What's New - June 2007
June 29
Full Review posted for 
Nikon D40x!
Nikon's further reinforced their digital SLR battle strategy with the 10 megapixel Nikon D40x, a fine digital SLR that's family friendly. We actually thought the jump from 6 to 10 megapixels might introduce a flaw or two, but we found that the image quality was maintained or got even better in several key areas, including noise control at high ISO and overall dynamic range. As a result, indoor shots with the D40x are of the quality we've all been looking for. Fit and feel is identical to the still excellent Nikon D40, with only a 10 gram gain in weight. The Nikon D40x is light and quick on the draw, easy to learn, and its controls don't seem too complicated, great for the uninitiated. Help screens will teach you the basics, but even seasoned photographers will feel at home with the Nikon D40x's quite complete selection of semi-auto and full manual exposure modes. The Nikon D40x is a superb digital camera, a great choice for families and hobbyists. See our full review of the Nikon D40x for more.
June 26
Express Review posted for 
Olympus FE-250!
Sometimes you just want a digital camera that's smart enough to take snapshots effortlessly. The Olympus FE-250 is that smart -- and that simple. Guide mode lists a number of problems any digital camera could stumble across. With a click of the Right arrow, the Olympus FE-250 tells you how to handle the problem and, at the same time, sets itself up for you. And Scene mode adds few more solutions like Candles and Document for more specific situations. It's one smart digital camera. Attractive, compact and capable, the Olympus FE-250 was fun to shoot close-ups and middle-distance shots with, disappointing only a bit with landscapes. It's a bit expensive as entry-level gear goes, but it grows on you the more you use it with one of the more functional control layouts of any digital camera we've seen. See the Olympus FE-250 Express Review for more.
June 20
Full Review posted for 
Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH!
Nice to look at and nice to shoot, the Canon PowerShot SD750 is another in a long line of pleasing Digital ELPH cameras. Its 7.1 megapixels offer enough to give you a basic range of enlargements, including 11x14 inch prints. The Canon SD750's 3x zoom is just standard, not stunning, but it's great for most travel shooting and its f/2.8 aperture and ISO 1,600 setting can help in low light. A large 3.0 inch LCD pushes the optical viewfinder off of the SD750, but that LCD is gorgeous. The Canon SD750's capable movie mode and ten scene modes round out a basic take-anywhere digital camera that looks great too. See the full review for more on the Canon PowerShot SD750.
June 14
Full Review posted for 
Canon PowerShot A560!
The Canon A560 is another great little camera from Canon. While classed and priced as an entry-level camera, the A560 takes great, high-resolution shots, has a nice 4x zoom lens, and is quite easy to use. The user interface is clean and uncluttered, the combination of no-nonsense mode dial and simple Function menu making it easy to get to the functions you'll use most frequently. There's also a very good movie mode for collecting "video snapshots" at quality levels as high as 640x480 pixels and 30 frames/second. The biggest plus the Canon A560 boasts over its little brother the A550, though, is its Face-Detection autofocus system, a very handy feature when photographing people, and one that worked very well in our use of the camera. To those of us who've been dealing with digital cameras for a while, it's amazing that an under-$200 entry level camera can capture enough detail to make beautiful 13 x 19 inch prints (let alone with all the 560's other features as well), but that's exactly what the Canon A560 does. This is a great little all-around camera, at a great price, an easy Dave's Pick as one of the best cameras on the market in its price range. Read our Canon A560 review for all the details!
June 12
Full Review posted for 
Olympus Stylus 730!
The Olympus Stylus 730 is a slim, stylish water-resistant camera with several high ISO modes designed to improve indoor shooting, and a good complement of Scene modes for the novice shooter wanting to get good results regardless of the situation. The Stylus 730 also offers a unique Guide mode that will help you though specific situations. Though I doubt most will use either set of modes, it's nice to have them there for those who will. Viewed onscreen, images from the Stylus 730 have some faults, like soft corners and noisy color, but printed results are quite good. Few shooters enlarge beyond 8 x 10 inches, and none of the Olympus Stylus 730's minor problems are evident at this size. To capture fast moving kids at play, it can ratchet up its sensitivity to ISO 3,200 but only at reduced image size; but we actually recommend you keep it below ISO 800 for better results. As long as potential buyers are aware of these limitations, they can enjoy the truly excellent aspects of the Olympus Stylus 730, and happily enjoy stacks of sharp, colorful 4x6 images, with the occasional 11x14 of their family on vacation thrown into the mix. Read our Olympus Stylus 730 review for all the details.
June 5
Full Review posted for 
Kodak EasyShare V803!
With 8 megapixels and eight colors to match, the Kodak EasyShare V803's standout feature is its under-$200 price tag. Its 2.5 inch display is not typical of bargain cameras, nor are its stylish good looks. In fact, style is what the Kodak V803 was made for, as you can see by its color-matched accessories, like the beaded neckstraps and small handbags that were announced at the same time. The Kodak V803's 3x zoom lens is pretty decent, and its 8-megapixel imager has enough to make nice 13x19 inch prints. Speed, unfortunately, is not the V803's strong point -- except when it comes to high ISO performance, where color survives all the way to ISO 1,600. See the full review of the Kodak EasyShare V803 for more!
June 1
Full Review update posted for 
Olympus SP-550 UZ!
While I had a little trouble focusing on subjects that wouldn't sit still, the SP-550's 18x optical zoom with 100x total zoom let us shoot things I couldn't even see without looking through its lens. And I found that a lot of fun. A whole new world of birds, fish and buffalo, in fact. But the SP-550 was just as capable taking shots at wide angle and in Macro mode. Some of my flower shots really surprised me with the quality of the color and detail. And its optical image stabilization and high ISO performance took great low-light shots as well. While it has enough to complain about, the SP-550 UZ merits a Dave's Pick for its excellent physical design and world beating zoom range. See our full review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ for more.
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