Toshiba PDR-2300 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optcial Zoom

You can frame your shots with the traditional viewfinder eyepiece or the large 1.6-inch LCD monitor, which can also display stored photos and shooting modes. All of the main functions such as exposure, flash, white balance, and focus are fully automatic, and the white balance can be set manually for accurate color tones. The 2300 can even shoot up to 15 seconds of AVI video at a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels. Use the video out and view your work on any NTSC or PAL television.

The 2300 takes 4 AA batteries, which have an ordinary life of up to 100 shots with flash and 150 without. Photos can be stored on the internal 8 MB memory, which holds 15 pictures on normal settings, or any Secure Digital memory card for more capacity. Since the 2300 is USB compatible, hookup and file transfer to a computer is fast and easy. Also included are batteries, USB cable and driver, video cable, hand strap, lens cap, and photo editing software.

I gave it 4 stars because of the following drawbacks:
1. The lens cover is not automatic (You have to put it and take it off manually everytime you want to use the camera and it looks bad when it hangs of the camera (like the 50s style).
2. It uses non-rechargable batteries, 4 batteries are included though.
3. A little bit bulky (not like the more expensive sony and cannon).
4. 8MB is OK however 16 MB would be better.. I have a 128MB SD card so that solved my problems...

In short:
This camera is good if you care about the functionality and don't care about the appearence. (It is not worth spending a [X] to get a better looking sony or cannon). If you have rechargable batteries and an SD card, I think you won't have a problem with this cam.


Excellent Entry Level Camera   December 28, 2002
Ken Smith (Bellevue, WA USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I purchased this camera about 3 months ago from Circuit City on a store special for [money]. It was my first digital camera (though I have used friends digicams before and I own a camcorder) and I am very happy with it. I initially did not purchase the memory card and just shot pics with it and uploaded them to the computer before the batteries died (held about 30 800x600 high res pics) but I bought a 64MB memory stick after about a month and it was well worth the [money]. I use the 800x600 mode (high res, the camera supports both 1600x1200 and 800x600 in three resolutions; high, medium and low) and now get about 300 photos per memory card, far more than I need. The 3x optical zoom is an excellent feature as is the manual override for lighting, flash and white level. I have not used the video mode since I already own a camcorder, but for still images, this camera is great. It presents the internal photos to the computer as a removable disk drive (under Windows) which is also awesome ! I strongly recommend this camera for first timers or those who want a cheap digicam they can tote around to the beach, etc. Battery life is usually about 100 pictures (if you turn off the LCD) which is quite good. You can also view internal photos on the LCD and zoom then 2x and 4x which is quite handy. Picture quality is very good.


Great Camera   March 12, 2003
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

For {the money}, this camera is definitly worth it. I find it very easy to use and the pictures look great. I have taken pictures indoors, outdoors, in dim lights, etc and they have all turned out great looking. This camera does eat up batteries quickly, rechargable batteries are a must for this camera. I have nothing bad to say about this camera. I searched for a long time, asked alot of questions, and read alot of reviews on the net about this camera and I'm glad that I purchased it. If you are looking for a good digital camera and you budget is just under two hundred dollars I don't think you will be disappointed with this camera.


Best Camera   December 16, 2002
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I bought this camera for an online course in computer graphics and this camera was the perfect tool. It has many functions and modes as well as a 15 sec video capture. The picture quality is nice and this camera is really easy to use. The only withdraw is that it guzzles batteries. But you can solve this problem by buying rechargable batteries.


Toshiba pdr-2300 not too shabby   December 26, 2002
Piotr Kwiecinski (Linden, NJ)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I got this camera for Christmas and so far I am pleased. As soon as I opened the box I began taking pictures. I found this camera very easy to use. The 1.6 in. tft lcd is great and I was surprized by the quality of the images. If you want a good 2.0 starter digital camera this one is definitely worth considering.