Traveler DC-8600 - any good as only £179.99 for 8.1meg pixels ???

[slewis1972]

Hi

Aldi - have a special:

http://www.aldi.co.uk/special_buys/product_261.html

and its a Traveler DC-8600 :

2.8" LCD Screen
6 × Optical Zoom
8.5 × Digital Zoom
256MB SD Memory Card
High quality Aluminium casing
2 × Rechargeable Batteries
Accessories Include: Pouch, Picture Editing Software, USB & Video Cables, Car Kit including separate charger and 1 × Docking Station

for £179.99. Now, that seems a damn good price consider the spec. Searched on google and all sites seem to be in German

Basically, the camera is for the wife but wanted a good spec. Was looking a mju range but as this comes with a SD card, extra battery - seems a damn good. She just needs a relatively quick point and sheet. This has burst mode so shoudk do the job.

Any advice appreciated

Scott

[JayCee]

Personally I'd go with a Canon compact anyday...or any of the other big-name digicams.

[mr jones]

what you'll be looking with that camera is
probably a 4mp sensor iterpolated to give a (fake) 8mp...
a less than brilliant lens infront of all of this
poor processing chip
probably quite slow

not such a good deal now is it?

as mentioned go for a camera from one of the big makes, canon, fuji, oly, nikon, pani etc, for the same price or a little more you might get 'less' spec (When i say less you'll probably just get fewer MP probably around 4-5mp) but you'll get a more usable camera, better results etc, basically you'll get a better camera than a cheap cam with big numbers, which are a complete and utter con, iv'e seen nothing to change this view from any of these cameras


people are swayed by numbers, dont be, theres a reason there are no reviews of it, cuz its ****e, go to a site like stevesdigicams etc and checkthe reviews and buy off the back of reviews, not off price and big numbers

[richard plumb]

Now now then Mr. Jones, don't hold back, tell the gentleman what you really think


I agree though. I'm looking at cheap digicams as a possible pressie for my son, but I filter out anything I've never heard of. The sensor isn't what counts, its the sum of the parts - lens, sensor, processing.

You'd be better off getting a brand model from last year or lower mp than something like that.

Plenty of digicams to be had for £100-150 that'll give you great pictures.

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by mr jones

what you'll be looking with that camera is
probably a 4mp sensor iterpolated to give a (fake) 8mp...
a less than brilliant lens infront of all of this
poor processing chip
probably quite slow

not such a good deal now is it?

I bought one. It seems well worth the money. Various friends (who have much more expensive cameras!) remarked on the picture quality being good, without knowing what the camera that took them was! These cameras sold out on the first day of the offer.

Originally Posted by mr jones

as mentioned go for a camera from one of the big makes, canon, fuji, oly, nikon, pani etc, for the same price or a little more you might get 'less' spec (When i say less you'll probably just get fewer MP probably around 4-5mp) but you'll get a more usable camera, better results etc, basically you'll get a better camera than a cheap cam with big numbers, which are a complete and utter con, iv'e seen nothing to change this view from any of these cameras

Some people are swayed by big names (I'm not trying to be provocative). There is a manual for this camera at:

http://www.traveler-service.de/uploa...-8600%20EN.zip

Perhaps someone would comment on it?

Is there a "big name" camera with this specification that is near to GBP 180 in price?

Originally Posted by mr jones

people are swayed by numbers, dont be, theres a reason there are no reviews of it, cuz its ****e, go to a site like stevesdigicams etc and checkthe reviews and buy off the back of reviews, not off price and big numbers

Perhaps that there're no reviews is because there's no glamour in reviewing a badged "discount supermarket" special!? If there is a review that says it's what you said, I can't find it!

I could always upload an image somewhere (where?) if anyone's interested...

[Jazz Monkey Jr]

Originally Posted by James Latimer

I could always upload an image somewhere (where?) if anyone's interested...

You can upload it here, as long as it is under 800 pixels and 200kb, or you can use imageshack.us and it can be over 200kb.

this camera is a re-badged vivitar DC-8600, it is exactly the same as the vivitar and just re-badged for ALDI, so you get a good camera at a cheap price just cous of a name change, go and check out the vivitar dc-8600 and you will see it is the same camera , lens zoom everything, so simply the traveler dc-8600 is the vivitar dc-8600

[ush flynn]

ah yes vivitar... that makes it all fine... No mate
Im not going to be as harsh as Mr Jones here. Most people who buy thier digital cameras in Aldi wont be hugely disappointed. It will produce pictures good enough to print.. and thats what most people want out of one. Yes it might seem fine to look at. Only when you compare it to say a Panasonic FX9 (180 ish) That you realise what your paying for when you stick with a name you know. Sharper images to the edge of your photo produced by not having the end of a coke bottle as a lens. Less noise and probably greater iso range. Higher res lcd screens with decent backlighting so you can use it properly in the daytime. Most likely better software bundled with the camera. The ability to enlarge images to poster sizes without realising you just wasted £180 of your hard earned cash when you could have had better results

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by Jazz Monkey Jr

You can upload it here, as long as it is under 800 pixels and 200kb, or you can use imageshack.us and it can be over 200kb.

What sort of picture/size is good for evaluating?

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by ush flynn

ah yes vivitar... that makes it all fine... No mate
Im not going to be as harsh as Mr Jones here. Most people who buy thier digital cameras in Aldi wont be hugely disappointed. It will produce pictures good enough to print.. and thats what most people want out of one. Yes it might seem fine to look at. Only when you compare it to say a Panasonic FX9 (180 ish) That you realise what your paying for when you stick with a name you know. Sharper images to the edge of your photo produced by not having the end of a coke bottle as a lens. Less noise and probably greater iso range. Higher res lcd screens with decent backlighting so you can use it properly in the daytime. Most likely better software bundled with the camera. The ability to enlarge images to poster sizes without realising you just wasted £180 of your hard earned cash when you could have had better results

So have you have in fact used this exact camera?

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by gaza01

this camera is a re-badged vivitar DC-8600, it is exactly the same as the vivitar and just re-badged for ALDI, so you get a good camera at a cheap price just cous of a name change, go and check out the vivitar dc-8600 and you will see it is the same camera , lens zoom everything, so simply the traveler dc-8600 is the vivitar dc-8600

That camera seems to have reasonable reviews, 'though it's pretty new... it
also seems to work quite well!

The package from Aldi contained the camera; some sort of S/W from Ulead called "Photo Explorer", "Photo Express", "Cool 360"; a 256 MB SD card; 2x rechargeable batteries; a mains adapter; a docking station, whatever that is; a car adapter; pouch/strap; USB cable; A/V cable; manual.

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by Jazz Monkey Jr

You can upload it here, as long as it is under 800 pixels and 200kb, or you can use imageshack.us and it can be over 200kb.

Not sure where, here... help?

[bowenjones]

Upload your picture to imageshack and copy image location once it's uploaded. Then, click on the image tag icon above where you reply to this post (it looks like a yellow postcard with a mountain on it) and paste your image URL in the box that appears. click ok and submit your post.

[bowenjones]

Originally Posted by Jazz Monkey Jr

You can upload it here, as long as it is under 800 pixels and 200kb, or you can use imageshack.us and it can be over 200kb.

Jazz, the limit for an attachment is 120kb max and 200kb max for embedded images.

[James Latimer]

Originally Posted by bowenjones

Upload your picture to imageshack and copy image location once it's uploaded. Then, click on the image tag icon above where you reply to this post (it looks like a yellow postcard with a mountain on it) and paste your image URL in the box that appears. click ok and submit your post.

A melon on a stripey mat, about 500mm away:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4...08large0wn.jpg

Small printed flags on a world map hanging on the wall, 700mm away:

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3...10large5mr.jpg

A Poplar Hawk Moth about 40mm away (hooked onto my arm!):

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/2...50large6lk.jpg

A machine demolishing a building, 100m-ish away:

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...57large6zu.jpg

A machine demolishing a building, 100m-ish away (zoom):

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2...58large0dr.jpg

A squirrel that's jumped out of a waste bin, eating rubbish (1m approx):

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/4...99large8gt.jpg

I hope they're useful, I have *no* previous experience of downouading/uploading images, or using M$ image resizer!