Overall, this camera is excellent for the price. Picture quality is there for a 5 Megapixel Camera. Landscapes and Portraits work great. This camera is lightweight and will fit in your pocket for ultra portability. Cons: Battery Life. Usigin 2 AA batteries will last about 30 or 40 pictures. I have tried rechargeable batteries but have found that only about 15 pictures can be taken before the camera turns off and battery dies. Overall, this camera is great for the price!

I got this camera as a gift and I never had a digital camera before. I thought the instruction booklet the camera came with was extremely helpful and I had no problem using it. I even can make movies with it. I feel like a pro!
I love this camera and recommend it to those who think they can't operate a digital camera.

I am quite disappointed with this camera. The image quality is only fair, and there are many frustrating aspects to it.

The functions are not very intuitive, compared to other cameras, so I find myself needing to consult the manual frequently. Unfortunately, the printed manual only has setup and basic instructions (in ten languages) and the rest of the information is on disc. So, if you're not completely familiar with the use of this camera and you're taking it someplace--say to a party, a sporting event, or a park--MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR LAPTOP SO YOU KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT.

Another thing I find frustrating is that the display can not be turned off permanently--it has to be turned off every time you turn the camera on. Also, when it is turned off, there is no shutter sound at all, so you frequently can't tell whether it has taken the picture (a difficult to use shutter button makes this important). The end result is that there's a strong incentive to leave the display on all the time, which eats power ravenously. So be sure to pack plenty of spare batteries along with your laptop.

Bottom line: this camera is just OK. With as many great choices as there are available on the market now, there is no reason to settle for a camera that is this hard to use.

Excellent camera for the beginner. Good size and capability for a low price.

I have owned this camera for about 6 months now, and purchased for a vacation to Europe.

My criteria were the following (in order of importance)

1. Use regular (non rechargeable) batteries
2. Small size
3. Low price
4. 3x optical zoom (or better)
5. Maximum pixels (although this is getting to be silly measurement for these point-and-shoot cameras)


The battery requirement was very important to me. Always hated the lack of flexibilty with rechargeables. You can find slightly smaller / sexier cameras (like Casio and Minolta), but they all had proprietary rechargeable batteries.

All of my expectations have been met, and the quality of the photos are very good. Operation is simple; really I could not expect any more from a $200 camera.


Minor nits:

- No positive user feedback when picture is actually taken (like a click sound)

- To view prior shots, camera must be turned ON, which also requires the lens to be extended

- Case is plastic (not metal), although quality is fine and has proven to be robust

- Yes, these things do eat batteries (just like any other), so keep some AA's handy

Note:

I had read that this camera is not really made by Pentex; instead it is simply a "badge engineered" generic model from a no-name manufacturer. Could be true, and not sure it matters.