creative PD1070 drivers download

Creative CardCam

Creative CardCam Review

by M. Wiley
June 10, 2003 - Last week Creative came by and dropped off a few goodies for us. We immediately posted a preview of the CardCam. We hadn't played with it but a few seconds but it struck us as so cool that we wrote up the small story. Now we've been playing with it for a few days and are ready to give you our final opinion.

Before you share our views, it's important to keep in mind what the CardCam is. More importantly, what it is not . Don't expect this little fellow to compete with your buddy's Canon S50. Don't buy this in order to take your wedding pics. Don't buy this for your vacation to Bali. The CardCam is simply meant to be an inexpensive, highly portable camera. Several limitations come from the fact that it was designed with size and fun in mind. If you're searching for a comparison, look toward entry level cell phone cameras. For these reasons that sample pics won't bowl you over if you are used to a 5MP still cam. However, remember what the CardCam is and I think you'll find them fairly impressive.

If you are looking for an extremely portable shooter, then the CardCam should be on the top of the list of candidates. The image quality is solid, it is extremely easy to use, and it is small as could be. In fact, it is listed in Guinness as the world's thinnest digital camera.

In terms of design, the CardCam almost couldn't be simpler. The front of the device is unadorned save for the retractable lens/viewfinder platform. A small switch on the left side of the camera turns the unit on and releases the lens, which pops up about 1/4-inch. The fixed lens sits just below the viewfinder window. To shut off the camera you simply push this little platform in and it snaps shut. The clever retractable design is what makes the camera so damn slim. The only downside is that the lens is always unprotected. I wouldn't worry about scratching the lens too much, but it could happen.
On the back side of the camera you will find a few basic controls and a simple LCD. One button controls the size of the picture and doubles as a delete command. The other turns the "shutter release" sound on or off. The LCD shows battery life, pictures remaining, image resolution, and sound on/off.

The shutter release sits in the top of the camera, just where you'd expect to find it. On the side of the camera near the lens is the power button/lens release. On the other side is a USB 1.1 port and a countersunk post for the neck strap.

The CardCam measures 6mm thick and 8cm wide and weighs in at a feathery 1.3 ounces. I would say that the engineers definitely succeeded in making it portable. The camera is roughly the size of a business card and isn't much heavier. In fact, a slot on the back of the case is meant to hold business/credit cards.
Pictures are taken via a CMOS sensor. Most "real" digital cameras use CCDs for imaging, but the CMOS scheme keeps the package inexpensive. The CardCam can capture images at 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution. You can also take shots at 1280 x 960, but the camera interpolates from the original resolution. I was worried about how well the interpolation would work, and that the 1280 pics would look like ass, but they look pretty good. Some of these sample pics are 640 and some are 1280. you will notice that the 1280s are pretty impressive considering the source.

At 640 x 480 the internal 8MB of memory can hold up to 101 pics; at 1280 x 1024 it can hold 26. You wouldn't take this camera with you as a primary capture device on any kind of trip, so this is plenty of space. Of course, a 32MB in the future would sure be nice, Creative.

The CardCam draws power from an internal lithium-ion battery, which gets juice from your computer via the USB cable. A full charge is allegedly able to deliver about 500 shot. Obviously I didn't test this, but I probably took 200 from the initial charge and it is still on full. I have a feeling people will use this camera for a few shots, download them, and then use it a few more. In this type of situation it is unlikely you will run out. The only problem with this situation is that you need a computer to charge it. It would be nice if creative provided an AC adapter so you could bring it along without a computer, which is the effective power source.
The battery life is so long because the camera has neither an LCD nor a flash, both of which are huge battery hogs. Granted, these features would be nice, and I am sure one day we will have something this size that is full equipped, but they are acceptable sacrifices for the portability.

Inside the box you'll find the carrying slip, a hand/neck strap, a USB cable, and software. The carrying slip is a slick little pocket that looks like a business card holder. The camera fits snugly and you can actually slide a few cards in the back pocket.

As for image quality, the CardCam pretty much does what it should. Some of the characteristics are a bit unpredictable, e.g. color saturation, but overall I was pleased with the output. Focus is good, color balance is fair, and lighting is decent. I was actually surprised by the relatively low level of noise in many of the pics. Check the enlarged sky shot. Huge areas of subtle gradation are sometimes minefields for digital cameras. Noise is noticeable, but more than acceptable for a sub-$100.00 camera. Some of the photos, e.g. our PS2 editor, Kaiser Hwang, came out very nicely.
Conclusion

I like the CardCam a whole lot. I have taken it around town a few times, just sliding it in my pocket. It was also quite popular around the office. The limitations are obvious, but they are acceptable. If you already have a dedicated digital camera and want something fun to take around wherever you go, then check out the CardCam. And for a hair under $99.95, you really can't go wrong.

Recommended. IGN's Ratings for Creative CardCam
.

creative PD1070 drivers download

Creative CardCam

QUICK LINKS

creative PD1070 drivers download

Creative CardCam

Creative CardCam Review

Tags

creative PD1070 drivers download

Creative CardCam