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Review: ixla Photoeasy DualCam Edition for the Mac

by Paul Cesarini

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, 640x480 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: 640x480, 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, 640x480 should be fine. It would be nice if future versions could at least do 800x600, 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.