|  This tiny camera is small enough to fit on a keychain, and not only does it take pictures at 640x480 resolution but it can also store up to 100 seconds of video. The Dual Mode Camera is a multi purpose Digital Camera with a high speed USB interface. It is the perfect digital camera for those seeking a quick and easy way to share pictures. The Mini Digital Camera is a two in one solution that combines the features of a digital still camera and a digital video camera. The Mini Digital Camera uses a 300K pixel VGA quality CMOS sensor to capture high resolution pictures when used as a digital camera. Snap still photos at a 640x480 image resolution. You can also capture a movie like a camcorder and save it as a video file, which could then be sent to anybody via E-Mail. It has twice as much imaging memory as any other digital camera in its class with 16 Megabytes built-in. The USB interface makes it easy to connect the digital camera to a PC to download stored images for later editing. Its super tiny size makes it easy to carry and allows you to take it virtually anywhere. A great Arcsoft software package with Photo Impression&Video Impression is also included, so that you can edit and customize pictures. This is a shady, low-quality camera, but suprisingly, it works in Linux. You may find similar models, from different companies, all using the same chipset. The latest version of libgphoto2 supports this camera, just use the auto-recognize feature. This will label it as an Argus DC-1510, which also uses the same chipset. This works fine. The manual says that the camera workis in all versions of windows since 95, I have tested it with excellent results under 98 and XP. It connects with a USB cable. It has 2 modes, with two options. It can take VGA photos (640x480) and QVGA (320x240), with high and low compression. Here is a guide showing how many pictures you can take with each. -
VGA+Low Compression: 26 Photos -
VGA+High Compression: 52 Photos -
QVGA+Low Compression: 104 Photos -
QVGA+High Compression: 209 Photos | The photos are not very high quality, and may need color adjustement in your favorite editing program. It also has an option to auto-shoot, ie, you press the button, and it takes a photo after a delay of 10 seconds. One can also make a 'movie'. These work under Windows, but I have not had a chance to get this to work in Linux. Also advertised is a webcam function, this crashed my Windows computer, and I have no idea how to implement it in Linux. The instruction manual is translated from Japanese. It is generally easy to understand, but one does come across phrases like 'It is not noticed prior to design change'. The camera itself is very slick looking, fits easily in the palm of your hand (it is about credit-card sized), and is very cool. See for lots more information, including other camers that may use this chipset. A very useful thread if you want to learn more about this camera(s). |
| Features: -
Miniature VGA digital camera with integrated keychain -
640x480 quality digital photography 300k pixel CMOS sensor -
LCD screen status indicator with pop-up viewfinder -
16MB internal flash memory -
USB 1.1 interface connection for fast downloads. -
Memory capacity of up to 99 pictures. Specifications: dimensions 1.5x2.25x0.5 inches (HxWxD), less than 200g, powered by a AAA alkaline battery. System requirements: Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, USB port, CD-ROM Drive. Included accessories: Miniature VGA Dual-Mode Digital Camera, Arcsoft software package (Photo Impression 4.0&Video Impression 1.6), Digital Imaging/Video Software CD, Device Drivers on CD, USB Cable, Manual, Belt holster, AAA Alkaline battery. |
