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Toshiba PDR-M60 Toshiba introduces a "value-priced" 2 megapixel camera with nice image quality and a 2.3x optical zoom. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Toshiba PDR-M60 Sample Images --------------------------------- 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 Toshiba PDR-M60 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:Optics Review First Posted: 1/12/2001

Optics
The built-in, 2.3x, 8-18mm zoom lens is equivalent to a 38-86mm zoom lens on a 35mm camera. Focus is automatically controlled via a contrast detection method, and ranges from 19.7 inches (50cm) to infinity in normal shooting mode. Pressing the Macro button on the back panel reduces the focal range to 2 to 19.7 inches (5 to 50cm). Aperture is automatically controlled at all times, with a maximum lens opening of f/2.8 or f/3.2, depending on the zoom setting. Toshiba doesn't specify the M60's minimum aperture in its documentation, but we found it to be f/13.5 in our own testing. Instead of a lens cap, the PDR-M60 has an automatic, retracting lens cover that opens when the camera is set to either Auto or Manual capture modes. When activated, the lens extends approximately 1/4 inch through the two retractable "doors" and returns to the camera body when the camera is powered off.

Activated by pressing the Up arrow on the Enter button, the 2x digital telephoto function crops the image from the center of the CCD, and saves it as an image file at the camera's smaller (896 x 600) image size. This has the effect of doubling the "telephoto" effect of the lens, but at the cost of half your resolution. (The effect is exactly the same as if you'd shot a full-resolution photo, and then cropped out the central portion on the computer afterward. Digital telephoto automatically saves images at the low-resolution 896 x 600-pixel size regardless of the camera's resolution setting (except in Multi-Shot mode, which creates a 1,792 x 1,200-pixel image comprised of 16 tiny ones). Thus, this is only a "telephoto" effect for low-resolution images.