Mustek - The official sponsor of Amnesia!
Written: Jan 05 '07 (Updated Jan 05 '07)
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Pros: Best voice recorder I've even owned! Great pictures under perfect conditions.
Cons: Eats batteries, produces horrible photos, will cause you to miss those truly special moments.
The Bottom Line: The only good reason to buy this camera is to shoot photos of family members that you'd rather forget about being related to after the visit!
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| ltrain's Full Review: Mustek Gsmart D50 Digital Camera |
To understand my experience with this Digital Camera you have to understand my point of view on these matters. You see, when it comes to cameras I'm the ultimate "Joe Average". I don't know much about shutter speeds, changing lenses, or other in depth photography topics. If it weren't for the digital era I don't think I'd even own a camera!
Knowing all this likely makes it clear to you how I could end up buying this camera. Nearly two years ago a national "shop at home" channel broadcast it for a mere $99 (a decent price at the time) and promised me that this camera was all a simple man like me would need. I bought that hook, line, and sinker so I dialed right in just like the guy on TV said I should.
Well, I only take pictures for one reason - to remember a moment. For reasons you'll see below I've named Mustek the official sponsor of Amnesia because the odds of catching a memory with this joke are one in a million! I guess that's why they are called Kodak moments...
How big is this camera?
The size was good because it was almost exactly the same size as my cell phone (a Motorola v810). This meant that both were around the height of a credit card and as thick as two fingers held side by side. Plenty small enough to ride in identical cases on my belt.
What type / how many batteries?
I was laughing when I typed that. Why? Because how many is really the question. The camera uses two AAA batteries at a time but EVERY TIME you turn the camera on the batteries are dead again. You MUST remove the batteries from the camera after each use because it continues to pull charge from them even when it's not on. Talk about hard to catch a "magic moment", imagine digging batteries out of your pocket, shoving them in right, and powering up before the moment is lost. Sheesh!
It films movies!
That's right folks, if still pictures aren't enough for you this camera will also make movies that you can view. They have sound by virtue of the microphone built into the camera just under the small light used for red-eye removal.
The movies are short and look fine if you watch them on a computer and let them play in a small window. Try to watch them on a TV and you can forget it, they are so blurry and "pixeled out" that you can't get anything from them.
When you watch the movies you'll find that the audio really isn't bad. When you consider the size and location of the microphone the audio is really pretty good.
Best voice recorder I've ever had!
Just like every other device with a battery in it that was made after 2004, this camera is a voice memo recorder. Yup, buy this and you are only one button press away from dictating your innermost thoughts RIGHT INTO YOUR CAMERA! If that doesn't make you feel like James Bond nothing will...except, maybe, something that is truly new and ingenious.
Photo Quality:
We've finally made it to the knock out punch...photo quality. I have to admit that this camera is capable of taking amazing photos. If you are outdoors with perfect lighting and have a moment to scroll through the on screen menus you can come up with an amazingly clear shot. That said, with perfect conditions even my old Jam Cam could pull off decent photos.
If the photo is shot indoors or in less that perfect light you will most likely be left with a cool yellow tinted photo that has lost all charm and warmth that the actual moment had. Even when you take the moments to adjust all the possible settings you just can't make this thing turn out a respectable shot.
A few more details:
I think you get the drift of my feelings but I want to provide a quick list of other notables to round out the review.
Connection type: USB
Memory type: SD Card (purchased seperatly)
Mechanical Zoom: None
Digital Zoom: 4X
Casing: flimsy plastic that would likely bust if dropped
LCD: bright but icons for functions are too small to read
LCD size: About 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches (small!)
Overall:
I replaced this camera with a Kodak C533 and am MUCH happier. There is no way I'd buy another Mustek product after this experience in suffering.
If you like this review:
If this review is "Very Helpful" to you please consider trying some of my others:
Jam Cam
Discover Card
My Profile
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 99.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
ltrain
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 in Kids & Family |
 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Right place, right time!
Reviews written: 516
Trusted by: 134 members
About Me:
There's only football season and waiting for football season. I can't wait for football!
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