Advantages: Very solid construction, excellent quality Zeiss lenses, excellent value
Disadvantages: It is fiddly to load the film, no TTL flash metering or DX film sensing

...I have used Prakticas for about 16 years now, and they are wonderful cameras. Seek one out in your local camera shop. A drawback with the more "modern" Praktica cameras is their obscure bayonet lenses. These are fantastic quality lenses and are exceptionally good value for money, but are hard to find. The B series cameras are similarly great, but are scarce. A short history of Praktica: Before the break up of Germany into East and West - the Carl Zeiss factory made some of the best cameras in the world. They are still doing so under the Contax name - check out how expensive Contax cameras are! In the East, the cameras were called Praktica, and they are just as good but a fraction of the price. This camera has no add ons - just centre-weighted metering and it is completely manual. It is also fairly heavy and chunky - but feels good... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use with lot's of 'pro' options - great battery life - value for money.
Disadvantages: Mono sound only on video - no hand grip - on board memory small.

...Beautiful classic Praktica photos - by that i mean realistic, not enhanced colours that i had found in my previous (still own 3.2 mega pixel) Sony Cybershot. Don't get me wrong i was more than happy with Sony's digital representation of the world around us and was often complimented on shots taken - but after using the Praktica and comparing photo's in iPhoto on an Apple G5, the Sony's had a colour saturation that is generally available as a 'touch-up' on photo software. Choice of exposure and focal points give you an edge and these are represented as 'templates' for the inexperienced - lot's of other little options - including 'Pictbridge' make this camera a step up from the wannabe's. A lot of camera for the money. My only gripe is the front hand grip - there isn't one!!... Read review

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Advantages: really handy small size
Disadvantages: NO FLASH

...I own this camera, the Praktica SlimPix, and i find that it is extremely easy to use, i hardly needed to even have glimpse at the instructions that came with it. It has merely two buttons, one that switches the camera on and off and also lets you choose many different options, such as high quality or low quality and you can also choose whether or not you would like to have 10 seconds while you get into the photo, where as the other button found on top of the camera is used to capture the photos you want to take. I chose this camera especially, as the size is very very practical and handy, you can slip it into the smallest pocket of pockets. To get the photo you have captured of the camera you must use the USB cable that comes with the camera, you need to plug it into the USB port and then a programme supplied on a CD - with the camera... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use, great for first-timers, bonus games, easily maintainable, predominantly self-explanatory
Disadvantages: Batts can drain quickly whilst uploading pics, main menu can be confusing

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Advantages: Very tough, very reliable, good quality (and cheap) lenses
Disadvantages: Fiddly rewind knob, heavy

...(Temporary intro part 2: thank you, Ciao! This op is now in the right place, so I'll remove this intro completely in a day or two.) Now this really is a blast from the past. One of the last true Eastern Bloc cameras (with the exception of the cheap-and-nasty Zeniths), the Praktica MTL-50 (which can be found fairly easily in second-hand shops) is a dinosaur by modern SLR standards - it's heavy, it's clunky, and almost everything is mechanical. Which is why I like it so much. I've had mine since 1989, and it's still in perfect working order, mainly because there isn't a great deal to go wrong. The main thing you'll notice when picking up an MTL-50 is the weight - it is far heavier than almost any modern camera on the market today. For some that might be a drawback, but for me it's a bonus, because that weight is a sign of the Praktica... Read review

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Advantages: Small
Disadvantages: Poor Picture

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Advantages: Good size, easy to use, stylish design
Disadvantages: quality lost if used as web cam or when linked directly to TV

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Advantages: Easy to use and quick to set up
Disadvantages: Can barely see what you're taking pictures of

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Advantages: Small and compact
Disadvantages: Slow to take picture, distortion, lack of viewfinder

...anything up to 10 seconds to be ready for the next shot by the time it had interpolated all the data. Enough of the negatives and on to the positives. Small and discreet it was a pleasure to carry around. With the 128mb card it held more than enough shots. The flash was strong and powerful and no sign of redeye. I liked the simple on/off lens cover and the autopower off. And when it did take a shot it really was crisp with good colour balance. It was also very useful as a webcam when we needed it. Have I kept it? No. I sold it and reverted to the old FinePix. Despite the nominally lower 2 meg resolution to be honest I don't notice the difference on the average shot. Plus the Finepix is 100% reliable and fast - a true point and shoot. Sorry Praktica - this one doesn't get my vote...... Read review

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Advantages: Pretty Cheap Camera, Reliable, Great Pictures
Disadvantages: Not the best instruction book in the world!

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