Kodak MC3 Portable 0.08MP Digital Camera/Camcorder and MP3 Player

Product Description

The Kodak MC3 is the coolest pocket player out there. Catch all the action, wherever you go. It lets you shoot digital video or still pictures. Download and play your favorite MP3s. Share your memories over the Internet. The Kodak MC3 is one of the only MP3 players to offer a reflective preview screen, so you can use it even in bright sunshine. In music mode, you can view the artist's name, song title, and album.With Kodak MC3 there's no end to the fun! Plug the ear buds in for listening to music on the go. There are no moving parts, so skips are eliminated. With a removable Memory Card you can collect, display, record, download and play music, videos, still pictures and anything you want. Perfect for the active lifestyle, the Kodak MC3 is small, pocket size, and you can use it with one hand. The MC3 was designed with the Internet in mind. Quickly and easily download your favorite music and transfer your videos and pictures to your PC.

Amazon.com Review

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. Though the 16 MB card that comes with this model is enough to give you an idea of the MC3's potential, we think it's likely that most 16 MB MC3 purchasers will quickly upgrade to a larger card.

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

Customer Reviews:

best camcorder under $200.......2004-01-08

They should call this the MC1 because it's only useful as a camcorder. As a camcorder that is $120, it gets 5 stars. Everything else out there that is <$200 are ALL 10 frames per second. They claim to be cool but are extremely choppy and look like web cams. A TV is 30fps, movie theaters are 24fps and the MC3 is 20fps. Not perfect buy light years ahead of everything else. Yes it has other problems but nothing that the exact other brands don't have too. Face it; this is the best camcorder you are going to get for <$200. If you like choppy web cam action it will record in 10fps and give you 4X more recording. A 16mb card (included) will give you 1:17min @ 20fps, and a 256mb card will give you 20:06min @20fps. You should buy a 256mb card ($60 ebay) and at least 6 rechargeable AAA batteries + recharger ($25) I've spent days trying to find something better than this and still can't. This is the best of a the junk that is out there. If that means anything.

Could be better and could be worse.......2003-11-12

Overall i would have to say this player is an ok device. i mean for the year it came out in (2000) it was the bomb. But now that so many other much kooler products have cam out i definitly would not recomened gettting it now. If you are serching for the same capacitys of the kodak mac3 i would say go for an Archos. It is a little more but also i s alot better. it can play divx because you can download movies stright from your tv or computer. if not the Archos Av 140 then go for the RCA LYRA 20 gb. If your looking for a low quality mc3 player but it gets the job done go for this one.

Light is your friend..........2003-05-30

The only reason I got this little gadget was it's ability to do motion captures at 20fps. Unfortunately, it really only works in well-lit areas, even though the audio capture is surprisingly good. MP3 works well and image capture is mediocre to bad. But for all these features at under [money], it's actually quite a bargain.

Excelent Performance.......2003-01-18

I've owned a Kodak mc3 for 2 years. It is easy to use and perfect for someone with a small budget. It is compact, durable, and multifunctional. The picture quality is terrible, but if you dont plan on printing high quality photos (like me) you will find that this leads to smaller file sizes. I use this camera extensively for my websites. dont buy it if you olan on printing a lot of pictures.

Pros:
inexpensive
small file size
small
durable

Cons:
poor resolution

if your looking for an inexpensive, reliable camera for online or screen viewing, this is the camera for you.

It's a blast! Don't think - just buy it.......2002-12-13

What a blast this is! I love it. I primarily use it as an MP3 player. You can store about 12 songs on the 16 MB card. Works great, sounds great. Very easy to use. You can transfer songs using the provided Kodak software, or just copy/paste right out of Windows Explorer.

The camera is a nice bonus. Not great resolution but not too bad either. More of a toy than a serious camera. No flash is the biggest drawback. Holds a ton of pictures if the card is not full of MP3's.

The video feature is great too. Takes surprisingly long quicktime movies WITH SOUND! You get several minutes to record, not the 60 seconds you get with a typical digital camera. Very good mic picks up even low volume sounds. The video quality is okay, really meant for computer screens only.

Just buy it! You'll love it. For the price it is one hell of a deal.

Average customer rating:
BenQ V551 15" CRT Monitor

Manufacturer: BenQ
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All Monitors | Monitors & Projectors | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
15-Inch & Under | CRT | Monitors & Projectors | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
Accessories:

Belkin HDDB15M/F PC Monitor Extension Cable (6 FT)

Belkin F2N025-10 VGA HDDB15M/F Monitor Extension Cable (10 FT)

ViewSonic NextVision Video Processor

Sennheiser Px200 Collapsible High-Performance Closed Headphones (Black)

Logitech Z680 5.1 Computer Speakers (5-Speaker, Silver)

Product Features:

1,024 x 768 maximum resolution at 67 Hz

800 x 600 resolution at 85 Hz recommended

0.24 mm dot pitch, 13.9-inch viewable image size

Digital control with LED indicator

PC and Mac compatible; 3-year warranty

ASIN: B00006B6JW

Product Description

The V551 15" CRT Value Series monitor is a workhorse of a monitor. If you are setting up commercial workstations and need basic dependable 15" monitors, V551 has been designed and manufactured with you in mind.

Product Description

Enjoy this Slimline PCMCIA CD-RW Drive. Portable Slimline PCMCIA 8X/write 8X/rewrite 24X/read CD-Rewritable Drive needs no external power. The CRW-880 was developed to bring the power and flexibility of CD-RW technology to notebook PCs.

Product Description

With a combination of speed and style, the BenQ 5224WU portable CD-RW 52X drive meets all your digital and CD-RW demands. Using a USB 2.0 interface, burning CDs or storing back-up files from your laptop of PC is quick and easy.The 5224WU comes with Seamless Link technology that provides buffer under-run prevention to ensure a smooth recording process. Compatible with both PC and Macintosh systems, the 5224WU can be taken anywhere.From photo and video CDs to CD-ROMs and mixed-mode CDs, the 5224WU gives you the creative freedom to express yourself.

Average customer rating:
CSI/SPECO PBM-60 PA Background Sound Amplifier

Manufacturer: CSI/SPECO
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

Component Amplifiers | Receivers & Amplifiers | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Product Features:

Manufacturer Part Number: PBM-60

ASIN: B00009UH8B

Product Description

SPECO TECHNOLOGIES PBM-60, 60 WATT PA BACKGROUND SOUND AMPLIFIER

Product Description

DVI KVM Cables from Cables To Go combine style, quality, performance and value, while giving you decisive cable technology. These precision-engineered all-in-one KVM cables are designed for connecting your keyboard, mouse and flat panel to your DVI KVM. The DVI-D segment delivers the high-performance, high-bandwidth interface needed for video displays of today while leaving headroom for the products of tomorrow. The DVI-D dual link configuration provides enough bandwidth for resolutions up to 2048 x 1536 and allows high-speed digital transmission up to 9.9 Gbps. The connectors are color coded to match the ports on your personal computer or notebook, ensuring a simple connection. The black cable jacket disappears behind your desk leaving a clean organized look without the clutter and mess you have with ordinary individual extension cable products. Constructed with UL tested and certified cable, the DVI KVM Cable meets the rigid standards of everyday use. The cable is shielded with a dual foil and braid to minimize cross talk, noise and other interference. Shielded undermold soldered to the connector shell and cable braid create an end-to-end shielding solution for a noise-free connection.

Average customer rating:
CONCORD KEYSTONE EYEQ3346Z Camera, EYEQ3346Z, 3.1 Mp, 3X Opt

Manufacturer: CONCORD KEYSTONE
ProductGroup: Photography
Binding: Electronics

All Digital Cameras | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Under 4x Optical Zoom | Digital Cameras | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics
Digital Cameras | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Catronics PF080-A 8-inch Digital Photo Frame with 128 MB On-Board Memory

MOBI Technologies 3.5-Inch MobiFrame Digital Photo Frame (70027)

ASIN: B0006ZSV3M

Product Description

Concord Camera is a global developer, designer, manufacturer and marketer of high quality, low cost, popularly priced digital, instant, Advanced Photo System (APS), and 35mm format cameras and 35mm, APS, and instant format single-use cameras. Its mission is to be a world class, high quality, designer, manufacturer and marketer of low cost, popularly priced, easy-to-use imaging products in a team-oriented work environment that promotes responsible individual and corporate performance to assure customer satisfaction and enhance shareholder value.PRODUCT FEATURES: 3.1 Megapixel Sensor; 12x Zoom (3x Optical, 4x Digital); 1.5" TFT Color LCD (61K Pixels); AF Assist Lamp; Video Clips, QVGA Up to 15 fps; 6MB Internal Memory; SD Card Slot; 7 Scene Modes.

Average customer rating:
CMS Peripherals TPAT-20 EB 4200 RPM 20 GB Hard Drive EasyBundle for IBM ThinkPad A Series, T Series

Manufacturer: CMS
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Notebook | Internal Hard Drives | Hard Drives | Drives & Storage | Computer Add-Ons | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics
ASIN: B00006B97S

Product Description

The EasyBundle name says it all. Upgrading your notebook PC's hard drive couldn't be easier. EasyBundle lets you add a larger hard drive in just minutes. With EasyBundle, CMS have thought of everything. Simply transfer your data, applications and operating system from the old hard drive to the new one using the included PCMCIA card, transfer cable and Windows 95/98/NT software.This hard drive is designed for IBM ThinkPad "A" and "T" Series.

Product Description

Hands free! Carry your camera in this protective, ultra-padded waist pack - holds most palm-size camcorders and larger digital, 35mm point and shoot and APS cameras. Weather resistant material keeps equipment safe and secure.

Product Description

Canon is a leader in professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. Its extensive product line and digital solutions enable businesses and consumers worldwide to capture, store, and distribute information. Whatever the product, Canon?s emphasis on quality as well as original technologies has earned the trust of customers around the world.

Amazon.com Product Description

The Motorola FR60 2-way radios use the FRS band to help you keep in contact with family or friends. With 14-channel operation, you can easily switch among different channels for the clearest line of communication. The thirty-eight sub-channels offers additional privacy options. Their light (8-ounce) but sturdy bodies are designed to absorb minor impacts, and they features five individual call tones to notify you of incoming calls. The 2-mile range depends upon terrain and conditions. An enhanced backlit LCD screen apprises you of the radios' current settings and functions. Powered by three AA batteries (not included), the radios have up to twenty hours of standby battery life.

What's in the Box
Two FR60 radios, belt clip, user manual and a one year warranty.

Average customer rating:

Well worth buying!

Perfect for outings!

useful

radio

Excellent Product - I'd purchase one for everybody I know

Motorola FR60 2-Way Radio

Manufacturer: Motorola
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All Two-Way Radios | Two-Way Radios & Accessories | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
FRS Two-Way Radios | Two-Way Radios & Accessories | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Motorola | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Two-Way Radios | Radios & Communication | Emergency Preparedness | Custom Stores | Specialty Stores | Home Improvement | Home & Garden
Accessories:

Motorola TalkAbout Earbud with Microphone for All Series

Motorola TalkAbout Earbud with Push to Talk Microphone for 200 & 250 Series

Motorola TalkAbout Earbud with Inline Microphone for 200 & 250 Series

Motorola Waterproof Bag for Spirit GT and TalkAbout 2-Way Radios

Product Features:

Up to a 2-mile range

14 family radio service (FRS) channels

38 subcodes per channel--up to 532 frequency combinations

5 distinctive call tones when someone is trying to reach you

Enhanced backlit display

ASIN: B00004SUJG

Product Description

Now you can stay connected with friends and family whether you're on the slopes or at the mall. The easy-to-use fr60 radio offers 14 FRS channels as well as 38 interference eliminator codes for greater privacy. It also features 5 unique call tones to let you know when someone is trying to reach you. Designed originally for skiers who need to keep in touch on the slopes, this walkie-talkie is great for having a cool conversation inside a small and light box.

Amazon.com Review

Motorola is famous for its great FRS radios, and its Talkabout FR-60 offers perhaps the best combination of price and performance we've seen. The FR-60 communicates on all 14 FRS channels and also has 38 sub-codes (also known as privacy codes) per channel, so it usually isn't too tough to find an open channel in a crowded place. It also offers great sound clarity and a range that met or exceeded that of any other FRS radio we've tested.

The dark blue device is solidly constructed, and although it isn't the smallest FRS radio on the market, it is very comfortable to hold. The large transmit button on the side is rubber-coated and easy to press when you need to talk, but difficult to press by accident. A small red LED lights up on the top when you are transmitting, so you can always tell if the device is working. A bullet-shaped knob on the top is used to turn the radio on and adjust the volume, and the small rubber antenna bends a bit and therefore is unlikely to snap off if you drop the radio. There's a menu key that's used in conjunction with up/down arrows to select channels and choose a call tone. The FR-60 has five of these tones, which can be used to call other people on your same channel by transmitting a short series of beeps and chirps that alert the other people in your party that you are about to speak.

The FR-60 was a joy to use, providing great sound quality throughout the volume range. We never achieved the two-mile maximum range Motorola advertises, but then again, no FRS radio will unless you are using it on a large body of water or across an enormous empty field. Suffice it to say the FR-60's real-world performance was right up there with the best of them, and even though two of the radios are fairly costly, it's still a great value if you need the features it offers. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

Supports all 14 FRS channels and 38 sub-codes per channel
Excellent range and sound quality
Quality construction

Cons:

Bulkier than some FRS radios we've tested

Amazon.com Product Description

Recently, the FCC allocated the family radio service (FRS) band to consumers. Its frequency range of 462.5625 MHz to 467.7125 MHz permits the manufacturing of personal two-way radios with a range of up to 2 miles. The Motorola FR50 two-way radio uses the FRS band to help you keep in contact with family or friends. It's ideal for use when you're running errands and enjoying outdoor activities, and it lets you talk to anyone for free. Communicate between cars traveling in a group, or from base camp to canoe. With 14-channel operation, you can easily switch among different channels for the clearest line of communication. And operating the FR50 couldn't be easier--just push a button to talk and release to listen.

Its light (8-ounce) but sturdy body is designed to absorb minor impacts, and it features five individual call tones to notify you of incoming calls. The 2-mile range depends upon terrain and conditions. You can place an outgoing call with the press of a button. An enhanced backlit LCD screen apprises you of the radio's current settings and functions. It also has an accessory-ready jack for headphones and microphone. Powered by three AA batteries (not included), the FR50 has up to 20 hours of standby battery life. To enjoy all the ease and fun of FRS connectivity, you'll need to have at least a pair of two-way radios.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth buying!.......2001-10-19

I went into the store to buy some Cobra Family Radios, and the salesman was so adamant that these were better, and that their range beat the Cobra hands down, that I reluctantly gave in. Now, I've never tested them against the Cobra, but I have tested them, car to car, simultaneously against my mother's Audiovox pair. NO CONTEST. The Audiovox's were full of static, and were out of range long before the Motorola's. She even thought her Audiovox's were defective and sent them back, but the replacement pair was just as bad.

These are easy to operate--you need not carry the manual around with you. Easy to change channels, and BTW, we've been on the same channel for the couple years we've owned these, and have only experienced interference once. If you have the batteries out for too long, the channel resets to #1, so watch that.

We use them often to communicate from car to car on trips. We use them at sports events when the kids are playing at the same time, and even in the grocery store. The only challenge is remembering to take them along!

Perfect for outings!.......2001-06-30

I mostly use my fr60's for paintball, so the privacy codes are a must. The privacy codes not only keep other random people from blocking your transmissions with their chatter, it also keeps the opposing team from listening to you talk with your teammates! I've also used them for multi-car road trips, and have never had a problem with distance or reception quality (something I *did* have problems with in a cheaper brand FRS radio my family bought)

useful.......2001-06-25

These are very useful. I got two of these for my birthday. They can communicate about one and half miles in my town which has so many trees! I think they're good if you do not want to pay a lot of money. I rated it four stars because it doesn't have features like auto-power off and its a bit big but the problem with the size is probably because they are so armored because I dropped them so many times and they still work! they can really help in museums if you split up and I know that because once me and my family did not have these and we had a very hard time finding each other. If you need good two-way radios don't waste all your money on those 130$ each radios! All they have is features like watches which you can find out by just looking at your wrist and all those features don't even have anything to do with communication! Do the right thing and buy at least one pair of FR60s! I very strongly recommend these and this is why. 1.They dont cost a lot. 2.All their features are for communication. 3.They are well armored. 4.It is very easy to adjust the volume. 5.they have 38 subcodes and 14 channels. and that is the basic reason I like them after having them almost 5 months. I hope I have convinced you to buy this product. Good luck choosing a Two-Way radio!

radio.......2001-05-30

I think that the motorola fr60 is the best. The whole family has them. we use them everywhere we go.........

Excellent Product - I'd purchase one for everybody I know.......2001-03-03

This is the best two way radio I've ever seem. It is impressive in terms of usage range. It is funny to use, and even my parents understood how to use it with a short explanation. I'd recommend you to purchase one if you are the kind of guy that wants to be communicated all the time or wants to make an expedition with a group of friends in different cars. An excellent purchase.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics