Using MDC-800 multi-function digital camera is like having three cameras in one. Use the MDC-800 as a digital camera, PC camera or video camera and go far beyond conventional... more
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A review by psiclone on Mustek MDC 800 August 17th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Picture Quality
Satisfactory
Range & Quality of Features
Diverse
Ease of Use
Very Easy
Durability
Excellent
Overall Look & Design
Good
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
Not expensive, video conferencing, good battery life
Disadvantages:
Dating technology, offset LCD screen, lighting problems indoors
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
The Mustek MDC-800 is a silvery little thing, with a grey plastic cover at one side for ergonomic grip. Rubberised panels allow access to the AC/DC and USB connections. There is also a plastic cover that allows compactflash memory cards to be inserted.
First impressions were good. The build of the camera is solid, and the design isn't at all bad. The LCD on the back is a decent size, and the silver buttons are stylish and well placed.
The MDC-800 is also well featured. Able to take pictures at low, medium or high resolution, with the maximum being 1024x768. The standard filters are there, and well as the ability to allow for longer exposure. However, I found the lack of a shutter speed control somewhat annoying.
The LCD works well under most circumstances, but in sunlight, it is difficult to see. This is to be expected of course, but I have seen cameras with better LCD screens. The MDC-800 is capable of video-conferencing, and the results of this are acceptable. One thing I did find however, was that the LCD screen and the lens were slightly offset. Very annoying. The MDC-800 produced good results outdoors, but indoors was a completely different story. Even with good even lighting, pictures would often come out blurred, or with lines running across it. Using flash sometimes helped the problem, but not always.
Expansion comes in the form of a standard CF (CompactFlash) slot, and the camera will take all sizes of CF card. The software provided is good and easy to use, with a good interface. The USB connection is fast and reliable.
The lack of a zoom function is a serious omission, so I would not recommend this camera to photography enthuisiasts, but for general purposes, this camera is reasonable. I bought it for £90 at a computer fair, which I consider to be quite reasonable compared to the newer cameras which cost £600 or £700. However, it is dating technology, and you would probably be better off getting a camera with zoom.
Advantages: Simplicity of use. Professional finish Disadvantages:
...Certificates etc. For me the Mustek MDC-800 does everything I want and does it well. Ease of use, Professional finish and the Price is Right! On occasions I have lent it to people with no experience of Cameras or Photography and they have been impressed and agreeably surprised at the ease at which they achieved excellent photographs, both indoors and out, that they could be proud of. I can certainly recommend the Mustek MDC-800 without hesitation! ...
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Using MDC-800 multi-function digital camera is like having three cameras in one. Use the MDC-800 as a digital camera, PC camera or video camera and go far beyond conventional picture taking. It features USB connectivity (with Windows 98/Me) with extra-fine image quality and user-friendly on-screen display makes your daily life more digitally convenient. Eliminate wasted shots using the built-in LCD panel to preview your images. Keep only the shots you want and delete those not-so "picture-perfect" moments. The MDC-800's menu commands are displayed on the 1.8" LCD screen making camera settings easy to use. The MDC-800 automatically saves images in the JPEG file format, which is the most popular way to place photographs on Internet pages. The included image editing software also allows you to save in the GIF file format also popular on the Internet.
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