Contax TVS 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Kyocera

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 4.4 x 2.4 inches ; 9.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00008VSB7
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,145 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 14, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Contax TVS digital camera makes use of a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens and a 5.2 megapixel sensor to create high-quality images that can be printed at sizes of up to 20 by 30 inches. Encased in a smooth titanium body and sporting a sapphire shutter release button, the TVS is stylistically impressive and durable enough to last through all kinds of photography projects. The camera also has a 3x optical zoom, movie mode, USB and video connections, and compatibility with MMD and SD memory cards.

Optics and Resolution
The Carl Zeiss lens' anti-reflection coating keeps unwanted light from flooding the CCD sensor, meaning images will have higher contrast, crisper colors, and more shadow detail. The large 1/1.8-inch CCD yields an effective 5 million pixels, and captures images with resolutions as high as 2560 by 1920 pixels. This means you can create quality, poster-sized prints of up to 20 by 30 inches. For greater customization and to save memory, you can select lower resolution settings (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480). The TVS has a 3x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom, for a total zoom range of 12x.

Storage and Transfer
The Contax camera is compatible with both MultiMedia (MMC) and Secure Digital (SD) cards. This allows greater flexibility in sharing or transporting your photos among a variety of electronic devices, such as PDAs and cell phones. Use the built-in USB port to connect to a computer for fast and easy transfer of images.

Movie Mode
The TVS can also record up to full-motion video clips with or without sound. Clips are saved in standard AVI format and can be set to two different resolution settings, 320 x 120 (up to 30 seconds per clip) and 160 x 120 (up to 120 seconds per clip). You can also view your video and photos on a TV using the video out port.

More Features
The 1.6-inch LCD monitor helps you compose your shots and navigate through the camera's settings with an onscreen menu. The dual backlight system increases light transmission from the LCD to increase visibility even in full daylight. The camera has fully automatic functions such as focus, exposure, and white balance for easy operation, but you can set them to presets or manual mode for greater control.

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. It measures 4.4 x 2.36 x 1.3 inches and weighs 7.4 ounces without batteries. This package includes the TVS digital camera, strap, USB cable, battery, and remote control.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice Contax camera, but could be better., October 6, 2003

By 

Anthony N. Monti (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contax TVS 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

After using the camera for a few days, I knew I made the right decision selling my HP 720 to buy this one. But I do miss my HP 720's ergonomic fit to my large hands. The Contax TVS digital 5.0Mp camera, being expensive, well rounded, compact size and smooth finish, could easily slip out of my hands. So I always use the wrist strap that came with it. Moreover, HP's download software is easier to use. Twice I had to go back to my Contax manual to figure out how to download my pictures. Other than that, it's not a big deal to accomplish.
What I like the most about this camera is the viewer capture accuracy. What I see in the viewer or LCD, is pretty close to what I snapped and downloaded. My HP 720 was off center somewhat and got much worse as I used the digital zoom. The Contax TVS digital doesn't have this problem. At this point in time I can only compare two digital cameras I bought, and to be able to write this review. I hope it is informative and useful.
What I don't like most about this camera is that the shutter release button is very hard to distinguish from the rest of the top side of the camera. Again, I'm a guy with large hands, with some wear and tear on the finger tips. At times I could not find the shutter button as I was looking thru the viewer. So I may have to add a drop of glue or black finger nail polish to provide a "bump" on the shutter release button so I know I'm on the trigger. I did this once before on another camera and it worked out well.
Overall, the Contax TVs is a great high-end quality camera, and somewhat pricey. I have the Contax T2 "film version" and I just wanted to have the digital version. Is the camera worth the price? Maybe. It's not a slam and dunk decision and it depends on what you are looking for in a camera: quality, materials, name, fashion look, etc.