My New Best Friend

Author's Rating:

Pros: Ease of use, great features

Cons: Battery life, and not great in low light

Author's Review
Spring Break 2000 would have been worthless if I didn't have any of my memories captured on tape. Being very compact, I never had to worry about looking like I was taping the evening news. I bought this camera from a friend of mine at Ritz camera who highly recommended it for the price. Seeing as we were both heading to Rosarito, Mexico the next day I had to buy it. Within a few hours of arriving I had figured out every feature this camera had to offer.

The optional titles were virtually worthless to my needs. They came out hazy when you used them anyway. There are however a few main features that are wonderful and easy to use. The snap option it right at your fingertips. Just look at an image you want frozen in time and hit the button. The sound continues recording, which makes this ideal for parties. The strobe option is also great to have. Whatever you are filming shows up in a choppy sort of "strobe" recording. Once again, this is great for any action scene or party with a lot of movement. The spot where your thumb rests is right where the zoom is located. Simply slide left or right and your zooming quite quickly. The auto focus operates at a very fast rate and saves you from having to look at hazy pictures. When you want to view your video on T.V., or record to VHS, simply plug in the single cord to you're A/V ports on your VCR. Sit back on your couch and use the included remote to operate the fast-forwarding, recording, etc.

When it comes to battery life, you have only about 30-45 minutes of time available. Consider buying an extended life battery. It's well worth it since you can't run directly from an electrical outlet and recharge at the same time. Don't expect this camera to work well in low light conditions. Aside from these faults, this camera works great, especially for the money.