Kodak MC3
Portable Digital Camera, Camcorder and MP3 Player - 64 MB
- Combination device plays MP3
music files and captures digital stills and movies
- Movies recorded in Quicktime
format at 320 x 240 resolution
- Included 64 MB CompactFlash
card stores up to 26 minutes of video or 60 minutes of audio
- Features a 1.6 inch color
LCD display
- Included software lets you
mix video, audio, and stills on your computer
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Think of Kodak's MC3 as the Swiss Army knife of electronic gadgets. This sleek
handheld unit functions as a portable video camera, digital still camera, and
MP3 player. We found the device to be well designed, easy to use, and, most
importantly, a lot of fun.
As a video camera, the MC3 captures QuickTime
format movies with sound at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Users choose from
two settings--a high-quality 20 frames per second (fps) mode captures more
detail, but fills the CompactFlash memory card at a rate of 15 MB per minute. A
more e-mail friendly mode shoots at 10 fps and uses greater compression. This
mode makes movies a bit choppier, but still looks fine for most applications and
only consumes around 2 MB of memory per minute.
A 1.6-inch color LCD screen on the back of the
camera lets you see exactly what you're filming and can also play back footage
you've recorded. While most manufacturers use illuminated LCDs, Kodak has opted
to use a reflective display instead. In a reflective display, the traditional
backlight is replaced with a mirror. This arrangement is thinner, uses less
energy, and is less expensive. It's also easier to see when you're outdoors.
Unfortunately, it's more difficult to see in low-light situations--seeing what
you're shooting in a restaurant will be a challenge.
The videos you create aren't as detailed as
those from a camcorder, but the MC3 isn't designed to replace those traditional
tape-based devices. Although the movies can be viewed on your TV (with an
optional connecting cable), they're really designed to be seen on a computer
screen, saved on your hard drive or CD-R, and shared with friends via e-mail.
Though it's not designed primarily as an MP3
player, the MC3's musical abilities are quite good. You get the full set of
standard controls (including cue and review within a song), plus several
equalizer settings, shuffle mode, and repeat. In addition, the LCD shows artist
and title information, plus system settings. The built-in speaker (included
primarily for audio playback of your movies) can also be used to play music,
though sound quality is much better with headphones. Standard MP3 song files are
transferred from your computer to the MC3 via a USB cable, using included
software. There's no copy protection, so if you have a dedicated CompactFlash
card reader, you can even transfer files directly to and from the memory card.
As a still camera, the MC3 is just OK.
Resolution is 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels), which looks fine on a computer monitor
but lacks enough detail to create photo-quality prints, even at snapshot sizes.
Photo capabilities are simple to the point of crudeness--there's no flash, the
lens is fixed focus, and everything is completely automatic. Still, it works
fine for outdoor snapshots, which is where Kodak thinks you'll be using the
device most often.
Kodak's software suite that comes with the MC3
adds a whole new dimension to your creativity. The simple-to-use VideoImpression
program lets users blend footage and stills with their favorite songs, letting
even absolute amateurs create professional-looking productions in a matter of
minutes.
Instructions come with the MC3, but it's so
well designed that they aren't really necessary. Using the device is as easy as
sliding the four-position switch on the back to the appropriate mode (MP3,
movie, still, or playback) and turning on the power. When you're ready to try
the more advanced features, a screen-based menu system makes it easy to find
your way around. Battery life was good, allowing us several hours of MP3
playback and lots of video recording and playback before we needed to replace
the three AAA cells. The use of three batteries is a bit odd--most batteries and
chargers are sold in twos or fours, so you'll either need to get your batteries
6 or 12 at a time, or use rechargeables and find a charger that lets you charge
just three cells.
The MC3 uses standard Type I CompactFlash
cards--the same type of cards used by many digital cameras and some PDAs and MP3
players. The device comes with either a 16 or 64 MB card, depending upon price,
and cards are currently available from a number of manufacturers in capacities
up to 256 MB. Our sample unit came with a 64 MB card, which gave us around 27
minutes of lower-quality video, 4 minutes of high-quality video, 65 minutes of
high-quality MP3 music, 500 still pictures, or any combination in between. For
our tests, 64 MB was ample, letting us store a dozen songs and leaving enough
room for about 12 minutes of lower-quality video. When we started to run out of
space for movies, we just deleted our least-favorite songs and started shooting
again.
Public reaction to the MC3 has been incredible.
Whenever we took it out for a test, strangers stopped us to find out more about
it and try it for themselves. Something about the design--its sheer simplicity
or its friendly design, perhaps--brings out users' creative sides. We found
ourselves compensating for the lack of zoom by thrusting the camera closer to
the action and shooting videos of scenes we'd never captured with a camcorder.
Sure, the MC3 is more of a toy than a tool, but it's an extremely fun toy. It's
not much more expensive than an ordinary MP3 player, but the added fun is
immeasurable. Kodak has a hit on its hands.
Pros:
- For about the same price as an ordinary MP3
player, you also get a video camera and digital camera
- Well designed, with quality construction and
simple controls
- Lots of fun to use
Cons:
- Reflective LCD panel hard to see in dimly
lit areas
- Power choice of 3 AAA batteries is a bit
awkward
