Home > Consumer Reviews > Kyocera Finecam SL400R 4MP Digital Camera with 3X Optical Zoom

Image quality:
Daytime images: Excellent image quality, that fully meets expectations of a 4M pixel camera.
Flashimages: There is a built in flash, that allows taking pictures over reasonable distances (2 to 4 m). Unfortunately the autofocus works poorly under dim light conditions and there is no built in light assist autofocus. Fortunately the camera comes with a built in manual focus so that you can always use the camera.

A major adavantge of the camera over any other ultracompact is the swivel body. Thanks to the swivel body you will be able to put the camera on any flat surface or hold it onto a poll etc so that you can take night time images and self timer images without a tripod. I like this, because I seldom carry a tripod with me - in particular when I go out with a compact camera.

Another major advantage of the camera is the optional filter thread. This way you finally have a compact camera that permits you to add polarizer filters etc that used to be the privilege of larger cameras. (Polarizer filters are used to filter white glares from the sun that take away quite a bit of the colors).

Video quality: The quality of the videos you can take with this camera will suprise you (30 fps with 640x480 dots). You may take video clips of any length - of course this takes memory. The only thing I found is the somehow grainy video quality under dim light conditions. Yet, all of my other cameras have the same issue to some extent.

To refill the battery you only need to attach the power cord to the camera without extracting the battery or needing a cradle. The camera has the standard small USB connector, which makes directly downloading images without card reader very convenient. Kyocera provides the USB to small USB converter cable within the package.

All the features are easily accessible and conveniently located.

It is hard to say which of the two cameras, the Sony DSC-T1 or the Kyocera Finecam SL400R is any better without performing a in-depth test series.From what I have read and from what I see now from the Kyocera, I tend to believe that the Kyocera can keep up or exceed the image quality. However, the swivel body and the optional lens makes this camera way more versatile then the Sony.

First off, I'm extremely pleased with this little camera. Does it have shortfalls? Yes, but not many. I bought this camera for specific reasons and it performs 100% of what I want it to do.
I'm in the military and on the go quite a bit so I needed something small and easy to use.
One of the biggest pluses (to me) is not needing a tripod. The swivel body is perfect for setting about anywhere and getting the shot (of myself) wherever I am. No more balancing my camera on a pile of rocks till I get the lens angle to where it doesn't cut my head off in the picture.
The instant on feature is awesome. Turn it on and it's ready to shoot a picture.
The fast shoot is the best thing ever. I can't tell you how many pictures I've missed with my other camera because it's focusing and processing whatever information. Push the button and it takes a picture, not "takes a picture 2 seconds from now."
WIth a high speed card you can take really great 640 x (whatever) movies. The movies are good quality and full motion. Not a camcorder replacement but fun for taking action movies at the drag races or whatever.
I haven't had problems with battery life. I think for the size and intended use it's fine. I turn the camera on, take a pic and turn it off. If you leave it on constantly, yeah, it's going to drain the battery. With the instant on and fast shooting, you can turn it on, take a pic and turn it off before most cameras can take a pic with it already on.
With the camera being so small, I don't mind taking my camera everywhere with me. It's nice because I'm taking pictures of a lot of things I never felt like lugging a camera around to take pictures of.
I've got Windows XP and there have been no problems (as stated earlier). Give your battery a full charge before you first start playing with it. I bought an extra battery but I don't think it's going to get much use. Don't forget to buy a high speed SD card. I got a 512m 32x speed and I think it will work for about anything I need. You could probably get away with a 256m no prob though.
Overall, I think it's an awesome little camera. If it had a little bit better zoom it would be perfect. It's an everyday camera. Fun to use.
It's not a replacement for my other camera though and I didn't buy it with those intentions. Keep that in mind and you will be extremely pleased.

I've owned several digital cameras in the last few years, from a Kodak DC to a Canon Elph, to now, a Kyocera. While the Kyocera is certainly the fastest in terms of turning on and shooting, it lacks in the most important areas: battery life and picture quality. After reading the reviews here, you will see that everyone complains about the battery life. It is in one word, pitiful. I've owned my Kyocera now for 1 year and I'm lucky to get 15 total minutes out of a charged battery. That is down from the 30 min. total that I got out of the battery freshly charged out of the box. That is simply unacceptable. The picture quality is fair, but for the price, I expect better. I would not recommend this product and I advise looking elsewhere. Don't make the mistake of dropping $300 - $400 on this camera only to be dissatisfied and already shopping for a replacement within 1 year.

The best thing about the Kyocera sl400r is the size. To get a camera this small results in some compromises, so image quality and ease of use are compromised. That's true of all cameras in this size class. In terms of volume, the Pentax Optio S4i is smaller, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 and Konica Minolta DiMAGE Xt are slightly larger. The Kyocera sl400r offers 640 x 480 30fps video quality until the card is full, which is as good or better than any of the other cameras (though the quality of sound from the built in mic isn't great). The menu lay-out is intuitive and you won't need to refer to the manual very often. Start-up and shot-to-shot time are best in the class as well. If you buy a fast Secure Data card (I got a 1Gb Kingmax 60x SD card for a little over $100 that works great), the Kyocera can shoot at 3.5 frames/second until the card is full, far beyond the capabilities of other cameras in this class. On the down side, low light performance is poor, there is no optical viewfinder, battery life is short (extra Kyocera batteries are $75, though you can fine generic replacement batteries for $25) and the lack of a lens cover makes the lens a fingerprint magnet. I find I use mine mostly for video. My 1Gb Kingmax card will give me 7 and half minutes of video at 640 x 480 30 fps, or 30 minutes at the 320x240 30fps setting. It's a great gadget that fits easily in your pocket, but it won't replace your slr.

I'm not an expert photographer, I'm barely a photo enthusiast and I love this camera!

Even in it's carrying case, it's smaller than my wallet. I can take it anywhere, even places that don't allow cameras. Because the camera is so small, the controls are small. It takes some time to get used to, but well worth it (unless you're arthritic).

This camera is fast! There is almost no start-up time and very little processing time between shots. Just turn it on and you're ready to go, which is great for spare-of-the-moment pictures.

Because it takes less time to load, it doesn't eat the battery as much. I don't feel the need to keep it on for long periods of time, "just in case I miss something". Also, the battery is easily rechargable. Just plug the camera into a wall socket. I may invest in another battery in case I go hiking or camping, but for day to day use the battery seems just fine.

I'm only taking snap shots, so I'm satisfied with the image quality. All the default settings have been working fine for me. If I was entering photo contests and actually understood compression, ISO and all that other stuff, then I would go for a bulkier, higher end camera.

There is no lens cover, but the hood and the included case (which fit's like a glove) does a great job avoiding dust and fingerprints. It also comes with a little lens cleaner in case someone sticks their digits in there.

The only downside (and I use that word lightly) I can think of is the included memory card. 16 Megs is really nothing more than a tease. Like all the other reviews say; get a high capacity, high speed SD card (makes sure it says "high-speed", "32X" or something like that) and you'll be ready to shoot plenty of continuous shots (great for sports) and movies.