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| Agfa ePhoto CL30 |
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Hardware Reviews December 1999 • Vol.2 Issue 12 |
Agfa ePhoto CL30 | ||
 Agfa has become one of the most recognizable names in digital photography because of its ability to consistently introduce models that are easy to use and that produce above-average image quality. The company's megapixel ePhoto CL30 is yet another model that fits that mold. What makes the camera even more desirable is its sub-$400 price tag. The CL30 snaps shots at a top resolution of 1,440 x 1,080 pixels with the aid of Agfa's PhotoGenie technology. Resolutions are also available at 1,152 x 864 pixels (for both color and black-and-white shots), 1,024 x 768 pixels, and 640 x 480 pixels. A 1-million CCD (charge-coupled device) is used to capture images. Unlike Agfa's newer CL30 Clik! digital camera (which uses a built-in Iomega Clik! drive to store over 300 shots taken at 640 x 480 pixels), the CL30 has a fairly limited storage capacity, holding only six to 36 images on the bundled 4MB (megabyte) CompactFlash card. The camera does include a 1.8-inch LCD (liquid-crystal display), USB (Universal Serial Bus) and serial port connections, and an EasyPilot button on the back of the camera that we especially like. The EasyPilot button is one of the easiest to use menu selection tools we've seen in a digital camera. Using the button simply entails spinning it to rotate through menu options and pushing it to select a particular function. Less pleasing is the camera's overall boxy design, which includes the lens placed on the extreme right side of the camera's front, leaving it directly below the flash. In addition to leaving little room for the left hand to support the camera, the design had us unknowingly covering the flash unit with our forefinger on several occasions. What is to be appreciated is the ability to manually and automatically control focus, white balance, and flash settings. The CL30 includes four flash settings, five focus settings, and an all-glass 43mm lens with 2x digital zoom, which is less preferable to optical zoom. Shots we captured with the camera both indoors and outdoors displayed excellent focus and sharpness; although, some indoor shots were a bit dark. Overall, we were pleased with the accurate colors and crisp definition the shots rendered, especially outdoors. In short, there are few cameras priced under $400 that can match the CL30's shots. Despite its limited storage and digital zoom lens, the CL30's images and ease of use are reasons enough to consider this camera for entry-level needs. The camera ships with four AA alkaline batteries and Agfa's PhotoWise software. by Blaine Flamig
$335 (street) Agfa (800) 879-2432 (978) 658-5600 http://www.agfa.com
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