Customers Reviews
2009-04-01
Only for the curious...
I bought the first one of these cameras in a thift shop for less than three dollars. Since it did not have a USB cable I got this one though Amazon. It turned out that neither camera was operational. What attracted me was the 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1/4 inch size. If I saw one for under $5.00 I would still buy it, but I am nuts. Read other reviews if you want to know how bad the thing is even when it is working. If you just want to take pictures buy a diffrent camera.
By the way, I don't think the PHILIPS logo has anything to do with the highly reputable Philips Electronics of the Netherlands.
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2008-03-07
Just get it for the fun of it!
Found one of these at a yard sale in the spring of 2007, and the owner wanted $10 for it. I passed at the time, then thought what a great conversation piece it be if it worked. Went back the following day, but he had already sold it.
Then last fall I found it being sold as a Vivitar Mini Digital Camera at a local CVS Pharmacy for $9.99, and this time I bought it. Got it just for fun, more than anything, just to have a super-small digital camera.
A few days later my son and I were out shooting some fall foliage shots with our 6-megapixel cameras and he suggested that we try it out. We did, and later were quite surprised at how reasonably good the results were. It's highest resolution is only 352x228, and you'll only get about twenty shots in that mode, but if you look at the fall foliage shot that I posted here, you can see that it's pretty respectable, especially for the price. To be honest, the images are about equal my old Casio QV-10 of the mid-1990s, and at a tiny fraction of that camera's ~ $300 cost.
Just in case you wonder, this camera appears to be identical to the following items (and there may be others if you search):
* Vivitar 3-in-1 Camera
* Mini Digital KeyChain Camera Along With Imaging Software Suite
* Philips USA J44417 Keychain Digital Camera
* Innovage Outdoor Sports Mini Digital Camera
The camera is about the size of a Zippo lighter, and it has a key chain attachment and a simple black slipcase. The viewfinder is a wacky slide-up device... were you thinking there would be an LCD for that price? It does come with a proprietary USB cable, and with the installation of the driver from its included CD, was able to transfer the images to the computer (running Windows XP) relatively easy. The included software package was a joke, and lets leave it at that.
If you already have a good, high-quality digital camera, yet know people who just have to show off their latest high-megapixel acquisition, then show them some shots taken with your good camera. When they ask what kind of camera you used, whip out one of these Vivitar Mini Digital camera and just watch their jaw drop... it works every time.
Don't take this as a sophisticated digital photo instrument. The best way to use it is like a simple point and shoot camera, and just have fun with it!
Subjective Package Ratings:
* Size and convenience: 5-stars
* Image (considering): 4-stars
* Battery life: 2-stars
* Imaging software: 1-star
* Fun factor: 5-stars
* Conversation piece: 5-stars
* Anti-photo snob effect: 5-stars
* Overall value (weighted): 5-stars
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2007-10-22
works but picthure is good shape.
i would not buy it or depend on it again pictures are always dark even in sunlight you have to have the sunlight right in your face to get a good picture. the only way to get a good picture at night is the take 2 500 watt light bulbs and shine it on what you want to take a picture of. it takes to much light to take a picture.
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2007-08-25
No mac support
Feh. This is one of the only cameras in the world that only works with Windows, not Macintosh.
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2007-04-23
ok for price....
I bought this earlier this day, and i'm already disappointed. The software is fairly cheasy, even the best quality is very grainy, it chews up the battery, and it has the smallest amount of memory. 2 MB. Most keychain cameras have 8MB. I'm not even going to try it on low res mode, especially after i saw high res. It wont let me take video. and, there is no way to add memory (most can). I'm taking it back asap, and am going to by the better quality Vistaquest camera. I'm just happy i didn't buy the Digital Concepts camera, for it supposedly doesn't work at all.
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