- 10MP Digital Camera with 5x optical zoom and 5.7x digital zoom
- 2.5 Inch vibrant LCD with auto brightness
- 24 MB internal memory with SD/SDHC card support up to an additional 8 GB
- Auto scene, blink, smile and face detection
- Uses 2 AA batteries so you’ll never be stranded waiting for your camera battery to charge
Product Description
Dynamic-performance features are packed inside the all new GE A1050 digital camera. Its 25mm compact body features 10.1-megapixel resolution and 5X optical zoom lens along with Image Stabilization for high quality and vivid images at the tip of your finger. With the latest Pan-Capture Panorama feature, seamless wide-view photos can be captured without the need for stitching. Its clear 2.5-inch LCD is equipped with the Auto Adjust Brightness technology for perfect screen visibility both indoors and outdoors. The A1050 contains a host of advanced features to deliver stunning images such as: pan capture panorama produced by panning the camera across to create a seamless panoramic picture, auto scene detection, blink detection, smile detection, face detection, in-camera red-eye removal, electronic image stabilization and Quick Time Motion JPEG movie recording. Box contents include: AA Batteries, USB Cable, AV Cable, Wrist Strap, Arcsoft Photo Impression 6 editing software, CD-ROM, Manual, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card.
T. McAtee @ 6:03 pm
Great zoom capacity, Excellent photo quality, Huge storage capability, Easy operation, Great price and warranty.
What else needs to be said. This is an excellent point and shoot camera for any user.
I had some misgivings when ordering, thinking “How good can it be? It’s nearest feature competitor is priced well over $150″. No regrets, and that doesn’t happen very often in my experience.
violinsolo @ 6:36 pm
I was looking for a small camera that would be easy to carry around on short trips. But I also had some basic requirements: decent resolution and optical zoom (at least 5x), the use of AA batteries, and a price within $100. Most of the latest thin cameras use proprietary lithium-ion batteries, but these need re-charging and if you run out of power on the go, you are stuck. It is easier to simply pop into any local store in the world and buy a few AA batteries.
The GE A1050 is great for me, as it fits the above bill very nicely. Granted it is not as thin as other models, but this unit still fits easily in my shirt pocket and does not weigh it down. The picture quality is great and the video mode is also handy when I do not have my more bulky camcorder with me. Photos are sharp and print very well. Nice LCD screen size too.
I am yet to explore any settings beyond the typical ones accessed via the external buttons. Overall, a very good general-purpose point-and-shoot device. I was slightly skeptical about the GE brand for cameras, but I believe they have done well with this model.
T. Waters @ 9:19 pm
If you want to pay double you can get something only a little better. I gave this to my Mom and it works great as a pocket camera for family and vacation pics. The blink detection works good, good battery life.
The WB @ 12:13 am
I happened across this camera while searching for a small P&S camera that I could take anywhere. There are times a cell phone camera cannot do the job properly. Having used this camera for 4 months and taken several thousand pictures, here is what I have experienced:
Good:
* 2 AA battery power — if they die, obtaining suitable replacements is very easy.
* Using AA NiMH batteries — I get about 250 pictures per set of 2,300 mAh batteries.
* 10.1 MP sensor – 4:3 is default resolution ratio, but it has the capability of shooting 3:2 (at 9 MP size).
* 1/2.33″ CCD sensor – quite standard
* 5X optical zoom – Equivalent to 35 MM to 175 MM.
* Macro mode with focus down to 3″
* Live histogram, but has to be turned on each time the camera is powered up
* SD and SDHC card capacity – I’ve used up to a 4 GB SDHC card with no problems.
* Mini-USB cable (nonstandard) connection for picture transfer.
* Three light meter modes — Spot, center weighted and AiAE (a complex full frame evaluation mode).
The Bad:
* Close distance flash shots wash out the subject — metering of the flash is bad.
* Transferring more than 50 pictures at a time via USB cable will cause the camera to crash.
* A rectangular shutter button that is a bit stiff to operate at times.
* Spot metering tends to wash out pictures. The best mode is AiAE (complex metering)
* The histogram cannot be programed to remain on all the time
* EV setting is a bit tedious — the effect takes once the EV choice has turned off. It must be restarted each time you want to make an exposure adjustment
* The LCD lighting on auto mode tends to show the preview exposure too dark, when, in fact, the exposure is quite good.
* Awkward placement of the zoom rocker switch
* Framing grid lines are a mid-gray color and are hard to see in sunny conditions. No provision to change the color.
I wrote Customer Service regarding the histogram and grid line issues. Within 24 hours, they responded. There is no provision to change the default programing of features on this camera. They suggested a firmware update, but for this model, GE posted Version 1.10 on the support website. I have Version 1.11 on my camera.
My real test was on a cross-country trip this past April, where I took this camera, a Canon A590 and a Fujifilm S100FS. The pictures taken with the GE were sharp and clear, when they were outside and in AiAE metering mode. Taking pictures in landscape mode was a mixed bag – greens were overblown and reds were suppressed.
Also, this is an economical P&S camera. Don’t expect perfect live action shots, unless you crank up the ISO speed to the point the pictures are all grainy. I learned to keep this camera at ISO 100 for the vast majority of my pictures. There is an automatic scene detection mode that works, but it too is a mixed bag. I’ve shot outdoor pictures of plants in bright sunlight and had the camera turn on the flash as if it was in Sunset mode and backlit subject. Go figure.
Facial recognition works good for this price camera. Two faces are easily recognized. When taking flash pictures of people, be careful. If you are too close, the flash will wash out the persons face. The metering system and the flash output appear to be separate, so there is no TTL metering of the flash to limit the flash output. Also. red eye reduction shooting fires 4 times before the image is captured. The subjects (especially small children) close their eyes and you get a blink picture. Children mode completely suppresses the flash altogether.
The long and the short of it, I found the best mode to shoot in was pure manual mode, where I can set everything (with the aid of the histogram) in AiAE metering mode to capture the correct exposure. It worked just fine with good tonal reproduction in the final product. I’m posting some sample pictures with this review. They represent a cross section of my experiences.
CS is responsive, unlike other companies out there. Build quality is good, but don’t expect it to hold up to pure torture. Overall, for the price I paid, the features and the picture quality, I happened upon a good camera.
Justin and Angela @ 1:20 am
I recently got this camera for Christmas, in silver however, the video comes out great. You can narrate your pictures with audio clips with the internal microphone also. Takes great pictures when your still and in adequate light right out the box. For the more difficult low light and pictures while moving, it doesn’t do so great.
It list image stabilization, however a lot of pictures still end up blurry. You just to give the camera time to focus itself.
So, when you use it just standing still press the button in a little let the camera focus til you like the picture then mash it it and you get a great picture. Otherwise, it might be out of focus.
Video is great! Better quality video then my flip and a nice upgrade over my 5 megapixel camera.
While the lens cover seems flimsy, it serves it function and gets out of the way I turn on the camera and snaps shut when I am finished. So far, no problems 26 days in.
For the price, you’ll do very well especially if you do pocket cam corder video. For pictures, just make sure you stand very still before you shoot.