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01-Sep-2005
Pros: Great value, comes with lots of accessories, decent quality, compact size, MP3 player
Cons: MP3 files read as 8 character lengths, poor quality in low-light, flash causes red-eye effects
The Bottom Line: A great purchase because of the price and all the functions available from the digital camera/camcorder to the MP3 player.
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RATING DETAILS
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Full Review
I purchased my unit at Wal-Mart for $100. The product comes with many accessories but not much internal memory (16MB) so you NEED to purchase a SD card. I bought a 1GB SD card for only $60 at CompUSA so watch the store for sales. The carrying case is nice and the tripod is great for stabilizing the camera as a PC webcam.
I have taken numerous pictures both inside/outside and found it takes really nice pictures. It has 5 mega pixels all the way down to 1 (640x480). The manual focus works OK but it doesn't take pictures well in low-light. The built in flash causes serious red-eye effects but you can edit this out with various graphical software.
The camcorder function works well and saves videos in ASF format so you can view them with Windows Media Player. The digital zoom works OK but you will notice loss of resolution the higher you go.
The MP3 function is a nice addition but the files only read in 8 character length and there is no random shuffle option. The included earphones work well and I was impressed with the sound coming through the side speaker. Also, the digital voice recorder works well too and saves audio in WAV formats. Now I can record my to-do list!
The Webcam function is OK and the software provided allows you to use it as so. As stated above, low-light conditions dampen the video. The camera also gives you the ability to record or snap pictures/movies in black and white or sepia which gives it a nice classic movie feel. You can also date stamp your pictures.
Overall, this product is fantastic! The little case allows me to carry it on my belt loop all the time. It's nice being able to have the camera with you for those must have camera moments. So far battery life is good and that's using the supplied ones in the package. The 1.5in LCD screen is small but handy. The camera is light and easy to operate. Menus are to the point and easy to access.
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