GE G1

Value (4.0)
The GE G1 sells for a budget-friendly $199, but it isn’t worth it. Pictures in bright light were often overexposed, and it was nearly impossible to see anything on the LCD screen because of the horrible glare. Images in low light were either speckled with noise or infused with unnatural lighting from the flash. The GE G1 is one of the lowest priced digital cameras in the trendy ultra-slim market, but there are cameras that take better pictures for less. They may not look as glamorous on the outside, but the pictures will turn out better and be worth the homeliness.

Comparisons
Canon PowerShot SD1000 – Selling for about the same price as the GE G1 is the SD1000 with 7.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. The lens folds out externally and has a wider f/2.8 max aperture. This auto-oriented digital camera has 14 exposure modes, including a stitch assist mode that doesn’t actually stitch the images together in the camera, although it does allow more than three images to be lined up. The Canon SD1000 has an ISO range from 80-1600 and shutter speeds reaching from 15-1/1500th of a second. Like the G1, the longer shutter speeds are manually selectable: on this PowerShot they are adjustable from 1.3-15 seconds. Both cameras have face detection and red-eye correction technology, although Canon’s face detection works faster and more effectively than GE’s – not to mention it doesn’t have that flashing creepy smiley face. The Canon PowerShot SD1000 has an optical viewfinder along with the 2.5-inch LCD screen with its superior resolution of 230,000 pixels. It does have a less powerful flash and a faster 1.7 fps Burst mode. Its battery is equally unimpressive, as it only gets 210 shots per charge.

Casio Exilim EX-S770 – The Casio S770 has a stainless steel body that comes in similarly bold colors of silver, red, and blue. It is heavier at 4.5 ounces unloaded but still very compact, and aims for a slightly different audience: consumers who will use the Movie mode frequently. The 7.2-megapixel digital camera’s Movie mode records at great resolutions of 704 x 384, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels, has a smooth 30 fps frame rate, and a designated movie button that starts shooting video no matter what still shooting mode is selected. There are plenty of those: 34 scene modes along with a Standard Automatic Exposure mode. There are also lots of picture effects and color filters in both the Recording and Playback modes. There is also movie editing in playback. The Casio Exilim S770 has different physical components, with the most notable being the 3x optical zoom lens that folds out externally. It has a wider f/2.7 max aperture when zoomed out but shrinks to a much smaller f/5.2 aperture when zoomed in. The S770’s flash fires to only 12.8 feet at best and is effective to only 6.6 feet when the lens is zoomed in. There is a wide 2.8-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels on the back. The camera has limited ISO sensitivity with a 50-400 range and is horrific in low light. It underexposes images and sometimes has trouble focusing. It is more expensive at $299, but its LCD screen resolution is much better and its videos are much higher quality.

HP Photosmart R827 – This manufacturer is also a jack of all trades. HP doesn’t make refrigerators, but they do make everything from printers and computers to televisions and paper. The R827 sells for the same $199 retail price and has 7.2 megapixels. It has an in-camera 3x optical zoom lens. The metal body is heavier and thicker at 0.93 inches but contains very interesting features. The HP Photosmart R827 has 14 exposure modes, including two Panorama modes and a host of picture effects. In the Playback mode, borders and other artistic effects can be added along with a red-eye fix that is similar to what the GE G1 has. The HP trumps the G1 in that the R827 has an option that provides photo advice. The Photosmart has a 2.5-inch LCD screen and 32MB of internal memory that can be expanded with SD media up to 2GB.



Kodak EasyShare V603 – This 6.1-megapixel digital camera fits into the same trendsetter group as the GE G1. The Kodak V603’s 3.6 x 2 x 0.9-inch body comes in red and black and sports an external 3x optical zoom lens on the front. On its back it has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with much better 230,000-pixel resolution. There are 23 shooting modes that are mainly automatic and a few basic color modes such as black & white and sepia. The shutter speeds range from only 8-1/1448th of a second and aren’t manually selectable. There is a truncated ISO range from 80-400 and a series of white balance settings that doesn’t include a manual adjustment. The 640 x 480-pixel Movie mode records 30 fps and allows full use of the optical zoom and digital image stabilization, unlike the GE G1. In the Playback mode, videos can be split and pictures’ exposure can be automatically fixed with the included Kodak Perfect Touch technology. The Burst mode shoots at a quick 3 fps but doesn’t last long. The battery wears out easily with its 150-shot per charge rating. The Kodak EasyShare V603 retails for a little more at $229, but can be found online for around $150.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 – The 8.1-megapixel T20 has a similar slim body with tiny controls. It has the same 2.5-inch LCD screen but with much better resolution at 230,000 pixels. The body comes in four colors: silver, black, white, and pink. It has the same trendy look as the slim G1 and even has an internal 3x optical zoom lens. The lens has similar maximum apertures of f/3.5-4.3, but its minimum aperture shrinks down to f/10. The T20’s lens is supported by an optical image stabilization system that works much better than the G1’s and is even functional in the Movie mode. The Sony T20’s shutter speeds aren’t very impressive: 1-1/1000th of a second with no manual control over longer exposures whatsoever. The Cyber-shot has Program, Auto, Movie, and nine scene modes and a Playback mode that can play slide shows with music. These slide shows can be played on the big screen if users also purchase an optional high definition cable to hook the camera to the television. The T20 has a nine-point auto focus system along with face detection technology that works quickly and more effectively than the GE G1’s. A 2.1 fps Burst mode, 80-3200 ISO range, and 380-shot lithium-ion battery are also nice features to have around on the Sony T20. This slim digital camera has a lot more features and its pictures look much better, but it costs about a hundred dollars more with a retail price of $299.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – This camera has automatic exposure modes, few controls, and a simple interface that appeals to point-and-shooters. The slim and convenient body makes the G1 a good camera for these consumers.

Budget Consumers – The poor quality of pictures doesn’t even justify this camera for budget consumers. There are better, similarly-priced options out there.

Gadget Freaks – There is face detection technology, but not much else for gadget freaks to salivate over. Perhaps the GE brand has some appeal to these consumers though: just the association between washing machines, toaster ovens, and digital cameras does it for gadgeteers.

Manual Control Freaks – This camera claims to have a Manual mode, but it is more of a Program mode with a few manual controls. The GE G1 won’t satisfy the manual control freak.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – There isn’t a chance that pros will put down their Hasselblads for the GE G1.