Mine is smaller than yours! (Jenoptik Jendigital JD 350)

Member Name: stickywicket

Product:	Jenoptik Jendigital JD 350
Date:	06/08/01 (1602 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Webcam and still camera, small and compact, does the job.

Disadvantages: Software is yeuch, viewfinder too small, instuction manual useless.

I wanted one! I wanted one as much as I wanted a Rubix cube when I was 11. A tiny silver digital camera has been my passion for the last two weeks, walking past Dixons and Jessops without first drooling, then wincing at the three figure price tags that end in nines....

Hubby has a big old Olympus with apertures and flashes, bits you fix on and little lights everywhere, but everytime we go out those silly little silver batteries need replacing, and we end up carrying the thing around for nothing. So after seeing a digital camera at work a basic Samsung model, point - click - download I was impressed. A little research on prices at Kelkoo opinions on the internet, check the bank balance (can you hear my cashpoint laughing?) and off to QXL.

One quiet Wednesday afternoon, a live auction for the Jenoptic JD350, I joined in the bidding, wasn't going to go any higher than £60, no way...got carried away bid £71 and won! Happy Stickywicket as this camera retails for £120.

It arrived yesterday, a small parcel, how could a camera be in there? In the box USB, RS 232 leads, twain drivers, strange looking bulldog clip thing, VP-EYE software, carry case...oh there it was a very small credit card/cigarette packet sized camera. Whoops nearly forgot.....the instuction manual, Fench, German..English...about three pages of very limited information, in fact I think I've told you more already!

The camera itself has a small LCD display on the top for extensive information and settings; four flash modes including red eye removal, normal/best picture quality, battery levels, pictures taken/remaining deletion of last/all images and self timer settings to name the essentials. All accessible from two small buttons alongside the display. However these buttons are small, not ballpoint pen small, but nearly.

This camera is sold as a two in one, it takes 24 pictures in 'Best' quality 50 in 'Normal' and is also a webcam - (ah th
ats what the bulldog clip is for.....), something I've not used and thought rather over rated..until yesterday afternoon - read on.

So this little silver beast what does it do? Well once the twain drivers were installed I thought I'd take a couple of test pictures and examine them in my own persinal favourite picture editor, however Jenoptic's Twain tookover as soon as I chose to download displaying very dodgy looking thumbnails. Once enlarged I was quite happy with the results, and thought with a little practice and detail I could acheive the desired results. The twain program does have some reassuring little pop ups confirming what you are doing and is useful to that extent.

What next? Webcam? Yeah, for this I had to install the VP-EYE software fairly easy process. However I took an instant dislike to the look and feel of the software, cartoon buttons and icons and bright tacky colours, yeuch! Video email and Netmeeting are all part of the installation aswell as Photo EZ and other greeting card programs. A bit of playing around, summoning of 7 year old son and 20 minutes later Lamorna had a 15 second email of Michael explaining what life was like on this particular Saturday afternoon!

Next I thought we'd have a go at the webcam online, so there's Lamorna in Dorset in her attic, along with Ginck (my Grandmother) awaiting great things from me in South London. Again a bit of fiddling and messing around and it happens, Lamorna screeching with delight at seeing our jerky waves and giggles while jostling for position, everyone talking, screaming and laughing at once, great stuff!

Right so I've had this little marvel for 36 hours, been playing with the settings and software and can only say it is wonderful. The software I dislike so much has the facilty for you to create a photo album and record a commentary with each picture, (sounds a bit like an Ever Decreasing Circles nighmare of home videos doesn't it?
) but that still doesn't make me like it, it also seems to have quite a few grammatical errors ie 'taged' instead of 'tagged' and confimation of saving files is written strangely. (Sorry I'm nit-picking!) The pictures did look better in VP-EYE than MGI Photo Suite. Battery consumption is a problem but at least it's not those little silver ones.When using as a webcam it is powered by your PC though. Two main negative points, the view finder really is small and has no 'guide' for your picture, and my main niggle the instruction manual and lack of info.even if I do toss it aside at the beginning at least it's there for reference, I loathe and detest 'online help' buttons!

I think that if within 2 days I can produce some half decent pictures/video then I look forward to seeing what it is capable of after a little practice.

My final word? Don't buy on the High Street, do your research there if you want but those prices are a joke.

Summary: