Little bundle of fun
Written: Oct 03 '02
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Pros: Size, price, ease of use, web cam function
Cons: no memory, camera shake
The Bottom Line: It's cheap, cheerful, fun, useful and it doubles as a pretty slow web cam. It's also tiny. What more could you want?
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| readk's Full Review: SiPix StyleCam Pro Digital Camera |
I got this little fella for £40 at the Gadget Shop and have been very pleased.On a weeks holiday to Chicago I managed to take 40 decent pictures and 50 not so good ones. I've used it to replace my old logitech 320x180 web cam as well.
If you buy this camera it won't be because you are a serious photographer but because it is fun!
I first saw the blink at www.firebox.com, I must say that the pictures which have been submitted are far better than any results I have managed. The picture quality is great for snaps to send via email or post on web pages. On some systems you may even get a decent screensaver out of it. The software provided in the bundle is fine. I've stuck with my existing image editor though. You may want to reinstall your original twain driver after installation of the blink ones as I had a few problems but nothing the support site didn't solve in minutes.
Without a flash you may wonder where you will use it. Well I have already used mine to assist in an insurance claim after a traffic incident and also to capture moments where ordinarily you may not have carried a camera e.g. viewing houses, capturing a roadside sign to help others with directions etc. The lack of flash means that you can't take night shots but if you want to capture events at a party then a 35mm or a decent digital camrea is the order of the day anyway.
In operation the camera is easy to use with a small lcd showing number of shots, quality mode, timer and low light settings. The ability to delete the last shot is a miracle at this price but be careful as the next option deletes them all.
The camera holds upto 100 images at 640x480! But the biggest problem is a lack of permanent storage. As long as there is life in the battery your images are safe. Even with the camera switched off power is used to maintain the memory. I used a Duracell M3 in the states and managed to get my images home after a week. I have found that you can change batteries and preserve images if you are quick. See my tips below.
1. Use a great battery.
2. Tuck your elbows in when taking a shot, it will keep the camera steady.
3. If you suspect your battery is getting low turn the camera off manually after every shot. Letting the unit power down itself takes too long and drains the battery more.
4. If the battery is about to die and you want to try to add a new one; turn the unit on. Have a battery at the ready and swap them as quickly as you can (less than 5secs) and turn the unit on again. I've not lost any images yet but don't try with a camera full of priceless images of your babies first steps as it is not guaranteed by the manufacturer (or me) to work.
5. Try it out as a web cam, not a bad way to justify the expense.
6. Have fun!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 60
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Fool-Proof for Absolute Beginners
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Epinions.com ID:
readk
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Member: Kevin Read
Location: Wallsend, Tyne & Wear, England
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
A big guy from a small country re-visiting epinions
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