895777
I just bought this camera from Circuit City for a 150 bucks during the friday after thanksgiving sale.. It is a great value.. It has 3x optical zoom (something you will find only in expensive cameras) as well as 2x digital zoom. As far as the picture quality it is great, with crisp colour images especially in the highest resolution..
Pros:
1. Great picture quality
2. Very cheap (Relatively good brand)  I tried a camera called Argus before The difference is huge!!
3. The LCD is very good.. I recommend a screen protector (you can buy one from those sold for PDAs and cut it to fit the LCD).
4. It uses SD cards (better than CF cards)
5. Nice case!
6. Super Easy installation , Windows XP detected it without even using the installation CD.
I gave it 4 stars because of the following drawbacks:
1.  The lens cover is not automatic (You have to put it and take it off manually everytime you want to use the camera and it looks bad when it hangs of the camera (like the 50s style).
2. It uses non-rechargable batteries, 4 batteries are included though.
3. A little bit bulky (not like the more expensive sony and cannon).
4. 8MB is OK however 16 MB would be better.. I have a 128MB SD card so that solved my problems...
In short:
This camera is good if you care about the functionality and don't care about the appearence. (It is not worth spending a [X] to get a better looking sony or cannon). If you have rechargable batteries and an SD card, I think you won't have a problem with this cam.
1061417
I bought this Finepix A500 as a budget replacement for a digital camera that was recently stolen from me. I think its fair to say that you get quite a bit of camera for the money spent here (you can find this camera at several places on the internet for less than $120 , I bought my for 118.99 brand new with free shipping included), it has a 5 megapixel resolution and 3x optical zoom and takes great pictures , in a comparison of picture quality with a friend who has a Nikon that was about 4 times the price of this camera when we took the same pictures in identical situations with same picture settings this camera performed just as well with color and clarity just as vivid. Ok his camera has bells and whistles this one doesn't and more preset picture modes but for the average picture taker this is definitely a winner, great macro shots too and professional-looking clarity and resolution on 8X10 photos as well. The software wasn't quite as elaborate as my other camera's (an HP Photosmart) but I do my general photo editing with either Picasa or the basic Adobe Photoshop (both free downloads on the web) so I can't really see this as a downside either, definitely a satisfied buyer and user here.
1887887
I bought this camera as an emergency budget camera as I had less than 12 hours to attend an event. I did not want to spend a lot of money on a camera, since I did not have enough time for a full scale research on cameras. I narrowed my search to cameras less than $200.00. I settled for this camera based on several reviews by both professional photographers and amateur users. The camera is a very good camera. The initial pictures were not as crisp as my previous camera but the more I got to understand this camera, the better did the quality of the pictures improve. The three things I quickly learnt were:1. This is a slow camera, if you are very patient with it, your picture qualities will improve. 2. When you focus on an object and you press on the shutter release button gently half way down, be patient for the broken square to turn green before fully depressing the shutter release button. 3. If you understand when to use the different scene modes, then you have close to a professional grade camera in your hands. The camera is excellent for low light scenes. I have not yet used the flash to snap any picture and all the pictures I have taken at night have been superb! I like the panorama and pencil sketch modes. Did I forget to mention the zoom lens of x15 for this price. The color reproduction is impressive. This camera could have easily been sold for between $200 to $300 by GE. Hurry and buy one,before GE makes one minor modification on this model and sell it for $300.00 as their newest model. My wife who bought a more expensive brand that was on sale, plans to use the 14 days grace period to return her camera after comparing her camera pictures with the ones taken by this camera.

I recommend the following for this camera:

1. Transcend SD HC 16GB Class 10 memory card.
2. Sony camera case.
3. Sony BCG-34HRE NI-MH Battery charger.
4. SANYO enelope AA rechargeable batteries or the Sony cycle energy rechargeable AA batteries that come with the Sony charger.
5. JOBY gorillapod.
2791057
There are many things that really make this camera worth buying.  These are a few that sold me:
1) Form factor - The 601 has got a really nice upright shape that lends itself to smaller hands.
2) Controls - The basic point-and-shoot controls are very easy to manipulate.  Switching between Movie, Auto Control, and Manual Control is a cinch and zooming and focusing is a breeze.
3) Picture quality - The pictures that are produced are almost always true to life.  Even at 1 megapixel normal mode, the pictures are sharp and clear.
But since I bought it, there have been a few niggling inconsistencies and drawbacks that take the sheen off the thing.
1) No picture stabilization - If you have jittery hands, you will end up with lots of fuzzy pictures.
2) A bug in the lens retraction system causes my camera to not stow the zoom lens when I turn it off.
3) Complicated menus - Once you decide to leave the familiar point-and-shoot environment and start fiddling with apertures and f stops, the menus become very complicated.
4) FinePix software - If you can avoid it, just don't install it.  It is slow and heavy.  I suggest getting another imaging suite like Photoshop Elements or Macromedia Fireworks or Jasc PaintShop Pro.
5) Short battery life - At 1 megapixel normal mode, it is almost impossible to fill up a 128Meg SmartMedia card.  The battery in this case lasts about 3 hours.  This annoyance is offset by the fact that 128M is enough to fit about 400 pictures.  I ran out of battery the other day, which is why I bring this up.  If you are used to shooting 30-40 shots a day, then there is plenty of battery.
Still, it is a cool little camera that takes really good pictures and is small enough to take with you on your next outing.  The price is a little high and you would do yourself right to compare this to other cameras in its range.  The form factor may look cool now, but you should try it out before buying, some people really don't like the shape.
1019172
I bought the camera as a gift. I didn't have a lot of money to spend on it so I had to find a good camera that didn't break my budget. This camera is small, takes great pictures, and really is just as good as some cameras at a higher price. I think it's a great camera, so in my opinion it is worth the price.
4929138
This is a great camera and for the price you definitely can't go wrong. Images taken on the one I bought were great quality and pretty sharp. Zoom on the optical 10x was decent but not the best, but the auto-focus compensates enough. The soft skin mode to me just seems to blur the images a little by using a soften effect like what you get on some editing software.

Image stabilization is decent as expected from Sony and video is decent at 30 fps on 720p, but doesn't adjust focus as fast as I would have liked for some scenes. I suggest using a class 10 card in it for smooth video and expect it to fill up fast if you're using it at maximum settings/resolution. The flash is ok, though I'd prefer to have good lighting anyway to get natural shot and have a real sense of the environment although depending on your angle, it will seem to get a dark shot if the light source is behind the object or person you're shooting, but it does compensate a little.

If you're a point a click person I suggest you leave settings on auto and just go with it. The camera does a great job of scene recognition and adjusts to suit and as we all know, digital zoom is a waste of time, so don't think you'll get a high quality pic at a long distance as their cameras tend to pixelate images when using digital zoom  . Anything within 30 feet is sharp, after that you start having to really work for that quality image. Close-ups are good and most are clean. Some colours look forced, on some plants very saturated on some deep colours (bright coloured ones were fine), and some other stuff I mentioned above are better on other cameras within the price range although not thrown together like on this model. Don't expect great low light pics but some are passable depending on the light available.

So it is worth a buy? In my opinion yes, as long as you don't expect too much for a budget price and aren't going to be snapping underwater pics and video (don't get it wet, and if you do, switch off, remove batteries and memory card and dry immediately and thoroughly), It's a bit smooth to touch and does feel sometimes like it'll fall out your hand, but is pretty comfortable otherwise and works well. So as a budget camera, you could do worse!
2875749
It is a great camera for the price. It has a very clear picture in the day and Evan that the night vision is not the best, you can see clearly with it. That is why I give it five stars, for the price and how will you can see with it. Thanks
336652
For the price, it's a really great camera. I bought this a few years ago, back when the price was around $100 and then sold it, and now I regret selling it.

It was the right choice for me as a beginner, because it includes some really easy pre-setting modes for certain kinds of lighting, while also allowing you to use more advanced features if, for instance, you're trying to get good macro shots. It's not the most sophisticated camera out there, but I think it's one of the best cameras you can get for this price. You get a lot of value for what you're spending. :)

One thing that might annoy some people is that it's smaller than professional DLSR cameras, so the handgrip might be awkward if you have big hands. On the other hand, while small, it's not made to fit into your pocket like some slimmer camera styles. Also, when you have your cheek pressed up against it to look through the digital view-finder, there are a lot of little electronic noises going on in there. Neither of those... Read more
2392213
It takes good pictures and videos with sound.
It looks really good.
Has lots of features (that you will not use).
It is well priced.
I love the fact that you can charge it while the battery in in the camera. (Canon get a hint please).
One minor thing: The front of the camera becomes a little warm after a lot of flash photography. Nothing to worry about and it does not get hot, just warm. (It was not just mine that got warm, I tested another one that my friend has).
2211631
I have had this camera for a couple of months now, and I have really enjoyed using it. It makes learning manual mode a breeze as it shows you on screen exactly what the camera is doing (mostly useful for checking aperture settings), and the vari-angle LCD is helpful for shooting video or images from awkward angles (the only problem is that AF is incredibly slow in Live View mode). It works well in low-light conditions, and the 24.1 megapixels are really nice to have if you plan on doing any sort of cropping, blowing up, or printing of your images. I don't know a lot about how well it performs in auto mode or programmed auto mode, as I've only used it in aperture priority and manual modes, and manual mode is well worth learning to use if you are going to buy this camera. Having 39 AF points is wonderful, and the overall image quality is exactly what I have come to expect from Nikon (fantastic, that is). The display is handy and all the information you need is laid out nicely on the screen; the menu, however, is not altogether very easy to navigate, but it is not impossible to figure out nd if you are familiar with Nikon's menu layout (which is pretty much the same even on their point-and-shoot cameras, give and take a few things), then this really isn't a big deal.
It is a very lightweight camera, but it is worth noting that it might not hold up well if dropped, and it is not weather-sealed either, so taking it out in anything other than very light rain could potentially damage it, but this is not a total deal-breaker, especially not for beginners (like myself) just starting out in photography. I've heard a lot of people complain about the size of the grip; for me, it is not  problem, but I have very small hands, and I can definitely see how this could be a problem for someone with larger hands. This camera does not eat away at its battery, so I can shoot for a relatively long time without needing to recharge. The 18-55 mm kit lens gets the job done, but I will definitely be investing in some new lenses the longer I continue to use this camera.
This camera has a lot of great features and is perfect for the "advanced beginners" it is targeted toward (I think it is great for any beginner who is willing to learn to use it), and the price is hard to beat considering. Even though its a little bit older now, it still performs well, and the age is helping bring down the cost, so no complaints here.
3669997
If you are a photographer looking for a low priced SLR camera that takes quality pictures, this camera is for you. Its fast, easy to use, and an extremely long batterry life. I bought this camera 3 weeks ago and already shot about 500 pics with it. The quality is great!!! The best thing about the camera is the ability to take action shots. I had some of my friends jump and the camera was able to focus on them and shot pictures while they were in the air and the pictures came out great. Macro shots were perfect, with or with out the flash, I could not be happier, all the pictures were sharp and in focus. I wanted to edit some of the pictures I took with photoshop, but even the photoshop told me the pictures were perfect and did not need to be edited.

There are a few problems with the camera and most of them can be solved with a few accessories. One of the biggest problems is pictures shot indoor are underexposed, the built in flash is not powerfull enough. But all I had to do was buy a flash (420EX works great) and the problem is solved. Second problem is that the camera is very selective as far as lenses. I have a Rebel2000 with a Sigma 200mm lens and the lens did not work with my new camera. (I kept getting ERR99 on the screen) So I guess I have to buy a new lens for it. Camera is also have a plastic body, but i guess for the price its ok. (If you want a metal body get Canon 20D and pay $500 more)

Overall the camera has some minor problems with it, but for the price I am willing to live with it. (if want them fixed either buy Canon 20D or get some accessories) Personally changing from G5 to Rebel was great. This is my first digital SLR and I am very happy. Canon did a very good job with it.
3350668
Let me just get the negative out of the way.  This camera is not great for low light photos.  I took a picture of my cousin's parents on stage during her weddding and the result was sort of dark and gloomy.

This camera definitely depends on its flash.  Without flash, taking a photo can be too dark or blurry.  If you use a tripod, then with enough light source you can disable the flash.

The LCD screen is small compared to other much newer cameras available today.

That being said, this camera is worth the money.  The picture quality is freaking sharp.  Continous snapshots works great, panoramic photo is really fun and the other 13-14 pre-set functions are easy to use.

The motor is quiet compared to the 4MP Canon Powershot.  The video recording is fun and more impressive than I had imagined it to be.  I probably would just get a digicam if I am serious about recording.

The metallic body is really good looking and the feel of the camera when you are taking a picture is comfortable.  The camera is small enough to easily fit inside your pants pocket.

Battery is like other batteries.... you probably want to carry more than one if you travel a long time without a chance to charge up.  The charger does a good job charging fairly quickly... I think less than 2 hours with totally discharged.

It does not come with a case, but I went out to buy my own durable case for it (less than $10).  It uses the fairly small SD card, which you can buy for next to nothing these days.
3910048
Spent a lot if time with this before writing. I've had this camera for months. Overall, for the price it's a great camera. I used it to take b&w shots and some awesome macro. It does give the user some control but is 96.3% auto. ISO up to 1000. Long exposure from .5-8.0 sec. It can shoot in sepia, full color, vivid color, basic color and black and white. Has 5x optical zoom which works great and a digital zoom which gave me minimal noise. Flash is useful as it is over the lens and not beside it. It is fairly diffused but still kind of harsh. For under $100 it's a great beginner camera. If you want more manual controls get a more manual camera. For a light weight traveller or budget minded this camera should suit you fine.
2003722
I needed a replacement camera, but didn't have a lot to spend, so this Nikon was my choice. I have had it for a month, and I have been very happy with the image quality, from inside to outdoors, and especially close-ups. The camera does not have a lot of complicated features, but the settings work well. I don't use the easy auto setting very much, because it doesn't usually pick the appropriate setting. But I have had good results with the automatic setting, and choosing my own scene mode like macro or sports. I often turn off the flash for better results, and the pictures do not get blurry like on my old camera. The zoom works very well, even after you go past the optical zoom and into digital. The only slight issue I have found is that it is sometimes slow to take the shot and save it so that you can take the next one. This seems to be a Coolpix thing, because my last one did it too. However, my final comment would be on how great the video quality is. I was impressed with both the sound and image quality of the few I've taken so far. If you are looking for an affordable basic digital camera, then I highly suggest the Coolpix L22.
3584820
I've had this camera for a few months now and really for the price I paid, I'm extremely satisfied with it.  The only issue I've encountered is that sometimes I have to fight with it to focus on the appropriate object.  Otherwise, no complaints.  Photo quality is really good for this type of camera and it's really easy, basic to use.  I do not regret the purchase at all and I'm very satisfied with the camera.