Product test
This camera is rubbish
by David Lee
Agfaphoto Realishot DC8200 tested: failed
The second Agfaphoto camera I tested is also not convincing. Although the Realishot DC8200 has an optical zoom, it is still hardly usable.
The name Agfaphoto sends shivers down my spine. The Agfaphoto DC5200 is the worst camera I've ever tested. Picture quality straight from hell, no autofocus, only digital zoom and not even a speaker to play the sound of the videos. The Nokia 3310 has the better camera.
The Agfaphoto Realishot DC8200, on the other hand, is a step forward. Its lens has an eightfold optical zoom. It also has autofocus and a loudspeaker. Which should go without saying.
Optical zoom yes, but ...
It's great that this camera has an optical zoom. Unfortunately, this cannot be changed continuously, but only in four steps. To make matters worse, these are also completely irregular: The second zoom step is much smaller than the others. These are so large that it is often impossible to even get close to the desired image section.
Fun fact for camera nerds: In the meta data, it writes an absurdly high 35mm focal length of 43228 mm, regardless of the zoom level. It does not specify the real focal length.
Image quality still poor
In the zoom images above, you can see that the wall, which is white in reality, is coloured blue. The colours are almost always wrong. Unless you adjust the white balance manually - but who does that with a camera like this?
The image quality remains unsatisfactory even in the best lighting conditions. The photos look as if they have been sharpened far too much. They are still not sharp. The camera never reaches the nominal 21 megapixels.
As with all low-cost cameras, the autofocus is slow and noisy. At least it gives correct feedback on whether the camera was able to find the focal point. This is not the case with all low-cost cameras. There is also a macro function; however, it only shortens the minimum distance slightly and has to be activated in a cumbersome manner via the menu.
This camera nerves the nerves.
This camera is annoying
Even more annoying than the poor image quality is the camera's operation. The USB port is only for charging. I can't use it to transfer images to the PC. The SD card is difficult to insert and remove. Only with the help of a small object can I push it in far enough for it to click into place. The loud shutter sound and the melody when switching on and off cannot be deactivated. There's also a software bug: enlarging doesn't work in playback mode.
In a nutshell
Unfortunately no
The Agfaphoto Realishot DC8200 is better than the DC5200 - but still bad. The optical zoom is poorly implemented, the image quality is disappointing and the operation is a complete nuisance. So I can't recommend this Agfaphoto camera either. Sure, it's very cheap, but it's no good if you don't enjoy taking photos. You'd be better off spending a few francs or euros more and getting the Kodak Pixpro FZ55. It's better in all respects.
Pro
- favourable
- Optical zoom
Contra
- poor image quality
- USB only for charging, not for transferring images
- Battery and card tricky to insert and remove
- Zoom only roughly and irregularly adjustable
- Enlarge during playback does not work
- Not all sounds can be deactivated
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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