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| BenQ DC1300 |
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Hardware Reviews June 2002 • Vol.5 Issue 6 |
BenQ DC1300 | ||
 Inexpensive digicams are traditionally starved for features and rarely take good photos. Things are starting to change for the better, though, as the BenQ DC1300 proves. This 1.3MP CMOS camera is only about the size of a deck of playing cards, yet it has a number of unusual features that make it stand out from other cheap digicams. First, the basics: The DC1300 has a fixed-focus lens (F/2.8) and 12MB internal flash memory that will store about 44 shots using the Fine compression setting. The DC1300 does a lot more than just take still shots: It lets you capture up to 90 seconds of video, with sound. The tiny mic also enables this camera to capture just WAV audio clips up to 9 minutes in length. And there's more: The camera has a flash, a backlit LCD, and four control buttons so you don't have to fuss with a maddening cyclical menu. There are also Macro and Burst shooting modes, as well as five white balance settings. Additionally, BenQ integrated HIT (Histogram and Image Transformation) technology into the DC1300. This technology helps the camera create images with better-saturated colors to avoid the faded hues that so many CMOS sensors produce. Sounds good on paper, and my tests proved that this system does work. Images had much richer colors than I usually see with inexpensive cameras. Details also looked good, chromatic aberrations didn't ruin any shots, and lens distortion kept its distance. Performance is clunky; the flash is almost MIA: At times, I waited more than 20 seconds for the strobe to charge. The Auto white balance setting hates fluorescent lights, but the manual setting clears things up. All things considered, this is an excellent entry from BenQ, and its low price makes it even more tempting. by Nathan Chandler
$119 BenQ (866) 700-2367 www.benqshopper.com CPU Rating: 3 (out of possible 5)
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