The PhotoPC 800, Epson's newest addition to its digicam fleet. is nicely armored in brushed aluminum with charcoal trim, and is small enough to be a true "pocket battleship." Its 2.1-megapixel firepower can take aim at any target you want to blow up to 8 by 10 inches or larger.
But like any ship of the line, it has some vulnerabilities that may prove troublesome. Unlike most digicams, the PhotoPC uses 3.3 volts rather than 6 to power the camera's LCD monitor, internal electronics, and flash. Two AA's just can't cut it, even if they're rechargeable NiMHs (Four batteries plus a charger come standard). As a result, you cannot use the LCD monitor for more than 10 seconds at a time if you want to get more than a couple dozen pictures (with flash) out of a set of batteries. It's possible to set the LCD to stay on for up to 3 minutes (and you may need to if you're using accessory lenses with the optional lens adapter), but your batteries will die quickly, especially if you're also viewing pictures in the playback mode. So get ready to shoot most of your pictures through the PhotoPC 800's optical viewfinder.
Epson has given the PhotoPC 800 multiple personalities that can interact with beginning, intermediate, and advanced photographers. However, the unorthodox menu system is difficult to master. There are seven different buttons on the camera, each of which can perform multiple functions, depending upon the choices that appear on the adjacent screen. Even the well-written 224-page manual demands quite a bit of attention before things start to fall into place.
The beginner's setting turns the camera into an entirely automatic (including focus), typical point-and-shoot. You can set various program modes in the intermediate level depending on the kinds of shots you want: action, landscape, or portrait, Advanced mode allows adjustment of lens openings (either f-2.4 or f-8), shutter speeds and distance presets. Beware, though--setting shutter speeds manually (1/2 to 1/750 seconds) doesn't set the appropriate lens openings, so you should use that feature to deliberately overexpose or underexpose in unusual lighting conditions or for special effects.
The PhotoPC 800's top-mounted dial lets you select seven modes: set-up, printer-direct, playback, off, optical viewfinder only, optical viewfinder and LCD monitor, and continuous (and interval) shooting. The camera's three-button top deck LCD handles critical functions such as resolution, flash, and the self-timer. It'll also give you an instant read-out on the ISO (sensitivity to light), white balance setting, number of pictures left, and battery condition. Holding the camera is a bit awkward because you have to pinch the top and bottom of it with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand to avoid obstructing the lens (an accessory pistol grip would help a lot here). And like most small digicams, it comes with only a wimpy wrist strap.
Despite obvious shortcomings, the PhotoPC 800 has many impressive features that make it a real contender. It can shoot at 1,600-by-1,200-pixel resolution with two compression choices, and it can render the obligatory 640 by 480 for the Web. There's even an interpolated mode called HyPict that ups the resolution to 1,984 by 1,488 pixels inside the camera before the picture is compressed, so that all the captured raw data is used. Of course, you lose a little sharpness, but you can easily correct the image before you print it with an image editing program.
Other good attributes are fast-interval shooting (about a picture per second) at 1,600-by-1,200-pixel resolution, a burst mode that can work in conjunction with the self-timer (so you can analyze your golf swing), and a time-lapse function you can use to shoot pictures at intervals from 10 seconds to 24 hours. You can also set exposure for each shot, operate the camera from your Mac, and use USB to transfer the images. If you make presentations, this may be your dream digicam. You can ad voice comments in 3-, 5-, and 10-second sound bites either as you shoot or afterward, exclude pictures you don't want to show, and rotate pesky verticals. You can also upload existing computer presentations for display on a TV or with an AV projector, or for easy transfer to video-tape. Finally, the PhotoPC 800 prints directly to the Epson StylusPhoto, , 700, 750, 1200, and Stylus Color 740 printers without using the Mac.
Both the PhotoPC 800's 2X digital zoom and its panorama settings cut the camera's effective resolution in half, and the macro settings can only get in to about 6 inches. However, the proof of the pudding is in the output, and after getting comfortable with the camera and printing some large, luscious, almost artifact-free photographs, we found that the PhotoPC 800's somewhat complex mix of elements does indeed produce exquisite pictures. So if you're at ease with button-pushing and have deep pockets for extra batteries, this may be just the camera for you. -- Arthur Bleich
Good News: Images to 11 by 14 inches. Fast interval shooting. Bright optical viewfinder. USB and serial. Video out. Perfect for slide shows and presentations. Direct output to printers. Voice recording.
Bad News: Fingers can easily obstruct the lens. Moderately difficult learning curve. Short battery life. Nonintuitive menus. Digital soom. Plastic tripod socket. Too many function buttons.
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