Argus Bean 5MP 16MB 1.5IN LCD USB Li-on Battery Red

Other products by VisionTek

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0019K6MS4
• Item model number: BEAN 5 MP - RED
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,942 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 15, 2008

Product Description

Product Description

Keep your adventures close at hand with the Bean 5 Megapixel Carabiner Digital Camera. Whether camping, hiking or just having fun, there?s nothing like it.Take the Bean anywhere: add it to your keyring, thread it through your athletic bag strap, or clip it to your belt loop for access any time. This easy-to-use model incorporates a versatile design with simple operation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for kids or as an expendable second camera, December 22, 2008

By	Todd (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

I bought this for a 13-yr-old who is interested in photography. I like that it has 5 different white balance settings and a manual exposure control, but that it also functions fairly well in "auto" mode. The camera can record video with sound, and can even function as a web cam. The internal rechargeable battery means never having to spend money on alkalines, but if it goes dead and you are not near an outlet, then you are out of luck. It is rugged in the sense that it can take bumps and splashes, but I can't see this camera lasting more than five years due to the joystick and the lifetime of the battery. It can be set to imprint the date and time of your photo, or you can turn this off easily.

The flash is completely worthless and should be avoided. The manual exposure control allows some compensation in low light, but this is more of an "outdoor" camera. The included software is mostly useless, but you don't need it. The camera is instantly recognised by the PC and functions like a flash drive to allow for drag and drop. I would advise not even installing the software unless you have a very old PC.

This camera will NOT replace a $200 point-and-shoot, but it's a decent option when you don't want to risk damage to or theft of your $200 camera. It's also a preferable option to letting your child use your more expensive camera.

There is no tripod mount thread and there is no flat surface on the bottom to rest the camera on, so you are restricted to hand-held operation. It has a self-timer option (10 or 20 seconds), and it there is a "burst mode" that allows three automatic shots in rapid succession. The picture quality is better than most cellphone cameras, as long as you don't use the flash. It's about as good as disposable film cameras, but without the cost of developing the film and with the benefit of instantly being able to see how the picture turned out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great little camera, December 14, 2008

By	E. Chen (Ellicott City, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This little camera would be a great gift for any kid. Despite the built-in clip, the unit is not as rugged as it seems, and it is NOT waterproof. Picture quality is surprisingly good, however the camera does not have any real metering system for the flash, so shots are typically over-exposed when the flash is used. Best photos are obtained outside with natural light. When I got it for $60, it was a bargain, but nowadays you can usually find a better camera for slightly more (less than $100) so the choice to get this one is tougher to make.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Camera for Kids, December 22, 2008

By	James C. Bell (Georgetown, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We bought this camera for our seven year old and it was a great choice. Keep in mind that this is an inexpensive camera and was designed to be handled roughly. It packs a lot of features for the dollar spent. If you are looking for precision and high quality photography, this is not the camera you want. But, it is EXACTLY what we wanted for our kiddo. It is very easy to use and our daughter mastered every feature on the camera in short order. We put a 2MB card in it so she can take a ton of pictures, look at them and delete as she pleases without having to load them on the computer. It does much of what the more expensive cameras will do. It turns itself off after a short period of inactivity, which is a good thing for kids that tend to just set things down and walk off from them. Also, we like the fact that it can be charged rather than having to load it with new batteries all the time. Highly recommended.