Home > Consumer Reviews > Polaroid PDC 2300Z 2.3MP Digital Camera Kit

Okay, I've had this camera for about 2 months or so. I can't complain, not at all. It came with everything I could have asked for, and then some things I wouldn't have thought about. It came with software, picture-on-TV display cable for viewing pictures on any normal TV, both USB and serial cables for transferring pictures and an 8 meg memory card (which holds 11 pictures at max res). I must say that this camera was straight up easy to use. I had no problems with it at all and I didn't even read the manual until days after I bought it.

For a 2.3 megapixel camera, I was surprised at how nice the pictures looked; so were my friends who also have digital cameras. The HP digital cameras in the same price range didn't come with half the stuff and didn't have optical zoom at all; nor did any other camera I looked at that was [not costly]. The LCD screen is very nice on the eyes and is bigger than most in the price range.

While when I first got the camera I was worried about breaking it, etc, I've taken it out on hikes a lot and it seems to be holding up well.

Two complaints that can't really be helped. This is true on all digital cameras right now, even the most expensive. A: All digital cameras eat batteries. B: This camera only came with an 8 meg memory card.

Two solutions I offer for anyone buying this or any digital camera: 1.) Buy one of the new battery recharging units and 8 rechargeable batteries for it (Rayovac has nice batteries out now that recharge in under an hour and can be recharged 1000 times, making them perfect for digital cameras. 2.) Go to a pricing service like pri ce wa tch and get a new memory card for the camera. You can get a 128 meg compact flash card for [a good price] that allows you to take a great deal of pictures.

Also, all digital cameras from amazon.com come with software for one of amazon.com's partner's, ofoto.com. I've done a lot of my prints through them. What can I say?; they rock. ofoto has brought the best aspect of normal film photography to the digital world.

I love my new digital camera. It has already saved me a great deal of money and has replaced my old standard film camera. I'll never go back.

I bought this camera as an upgrade to the Polaroid 1100 (my entry into the digital camera world.) The 1100 was just fine, but it didn't have an optical zoom, and I also wanted a bigger memory card. The 2300 has an optical as well as a digital zoom, and an 8MB memory card, which is plenty for me. It's a little more complicated than the 1100, but once you've got it down, everything becomes second nature. The pictures look great, but if by some chance they need a little tweaking, the Photomax Pro software that comes with it can take care of any little imperfections. It's very important to always remove the batteries when not in use, as these cameras soak them up fast. I also recommend Energizer Lithium AA batteries for longer life. And always use the AC power to upload. Another recommendation: To enhance your photos, it can't hurt to have a couple other software programs to do the job. I can still use the Photomax 3.0 that came with the 1100 (although you can't upload pictures to it directly from the 2300, but you can retrieve your photos from it). I also have Adobe Photo Deluxe, which came with my computer. It seems if one can't do what I want, I just go to one of the other programs. Another fun thing--I can connect to Polaroiddigital.com from the program and set up albums on their website for others to see and perhaps make prints of. Can't think of any downside right now, so I'll sign off. Hope this was helpful.

The 2300z is the top of Polaroid line of digital cameras. It is designed and built by Pretec digital, a very reputable company. The camera takes some of the clearest and best pictures I have ever seen. And it is very easy to use, especially when compared to my old Sony digital camera.
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The only things I have to say negative about the camera is A) 8 mb is not a lot, so you'll need a new CFlash card [...] B) You'll need to buy NiMH batteries to extend the battery life (which is quite long due to an econmic design and an auto shut off) and [...] C)The camera is a bit heftier than others, in size and weight, but weight is related to a good build, a heavy camera is that much better.

This camera is awesome, and the value is by far the best of any price or quality class, it's really unbelievable! So if your looking for a good, solid, family digital camera on a budget, look no further than the 2300z!
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Recently I decided it was time to upgrade from my Polaroid PDC 640 to something better. Not to digress, but the sub-mega-pixel PDC 640 was a terrific little camera that was a favorite among my friends and family during festive get-togethers. My next camera would have some big shoes to fill.
Let's start with the obvious benefits I now have from upgrading to the PDC 2300Z:
The resolution is fantastic! 1792x1200 or 896x600 with 3 quality settings each. Even the lowest rez is higher than my PDC 640.
Zoom! The 2X OPTICAL zoom is important. Sure it has a 2X digital as well, but Optical is where the money is.
Incredible Battery Life! The ol' PDC 640 would eat a fully charged set of NiMH in about 30 to 60 shots. Now it's more like 60 to 90.
More control! White balance and exposure (EV) settings give you more flexability with your shots.

There ARE a few things that don't bode well however:
Shutter response can be slow. By the time the flash goes off, the train has already left the station.
Stuck with still life. Don't expect to get clear action shots, and hold it VERY still for low light situations.
Software sucks. The PDC 640 used the PhotoMax software that lets you download the entire contents of the camera into the computer with nifty little unique month/day/image# file names. This one uses PhotoMax Pro and makes you name each picture yourself by using the "Save As..." function on every image downloaded.
It also has a few needless complexities such as a cumbersome mode selection wheel, and be careful on "point and shoot" pictures because the shutter button has 2 positions instead of just one: Click - it focuses (about 2 secs). Click harder - it snaps the picture.

Overall, it's a fine camera that succeeded in filling the shoes of its predicessor, and when you compare it to other brands with similar features, you'll find that it gives you more for your dollar than any other.

Re. photo quality: Darn good for 2.x megapixel. Great colors.
Re. flash: Marginal to ok/good. They should have put a hot shoe on it, for a large (aftermarket) flash unit. Flash is not evenly distributed. Flash photos at distance=10ft yield burnouts (i.e., bleached centers). I bought a slave flash unit for better coverage.
Re. limitations: Don't expect to take action shots in dim lighting. The camera will hold the "shutter" open in order to acquire enough light and the photo will turn out blurred.
Re. software: After 50 hrs of use, it still feels kind of odd. Re. batteries: The optical viewer is super. I rarely use the LCD screen... especially since one set of top grade alkalines lasts for about one shooting (i.e., a "roll" of 24 or 36 pics) with the LCD on. With the LCD off, I have shot about
1000 pictures with one set of high-quality alkalines (the copper colored ones). Of course, being the thrifty sort I recharged my non-rechargable alkalines four times now. (I am not recommending that you do this risky thrifting but I have been getting away with it for years.)
Re. size: Feels too thick even though my hands are slighly larger than an average adult male. Fortunately, Polaroid added some well positioned rubber grips - they have kept the camera from falling several times.
Re. zoom: The optical zoom is a real life saver. My first camera was the PDC1100 and what a difference! There is NO WAY I would get a camera without a zoom. Note: Zooming to 1/2 the distance results in (effective) 4x the resolution.
So, the difference between the PDC1100 (1 megapixel) and a PDC2300Z (2 megapixel) using the 2300's zoom is MUCH better than just twice as good.
A main reason for my buying the 2300 was the dual output (serial and USB). Presently, my "old" 200MHz computer does not have USB.
Without USB downloading is tedious if you have dozens of high res pics. I bought a 256M compact flash card and would recommend against it if you have serial only. 128Meg would have been more than adequate.
Oh, I take out the batteries from my camera when not in use to help extend their life. The disadvantage is that the clock needs to be reset upon reinstallation.
How could it be better: A wrist strap, a hot shoe, better distribution of the flash, computer controlled activation of pictures, more ease in automatic labeling of pictures when downloading (e.g., autonumerical sequencing available), hands off (i.e., single click) download-save.
Was it worth the money? Yes.
The areas where the camera could have been made better probably would have cost the company $40 more but would have been worth 80 to me.