Panasonic PV-SD4090 1.3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Recently I updated my computer to Windows XP and I found I could no longer locate the SuperDisk to download images using the USB cable. I was able to find a driver update on the Panasonic website. For those having similar problems downloading using the USB cable with newer versions of Windows, try this website for the updated driver:

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/digital_cameras/software.asp

I would HIGHLY recommend a SuperDisk digital camera to anyone in the market.


Great General Use Camera- Easy to Use   April 3, 2004
Heather M. Edick (Battle Ground, WA United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Bought this camera used based on another review at this site. If you like itsy-bitsy cameras, this one is not for you. If you like a decent-sized camera (that can't get lost in your wallet!!!) this is for you.

Not great for sports or high speed shots. Great with posed pictures, pictures around the house, we use it at the botanical gardens a lot. It usually comes with Super Disks- these are expensive and rather hard to find. Then you have to use a converter to get them onto your computer (they don't work in a floppy drive). Use a floppy instead, it's much easier to click and then put the floppy in the floppy drive, attach, and send.

Even though the resolution is only 1.3, it has been useful when our big, fancy 35mm camera failed at the Grand Canyon. You know instantly if the picture turned out or if grandma blinked. The colors did not turn out as strong as a higher resolution camera...but then again, we didn't have to spend 10 minutes setting up for the shot. The slide-button zoom is extremely easy to use. We got several beautiful pictures of the largest crows we had ever seen -the size of cats- right down to the gleam on their feathers.

I take a lot of pictures of our garden, the house, the dogs, the cats, my husband being goofy on the lawn mower, and I am always able to go right in and attach it to an email and send them to my mom within minutes. A cheap old floppy is waaaay more accessable for us than the SuperDisks, and in normal mode, holds about 10 pictures. I always walk around with a few floppies- at a buck each, I can afford to! Super Fine mode holds about 5 pictures on a regular floppy.

It is easy to hold and easy to use. For what we spent on a used one, <$200.00, we couldn't be happier. We bought ours from someone who wanted at least 3 megapixels and decided to get rid of it. We will definitely be trying the PV-SD5000 (3.3 megapixel model) as soon as the prices come down and we can get one that has been gently used, probably from someone who "needed" 6 megapixels (why?!?!?!) and wants to get rid of their camera. Then we will probably dispense with a 35mm permanently.


A sad day... YES this item has been discountinued.   March 26, 2004
I bought this camera back when it was brand new and paid over $750 for it. It has served me well. I have take over 5,000 pics atleast with this camera... recently I upgraded my MAC OS to 10.3 well my super dish external drive no longer worked... but I pulled out my USB cable and turn it to PC and was able to still use my camera to down load my images. I spent a couple of hours today looking at replacement digital cameras (before I relize about the USB cable). I was really disappointed really with what is out there. Most used AA batteries which will only last a couple of hours and you throw away. The only thing close to this camera is a CDR/CDRW camera by SONY sd350 and higher... problem is the same with this camera... it uses special 3" disks... which might be outdated in a couple of years... if that. All the cameras out there use those cheap little memory chips... I can just see me losing a $100 chip now or breaking the stupid thing. Yeah this camera is BIG but it is rugged for a digital... I plan on using this camera for as long as it last.

I wish Panasonic made a newer version of this camera.


A great worker!   August 13, 2003
Gayle Mitchell (Long Beach, CA USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

I bought this camera without a lot of knowledge about digital cameras because of the ability to use the Super Disk or any 3.5 floppy. It also copies pics, holding them in memory until you insert your target disk! The Super Disk can hold hundreds of pics depending on the mode you select, I have yet to put a dent in the count. I have to photograph houses and this camera is a real worker - it has never let me down. The battery charges quickly, too. After a recent OS crash I installed XP and was bummed out to find that the included software does not support XP. But my disappointment was short-lived when I remembered the copy function. I just copied my pics from the Super Disk to a regular floppy, inserted in my PC and the XP viewer took it from there. It may even have been faster than downloading! This camera's a little bulky, well, really bulky, but the performance and ease of operation more than compensates! I guarantee you'll like it - even if you, like me, are not a "techie". Great price, too!


Great for sharing photos   December 3, 2002
I purchased this camera last year for my art business and have found it to be a great investment. This was my first digital and I could use it right out of the box without even reading the manual. I like the fact that it uses floppies, so you can hand them to friends and family, or can save them for future use yourself. It worked great for printing flyers when we were selling our vehicles, snap a couple shots, insert them on your flyer and print them out! I also am able to get real close shots, at about 4" away. Unless you are looking to be a professional photographer, this camera will fill your needs.