I found the stops set on the zoom didn't allow me the freedom to capture exactly what I wanted in the picture without me actually having to move closer or farther away to fine tune the shot.

I also found that if I took pictures with some people standing in front of others in a group shot, those in front were overexposed. The coloring of my photos just wasn't as sharp as I had expected.


Should I be disappointed??? : (   December 17, 2000
 37 out of 41 found this review helpful

I bought this set thinking that its features should be comparable to the Olympus Stylus Zoom 140 QD CG Camera or Canon Sure Shot Classic 120 Caption Kit. I was very impressed at the size and the kit, but I was surprised at its zoom feature. There are only 5 zoom steps!! Eventhough the zoom range is wide, 37.5 to 150, what good it does when the camera doesn't stop zooming where you want it to stop?!!?? Also, when zooming, the lens will try to adjust itself until it reaches one of the zooming steps. I think this is also a waste of the battery.

I found out later that the Canon has at least 15 zooming steops, which is more than enought (plus it's cheaper.) and the Olympus also has more than 5 zooming steps. I should have made sure that I test the products before I buy them on the web.

I haven't taken any picture yet.. Once I do, I'll let you know.. : )


Poor flash made a difference   October 25, 2001
 20 out of 22 found this review helpful

I did all of my homework before I bought this camera, including checking out Consumer Reports, reading Amazon's reviews and talking to people who own the camera.

I actually bought it to use at my best friend's wedding. The small amount of pictures I took outside were great. But the ones inside were so dark, I was so sad to see them. Although the zoom is impressive, the flash isn't. All of the pictures of my new friend and her groom were very dark and fuzzy.

It also seemed like the subjects in the photo were always in the right lower corner of the picture. So possibly the accuracy rate isn't that good.

Needless to say, I returned the camera.


Easy operation, the remote feature proved very valuable.   January 7, 2002
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

I bought the Minolta Freedom Zoom 150 kit approximately 5 months ago. I chose the camera based upon the high power zoom, the fact that it comes with a small, belt-attachable case, and the infrared remote.
I have used the camera in all possible lighting situations with excellent picture quality. The first place that I used the camera was at the beach, and I was very pleased with the quality of the photos. I have also used the camera at various indoor functions and the remote is a must have. After trying all flash features, I believe that the autoflash with red eye reduction proves to be the setting I use the most. This mode will allow for excellent flash exposure in most every setting. This mode uses two short flashes to constrict the pupil and a third longer flash that is synonymous with the shutter opening.
The remote is easy to use and I found that I use the remote much more than I originally anticipated. I usually just sit the camera on a stationary object and stand in the picture with my wife while using the remote. I have also found that when I ask someone else to take the picture that instead of going through how to operate the camera, I just have them aim it and I use the remote to open the shutter.
The camera is built on a 5 f-stop system. Others have complained of this,but I find this makes for easier focusing. There is no dioptric correction, but if you have an astigmatic correction, you may find that you do not benefit from this type of feature anyway. To me it seems easier to leave needed spectacle correction on while taking photos anyway.
The remote feature is why I chose this camera over the Olympus 140 or 170. If the remote is not of use to you, and there is concern with the 5 f-stop positions, the better choice may be the Olympus. But I went with the Minolta and have been pleased with my purchase.