[frankm3]

Hey everybody! <said in Dr. Nick Riviera voice for humorous effect> Guess what the UPS man brought today? This baby! The battery is still charging, so I can't tell you a damn thing about how it works.... This camera is supposed to be one of the best around for long lenses- 12x image stabilized (equivalent of 420mm in 35mm), and has a Leica lens, 4 MP too! Best of all; it's on sale for about $100 off the typical retail price at Vann's (home electronics store in Montana)...with US warranty and free shipping to boot. If you're not aware, many cameras, etc. you see on Ebay for this price won't have a US warranty, and in general I still have heartburn about buying expensive stuff on Ebay based on horror stories others have shared. I had been looking for someplace to buy the camera, and this place met all criteria: great price from a reputable source...the good folk in MT have never steered me wrong yet! I had been saving my pocket change for 8 months, with about a $2/ day contribution to pay for this, so don't ever let anyone tell you that change doesn't add up! Thanks for the recommendation Tom!!! edit: 6/2/04 sale is over

[Nomad]

Frank, How do you like the new Camera? A friend of mine is looking for one in that price range, zoom, etc. Al

[frankm3]

So far so good; the zoom lens alone is enough fun to make it worth having! It is really easy to use, very little reading needed to start using the camera and taking photos. One thing I have found thus far is that the Autofocus does not seem to function as well as my Canon G2; the AF seems to hunt around a bit before locking in. Tilted/ unusually oriented surfaces, etc. tend to make it not focus on the first try sometimes. The real test will be how it performs in the field; I will have a lot more to say about that after I get back from Yellowstone. The primary purpose of this camera was to take wildlife photos, etc., so we'll see how it does for that.