Creative PC-Cam 850

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Creative PC-Cam 850

Soham Raninga, Dec 10, 2003 0000 hrs IST

The PC-CAM 850 is a 3.1 MP multifunctional digital camera.

Good build quality, Compact size

Poor image quality in low light, Overly powerful flash, Grainy images, Expensive

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Creative has a strong hold on the PC-Audio market, and as expected it's widening the spectrum of products under its umbrella. Creative has been amongst the Webcams and Digicams for a while now, most of the products fall in the basic category where the picture resolution would be around the 1 Megapixel range. The latest range by Creative boasts of a 3 MP resolution. It's a considerable leap from 1.3 MP to 3 MP and hence I was anxious to know the performance.

The PC-CAM 850 is a 3.1 MP multifunctional digital camera, which also acts as a Webcam and is capable of taking video clips at 8 fps. These all-in-one solutions are normally aimed at novices looking for point-and-shoot simplicity. Creative as a brand is capable of giving some surprises with a unique "out of the box" experience. We shall soon find out what the PC-CAM 850 experience shapes up to.

Product and Features
The PC-Cam 850 is a 3.1 MP digital camera with 16 MB RAM built-in and supports SD/MMC memory cards. The camera has a standard 50 mm focus free lens with macro capability and a 2 MP CMOS sensor. For all those who do not know about image sensors, they are of two types: CMOS and CCD. A CMOS sensor is primarily a cheaper alternative than the CCD sensor. The results of a CMOS sensor depend on how well it has been implemented. CCD sensors are more accurate and produce brighter and crisper images, but they consume more power than the CMOS sensors.

Creative is at it again by selling the camera on the interpolated resolution rather than the actual lens resolution. So I shall view it as a 2.0 MP camera and expect the results accordingly. Going on to the zoom, the camera is capable of 4x digital zoom. The 1.6" LCD screen with a resolution of 312 x 230 pixels is a good addition that was missing in the earlier digicams from Creative. The camera comes with a flash that has a range of approximately 5 feet. There is also a video-out option where one can watch the pictures on TV; the video cable comes bundled with the camera.

The PC-Cam 850 looks pretty simple and traditional with a distinct silver-grey colour combination. The dimensions are well contained and it is a truly pocketable camera with well-rounded edges and a smooth rich finish. The camera's controls are very basic and simple, perfect for all age groups. There are three buttons on the back that control the entire operation, barring the snap button, which rests on the top. Apart from these are the power-on and -off button and the mode button that is used to switch between camera and review mode. A large silver dial, which by itself is also a button; acts like a four-way control pad for easy navigation of the menu.