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George Engel sez: Research now, so you won't get hooked later...
Shopping for a little Digital Camera for family? Beware of the following:
While the specs of 10 Megapixels, a 3x Optical zoom, a 2.5 inch LCD and a lithium-ion battery may sound nice, along with a good price, read some of the comments on www.digitalcamera-hq.com:
Editors' Comments -
"Real-life owners from all over the world agree: The Kodak EasyShare V1003 is a terrible digital camera that will bring you nothing but frustration and pain. Simply read the user reviews. Complaints about a faulty LCD screen abound, while poor quality photos and general unreliability make this a true lemon. Steer clear of this disappointing Kodak camera."
And from some users -
*** "Pls I beg of you not to buy!" (Zakari - 11/25/07)
*** "Ok, like I just bought my camera, and obviously there is something wrong with the LCD screen. I pull it out of the %#$%# box... read more
*** waste of money (Rhoda - 11/24/07)
*** "I bought this because I was going to an out of town wedding and wanted to have a reliable camera to capture the memories. Should have... read more
*** DO NOT BUY!! LCD PROBLEM (anonymous - 11/1/07)
***"Same problem as the v803. Did not drop the camera. Kept in its case. Woke yesterday to a black LCD. Kodak is mak- ing very cheap... read more
*** "A terrible camera - don't buy it! Put it this way.. you press the shoot button, but by the time the camera takes the photo...
Looking a little bit further, it appears that this may be a model defect. The 8 MB model 'EasyShare V803'' has the same defects, with Users complaining about dead batteries and dead or cracking LCD screens. See the following:
*** "don't buy V803 KODAK (that san offense - 11/12/07)
*** "in less than 2 months, the lens on this camera failed to retract. since it was over the 30 days allowable for return to store...
*** LCD screen (RICK CLARK - 11/11/07)
*** I had the camera for about 2 months. I always kept it in a case. One day I pulled it out and the plasma inside... read more
*** I don't reccommend. (Anononymous - 10/13/07)
Etcetera, etcetera... on and on it goes. Please go to some sites online and check out your purchases to see if it's really a good deal after all.
Be Informed with your Holiday Shopping Spree!
Research before you buy...
Two other articles of real interest are:
Cameras: Shipments rising - prices falling
In his blog, "Underexposed," Stephen Shankland reports for news.com:
Unexpected growth in the 2007 digital camera market has delayed the day when shipments start shrinking, but plunging prices already are a reality. The average number of photos taken per year was 415 for single folks and 514 for people married or living together but with no children. Throw a baby into the mix, though, and the shutters start snapping. Those with a child under age one take 668 photos a year on average ... more
Digital Camera HQ Holiday Gift Guide 2007
taking a look back at the best cameras of the year, and look ahead at the newcomers that are sure to be big successes. If you're looking for a gift for a loved one, or a holiday treat for yourself, you're sure to find the perfect digital camera within this comprehensive, easy-to-use guide. ... more
About the author: George Engel has been a computer guru probably longer than he will admit -- as a computer expert, he authored The Naked Serviceman book, about his journey through the history of Apple's Macintosh as owner/founder of an authorized Apple Service Center. He owned one of the first Apple II computers as well as one of the first Macintosh 128s. He hangs out with the Lakeland User Group in sunny Florida
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