| Product: |
Digital Cameras in general |
| Date: |
13/02/01 (667 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Light as a feather, as small as a credit card, ideal for use with young children.
Disadvantages: Photos not brilliant quality, particularly when the flash keeps going off!
As a primary school teacher, I find the invention of digital cameras a complete godsend. I have used a Casio model for the last 3 years, which I found extremely user friendly, using it for all sorts of field trips and other school events.
However, unfortunately for me, I have recently moved schools and had to leave my beloved Casio camera behind, and therefore had to purchase a new one.
Before purchasing, I listed various criteria which each camera had to match up to:
1. Has to be very portable and light enough to take on field trips.
2. Has to be simple enough for a 5 year old child to use it.
3. Has to be around £100 as school funds are very limited!
4. Has to operate with Windows 95 and 98 platforms as I want to use the camera on my classroom PC and my laptop.
5. As above, also has to have a USB port as well as a RS232 adaptor as my classroom PC is getting ancient and has not heard of such things as USB ports.
6. Accompanying software has to be incredibly simple enough for 5 year olds to have some understanding of it, and files need to be converted to .jpeg files for easy manipulation in other art packages.
7. Has to have a flash facility, again for field trips, ie. museums.
OK, so there's the criteria. A trip to Dixons ensued, I went through these criteria with the very un-useful salesman, who basically stated that all digital cameras in the shop only worked via USB ports or Windows 98. Well, this was no good for me so I walked out the shop in disgust!
Sometime later, I was browsing through the Index in-store catalogue and happened across a camera for £99.95. I noticed that it came with both leads and runs under Windows 95 and 98. It was also roughly the size of a credit card and as light as a feather!
I decided to blow the ICT budget in one fell swoop and decided to take a risk. Well, I must say, the definition of the photos is not half as good as my
beloved Casio, but for ease of use and sheer portability, it wins hands down. Young children are clearly not bothered about the sharp definition of their photos, they just love seeing photos which they have taken on the PC screen.
Although I've only been playing with the camera for under 24 hours, the flash will insist on going off whether its required or not, and my photos look really white, but no doubt I'll find some function tommorrow.
I aim to use the camera to help me devise a school website, so when I've sorted it I'll let everyone know! You can then see the definition for yourself!
In summary, for under a 100 quid, for use by children, you can't go far wrong. The software is really easy to use as well, though it is a bit "querky", when you're more used to MGi Photosuite, which I am. I would suggest if you want better definition of pictures, then go for a more expensive model. For an extra twenty pounds you can buy the "next model up" which takes several seconds of video clips.
A while ago, these cameras were on sale in Safeways, I wish I'd bought one then - it's worth keeping your eye out, they might repeat the offer.
4.
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