UMAX AstraPix 550

Author's product rating:   

Picture Quality	Satisfactory
Range & Quality of Features	Average
Ease of Use	Easy
Durability	Good
Overall Look & Design	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Easy to use
Disadvantages:	It's not David Bailey quality

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

“What would you like for Christmas Amy?” I asked.
“A camera and a DVD player please.” She answered.

Now, if you have children, you will know that as they get older, their requests get more expensive.

We decided to trawl the internet looking for a good deal on a digital camera; after all, in the long run it will be cheaper. At the age of 8, probably only 2% of all the pictures she takes will be any good, so developing films would be quite expensive, and there was no way I was letting any 8 year old get their hands on my camera!

After searching for a couple of hours, I discovered the Umax Astrapix. I was thrilled to bits to find this camera for £80 including delivery, but I have seen them on Ebuyer for £46.99, which is excellent value.

--{{{First Impressions}}}--

When the camera arrived, we had a look at it. After all, I didn’t want Amy unwrapping it on Christmas day, and finding it too complicated to use.

Now, as modern cameras go, this is quite big. Measuring it, the dimensions are approx 11cm x 6.5cm x 3.5cm. I was actually quite pleased about this as it won’t be quite so east to lose (famous last words!), and it will be easier for her little hands to hold steady. It is quite heavy at about 210g.

The AstraPix 550 is not only a digital camera, but also a webcam, MP3 player and digital camcorder capable of recording short videos with sound. I thought that the MP3 player would appeal to a pop loving 8 year old.

--{{{So what is the specification for such a low price camera?}}}--

Useful Features are:

• Claims to be 3.1 mega pixels
• Screen display is about 3cm x 2.2cm
• Flash auto / on / off , range: 2m
• 10 seconds self-timer
• Digital zoom x4
• View finder optical
• Resolution 1600 x 1200
• Video resolution 320 x 240 Pixel at 30 fps
• Continuous mode 3 pictures per shot in 1280 x 1024
• Microphone built-in
• ISO 100
• Exposure Auto & Manual
• Exposure time 1/10 ~ 1/1000 auto
• White balance auto & manual (daylight, shade, tungsten, fluorescent)
• Memory 7 MB Flash (internal)
• External memory Compact Flash card slot
• Picture capacity ~7 / ~14 / ~27 pictures at 1280 x 1024 in different compression rates
• File formats JPEG, AVI, MP3
• Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.
• Power source 4 x AA batteries
• Operation systems Win 98 / Me / 2000 / XP Mac OS 9.x ~ 10 via MSDC driver as drive
• Interface USB 1.1, TV output / earphones, power adapter (optional)

--{{{Included with the camera}}}--

• Wrist strap.
• USB cable.
• Software
• Quick start manual
• Cover

--{{{Likes}}}--

• I have found it really easy to download the pictures onto the PC via USB port. We have Windows XP, and haven’t had any problems downloading.
• The quality of the photos is not bad for the price.
• Plastic body looks trendy in matt silver
• Easy to follow manual (Quick guide supplied, and you shouldn’t need any more than that)
• There is a slider button to open the lens. This prevents any loss of lens caps, which I have a tendency to lose, so I can’t expect an 8 year old to keep one.
• Feels sturdy due to the weight
• Has both optical viewfinder and colour LCD (My daughter prefers the optical viewfinder, so it is quite handy to have)
• Can see the pictures and movie clips taken on LCD screen
• Can erase pictures or movie clips from LCD screen, leaving memory free of pictures you don’t want
• Point and shoot (I’m a bit of a technophobe, but even I can use it)
• The dial on the top of the camera has little symbols x 6. Once you learn what each one is representing (and it is quite obvious), you don’t really need a manual at all.
• As it takes AA batteries, you don’t have to wait for it to charge, just take spares with you.
• The sound quality isn’t bad on the MP3 player considering this is a camera

--{{{Dislikes}}}--

• It only has a digital zoom.
• Pictures are not of David Bailey quality
• When changing the battery or removing flash card, the cover can be quite fiddly to close until you get used to it.

--{{{Conclusion}}}--

This is an excellent camera for the money, but don’t expect miracles. It is easy to use, even for an 8 year old. She was thrilled to bits on Christmas morning when she opened this. It goes everywhere with her, and she has no need to touch my camera.

I would recommend this for anyone on a budget, and definitely as a child’s first camera. I would also recommend you buy a flash card - we got a 64MB card, which is plenty. The internal memory won't get you very far.

I've given this 5 stars, and my decision was based on the fact that this camera is now less that £50, so the quality of the photo's is excellent for the money, plus of course, all the other features you get with it.