Toshiba PDR-M70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

The Toshiba PDR-M70 gives you advanced photographic controls, including two levels of recording images. Shutter speeds can be set from 1/2 second to 1/1000 of a second, while the camera's five-mode flash system is easily adjusted to any lighting condition up to 13 feet from the subject. It offers autofocus and macro focus with a slower shutter speed and includes a built-in dioptric corrector to focus the viewfinder to the user's eyesight.

An exciting movie function capable of recording up to four minutes of video with audio keeps your friends and family up to date. These videos are excellent for e-mail attachments, documentation, demonstrations, or Web pages. The PDR-M70 provides fast connection to your PC or Mac via USB at 12 Mbps, or about one high-resolution image every three seconds.

Accessories include a 16 MB SmartMedia card, lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, USB and video cables, neck strap, soft case, lens cap, CD-ROM, and optional filter-ring adapter for 52mm optical filters or lens covers.

Product Description
The long-awaited Toshiba PDR-M70 filmless digital camera allows consumers to digitally capture images of professional photographic quality in an easy-to-use design.With its brushed-aluminum body and high-tech features, the PDR-M70 builds on a tradition of award-winning digital cameras. Key to its success is an advanced 3.37 megapixel CCD capable of recording 2048x1536 pixel images that are exceptionally rich in sharpness, color accuracy and clarity. The 1/1.8 inch CCD is much larger than those found in past cameras, resulting in a less noisy signal and vastly superior pictures that can be printed in sizes up to 11" x 14" free of jagged edges, artifacts or pixelation.Important attributes of the PDR-M70 include: an all-glass aspheric lens system (f=7.0-21mm or 35-105mm in 35mm conversion) with 3x optical zoom, 2x digital zoom and an extra large aperture of f=2.0-2.5; lightning fast download speeds (12mps) via its USB port; 1.8-inch LCD with illuminator; built-in speaker/microphone capable of recording up to sixty minutes of audio only on the included 16MB SmartMedia card, plus an exciting and fun AVI movie function capable of recording up to five minutes of video (15fps) with audio on a 16MB SmartMedia card.An easy-to-navigate graphic user interface enables everyone from professional photographers to "digicam" rookies to be pointing, clicking and downloading images in minutes. The PDR-M70- another exciting digital camera brought to you by Toshiba.

I haven't begun to tap all the camera's capabilities. I bought when camera first came out( two or so years ago?) at a considerably higher price ... . It still works great and I only wish it were a little more compact. The flash problem doesn't concern me. Sometimes, depending on lighting conditions, indoor photos can be taken with flash "off" and come out fine.

Anyway, camera certainly worth price being asked, assuming in good working condition? "Macro" very good, too.


Better than expected   December 13, 2001
George Eschert (Tokyo, Japan)
Yes indeed, this little camera has everything in it--more or less for some one who not just likes to play around but rather likes to use it for business as well as in a semi-professional way.

One tiny problem, the smart-media memory card (I don't like smart media at all !) or the camera ? is not correctly working (had this problem with my previous M-4 as well), formatting the card when bought new is impossible! Toshiba will fix this problem I was told. During this time till I get it back I checked other Toshiba cameras,


Discontinued?? WHY?   November 22, 2001
I got this camera because I needed something with a flash-sync terminal (for pro studio flash equipment) and the ability to attach filters.

Filters cannot be attached without an adapter though. This definitely seems to be the age of the aftermarket-accessory sell. Why can't anyone just thread the lens instead of the "outer ring?"

Strangely, this is one of a handful of cameras (as of late 2001) with the ability to use an external flash (The Olympus C-line only has a proprietary 5-pin terminal, as well as some of the Nikon line.)

There must also be an anti-AA-battery conspiracy throughout the industry, because god-forbid I can find a decent camera using them anymore. Once your Lithium runs out, (and they do, very quickly, even though the meter says otherwise,) you are flat out stuck.

I read another review where someone complained they picked up a Radio Shack adapter on the road, having left their charger at home, and they claimed it didn't work. That was because the amperage rating of the RS adapter was too low. If you are going to pick up a spare, make sure it can supply at LEAST one amp, because the Toshiba requires two amps. (the rating is on the label of the Toshiba charger.)

There is a simple and inexpensive way around this, if you need more batttery power: Use a 6-volt lantern battery ... and make an adapter cable to connect them ...

The camera takes extremely high quality and sharp images, except in dim light.

BUT I discovered (like an idiot, after a YEAR of owning it,) the hidden secret of this camera that makes it worth the money: You can set it to COMPLETE MANUAL OPERATION! Hold down the Menu button as you turn it on, and you have complete control over the focus, aperature and shutter!

No more out-of-focus shots in the dark!

I've never had any trouble with the SmartMedia, as someone else mentioned. If you do, you can always go to Toshiba's website and download the latest BIOS for the camera.

"Histogram?" A feature no one ever asked for. It's a bar-graph in the lower right of the LCD (a pretty fair amount of LCD real-estate, by the way,) that shows the color intensity across the color spectrum, except there's no reference numbers or symbols to even explain what values you're looking at.
Why didn't they give an option to turn it off?

The camera saves all images once taken, and you must 'go into' trash mode to delete them, rather than having them linger until you decide.

At least the USB interface is fast between your computer and the camera.

Subsequent models still don't have the all-useful flash-sync or filter-attaching capability, which is something all 35mm cameras, even the cheapest models, have had since the invention of photography.

It's like the 'touchpad' on laptops: No one asked for them, if anything people have revolted en-masse against it, and yet they persist.

But still all the other issues are worth it for the control and flexibility and classic styling this camera offers!


First Timer...Simple and Easy To Use   October 22, 2001
jB
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I've been wanting to write this review since I started using my Toshiba digital camera a month ago now. Having ordered it online, it arrived in no time. I had it out of the box and clicking pics quicker than you can load film into a 35mm camera. Easy setup and simple operation are some key factors to consider when buying a digital camera, and this one fits the bill. I had spent numerous hours researching products online and it came down to two; one a Sony, and the other the Toshiba.

I've had it for a month now and am still stoked at the performance of the camera. The ease of operation and simpleness makes the camera a pleasure to use. Picture quality is outstanding. The software bundled with the camera is just as easy to use. Connection is through a USB cable, and once connected the computer is 1,2,3... to view and edit pics accordingly. The software does some nice fixes, making up for the camera itself. In some photos the camera tends on the "blue" side of the spectrum.... which can be easily adjusted in no time (with the computer); as you'd expect from your film developing company anyway.

Secondly, crucial to any electronic device is the power source. The lithium battery of the Toshiba is ok; longer life would be nice, yet it is much better than most. (A second battery would be a wise investment.) The battery charges in the camera in about 5 hours. There is an external charger I plan on getting when I do buy the second battery. Charging time is much shorter according to the literature.

A third consideration is the shutter speed, the time it takes when you depress the shutter button to the time it takes for the camera to actually take the picture. For the Toshiba it is no longer than it would for a 35mm camera (A BIG plus when subjects are not always standing still).

Overall, I am quite pleased with the Toshiba PDRM70 and would recommend it to any shutterbugs without hesitation. Happy clicking.....


bottom line, pics are not all that good   October 20, 2001
John Phillips (Salida, Co United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

this camera has every feature i could ever want. the battery is charged in the camera which is how they all should be. everything needed comes with it. the macro mode is a joke, closeup would be more accurate. even with a 13x add on lense it was not good enough for even flowers and was a pain to keep changing. the m65 is much better for photo quality and has a great macro. the pictures bothered me though with the 70, most were just a little out of focus in auto, fuzzy, or they had a haze, washed out look. the color was not good. the shutter delay way too long with the slow focusing. i sent it back to toshiba and bought my nikon.