Minolta Dimage X50 Digital Camera. Reviews, Price Comparison and Ratings.

This pocket-sized unit is testimony to the power that can be packed into an ultracompact camera. Available in black, silver or red, Konica Minolta's Dimage X50 is a stylish little package with five megapixels and a fast start-up time that would have been impressive on a large camera less than a year ago. For all its convenient size, it doesn't stint on LCD viewer as a 2in screen takes up a good half of the unit's back panel. Some inevitable compromises have been made to keep it within its design parameters. Its internal lens, housed within a slide cover, doubles as the power-up switch, keeps it pocket-friendly but only has 2.8X optical zoom (supplemented by 4.3X optical zoom). It's not one for those who want ultra-crisp zoom close-ups. This becomes clear on the viewfinder when you try to test the zoom to its limits – the image soon becomes fuzzy compared with cameras equipped with more powerful optical zooms. One other quibble is a lag between pressing the shutter button and the actual exposure being taken and flash going off.
With automatic, pre-programmed, and manual modes, this tiny camera is friendly to beginners and fun for advanced photographers.

The Lowest Price is not always best !

When you buy a digital camera, the basic package almost always includes extras such as a battery charger, lens cap, batteries, flash memory card, and software. One of the more disreputable practices a dealer can engage in is called unbundling. These dealers remove items from the package that are normally included in the price and price them separately.

When purchasing a camera you have three components of the price to consider - the camera price, postage and handling, and taxes. Many dealers lower the price to make the camera more attractive, then increase the postage and handling to boost their profits.

Hesitate before accepting extended warranties. Every knowledgeable consumer expert says it's better to gamble. Most of a company's profit is in the sale of these warranties so they press, and press hard. Your job is to resist, and resist hard. The only thing to keep in mind is that digital cameras can be horribly expensive to repair. If you want peace of mind, you may want the warranty, even though it's probably overpriced. The cost of a repair can approach, or even exceed, the original purchase price.

When you buy a camera from a reputable dealer, you expect to be able to return it if you aren't satisfied. Some dealers try to discourage this by requiring a restocking fee for returned merchandise. This is always explained as a way to recover their costs of checking the merchandise and restoring the packaging you may have opened.

Many dealers is truly a false, deceptive and a total crook. Bait and switch tactics used. Does not sell new merchandise and will ship used or refurbished goods without notifying customer. They then try to charge a restock fee on top of their exobitant shipping fees to make a profit where they could not on their goods. A try case of buyer beware.