3 Comments

• Smile'in Jack says:

  April 25, 2016 at 1:15 pm

  76 of 78 people found the following review helpful

  
  NOT PERFECT, BUT…, October 7, 2014

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  Smile’in Jack –

  This review is from: Pentax XG-1 16 Digital Camera with 52x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

  I have a ton of experience with Pentax cameras from old style film to the newer DSLR’s. I have always found Pentax cameras to be under rated. At their price point you can usually find features that are found on their higher priced competitors. I have also found that when people complain about picture quality 80% of the time it is the fault of the photographer. I currently have a Pentax K50 and recently purchased the XG-1. As with any fixed lens cameras there are trade offs. The ability to use an array of lens that have a better fit and finish than a fix zoom gives the DSLR more of an advantage, That being said I am very happy with the XG-1. The color saturation is great and the pictures are sharp and crisp. Using the auto setting gives very good pictures There is a slight amount of distortion at the extreme zoom range but it is not very noticeable. It is very simple to use but has enough controls for the advanced amateur. I found the zoom feature to be quiet and fast. The auto focus was also very good although it was a little iffy in low light. After all is said and done I would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a well made all around camera that gives you a bunch of features to play with if you don’t want to “auto pilot” all the time.

  UPDATE:Just thought I would let anyone interested know that original replacement batteries (LB-060) can be purchased from B&H Photo. Also I saw one reviewer complained that there wasn’t a stand alone charger for the battery. After a little investigation I found that the Casio BC-31L charger will work for the LB-060 battery. It also works for some of the Kodak Astro Zoom cameras that also use the same battery. Actually the Kodak AZ 521 is basically the same as the XG-1. I find that if you hunt around you can find items that will work between different manufacturers. They just don’t want you to know.

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• Milwaukee Gadget Hound says:

  April 25, 2016 at 1:34 pm

  38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

  
  Stunning images in a compact, easy-to-use package., October 18, 2014

  By 

  Milwaukee Gadget Hound (Wisconsin) –

  Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

  This review is from: Pentax XG-1 16 Digital Camera with 52x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

  Stunning images. Incredible zoom range for a compact, easy to use package. Although the power zoom is quick, I would have preferred a manual zoom for better control. Battery life is better than expected. However, since this model is very new, spare batteries are expensive and difficult to find. At this writing, Amazon does not offer them. Also, the camera does not come with a separate charger and battery has to be charged while in the camera, which I feel is an inconvenience. Perhaps as this camera becomes more popular, someone will offer an external charger. Still, this camera offers great value and produces beautiful results.

  

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• Rufus says:

  April 25, 2016 at 2:19 pm

  31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

  
  Outstanding Zoom! But…, October 26, 2014

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  Rufus –

  Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

  This review is from: Pentax XG-1 16 Digital Camera with 52x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

  Outstanding zoom, however, I have some issues with the camera. First, the focus is automatic only. When zoomed all the way out (at a very distant object – like the moon), the focus may only work one out of 5 times! (for the optical zoom) If the digital zoom is used, the camera will not focus at all. Manual focus is definitely needed to make this a useful camera. Secondly, the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) is terrible! It’s no better than the video cameras of 20 years ago! Why not stay with a “normal” viewfinder? Third, there are “.THM” files, which I understand are thumbnail files, supposedly read by photo programs to display a small version of the larger .JPG files. None of my photo programs read them, and I get a thumbnail automatically from the .JPG file, so these files are simply a waste of space (and time to avoid copying them all to the hard drive), and you can’t turn them off! Fourth, the file numbering changes back to the beginning if you insert a new card or format the old card! This is unacceptable. I end up having to leave the last photo on the SD card so it will continue the count properly. Fifth, the sensor is super sensitive to white (or lighter) areas of the photo and are “blown out” (overexposed). Also, I could see VERY little (or no) discernible difference between “best/fine/normal” photo settings.

  If you want an amazing zoom ratio in a very unimpressive camera, then you might like it. I chose this camera over a $2,000 lens for my “big” camera, and I’ve used it to bring the wildlife in the back yard much closer, as well as some awesome moon shots, but getting a clear moon shot is really a challenge with the focus issue. I really debated whether to send the camera back or not. I ended up keeping it, but I am underwhelmed because of the “problems.”

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