Eyemodule2 Digital Camera Springboard Module for Handspring Visor

by Block Products

Product Details

Product Manual [3.46mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 2 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: B000059Z4N
• Item model number: EYEMODULE2
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Color: Eyemodule2

Amazon.com Review

Block Products follows up their original Eyemodule digital camera Handspring Visor module with the Eyemodule2, doubling the maximum resolution of color images to 640 x 480 while decreasing the amount of space required to store the pictures. The Eyemodule2 also captures video, although at a choppy 8 frames per second.

Like the original Eyemodule, the Eyemodule2 barely sticks out from the Visor module slot--just enough for the lens and capture button to protrude (with the lens cap on and the Visor in its leather case, the combination resembles a liquor flask). The Eyemodule2 is incredibly simple to use--the view that it sees is displayed on the Visor screen and the capture button freezes an image. You'll see the image onscreen, and if you don't like it you can easily erase it and try another.

Like with other digital cameras, a steady hand proves necessary to capture sharp images, and this was made more difficult by having to hold the Visor/Eyemodule2 in our palm instead of being able to brace it with both hands like a normal camera. It seemed that even our steadiest efforts came back a bit grainy when viewed at full size. But the quality is high enough for putting pictures up on the Web at reduced size or printing them out at 3 by 5 inches.

Block Products has improved their storage methods as well--640 x 480 color images take up less space than the 320 x 240 color images of the Eyemodule. We were able to house more than 60 shots on our Visor Deluxe with 6.5 MB of free memory. By dropping the images down to the 160 x 120 palm size (which are black and white on all Visors except the color Prism), the storage numbers increase by more than tenfold.

The Eyemodule2 also tosses video capture into the mix. At 8 frames per second and 160 x 120 resolution, it's not Lucas-level digital video, but it's enough to recognize folks and follow motion. The Prism captures video in color, but other Visors only do black and white. With 6 MB of free space, a little less than a minute and a half of black and white or 19 seconds of color video can be stored, so you won't be documenting the family reunion. The video files are converted to QuickTime when transferred to your PC, so they can be easily e-mailed or uploaded to family and friends.

Timed capture preferences let you take self-portraits, as well as set the Eyemodule2 up for some time-lapse photography, taking multiple pictures every few seconds, minutes, or hours. The timer also works for video, counting down and then automatically capturing the set length of video.

The Eyemodule2 isn't a substitute for a high-end digital camera, but it offers passable quality coupled with a lot of nifty features that up the value-add for this module. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Stores lots of pictures
• Captures video

Cons:

• Quality not great
• Video frame rates and storage limited

Amazon.com Product Description

Snap the eyemodule2 digital camera into the Springboard expansion slot and you're ready to capture and view images and minimovies, label them, and beam them to other PalmOS devices. Images & minimovies are viewed in real time on the Visor's screen, and can be captured using a single- or multiple-image timer.

Perfect for pictures at a moment's notice: a whiteboard at the end of a meeting, a dream house that just came on the market, a sign in Japanese (so you'll remember it next time), new faces at work, friends at a party, a snapshot of where you parked the car, nieces and nephews, or construction in progress.

Install the included software on your Windows or Macintosh computer to automatically save images as JPEGs or minimovies in QuickTime, then e-mail and print your images.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Quick Snaps.., June 11, 2000

By 

Mahesh Madhav (Stanford, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyemodule Digital Camera Springboard Module for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

The maximum resolution on this piece is 320x240 w/color, which is adequate for small web photos. The main qualm I have with this camera is that you cannot zoom at all. So for close up shots, you have to literally move close up. Not the ideal situation if you subject is far away. What the eyemodule has over other cameras is its size. You can carry it in your shirt pocket, and whip it out when you want to snap a picture. I like to carry a pair of AA batteries in the eyemodule pouch, since this sucker drains batteries pretty quickly. Email me if you want to see some real photographs using this thing (as opposed to the fluff on the eyemodule website)

84 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Think of it as a digital "Polaroid" with free film!, July 9, 2000

By 

Bruce Boyes (SLC, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyemodule Digital Camera Springboard Module for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

320x240 is about the quality of the instant Polaroid cameras - not great, but more than adequate for quick snaps. The eyemodule is so small you can take it with you everywhere and take some photos you would otherwise miss. My 2-1/2 year old daughter loves it because she can see the pictures right away on the Visor screen. I print them out 6 or 8 to an 8.5x11 page and they look fine at that size. It's really a fun challenge to try to create a good photograph with that few pixels. I'm planning to create an online gallery of images soon. The time-lapse feature is a lot of fun - set it up and the camera will capture images at intervals you have set. Snapped into the Visor, it doesn't look like a camera, so you can take candid shots and no one even knows you are taking photos. Color images are about 190 KBytes each, so you will want the 8 MB version of the Visor. I can imagine real estate agents, insurance adjusters, salespeople, househunters, and anyone with kids will enjoy this cool little camera. My other digital camera is a Kodak DC260 with 1536x1024 resolution. The eyemodule is clearly no competition for it, but they both have a place and a purpose. The eyemodule is a fraction of the price, much smaller in size, and can grab a shot within a second of turning it on. Think of the eyemodule as a very small, more flexible digital alternative to Polaroids and you won't be disappointed. At over $1 a shot for Polaroids, the eyemodule will quickly pay for itself too.

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun toy, but..., July 10, 2000

By 

Ian J. Fuller "Ian Fuller" (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyemodule Digital Camera Springboard Module for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

I received my eyemodule last week and was really impressed with its small size and weight. I took a load of test pictures in Seattle over the weekend, but was not able to review them because the PC software that came with the unit would not install on my PC. I kept on getting "Conduit not found" errors part way through the install process.

I was finally able to get through to eyemodule technical support this evening and the support person had me uninstall all the Palm Desktop software from my PC and soft reset the Visor. After I reinstalled everything, the conduit worked and I was able to view my pictures on my PC.

My, what a disappointment! Even photos taken a few feet away were dark and indistinct unless the subject was in bright sun. Now I know the camera's limitations I can use it effectively: get as close as you can to subjects in bright light - then you'll get photos just about good enough to e-mail.

The eyemodule is great for candid photogbraphy - no one thinks you're taking a snapshot, just fiddling with a handheld. If only the quality were better.

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