SiPix StyleCam Blink

THE TEMPTATION to get a digital camera seems to linger in the heart of everyone who has anything to do with IT. The whole idea is fun. No more waiting for film to develop, just plug it in and download your pictures. The problem always seems to be that they cost so much.

There are quite a few cheap cameras doing the rounds but how do you know if they're any good? Being a forever broke journo and knowing many other people who have even less, it seemed like a good idea to get a cheap camera in for review. So, if your budget is tight and you still have that urge to buy a bargain, read on.

FEATURES
The Blink outclasses almost all of the competition on paper at least. It has 8MB of memory, much more than its opposition. It is also tiny, measuring just over 5cm (2 inches) high and wide with a depth of just over 2.5cm (half an inch). The image sensor is the standard VGA 640x480 and it uses a single AAA battery.

There are just two buttons on the Blink, shoot and menu. The menu button cycles you through the options for picture resolution, image quality and light levels. The only other distinguishing feature is a mini-USB socket covered by a little rubber flap.

Software wise, the Blink comes with PhotoImpression 3 for capturing and touching up your images. It also comes with several other utilities that, despite being fairly basic, are everything that you need to turn the Blink into a web cam or to play around with your pictures.

THE GOOD
The first thing that strikes you about the Blink is just how small it is. It's fun, people don't even notice you're taking pictures. The size also makes it an easy thing to hide in your pocket for those surprise moments when you wish you had a camera on you.

The lack of buttons makes it simple to use and easy to set up. It's the kind of thing that kids would have a great time with at no extra expense. That includes grown up kids too.

THE BAD
Despite there being a low light function, it was almost impossible to get decent photograph indoors. It might work OK in a well lit office but proved to be completely useless in my local bar despite there being plenty of light. Part of the problem comes from the fact that when you switch to low-light, the camera suffers from picking up the slightest shake or movement.

Several times in daylight conditions the pictures distorted noticeably,. It's definitely the kind of camera where you need to take several shots of a subject to ensure you get something usable.

CONCLUSION
As a gift for the kids or yourself, it does fine. As a quick knockabout camera for capturing an image for emailing to someone, it does OK. If you want results to compare with even a disposable 35mm camera you'll need to spend much more.

At £35 my expectations weren't high and the Blink delivered on those expectations. It's a toy camera and it's cheap. It has several deficiencies that are annoying but forgivable at this price. µ

DETAILS
Manufacturer: SiPix
Price: £39.99 (Street: £35)
Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP USB port
Web Site: WWW.SIPIXDIGITAL.COM