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| FujiFilm FinePix F100fd |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
The Fujifilm Finepix F100fd packs a lot of features new to the compact market, and it's one of few point-and-shoots available that can shoot at 12-megapixels. More importantly, Fujifilm has given the camera an oversized sensor capable of images that rival low-end DSLRs. More manual controls and a sleeker exterior would have made the Fujifilm F100fd a perfect compact camera, but even as it stands, it's a great choice for anyone looking for superb image quality and top of the line features. Release: April 2008. Price: $380.
Pros: Outstanding image quality. Dynamic-range optimization. Sensor-shift stabilization.
Cons: No control over shutter or f-stop.
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80% VERY GOOD |
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| Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z80 |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
There’s no denying how stylish Casio’s EX-Z80 looks, nor how capably it handles, but our presumptions of subpar image-quality were quickly checked by this camera’s excellent images. Though probably not the best point-and-shoot to take into low-light situations, in proper conditions the EX-Z80 delivers quality photos via a series of genuinely helpful features. Release: March 2008. Price: $180.
Pros: Looks great, feels great, great photos, fast continuous shooting, auto-shutter modes, YouTube integration
Cons: High ISO modes are disproportionately noisy, ‘Best Shot’ feature is overblown, standalone audio-recorder is gimmicky, ‘pointillistic’ quality to color reproduction
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71% GOOD |
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| Canon Powershot SD1100 IS |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
The Canon SD1100 IS is a superbly designed camera with a style that looks great and, even better, actually makes the camera easier to use. We loved the inclusion of an optical viewfinder - long the holy grail of compact cameras features here at infoSync - even if it's only a pinhole viewfinder and not truly optical. It's still a lot better than an electronic one. Still, the SD1100 IS isn't quite feature rich, but it makes up for that with great image quality, particularly in its deep color-rendering. For those who prefer good images over niftiness, the SD1100 IS could be a good choice. Release: March 2008. Price: $220.
Pros: Excellent design. Pinhole viewfinder. Great image quality.
Cons: Small LCD screen. Slight problems with fringing. Not a feature-set dynamo.
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| Samsung Instinct |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Specs » Gallery » |
Perhaps its time to dispense with the Apple iPhone comparisons and simply ask: is this a good phone? To that we answer a resounding yes. True, the Samsung Instinct is so much like the iPhone that the similarities cannot be ignored. But at the end of the day the phone makes great calls, acts as a top-notch Web browser and packs many features that the current iPhone (at time of writing) lacks, like GPS navigation and speech recognition. Best of all, though, this isn't just a copycat, it's a very good phone in its own right, and it was genuinely fun to use. This may be the iPhone's game, but the Instinct has grabbed the ball and is running with it. Release: June 2008. Price: $230.
Pros: Great call quality. Excellent Web browser, with cool browsing features. Great navigation, well-integrated with the rest of the phone's features.
Cons: Not as responsive as it should be. No IM client. Lacks a load of onboard memory. No tethered modem support.
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| Archos 605 |
| Full review » Video » Gallery » |
We think that most handheld device manufacturers could learn something from Apple's iPhone, and this is true with Archos as well, but this is a rare case where we think Apple could learn something themselves. Archos' content portal, which offers over the air downloads, is a polished, accessible and well-stocked store, offering high-quality content that you'll actually want to see, albeit at a premium price. We wish there was a good transfer option for music and photos, rather than drag and drop, and of course we'd like a lot more free accessories and plugins bundled with the device, but we do appreciate the steep price cut. The Web browser is fantastic, though overpriced at any price. We don't have an answer to our first question about why nobody is buying PMPs, but we think plenty of folks who are happy with their cell phones would be even happier with the Archos 605 than with the iPhone. Now if Archos starts making a cell phone, things could get very interesting. Release: September 2007. Price: $230.
Pros: Great screen with polished new interface. Good video playback, with some interesting content options. Best-in-class Web browser.
Cons: No transfer software, still. Wi-Fi can get sluggish. Buttons seemed wobbly, and we weren't fond of the button layout.
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81% VERY GOOD |
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