Versatile 28mm to 70 mm lens. Easy to carry. Bargain priced. Takes rich, crisp photos. h

I occasionally forget to compensate for parallax on close-up shots. Due to the size of the camera, the viewfinder is smaller than ideal. These are minor concerns. 

After spending many months of research looking for a replacement for my old Yashica T, which after 15 years of use developed a light leakage problem, I chose the Konica Lexio 70. I have shot four rolls with the Lexio and could not be more satisfied. With the intention of giving the camera a thorough workout, I took the camera on our vacation to the Oregon coast and made sure to take pictures under every conceivable lighting condition: Sunrises, sunsets, fog, rain and clear skies. The pictures came out with great contrast and brilliant color. For such a compact little camera, its flexibility is impressive. I deliberately chose the 28 mm wide angle feature instead of the gimmicky panorama so many cameras offer today. It functioned beautifully in the coastal beauty shots. Close-ups were crisp. This is a versatile little camera. As a former SLR user, my previous Yashica T didn''t offer any special setting options. It was truly a point and shoot. But the Lexio gives the user flexibility to enhance each shot with a combination of shooting modes. Its small size fits easily into a jacket pocket. I have compared my photos to those taken with far more expensive point and shoot cameras and the Lexio is the winner. I could not be more satisfied.

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Yashica T

Compact and stylish appearance Not an APS camera Quiet and unobtrusive 28mm lens Cheaper than comparable Olympus/Nikon models Backlit LCD display

Lens flare evident when using 70mm for backlit shots Distortion at 28mm Colours not as warm as other P&S eg Nikon Case does not protect camera well

A very compact camera which is definitely pocketable. It was bought to replace an 8 year old Olympus Superzoon which is double the size. Shots taken so far (3 rolls of 100ASA film) are at least comparable but might improve using 400ASA film. Handling is not intuitive- I used the camera at a wedding and gave it to other guests to use. Most of them had problems using it. Fuzzy pictures were either due to focussing errors (prefocussing makes a big difference) or shuttershake. Overall I am satisfied with the performance, I don''t expect miracles from a P&S and it is a good camera to have when you don''t want to lug an SLR around.

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Various Olympus and Nikon P&S Canon SLR

The 28mm is very useful in tight spaces. Very quiet, sometimes I make a second shot by mistake not knowing I already shot it once. That''s how quiet it is. It is very light, and the lens cover protects the lens very well unlike the other PS with their protector directly on the lens. Very cute styling, nice silver finish.

None that I can think of that will seriously hamper the effectiveness of this camera. Minor gripes: slight delay when shutter is pressed. Could have made the exposure compensation both ways or the film ISO rating can be manually changed.

Very satisified. I bought this to backup my Nikon N80 (I also reviewed)when I don''t want to be too obvious when taking pictures of people or when I get tires on carrying that heavy SLR. Too bad it is not retailed or easily available as the other major PS brands, people purchasing PS cameras are not aware that this Lexio exists.

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Olympus Infinity Jr.

Compact design-truly pocketable Wide angle lens Good lens sharpness Back-lit LCD panel

Lens flare and softness at 70mm Not easy to use for strangers Flash not powerful enough at 70mm using 100ASA film Flimsy case Colours not as warm as other P&S

This a neat little camera, allowing for portability without the compromises of an APS camera. This camera was bought to replace a 8 year old Olympus zoom, which had provided faithful service. After 3 rolls of film (100 or 200 ASA), I have been reasonably pleased with the performance of the camera. I have not done side by side comparisons but the camera produces results at least as good as the old Olympus and is much smaller! Photographs (which are all of people) were in the main, sharp and well exposed. Those that weren''t sharp were either due to lack of prefocussing or shutter shake. Flare (70mm) is also evident in the backlit shots and distortion (28mm) in the group shots. Regardless of flare the results at 70mm seemed a bit softer than at 28mm. Colours were less warm than other P&S models I have used. Another weakness was that the camera proved difficult to operate for strangers as they did not know which eye to use, and because the default setting for the zoom is 28mm. A bit of a problem if you want good shots of yourself! Without comparisons with the latest Olympus (Muji zoom80) or Nikon (litetouch 120) models I can''t give a 5 star score. There is extreme variation in the reviews on this site for these models so it is difficult to make an objective comparison. However based on numerous magazine reviews, I would expect the Nikon Lite touch 120 to produce slightly sharper results but at the expense of losing the wide angle of view of the lexio. In summary, the camera is good value for money and I am prepared to accept its limitations because it is so portable.

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Various Olympus and Nikon P&S Canon SLR

- 28mm wide end is MUCH more useful for travel than a 35mm-XXXmm zoom - "remembers" last setting by pressing mode button once - Spot-on metering - ambient and flash - Decent aperture for a P&S zoom cam - Nice, handy soft pouch - Back-lit display - Compact size

- Remember to compensate for for parallax on those close-ups! - Clam-shell front cover feels a bit flimsy

I wanted a compact P&S to supplement my manual focus SLR gear during a trip to Pakistan. After the sticker shock of the sharpest, highest resolution zoom P&S cameras, I started a search for a great compact camera that didn''t cost $400+. I ended up purchasing the Konica Lexio 70, mostly due to the reviews here. I took it unused to Pakistan--I ordered it well beforehand but due to vendor shipping errors, I didn''t get it in time to make a useful evaluation. In short, I was surprised and very, very happy with the performance of the Lexio 70. I kept 400-speed print film in it at all times (Superia 400 / Royal Gold 400) and I was not disappointed. Most of my P&S shots were taken from a moving vehicle. The metering was GREAT for print film, and the +1.5 compensation was very handy. I appreciated the ease of switching modes as well as the back-lit display. Flash worked extremely well. The wide-angle showed a bit of vignetting on some landscapes, but I can not gripe about it--for the price, this little jewel is a wonder.

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Yashica T4 Super

The best part is the 28-70 range with a F3.4 lens, the best among point and shoots in this price range and even quite a bit higher. It's tiny, light, really fits comfortably in a pocket. Small enough to palm for secret shots which I need for "real" context slides. Also the viewfinder is excellent, bright, really helps. Excellent detail possible with the lens. Exposure compensation +1.5 is available. Fast to focus and snap. Has the typical p&s control possibilities, plus a few more.

It's not meant to be heavy duty, it gave that up for lightness, so you'll have to baby it a bit, especially the sliding lens cover. The primary flaw is color balance -unless you like blue green bias. If you use Kodachrome 200 you can bring it back to warmer tones that are acceptable. Also, the focus and exposure can be fooled more easily than with an slr, but still acceptable. Occasionally, there is some darkening in the corners of the picture. I take a few extra shots for insurance, and consider it part of the cost of doing business with such an otherwise convenient and inexpensive camera. It likes 200 or faster speed film, but it can handle 100 in good light. Flash only stays off until the camera goes into energy saver mode, a minor nuisance. There is no aperature or shutter priority or control.

I travel in 3rd World countries in my job as professor of sociology, and I want people shots that aren't posed to use in my classes. I don't like offending people by putting a big camera in their faces. So I need something small, light, quiet, with AF, and a wide lens, that I can palm, sometimes even shoot from the hip and carry without attracting attention and without losing the context. This camera is perfect for that. I did a painstaking all-conditions test comparison of the Lexio70 with my Nikon FE2 and a 35mm 1.4 Nikkor and an Olympus p&s. I was surprised to find that the Lexio could match the Nikon in picking up minute detail, and the Olympus wasn't bad either, a testament to improving p&s lens quality. But almost all p&s lenses are too slow (including the Olympus). The Lexio is uniquely quick at f3.4 at 28mm. The problem is that the lens coating is poor on the Lexio70, color balance with Fujichrome 100 was off (blue-green)substantially. Warmer hued Kodachrome 200 reduces this effect and increases flexibility; the flash rarely functions at this speed, and the camera is very happy and reliable.

This leaves one with a super photojournalism device, not the best for slow-speed-film-pure- photographic-art, but otherwise it's great - perhaps the best on the market, especially at this price -for quality impromptu shots that you'd rarely capture with the heavy slr artillery. This is a camera that can always be with you, always ready. I find that my shots are better overall than with the Nikon just because I just have more opportunities. If you carry an slr around your neck in a 3rd world country, your image to many is, "stupid tourist" or "rich tourist," which can exclude you from some social and photographic opportunities or even be dangerous.

This camera is a great value for my kind of photography.

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Olympus, Yashica and other p&s models, although I normally shoot only Nikon SLRs. This will be changing, as I may use this camera exclusively until Leica comes out with a wider lens for its p&s line.

- Very compact for a 28-70 P&S zoom
- Good lens, relatively fast (3.4-.9), sharp, with fine contrast and very slight pincushion distortion; impressive
- Colour reproduction excellent with Fujicolor Superia 200/400, rich and saturated reds, greens and blues
- Useful focus indicator icons in viewfinder help limit AF errors
- AF and metering quick and reliable
- Above average handling, though small, just wide enough for good grip
- illuminated LCD is excellent, a real help in night shooting
- Gave me a minimum of 25 shots for a 24 roll, with some 26 shot rolls
- Doesn't look it, but is quite durable; survived a daughter drop test and also an accidental (very hard) whack against a steel pipe
- Gone 16 rolls with one battery, and still going
- Overall great value for money

- Slight flare problem, only experienced in one severe low light angle, back lit shot, faint ghosting

An excellent camera, probably the best value P&S on the market today, and a rare one with a zoom starting at 28mm/3.4. Went through 16X24 rolls in 6 days of vacation, with only 8 below standard exposures, 5 of which were due to human error. The other 3 were due to underexposure, AF error and flare, less than a 1% error rate. Compact size is convenient and does not compromise handling. Looks dainty and fragile, but actually stands up to quite hard use. Pleasantly surprised by excellent performance, good AF and fast metering, sharpness and contrast on par or better than all other P& S mentioned above (except CZ on Contax has slightly better contrast). Camera performs well with Fujicolor Superia 200/400, colours were outstanding. Illuminated LCD was really helpful in night shooting. All in all, a great package for the price.

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Minolta FZE, Leica Z2X, COntax TVS

Very good autofocus, fast lens with usefull range from 28 to 70 mm, nice design. This is a compact that becomes very fast a part of you.

At 28 mm sometimes a little darker in the corners, but this isn't a too bad issue.

Well, I love this compact. For me everything is OK with this baby!!

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Olympus Mju, Yashica T5 ( compacts that
I returned in search for a better one).

-Great range (28-70)
-sharp, fast lens
-quality feel at this price
-small, easily pocketable size

usual weaknesses for a P+S

I recently bought this camera for a two-week trip through Transylvania. I usually carry an SLR for travel, but I wanted to try something more stealthy and mobile. This Konica worked flawlessly the entire time, despite being knocked about in my coat pocket. Though I was worried about the quality I would get from a P+S, I'm happy to say that the photo results were astonishing. The AF worked great, even with off-center subjects on which I had locked the AF and then recomposed. Most impressive was the metering, which especially surprised me with its perfection in difficult indoor shots with bright light coming through the windows. Color and contrast were also unexpectedly good. Overall, I would recommend this camera to anybody, especially for travel or for a daily, carry-with-you-everywhere camera. Way to go Konica!

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Optical quality,
Fast 28-70 lens, Metal case, Bright view finder, Focus lock & distance icons in viewfinder, Fast focus and exposure lock, Small size, Great price performance ratio, Easy to use, Well laid out controls.

Neck strap only, No belt loop type case for carrying, Moderate shutter lag.

Konica got it right with this one. It's got to be the best buy leader in P&S travel cameras. Just a little bigger than my Stylus Epic (it fits in the same case) and just as easy to use. Optics are on a par with the Leica and Olympus noted above with the advantage of the 28mm wide angle zoom. The focus distance icons in the bright view finder are really helpful in avoiding out of focus shots and the exposure metering also seems quite accurate under varied conditions. I took the Lexio and some Fuji Superia 200 on a recent vacation and the pics came out great with fine color saturation, contrast, and sharpness. It's amazing that such an inexpensive and small P&S zoom camera works this well. This now my camera of choice for travel photography. Even my SLR system will be collecting more dust.

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Leica Z2X, Olympus Stylus Epic