Digital cameras with lenses that can rotate up and down have been around for a long time, but unless you have tried one, it can be difficult to understand the attraction.
Basically, the ability to rotate the camera lens, together with the LCD displays of digital cameras, offers a whole new way of taking photos.
For example, by turning the lens back towards yourself you can compose a self-portrait without cutting off half your face.
What impressed me about the ability to rotate the lens is that it lets you see the world in a completely different way. For example, when photographing a table of people you can now put the camera over your head and compose a photo with the lens pointing down - as if you are standing on a chair. The resulting image is not only interesting and fresh, but it offers a whole new perspective on the world. That's what the Kyocera Finecam SL300R offers the avid photographer.
In addition to the swivel lens, the Kyocera SL300R claims to be the thinnest (15mm) digital camera that offers a 3X optical zoom. The 3.2 megapixel SL300R also offers the world's fastest continuous capture mode with Kyocera's own RTUNE Rapid Tuning Technology, which has a time lag between shots of a mere 0.07 seconds, or a shooting speed of 3.5 photos per second at maximum resolution.
Other enhanced features of the SL300R include the ability to resize images after you have captured them, so they can be sent easily by e-mail or even MMS, and video capture mode capable of 30 frames per second. There are also numerous automatic shooting and flash modes, together with support for EPSON's Print Image Matching, or PIM, technology that allows you to get accurate prints from captured images. At US$399 (about HK$3,200), the SL300R offers an ideal combination of usability and functionality.