Argus DC 1620 Digital Camera

I love taking photos, and always wanted a digital camera. However, I never really wanted to shell out "big bucks" for one, and was always on the lookout for a deal. While in Sears about six months ago, I was browsing in the electronics area and happened upon....

The Argus DC1620 Digital Camera.

It was small, compact, and under $30.00. I figured that it might perform decently well, and for the reasonable price, I may as well try it. Little did I know that I was in for a MAJOR disappointment!

Argus makes these statements about their DC1620 Digital Camera:

"This fun, digital still camera combines ease of use, fashion-forward styling and all around value. Quick PC connectivity and one-click controls mean fast, on the go snapshots anytime."


Key Product Specifications:


Resolution:---------0.3 Megapixel

Pixel Resolution:---640X480 (VGA)

Memory:-------------8 MB S-DRAM

USB:----------------Version 1.1 Or Higher

Display:------------Status LCD

Power:--------------2 AA Batteries

Software:-----------ArcSoft Photoimpression


Package Contents

-Argus DC1620 Digital Camera
-Wrist Strap
-2 AA Batteries
-Quick User Guide
-Software CD
-USB Cable






Let's Start Out With Appearance, Shall We?

The Argus DC1620 Digital Camera fits- (length and width wise)- in the palm of my hand. Rectangular in shape, it sports rounded edges--and outwardly looks quite attractive. Half of the body is made of silver-colored plastic, while the other half is colored a slightly sparkly black. This "black half" feels a bit rubbery.
(The Argus logo is done in silver on the bottom of the black half of the front of the camera).

The back of this camera contains the following:

- A small, silver button to adjust the resolution of photos taken. You can choose "HI" or "LOW".

- The other small, silver button is for erasing photos stored in the camera.

- There is a little silver "On/Off" switch for the "flash" feature.

- The clear viewfinder is made of cheap plastic that is also framed in silver. It is about half an inch wide.

- The LCD screen is about the same size as the viewfinder, and displays the number of pictures stored in the camera-as well as the resolution of the photos taken.


*On the bottom part of the right side of this camera is a little port covered by a rubber flap. This is for attaching the USB cable to upload pictures to your hard disk.

*On the left side is a silver compartment that opens up. This compartment houses the necessary 2 AA batteries that power this beauty. (If you do not want to use battery power, you can just plug the USB cable into your computer and it will run on power derived from that. When you disconnect the camera from the port, it will automatically shut off).

*The top of the camera features a flimsy, rectangular button that is the "Power" switch for this camera.
Use this to turn it on and off in battery power mode. (This button also doubles as the one you push to take pictures with).


My Experience


After eagerly ripping into the package, I first attempted to install the included software--
ArcSoft Photoimpression*. The CD also contains the camera driver.

*(This is crucial, since the camera is not recognized as a "hard drive" when attached to the USB port. You MUST upload your photos using this program!)

After installing the program and plugging the USB cable into the port, the DC1620 Digital Camera came to life. It made a beeping sound when turning on, so at least I knew it was working. My computer recognized it as a
"USB Device", and the little icon stayed in my toolbar.

I disconnected the camera from the USB cable so I could take it in another room to test out. After putting the two included AA batteries in the device, I flipped the little switch to turn on the flash, and the indicator glowed red. (I also initially tried the camera in low resolution, since it will hold more pictures). I focused on my kitty, pushed the top button, waited about 3 seconds, and heard a beep. The flash worked, and the picture was taken.
The LCD screen now registered "001", since one photo was now stored. (Since there is not picture preview, you must upload the photos before you can see them).


The Downward Spiral

I eagerly ran back to my computer, plugged in the USB cable, and opened up the Photoimpression program to upload the photo. However, when I clicked on "Get Photos", I got a little pop-up message that informed me that the camera driver was "Not Ready". I unplugged the cable from the USB port and tried another one, and this time the software seemed to work.

I successfully uploaded the image, but gasped in horror when I saw it. Seriously. The room where I took the photo was dark, so that is why I used the flash. However, all I saw was an ugly, blinding whiteness that took up the screen. My cat was nowhere to be seen, as the brightness of the flash seemed to drown out everything in the picture! I ran back to the room and tried again--this time with soft background lighting, sans flash. It turned out a tad better, but was so fuzzy and pixelated that it wasn't even worthy of the 640X480 rating. I was incredibly disappointed!

However, I decided to give this camera a chance. Hey, maybe the first few pictures were bad, but who knows? I kept on trying. Picture after picture was taken over the next few weeks, and the quality improved a bit, but was nothing to call home about. The best pictures looked fuzzy, while the worst ones continued to be blobs of white light. Colors looked faded and unnatural. However, since the DC1620 was cheap, I kept on using it for basic photos to send to my friends and family.

I also discovered that the PhotoImpression software allows the user to capture "Live Photos". (To use this feature, the DC 1620 Digital Camera MUST be connected to the USB port).
However, this camera does not "store video".
The "live" feature shows movement captured by the camera--until you press the "Capture" button, and then it will take a picture.

So, for instance, I hold the camera up to my face and see myself on the Photoimpression screen. When I am ready to take a picture, I can press "capture"--and the picture will be saved in the annals of my hard drive.

The quality of these photos were just as blurry and depressing as any other ones, though, and I quickly gave up on my dream of crystal-clear pictures. The difference between so-called "hi" and "low" resolution pictures was barely noticeable.



The Ugly

The Argus DC1620 Digital Camera was carried around in my backpack and purse--so I could haplessly try to capture photogenic moments when I came across them.

I never dropped or mishandled this device, so, when it failed to turn on one day, I was a bit surprised. At first, I thought it was the batteries. (Plan on incredibly short battery life, folks! Each pair lasts about a week or two..with a few pictures taken a day)!

After replacing the batteries with fresh ones, I tried to again power on this hunk of junk...with no response. I tried a few different new sets of batteries with the same result. The camera would only power up when I attached it via cable to my USB port. I was pretty discouraged by this time, since I would now only be able to take pictures while the camera was attached to my computer.
I began using the Argus DC1620 a LOT less often.

Also, I have had to delete and re-install the Photoimpression program and camera driver on my hard drive at least 8 times in the past few months. There have been plenty of times where the program wouldn't start. A lot of times the camera driver was- for some unknown reason- not recognized. Having to go through all of this trouble for a cheap camera was SO not worth it.



Further Rants and Musings

Since Sears had a 90-day return policy, and I had been too lazy to get this product off of my hands--too much time had gone by, and I was stuck with this little devil.

After taking up residence on a top shelf in my storage closet for quite a while, I brought it back out again. I have been using it sparingly for the occasional photo or two to send to a friend or post in a blog. The pictures are still fuzzy, harsh, and hazy- and I have to use a good photo editor to make them look decent.

All of these efforts are not worth my time, and I am saving up money for a reliable model. I guess I certainly got what I paid for!


My Recommendation

Are you looking for a camera for your very young child to play with? This camera might be a good match for the much less photo-serious. However, it IS rather flimsy, and looks like it can't take much of a beating.

But, if you are looking for a decent model to preserve your memories with, do not, I repeat..DO NOT..risk it with the DC1620 Digital Camera. Sure, it's only about thirty bucks or so, but that is thirty bucks that you could be saving up for a much better model.

If you like hassles, headaches, and blurry photos, then by all means- this is for you!

As for myself, I am washing my hands of this torrid affair.

The Argus DC1620 Digital Camera is no friend of mine, and I regret spending the thirty bucks.

Oh well, like they say....Live and Learn!


Visit "www.arguscamera.com" to learn more!



Thanks for reading! :)