Epson PhotoPC 3100Z

WHAT'S HOT: An unusual combination of buttons and menus, along with extensive controls, makes the 3.34-megapixel 3100Z both extremely flexible and easy to use. Like its predecessor, the 3000Z, a former PC World Best Buy, this new model takes impressive shots, has a fast f2 lens, and a 3X optical zoom. With its handy, dedicated print-tagging button, you can quickly mark shots for printing; you can then plug the camera's CompactFlash card directly into a compatible printer and churn out just the shots you want.

The 3100Z's navigation and exposure-control buttons take a bit of getting used to, but once you've got them down, they make the camera fairly fast to work with. The color LCD viewfinder is surrounded on three sides by seven buttons. Each button's function is displayed in LCD-panel text, and the functions of the buttons change as you move through the menus. As a result, you can use the buttons for a wide variety of tasks, and you always know what a particular button is supposed to do.

Dedicated buttons on the top of the camera control some of the most frequently used settings--resolution, flash, and self-timer--and a small LED panel displays their status. In addition to its movie mode, the camera gives you the ability to attach audio notes or other sounds to still shots--as you take them or at a later time.

We gave the 3100Z's images an overall score of Very Good in our tests. On-screen and printed shots showed sharp details and vibrant colors. As we have with many of the cameras we've reviewed, though, we noticed some loss of color shadings, especially the reds. The 3100Z did handle our outdoor shots well, producing bright, pleasing images.

WHAT'S NOT: Though the button and menu controls work well, we still prefer the more traditional approach to setting aperture- and shutter-priority modes through a dial on the top of the camera; that layout lets you more quickly adjust to different types of shooting circumstances. Also, you must have the LCD on much of the time, which can cut into battery life.

WHAT ELSE: Through interpolation, the camera can boost the resolution from the CCD's standard of 2048 by 1536 pixels to 2544 by 1904. The extra resolution lets you make larger prints or tighter croppings than most 3.3-megapixel cameras, but based on our tests, the images are noticeably softer than images taken at the noninterpolated resolution. The 3100Z is also Epson's first camera to include the company's Print Image Matching technology, which is designed to better match an image's color, brightness, and contrast with PIM-equipped Epson printers. (A number of digital camera vendors have announced support for the standard; Casio has such support in its QV-3500EX, which we reviewed in the same batch as the 3100Z.)

The 3100Z incorporates a broad array of flash modes, including a sophisticated low-sync mode. It will set off the flash at either the beginning of the exposure or at the end--convenient when you want special effects in dark settings. If you need more flash power than what's built in, the 3100Z includes a hot shoe above the optical viewfinder that will accept external flashes.

The camera's continuous-shooting mode is more flexible than most. With the resolution set to "fine" (1600 by 1200 pixels), the camera will clip along at two frames per second, up to a total of 13 images. You can also switch to a time-lapse mode.

Other useful extras include a soft case and neck strap, and you can get an optional converter for accessory lenses and filters. Unfortunately, one of the features lost in the 3100Z's upgrade from the 3000Z was the serial port: The only connector for downloading still images is a USB port.

UPSHOT: The 3100Z is an exceptional, general-purpose digital camera made even better. It's a good choice for those who are seriously interested in photography, and for situations in which folks with various levels of photography know-how may be using the camera.

SUMMARY

Epson PhotoPC 3100Z 3.34 megapixels, 2544 by 1904 maximum resolution (interpolated), 34mm to 102mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2 to f8 aperture range, shutter speeds from 8 seconds to 1/1000 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, bundled 16MB CompactFlash media, 4 AA batteries, 16.9 ounces with batteries; Sierra Imaging Image Expert, Epson File Converter, Panorama Stitcher Light software. One-year parts and labor warranty; toll-call support 24 hours, seven days a week. $779 800/463-7766 www.epson.com