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 On: 2006-01-24
Im pretty certain this is really a Digilife under a different badge, but that remains to be proven. As flash based camcorder-things go this is at the higher end of the crop, but theres a few things that kept me from really liking it.
First, the good stuff:
Size: Its really small, about the size of a large pack of cigarettes. But since nobody smokes today, think of a small iPod.
Battery: Proprietary lithium-ion, more juice until you run out or it goes bad. I havent found a place that carries replacements.
Format: Shoots in plain old Avi format. Takes pictures as jpegs, and can record voice and play Mp3s. Even comes with earphones and a charger.
Video Quality: Shoots at 640X480, and results are usually fairly clean and clear. However, the frame rate is variable and does slow down when its dark. Further, the LCD display cant go as fast as the camera, so some clips you review may look a sluggish 10FPS until you play them on your computer. Theres also a very noticeable delay (2 seconds or more) from when you press the button to when it starts recording.
Still Quality: Possibily the most feeble flash Ive seen, but snapshot-level still pictures. In dim light the camera turns up the contrast considerably, to the point youre better sticking to bright daylight. The range settings (macro, portrait, landscape) actually work, and make a considerable difference in how pictures turn out.
Controls: Elegant, but also cryptic, it takes a while to get used to the various modes and selections. Suffice to say theres modes from sharpness to white balance to tinker with.
Feel: Here I think is my real problem with this camera, it just doesnt feel like one. I have a DXG 301V, which has the format of a mini-camcorder. In practically every aspect it is a poorer camera, yet I like it better because of the way it feels in my hand and the plethora of little controls right in plain view. The Deo feels like, and is, a toy.
Conclusion: For most people, this will be a decent little gizmo. For a cheap camera, it takes surprisingly good video, its main requirement is having decent lighting.
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