When I buy a product, especially an electronics product, I don't want to have to spend weeks fine tuning it to get results. I'm the guy who opens the box and expects the product within to be setup and ready to go just like a screwdriver, adjustable wrench, or other mechanical tool. That's just the way I work and I admit it.
For this reason I'm going to be able to give you a very solid review of how the EasyShare comes out of the box and how you'll get along with it if you are a novice user or if you are just too busy to mess around with reading a length instruction manual. For many of us it just has to work nearly 'automagically' or we won't use it and I'm looking forward to telling you how the C533 matches up with that standard.
Like Pragu, it's in there
You could get different items with your camera based on where you buy it according to offers I've seen on the internet. I bought the clear plastic bubble pack at my local CVS as a spur of the moment purchase. The pack had everything you needed to get started.
One C533 camera
Two AA batteries
One wrist lanyard but you have to attach it yourself
One clear stand for this to sit in on my desk...I think they call it a "dock".
One long winded instruction manual
One quick start guide
One cord to connect the miniUSB on the camera to a regular sized USB port.
Things I bought on my own
The camera doesn't come with a case of any type so I had to seek one out on my own. It's a popular model of camera so finding one wasn't a problem but it's worthy to note that I had to get one. Otherwise, I didn't buy anything additional for the camera.
How big do you want it?
The size of this camera is very workable for someone on the go. It's about equal to a credit card in height and width and about one inch thick. The weight is very comparable to many modern era cell phones like the Motorola 810.
Enough memory for my memories
To operate the camera you'll really need a memory card. It accepts SD memory cards which are about the size of a postage stamp and readily available with up to 2GB of memory from many sources. You could also use a MicroSD card from your cell phone if you have it in an SD adapter.
LCD display
The rear of the camera features a LCD display that is about 2 inches tall by 2 inches wide that can be used to sight in the picture (an old fashioned viewfinder that you look through is also included). This screen can also be used to view the photo you've just taken, view all photos on the memory card, view photos in your preset "favorites" folder, or watching the movies you've taken with the camera.
Anyone could use this display. It's crystal clear and big enough to easily be seen. Granted, photos look much better on your computer monitor but this will do fine to decide whether to delete or save for later.
I bought it, now what?
Everything I need to know about the camera is printed right on it. On top you'll find a knob you rotate to turn the camera on. It has seven positions for different types of photos, photo viewing, and movies. How will you know what they do? When you arrive at each position the LCD displays tell you it's name and purpose.
Are you a flasher? There is a flash button on top that can be set to flash, no flash, red eye reduction, or autoflash. The icons the LCD uses to indicate flash mode are the same as every other digital camera I've ever had so they are intuitive. First camera? These are easily remembered once you've seen them in the manual a time or two.
Self timer? Press the button on top that is labeled with a stopwatch next to a camera. Three modes available: instant photo, five second delay, and ten second delay. Again, the LCD will display the self timer logo for two of three (no logo for instant snap) with a 5 or 10 beside it as applicable.
Photo quality
99% of my photos are shot with autoflash in the camera's "Auto" setting that is described as being best for general picture taking. I'm set up for maximum quality so I get all 5.0 Megapixels with each shot. Great photos with vibrate color are my result each time. I can shoot VERY dark areas with the autoflash on and the pictures come out as if they were taken in midday.
My photos normally come out 1.25 megs large and measure 2576 x 1932 pixels. Massive for emailing and sharing but perfect for printing 8x10 photos to put on the wall. You can truly get professional quality shots by simply pointing and clicking.
I like to move it, move it
When I use the camera for movies I get a very pleasing result. It doesn't react to low light very well in movie mode but if the lighting is decent or better you'll get respectable sound and video quality. It doesn't stack up to my dedicated camcorder but it's also not nearly as large and heavy...on vacation I took all my movies with this and I was pleased with the 5 to 10 minute segments I typically took.
Zoom Zoom
This camera offers a 3X mechanical zoom so I can simply use buttons on the back of the camera to slide in or out. Changing zoom from one extreme to the other takes around 3 seconds and is slow enough to easily stop where you want to be. Re-focus time is well under a second, no real problem.
Why are you delaying?
After I press the button it takes around a second to get a photo. That's because when I press halfway down the camera sets focus and initiates blur reduction. I never get blur from my hand movements (though I do on many other cameras) and I get good results shooting moving subjects...a martial artists throwing a hard kick is frozen in time with no blur at all.
Put those pics on the PC
Getting the images onto my computer is a snap. I pop the SD card out and slip it into a slot on the front of my tower and simply use explorer to cut and paste them into my PCs hard drive. Many users with newer systems will have this option but others will want to use the included cord to connect the camera to the PC via USB port and explore it as if it's a removable memory card. Still a very easy process.
Overall:
The day you buy this camera you'll be taking A+ shots. Even if it's your first digital you'll be pleased with how intuitive and easy it is. I'd recommend this camera to anyone and I trust it with ALL of my family memories.
Before you buy a camera you've gotta see this:
Mustek - The official sponsor of Amnesia!
KB Gear JamCam
Simple enough for beginners!
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