Kodak PalmPix Digital Camera for Palm m100 series Handhelds

by Kodak

Product Details

Product Manual [9.46mb PDF]

• 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: B0000520I5
• Item model number: 1073410
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For spur-of-the-moment snapshots, it doesn't get much easier than the PalmPix digital camera for the Palm m100 handheld. Just snap the camera--the size and weight of a small candy bar--into the sync port at the bottom of your handheld. Tap the PalmPix icon with your stylus, then press the menu button. The camera's preview function is immediately activated, capturing images as you pan around the room. When you see the picture you want, press the menu button again to take the photo and save it onto the Palm.

At this point, you can view a list of the photos stored in the Palm, along with the time and date they were shot, and you can give each photo a unique name. You can also change the settings for higher (640 x 480 pixels) or lower resolution (320 x 240 pixels). The top resolution of pixels is far higher than similar digital-camera modules for handhelds, and it shows in the good clarity and depth.

We did find that lighting was a bit of an issue--the PalmPix lacks a flash and ordinary indoor lighting often results in muddy images. We also found that using the PalmPix in glaring sunlight outside or near a window made the high-resolution images come out with too much contrast. Making sure our subject was close to a good source of indoor lighting seemed to be the best solution.

The camera can also be awkward to position. The PalmPix lens is on the bottom left of the handheld's underside, and we found ourselves flipping the m100 around quite a bit at first trying figure out the correct orientation.

Once we got the hang of it, though, the PalmPix was a fun way to take pictures at a party or meeting. And transferring it to our desktop PC was simple. Within the PalmPix application, we marked the photos we wanted to upload, then simply performed a HotSync.

The PalmPix software allows you to view your pictures on your desktop PC in color (images will be seen in grayscale on the Palm m100), as well as edit, enhance, e-mail to friends, and add things like special effects, text, and borders. Another nifty feature for narcissistic types like ourselves was the self-timer, which gave us 10 seconds to primp before a beep announces that the photo is about to be taken.

Overall, the PalmPix is a great toy for Palm m100 users--fun for perking up a slow day at the office, e-mailing snapshots to your friends, or capturing charts and graphs for later viewing. --L.E. Klein

Pros:

• Good image capture, especially in high-resolution mode
• Light and easy to install
• Smooth interface with Palm and desktop PC

Cons:

• Bright sunlight can give high-resolution images too much contrast
• No flash for darker indoor situations

Amazon.com Product Description

Turn your Palm m100 into a digital camera with Kodak's latest PalmPix expansion. This new PalmPix is compact and lightweight, and lets you frame, take, view, and transfer pictures to your Palm. You can then transfer images to your desktop or laptop using the HotSync cradle or beam pictures to another handheld user via infrared port.

Although pictures from the PalmPix camera are in full color, they are viewed on the Palm m100 LCD screen as grayscale images. To transfer images, use the Palm's HotSync cradle. The pictures are then stored as standard JPEG or BMP files on your PC (JPEG or PICT for Macintosh). They can be accessed as full-color VGA (640 by 480) pictures, then manipulated, e-mailed, printed, and/or saved.

The camera features a fixed-focus lens with a 36-inch-to-infinity focus range, 2x digital zoom, and auto white balance. Until images are transferred to a computer, they are stored in the Palm handheld computer as VGA files requiring approximately 100 KB of memory per image.

Included in the box are one Kodak AAA alkaline battery, a user's manual, and software for the user interface and host. The PalmPix is compatible with Windows 95, 95B, 98, 98SE, NT 4.0, and 2000; and Macintosh 7.5.5 to 9.0.4.

This camera comes with a one-year warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It worked with my Palm m105, June 13, 2001

By 

Martin A. Tyce (West Point, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodak PalmPix Digital Camera for Palm m100 series Handhelds (Office Product)

I recently entered the Handheld world (a Palm m105) and thought buying the camera would be an inexpensive way to take digital pictures. I read reviews stating that the camera would not work with the m105, but after much trepidation, decided to buy it anyway.

I run a Mac operating system, and the camera works well on it. I had some problems finding the pictures on my hard drive, but I called the (800) number for Kodak, and a representitive assisted me in finding my photos.

As far as the quality of photos, I bought it to take pictures of my wife and children to e-mail to the grandparents. It works great for that. It is easy to use, although sometimes the pictures are blurry. I don't expect to win any photo contests with it, but that's not what I bought it for.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big Disappointment in a Small Package, May 29, 2001

By 

Colin Paterson "b-lever" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kodak PalmPix Digital Camera for Palm m100 series Handhelds (Office Product)

This device is touted as compatible with the m105 Palm device...but it isn't. When attached, I get nothing but a blank screen and a low-battery indicator. A little jiggling around and there's almost a picture -- but no!

I bought this thinking that an earlier buyer with a similar problem must have made some silly mistake. Because Kodak says this will work with the m105 on their website!

Well. I'll be believing my fellow buyers a little more in the future.

This purchase is a huge disappointment. I put a lot of thought into making it and decided to take the leap. Too bad I didn't have better information about the product.

I hope other potential buyers will be aware enough to avoid my mistake.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for fun., January 24, 2002

By 

Andrey (Kazakhstan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodak PalmPix Digital Camera for Palm m100 series Handhelds (Office Product)

Don't expect too much from the camera and enjoy!
It have some serios disadvantages:
1. The pictures blured near the sides of pictures.
2. Digital zoom is just joke. The Palmpix takes a part of 640x480 image and extend it to 320x240 image.
3. To make good indoor picture you MUST have a good light.
4. Image trasfer from PalmPix to Palm takes time.
5. Also images transfer from Palm to PC is time consuming process.

But I think it is good add-on to unexpensive Palm. You don't have to carry several devices and make your Palm like simple photo-camera.