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You could never accuse Acer of letting grass grow under its feet. While it may have been rather late in coming into the digital camera market with its first offerings appearing earlier this year, it has quickly caught up ground and advanced from its initial 5 mega pixel models. Here we are less than six months later and Acer has an 8 mega pixel camera to add to its portfolio of products. This is the Acer CD-8530 digital camera.
Predominately black with silver trim and weighing around 150g without the supplied rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (capable of providing power for up to 100 shots), the camera measures a fairly compact 91 x 57 x 27mm (W x H x D). Despite its small size, the camera features an impressive 2.5 inch LTPS TFT LCD screen located on the back of the camera body. Capable of displaying 201,096 pixels, this screen provides excellent preview and review features plus numerous mode and setting icons.
While on the subject of menu options and icons, the former is accessed from a dedicated button on the back of the camera with options that vary according to the current mode of the camera. For example you could be faced with tabs relating to picture, function and AE/AWB settings or Basic and Custom choices. A navigation compass control lets you move between sections and make the appropriate selections. Along with date / time information and available number of images, there are icons for a range of features including battery condition, flash mode, image quality and focus setting.
The CR-8530 supports a number of different capture modes that are selected from a dial situated on the top right of the camera. You can switch between auto or programmed still captures; movie mode; night photography; portrait; and fast-moving subjects such as those found in sporting activities. Image resolution can be as high as 3264 x 2448 and there are three levels of image quality that can be set.
Both optical (3x) and digital (5.1x) zoom capabilities are provided. In and Out Zoom buttons provide the means of adjusting the level and the changes will be reflected immediately on the LCD screen and traditional viewfinder. Zoom levels can also be applied when viewing captured still images but not video clips. Toggling between various timer, exposure, focus and flash settings can be carried out from a multi-selection four-way control on the back of the camera.
Apart from capturing, storing and displaying stills and video clips, the CR-8530 can be used for voice memos with a maximum of 30 seconds duration. Printing is another aspect that adds to the cameras functionality. Using DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), information can be saved along with the image and used when printing is carried out. There is also support for PICTBRIDGE when sending images direct from the camera to an appropriate printer.
Included in the box are various power leads and a cable for USB2.0 connectivity; leather belt pouch; 64MB SD card; and NTI Photo Suite software for carrying out editing and transferring images to a computer. Priced at around £258, this is an excellent 8 mega pixel camera that should satisfy even demanding users.
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