ixla

SRP/SP:	$149.95/$126
Requirements:	PowerMac, Mac OS 8.6 or higher, 64mb of ram, 100mb disk space, CD drive, available USB port
What’s Hot:	Compact, USB-based, good software, TV-out
What’s Not:	Tiny buttons, 640×480 only, no image-preview display, no removable media

Following on the heels of TechWorks PowerCam and KB Gear’s JamCam, ixla has
jumped into the low-end Mac camera market with their Photoeasy DualCam.
ixla is squarely targeting entry-level users with this camera. Their site
features a picture of one connected to a slot-loading iMac, and sports
phrases like, “…digital imaging made fun, easy, and affordable”, “create
custom calendars and postcards”, and sports no less than nine exclamation
points.

That being said, the DualCam is
appropriately matched for this audience.

The camera itself is tiny and light. It can easily fit in a shirt pocket,
fanny pack, or purse. Included with the DualCam are 2 Alkaline AA
batteries, a wrist strap, a CD packed with drivers and helpful
image-editing software, and manuals for both the software and the camera
itself. The documentation is particularly good; it is well-written and
generally easy to follow.

The DualCam sports a surprisingly robust array of features. A built-in
TV-out port, and included composite video cable, allow still images to be
displayed on most home entertainment systems. Built-in flash, timer
settings, and tripod mount are also included. Speedy USB connectivity is
standard, along with decent drivers for downloading images. The USB
connection is a little odd, though, in that the camera actually appears to
have a serial port combined with a serial-to-USB adapter cable, instead of
a plain vanilla USB port and a straight USB A->B cable. Regardless, the
camera is hot-swappable and downloading images seems quick enough.
Transferring 30+ images took about 40 seconds. On my old QuickTake, it
would’ve taken over 10 minutes. I guess I can’t complain.

The software suite is feature-packed and fairly easy to use. Included on
CD are ixla Photo Easy, Corel Photo House, Corel Project Designer, and
Canto Cumulus. It is, admittedly, fun to warp and twist photos in Cumulus,
catalog them in Photo House, and incorporate them into a variety templates
through Project Designer. These are neat programs. Luckily, the driver
also allows direct downloading through Photoshop (though you then need to
manually open an image to edit it). This, again, all goes back to a
question of audience: I have Photoshop, use it regularly, and appreciate
being able to download camera pictures from it. ixla’s intended audience
for the DualCam would more than likely not already have PhotoShop.
That being said, it’s probably a bonus that the driver even works with
Photoshop. Added bonus: According to scrolling banner on ixla’s site,
free video conferencing software for the DualCam will also be available for
download soon.

And now the shortcomings: 640×480, no image-preview display, and no
removable media. In view of the bargain-basement price, I guess all of
these shortcomings are understandable. For most entry-level users, 640×480
should be fine. It would be nice if future versions could at least do
800×600, though. Despite the lack of removable media, the 2mb built-in
memory can hold either 32 “normal mode” images or 16 “fine mode” ones.
Again, that’s probably acceptable for their target audience. For the next
version, a SmartMedia or CompactFlash slot — even with just 4mb of
included memory — would be a welcome addition. These things cost money,
though, and would invariably inch-up that $150 price point.

The lack of a screen to preview images, or delete them on the fly, is
definitely inconvenient. Instead, the DualCam has a small, grey lcd
display for menu options and camera settings. This is helpful, but I was
still yearning for a color lcd screen to preview each image as I took it.
Admittedly, color lcd screens in digital cameras are probably one of the
single largest expenses — and battery drainers. So, the lack of a screen
is really a mixed blessing: it’s a pain, but I’ve already taken over 80
pictures and the batteries are still going-on strong. The battery life is
even more impressive considering the camera doesn’t include an ac adapter,
and as a result all downloads to the computer are dc-based.

A word of warning about the menu
display: the buttons, including the one for turning the camera on and off,
are excruciatingly small. Anyone with Seinfeldian “Man Hands” will find
navigating through menu options nothing short of a chore. I found myself
resorting to pressing the buttons with my fingernails.

As for actual picture quality, my own questionable photography skills
aside, images taken on the DualCam generally look OK. I tested it on both
a Wallstreet PowerBook (G3/300), using a Macally CardBus to USB adapter,
and a Rev. B iMac. Both systems were running Mac OS 9.04. Under a variety
of lighting conditions, the DualCam consistently washed-out and subdued
colors. However, it was nothing that couldn’t be corrected in Photoshop or
one of the included Corel programs. The image to the left, comprising a
bunch of random Mac stuff I had in my closest, has been resized and
sharpened, and the saturation level has been increased by roughly 30%.
Since images can be downloaded from the camera directly from Photoshop, the
whole process of imported and tweaking this image took less than 3-4
minutes. The end result is still not going to win any awards, but it’s
not bad.

The DualCam documentation states that the camera will only work with
manufacturer installed USB ports. I was initially concerned about this
since my PowerBook uses a USB PC card, but didn’t experience any problems.
For desktop systems, the documentation also states that the camera must be
plugged directly into the computer, as opposed to using the USB ports on
the keyboard. I’m guessing a self-powered USB hub would probably work, as
well.

This review was originally going to be a “shoot-out” between the PowerCam,
JamCam 3.0, and DualCam. At this writing, however, both the PowerCam and
JamCam 3.0 were unavailable. As such, it’s difficult to say how the
DualCam stacks up against either of its closest competitors. By itself,
the DualCam is OK. To me, it is the “Credence Clearwater Revival” of
digital cameras: low production value, certainly not great, but still
pretty good. (An odd comparison, I know.) Despite the limited resolution,
lack of a preview screen, and lack of removable media, this camera will
probably meet the needs of many hobbyists, avid Ebay auctioneers, or anyone
else on a tight budget. For the rest of us, though, consider forking out
another $70 - $100 and getting something a couple of steps up.

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