Review rated by 16 Ciao members on average: very helpful
This review received a counterstatement by a party concernedRead Comment
The Casio QV-R4 at first glance is very compact and feature packed. It is a 4 megapixel camera which allows for A4 photos to be printed with excellent detail. The case is all metal and feels very sturdy. Mine has had several knocks and still works fine with no visible marks. The screen is of adequate size to see all the details and the selection wheel is clearly labelled and easy to use.
As far as using the camera goes there is a very simple point and click setting where everything is automatic. There is also a fully manual mode if required where the user can set exposure time from 1/2000th of a second to 2 seconds, as well as a choice of aperture size and manual focus. The flash can also be changed from automatic to no flash, fill flash and red-eye reduction flash. Filters are also built in B/W, sepia, red, green, blue, yellow, pink, and purple. There are also options to enhance red, green, blue or skin tones. Other options allow setting of ISO, White balance, metering, saturation, contrast and flash intensity.
Other modes include night mode, video camera mode, this has no sound but you can use the 3x optical zoom whilst filming, best shot and playback mode. Also there are the standard time delay photo but also a time delay which takes 3 photos consecutively so that the best photo can be selected afterwards without having to go back and forward to the camera each time.
Best-shot mode has several pre-set camera setups which allow the best results for different photo types. For example there are settings for portraits which show an outline on the screen to show where the subject should be placed in the picture. There are also modes for floral fields, pets, running water, splashing water and more. 33 built in total and you can add your own settings. One of the more unusual of these is a pre shot mode where you can shoot a background and then pass the camera to someone else to take your picture with that background shown as an overlay guide to how you want the picture to look. There are also several split shot modes where you can stitch two photos together to allow for pictures showing everyone in your party, including the photographer.
Another point to mention is that there is a usable viewfinder which can be used instead of the screen which greatly increases battery life, a feature which is sometimes missed from digital cameras.
As far as picture quality goes this is excellent, I personally use the highest quality and have no complaints. The 3x optical Zoom has no loss in quality however the digital zoom shows some graininess, although, this is the same with every other digital zoom I have used.
The main problems I have come across are as follows: The internal memory is around 11mb which allows for 5 high quality photos, however SD cards are relatively cheap and a 256mb card holds around 150 pictures at highest quality or several more at lower resolutions. The extending lens on mine did break and I had to send it back to Casio for repair however this went smoothly and I was only without camera for a week and was repaired under warranty. Also the screen has started looking scrambled when the battery is low, however this is resolved by switching the screen off and then back on. Also when taking photos if you do not pre-focus, i.e. press the shutter half way down, the camera can sometimes take up to around 1 second to focus and take a picture.
Overall this is an excellent camera that is excellent value for money and I have not heard of anyone else having the lens or screen problems that I have, perhaps it's just I dropped my camera one too many times. This is the only reason I have rated the camera good and not excellent.
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14.11.2004 19:10
A great first review and welcome to Ciao. Maureen
13.11.2004 21:13
Hi and a warm welcome to ciao. A super first review. I hope you enjoy the ciao experience. Ray
13.11.2004 20:20
Welcome to Ciao. Linda. x