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Under 2 Megapixels

Argus DC3500 2MP Digital Camera

Argus DC3500 2MP Digital Camera

List Price: $149.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Value in Small Package
Review: I got this camera with an Amazon.com Gift Certificate. This is a great starter camera. Easy to use. Easy to download pictures. The software that comes with it makes all pictures look clear and focused. Uses 4-AAA batteries, that you will be buying a lot of. Overall, a great buy for any digital camera looker. If you are looking for a nice camera, at a low price, look no further.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Digital Camera, Bad battery Life
Review: I own Argus DC3550 instead of DC3500. The model I have has 3xoptical/2xdigital zoom and can take up to 2.1 Megapixels JPEG picture. This is my first digital camera and so far I am satisfied with its performance.
Pros:
- Price is low if not the lowest. Good for entery level photographer.
- Big 1.8" LCD display.
- build in flash with auto/red eye/night/fill-in options.
- Has Video Output function.
- Comes with a camera bag.

- Easy to set up when you first use it.
- User friendly USB PC interface. Just plug in Windows ME/2000/XP and the machine will recognize the camera as a removeable driver.
- The picture taken is clear even in the 640x480 mode. I tried taking pictures outdoor and indoor with 60 Watts light on. The pictures are terrific.

Cons
- The batteries drain very fast. I can only take 20 pictures when my 4 AA alkaline batteries died. I have to use NiMH rechargeable batteries instead.
- Can only take 12 seconds movie.
- You have to take off the len cap before you start the camera. Otherwise it will shut off automatically.
- The power button seems not functioning properly sometimes.
- No AC adapter.

Considering the price of this camera and the features it provides, I rate this camera as 4 star. If you are a beginner and your budget is tight, this camera is absolutely a choice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Argus 3550 ...Excellent Buy
Review: I picked up an Argus 3550, which is the zoom version of the 2 megapixel camera, .... It was on sale ... I figured at this price I'd surely be dissapointed as the quality surely was not any good.

But was I wrong. I've owned several digital cameras including the two Olympus, two Cannon's one Nikon and my current Canon D-60. This camera really surprised me, especially for the value and surprising reasonable picture quality. Battery life with 4-AA rechargeable Ni-mh batteries has been as good as my Nikon 950. Picture quality is good; surprisingly good. ...The downloads from the camera to my PC have gone very easily as the camera was instantly recognized by my XP machine at home. I've not bothered using the onboard software as XP can handle photos fine.

I had a week to make up my mind if I wanted to keep the camera, and the decision is quite easy - it is a keeper. This is an inexpensive good camera and will make a good gift for my son who is off to college this fall.

...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ARGUS, they might make good file cameras but not digital.
Review: I purchased the ARGUS DC3500 after careful review and comparison. The Argus people need to go back to the drawing board on this camera. I had the following problems: Image Quality (color is very very bad); Battery life (I got 10 pictures max); The camera overheated; You could'nt tell if the camera was on or not and when it was it didn't work well at all. The argus is also very particular about what type of memory media you try to use with it. The argus has very poor firmware, even the words are not spelled correctly (what does out of momery mean exactly??). In a word, spend ... more and get something better ...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: DC3500 Fails Power Convenience Test & Cost Test
Review: I recently purchased this camera from Amazon.com. Worst problem is that it only takes about 8 pics in high resolution, and it requires 4 expensive AAA batteries. Tried new Kodak[tm] rechargeable batteries, and it won't work (voltage is 4x1.2vdc). Manual says an optional AC adapter is available, but
I called the Argus center in IL - no AC adapter available. Never was! Manual has many spelling errors - often says "RAGE" for "RANGE" several places.
I may have to write this one off after a week! Don't buy it, as it will cost you BIG BUCKS in disposable batteries and psychic pain!
It sounded theoretically good. Uses too much power! It makes
noises. No instructions on how to insert an optional memory card properly (no diagrams or tips). Had I designed it, I certainly would have done a better job with the manual.
I took only a few good closeup pics at the 15 cm range before the single use batteries died. I put in another set of batteries, and I used them up in some quick experimental shots.
I did determine that an AC adapter should have a center (+). The DC jack looks to require about 3 mm OD by 1 mm ID. Argus people suggested that an AC adapter output 5 VDC with power requirement of 1.7 amps. The manual says 5 to 6 VDC and 2 amps. You would have to make your own AC adapter, and that would be hard getting it right. I am not even sure of the DC connector.
In summary, with proper lighting, this economically priced camera could (perhaps) perform well, if you could get an AC adapter. It appears you need to forget rechargeables for this camera, as I found out sadly that it merely blinks and turns off (presumably due to low voltage, needing higher volts that provided by rechargeables rated near 1.2 VDC each).
If you want HAPPINESS instead of the CURSE, better forget this one! I may take a total loss - because I don't have time for this sort of nonsense. I feel like suing Argus for breach of contract (no actual AC adapter, just a theoretical one). Right now, I am inclined to think ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE RECALLED!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nice pictures.. battery life is short among other things
Review: I wanted to upgrade to a newer camera, but can't afford to pay [$] or more for a better camera. So, I figure I'd try Argus' DC3500... It takes nice pictures even in low light. That is about the only thing I liked on it.

Batteries lasted only a couple of days. They give you 4 AAA Kodak batteries. You'd probably have better luck with rechargeables.

When you want to download the pictures to your computer, you have to plug it in with the USB and go into a temporary folder, that pops up, to get them. Then you have to save them to another folder on your computer or in MGI PhotoSuite to be able to do anything with them. REASON: when you disconnect the camera, the folder disappears. (They tell you this in the manual)

Overall, I liked my Kodak DC3200 1.2 MP digital camera better. It didn't have good resolution, but was more user friendly.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not great, not bad -- but can't beat the price
Review: I'm not sure what one reviewer's problem with the batteries is. Yes, it does run through batteries fairly quickly, which is a pain, but I certainly didn't run through 8 batteries learning how to set it up! But it is a battery hog. I use rechargeables and have to carry an extra set with me if I'm going to be shooting a lot, but I shot about 50-60 high-quality small format (4x6) pics on one set -- and that was using the flash. Another problem is the battery indicator only warns me at the last minute that my batteries are dying. That's a pain. This happens more with the rechargeables than alkaline disposables. Maybe the rechargeables don't delivery juice as quickly.

I got the camera with a bundle: Epson C42 photo printer, Dazzle flash card reader, 64 MB flash card, all for [a good price], so I'm not complaining. The only problem I'm having is that Windows XP won't recognize the camera through the USB port, but that's not a big deal since I have the card reader. For some reason WinME recognizes it fine.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not great, not bad -- but can't beat the price
Review: I'm not sure what one reviewer's problem with the batteries is. Yes, it does run through batteries fairly quickly, which is a pain, but I certainly didn't run through 8 batteries learning how to set it up! But it is a battery hog. I use rechargeables and have to carry an extra set with me if I'm going to be shooting a lot, but I shot about 50-60 high-quality small format (4x6) pics on one set -- and that was using the flash. Another problem is the battery indicator only warns me at the last minute that my batteries are dying. That's a pain. This happens more with the rechargeables than alkaline disposables. Maybe the rechargeables don't delivery juice as quickly.

I got the camera with a bundle: Epson C42 photo printer, Dazzle flash card reader, 64 MB flash card, all for [a good price], so I'm not complaining. The only problem I'm having is that Windows XP won't recognize the camera through the USB port, but that's not a big deal since I have the card reader. For some reason WinME recognizes it fine.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Bang for the Buck
Review: It would be hard to beat this camera for the price. It has a small LCD display but that is to be expected at the small price you pay for it. Most 2.1 megapixel cameras cost at least $200 so it is hard to go wrong with the Argus. I have only used it a few times (just got it a couple of days ago,) but I love it. Takes great pictures, which print out fantastically on my new Canon S750, which I highly recommend. Why pay for features you don't need??? Need a small digital camera for quick pictures? Get this camera! One small error though. The description states it uses 2 AA batteries, when in fact it uses 4 AAA's, which incidentally comes with the camera (alkaline.) I have ordered some NiMH batteries to use with this camera, along with the SanDisk 128MB CompactFlash card. Get one of these!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good for the Money!
Review: Its a good digital camera.. Poor Battery Life, Definetly get some rechargables, as well as a Compact flash card.. Uses 4AAA. ViewFinder is horrible and you gotta use LCD which takes up a lot of power to get your picture right. Great for begginers, good for the price. You definetly get what you pay for, and plus a tiny bit more.. Comes with a handy case and arm strap. Overall, NOT BAD!


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