Pros: Great MP3 Player, also does good job with Quick Time movies.
Cons: VGA Quality pictures aren't too good, doesn't support smart media card.
The Bottom Line: I recommend the MC3 for use as a camera/camcorder/music player. It does a good job at all 3 and does it at an affordable price. Its Fun!
Bridging the Technology Gap:
The MC3 "Camera" from Kodak, is the first in a new wave of technology. This product bridges a gap that most consumers didn't even know existed. This camera can do it all, not literally :).
The MC3 Camera is more than just a camera. It can also play MP3 audio files, and take short movies. How many products do you know of that can do all three of these for $300 or less?
Features I Like:
The main thing that I like about the MC3 is its versatility. I like being able to take photographs and short movies, without needing a huge camcorder. I also love the fact that when I am not taking photos I can listen to my favorite songs by using the MC3 as a MP3 player.
The MP3 capability is what most turned me on to this camera. The sound quality is extremely good, considering it is coming from a camera. You won't get CD quality sound from this device, but what you do get was more than acceptable in my book. Do you remember when we used to listen to cassette tapes? GASP! Well the audio player on the MC3 puts them to shame. MC3 comes with an speaker as well as a set of headphones.
The Quick Time Movie feature is another great thing about this camera. Keep in mind that you aren't going to get a DVD quality movie out of this product, but the movie option provides the user with a great opportunity to capture memories in a way other than still pictures. I like the fact that Kodak chose a standard format such as Quick Time. This allows users to view their movies on any PC with Quick Time installed (Quick Time is a FREE download, and comes standard on some PC's today). MC3 comes with a USB cable for easy transfers to your PC.
I rate the MC3's picture taking capability as the poorest of the three features. The MC3 does not provide Megapixel images. This would have made the camera truly spectacular. Instead we are left to grapple with VGA quality pictures (640x480). The picture quality is good enough for sharing pictures with friends, but don't plan on printing out 8x10's.
The MC3 is small! You can fit this camera in a shirt pocket. In fact, that is a great way to listen to your MP3 files. You can string your headphones up to your ears and listen while still having two hands free.
Things I don't like:
As I mentioned above, the least pleasing feature of the camera is the "lower" picture quality. Using advantix cameras, and even other digital cameras has left me expecting higher quality pictures. You have to keep in mind that the MC3 can only provide so much capability without increasing its price range. All in all Kodak made a good trade off.
Another feature I wasn't happy about is the fact that there is no "view finder". The way you take pictures and movies is by simply pointing the camera at the subject. You can "see" what the camera is focused on by looking at the LCD screen on the back of the camera. When I first used the camera, I couldn't help holding it up to my face and try to look at stuff. Imaging my surprise when I couldn't see anything. It will take a little while to get used to, but when you take photos, just hold the camera out in front of you.
It would be great if this camera had support for smart media cards. Right now, you can only use the Compact Flash card. These Compact Flash cards can get expensive when you get into the 32MB to 64+MB ranges. Unfortunately, you will need a lot of memory to store a lot of audio files.
Unknowns:
I am sorry to say, but I do not know the battery life of the MC3 camera. I have never used mine for a long extended period of time. I always recharge it when I am done and have never had a problem running out of juice.
About the LCD Display Screen Updated June 25, 2001
I'd been meaning to add this update for a while, but never got around to it. A lot of complaints have been made about the LCD display on MC3. The display is actually very good, and a excellent use of technology. Here's why:
There are two types of LCD Displays that are currently built into cameras. There is Reflective and Backlit. A backlit display uses battery power to light the screen and thereby provide an image to view. You can adjust the brightness if you are in a darker or lighter area. That is the advantage. The disadvantage is that backlit LCD suck battery power like there is no tomorrow. If MC3 were to have a backlit display, with all the tasks that it performs, I would estimate that the batteries would run out of juice in about 20 minutes. A pretty much useless camera, and no good for playing MP3 files.
The MC3 uses the reflective LCD. The reflective LCD makes use of the surrounding light to show you the items on the screen. This method uses significantly less battery power than the backlit LCD. Since it uses ambient light, the MC3 will be much easier to read in brighter rooms. If the screen is hard to see, you may want to tilt the LCD screen towards light bulbs (i.e. in order to read an MP3 track list). Usually sunlight outside is good enough that you can see the screen no matter where you are facing. And it will be visible on cloudy days as well.
So, in conclusion (of the LCD section), I have to say that the designers of MC3 did a really good job on their use of technology here. A backlit LCD would have just too short of a battery life to be of any use. In addition, sunlight on a backlit display actually makes it harder to read, where sunlight on the MC3 makes it even easier to see.
General Thoughts
I like this product. I like the MP3 player capability. I like the QT Movie capability. All this and the camera still retains the ability to take pictures. I can see this product appealing to grade school, high school, and college kids. It is a great toy, and will provide a lot of fun for you or your child.
Prices range from $200 to $350 depending on the size memory card that you get with the camera.
As Always:
If you have any comments, or questions about my opinion, please email me so I can help you out. I want this review to assist you in making your purchases, so please leave a comment before a negative rating.
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