Agfa Ephoto CL50 review

Agfa's PhotoWise software provides the bridge between camera and PC. A tray icon remains on whenever the camera is connected via serial link to download pictures with the option of instant post-transfer erasure, and presents the images as slides. It would have been nice if the paper manual had greater reference to PhotoWise, however, rather than leaving you with on-line help and readme files. PhotoWise also allows you to stitch together photos taken in panoramic mode, but it certainly isn't Photoshop, and it's a shame Agfa doesn't include a proper photo-editing program with the camera. Also, the CL50 has no USB option, which is a pity as downloading 8Mb of pictures through the serial port is an agonisingly slow process. You may want to consider spending an extra £60 for a SmartMedia floppy disk adaptor that transfers images in seconds.

The CL50 certainly has some nice touches - the high level of control over its settings, the use of natural light to illuminate the LCD and the high level of zoom - but it can't match the style and ease of use of the Canon PowerShot A50. What's more, with a street price of around £400, the Minolta DimÅge is cheaper, has better image quality, and unlike the CL50 comes with a mains adaptor as standard.

Author: Kenneth Henry