Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti Shake Optical Zoom (Silver)

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

Small compact with great picture quality.......2007-10-04

Bought this camera for my daughter. My sister had a Casio but the 5 mp and the 10mp is truly a better quality picture. My daughter carrys it with you at all times. The picture quality and zoom is great. The only quality we do not like is when you snap the picture there is a delay before the flash leaving you with a different picture then anticipated.

Great Shots.......2007-07-29

I have had this camera for about 7 months. Pictures taken during the day are beautiful and the colors are vibrant. At nights the pictures are not very clear.

Nice find for the price.......2007-07-19

This is a great camera for the price. I was looking to upgrade from a 4mp camera and was a bit worried because the price was so low. I use the camera for fun so I wasn't too concerned about all the extras. This one has alot of nice extras and it' really easy to use.

I like it.......2007-07-18

At first when I got the camera in the mail I was dissapointed when i first started using it, because the shutter speed is slower than my old camera when it is on the basic setting. My first pictures that I took with it were really blurry and I almost returned the camera. However now I have gotten used to the camera and take the most amazing pictures with it!!

Flawed Design & Awful Out-of-Warranty Customer Service.......2007-06-23

The camera has a smaller sensor than previous Casio models and sets the aperture to the largest available for any light setting when using the "general" best shot setting. So pictures tend to be fuzzy.
You cannot set the aperture or the shutter speed manually. The Best Shot feature is convenient for camera-dummies, but a pain for the rest of us. Searching for the correct aperture/shutter speed combination by selecting one icon out of 40 takes a long time and is very hit-and-miss. There is no explanation of what are the aperture/shutter settings - you just have to try them all out. You have usually missed the shot by then. I scanned a few websites to see if other people are having the same problems as I: fuzzy pictures, and lack of control over settings. They are.
Finally, the repair service is appalling. I just came back from a search of the web to find out how to get my camera fixed (the LCD screen is flashing on and off intermittently and the Casio digital camera online repair server link does not work). Out of warranty service for Casio digital cameras seems to have a miniumum charge of $250 (see the forums at Steve's digicams for a discussion of this). I thank heaven my camera is still in warranty. But I think my next camera will be a Canon.

Product Description

The QX-5 Microscope is the perfect educational tool for children who want to learn about their world! Attach this electronic microscope to your PC and let children explore the tiny, hidden parts of their world.

Customer Reviews:

Also for serious research.......2007-12-21

Believe it or not, this so-called 'toy microscope' can actually be used in a real research too. This gadget has been cited and used in the following publications:
- "Profiting from nature: macroporous copper with superior mechanical
properties"
- "An inexpensive microslab gel DNA electrophoresis system with real-time
fluorescence detection"
- "GASEOUS MICROEMBOLI SIZING IN EXTRACORPOREAL CIRCUITS USING ULTRASOUND BACKSCATTER"
- "Personal Cytometers: Slow Flow or No Flow?"
- "On-line low-volume transesterification-based assay for immobilized lipases"

When qualified using a features-vs-price ratio, this gadget would get a high ranking. Moreover, this 'cheap' toy is a perfect starting point to induce creativities among new science and engineering students, particularly in regions with limited resources.

Difficult installation.......2007-03-31

I bought this as an educational toy for my daughter. The design is cheap and very low quality. It also lacks its own power supply and relies on power from USB. The software is primitive and keeps putting my display in the lowest possible resolution. Installation was a nightmare as I have described below.

Installation: I first tried installing it on a new XP machine. No luck as the microscope never came online. Then I tired it on a Win2K which did not fair any better. Next I tried their "trouble shooting" guide. It basically tells you to keep re-installing and rebooting until it works. No luck there either. I noticed that it seems designed for older machines. I therefore tried an old Win98 machine. This went better and I was actually able to control the scope's lights from the computer. But still no picture. I then rebooted the machine once more followed by disconnecting and reconnecting the scope. This did the trick. I was actually able to see pictures. Any movie making however crashes the software. I realize that others have been able to install it on Win2K and XP but that may be due to configuration differences. A good product will install regardless of configuration issues.

Operation: The pictures are good to mediocre but for the price they are fine. It is also nice that it has two lights. Lets you look at things like coins that are not transparent. The microscope is removable so it is possible to point it at things and play with it.

On the whole, the software and problems with XP and Win2K make it unacceptable to me. If I did not just happen to have a Win98 machine around I would have returned it. As is, I have it hooked up to the Win98 box and is good enough for a toy. My advise is to keep your expectations low and buy it from a local place. Then if it gives you trouble just return it.

Kids will love it.......2007-03-08

Nice resolution picture. Good magnification and brightness. Can take picture or video clip.

A very science nice toy.......2007-01-28

I bought this for my son's 7th birthday. He enjoys it very much. We found all sorts of interesting things to look at around the house and discuss.

Overall, it is a VERY good toy.

My main problems with it are:
1. Lightling is from a single direction, so its not uniform.
2. The resolution of the camera is OK, but not great.

I never received this item.......2007-01-15

I never received the PRIME ENTERTAINMENT QX-5 Microscope from Gooditemsforsale,which I ordered on Oct.21.
I sent the e-mail about this issue twice, but I did not receive any reply. Please issue a refund on my credit card, because my credit card has already been charged for that.
I will never order from Gooditemsforsale again.

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