Great point-and-shoot!
Pros:
Quick time to to first shot; Good picture quality; small & light.
Cons:
USB transfer not very fast. No zoom. Only 1.3 megapixel.
The Bottom Line:
If you can still get it for under $160, get it - its ease of use, good image quality, small size and low price make it fun to use.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
O.k., here is the deal: I have two cameras, the $150 Umax Astracam 1800 (1.3MP), and the $500 Ricoh RDC-7 (3.2 MP). Both cameras are not mainstream, but cool if you taker a closer look. They are both small and give good pictures.
Here is why I like the Umax 1800: It is the one camera that is easily available to take spur-of-the-moment shots. It powers on very quickly (less than 2 sec), and the total time from power-on to "picture taken" is (timed) 3.5-4 seconds. Since the camera is very plain, no additional settings need to be taken care of, and yet it takes great pictures over a wide variety of conditions. Definitely more fun than a film-based camera, especially in low light.
Also, it runs off only two AA's. The lack of a preview LCD screen is not too bad, it saves energy (camera lasts very long on NiMH's), and it also saves time.
So when it comes to taking a quick snap, the Umax 1800 is often my preferred camera. I use the Ricoh when I have more time and want better pictures and control, but the Ricoh takes a long time to capture the shot:
Ricoh RDC-7:
Take out of protective carrying case (it's expensive, so I keep it in there), take off lens cap, longer power on due to zoom & AF lens, open up fold-away LCD, align camera so desired picture appears on LCD, then shoot (longer delay b/c of AF). Also, the many controls entice you to "optimize" exposure etc. before the shot, taking away even more time.
Umax 1800:
Power on, glance through optical viewfinder, shoot. Get decent pictures on almost any occasion!
So, in light of the recent appreciation that I discovered for my cheap Umax 1800, I decided to give it a positive review. It's better than you might think. I definitely wouldn't want to miss it.
Other reviews:
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article.asp?aid=18905
http://www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/Products/Umax_AstraCam1800
I once posted a few nice shots (great twilight capability), but I can't find them online anymore. Lost in the web...
