Mustek DV4000 MPEG-4 7-in-1 Multifunctional Digital Camcorder w/1.5-inch LCD and 4x Digital Zoom
By: Mustek Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 74
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by: Anonymous On: 2006-02-21
Well, Ive had this camera for over a year and its done admirably. Ive taken it across the country and its taken quite a few beatings, its showing some wear [dents/scratches] but works fine. The frame rate is a little bit slower than id like [you wont be able to see and baseball pitches, but you will see them hit : ) ]
I like it as an entry camcorder and the mp3 player is nice to spend idle moments with. I would suggest getting at least a 512 mb. sd card, otherwise you may feel a little bit limited. Notice - there are ajustable frame rates and it is vital that you adjust these...I took the longest time to understand this, and regretably got several slow videos. still working strong though and i strongly recommend it.
 On: 2005-12-26
In another review it said you need good lighting. This is very true. If you turn it up to high resolution, you need all the more light. I misread the ad and thought the camera maintained 30 fps at all resolutions. I WAS WRONG!!! My son likes the camera, so Im not going to complain. If it was for me, though, Id send it back in a heartbeat, just because of the misleading ad. The sound quality (when files are moved to the computer) is pretty good. The software for transferring the files to the computer is glitchy at best. Sometimes it works, but most of the time it loads and says that theres no camera connected. Funny thing is, windows explorer has no problem seeing it (and what caused the program to auto-launch in the first place?) and moving the files. I went to the manufacturers website and found the software and drivers had not been updated since 2003. To be honest I am very disappointed, even at the price I paid. But, again, my son likes it.
On: 2005-09-27
Ive had this item for about a year and it has withstood severe beating. It is made out of cheap material, but despite being dropped numerous times and being kept in my pocket during school, it still works perfectly. Its got terible resolution and im sure that its camera isnt a 4 megapixle one, but i have had a ton of fun with it. I enjoy the mp3 player. Its all right. The only problems Ive had are dents, scratches, and small problems with the battery lid thing.
On: 2005-09-22
This camera is not worth looking into. I took it on a trip to Alaska and feel like i need to go back in order to get my memories back. the picture quality is horrible if the sun is not blaring. Dont even bother taking pics in low lighting. They come out blurry and grainy and the video cam feature is the same. Everything came out blurry and choppy and who makes a digital cam without a built in flash?! Waste of money. We bought it when it first came out and it was $300. Will never buy mustek product again. In defense of Mustek, shots no more than 10-12 feet away on a bright sunny day do come out great. But thats not realistic shooting circumstances. The more you zoom, the worse the quality.
On: 2005-08-02
I am very frustrated with this... You need to have super great lighting to get anything worth while out of this thing. Everything would be great.... But make sure to have major lighting. Its very finiky in that way. Other wise the pics are great (with proper lighting) as well as the video. Works great as a webcam how ever doesnt zoom while in webcam mode.
On: 2005-02-19
I bought this camera in July 2004 and received it several days earlier than expected. It takes good pictures and short "movies" but doesnt offer a flash. The memory card was too small for my needs. This is not a camera for a serious photographer, but its compact design makes it perfect for taking along... wherever. Well worth the price.
On: 2005-01-08
I have to say that this model is just the cutest thing ever! It sounded like it had a lot of versitle features for such a small piece of equipment. I bought this item thinking it would be good for video taping my kids athletic tournaments (indoors sports), but soon discovered that the quality - similar to a camera phone - was just not up to the task I needed it to do.
If you were using this device outside on a sunny day, standing no more than 12 feet from your slowly moving subject, it would be fine. I guess I got what I paid for - and ended up sending it back the next day.
Moral: you wont get $350.00+ quality for $100 or less.
 On: 2004-12-27
Talk about false advertising. This product should be advertised, not as a camcorder, but as a portable webcam. I have seen cell phones with better film quality and yes, I would recommend that you buy a phone rather than this alledged camcorder. Of course, the price seems cheap but the product is even cheaper and I believe a fair price would be $40.00 and not a cent more. Product content seem impressive but actual content is, hmmm, pretty trashy. I think I will set up the camera as a, yes you guessed it, a webcam.
On: 2004-12-20
can someone please help me out. i told my mom that i was the mustek dv 4000 for my xmas gift and she said ok. now im hearing theres a mustek dv 5000 which is an update to the 4000. one problem...its hard to find..whats going on? ive tried every site i can possibly think of and all i get is the dv 5500 which i dont want because i dont know much about it and theres only one person who reviewed it. can n e one tell me were i can get the 5000 to order from online? email me at newyorkbeauty@hotmail.com..thank you
On: 2004-11-19
i bought this camera around the end of july 2004,it shipped 6 days before they said it would, and it was delivered in time for me to take it on vacation with me. i made videos and took pictures with it they turn out great,one of my favorite things about it is that when you are in a moving car and take a picture it comes out clear as crystle, and you cant tell that you were moving.i have a few problems with it though,there isnt a light on it so you cant take pix or videos when its dark or too light out.i also dont like the 32mb SD memory card it comes with. i need to purchase one with more space on it.another thing is it doesnt really tell you the size of it when u look at it online. it is 3 and 8/16 inches long and 2 and 6/16 wide.the lense is almost a 1/2 an inch across.the playback screen is 14/16 of an inch long. ANOTHER THING U MIGHT WANT TO KNOW IS thhis video camera fells like a childs toy right out of the box,so when u get it use it for about 3 days and then u will see hoew amazing this piece of equiptment is, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On: 2004-10-01
To save you a bunch of time trying to find this item in the store, this item is available online only.
 On: 2004-09-08
If youre looking for a "do it all" digital camera, and youre on a budget, this is outstanding. On the other hand, if you need, or demand superb quality prints this is not for you.
The package includes a still zoomable camera (up to 4 megapixel) Digital Camcorder, Voice recorder, and MP3 player, and is a nice, well made all round package. As others have said, it badly needs a flash system, to help with both the photo, and video functions, but otherwise, its neat, and a great converation piece, Smaller than a packet of cigarettes, its a good improvement on the 3000 model that preceded it for a couple of reasons, and worth the extra $40 or so.
It has a rechargable battery, mini tripod, 32MB SD card, carry case, USB lead, S3 lead and mains adapter. I purchased a 256MB SD card for around $50 which gives about an hour of video on highest resolution, and more than enough photos, even at the highest 4meg setting. On the down side, YOU NEED MORE LIGHT. if youre taking video or photos indoors, the ambient light makes the resolution suffer, especially on zoom, or even different macro settings. My handy tip on playback for the video is to set your computer media player to 640x480 max resolution, or youll see a blocky pixel finish. The MP3 repro isnt bad, and probably comparable with cheaper players, but not wonderful, and the voice recorder is more of a toy than anything else. All that said, overall, I thought it was well worth the money, and have been very happy with it, for its portability and multi functions. Considering that most digital video cameras will cost you at least 2.5 to 5 times as much, this isnt a bad investment. I am a little worried that the integral touch pad and on/off switch may not stand up to too much abuse, but otherwise I recommend this wholeheartedly. Just remember before you buy that there is a lot of truth in the saying "you get what you pay for" so its good, but not great.
On: 2004-09-07
If youre looking for a "do it all" digital camera, and youre on a budget, this is outstanding. On the other hand, if you need, or demand superb quality prints this is not for you.
The package includes a still zoomable camera (up to 4 megapixel) Digital Camcorder, Voice recorder, and MP3 player, and is a nice, well made all round package. As others have said, it badly needs a flash system, to help with both the photo, and video functions, but otherwise, its neat, and a great converation piece, Smaller than a packet of cigarettes, its a good improvement on the 3000 model that preceded it for a couple of reasons, and worth the extra $40 or so.
It has a rechargable battery, mini tripod, 32MB SD card, carry case, USB lead, S3 lead and mains adapter. I purchased a 256MB SD card for around $50 which gives about an hour of video on highest resolution, and more than enough photos, even at the highest 4meg setting. On the down side, YOU NEED MORE LIGHT. if youre taking video or photos indoors, the ambient light makes the resolution suffer, especially on zoom, or even different macro settings. My handy tip on playback for the video is to set your computer media player to 640x480 max resolution, or youll see a blocky pixel finish. The MP3 repro isnt bad, and probably comparable with cheaper players, but not wonderful, and the voice recorder is more of a toy than anything else. All that said, overall, I thought it was well worth the money, and have been very happy with it, for its portability and multi functions. Considering that most digital video cameras will cost you at least 2.5 to 5 times as much, this isnt a bad investment. I am a little worried that the integral touch pad and on/off switch may not stand up to too much abuse, but otherwise I recommend this wholeheartedly. Just remember before you buy that there is a lot of truth in the saying "you get what you pay for" so its good, but not great.
On: 2004-07-31
i bought this camera a year ago, and it still amazes me. you can do movies (with a considerable resolution at 30 fps) take photos up to 4 mbpixels use it as an mp3 player or a sound recorder.
cons: no flash and blurry pictures (makes the photo function nearly useless); making movies in low light places is almost impossible.
For its price, its a nice camera, but id wait until the DV-5000 comes out. itll cost more but it corrects some of the problems of the 4000 model, such as the flash, ccd sensor instead of cmos (drastically improves the quality of the images, making it viable to take photos with the camera) and a nifty 2.5 inch movable lcd.
On: 2004-07-26
I think some people arent using this right. Theres an adjustment on the lens for focus and you should have gotten a strap with it. The only bad thing i found with this is it not being able to shoot in dim lighting. This isnt for
professional use,look at the price. Otherwise its perfect.
On: 2004-07-25
I think some people arent using this right. Theres an adjustment on the lens for focus and you should have gotten a strap with it. The only bad thing i found with this is it not being able to shoot in dim lighting. This isnt for
professional use,look at the price. Otherwise its perfect.
On: 2004-05-29
Its functions are superb.Video quality is more than average. Also mp3 function is good. Its highly flexible- you can connect it to television, to pc as webcam, and so on..
But the problem lies in its picture quality. Its not even to that of sonys 2MB. Even size of image is big but lacks quality. You should buy an extra SD card with it
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-29
I am writing for the DV5000 that is the replacement for the DV4000 posted here. The big difference is that it has a 3.1 CMOS for the digital camera. There is a flash and the batteries are now AA batteries.It actually looks better and functions more like a battery. Viewing still is not great when shots are in doors. Overall a good camera.
On: 2004-05-20
Mustek has done very well with the DV4000. Its best features include size (its about the size of a small index card) built in battery recharger, tapeless recording and a very good web cam feature. The DV4000s main weaknesses are fairy poor still photo quality, very large file sizes and lack of flash. Overall, it is a good tool for using outdoors or during the daylight hours. And, if you are arent looking for something flashy or with lots of bells and whistles, this camera is a very good value.
 On: 2004-05-17
Its small enough to fit in my purse and a great little camera/camcorder. If you want a dedicated camcorder/digital camera that takes professional grade photos/movies, this isnt the camera for you; however, for less than $200 its a steal. And you can get a 512MB storage card for $100 @ buy.com to go with it!
On: 2004-05-15
I just got this camera a few days ago, and i have been using it almost every second of those few days. Im a 15 year old skateboarding metal head. And I use this camera to take videos of my friends and I skateboarding at our local spots, and to listen to my heavy metal at school. This camera is the one of the best choices I have made, ever. When I received the camera i was ecstatic about it. I charged it up, while i wated i did my math homework whitch i almost never do, it only took about and hour to fully charge up, then i went out and skated, and tested it out. I took three short clips of my friends, and then when home and figured out how to use the editing programs. In the near future I plan to use this camera to make a video of all my skateboarding friends and me and put it on a disk.What I like about this camera:
Just about every thing...
The battery lasts me about 40 to 50 munites on a full charge...
The video is moderate, its not the best (mainly because thats not what I paid for) and its not the worst...
The MP3 is great, good for listening to during class(scince its the end of the year on we done do anything in class anyway)
the voice recorder is good if what your recording is like 3 feet away... The things I think they could add to it to make it better:
An adjustable velcro srap would make it a little easyer, and make me feel more secure when i am holding the miniscule camera....
I think they should raise the price and include a 256MB card instead of a 32MB, the 32MB gets 10 minutes on economic resolition and around 6 on normal and high, (I am yet to buy a 256MB card). I havent taken any pictures with it thus far, but im willing to bet that it is similar to the video. If your one of those AV freaks and your looking for a great performance from this...thats not what your going to get....it gets the job done nothing special, if you want a great camera go buy a $500 camera, if you just want something to mess around with...Here you go. Thanks for taking the time to read my review...hope it was helpful to you....and mustek is probably thanking you fro considering buying it(more thankfull if you buy it )
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-01
I am very disappointed in this item. Photos have a strange hue that cant be eliminated with photo software. And yes, the zoom is impressive through the camera, but once you have recorded and look at your video, it is a blurry mess. It is also difficult to learn how to use and you have to teach yourself, because the owners manual is terrible.
On: 2004-05-01
can someone please tell me what the battery life is on the camera?
does it have a flash?
and what is the size of the lcd screen and if the screen rotatesThanks
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-27
It doesnt use video tapes. Its digital, Stores it on a memory card.
On: 2004-04-26
hey does anybody know what kind of tapes the mustek dv 4000 mpeg use i dont know what it means video camera so can somebody help me asap
On: 2004-04-21
can somebody please e-mail me some pics of the camera. i really need o know because we go to mardi gras every year and i would like to keep some of the footage of what i see all year round , if you know what i mean so reach me at twotwo77799@hotmail.com
On: 2004-04-18
Please if someone can,I like to see photos take with this mustek Dv 4000, my e-mail adress is: juanrafael@fibertel.com.ar
Thank you very much.
On: 2004-04-12
I received this camera for Christmas and its completely awesome. Im just a teenager, but I think it really deserves 5 stars. First of all, I was surprised by the quality of the video. This is no mini-DV camera or anything, but it does have full-motion video, a great microphone, and decent picture quality. I bring it to school and film stuff blowing up in Chemistry class (hehehe!), use the MP3 player mode while mowing lawns, and I take photos of, well, anything. Even thought theres no flash, the lens is sensitive enough for most pictures. The lens is no 4.0 megapixels, though, and the quality only looks good at around 1024x768 resolution, which is not bad for a video cam.
I dont know what everyone is complaining about. If you want a real fancy, high quality camera then dont buy this. Period. But if you want one to take everywhere that its not the end of the world if it breaks, then YES!! This is the camera for you. Just purchase a 128MB MMC or SD card and youll be taking video for about 45 minutes before plugging into the computer.
I use this camera for making movies, too, using Apples iMovie on my Macintosh iBook, but beware!! Youre going to need something like EasyX Video Converter for 30$ to convert the ASF files to MPEG to use on ANY video editing tool. I found this out the hard way :( But 30$ isnt too hefty, considering the cam is only 170$ or so.The bottom line: Want a Good Camera? Buy a 1,000$ one. Want one to take Everywhere, or for kids/teens that if it possibly breaks its not 1,000 dollars down the drain then GET THIS!! (just remember: EasyX Video Converter for 30$, and I found converting to MPEG1 works best on iMovie/QuickTime)
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-09
Ive owned the MUSTEK DV 3000, and 4000 for only about a week for each. The reason why I returned them both was due to their lack of quality images and video quality. Dont be fooled by the advertisements that say these produce at 3 OR 4 Mega Pixel resolution. They are both only 2-2.1 CMOS Mega Pixels with special hardware interpolation that makes them appear larger in size, but by no means does it make the picture better! A 2 mega pixel camera isnt bad but the reason why both the Mustek cameras suck with quality is due to their CMOS Sensor. A CCD Sensor produces much better quality photos and video but with that comes a higher price. Their are new small dv camcorders coming out all which have CCD sensors and some that are already out that have all the features in these cameras plus alot more. The Samsung Itcam 5,7,9...the Fisher Fvd-C1...you all should look into...thou they may be more expensive 300-600(used and new on ebay). Your getting a 512mb card with the fisher camera and a 2gb harddrive with the samsung dv cams. Which is more for your money I think. Peace!
On: 2004-04-09
This camera really suprised me when i first played with it. Its light, small, and has many great features...but after 3 days i relized its old age crap. While it may fit on the palm of your hand, it can easily slip and fall, because there is no strap. The buttons arent suitable for mp3, because there is no external button for adjusting the volume when you need to. The picture quality is ok when there is alot of light in the room, but when the room is dimmed or there is no light, you woulnt be able to record anything even with the night shot on. Same goes for webcam mode. One good thing i did like is you can listen to mp3s without headphones by using the speakers, but it wont be that loud. Also the microphone mode is decent. Its clear when i play it back, but you will hear some choppy sounds if you press any buttons while recording, because the mic is very sensitive up close. I think you should wait until something better that comes out and save your money. Dont support crap like this, even though it may be unqie, it was made for cheap people who wont spend money for something better.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-31
This was a gift that broke 3 days after I received it, before I even got to learn the product. And because it was purchased out of town I had to deal with Mustek myself, Tech support is very hard to get with this company I was on hold for literally hours and then they give you the run around. Of course they couldnt make it easy, after all it was meant for a vacation I will be taking shortly. BE WARE of this company. I would not recommend buting anything from them. I will be sure to tell all my friends, and for them to tell all of their friends of this very unpleasant situation.
On: 2004-03-18
i bought this camera mainly for taking snaps of things i sell on ebay i had a kodak 3800 digital camera but the thing is it did not have was a macro facility, which i needed to get really close up shots of rings, to show the details, well let me put it this way after taking pictures using the macro mode my wife said there is no difference to the pictures when i used my kodak without the macro facility, they were all blurred. at night when using it under normal house lighting everything looks pink even a new white sink, the finish quality of the camera could be its only good feature, for in a few years as old tin plate toys go up in value so should the tin body of this camera.
On: 2004-03-05
As amazing that the value of this digital camcorder perceives to be it lacks greatly on its ability to provide quality movie pictures. It offers a lot of bells and whistles for features but the output quality of both still and movie films is unacceptable. It is very convenient to use but again the picture quality is not even close to other 4.0 megapixel cameras. The movie pictures move with the grace of pictures youve seen shot from another planet, i.e., choppy and slow. Many of the still pictures are grainy. If you shoot this under low light the quality is especially poor even when you adjust for low light conditions. Id recommend you save and spend your money on cameras more expensive that provide better quality.
On: 2004-02-25
I purchased this camera so i could have something to record local bands playing, and just for generally messing around. I will admit, this camera is no XL1, but THAT IS NOT WHAT I PAID FOR, but its good for filming things you want to watch later and laugh at. The digital stills are usable, and if you have photoshop, the quality really doesnt matter anyways. As a college student, I find that the voice recorder is great on days when you dont really feel like listening, and the mp3 player makes walking to class a little easier. The only real downside is that the audio quality when recording video is not that spectacular, a mic input would be the only thing I would add to this little wonder. This would make a great camera for kids who want to film themselves acting like fools.
On: 2004-02-25
Im looking to buy this camera but I would like to see pictures taken by it at its highest resolution, I would really apreciate if anyone could contact me and send me some pictures at: mary_zap@hotmail.com
On: 2004-02-22
If people would spend the time and read the directions they would not have any problems!!! Sure, I will have to purchase a larger memory card, but, this camera is amazing!!!! To respond to the comment that the camera strap is the size of dental floss, he is speaking about the lens cap strap. The camera strap is very thick and sturdy. The pictures are very sharp and clear and the compact look is sleek!!
On: 2004-02-18
Positives:
A++ for Size
A++ for Design
A++ for Cool Factor
A+ for MP3 ability
A for sound recording
A for the LCD Screen
A for all the extras it came with (if you buy most cameras youll have to buy extras such as ear phones, straps, connectors, tripods, cases seperately, these thing can drive the cost up, especially if you buy domestically where you have to pay sales taxes, crappy GST PST!)
B+ for picture taking, hey, this thing is capable in capable hands!
B for night shot feature, its not bad, acts like a flash almost
B for video shooting, 30 FPS not bad, 10 FPS at higher resolution could be better, but look at everything else youre getting
B for mass storage
C+ for getting a 32 MB card instead of the crappy 16 or 8 most cameras give you (still not enough, why oh why do these cheap camera companies always like to rip us off this way?)The Bad
D for no flash
D for the volume isnt very loud when listening to earphones, I like my music LOUD!!!!!! untested so far: battery life , so far i was able to use it 30 minutes out of the package, now im rechargin it cause it died already, how much for a second one? (PS it says not to use other company, are yo ure noki will work ?) I just got this cam and may still return it for a ful refund, but ive looked at the competition and none of it seems to want to match this cams capabilities and price, so , imight just keep this one! Im a musician, and i just love the speaker, the mike it comes with. I can play my songs and easily upload them online, fun to record concerts live, so smal no one will ever catch you, great for spy cam! No one will ever see it! LOL, this is the ultimate Toy cam , yes TOY cam, but the ultimate and good price! I enjoy it so far.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-14
I bought for my 10 year old daughter but ended up keeping for myself...before you call me a chump, I had a reason. The camera is a bit TOO small and complicated for a 10 year old, especially adding into this the concept that you really do have to slow your movement and steady as she goes while filming unless you want blurred images. So I opted to keep this little puppy and find her a good used camcorder on ebay instead. Back to this camera, I found that it really did have lots of good features, especially the MP3 sound quality and the audio quality on the video filmed. The camera captures quality still photos and "pretty good" video, especially in well lit outdoors. Small enough to go into the pocket, I captured some priceless video AND audio, of my 2 year olds encounter with some ducks at the park, which easily downloaded and easily emailed to the relatives! Not bad for $160.00. Dont expect higher priced quality from this camera, but it actually surpassed my original expectations!
On: 2004-02-08
Ill start off by saying I made one BIG MISTAKE before I purchased this device. I actually thought I could use it as a "primary" camcorder, but then a light bulb went on and I had to remind myself I only paid $160 for it...This device is not for anyone who wants to record once in a lifetime activites (ie; weddings,vacations, other major events, etc.etc.etc.), but it has pretty good still image quality, it has "GREAT" digital recording capibilities and being able to play MP3s is another bonus... So lets go through this again, for $160 bucks you get a digital camera B+, a video camera C+, an MP3 playerAA+, a digital audio recorderAA+, and a data storage deviceAA+... This sound like a great device for someone on the go and to top it off youll even be able to capture some "once in a liftime" (you know those spur of the moment things)... This device is so small there is no reason not to have it with you at all times!!! Folks, dont buy this device thinking youre getting over on the digital video camera world by only paying $160 bucks when we all know a good quality camera goes for $400 and up... I leave off by sharing some of my video experiences... 1. If you use this inside, make sure you have plenty of light... 2. Try and use the tripod as often as possible, but for times when you cant, keep the camera as steady as possible and if you have to move it (if your not videoing a fixed area) go as slow as possible. This will prevent that "digital drag" that everyone is complaining about... 3. I actually shot some great footage outside in my backyard. I placed the camera on the tri-pod and ajusted it to focus on my entire area. It captured crystal clear video outside in normal daylight conditions... 4. Dont think your going to video any "action scenes" with this device as the video will be blurred and smudged... 5. I rate this a screaming buy for those who want a "multi function device" (actually use the other 4 functions) with the added ability to capture some "real time" video every now and then...
On: 2004-02-07
I decided to try this camera for my daughter. She loves to make movies. She was very impressed with the size and the many functions. However, we decided to return the camera because the video quality was very poor. The overall camera quality also made us nervous. While it did not break, it certainly looks like it could at any moment. (maybe should be expected for this price)
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-04
I bought this camera as a gift for my 13 year old daughter and she has had it now for about 6 weeks. When you take it out of the box it has the look and feel of a toy--a few years from now you may find it in the toy department for under $20. It is the size and weight of a pack of cigarettes (no joke). The quality of the video is of course nothing compared to more expensive digital cameras, but its certainly good enough for a teen. If you dont buy the optional memory card it will store only about 8-10 minutes of video. It also stores and plays music. My daughter has had a lot of fun with this little camera and we havent had any problems so far--hopefully it will stay that way.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-31
Review by liuc2 and my ideas:Resolution is 2Mpix (2 CMOS) not 4Mpix.
ANS: It said clearly in the AD and manual. but it works like 1 Mpix only.
Pictures are usually blurry (even if you use a tripod)
and color is not right (too yellow or too red)
ANS: As everybody can see from the pictures offered by iwylu,
the images were sharp and the colors were also very good. Dont buy it even if it is $ 100 only
ANS: Well, I think no one would buy your review even if
it is 100 words only.
On: 2004-01-30
I purchased this Item. But before I did, I spent a whole month researching other items. After comparing serveral items I decided to go for this Item. Eventhough I found many negative reviews for this Item, I decided to purchase it. The most common thing I noticed by many reviewers was the following: They do not understand the difference between a cmos sensor and the lens of a regular camera. I am not going into details on this but the mistake I saw was reviewers are trying to compare this camera to a real camcorder.This camera is a MPEG4 recorder, not a video recorder Many bought this camera expecting it to do the same as a 500 dollar camera. Many complain about the quality. Quality is expensive. Many say that quality is the most important thing, then why not just buy a 5 megapixel camera and an 8mm camcorder? I paid 170 bucks for this camera and I am totally amazed. I took a picture and it looked great. . This camera is so small it put a smile on my face. I am a systems engineer and I use this camera for many things. I use it to take pictures of systems and put them on file. I use it to take videos of meetings to document the meeting. I use it to record the meeting using the voice recorder function. I use it to carry my drivers arround. And I use it to lsten mp3. The mp3 function is my favorite. It is so amazing, and what I like the most, is that it has a speaker, which is not very loud, but it gets the job done. I also love the LCD screen which has LIght!!!! I could not believe this. I have seen other models which have color but not light. This is great for viewing your videos. I am just amazed by this thing and I am so happy I got it. If you like this Item or if you are looking for something like this, this is the right Item. I recommend this item over any other item in its category. I am very happy and I am using this item every day now. Thanks
On: 2004-01-21
Have to rate this product as "ZERO" star.
Its a sleek / pretty product.
But dont get me wrong ! The most important thing is the quality --very Horrible !!!
Resolution is 2Mpix (2 CMOS) not 4Mpix.
but it works like 0.3 Mpix only. (Oh!! My dear God)
Pictures are always blurry (even if you use a tripod)
and color is not right (too yellow or too red)
Dont buy it...
On: 2004-01-21
Wow, some very negative reviews here. I took a chance anyway and have been quite pleased! For the price you are paying, its amazing to have all these features. Still camera, digital camcorder, MP3 player, sound recorder, card reader...a very versatile item. At my bands practice recently I took some pics, recorded a few video clips, taped the sound from an informal jam session, and still had plenty of room on a 256meg SD card. (Also handy for transferring tracks and other data from our studio computer, in a pinch!) It takes a while to recharge the battery when completely drained, especially the first time. At first I thought it was not going to work at all, as with one review here, but after a few hours on the charger it worked just fine again. Mustek sells replacement batteries, and its a good idea to have more than one to rotate out, if you use the camera a lot. If youre an A/V snob, then you will probably not be as happy with this thing as I am. But if you want something inexpensive and functional and insanely portable and convenient, this is a great little device. When using it in public, someone always comes up and asks about it! Im very impressed with this little gadget.
On: 2004-01-19
Please have a look of this photo:http://www.mustek.com.tw/Taiwan/html/prod_camra/mdc4000/date/view3.jpg I personally like the color very much. For the resoultion,
I think its quite sharp.
On: 2004-01-19
this camera is over all ok. the quality is not very good, but the size is awesome. i think it will be a good camera to screw around with for now but im already thing about getting a newer, better quality camera.------- the day that i got it i tried to install all of the software. all of the picture software installed fine, but the video software didnt work. so now i have a neat camera and some good footage, but no way to edit it because all of the video editors that are already on my cpu dont support digital video footage. i guess ill have to call mustek and ask for some new software.anyhow i like the mp3 feature very much. make sure if you want to upgrade memory card you get the sd card, compact flash wont work!!! i upgraded to 256mb and now i have an hour and a half of video almost 2 hours of voice record and 3000 pictures. the card was [expensive] i think it was totally worth it.----------- ...the day i took it to snow valley to film my friends snowboarding, i ran out of battery. i put the camera in my backpack and when i got home the outside part of the fold out screen was all dented in!!! this really bugs me even tho it doesnt effect the camera. i like my things to look nice ...i downloaded windows movie maker so now i can edit my footage. THE MOVIES ARE MEANT FOR COMPUTERS. THE RESOLUTION ISNT GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE REAL MOVIES LIKE YOU CAN WITHOTHER CAMERAS. this kinda bugs me too but again o well------the camera is really starting to piss me off the screen will just shut off after i have had it plugged into the tv for any amount of time. i have to take the card out and turn it on without the card in a few times before the screen works again.another thing is that all of my friends are buying 256mb mp3 players and they can hold like 1000 songs and i have the 256 mb card in my camera and it barely fits 50. and when the songs are on the mp3 player it just names themthe first part of the name and then a dash and then a number so you dont know what the song is!, and some of the songs arent encrypted correctly so it just shows up as track1 this is really annoying espically when you are trying to find a specific song.i need to find some stickers to cover up the bent in screen because it looks horrible.more later
On: 2004-01-19
I think this camera offers good quality photos, but I do agree
with some others that Mustek didnt offer with a good manual
and a good after-service as well. If you want to see some sample
photos by this camera, please have a look at this site:http://www.mustek.com.tw/Taiwan/html/prod_camra/gsmart_lcd3/sample.html Well, dont bother to read those Chinese characters, just left
click on the photos and youll see larger image. In my view, the
second photo is very sharp, only a little bit magenta-shift(a
slightly color shift, around 10% perhaps). I would like to give
it 4.5 stars.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-17
Looked very promising. But It constantly tries to auto focus. Every picture is blurry, the DV mode at the best qauailty freezes every other second. This is at best an exteremly over priced webcam.
On: 2004-01-12
Hey!
I am considering buying this camera, but I would like to see a picture taken with this camera at the highest resolution possible, so that I can see if the camera is worth spending my money on. Please send me a picture taken with this camera to my e-mail adress: mongo_12@hotmail.comAnd I have an other question... What exactly came with the camera? Could anybody send me a picture of that too? Glenn
On: 2004-01-11
Originally purchased as a gift for someone else, I kept it after finding it was not compatible with the original recipients computer system (Mac). This is one really neat camera with multiple features. The more I play with it, the more enjoyment I get...it does so many things & with great quality. I have been very happy in particular with the many features - sepia, black & white, mosaic, low light, macro, etc. I have tried all of the features (still, video, mp3, recorder, web cam, etc.) and am thrilled with the quality, especially in proportion to the cost - many goodies for a low price. In reading other reviews, moderate to negative, I believe some may be due to not consulting the instruction guide or with experimentation. I duplicated some of the mistakes and found them easily corrected when I delved into the manual. I use this more than my expensive 5.0 megapixel camera!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-03
Musteks customer service is "OFF THE HOOK" literally..They cant be reached...I returned the 3500 to HSN..
Ohh AMAZON,,I came accross a gem by the name of "Daisy Multimedia" model DM334..(U should invest in these guys,,REALLY!!!)They are out of Europe but the cameras are BANGINand really blow MUSTEK out of the game.. MP3s ,,video,storage, ect,,the Daisy DM334 has it all...Mustek was a BIG MUSTAKE!!!!
On: 2004-01-03
Like most of you, I bought this camera on line. for my girl. Its a toy. quality is extremely poor (not at all the crisp images mustek is claiming) and compare with my old kodak dc210, its a joke. I am really disappointed to buy a camera of 4m pixel, 6 years after my old 1m pixel and ending up with the most useless toy I ever bought. Now I know. If I need something good, I will stick to the big brands, big prices and will buy from a shop were I can test first.
Its the worst present I ever offered to my child
On: 2003-12-30
This is a great value, it will never be obsolete, since MP3 player with 512 MB will always carry more than 28 hours of good quality music.I have 2 issues with this camera, the tiny size makes the videos little bit shaky, and the most important is that , whenever anyone sees me carrying it, just buys it, and makes me order another one for myself !!!
I bought already 3 , and shopping for the forth.
Warning.
Amazon recommends Compact flash card , which is not supported. The camera supports only MMC and SD
The battery is a standard Nokia 3.7 V battery used for the nokia 7200. I bought another battery for 6 $, to extend mp3 listening time, as well as video recording
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-27
The first impressison was very favourable,- the camera was well packed and gave the impression and feel of good quality.Having used this camera for appprox. 3 months I have had little occasion to use it for any other tasks than as a video camera.
I like to carry it with me at all times due to its small size.
Overall, as an occasional user, I consider the Mustek DV4000 good value for money. Although some of the printed data may look very promising, please, do not expect the video resolution associated with some of the more expensive cameras. I found that the image quality does not just depend on the number of pixels, but on many other things (quality of the lens etc). Posititive Qualities:
The Camera provides fairly good results on high resolution,- providing you are happy to put up with the high res. setting at 10fps as this tends to accelerates the speed of people walking or driving by.
The low light setting is helpful for indoor takes, even though the resolution is impaired.
The AEL Setting can be very userful for situations with exteme contrast, to select the area that should be correctly exposed.
The quality of the sound is remarkably true to reality.
I found the digital zoom to be very useful,- on the high res. setting,- however not beyond zoom ratio 1:2 (or there about)
The Sound Setting has shown itselve to be remarkable sensitive,-rather better than some of the analogue systems tried on other models. Negative Qualities:
I did not consider the lower and medium resulution settings very useful,--the image quality was sadly lacking, (not what you might expect from a moder digital camera),- even though there may be benefits for imaging on computer screens. The 30fps for the low reolution settings are certainly a bonus when it comes to showing up movements.
When it comes to the performance of a still camera I am not convinced even though the results are acceptable;- my Olympus C300 Zoom gives better results.
The absence of optical zoom is a disadvantage,- a digital zoom can never make up fot this. Recommendation: Select a flash card of adequate capacity, as the one supplies will not be adequate. Using a 128mb card, the high resolution video capacity of my camera provides approx 25 min.videotime.
For taking videos indoors during nightime, please ensure adequate lighting so that you dont have to go into to low light level mode.
On: 2003-12-26
I hate lengthy reviews that go on and on about what people dont like about the product so i will keep it short. Read the directions and you will love this camera, dont and you will be the other low rating people in this review area. The only thing that i have found bad about this product is the lack of a flash or light, make sure you have enough light, beacuse the indoor low light function only goes so far, otherwise this product is wonderful.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-26
Got the dv3500(funny how this model is never mentioned) from HSN(they should be ashamed for selling this thing..Theyd better look out for a flood of returns after the holiday...REALLY!!)..Man the pictures are not good (even for a low price camera)..Mass Storage is good... What really got to me is when the mp3 player repeatedly locked up..I had to open the battery cover to restart the machine only to have it lock up many more times..
This could be a GREAT machine if MUSTEK!!!! could put "REAL" brains behind this product(their customer non-support is just that) ..If MUSTEK is gonna make something,DO IT RIGHT or just leave the game to the big boys (Panasonic,Sony,ect)..Id rather pay $100 more for a multifunction camera that WORKS...After returning this one,,I will.(Panasonic??)
On: 2003-12-26
The first impressison was very favourable,- the camera was well packed and gave the impression and feel of good quality.Having used this camera for appprox. 3 months I have had little occasion to use it for any other tasks than as a video camera.
I like to carry it with me at all times due to its small size.
Overall, as an occasional user, I consider the Mustek DV4000 good value for money. Although some of the printed data may look very promising, please, do not expect the video resolution associated with some of the more expensive cameras. I found that the image quality does not just depend on the number of pixels, but on many other things (quality of the lens etc). Posititive Qualities:
The Camera provides fairly good results on high resolution,- providing you are happy to put up with the high res. setting at 10fps as this tends to accelerates the speed of people walking or driving by.
The low light setting is helpful for indoor takes, even though the resolution is impaired.
The AEL Setting can be very userful for situations with exteme contrast, to select the area that should be correctly exposed.
The quality of the sound is remarkably true to reality.
I found the digital zoom to be very useful,- on the high res. setting,- however not beyond zoom ratio 1:2 (or there about)
The Sound Setting has shown itselve to be remarkable sensitive,-rather better than some of the analogue systems tried on other models. Negative Qualities:
I did not consider the lower and medium resulution settings very useful,--the image quality was sadly lacking, (not what you might expect from a moder digital camera),- even though there may be benefits for imaging on computer screens. The 30fps for the low reolution settings are certainly a bonus when it comes to showing up movements.
When it comes to the performance of a still camera I am not convinced even though the results are acceptable;- my Olympus C300 Zoom gives better results.
The absence of optical zoom is a disadvantage,- a digital zoom can never make up fot this. Recommendation: Select a flash card of adequate capacity, as the one supplies will not be adequate. Using a 128mb card, the high resolution video capacity of my camera provides approx 25 min.videotime.
For taking videos indoors during nightime, please ensure adequate lighting so that you dont have to go into to low light level mode.
On: 2003-12-26
Amazon doesnt sell this one yet but its just like the DV4000 except it operates using 2 AA batteries instead of a charger. Got it for my husband for X-mas and he absolutely loves the MP3 feature and I like both camera modes. Unfortunately I just had to email Mustek Tech because the PC camera mode shuts the camera down and my software doesnt recognize the PC carmera. All in all if not happy with DV4000 then buy the DV3500 for about the same price.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-25
Remember when Polaroid came out with the i-zone cameras? You know, that made those little sticker prints? Remember when they made a digital/i-zone combo, where the flash killed out the already horrid digital pics you could attempt to make? In my opinion that sums up the Mustek DV4000. I think they were *trying* to make a camera and in the end their efforts produced a portable mp3 player with not so good extra features. Should be renamed Mustek VoiceRecorder Multi-Digital MP3Player. I received this as a gift from my mom who purchased this on HSN and gave it the benefit of the doubt. Seeing as it is a camera and with every camera there are little things that can be done to get decent shots, I tweaked it here and there, experimenting. When I thought I had a decent shot, since this thing is supposed to have a 4 Mega Pixel resolution (which by all means shouldve made my first camera look bad) I then compared it to the same shot as taken by my Samsung Digimax 200 2MP Digital Camera. Would you believe my 2.1MP Samsung that I bought from Walmart won hands down? Subsequently, they both ran the same price when my Samsung model was available. Now what does that tell you? Anyways, here are some other things that I have noted about this camera after some extensive comparisions and such: The Good:
>Rechargeable Battery - Decent amount of time for use. Red light turns off when fully charged.
>Automatically turns off after set amount of time
>Charger, tripod, bag, lens cap, 2 straps all included
>Decent Size
>Can be used as webcam or voice recorder
>Ability to add voice to pictures taken
>Connects to TV/VCR with included A/V cables - show off things or record.
>Drag and drop temp drive for mp3s being added
>Headphones included - For those times when you cant listen to mp3s on the external speaker
>32mb card - means a good amount of photos depending on quality
>No Flash - as with any other cam, would probably drain the battery to hell, but light is necessary to get anywhere with this model. The Bad:
>Rechargeable Battery - Takes about an hour to recharge the unit.
>32mb card - means you better upgrade if you plan to put a decent amount of mp3s on it.
>The strap they included is thin as floss and I wouldnt trust it on the plastic ID holder type one that goes around your neck either. Very cheap carrying "pouch" also.
>No flash - have sufficent light because not even "night/low light" mode will save you.
>Zoom - pointless, it gets worse the closer you zoom. Even with the 2x lens option.
>Connects to TV/VCR with included A/V cables - Same light issues apply for recording.
>Software Bundle - Most of it is pointless repetitive Ulead software, only one is decent to use with all cameras as far as quick photo extraction.
>Picture Quality - Even when you think you have a good shot, when you upload to your PC, youll have to reduce the actual image size to make it somewhat decent and even then its not worth the effort. I gave this camera the patience I had.
Overall, this model is more for show or social status and no play or tech value whatsoever. Mustek still has a long way to go on the ladder of things.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-24
Ive just purchased the Mustek DV 4000 and its pretty much as I expected. The MP3 player is fine. Sound quality similar to other small players. The videos are what youd expect from a small low cost camera. They are poorer quality than larger camcorders - but we knew that. Ive found the camera very easy to use. It took about a half hour to sort out all the features.
If youre looking for a tiny, multifunctional video camera which produces useable videos - in outdoor situations, than this device is for you. Alternatively, if youre looking for an MP3 player which also happens to serve as a part-time camera than this device is also for you.
On: 2003-12-23
Now I bought this camera for an extremely portable camera to take everywhere. So I could shoot every type of video thats cool. This cameras amazing in the fact that you can take it anywhere so you will never miss a great shot. Now on to video quality. It is not that bad. On a T.V. when shooting in medium quality it looks about as good as an old 8mm camera or a little worse than vhs. The frame rate is really high which is definitely a plus. It has a blue LED recording light instead of a red but no real light because it dosnt need one. The light capture device on this camera are amazing lo-light situations turn out perfect. The zoom is an amazing feature I dont really use it that much but it definitely helps. The still images are definitely not 4 megapixel. There about 2 to 3 megapixels but still impresive. I advise a monopod(one legged tripod) Which really helps the pictures from blurring. My friend has the panasonic e-wear and this kicks it to the curb. I highly advise getting this if you dont want to over invest in a more expensive camera and just want something to take anywhere. A great gift. I have a 256 mb sd card and it records about an hour and a half. p.s. this thinga a multigadget with everything(the mp3 player function rocks!) and for the price this thing is all that and a bag of chips. peace and love!
On: 2003-12-20
Despite the mixed reviews I purchased the Mustek DV4000 because of its features and reasonable price. I thought it would make a great starter camera/camcorder for my 12 year old.To my disappointment the camera only worked for about 2 hours. Once the battery was drained it wouldnt recharge or turn on. Not sure if the issue was with the battery (which is proprietary - not something you can easily find) or with the cameras internal charging electronics. But I think the worst part of the experience is Musteks dreadful customer support. And I use "customer support" figuratively... its VERY difficult to get a real person on the phone. Email took three days - only to tell me to phone Mustek technical support. When the 800 number wasnt busy I waited several times for more than 30 minutes. Finally got through after just under 1 hour! Despite the tiny size, nice features, and reasonable picture quality for its price, the DV4000 comes with some risk. Musteks quality control seems poor. And their customer service is even worse.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-18
So far Im pleased with the purchase, and I plan to keep it for a while. Pros and cons listed below:Pros:
-Low price. Its only around $150 while the other top brand will cost you more $$$.
-Small size. It fits in your palm and easily in any pocket
-Looks good. The appearance of this little unit looks high tech.
-Mp3 player is nice. While dont expect top quality speakers, the sound output from the external speaker is acceptable, and you can also use head phones. 512MB sd card can hold quite a few songs.
-Video quality is decent. With resolution of 352 x 288, it runs at 30 frames per second. This is the highest for the current tapeless camcorders around this price range today.
-Battery life is good. One charge seems to last a whole day.
-Easy to view. Simply plug into tv and you can watch your videos or pictures Cons:
-Poor still shots. Under the camera mode, the still shots at 2 or 4 mega pixels are not very sharp. When comparing shots taken from my canon s300, theres huge difference.
-No flash and needs light. Video and pictures will need external light or else itll be dark.
-Digital zoom is not very useful. Because every time I try to zzom, the picture quality seems to suffer.
-Video at 640x480 is not very good, because its only 10 frames per second. So its better to stick with the lower resolution at 30 frames per second. I havent mess around with the software that it came with, but I can just plug it into the pc and it shows up as an external drive, so I can just drag and drop the files. Im a fan of pocket size gadgets, and I plan to keep the DV 4000 for a few months until maybe the Samsung ITCAM7 with 1.5 GB HD comes out. The gap between camcorder and digital camera is narrowing, and its just matter of time a true all-in-one unit will appear on the market. The bottom line is if you need to get high quality pictures or videos, you probably will need to fork out a bit more money to get something else. But if you are like me, just want the convenience of carrying a light weight camcorder in your pocket, this unit will do the job.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-17
The picture quality is poor. Very dark. I had the lights on in the house. One on the ceiling & table lamps. It was so dark you could barely see anything on my computer. I did set the lighting on the camcorder & had the highest quality set. It has no flash so the camera option is just as dark indoors. It would probably be ok outside. I am sending it back where I bought it. Didnt care for it.
On: 2003-12-13
I too bought my camera from HSN (Home Shopping Network). I believe you do get what you paid for. I will admit I was expecting the picture quality to be more like a 4.0 Mega Pixel. However, I dont have any complaints. The one I have currently is the second one because my first one shut off several times and the last time I was unable to do anything with it it didnt respond to any of my key punches. I sent it back and I got another one and this one works fine. I do think it gets way to hot while charging but I dont leave it charging for long anymore. I have yet to try the MP3 feature, but I think this is a great camera for the price. I didnt want to spend in excess of $200 for another camera. The audio sounds great. I have taken several videos with my upgraded Memory card and I think the quality is to be expected from such an inexpensive camera. If you want high resolution pics and video then purchase one for a higher price otherwise this one will do the job. I The one downfall of this camera is as was stated by others reviewing this camera and that is that it doesnt have a flash. That is one thing they should have put on it for sure. By the way I saw on HSN the other day that they have a new model out called the DV 3500 and it was cheaper than the DV4000 and it doesnt have a rechargable battery and what they showed on TV looked impressive. They may have improved on some of the shortcomings that this one has. I still would recommed this camera to anyone unwilling to spend $300 plus dollars for a camera that too can disappoint in other ways.
On: 2003-12-06
I am amazed at the features packed into this tiny, inexpensive camera. I paid US$150 for it, and by adding a $70 256MB SD card I have a camera that can record over an hour of VHS-quality video with sound, plus take still photos and play mp3 files. I agree with those who say it has a quality feel for such a small, low-cost item. Did I mention its tiny. :)I bought the DV4000 for my teen daughter as a Christmas gift. She is interested in filmmaking, and this should give her the ability to learn and experiment.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-05
I purchased my Mustek DV 4000 last week and am amazed by not only its quality but ease of use. I have now printed off some digital stills on a color laser printer and they are true 4 mega pixel quality, no doubt about it I am blown away by it. The video qaulity is very good on pc screen but a little less clear on TV but then thats to be expected. If you have had bad deals with this camera then make sure it is a true mustek, there are cloned versions out there which have been badged up. I know because I was told I could buy 200 "OEM"s and badge them myself and they are only 2.1 megapixels. Always make sure you have the manufacturers guarantee included.
On: 2003-11-29
I received my camera about a week ago and I have to say Im ejoying it. I use it to document houses I look at(im in real estate). Its perfect price and size for carrying around daily. If I drop it or lose it Im not out a ton of money. The quality of the picures is very good when compaired to a palm pilot camera I was using before. The video is also very good, its smoother than most other cameras Ive seen in this catagory and the sound is also crisp and usually easy to hear. I would have to say that you get what you pay for. I expected a less than high quality camera and was pleasantly suprised. The lack of a flash is no problem for me as I take most of my pictures during the day. If you have a camera and are looking for something to carry day to day or are looking for an entry level product I would say this is the camera for you
On: 2003-11-29
All reviews thus far on this camera are negative due to one thing, Everyone expected a top of the line digital camera. Obviously a top of the line digital camera would cost above 500 dollars. DUH ! This camera is great for the price you will be paying. The pictures come out crystal clear on the computer. Looking at the pic on the screen does not do it justice. Once transferred to your pc they are perfect. The video of course is not perfect but hey what do you expect for anything under $500.
I am truly happy with the video though. It is a giant leap over the dv3000. Video is smooth, and the lighting problem the dv3000 model had, has been fixed. Of course as stated the only draw back on this camera is there is no flash. To sum it up this is not a "Professional" camera but more of a wow look at that small camera. I would highly recommend it as long as you know what you are buying.
On: 2003-11-23
I must say I understand every review here.
The good things about this camcorder are: its size; its looks -- yes, it does look great, no cheap plastics, in my opinion. It does NOT feel cheap right out of the box, I would rather say the reverse; the nice zoom function; amazingly excelent recorded sound quality; nice MP3 playback function; rechargable Li-ion battery; nice tripod included...
But the bad things are: not enough clarity and sharpness in video images -- it looks like the camera doesnt focus correctly; colors are a little distorted -- anything that has red in its color shows a vibrant red in the video; no flash/light availabe; the sensor is not very sensitive in low light -- normal interior light is not enough for this camera. Indoor evening shots become distressingly dark. You can use the night-shot function, but at the cost of a slight decrease in video quality.
Yes, it does cost only $189... and believe its the best among its type. But I guess it still not enough. Consumer electronics is advancing and one has to demand better quality, even if the price is low, considering the functions.
Considering the nowadays standards, this camera may be a good buy, but it might dissapoint you -- you may reach the point where you feel that not even a price as low as $189 is reason enough for spending your money (the well known why-did-I-buy-this,-anyway? feeling).
To summerize, if youre looking for a toy, here it is. But if youre looking for an actual camcorder, either wait a little longer for a better one to show up, or pay more.
Ive had mine for 2 days and Im not sure if Im going to keep it.
On: 2003-11-19
I read all the previous reviews and I must say I dont understand what people expected out of a sub-$150 camera. Its already established that this is NOT a 4 megapixel camera, its 2 megapixel. It even says that on the device! The software are not required to use with this device...if you want to compare this with other competitors software such as kodaks or HPs, youre wasting your time - they are not necessary for the camera to work. The mp3 ability is nice, the placement of the speakers in the front while recording, the ability to zoom while taking a video, all in all this was a great buy for the price. If I want more clarity and a camera that is truly focused on taking pictures, Cannons and Fuji are great - but you pay more for them. But depending on your expectations, I am definitely satisfied with this product.
On: 2003-11-17
Like the other reviews, I feel the same way they do. It is convenient in size but the pictures and video are awlful. The instructions are terrible, I spend most of the first day trying to figure it out. I ordered from HSC and messed around with it for 2 days and it is going back. Everything on TV looks, feels and taste great doesnt it,,,,fooled again!
On: 2003-11-14
I liked the idea of an all-in-one camera, especially the ability to shoot video. The price for this camera, along with all the bells-and-whistles that come with it, seemed like a great deal.The camera felt cheap right out of the box. It is extremely small and I felt unfomfortable trying to take pictures / video with it. The pictures were absolutely horrible. I previously had an Olympus D-460 1.3MP for 2 years (which my 3 year old son dropped)that took pictures with far greater clarity then this 4MP. The video quality was decent.. It has 3 settings, of which the 2 smaller settings offered 30fps whereas the larger was very choppy and extremely pixel-ridden. There is no flash. It takes forever for this camera to zoom. I tried to save money on a new camera, but Ive learned my lesson.... Ill spend a little more money on a camera that "focuses" on optics and clarity, and taking a good quality picture, and less on bells-and-whistles. I guess the best part about this camera is that it is returnable. :)
On: 2003-11-12
First off, as already said, the size is amazing - It really is about the size of a credit card. This is part of my reason for buying this particular unit, so that I could easily store it on my motorcycle for trips. The Camcorder looks nice, but feels cheaply made. The features are nice (especially when compared to the competition) and over all it performs satisfactory. The video and the still shot mode works well, but the quality seems to lack at times. The biggest downfall I have found is it could greatly benifit from a flash / light as if there is not sufficient light indoors, the videos and pics are very dark. The camera functions are pretty simple to use, well laid out, and offer many options that are only found on higher priced multi-function digital cameras. The software included is not very user friendly, I had to load it twice to even get it to work right, however, the extra bonus accesories included in the package are nice, and you do not need to instantly go and buy anything else to start using it. I would reccomend upgrading to a bigger memory card for greater storage of pics and video. Overall for my day to day use it is fine, but if you want to take serious video or digital pics you will need to move into a higher price range.
On: 2003-11-09
I really liked the idea of this camera, and it has more features and better resolution than its competition (Gateway, Aiptek, etc.). I was absolutely shocked when I received it by how small it is. I guess I still expected it to be the size of a palmcorder, but it literally is the size of a credit card. Amazing!However, after initially plugging the unit in to charge the battery for about 1.5 hours (the instructions do not tell you how long to charge it), I turned it on (the instructions do say that you can use the camera while it is charging) to mess around with it and test it out. The camera and battery were VERY hot -- uncomfortably hot -- wrong type of hot. Anyway, the camera still turned on and I recorded about 20 seconds of video and two pictures, but then the camera just shut down. It was still plugged in and the charge light was on. I was able to get it turn back on by pressing the power button and then the shutter button (?!), but when I tried to take another picture, it shut down again and will not come back on. I have an email in to Mustek Tech Support, but I am probably just going to send this back to HSN.com and call it quits. This seems like it would be a fun product, but as with a lot of Mustek products, the quality control is substandard to the competition. I will probably try the Gateway DV camera instead. It does not offer MP3 functions or hardware enhancement to 4.0 megapixels, but it does offer a flash for the still shots (something lacking in the Mustek products), runs off of AA batteries (so no proprietary battery to charge, which is obviously a problem), and being a Gateway will probably be built better (at least I am hoping). I am disappointed in this product and do not recommend it.
On: 2003-10-29
I was shopping for a compact digital camcorder and seen this camcorder advertised recently on a shopping network. I purchased the camcorder because of the very small size (the size of a credit card-no kidding!) and the many features expecially the mp3 player. I received the camcorder today and I am having so much fun exploring the many functions (camcorder/still camera/mp3 player/pc cam and voice recorder)....Also, the camcorder is so easy to operate and takes decent video. When Im done I can just slip the camcorder into my shirt pocket. There are better camcorders on the market, but for this exceptional low price, it serves my function for a compact digital camcorder/still camera that I could carry to my childs many sporting and school events and listen to music.
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