GO, GO GADGET GIRL!! (digi-stik.com)

Member Name: Blurbubble

Product:	digi-stik.com
Date:	18/09/04 (1002 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and cheerful, simple to use

Disadvantages: Limited functions, fiddly,

**Please Note - This is about the PRODUCT "Digi-Stik" (camera) and not the website Digi-stik.com but depite repeated requests Dooyoo still haven't moved it to the correct category so I've given up waiting! Thanks :o) **
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I don’t normally do techno gadgets. I’m not technophobic or anything but I’m never quite sure what to include when writing about them and I’m a terrible one for launching straight into using something without reading the instructions first (to be fair, I normally do OK though!) I thought I’d make an exception for this little camera – the Digi-Stik Fun Camera – as it’s quite straightforward and I’ve found it really useful.

To put you in the picture (pardon the pun!) first, I didn’t have any type of camera at all and my friend knew that I sort of yearned for a little digital camera to capture those moments when my cat is being impossibly cute and also for taking pictures of items to put on Ebay which weren’t practical to scan (have you tried scanning a large cuddly toy?!)

So last November, on my birthday, my best friend duly arrived with a present for me and I had no idea what to expect. I opened it to find this little gadget – and was delighted! She happily announced, “Don’t be embarrassed or anything – it’s not an expensive one!” Of course, that didn’t matter, neither of us have a lot of money and as long as it did the job I wasn’t going to be snobbish about it!

The Digi-Stik Fun Camera is just that – for fun. If you’re a “proper” photographer or after superb quality you won’t get it with this but if you’re uses are much the same as mine then this should do fine until you get afford an upgrade to a “proper” camera, digital or otherwise. More details about the camera can be found on the website WWW.digi-stik.com as well as where and how to buy but let me tell you a bit about it before you rush over there!

I opened the box to find this very lightweight camera, about 5 inches high and an inch wide complete with a belt clip and a little stand. It comes in a silver-grey coloured hard plastic casing and included with it are the essential installation and software CD , connection cable (USB) and instruction manual. That’s all, no frills! It takes two AAA batteries or will operate from your computer power when it’s connected. Beware of leaving it on by accident – it eats batteries! To operate there is one shutter button for taking the shot and one button for adjusting the settings, deleting unwanted photos and switching it on and off so it is fairly idiot-proof!

Needless to say I started playing with my little gadget almost straightaway without reading the instructions and it was pretty much obvious what did what but if you need more detailed information this is the instruction manual. I say “manual” – it’s actually only an 8 page leaflet including covers and is lacking in troubleshooting tips and software instructions but adequate to get you started reliably. It details all the required technical specifications (which I won’t list here) and gives the basic operating and care instructions. In here you can find out how to change from photo to video mode (I still haven’t sussed that one!), how to change the picture resolution (only two possible choices there – high and low!), how to operate the compression mode and how to delete photos. In fact this review is probably considerably longer than the so-called manual!

I found the camera quite fiddly to use because the buttons are small even for my tiny hands and the view finder is quite awkward too – it’s small and what you see in the viewfinder is deceptive as once the photo is downloaded I found it actually chopped a lot of the bottom and left a gap at the top! Once you have mastered this positioning it’s not a problem but if you’re using it for the first time on “once only opportunity” shots then you may be very disappointed with the result. Another problem here is there is no preview screen as you get on larger or more expensive digital cameras so you really can ONLY rely on what you see as you are focussing on your shot which isn’t totally accurate as I have previously explained. Once you have composed your shot and pressed the shutter button it beeps to confirm the picture has been taken. The beep is quite quiet so you have to actively listen for it or you could find yourself frustratedly pressing the button over and over again and getting multiple identical shots (yes, guess who did that!) So far my pictures have been a little poor but this is largely down to the fact that most of them have been taken indoors, in the evening in fairly dim artificial light. In good daylight or strong indoor light the shots are fine but this camera has no flash or suchlike adjustment so that’s another point to bear in mind when assessing if it’s suitable for your needs. In high compression mode you can take up 19 shots and in low you can take up to 76 shots and it has a 16mb memory. This amount of memory is "fixed" and there appears to be no option to buy memory cards or change it but on a small, relatively inexpensive camera like this I don't expect that.

The software provided is Arcsoft PhotoImpression 4 and includes the basic downloading and editing devices as well as a program for making videos (Arcsoft VideoCompression 1.6). So far I have only used the still image software which I have found to be quite straightforward and reliable if a little basic. You always have the option of editing/producing your photos on an alternative imaging software once they are downloaded of course.

Oh, before I wind up just a little cautionary note if, like myself, you are unfamiliar with these gadgets – remember to download any precious shots BEFORE taking out/changing the batteries as that results in wiping the memory and your photos will be lost – I found that out myself too.

So you want one? OK, my friend managed to find this one for me on sale in Woolworths for £15 (there were also on sale for the same price in WH Smiths) but its recommended retail price offline is £49.99. I must admit I find that quite incredible given how basic the camera is and the photo quality. That said you can however buy one directly from the Digi-Stik website, the address I mentioned earlier, for a much more reasonable £29.99 but it’s probably worth shopping around both online and offline first given those large prices differences. Having used it I think I would be reluctant to pay more than £20 for one myself.

For me this does the job adequately and is simple to use. If you are on a tight budget or won’t be needing to use your camera once then this is probably perfectly adequate for your needs but if you want more flexibility or high quality then it may well be worth saving up for something more high-tech.

Well, I think that about wraps up all the essential information – any questions, please ask!

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