BIOS: Technology Means Business

Trust has recently impressed BIOS with its range of value PC peripherals and the 950 PowerC@m Zoom digital camera is no exception. High-end users will balk at its plastic casing, lack of features and flawed performance, but first time buyers will be hard-pressed to find an easier to use camera that is so portable and fun to use. Images captured by the 3.1-Megpixel camera aren't that great, suffering from poor white balance that creates a purple cast in parts, but you shouldn't really expect too much from a model that costs just £84.25. As well as capturing still JPEG images at resolutions up to 2048x1536 pixels, the camera can also be used to record short video clips and act as a basic Web camera, further adding to its mass-market appeal. It doesn't support PictBridge-compatible printers, mind due, and you don't get a memory card bundled with the camera, but it's still an excellent value proposition for those looking for an entry-level digital camera.

Pros: Small and light; good software bundle; great value
Cons: Fixed optical lens; basic features; flawed image quality

At first glance you'll probably mistake the 950 PowerC@m Zoom for a toy replica due to its diminutive size (93x39x56mm) and plastic enclosure. However, give it a little time and you'll soon find it hard to put down. It's also outstanding value, offering a 3.1-Megapixel CCD, 1.8in. colour TFT LCD display, 10-step 4X digital zoom, built-in automatic flash, component video-out port (cable supplied) for playing back images on a larger PAL or NTSC screen and an MMC/SD card slot for adding removable memory. The camera connects to your computer using USB 1.1 (cable supplied).

The 950 PowerC@m Zoom can be used as a 3.1-Megapixel digital still camera (up to 2972x2232 pixels using interpolation), basic camcorder (320x240 pixels at 15fps) or as a Web camera (Windows systems only). It's powered by two AA batteries (supplied) and Trust also supplies a soft carry case, hand strap, tripod stand, photo-editing software, multi-language user's manual and quick installation guide.

One of the main reasons why the 950 PowerC@m Zoom is so easy to use is because there's minimal hardware controls and software options. For instance, besides the shutter release on the top of the camera, there's only one multi-select dial (for configuring the camera and selecting shooting modes), flash and display on/off buttons, as well as a 5-way navigation control for menu options. There is also a landscape/macro switch on the left hand-side of the camera, as well as two LEDs just above the 1.8in. TFT LCD screen that illuminate when the camera is busy and the macro mode is selected. The camera's integrated protective lens cover also acts as an on/off switch, but it's still possible to power the camera by pressing the display button, which could cause problems when travelling.

The multi-select dial lets you select between the camera's different modes: Setup (for altering camera settings), Capture (for taking photographs), Video (for recording video clips), Playback (for displaying photographs and video clips on the TFT screen) and PC (for connecting the camera to a computer). Similar to other digital cameras, the TFT LCD colour screen - which also acts as a viewfinder - is used to view menu functions and look at stored photographs and video clips.

The 950 PowerC@m Zoom is targeted primarily at first-time users, so its settings are fairly rudimentary. However, this simplistic approach makes using the camera a breeze. From the Setup menu you can set the resolution (up to 2048x1536 without using interpolation), quality (fine or normal), white balance (auto, sunny, tungsten or fluorescent) and exposure value (-2 to +2). You can also set the camera's basic settings, including language (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish or Dutch), date and time, TV standard (PAL or NTSC) and frequency (50- or 60Hz). Of course, you can also delete individual images and format memory cards. Other technical specifications include a 10-step 4X digital zoom lens, as well as a fixed focus control with a macro function. The built-in flash offers red-eye reduction and there's a 10-second self-timer with acoustic and display countdown notification.

Four easy-to-use ArcSoft programs are supplied on the bundled CD-ROM, comprising PhotoBase 3.0 (image management), PhotoImpression 3.0 (image editor), VideoImpression 1.6 (video editor) and FunHouse 1.0 (combine two or more photographs using a step-by-step process). The CD-ROM also contains drivers for Windows and Macintosh platforms, although the 950 PowerC@m Zoom can't be used as a Web camera on Macs. If you decide to use your own software, images captured on the Trust 950 PowerC@m Zoom can be accessed from Windows' Explorer after connecting the camera to your computer.

Shots captured with the 950 PowerC@m Zoom are relatively bright and crisp, but tend to suffer from poor white balance, which results in a purple-like cast in parts of images (see test samples below). Shots are crisp, if a little grainy, and colours are fairly faithful in both bright and low-light environments. However, images do tend to blur a little at the corners and macro performance is mediocre, simply facilitating a slightly closer focus distance.

Owners of the 950 PowerC@m Zoom, as well as other Trust digital cameras, can now post digital photographs on Trust's Photo Site. On the Photo Site, you get 25MB of free Web space for saving still images in various albums. These albums can be then be accessed via user-definable addresses and shared with family, friends and acquaintances by sending them an invitation by e-mail, which contains a direct link to the personal online photo album. You can also password protect images to prevent them being viewed by unauthorised users.

Links:
950 PowerC@m Zoom test sample 1
950 PowerC@m Zoom test sample 2
950 PowerC@m Zoom Web site