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
Product Description
Snap the eyemodule2 digital camera into the Springboard expansion slot and you're ready to capture and view images and mini-movies, label them, and beam them to other PalmOS devices. Images and mini-movies 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 process. Install the included software on your Windows or Macintosh computer to automatically save images as JPEGs, mini-movies in QuickTime, e-mail and print your images.
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