Product Description

The PDR-3300 is the ideal step-up camera for digital photographers looking to go to the next level of imaging technology, as well as for traditional camera users who are making the transition from film to digital but who want to maintain the freedom of expression that comes with manual controls. The PDR-3300 has it all so it can do it all: a 3.2MP CCD for picture resolutions up to 2048 x1536 in universal JPEG format and three quality settings; USB connectivity along with wireless IR interface; an array of manual controls including full manual, shutter-priority and aperture-priority exposure controls; SD storage; 1.6-inch color LCD; Epson PRINT Image Matching technology; a burst mode for rapid-fire action shooting; five-mode flash; AVI Movie Mode for short video clips; spot and multi metering; and lightning-fast processing, downloading and playback made possible by internal memory. Besides being a great digital still camera, users can also take advantage of the PDR-3300's movie mode for shooting AVI digital video at 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 resolution with a frame rate up to 15 frames-per-second. Like a digital still, an AVI video file can be e-mailed to family and friends, burnt onto a CD, viewed on a TV, or uploaded to a Web site.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105736 in Camera & Photo
• Size: Medium Size
• Brand: Toshiba
• Model: 3300
• Dimensions: 2.72" h x 4.53" w x 1.80" l, .51 pounds
• Memory: 8MB
• Display size: 1.6

Features

• 3.2 megapixel sensor creates 2,048 x 1,536 images for prints at 8 x 10 and beyond
• 2.8x optical zoom and 2.2x digital zoom for 6x total
• Included 8 MB Secure Digital card holds 8 images at default settings
• Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
• Uses 4 AA-type batteries (alkaline batteries included)

From the Manufacturer
The Toshiba PDR-3300 is the ideal step-up camera for digital photographers looking to go to the next level of imaging technology. It's also a great choice for traditional camera users who are making the transition from film to digital, but who want to maintain the freedom of expression that comes with advanced manual controls.

The PDR-3300 has it all so it can do it all. Its 3.2-megapixel CCD provides picture resolutions up to 2,048 x 1,536 in universal JPEG format and three quality settings. You get an array of manual controls, including full manual, shutter-priority and aperture-priority exposure controls, as well as a burst mode for rapid-fire action shooting. It also features a 2.8x optical zoom, 2.2x digital zoom, five-mode flash, spot and multi metering, and lightning-fast processing, downloading, and playback via USB connectivity.

Besides being a great digital still camera, you can also take advantage of the PDR-3300's movie mode for shooting AVI digital video at 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 resolution with a frame rate of up to 15 frames per second. Like a digital still, an AVI video file can be e-mailed to family and friends, burnt onto a CD, viewed on a TV, or uploaded to a Web site.

Other features:

• Compatible with Secure Digital memory cards (8 MB SD card included)
• Powered by 4 AA batteries (alkaline included; compatible with rechargeable NiMH and Lithium batteries)
• Self-timer with settings from 2 to 10 seconds
• 1.5-inch LCD monitor
• Resolution for still images: 2,048 x 1,536; 1,024 x 768; and 640 x 480 pixels

Customer Reviews

Great sharp outdoor pics, full manual except for focus
I'll start with some of the negative aspects of this camera. It has no AF illuminator lamp which is a little light that is used to help focusing in dark situations. Now its focusing performance is reasonable but will not be as dependable as say the Sony or Canon cameras that have this feature standard. The bundle it comes with is very average . . this includes a dinky 8MB SD card and is only saved by the inclusion of a carrying pouch and remote control. You also have to purchase a rechargeable battery kit as only 4AA alkalines are included. This camera is made in China so the plastic feels a little coarse and the words are painted on. It does feel solid though. The LCD is bright and very useable outdoors but the pixel count is a little low, meaning you will not be able to determine if things are in focus and some detail is lost, but you should be able to roughly figure out if the exposure is right.
Now for the good. This camera takes very nice, very sharp outdoor pictures. To get great shots I had to change two of the default settings out of the box. I changed the color to VIVID and the ISO to 100 (default is 200). When the color is set to NORMAL things look slightly under saturated. The good thing is that these settings will be saved even if you turn off the camera. This is great cause I have some settings saved in automatic mode (for general point & shoot) and I have other settings saved in manual mode for indoor shots or shadowy situations which are typically under exposed by most cameras automatic mode. I believe outdoor shots on this look sharper and overall slightly more pleasing than on the Sony DSCP72 or the Canon A70. However in darker situations the Toshiba reveals a bit more noise. The Canon and Sony give smoother shadows with less noise in the dark (probably because of their noise reduction system and/or processing). The pictures on the Sony and Canon appear little softer however. A major part of the reason this Toshiba takes such nice pictures is bacause it uses a Canon made lens. Now if you like to play with settings or would like to learn more about photography then you have the option of a wide range of manual controls (full aperature and shutter speed control) along with settings for sharpness, color and contrast. Manual focus is however only limited to a few presets. Ease of use is where things get exceptional. Very easy to use and you can very quickly change settings with the mode dial and 'hat switch'. No need to press menu buttons during photography as the hat switch controls all major functions. This means your thumb is the only thing you need to quickly cycle through settings like focusing, shutter speed, aperature etc. I was very pleased with the Canon A70 and it was my primary target but I managed to get this camera at a much lower price. Of course everything is relative to the price you pay and for the price I paid this is a very good value. Happy hunting.

*** Exciting update: There are hidden manual focus and manual white balance functions. For manual focus just press and hold the 'down' button in the menu with focus options until 'MF' appears and then select it. To manually focus press and hold the 'disp' button and use the zoom controls to focus. For manual white balance do the same in the WB menu until 'Pre Set' appears and then select it. Point the camera at your reference white color (paper etc.) press the shutter button and then select 'ok'. You can also disable the power off timer by holding down 'Disp' while turning on the camera.

Great 3.2 Pixel Camera!
This digital camera is a GREAT little device!

Pros:
- Its [low] price! I bought mine for about 300 where most 3.2 pixel cameras are around 350-400
- Awesome quality! This camera takes great quality pictures, and if it's teamed up with the right photo printer it can print some amazing photos. It takes great shots in pretty much any light because the camera automatically adjusts the settings in different light.
- It's good for an beginners because it has an easy interface, and it's good for the advanced because you can change it to manual mode where you edit the settings.
- It comes with a remote that is a pretty useful device for taking group photos when you want to be in them.

Cons:
- I have nothing really to complain about. The only thing i noticed was that the batteries seemed to run out a bit fast although i have never owned another digital camera, so I'm not sure how long a digital camera is supposed to last on batteries. Though i don't have much of a problem because i went out and got some rechargable batteries.

Review:
*****
This digital camera is great and I'd recommend it to anyone. It competes up there with any digital camera on the market when it comes to the picture quality, and you can get this camera at an unbeatable price!

Excellent
This camera is an excellent value. We bought ours at Thanksgiving and have been very pleased. The pictures have been excellent in quality! Make sure you go out and get rechargeable batteries for it or this thing will eat alkalines like nobody's business (it does say in the manual to use rechargeables). Also, make sure you get a bigger memory card, 8MB is not very much space. Even with a 32MB card that we have, you're only lookin' at about 27 pictures before you have to erase or download them. I only have a few complaints, one is you must be very careful not to touch the lens when grabbing the camera with the lens cover open-maybe its just me...The accompanying software (ACDSee) is not exactly intuitive for editing pictures, there is much better software out there. It would also be nice to have some kind of pouch on the camera case to carry extra SD memory cards. Even though Toshiba is not the first name you think of when looking at cameras, I would still (and have) recommend checking this one out!