Cheap Enough for a Toy, Sharp Enough
for a Serious Image
By ASHLEY DUNN, Times Staff Writer
Digital cameras are getting so good, so fast that it is almost not
worth buying one. Every six months or so, some camera company
comes out with a new generation of cheaper, sharper camera, which
usually blows the previous generation out of the water.
Nowhere is this more true than in the under-$150 category, which
barely existed a year ago. Back then, there were cameras such as
the Nick Click or the Barbie Photo Designer, but they were really just
children's toys. Even the best of the bunch, the JamCam 2.0, turned
out only passable snapshots.
What a difference a few months can make.
I/O Magic, an Irvine maker of computer peripherals, recently
introduced a $150 digital camera, the MagicImage 500, that is the first
one that can proclaim it is not a toy.
It is the first digital camera under $150 to offer near megapixel
resolution--a three-fold increase in detail and sharpness over the
JamCam 2.0.
Each dot in an image is called a pixel, a picture element. The more
pixels, the sharper the image.
Professional digital cameras, which cost up to $1,000, have
resolutions of over 3 million pixels (or 3 megapixels), resulting in
crystal-sharp photos.
The MagicImage 500, which has a maximum resolution of about
0.8 megapixels, isn't in that league, but it can turn out images that are
more than adequate for posting on a Web page or sending to friends
via e-mail.
The camera also has a load of features usually only found on
much more expensive cameras, including flash, removable memory
and close-up capabilities.
It takes very good pictures for such an inexpensive camera and it
is easy to use and set up.
The camera is aimed at the beginning digital photographer--people
who just want to experiment a bit with this new medium or need a
low-cost way to get digital images for Web pages. It also is a great
camera for children to learn about photography because it only takes
a few minutes to download a batch of photos and display them on a
computer screen.
The MagicImage 500 is missing some of bells and whistles found
on more expensive cameras, such as a built-in LCD preview screen,
a required feature on most digital cameras today.
Its images are not as sharp as the more expensive megapixel
cameras and its flash doesn't seem to work very well for me indoors
or close-up.
But considering that most 1-megapixel cameras usually cost $300
and up, the shortcomings of the MagicImage 500 are not that bad.
The camera is about the size of a small stack of 3.5-inch floppy
disks. Although it is convenient to carry around, its square shape
seems a bit awkward. I guarantee that you will take at least a few
shots of your finger covering the lens before you figure out how best
to hold it.
The camera comes with its own photo editing software and a
standard SmartMedia memory card that can hold up to 4 megabytes
of images--about 35 high-resolution shots or 45 lower resolution shots.
You can buy extra cards at most computer stores, or expand the
memory by buying higher capacity memory cards--up to 32
megabytes, which cost about $50.
The camera has two modes: high resolution at 1,280 by 960 pixels
(this is achieved with some software manipulation of the image) and
low resolution at 1,024 by 768 pixels.
After years of fooling around with digital cameras, I was surprised
that images this good could come out of a $150 camera.
The pictures are still a bit soft, but they are light years beyond the
typical 640 by 480 pixel resolution that was the best in the under-$150
category.
The camera even has a tripod screw mount on the bottom--a nice
touch for a camera that is cheap enough to be sold as a kid's toy.
As you would expect, there are many shortcomings in a camera
this inexpensive. If I were writing about the Barbie cam, I wouldn't
even bother mentioning some of the problems.
But the MagicImage inhabits an interesting niche--it is cheap
enough to be a toy, but also good enough to be taken seriously.
The result is an occasional feeling of frustration that it can't do
some things very well. Then I have to remind myself of its price. It
may still seem high, but in this early stage of digital cameras, the price
is actually about rock bottom.
The biggest problem with the camera is that it can't handle a very
broad range of shooting conditions.
It has a hard time with scenes that are too bright or too dark.
While good point-and-shoot cameras can easily handle these
variances in lighting conditions, the MagicImage 500 can't. I seem to
have had my best luck either shooting outside at dusk or indoors with
good florescent lighting.
Its focal range also is very restricted--the minimum is four feet.
You can switch to the macro setting for close-ups, but you can't shoot
any farther away than eight inches. That restriction makes the
camera a tough choice for people who want to use it for photos to
accompany EBay auction items.
One of the most annoying aspects of this camera is the incredibly
long delay between shots. It takes several seconds for the camera to
store an image and then, sometimes, several more seconds as the
camera decides on an exposure setting.
You also should be ready to buy lots of AA batteries. A set seems
to last about 100 images. That may seem like a lot, but digital
cameras are so easy to use that it doesn't take long to go through 100
images.
For all these shortcomings, the bottom line with the MagicImage
500 is that it is a winner and it is the first low-cost digital camera that
enthusiasts will appreciate.
There are other low-cost options on the market, such as the $100
JamCam 3.0 and the $130 D-Link DSC-350, but the quality of the
MagicImage easily beats both.
In another year, cameras certainly will get much better with
higher resolutions, better optics and better light metering. I wouldn't
be surprised if a camera under $200 came out next year with an LCD
preview screen.
But with the MagicImage 500 it is finally OK to stop waiting and
start shooting. |
