Alba DC7000

...my first Digital Camera, the Alba DC7000.
I was currently using a web camera before this one and i do a lot of selling on Ebay, it was time to move on and invest in something that i could use that did not need to be connected to my PC in order to take photographs of what i was trying to sell.
I was browsing my catalogue from the House Of Sterling (this is a catalogue that you can order goods and pay weekly, very good if you are on low ...
...outright) and i came across the DC7000. It apperared to have everything i needed. It was mobile, had zoom and had 2 Mega Pixels. Everything my other camera didnt have.
Great, i thought i will have that one, so i ordered it.

The system requirements are :

*Windows 98/ 98SE/ 2000/ ME/ XP
*Personal computer with 200 MHz processor or greater.
*48MB minimum RAM (Windows 98/ 98SE/ ME),64MB minimum RAM (Windows ... more

I would like to tell you about my first Digital Camera, the Alba DC7000.
I was currently using a web camera before this one and i do a lot of selling on Ebay, it was time to move on and invest in something that i could use that did not need to be connected to my PC in order to take photographs of what i was trying to sell.
I was browsing my catalogue from the House Of Sterling (this is a catalogue that you can order goods and pay weekly, very good if you are on low income and cannot afford to go to shops and buy outright) and i came across the DC7000. It apperared to have everything i needed. It was mobile, had zoom and had 2 Mega Pixels. Everything my other camera didnt have.
Great, i thought i will have that one, so i ordered it.

The system requirements are :

• Windows 98/ 98SE/ 2000/ ME/ XP
• Personal computer with 200 MHz processor or greater.
• 48MB minimum RAM (Windows 98/ 98SE/ ME),64MB minimum RAM (Windows 2000/ XP)
• 200 MB hard drive disk space available.
• CD-ROM drive.
• Available USB port.
• 16-bit or higher colour monitor.

This is what the camera offers :

• 24 Colour Bits
• Video Clip Capture - Allows you to take continuous video at a rate of 15 fps (frames per second).
• MP3 Player
• Continuous 4X Digital Zoom - better refined distance capture funtion with the same image size.
• Audio Memo. - the audio memo recorded is attatched to the last image taken, it is possible to take a 7- second audio memo of the picture taken.
• Self Timer - 10 second delay after the shutter release button is pressed allowing you to take photographs by yourself.
• Image Sensor : 2 Mega Pixel, 1/2 inch CMOS sensor.
• 2 Image resolutions : normal 1600 x 1200 and economy 320 x 240.
• 5 Professional record modes : snapshot,sequence, timer, video clip and audio memo.
• Storage Media : Built in 16MB Memory, external compact Flash Card (Optional)

In the box you will find :

• Digital Camera
• USB Cable
• AV Cable
• Hand Strap
• Soft Case
• CD ROM
• User Manual QSG

My camera came and i was so excited. I installed the CD-ROM into my hard-drive and followed the online promps. It was very, very easy to install. Remember this is my first Digital Camera so when i say very easy to install thats what i mean.
I had previosly bought some batteries for it so that i was prepared for its arrival. Within 10 minutes of installing it i had taken my first picture.The best bit was transfering the pictures to my PC.All it needed was the USB cable connected to the camera and pluged into my USB jack. Online prompts, very easy to follow and before i knew it my first ever photo from my new digital camera was right before me on my PC.
Admittedly it did take me a few days to get used to my camera and how to work out how to zoom in and take the photogragh but i put this down to being over excited and not used to the camera.

My overall view of this product :
As the saying is, you get basically what you pay for.
The good points that i like about this camera is the look and feel of it, not to many buttons that a novice could press by mistake and alter the set up.The 1.6 inch TFT colour LCD on the back was fantastic and made taking pictures a whole lot easier, you could actually see what you was taking.
This camera takes excellent pictures outside. I have taken some real crackers of motorbikes and cars that i have sold for friends on Ebay.
The built in flash is very strong.
The bad points about this camera is battery life, i soon bought some rechargable ones. I was disapointed in the zoom with close up work. It didnt like taking pictures of anything too close, all you would end up with was a blur. After investigating why or what i was doing wrong i soon learnt that close up work requires Optical Zoom and not Digital Zoom, this was something as a novice that i didnt know but have learnt as i have plodded along.
Thats the only grumble i have with the camera and the only reason why i am upgrading again. I need Optical Zoom as well as Digital Zoom.

I have not used the MP3 player so i cannot comment on that, i have not had the need to. I think this camera would be ideal as a teenagers first camera with the MP3 built in. I am contemplating giving this camera to my son as a gift because of the built in MP3 player.

I am going to rate the picture quality as good, like i say outside pictures are fantastic, inside close-ups can become blurs and i find sometimes when you need to use the flash you get a white-wash.

I paid £115 for this camera from the catalogue stated above. I think this camera retails at approx £85 in the shops.

 

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