Oregon Scientific ThinCam DS6638

Summary

So, you are looking for a small, stylish and easy-to-use camera that takes good photos and doesn't burn a hole in your wallet?

If yes, then you should consider this wonderful little gadget.

If not, you should consider it anyway =)

Digital cameras are becoming increasingly popular. They are small and fun, you do not have to spend a fortune on developing pictures and they plug straight ...
...perhaps use them in projects.

Also, there is the matter of capacity. A tiny Secure Digital (SD) card can hold hundreds of photos, so you don't even have to carry films around with you while you're doing the tourist thing on holiday.

So, time to look at some good points and some bad points.


The Good Points

Physical Properties:-
This camera is extremely small, thin and lightweight. ... more

Summary

So, you are looking for a small, stylish and easy-to-use camera that takes good photos and doesn't burn a hole in your wallet?

If yes, then you should consider this wonderful little gadget.

If not, you should consider it anyway =)

Digital cameras are becoming increasingly popular. They are small and fun, you do not have to spend a fortune on developing pictures and they plug straight into your computer allowing you to easily share them or perhaps use them in projects.

Also, there is the matter of capacity. A tiny Secure Digital (SD) card can hold hundreds of photos, so you don't even have to carry films around with you while you're doing the tourist thing on holiday.

So, time to look at some good points and some bad points.

The Good Points

Physical Properties:-
This camera is extremely small, thin and lightweight. Its style suggests that it is serious about doing its job, but without looking boring; sleek comes to mind. Its body is metal, no, not some metallic looking plastic, but actual metal. This has a great deal of comfort when it comes to transporting it (of course, it also comes with a smart black case). The 1.6" TFD color display is of excellent quality too.

Picture quality:-
Firstly, it is only has 2.0 mega-pixels. OK, so most cameras on the market these days are 3.0 mega-pixels, but don't let that bother you. The quality of photos it takes is excellent. Also, if you really want 3.0 mega-pixels, the software that comes with this camera allows you to boost the output to 3.0 mega-pixels.

Menu System:-
The cameras menu system is clean and easy to use. It has a good many options that you can set to get that picture just right. The on-screen information is fairly clear and unobtrusive.

The Bad Points

Physical Properties:-
I don't think I can really fault this camera regarding its physical properties. The buttons are fairly small, especially the "joystick", so it might be a bit fiddly for some people. However, with mobile phones as small as they are these days, there isn't really much difference.

Picture Quality:-
I would have to say that my biggest problem with this camera is the quality of pictures it takes in low light levels. Its not particularly good.
While I was in Bangalore, India, staying on the 15th floor of an apartment block there was beautiful view of the city lights at night. Unfortunately, the camera only picked up a small fraction of these lights, and none of the subtle variations in shading of the streets (it was just black with yellow dots). The camera my colleague had did a much better job of picking up the detail.

There is also the small matter of the flash. It tends to make people white, but I have noticed that this seems to be a problem with digital cameras in general (relatively cheap ones anyway).

You will probably be glad to know that the rest of the photos i took are fabulous, especially the one of the eagles flying around the apartment block.

Other:-

My final criticism of this camera is the digital zoom available. Most cameras these days seem to have a least 3x or even 4x digital zoom. This only has 2x. I suppose that it isn't a huge problem really, as the 4x zoom i have seen on other cameras generally isn't very good. Still, 3x would be nice.
What it Features

• Tiny credit-card size (only 0.6 inches thin)
• 2.0 mega-pixels (up to 3.0 mega-pixels output with software)
• Robust metal body
• 1.6 inch color LCD screen
• 2x digital zoom
• Secure Digital (SD) expansion slot
• Excellent picture settings
• Built in flash
• Slide-show display
• Records movie clips in AVI format (without sound of course)
• TV Output
  

Technical SpecificationsNumber of pixels: 2 million
Image Sensor: 1/3 inch high-density CMOS
Internal Storage Medium: 8 MB internal flash memory
Optional Storage Medium: Secure Digital (SD) memory card
Image file sizes:
2048 x 1536 pixels (output resolution by software interpretation)
1600 x 1200 pixels
1280 x 1024 pixels
640 x 480 pixels (VGA)
File Format: DCF-compliant (Exif version 2.1 JPEG-compliant)
Lens: f/2.8
Digital Zoom: 2x
Flash Distance: 3.3 to 9.8 feet (approx.)
Focus Range: 60 inches to infinity
Screen: 1.6 inch TFD color LCD
Digital Video Recording: 320 x 240 pixels
TV Video Output: NTSC/PAL compatible
Digital Output: USB 1.1 interface to PC
Power Supply: Two AAA-size batteries (LR03)
Dimensions (w x h x d): 3.39 x 2.21 x 0.59 inches
Weight: 100 grams (3.5 ounces)
Operating Temperature: 0 to +40 degrees Celsius

Conclusions

I like it. I have to admit, I don't carry it around with me as often as I should but it is a nice bit of technology. It might not have everything you're looking for, but its certainly worth considering. Its pretty powerful for its size. 

...less