Soon after I get something cool, I want even more. The same is true with the Fotoman Pixtura. With this digital camera I can take 33% more pictures per roll than my analog camera, and I can develop those pictures into my PC, more quickly than 1-Hour Photo can, and for FREE. My only complaint is that I want more.
The camera can take 48 pictures in hi-res mode, which is a dozen more than my heavier, more fragile, 35mm camera. (It can take 144 pictures on the low- res setting, but they suck - not worth the finger synapse. Every shot turns out like one of those photos of nessie or bigfoot. I want to hit the 'enlarge' button but there is none. That's not the opinion of some long-lensed shiny- shuttered quality fiend. I just want to see something I recognize on my screen at 72 dpi. But the low- res setting doesn't even give me that.) Since I have to go home to upload the pictures, the camera is frustrating on vacation (unless one has a laptop AND doesn't mind taking it on vacation). However, the other 50 weeks of the year its just fine. In fact, I found I was most often uploading only around 10 shots each time I hooked it up. I take a few, look at a few, erase them, and start over again.
I also want more speed. It takes a little coffee break to upload a whole "roll" (around 40 seconds per shot on my 486-50). However, this can done unattended, and the pictures can be saved as JPEGs, which is easy on disk space and high on quality. They can also be uploaded as BMPs or GIFs (EPS, WPG, and a few others with Day One's Digital Eyes software). The software from Day One wasn't done yet at the time of review, but was looking good.
Curiously, the camera doesn't come with upload software, which is very frustrating if you expect it to, which everyone would including me. I didn't realize this until I had shot a camerafull of my dog having puppies (which coincidently occurred the same evening I got the camera to review). I had to go out and find some software myself after an unsuccessful evening of trying to hack through the RS232 port myself. The puppies would just have to wait for their second, digital, birth. I gave these photos on a disk to Larry, but it seems like he's not interested in including them in this issue.
It worked almost all the time. When it failed, I tried again and I never lost a picture. Not one. It's very handy. Light. Almost completely silent. Feels good in your hand. Easy to use. One button. Push it. If it's too dark, a flash goes off. It's a great tool for maintaining web sites.
