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Epson PhotoPC 3000Z Epson's first three-megapixel design boasts great image quality and loads of "enthusiast" features Select a topic Reference: Datasheet PhotoPC 3000Z Test Shots --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on PhotoPC 3000Z Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 10/01/2000

Viewfinder
The 3000Z features both a real-image optical viewfinder and an LCD monitor for composing images. The optical viewfinder has a dioptric adjustment dial on the side, to adjust the focus for eyeglass wearers. Two LEDs on the right side of the viewfinder report the camera's status, such as when the lens is focused or the flash is ready. For framing, a set of central focus crosshairs inside the viewfinder help you line up shots. In our testing, we found the optical viewfinder to be a little tight, showing 85 percent frame accuracy at the wide angle setting, and 82 percent at the telephoto end.

A 1.8 inch color LCD monitor on the back panel can also be used as a viewfinder, and offers a very unique menu display. We should point out here that the mode dial on top of the camera actually controls the LCD monitor as well. There's a stop for working with the optical viewfinder only (the red camera with the tiny square), and for working with the LCD monitor (the red camera with the larger square). A menu button in the lower right corner of the back panel controls the on-screen menu display. What's so interesting about this menu is that it doesn't consist of a separate screen that must be called up and sorted through. Instead, a list of options line the bottom and right margins of the screen, and line up with corresponding buttons that line the outside of the monitor. If you want to change your white balance setting (for instance), you simply press the button next to that menu option repeatedly until you get to the desired selection. The great part of this is the amount of time you save, since you're not sifting through various screens and scrolling through different selections. It took us a little getting used to at first (and, we must admit, a good study of the manual), but in the end we really appreciated this simplified system. Our only complaint with this information display is that it doesn't report the battery power until the batteries get too low (neither does the small status display panel), so you don't really have an idea of how much battery time you have left until it's almost too late.

The menus work the same way in Playback mode. There's also an option for a nine-image thumbnail display and a playback zoom for closer inspection of captured images.

We found the LCD monitor to be very accurate in framing, showing approximately 97 percent of the frame at wide angle and about 98 percent at telephoto. We generally like to see LCD monitors as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, so the 3000Z comes through with flying colors in this area.