The Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 700 expands the PhotoMAX line of digital imaging products by offering higher resolution, an expanded LCD monitor, and the first bundling of the PhotoMAX Pro software in a digital camera kit. The Poloroid PDC 700's user-friendly design grouped with its 24-bit color (millions of colors) image pickup element and 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution enables you to take high-quality color images with the touch of a button. Both the bright image viewfinder and the 1.8-inch LCD screen make seeing your images and deleting the ones you don't want simple, so you don't waste memory. The Polaroid PDC 700 comes with 4 MB of built-in memory, but you can also use the CompactFlash card slot to upgrade your memory.
Automatic focus and built-in three-mode flash as well as date coding and a 10-second self-timer make this tripod-mountable camera easy to use and versatile. The Creative Kit, which comes with the camera, includes a convenient wrist strap, an AC adapter, batteries, a quick start guide, and cables to connect the Polaroid PCD 700 to your TV or your PC. This package also contains a software bundle for your PC that will allow you to download and edit your photos.
The Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 700 expands the PhotoMAX line of digital imaging products with higher resolution, expanded LCD monitor and the first bundling of the PhotoMAX Pro software in a digital camera kit. The sleek design and user-friendly features of the PDC 700 Digital Camera Creative Kit make it an ideal kit for any cyber shutterbug.
1 Good Camera old Technology
Had the camera for a few years, and bought a new computer with and XP Windows system. Polaroid said couldn't use the USB cable and would need to purchase a compact flash card of 32 mb size. After several phone calls to tech support and many hours, I still have no resolution to how I can use this camera with the new computer. Unable to read the flash card from the camera. Other pictures appear to work fine in the new computer, but even with a USB compact flash card reader, the computer will not reconize the file created by the PDC 700. Other wise the pictures, battery life all meet with my expectations and within the orginial price I was willing to pay. Not really interested in purchasing another camera, and would really like to figure this out. Any one with ideas would greatly appreciated.
If anyone is considering a new operating system and currently find yourself in the same position as I am, make sure you are willing to purchase another camera with later technology.
2 Polaroid PDC-700
This is a nice entry level point and shoot camera. I recommend this for someone who wants to start out in digital photography. I do recommend the 48MB CF card, and a professional battery pack. It will go through it's 4 AA's in about 30 minutes, high current draw. But it takes nice photos, and it's nearly indestructible too. In order to use the connection software(serial RS-232) you will need Windows 95+, and use EPP mode. And for the second generation PDC-700(USB enabled) you will need Windows 98+ to use it. Overall, a good entry level digital camera.
3 Great little camera!
I bought this camera for about 2 years. It takes very good, clear pictures even on the medium resolution setting. They look very good printed up with a photo printer.
Since it didn't hold very many pics, I bought a 64 MB Compact Flash card, and now it holds hundreds, so I don't have to download them often to free up space. Yes, regular downloading is somewhat slow, but there is a slot for a USB cord, it just wasn't included.
I have had no problems with the software, or this camera. Yes, it uses batteries quickly (as do all digital cameras) but I opted for easily replaceable AA's instead of rechargable. That's just what works for me, it's easier.
All in all, I am very glad I bought this camera and would recommend it to anyone!
4 Wasted precious money
Cannot take camera anywhere without being waited down with
batteries. It got to be ridiculous to be changing batteries
so much. Never got the Photomax to download .I sent it back to the company. They sent it back to me and it has never worked since. Wish I could get a refund. It is in the box with all papers. Directions were too complicated also.
Can't afford to buy another one. Afraid the same thing will happen and I certainly can't afford that. The store where I bought it doesn't even handle the product three months later. Does that tell you something?
5 Does the job for the price range...
This camera is a good started to digital camera owners. Picture transfer is very easy however a little on the slow side. The biggest downside to this camera is it eats batteries, however it just takes regular batteries so they are easy to obtain.
6 Entry level Digital Camera. Not too good.
I bought this camera because at the time it was a decent price and it looked good. Here is what I ended up finding out:
Pros:
Decent pictures and a good size LCD screen.
Cons:
Can't use it for long periods without replacing the 4 AA's.
There is no zoom.
Uploads are slow to your computer since there's no USB.
Only holds 24 photos without an extra memory card.
Changing the flash for indoor/outdoor is hard to figure out.
I advise spending a little more and buying a camera with better features. In the long run this is not really a good investment.
7 DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.....
How I wish I consulted this forum BEFORE wasting my money!! Everyone agrees you need to buy new batteries every time you turn the camera on...but besides that....The software is terrible!! Not user friendly and as SLOW as molasses!! It takes almost a minute to download EACH PHOTO meaning for 30 photos, your computer is tied up for AT LEAST a half hour!! And you can't even go to another program while your waiting!! It's locked on your screen! (It's quicker to take your regular film to the One-hour photo and probably cheaper with the money you spend on batteries!!) Now let's talk about my red-eyed children with fuzzy faces.....aaarrgghhh...don't get me started!!! Don't do it!!!! There has got to be better........
8 2002 Camera completely out of date
Have had this camera since last xmas.
Camera for the price paid and what it is at today is totally unacceptable.
NO ZOOM, 0.8 megapixels, grainy photos even at high settings, low grade CCD that displays very slow, battery life subpar, 20 second delay between shots, no USB, low-tech power switch, no lens cover, inferior viewfinder that takes in no light very hard to see thru....
9 great starter digital camera
i recieved the pdc 700 for xmas a year or so ago and i'm very happy with it. the camera is simple to use, the led is nice (although don't use it for viewfinding unless you want to 'run dry' batteries and have a delay for your pictures), and the images that it produces are reasonably good quality. perfect for web use, and produces nice small prints on my epson stylus c40s inkjet on photo paper.
the plus side: reasonably priced, easy to use, nice pictures, easy to use software, cabling, etc. included.
the downsides? well, if you want to print your images, you're looking at smaller images. 4x6 or so prints out nicely. like most digital cameras, it eats batteries. there are some xp issues with the connections and software with the version i have anyway--i could use the usb on win2k, but only serial on xp. so i just got a flash card and reader to skip that issue entirely.
the scoop? if this fits into your budget, it's a great starter camera. must-have accessories would be recharagble batteriers, a charger, a flash card and card reader. (even a 20 meg flash card gives you hundreds of pictures at the best resolution and the card reader makes getting your pictures just like grabbing them from a floppy disc.) you probably want to factor that into the price. overall, i think it's a great first digital!
10 Worst Image Quality I've Ever Seen
The quality of the photos taken by this camera are terrible. Each one is grainy and that is even with the super fine setting. Other than that the camera is really nice. Comes with all the cords and software you need. If you're looking for high quality photos go with another camera.
11 A Great Bargain!
(...) It is an ideal camera for starting into digital photography. It has all the features that you might want except, perhaps, for a Red Eye Reduction. In fact, on digital photography it is not Red but White, so it is very hard to correct with any available software. Ask the user not to look at the camera. It helps.
12 Easy to use good quality pictures.
I found this camera to be very easy to use. The software that comes with it is by far the best photo editing software I have ever used. It makes downloading pictures a snap. I have been very satisfied with the picture quality. I enjoy the many different features on the LCD. Another great thing about the software that comes with this camera is that you can change the camera settings thru the software while the camera is hooked up to your computer for downloading. Which I find is easier than fiddling with the settings on the camera. The only negative I can possibly come up with is the feature to cancel the picture right after you take it does not stay up long enough to really make the decision to cancel it.
13 Worth the money.. Great deal
This is my 2nd digital Cam.. my first was the polaroid pdc-640 which I was satisfied with at first till I used the PDC-700 both bought at (store name).
The GOOD: Its almost a complete set. You get 4 batteries, AC adaptor, Serial Cable, USB cable(it does have USB), wrist strap and software.. most other cameras in this range you have to buy these things seperate. Out of the box it is ready to use..
It has 4MB built in memory not much.. maybe 40 pics at its default setting which is very good for 4x6 and 5x7. I usually download pics to my old pentium 100 laptop via serial right away when its full. But I just got a 32mb Compact flash card(price) which upped it to 300 pics! The lower settings from 600 to more than 1000 640x480 pics! Other stuff... It has a timer and is tripod mountable.. most other cams dont have that.. Can record live action onto VHS recorder via TV cable.
The BAD: Im really irritated with the waitng time between pics which didnt occur with the PDC-640.. you wait a full 10 seconds between clicks to take another pic, even if you delete the picture right away. Not good at live events you want to take alot of pics consecutively.. when viewing pics on tv.. it takes 3 secs. for the picture taken to appear bec it refreshes slowly.
14 great inexpensive d. camera
I AM A RELATIVELY NEW USER OF DIGITAL CAMERAS, BUT I COULD NOT HAVE PICKED A BETTER ONE TO START OUT WITH. THE PICTURES ARE OF GREAT QUALITY.
THE OPERATION IS SIMPLE. THE RESULTS ARE COMPARABLE TO A 35 MM
CAMERA.
I PRINT THEM AND THEY COME OUT REAL GOOD. THE COLOR IS VERY LIFE=-LIKE.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS CAMERA TO ANYONE WANTING TO BEGIN HIS OR HER DIGITAL CAMERA EXPERIENCE/;
15 Flash memory card slot
PDC-700 is a good camera for the price, however battery consumption and flash memory slot are two problems I am faced with. This camera devour batteries like there is no tomorrow, fully charged rechargeable batteries will last maybe full day. The other problem is the memory slot will not keep the flash card in place, whenever I turn on the camera error message will come up, "Card Error". I have to remove the card and push it back in to clear the error message. Other than that not a bad camera for the price. To avoid buying batteries constantly I have to remove the batteries from the camera when I am not using it, such a pain but the only way.
16 Very good except for a few things
I had been givin this camera from my parents on my birthday. It a real good camera for the price. The only problems with it is that it doesn't zoom in and it doesn't load the pictures very quickly. So this is the camera to buy to get started with digital cameras.
17 Pretty good...but spend a bit more for better
This is a good, solid digital camera. It's easy to use, has plenty of options, and comes with nice software.
Now for the DOWNERS. The upload speed is amazingly slow, and you can't do anything else on your computer during uploads. USB would've been a glorious things for this.
It sucks down battery life quickly, but that's why I bought rechargeable batteries with it. Highly recommended for any digital camera, though.
Picture quality was pretty good, but could've been better.
I highly suggest you spend more money and get something better, preferably with USB upload or a removably memory disk. It only holds 24 or so moderate-quality pictures.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Polaroid PDC-700...but when it wears out, I'm definitely spend more money to get something better.
18 Mine at the bottom of Lake Erie
Even though it is a little ackward to hold...it captured the moment instantly as soon as you snapped for a picture...most cameras I have found have a delay. I had no trouble downloading onto my computer...however the software it comes with does not e-mail pictures easily. Right now it is accidentally at the bottom of Lake Erie...and I am shopping for a new one.
19 Bad Investment
I've owned the PDC-700 for about a year and a half. I would highly recomend not purchasing this camera. I have to admit that I bought it on a whim and the price was right. It's no secret that this is entry level, low priced digital camera so I'll try to present both the pros and cons with that in mind.
PROS *Feels really nice in the hands. *Perfect size for me *Great LCD... crisp *Very easy to use *location of buttons, controls, CF slot all well thought out
CONS *Picture quality is almost always terrible *If there's an eyeball in the picture... it's red *BATTERY LIFE - don't plan on getting more than 20 or so shots from a high quality set of alkalines using LCD. 25-30 without. *Upload speed very slow. My 700 DID NOT come with USB. The USB whole was plugged. I understand that the new units come with USB so it may not be an issue... but geez... very slow to upload. If you don't have a USB 700 make sure you use an external CF card reader that utilizes USB. *The camera doesn't seem to remember the settings you provide very well. It likes to change from XGA to VGA etc.. *The battery charge indicator is very inconsistent. One or two shots into new batterys and the indicator shows a dead battery... then it bounces up and down.... usually you don't really have any idea when your batterys have drained until the camera just rolls over and dies.
I took tons of pictures with this camera and every time I look at them I cringe thinking of all the memories that were captured with such poor image quality. Please consider spending a little bit more money if you are a sucker for family pictures and such. When it comes right down to it... picture quality is everything and this camera just doesn't hit the mark. I don't really regret having the camera because of the low price and the fun I had screwing around with it.... but I really get bummed looking at the crummy picture quality now. Also, for all the money that you'll spend on duracells and energizers you could buy a much better camera. By the way... you have to use good alkalines.. you can't cheat and use NIMH recharables with this camera.. it only uses about 50% of the batteries before the camera dies. So, if you're like me it means $5 in batteries each time you want to use the camera. Well... the good news is I've just ordered a Canon G1. Life is good.
20 Very Pleased
I PURCHASED THIS CAMERA RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND I AM STILL HAVING A GREAT TIME FINDING OUT ALL OF THE FEATURES. FOR THE PRICE THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CAMERA!!!! FOR ANYONE WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT BATTERY DRAINS, I SUGGEST NOT USING THE LCD SCREEN ALL OF THE TIME AND INSTEAD USE THE VIEW FINDER. MY BATTERIES LASTED A WHILE THIS WAY. THIS IS NOT A BAD SIGN, I HAVE WORKED WITH FAR MORE EXPENSIVE DIGITAL CAMERAS AND THEIR BATTERIES DRAINED JUST AS FAST IF NOT FASTER!!! I SUGGEST FORKING OUT THE MONEY FOR A SET OF RECHARGEABLES. IT WILL SAVE CASH IN THE LONG RUN PS THE SOFTWARE ITSELF IS AN EXCELLENT VALUE!!
21 Nice Camera
My friend bought me the PDC700 for Christmas, and I love it! We first bought an Argus DC2000, but the picture quality was so bad, it wasn't worth the money he paid for it. We did a little research on the Polaroid and liked the pics. When we got it, the software and all the extra cables etc. that came with it, have made it a pleasure! The PhotoMax software works great and you can do some fun stuff, like put peoples' heads on other bodies! It works great and I haven't had one ounce of problems with it. I recommend it highly. One more thing..when you press the shutter button, it flashes and takes a picture instantly...no waiting and no fuzzy pictures! Don't use the LCD display unless you have to...it will drain the batteries FAST!
22 quality control
This is my second camera in 6 months, the first had problems w/ the on/off switch malfunctioning and using batteries at the rate of 6 pictures to 4 batteries. Also had problems w/ the screen not coming on after taking a picture or when pressing the screen button. On the second camera have the same problems as on the first w/ the exception of the excessive battery drain. Am thinking of changing brands. Bought both cameras at Wal-Mart., very nice people to deal with.
23 Nice camera! Great price!
I love my PDC 700. It has a lot of useful features. White balance, shutter, 9 pics gallery is awsome. Crisp LCD screen. Pictures are very sharp, just like my 35 SLR WOW! And the price...is right. I got mine for "a good price". ... ... ... USB speed is very fast. It took me couple seconds to download the XGA highest resolution picture to my computer. In case if you don't have USB it comes with the serial port and cable. Video-out is a great option, so you can view your pics anywhere. Software is great, easy to use. Adobe like I should say. I can't stop taking pictures now. Best deal for the price!!
24 Very Pleased!
This is my first digital camera and I wasn't too sure That it would perform well and be easy to operate. Well, it does and it is. Lack of a users manual is somewhat frustrating. They do have a printable version on their software, but even that is sketchy. Fortunately the camera is fairly easy to use and experimenting with different settings will eventually give you good results. I took pictures, downloaded them to PC, enhanced them with the software provided, and printed them...all within the first couple of hours. I'm sure I'll learn even more as time goes by, just wish they had more information on how to use their product instead of trial-and-error method.
25 RE SPECS ON POLOROID 700
IN REVEIWING YOUR SPECS ON THE POLOROID 700 I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE DOWN THAT THE 700 DOES NOT HAVE USB INTERFACE YOUR SPECS ARE WRONG IT DOES HAVE USB INTERFACE AND WORKS VERY WELL JUST WANTED TO LET READERS KNOW THAT AS FAR AS THE 700 POLOROID DIGITAL CAMERA IT IS A VERY GOOD BUY AND PERFOMANCE IS FANTASTIC THE ONLY THING I HAVE AGAINST IT IS IT LIKES TO DRAIN BATTERYS PRETTY FAST I WOULD RECOMMEND BUYING RECHARGABLE BATTERYS POLOROID DID A GOOD JOB IN BUILDING THIS CAMERA
26 Camera=Good
I just purchased this camera, although not on amazon. I found it $40 cheaper at Wal-Mart. This camera great. The pictures are clear, and the LCD view finder is sharp. It DOES come with a USB cable for faster download time. It does have a very basic manual with it, so if you aren't totally inept you can figure out how to work it without getting the manual off of the disc that comes with the camera. Everything works great with the camera, lots of options and once again, great looking photos. I have not yet tried to download the photos and play with them in the software provided, so I didn't give it 5 stars. But I am sure it will work great, along with everything that came with the camera. It is also smaller than I thougth it would be. Very compact but heavy enough to feel strudy. I would recomend buying the new NiCd batteries from kodak with a charger. They have it available on amazon for $40, the cheapest I've seen. Altogether it's a great camera for a great price. (mine was $180)
27 BEST DIGITAL CAMERA FOR UNDER...
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST DIGITAL CAMERA YOU CAN PURCHASE THAT ISAT LEAST 1 MEGA-PIXEL UNDER ... MY WIFE AND I SPENT ALOT OF TIME CHECKING OUT DIGITAL CAMERA'S OVER THE PAST FEW WEEK'S, TO USE TO TAKE PICTURE'S OF CAVE'S AND VACATIONS, AND FINALLY DECIDED ON THIS CAMERA. THE VALUE OF THE CAMERA ALONG WITH ALL THE EXTRA'S YOU GET IS WELL WORTH IT(4 MEG BUILT INTO CAMERA AND UPGRADE OF MEMORY,USB SUPPORT AND CABLE'S,FINALLY WHAT MOST CAMERA'S DO NOT PROVIDE A/C ADAPTER) i MUST SAY THE PICTURE'S ARE SOME OF THE BEST I'VE SEEN FOR THIS PRICE. THE LCD SCREEN IS VERY GOOD AND CLEAR, THE CAMERA IS VERY FUN AND EASY TO USE. ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COMPLAINED ABOUT BATTERY LIFE, LET ME SAY ALL CAMERA'S EAT BATTERIES, SO THIS CAMERA EATS BATTERIES LIKE ALL OTHER DIGITAL CAMERA'S. THERE ARE OTHER CAMERA'S IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE, BUT FOR YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THIS CAMERA HAS MORE FUNCTIONS AND EXTRA'S THAT MAKE IT WELL WORTH IT! ... GET THIS VERY WELL MADE CAMERA FAST!!!
28 Great camara,Great price
I got this camara just a few days ago and already love it! The pictures are great! Can take pictures of my kids and it's like I could reach out and touch them.Great for their grandparents who live far away.We did not need any manuals to figure it out.On the box,a red sticker states Now includes USB.Would highly recommend this for a first time digital camara user.Even my kids-5 and 3-can take great pictures.
29 Enjoying PDC-700 Camera but had stumbling block!
My husband gave me this camera for Christmas. I loved it. The ease of taking pictures is great. The problem was in trying to transfer the pictures to my computer. The kit only contained a serial port for hook-up. My computer only has usb ports. From what I understand the serial port is older and the usb port is newer to technology. I have tried contacting Polaroid all day by phone, and also by computer, but have been unable to reach them. And my pictures are still inside the camera not able to print them due to poor supplies from the Palaroid company. If someone from the company should read this please call me. I'm listed with yahoo. I also tried to purchase a converter in Bowling Grenn KY @ several stores but none of them carry that particular converter. They claimed it was a common problem, but they couldn't stock the converters! Can somone explain that to me?
30 Great for email, photo pages and prints!
Wow! I'm impressed with the quality and the price. I have emailed "real-time" photos to my friends overseas, uploaded photos to my homepage and photo pages, and developed crisp 4x6 and 5x7 prints. Since there are places where the use of flash is prohibited, simply turn the flash off and correct the photo with the easy-to-use software. I am very pleased with my purchase.
For the great price you forfeit having zoom, which is OK since I go overboard zooming in and out, wasting precious battery life. Speaking of batteries, you MUST invest in at least 2 sets of NiMH rechargable AA batteries, more sets if you plan to use the LCD as a viewfinder. For overseas use, you'll need to buy a voltage converter to recharge the batteries, but it's worth it....
31 Nice camera bad customer sapport
This is my first digital camera so I really have nothing to compare it to. It seemed easy to use. All though it really uses up batteries. The Lcd Display is nice but unviewable out side in the day light. I had to get it repaired after owning it less then one year because the LCD display started rolling and I can tell you customer sapport is a joke. They tell you the wrong things to do like buying a extended warranty and then not knowing any thing about it and when you try to straight it out they give you the run around. I bet I've talked to 5 people now and waiting to hear from a sixth that sapposed to straight it out but it's been 2 days and nothing. I would not buy this carmera just because of the bad sapport. I'm mad as hell!
32 Discrepency
I am in the market for a digital camera for under $250 and have read all the reviews on this camera. I was just at the largest discount department store in the country and saw that the PDC-700 DID HAVE a serial and USB port. Did Polaroid see the falw of only having a serial port and add a USB connection to their camera without changing the model number? Check this descrepency out before deciding on a camera because if the PDC-700 you find does have USB and SERIAL connections then it is definitely a great buy.
33 A Waste of My Time
I purchased this camera with the understanding that it featured USB support, and ended up returning it before even using it. One, the online manual doesn't even contain the word USB. Two, the FAQ on Polaroid's web site states that only cameras manufactured in 2000 have USB support, and there is no way I could have found this out prior to purchasing it. Three, Polaroid's technical support is a complete joke, trying to tell me that the PDC700 doesn't even have USB support at all, despite what their own website says! Needless to say, I'm returning this and purchasing another camera from a real company possessing some semblance of a clue.
34 PDC 700
I got my PDC 700 last christmas. I've had alot of fun with it. I work for a newspaper and some times I come up on something that is of interest to the paper. I download the pics on my computer and email it to them. Thus, it gets printed. Now I've started taking pictures as a side job. I load them on my computer, crop them and resize them (usually to print 8 x 10) in Adobe Photoshop. But when I print them out they look terrible!! HELP!! PLEASE!! What can I do??!! Right now I'm shooting a job that they need in a few days.
35 Real Estate Photos
As real estate agents, we were spending $800+ a year on print film & developing of real estate listing photos. This camera quickly paid for itself. The lens isn't the best, as many interior shots exhibit vertical bending at the edges of the print. The vertical portions of doorways and kitchen cabinets are frequently distorted, but most are easily cropped using image enhancing software. We used to take multiple 35mm photos, trying to capture that perfect print - now we stand back a little further, take ONE wider image and crop it as required. Lighting is no longer a problem - we can take an image on any of Cleveland's many overcast days and make it a good image, again, using image inhancing software. The standard 4MB RAM will hold 12 high res images or 25 medium res images. We convert the original JPG to a TIF, do our enhancements, then convert back to a 72dpi JPG for images that are posted to our Web site (www.ruthmather.com). Inkjet inside handouts look great as long as you use quality paper. The PDC-700 is small enough to fit into your pocket, but people look at the bulge in your pants somewhat strangely - so I use the belt loop on the included case. The only mechanical problem that we've experienced is that the "battery status" display will never show more than half-charge. I sent the camera back to Polaroid and they replaced it with no questions asked. The new one does the same. We still believe that the PDC-700 provides us with "the most digital bang for the buck."
36 The straight dope
Well, I put 5 stars because i thought that would actually appear on the amazon web page...in reality i would give it 2 stars.
The pluses you can read on other people's reviews. They are accurate. But for the minuses, there are some serious ones:
-- The battery charger and rechargable batteries will cost you around $50. Keep this in mind when comparing to cameras that come with battery packs. -- It is ONLY downloadable on windows 95/98. Not on the Mac, not on NT and certainly not on Linux. -- If you lose the CD-Rom that comes with it, forget about getting the software you need on the web. As far as i can tell if you lose that CD, you are [in trouble]. -- You lose the time/date info every time the batteries die, which is all the time. -- There is no way (that i can find, admittedly i haven't downloaded the user's manual from the website...please!), to save the settings that you prefer. So every power up you have to set the resolution, flash mode, etc. if you want something other than the default.
37 Polaroid PDC 700 is a digital wonder.
I bought the PDC 700 with all kinds of limitations in mind, first and foremost being cost. I was not going to pay over $300 for a digital camera and I wanted the highest resolution for the least amount of money. I found exactly that with the PDC 700. I also bought three Sandisk 16 mb flash cards, a 32 mb flash card, a battery charger and sufficient nimh batteries, and a Datafab compact flash reader (parallel). This last weekend, I started taking pictures of everything around my house and office. EVERY picture I took on medium resolution far surpasses the picture quality I ever had with 35mm SLR cameras. The printed pictures were also fantastic on my Lexmark Z11 printer.... Bottom line, I can take an infinite number of pictures at a wonderful resolution, crop them if necessary using the Photoshop LE look-alike software included with the camera, and print great pictures the quality of which I have never seen before at a wonderfully low price. This camera is indeed a quality product. The only drawback is the case - it is too small for anything but the camera, so I bought a larger camera bag that holds all the accessories.
38 A few improvements and it'd be excellent!
Polaroid did a pretty good job on this camera. Let's break it down step by step:
ADVANTAGES:
1) 4 MB built-in memory - this is a fair amount compared to other comparable cameras.
2) Compact Flash compatible for adding more memory - Compact Flash cards are relatively inexpensive - it's like film you can use forever! Just drop it in, take the pictures, and when the card fills up, replace it (or use the 4 MB built-in).
3) The LCD display is great. Not choppy - you can even adjust the brightness. It can be turned off to decrease battery drain. Also, immediately after you take a picture, it will display the picture on the LCD (whether you have it on or off) and ask if you want to delete it now? This is great when you take a picture and look at it and immediately know you don't want it.
4) Menu functions. Once you figure it out, the menu is really cool. You change what type of light you will be taking pictures in, you can format the memory, erase all or one picture in the camera, etc.
5) The software is great. You can actually hook your camera up to your computer, and from the software you can change the camera settings without ever touching the camera (you can take a picture, turn on/off the lcd display, change flash formats and picture quality, etc.).
6) Accessories. The kit comes with a TV cable, a nice camera case, a wrist strap, a serial (RS-232) cable for camera-computer connection, BRAND-NAME batteries (that's a shocker - I got Duracell ULTRA with mine), AC Adapter, and software. There is also a USB port as well - I'm going to look into this because serial transfer is SLOW....
DISADVANTAGES:
1) Slow downloads. I have a PII-400 w/ 128MB RAM. Still, I downloaded 15 1024x768 (Fine quality mode - read more about quality modes further down) pictures that I took, and it took almost a minute per picture.
2) There are 2 settings: 1024x768 (they call this XGA), and 640x480 (they call this VGA). Each of these settings also has 3 quality modes (SuperFine, Fine, and Normal). SuperFine is the only one worth taking pictures with. Other modes are grainy.
3) Battery Life. Actually, every digital camera on the face of the earth drains batteries almost instantly - so this really is just a disadvantage among ALL digital cameras. That's why I'm glad this thing came with an AC Adapter. Just be sure to use the AC Adapter whenever you can (especially when you are first playing with it and fooling around with the LCD - that thing REALLY drains batteries!).
4) I wish this thing came with a USB cable. It has a USB OUT on the camera, but it's a tiny little connector and I have no idea what type USB cable to buy for it. Yeah, it comes with a serial cable, but that is SLOW. USB has GOT to be faster.
5) As everyone else has said, NO documentation whatsoever. Just get on the Polaroid website and pull off the product manual - that. Strangely enough, the product manual doesn't come with the camera!
All in all, a GREAT camera. Buy it and you won't be disappointed.
39 Good buy for you money
At the advice of a friend who had recently aquired the PDC 640, I went out to get me one, but I ended up getting the PDC 700. It is a great camera for starters and has a great starter kit and easy to use software. The only bad thing is I had to download a user's manual from the Polaroid website. This needs to be on the documentation somewhere when you purchase the product. They go through the trouble of having documentation in the package suggesting the use of Duracell Ultra Batteries, you would think they would let the user know that there is no user's guide enclosed but you can go to the website and download it. Had it not been for the fact that I went to the website to complain that I had purchased this product and there was no documentation outside of the Quick Starter guide. The camera itself and the pictures it produces is great ... but needs to have more documentation or be clear on where you can get it.
40 Good value, nice and complete starter kit, poor docs
This is a very good vlaue for money and the camera comes wiuth some extras that the comparable C200 from HP does not include. Specifically, the AC adapter is a big plus. The matching carrying case makes it even better of a pacakge deal. Make sure you buy rechargables though, and make sure you do not get NiCd batteries as they drain a little too fast to make anyone happy. Either get a four pack of NimH AA batteries and charger for about $27 total (NexCell brand). The unit also has a USB connection that is not documented anywhere at all. Overall, this seems to be a nice package that I've not heard bad things from anyone about.
41 Good value Camera
Very good start up digital Camera. I had difficulties with installations of Flash memory card but then workedout fine. Easy download and opeartions. you need a lot of battaries. A lot of fun for the whole family
42 Love this little camera....
There are so many positive aspects of this camera, it's a great beginners camera. That's why I bought it. I like all the features it has, it makes it seem a little higher up than the plain old digitals you see. Among the features, the LCD screen, the manual flash, timer, and the BEST thing is the card slot for compact flash. I recommend picking up a compact flash reader for $50 and a card or two. One of the major downsides on this baby is that when you download through the serial port, it is SLOW, and I mean SLOW. If this is your first digital, it is well worth the money.
43 I think it's great
This is my second digital camera and I find it easier than my last. The resolution is out standing and the down loading time is great. I have read other reviews about slow down loads and I believe it must be their equipment. The customer support has been easy and friendly. I have an external 8 meg memory card and until I learned that it had to be formated I was getting errors I called support and they solved my problem right away I definetly would recommend this camers to others.
44 Great price for a Standard Camera
Why buy it? 1.- The price is one of the lowest that I've seen 2.- It's perfect if you just want to take some pictures of everything on your way. 3.- The Macro lens gives you very good definition. 4.- The video out capability it's great to show everybody your pictures everywhere.
Why NOT buy it? 1.- The batteries not long too much. You'll need to buy NiMH batteries. 2.- DOESN'T HAVE ZOOM 3.- Not for profetional use 4.- It's a little slow when downloadinf pic's to the PC (hey! maybe it's my computer!)
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Por quŽ comprarla? 1.- El precio es uno de los m‡s bajos que he visto. 2.- Est‡ perfecta si s—lo quieres sacarle fotos a todo lo que se te atraviesa. 3.- El lente de Macro da buena definici—n 4.- La salida de video es excelente, sobre todo cuando le quieres mostrar tus fotos a quien sea donde sea.
Por quŽ NO comprarla? 1.- Las bater’as no duran mucho. Vas a tener que comprar bater’as de NiMH. 2.- NO TIENE ZOOM. 3.- No es recomandad para uso profesional 4.- Es un poquito lenta al descargar las fotos a la PC (ojo! puede ser mi computadora! )
45 Low cost/High quality
I received one of these cameras for Christmas. It was my first experience with a digital camera, but I am very familiar with computers. We found it incredibly easy to work. Took lots of pics and viewed them right there during all the Christmas morning hub-bub on my laptop.
Since it eats up the AA batteries pretty quickly (we had to change them in the early afternoon), we started using rechargable batteries. One set charging and one set in use. This worked great.
Two of my relatives went right out the next day to purchase one of these cameras for their own.
46 Great Beginers camera
Love all the cool stuff that comes in kit,very little documentation forces playtime.Wish it had a zoom.Reviewing pictures on full size tv is a great feature.I think it's a keeper
47 Great way to get into the digital camera market
Great camera to get you into the digital world. There are two problems which I ran into: 1. The operating instructions are vague. You have to go into the software provided and pull out the information that way. Even that info is lacking technical information. 2. When adding a memory card, you must make sure that the card is pushed in tightly. If not, you will keep getting an error message. I know, I returned one of the cards thinking that I received a bad card only later to find that I didn't have it secured tightly. Great camera. You can have a lot of fun with it and the software.
48 Unfortunately Not Macintosh Compatible
I was purchasing this camera as a gift after recently seeing a very favorable review in a photography magazine, but was quite disappointed upon receiving the package. On the bottom of the box was listed "Minimum System Requirements" and "IBM Compatible PC ... Windows 95/98", too bad, the recipient of the gift has a Macintosh.
I went to Polaroid's web site to download a Mac friendly utility for the camera, but there isn't one. The only suggestion offered by either their on-line FAQ's or Tech support was to run a window's emulator on the Macintosh, but they do not offer any support if you choose to go that route.
The first Digital Camera I bought came with support for quite a few operating systems, and there was no mentions of system requirements in the on-line camera info (at the time, hopefully that will change) so I really didn't question it when I ordered this camera. Now, I will be returning the camera.
So, I suggest you look a little deeper when going to purchase a digital camera, especially if you, like a lot of "digital artists", use Macintosh's systems and not PC-Window's systems. A little time spent now could save you a lot of time later.
49 Great Value
Pluses: 1 Great price for what you get (Camera, case, software, cables to connect to computer) 2 Picture quality is very good.
Minuses 1 Slow to download to computer. (You can start it loading and leave it alone, though.) I have a very fast computer and could take 30 seconds to dowload a picture from camera. 2 Uses batteries up quickly. You can use up 4 penlites in an hour of heavy use (especially if you use the view-screen on the back - that is what really uses the power up). (Not any different from other digital cameras from what I read.) 3 Very little documentation, not a problem for me, since I wouldn't read anyway, but others may want to read more about it.
NOTE: I searched around and other online retailers had lower prices up front, but after you add shipping and taxes (yes taxes on some sites) you end up paying more than on Amazon. So I bought from Amazon! Plus, Amazon delivered quickly of course, and I don't know how the other guys would do as far as customer service.
Number of pictures: With the 4 megs built in, you can take 12 XGA superfine, 25 XGA fine, 50 XGA normal - 22 VGA superfine, 45 VGA fine, 90 VGA normal.
Extra pictures: It uses CompactFlash Cards. Can buy to add Megs of memory to hold more pics. (approx $ per meg for the CompactFlash cards) Amazon and others also sell these.
50 A fun but high quality product!
Apart from the fact that the manufacturer failed to give a more in userfriendly manual. It took me a short time to figure out the mechanics of this camera. Once mastered I was surprisingly pleased with the clearity and quality of my shots. The software is realitively easy to use and highly enjoyable. The more I played around the more I was thoroughly satisfied in my choice. In just a few short clicks I had a picture of my horse as wallpaper on my computer. (And it was taken after dark in her stall with low light! ) This is a great alternative than the more pricy cameras designed for professional photographers and is well worth trying out!
