It is a tough time to buy a digital camera. Just when you have saved enough to buy the latest whiz-bang megapixel image machine, a new generation arrives, boasting even higher resolutions and price tags to match.
Three months ago, the first of the latest 3.3-megapixel cameras hit the stores, with improved on-board software and CCDs (the charge-couple device chips that capture images) capable of producing images surpassing most budget single-lens reflex cameras.
Epson's new PhotoPC 3000Z, a 3.3-megapixel machine, is being promoted in Hong Kong as a 4.8-megapixel unit. The reason is software interpolation, which compares colours in an image and estimates what any missing colours ought to be. The result is remarkably high-quality images.
The 3000Z is among the most expensive entry-level digital cameras on the market, but it is also streets ahead of many competitors.
Installing the camera is simple. Just run the bundled USB (universal serial bus) cable to your PC, and Windows automatically finds and installs the accompanying desktop software.
The built-in software is simple to figure out but lacks the broad functionality of a Sony. The view-panel's on-screen menus are simple and intuitive, though I would have liked a little more information and options such as cropping an image or video clip.