½ Cup MP3 ⅔ Cup Digital Camera 1 Cup Camcorder, Add A Pinch Of Voice Recording = DXG-305v
Written: May 30 '07
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag
Pros: Includes Mp3, Voice Recording, 3.0MP Digital Camera, and Video Recording In One Lightweight Package. Stylish And Compact Make It The Bomb-Diggity.
Cons: Not Exactly Cinema Quality Video. But For $98, Come On. Great Deal Whether You Want It For You Or The Kids
The Bottom Line: All-In-All, a great entry-level CamP3corderPlayer-majigger. For a mere $100, you get a multi-tasking camcorder that is less than half the size of the battery pack on my Dad's 80's VHS camcorder.
shippo225's Full Review: DXG Technology DXG-305V Digital Camera
So, Yet Another Trip To Wal-Mart Leaves My Wallet Empty: Wait...I Don't Even Carry A Wallet.....
With YouTube.com on the rise, I got interested in making videos to upload to the site. A new camcorder has been in queue on my personal wish list for some time now, anyway. So I headed out in search of a new expensive toy to play with. I went to Wal-Mart because I am quite fond of their pricing on just about anything. I wanted a basic camcorder that used removable media, rather than a tape, and without burning a hole in the pocket. Quality is important, but not the biggest determining factor for me. So, to the electronics department I go!
I took interest in a few different models, including digital cameras with video capability and all-in-one camcorders. Somewhere along the line, I decided on the DXG-305v. It was capable of Mp3 playback, voice recording, still-shot camera and, of course, video recording. It came with a built-in 32MB of memory with SD/MMC expandability, a biggie in my purchase decision. I was also attracted to the price tag of $98 and some odd change. Somewhere around midnight I found a nice Wal-Mart employee to dig one up for me and then checked out. Five minutes later and I'm $104.90 shorter.
So, as I mentioned before, I had originally planned on YouTubing with my new cam. Within the first week, and I don't remember how, along comes this fancy program called Adobe After Effects. In short, it is among the elite video editing software titles. And suddenly, green screen technology blew over my mind. The YouTube idea went down the tube for now. But someday, I may start making videos reviews to add to all of my EP reviews for uploading to YouTube. So read on to learn all about the DXG-305v Multi-Function Camcorder.
There's No Such Thing As Too Much Memory:
If you aren't already aware, the DXG-305v comes with a mind-blowing 32MB of internal storage, about 29MB usable. Now that's a lot of memory, if you had it in a computer from 1984, but this is 2007. The DXG-305v has an SD/MMC slot for expansion possibilities, revealed when you open the screen. Without adding additional memory, the internal can hold three minutes and fifty-five seconds of decent video [320x240; 30fps] or two minutes and fifty-nine seconds of higher-res [640x480; 15fps]. Basically, if you plan on catching baby's first steps across the room, he'd better run. In terms of music, you can hold about six or eight songs internally, leaving no room for video or photos. Luckily, in recent years, the prices for SD/MMC cards have fallen dramatically. So plan on purchasing additional memory at WallyWorld when and if you decide to buy this camera. Or look on eBay for a $20 SD with 2.0GB of storage. Yes, a 2gig SD on eBay for only $20.50, MicroSD to boot, exactly $30 altogether with shipping and insurance.
The package reveals that the DXG-305v can support UP TO 512MB of memory from a card. So, I went onto eBay and shopped around for a five-twelve. I searched both SD and MMC for the best price. There truly is no difference otherwise. Most were around $7, shipping and all. I came across a MicroMMC, similar to a MicroSD, and it came with an adapter to put it into regular MMC/SD slots. $6.90 delivered. While in transit, I decided to try the 2GB SanDisk MicroSD on hand that I'd purchased on eBay, just recently, for only $30 altogether. And wouldn't you know it, IT WORKED. I just bought a 512MB card and this 2048MB card worked fine. I guess they say 512 on the package to save them from compatibility hassles when people try cards with too much capacity. IT IS OKAY TO USE A SANDISK 2gig SD CARD . That should clear it up. Due to the device specs, it is safe to assume that it WILL NOT support beyond a 2gig card because it would not be compatible with HCSD [High Capacity SD] which requires a supporting drive slot.
Now that we have a memory card to boost the already-whopping 32MB, time to play. To insert the card, the screen needs to be folded out. Since the DXG-305v doesn't favor plug-n-play to much, please only insert or remove memory cards and cables while it is powered off, with the power LED out. There's a little cover that you slide down and it springs open, but stays attached. Insert the card, face up and push 'til she clicks. Then just push the cover down and it up. When you turn the cam on, it will automatically recognize the new card and use it. While a card is inserted, the DXG-305v will use only that card, whether or not it's full. When I put the card adapter in without the MicroMMC inserted, it will come up "CARD ERR, Format? YES | NO". Upon insertion, the DXG-305v will create two directories on the card. The first is DCIM\100MEDIA, which is where the voice memo, video, and still shots are stored. The other is MP3, the music directory. If you wish to play mp3 files, you must copy them to this folder or it will not find them. Below is a list of approximate capacities that a 512MB card will hold, based on tests of each possibility, divided into the usable memory on the card. I only tested on the FINE, or best, quality because you won't want a lower quality than it already is:
VOICE RECORDER (No Settings):
Approx. 12 Hours, 36 Minutes; .WAV Format Only
* Please Note: These are estimates concluded from my test results. Different photos may have varying file sizes depending on the image taken, color, complexity, yada yada and so on. Due to the great number of variables deciding mp3 file sizes – bit rate, length, quality – I can't necessarily give an accurate answer on the number of songs it will hold. Going by the general approximation of a MB per minute, it'd be around a hundred to a hundred and fifty, possibly two hundred if you encode accordingly.
The Five Wonders Of The Camera: Mode Dial Disambiguation….
Setting The Settings:
While it is not totally necessary to change the settings in order to use the camera, at least set the time. You can have the time and day included in stills and video, if you choose so. The SET MODE is the bottom option on the mode dial. Your first option is to set the date and time [no daylight savings options]. It's in the YEAR/MONTH/DAY format and time is in the military HR:MIN:SEC format, 23:30:00 for 11:30pm. Several languages come stock on the DXG-305v, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, German, and two other Asian tongues [I can only read the Japanese symbols]. The next option on the list is to format the internal memory, basically blanking it back to factory preset. In MEMORY, the LCD displays the number of photo, video, mp3, and voice files are located on the current memory card, and then how much free space is available. The DEFAULT option is self-explanatory, setting everything to original settings. TV and FREQUENCY are regional settings based on your current location, 60hz and NTSC are standard for the United States, for example. Lastly, you can choose whether or not to enable tones for button presses. That should about do it for the settings configuration.
Anything You Say Can & Will Be Used Against You: The Digital Voice Recorder….
Cassette voice recorders are sooo last season. It's all digital now. VOICE RECORDER is the next option on the mode dial, symbolized by the retro-style-mic icon. It comes in handy for the spur of the moment self notes. According to the trusty WinAmp, the recordings are in WAV format at 8000hz MONO. I'm not the expert in sound, so gather what you will from that. The great thing is, due to the minimal quality, it only uses about a MB every four minutes. That works out to over two days of continuous voice recording on a 2gb SD/MMC. Of course the batteries would die before filling the card. After recording, you can playback that file, along with any previous recordings. As with the other modes, you can use the onboard speaker, but it still lacks a decent sound level to use it. With the headphones the quality is quite fine, or you can play them on your computer with most audio programs. The voice files are located in the DCIM\100MEDIA folder.
Using the voice recorder is simple. You're gonna want to have the mode dial set to the mic icon. Then all you do is hit the red RECORD button to start recording, and again when you are finished. You can view the VOICE files by clicking the PLAY |> button. It only shows a file by the time of duration. You can rename the recording on a computer if you want to keep them, such as lectures or meetings. If you click MENU when viewing voice files, it will let you either delete or protect one or all of the files.
In conclusion, the quality is great, maybe phone call quality, so long as you are using the headphones or listening to it on a computer. The minimal file size and common audio format make the DXG-305v an excellent tool for voice recording. And today's high-capacity memory cards will last longer than the most winded of winded people. Can't say that about the batteries, though.
MusicPlayer3 ~ An MP3 Player Better Than iPod: Well, Not Really….
What kind of camera would this be if it didn't play music? Just about everything on the market today does – phones, watches, and even a kid's toothbrush. So of course the DXG-305v plays them. MP3 is the ONLY audio format it will play. I see others have left bad marks about the lack of WMA or other file type support. It's called MP3 player for a reason. As mentioned in the memory section, all mp3 files must be in the folder labeled 'MP3', on either the internal or expanded memory, or it will not play them. Unlike many other MP3 players, this one doesn’t do much in the form of sorting. Many songs come up as 'unknown', unless you fill in the song name in the 'title' section of the IDTag with a tag editor, such as WinAmp. That issue would probably keep most from having too many songs on it. It does give you the option of repeating one or all songs, shuffle, or play them all as ordered. A set of ear-pod headphones are included in your kit. Surprisingly, they are of decent quality, even for my harsh standards, good on bass and treble without crackling. The cord is only 3', not much slack, though.
To use the MP3 player, the MODE KNOB on the DXG-305v needs to be set to the middle option where it says 'mp3'. You can load songs onto both the camera and the expanded memory though use of the USB cable included with the camera. My notebook has a built-in card reader so I just load them that way. Transfer rates are fairly fast either way [USB 2.0]. When you turn the cam on, the list will show all the songs. Many will say 'unknown' making it a pain, but oh well. The interface is overly simple and there is no sorting option, making it difficult for multiple files. I'd prefer having my favorites only, set it to shuffle, and enjoy. You have the option of playing music with the onboard cam speaker. Unfortunately, it lacks decent quality for most songs and is far from being loud enough. Songs with high bass will crack hellaciously, but can be tweaked by lowering the bass setting. For practical use with audio, I'd suggest using the pods. They are great sounding and play a lot louder than the cam speaker. I even use them on my laptop.
The following is an operation guide by me, for anyone who cannot figure out the button layout:
NAV UP ~ Skip forward to the next song
NAV DOWN ~ Skip back to the previous song
NAV LEFT ~ Skip back to previous song;
Rewind [Hold In]
NAV RIGHT ~ Skip to next song; Fast
Forward [Hold In]
RECORD BUTTON ~ Play; Pressing again will stop and restart
at beginning of song
PLAY |> ~ Toggles between repeat one
song, repeat all songs, and random shuffle
MENU Part 1 ~ Opens the menu where you are able to delete one or
all songs and also protect files to prevent deletion.
accessible only when song is stopped
MENU Part 2 ~ While song is in play, MENU acts as PAUSE
JOG DIAL Part 1 ~ In song list, it scrolls up and down
through the songs. Once desired song is selected, push
like a button to open.
JOG DIAL Part 2 ~ In song play, use dial for adjusting volume
level. Push in to switch to bass settings and again for treble.
Use the up and down motions to adjust those settings.
Sit Down, Shut Up, Smile & SAY CHEESE! 3.0 MP Digital Still-Shot Camera….
As with most camcorders nowadays, you have the option of still photos. Same with the video, you are offered many options for taking the stills. Image sizes range from 640x480 up to 2976x2232, which is pretty big. The camera claims to be 3.0 MP. I'm not high up on the whole camera terminology side of things, but the quality is quite sufficient at 3MP. The files are compressed automatically, allowing many images to be taken on an SD or MMC card. At the best quality setting and the largest pixel settings, you can fit over 300 on a 512MB card. So don't be shy on taking pictures, take more and pick out the best ones when you load them on the computer.
Due to the lack of hi-performance hardware, there is a serious lag in photo taking. No hi-speed shots here. It takes a second or so from the time you click until it takes the picture. I think they call it shutter speed, now that I think about it. Then, depending on image quality settings and size, it takes a few more seconds to write them to the card, on both the 512mb and the 2gig cards.
Using the picture-taker is pretty straight forward, but you gotta watch out for a few things. One gripe of mine is the location of the flash. But more importantly the shutter button. The shutter button is not on top, but rather, on the back. If you hold it like you normally would , you end up covering the flash with your index finger. A hard habit to break, indeed. That happens to be a commonly listed issue in all of these reviews on this. So you just need to figure a good way for holding it if you wish to use flash. To use the flash, you just press "right" on the directional pad. A little lightning bolt symbol appears in the upper left-hand side of the screen. Flash seems to eat batteries like crazy, which is why I wouldn't suggest alkalines. On the side opposite the LCD, there is a little slider that lets you choose close-up or distant shooting. It just slightly moves the lens to focus the image. When you use the close-up mode, the flash is disabled, probably due to over exposure. Also, the flash would blind someone up close (super mega bright).
You can include yourself in your own photos by setting a timer. When you're ready to take a picture, press the left button on the directional pad and use the scroll button to set the number of seconds. You can set it for 10 seconds or 30 or so depending on how long it takes you to set up. Then just push the shutter button to start the countdown. Just before it takes the picture, it beeps and flashes a red LED on the front of the camera facing you. I don't advise using the flash when facing people for obvious reasons, without decent distance. If you hit the left button to set a timer and decide otherwise, you can hit the left button again to disable it.
Video and still shooting give you effects that you can add to your images. For instance, you can change the color filter, using a sepia, red, yellow, B&W, green, purple, blue, pink, orange, or negative filter. I do enjoy the negative feature. It's weird. Ooooooooo.... But anywho.... I don't see much use for the colors filters, but they give you something to play with when you're bored. I'm currently using Windows Movie Maker to paste together a short clip in each color filter to give you an idea. If if works out, I'll throw it on youtube and list the link. Okay, did that. Unfortunately, the video quality deteriorated a little from me encoding it to upload to YouTube, then YouTube's cruel compression. But the video still lets you see the various effects.
So, in conclusion upon the still photo portion of the mode dial.......I am amazed at the quality of the images, both small and large with such a cheap multitasking camera. The flash, when not covered, works great, but eats batteries like a Hummer eating gas. And batteries still cost more than gas here (for now). The camera compresses the images upon taking the picture. They are in the popular JPEG format and take up a minimal amount of memory in comparison to raw images, without sacrificing much quality. As mentioned, the DGX is better at shooting completely still scenes without much rapid motion, rather than fast scenes, due to lagging shutter speed. And the bigger the images, the longer it takes to write them to the memory. In my opinion, it makes a great digital camera for many occasions, but if you are more serious in the picture-taking world, I would opt for a solo digital camera with a higher MP rating, maybe 6 or so.
YouTube Video Made With The DXG-305v: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GuaERJoOSyc
The BetaCam In Action: You Wish BetaCam Were This Cheap.....
And last, but not least, probably the most important mode on the dial (well, mp3 and still shots might win). A lot of the camcording features have been mentioned in the above section on still-shots, so I'm going to pertain to camcorder-specific details here. For starters, the DXG-305v can record in either 320x240 pixel movies at 30 frames per second or 640x480 at 15fps. So you have to choose, smoother video or larger video. The collection of clips that I put on YouTube in the above link were shot at 320x240 resolution 30fps. The quality lacks from the triple encoding used to get the video to you from me, however. The videos made by this cheap one-for-all camcorder are not too depressing. The quality is better than I could have imagined at the store when buying it. It makes a decent ' Youtube-cam '. You can make videos with the color filters as you could with still shots. The negative filter is the bomb-diggity.
One goal I was able to accomplish was being able to do Chroma-Keying with this camera. That's computer lingo for 'green-screening'. With this cam and a trip to Wal-Mart for supplies, you can make decent green screen videos. I use a wall made of eight bright, matte, neon green poster taped seamlessly together, pinned to the wall, $0.79 apiece. For lighting, I use three 500watt quartz work lamps in the 3-point lighting setup for movie sets, $8 each. And then I mount the cam on the tripod (not included) for a still video shoot, $32. After the shooting, I load it into Adobe Afters Effects Professional ($1k, but superb editing). The program was able to completely edit out the green and place a backdrop of choice behind me. So it just goes to show you that you don't need a $2000 lighting set, a $6000 betacam and a professional movie set for good quality DIY movies. * Actual results may vary. Results not typical. These results were rendered after countless trial and error sessions.
The cam encodes all videos into the ASF format. While not as 'hip' as the MPG or AVI format, my computer had no problem opening them, using GOM Player or WinAmp. Of course, I do have more AV codecs than Heinz has pickles. If you are unable to play the ASF files, then you can download one of many free programs that convert video files from any format to any other format, practically. But I do suggest the GOM player by GreTech for free.
If you have videos saved in the memory, you can watch them on the LCD by clicking on the play button while in view-finder mode in the camera setting. Playback isn't too bad for such a small screen of limited pixels.
Hold This Camera For Me! Tripod Mounting Made Easy.....
On the bottom of the camera is a mounting hole. It is the standard size that most cameras and camcorders use for universal mounting. I decided to go for the tripod after I got tired of always trying to position the thing with chairs, books, ripped cardboard, rubberbands, styrofoam, coins, and soup cans. I search the local Wally World camera section for tripod solutions and came across a nice one for $32. It went from 20" to over 70" fully telescoped. It gave the possibility of endless mounting positions; letting me have it facing up, down, left, right, diagonally, up left, back left, down left, down right, up right, back right, this way, that way, these ways, those ways, and any other way imaginable. And it would show the levelness of it.
This tripod comes with these quick-attach things that you can keep attached to the camera and just slides right into the tripod head and snaps into place. Comes In Handy. One thing that bugs me, though, is that the mount hole on the camera is just plastic and I fear it could easily break. It is that non-flexible plastic the cracks with unusual pressure.
An All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet Of Batteries: The Expensive Life Force Of Technology.....
Right off the bat I knew that batteries would be an issue. The DXG-305v does not come with a built-in battery nor an AC adapter. It runs off of four AAAs. I can't really give you an accurate battery life span assessment due to the many factors in determining such a thing. All I can say is, you can easily drain a fresh set of alkalines in one day. Using flash can drag the life out of batteries. I hear the Energizer Camera batteries can sustain much longer, as they are designed for unusual energy patterns of cameras. But still, that would be a waste of money. I opted for rechargebles, which can be pretty cheap nowadays. At Wal-Mart, I found a great AA/AAA charger set with a car adapter and wall plug. It came with four AAA and four AA batteries, as I couldn't find just AAA alone. $16 for the whole set, which would be about four sets of nonrechargeables. I also bought a spare 4-pack of AAA so I could have back-ups. They were $4. The life of the rechargeables wasn't much different than the alkalines, and now I have AA rechargeables if I should need them for anything. They sell quick 1-hour chargers and 2-hour chargers like mine.
My overall opinion on batteries? A rechargeable set is a wise investment that more than quickly pays for itself.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 104.90 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
Includes - 4 AAA alkaline batteries / USB / AV output cable / Wrist strap / Earphones / Camera pouch / CD-ROM (driver and application software) / CD S...More at Amazon Marketplace
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