Bell & Howell BH-40 1.3MP PC Digital Camera

by Bell + Howell

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005B43Q
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,556 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 15, 2001

Product Description

Charger Nickle Metal Hydride

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good toy for kids, bad camera for adults(you expected more?), April 4, 2002

By 

Bruce (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bell & Howell BH-40 1.3MP PC Digital Camera (Electronics)

I just bought this as a gift for a 13-year-old. I tried it out today just to make sure (a) it worked and (b) it was good enough to be a nice gift. I was satisfied on both counts.

Both the camera and the software succeeded in taking a few photos and getting them on my PC. The photo quality is somewhat lower than you'd get from the cheapest ... film cameras. However, it's fine for having fun with and for sharing images on the web.

I should note a few limitations that weren't obvious to me before purchasing. There is an LCD to tell you what mode the camera is in, etc., but it does not show photos -- you have to transfer them to a PC first. The camera has 8MB of memory for storing photos, but if you use this memory rather than a CompactFlash card, you have to leave the camera power on (in "sleep mode" which they say drains new batteries in a month) until you transfer your pictures to a PC. Given that this is not a serious camera, these limitations seem reasonable.

On the plus side, the camera has a lot of features (video output, movie capability, respectable resolution) and includes USB and TV cables as well as a suprising amount of software (even a utility for assembling panoramics). I should note that I haven't tried these features -- just basic photography and transfer to my PC.

If you want to remember a vacation, your kids, etc., then buy a cheap film camera. But if you want to have fun with digital photography, and this camera is what your budget allows, then it's probably a good choice.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works fine, November 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bell & Howell BH-40 1.3MP PC Digital Camera (Electronics)

this camera.takes good photos,and doesn't delete photos,software works fine,and i've had no trouble with the camera.A photo taken with this camera is in the semi finals for a photo contest.So,buy that you know,it can take pretty pictures.Digital cameras differ from normal cameras,and take more practice,when taking pictures.It even takes photos through glass,even though the manual says not too.worth the money,especailly to a beginner,as i was.(with digital camera)Also,if you have a compact flash memory card,Which holds more photos, you can turn the power off etc,and you won't lose any photos as stated in some other reviews.You can delete photos from the mb card when it's full,after saving photos to a disk or computer and use the mb card over and over again.No more wasted film or film developing,when photo don't come out.the software has neat photo enhancment features as well.You can even turn your photos in to web projects,wallpaper,slideshows,and screensavers.If your photo is a little dark,light etc.you can edit your photos with the software.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this camera., March 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bell & Howell BH-40 1.3MP PC Digital Camera (Electronics)

This camera is a waste of your good money. The images are grainy and washed out. It is very sensitive to light, resulting in white faces and poor contrast. To top it all off, the camera seems to randomly delete photos as I take additional photos, and not because the memory is short.

To further complicate things, the software is klunky and doesn't always connect to the camera properly. The camera is manufactured by Jazz Photo. Neither Bell + Howell nor Jazz Photo seem to provide support for this camera or the software. Do not buy this camera.