Amazon.co.uk Review
Squarely aimed at the family, the StyleCam Blink is a digital camera that is both compact and easy-to-use. With its simple point and click operation, multiple modes including two resolutions and continuous shoot and a stack of bundled software, the Blink sets new standards in digital imaging on a budget.
The StyleCam Blink is a compact digital camera that offers resolutions of 640x480 and 320x240 allowing for up to 400 images on its internal 8 MB memory. The installation process is very straight forward; install the drivers, reboot the machine and then plug the camera into a spare USB port. The camera itself is very easy to use; all of the features are accessible by the press of a single button. The small LCD window shows the camera mode and options available as well as the number of images taken. As well as taking still images, the Blink can take a series of 100 images that can be stitched together to make a short video clip. Also, the camera can be used as a WebCam. The images produced are sharp and clear and very acceptable considering the size and price of the camera. In comparison, images taken inside using the outside mode were slightly sharper than those taken using the indoors mode. Our only criticism is the slight shutter lag of about half a second; it becomes slightly annoying if you want to picture moving objects. If you're capturing still life or using the camera as a WebCam, this will be irrelevant.
The manufacturers clearly thought about their target audience when packaging the software with the camera. The unit comes with a range of six software titles including ArcSoft's PhotoImpression and PhotoFantasy 2000. The software is fun and very easy to use. Simply transfer the images from your camera onto your computer via PhotoImpression and then edit them to your hearts content. For those of you wanting to have a bit of fun with family members, PhotoFantasy 2000 gives you the chance to place someone's head on another body. Again, this is very easy to do and is a lot of fun. Other software included is VideoImpression, a basic video editing package and some WebCam software.
The Blink won't win any awards for image quality; but for how much it costs, you wouldn't expect it to. It does however, offer better quality images than its competitors. The ability to store up to 400 images on the 8MB memory is a real bonus. It's a great little camera considering how little it costs and the bundled software will keep children and big children amused for a good few hours. Grab one of these as they are going to be hot this summer. --Martin Snelling
Manufacturer's description
Ultra-compact and lightweight, the SiPix StyleCam Blink is the go-everywhere digital camera. Use the neck strap to carry the camera around your neck or clip it to your belt-loop or backpack with the included swivel clip. The StyleCam Blink is a digital camera, streaming video camera, USB video camera and video conferencing camera all in one.
Featuring the Streaming Snapshot (TM) mode, the StyleCam Blink can rapidly capture up to 100 images. With these streaming snapshots and the included software, you can easily create your own AVI video clips. Share your exciting video clips with family and friends via e-mail or share them on the Web using the included Inetcam iVISTA software.
The StyleCam Blink includes a premium software package that makes photo editing, enhancing and sharing a fun experience. Take the images into ArcSoft PhotoImpression to retouch, add special effects, make calendars, greeting cards and print your photos with ease. Use PhotoMontage to turn your last family reunion's photo into a "montage"--creating a single image out of thousands of micro-images. Transfer a regular picture of yourself into a superstar photo with PhotoFantasy and create fun projects. Produce and edit video clips with VideoImpression and then share them on the Internet using Inetcam's iVISTA software. You can also stream the continuous snapshots with SiPix AVI Maker to produce home videos and share them on the Web.
