Product Reviews

The FunCam's bold disk-like styling makes it comfortable to hold, and its featherlike 56g weight means that even a child can use it for ages without getting tired. With its diminutive 70x85x12mm dimensions, it will happily sit in a shirt pocket without causing undue sag. A single AAA battery supplies the power - and as there is no flash to pop, it'll last for hundreds of shots.

There are two still-picture modes: high and low resolution. In high resolution, the FunCam uses its 0.2-megapixel sensor to capture images at a resolution of 640x480 - the same as many mobile phone cameras. Low resolution, in which you can also shoot grainy, jerky video, halves this resolution to 320x240.

In both modes pictures are considerably less detailed than those produced by even an entry-level camera. While the images recorded are OK for e-mail, they are not suitable for printing.

Despite

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having only 8MB of internal storage and no facility to add more, the low resolution of each picture means that a total of 208 can be stored on the camera. In the absence of an LCD screen, pictures are framed using the optical viewfinder. Once the shutter is released, you have to hold still to avoid blurred photos. This is because the FunCam uses a CMOS rather than CCD sensor to detect light. These are much less sensitive to light and so must be exposed for longer.

A single unmarked button navigates through the camera's functions. This is clunky and makes the camera hard to use. It also makes it dangerously easy to erase all your photos by accident. A digital watch-like display keeps track of the mode setting and number of shots remaining.

The only way to review photos is to download them to a computer using a slow USB 1.1 connection. A basic application called MyDCS is used to download, manage and edit your photos, but if you want more control over the editing process you can install the far more competent supplied Ulead Photo Express 4 SE.

You can also use the FunCam as a webcam. Although image quality is pretty poor, you can indulge in some videoconferencing or send live streaming video over the Net from your computer.

There's no hiding the fact that the FunCam is an extremely poor digital camera. At best it produces low quality, low-resolution images and it's not easy to use. Just don't been fooled by the low price into thinking it's a bargain.