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| Mustek MDC-800 |
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Hardware Reviews November 2000 • Vol.3 Issue 11 |
Mustek MDC-800 | ||
 If you're a photographer with advanced skills, the MDC-800 digital camera from Mustek probably isn't for you. The camera only captures images at a rather small top resolution of 1,012 x 768 pixels and has few of the features advanced users typically want. Now, if you're a novice seeking an affordable model that's especially easy to use, keep reading. The MDC-800's friendly price of around $210 indicates there are certain things you should expect of the camera. You should expect it to be an easy-to-operate point-and-shoot model, and it is. You shouldn't expect it to produce breath-taking images with especially crisp colors and focus, and it doesn't. But the MDC-800 does veer away from other sub-$250 cameras by offering a few features not typical of low-end models. For example, it's one of just a few low-end cameras we've seen to use a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection, which is preferable by far to the serial cable method of many cameras in this category. In addition, the camera has a continuous shooting mode, can function as a Web cam (at 320 x 240 pixels), and capture short video clips from a television or VCR. Probably more important to novices is the ease with which the MDC-800 captures images at any of three quality settings. The 1.8-inch LCD and menu help make operating the camera out of the box extremely easy, and the sparse use of buttons ensures new users won't likely be intimidated. The MDC-800 utilizes just six buttons on the back to maneuver the menu and switch between image capture and playback modes. Also impressive for a low-end model are the MDC-800's multiple white balance settings, five exposure settings, and built-in filters (inverse, mint, rose, daisy, and Lilac). Less pleasing is the camera's paltry 4MB of internal memory for storing just 12 to 40 shots. (Fortunately, you can buy a CompactFlash card to support up to 64MB of memory.) Also, the camera's lens has no zooming ability, although there is 4X digital zoom to view shots already taken. In addition, the camera's shape isn't well contoured or comfortable in the hands, and we found the flash unit to be too far to the left front of the camera where it could easily be covered by a finger. Ultimately, we'd recommend the MDC-800 for those looking to break into digital photography without draining a bank account. At just $210, the camera doesn't take the best images you'll find, but it is easy to use and possesses a few alluring features. by Blaine Flamig
$210 Mustek 877-550-3529 (949) 790-3800 http://www.mustek.com
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