Sales Rank: 392


Features:

Saves digital still photos (JPEG) and MPEG-4 video to memory card

USB 2.0 and Firewire (IEEE-1394) connectivity; S-Video and AV out

Compatible with Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and SD/MMC cards

Multi-functional video/still camera with two separate lenses

5-megapixel digital still camera with 3x optical zoom; 680,000-pixel video camcorder with 10x optical/900x digital zoom

Average Rating:
Rating: - superb!
Anyone who says this isnt a great piece of equipment is talking complete rubbish! For the price and size it's excellent. Good quality stills and camcorder for when needed.

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Rating: - Great idea
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a way to take video and pictures without the hassle of lugging around (and charging) two separate gadgets. It takes excellent pictures, just as good if not better than any other digital camera I have seen. I am also very pleased with the video - I found the software very user friendly and video was easy to transfer and edit on my computer. The battery has a good life, I have had no problems having to stop and recharge it. There is a nite mode that compensates (very well, I think) for low light video. The camera is easy to carry around (it is smaller than my 35mm) and I am having no problems with the functionality - all in all a great idea and easy to use with great pictures and great video.

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Rating: - Even the digital still shots are not that good....
To add on to the previous reviewers, I was very disappointed with this camera's performance. I compared the "5 megapixel" photos with photos taken with my Canon, PowerShot G3 (4megapixels), and the SCD6550 simply did not produce the same quality stills. The camera itself also seemed flimsy. The idea of having a two-in-one camera is so attractive. But another attractive concept, Canon's Elura50, offered a camcorder with a compact design. In the end, however, it broke down only after a year and a half. For a $500 purchase that is not a durable lifespan (cf. reviews for Elura50 and you will see that many are having hardware problems). This camera seemed less durable than the Elura50 as I maneuvered the various parts and dials. Of course, I am returning the camera before it can prove its durability. Nevertheless, maybe the folks at CNet can stake their money on it. Lastly, I should add that the positioning of the record button and function dials are poorly placed. I found that I had to use both hands when switching back and forth from camcorder to still cam modes as well as simply engaging the record button. This definitely takes away from the idea of a convinient solution for capturing those special moments.