Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera

The person that left the first review obviously has never owned a digital camera before and probably will never like any digital camera. I have 4 digitals and this is my favorite. Why?

1. The size is first. 1"x 3" inches. Fits easy in your pocket or purse.

2. Easy to maneuver menu. Once you get use to the icons.

Downloadable Manuel. http://mustekmu.brinkster.net/Download/manuals/mustekmanuals.html

3. Unlimited video. My other digital cameras only shoot video for 30 or 60 seconds. With the Mustek you can shoot video with audio as long as there is memory.

As for the time between pushing the button to take a picture and when it actually fires. The red eye reduction or self timer is on. If you want to point and click without delay these options should be turned off. Do this by pushing on the left side of the menu wheel scroll down with the down key, adjust with the right side of the wheel, make your selection, and push on the left side of the wheel again. Point and click. Once you are familiar with the icons it is a breeze. Don't forget to adjust the macro select located on the front or the zoom. It is a manual selcet.

Images taken with this camera can be seen at http://www.nauticaloilpaintings.com/my_mustek.htm

I did download the manuel. It is easier to read than the one included with the camera.

This wasn't my top pick by a long shot, but it was my top pick in this price range (strict budget). I chose it for price to feature ratio. I shopped around extensively for the best deal on this camera & Amazon won my vote with price & free shipping.

Features:

-5.0 mega pixels (awesome!)

-Digital Camcorder (limited, but OK)

-up to 4x digital zoom (a bit grainy, needs optical zoom)

-Voice recording (nice bonus feature)

-16Mb internal (20 high quality pix or 45 secs of video)

Other features:

-Self timer (10 sec), red eye flash, SD/MMC card slot, Fine (best) resolution 2560 x 1920(h/w interpolation)

Included accessories:

-2 "AA" batteries, Strap, A/V cable, USB cable, Camera bag (chinsy fabric drawstring bag! Good ONLY for keeping dust off the lens.)

This camera NEEDS a lens cap & optical zoom.

The menu & controls were somewhat awkward. It wasn't as self explanitory as other cameras that I've handled in the past. I had to read the entire instructions (although short) & will most likely have to refer to them until I am more familiar with the camera.

All in all...a good point & shoot digital camera for the money.

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2nd Review...a week later... 3 Stars (Amazon won't let me adj. the star rating)

After messing with it for a week, I'm in the process of returning it. Unfortunatly it didn't meet up to my expectations although there are some very nice features on this camera.

#1 Flash too intense. It washes out all indoor pictures. I've tried putting tape on the flash, no help. I also tried adjusting the white balance, no help. However, the camera does take nice indoor pictures WITHOUT a flash as long as the lighting is very good.

#2 No optical zoom. I quickly learned the diff between opt & digital zoom. The digital zoom is grainy, but probably a nice feature WITH optical zoom.

I'm currently looking for a 2-3MP camera with 2-3x optical zoom.

Good starter camera, but you probably won't be happy with it if you are used to a decent point & shoot 35mm camera.

Buy Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Now

I've only had this camera for a couple of days, and I didn't buy it for the video or voice capabilities. I purchased it because it had the best features for lowest price in the 5MP still digital camera category (I have a high-end digital camcorder and only wanted something to take still pictures with). I've taken a number of indoor shots with it and they have come out really nicely. I have not used the zoom feature on it (goes up to 4x) yet. I agree with the other reviewer that the controls are not all that user-friendly and I've had to refer to the manual a few times. It also shuts off very quickly if you aren't using it; I think after 30 seconds of inactivity, but that's fine because it saves the batteries. The flash works really well in low-light conditions but never washes out the subject, which is great. The menu has a redeye-fix feature that I've found works very nicely. The only complaint I have is the delay from clicking the button to take the picture until the picture is actually taken; it's tough to take photographs of anything that might move unexpectedly like animals or children because you either miss the moment or it blurs a bit. Also, so far it seems that it doesn't show you a preview of the picture on the LCD after the picture is taken, but I have to spend some more time looking into the menu features. I might just be missing it. All in all, a really good camera, fantastic for the price.

Read Best Reviews of Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Here

I bought this camera because of the great price for a 5MP (Hardware resolution) I agree with all the prior reviews that:

1. Menu not very user friendly, but can be learned with book

2. Zoom is horrible not able to get a good picture at 4x zoom.

But in addition:

3. Great for regular shots very clear crisp pictures, but there is a little bit of a delay.

4. I LOVE the size of this camera, very easy to carry (got cheap camera bag @ walmart)

5. It runs on 2 "AA" batteries which seem to last a lot longer than other digital cameras I have used. I have only had to change the batteries once.

Over all, this is a great beginner camera for easy shots. Easy to attach to computer and download pictures.

The 3 stars is because of the zoom and menu otherwise I would give it 4 or 5 stars for price, size and picture quality.

Want Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Discount?

Recently bought this camera for my 10-year-old daughter after her hand-me-down digital stopped working. The Mustek MDC-5000 is an excellent camera for the money. Compare its features with other similarly priced cameras and you'll see this one comes out on top--particularly when you compare resolution and special features (incl. sound recording, a nice extra). Not a bad shutter lag at all, hardly noticeable. Small, fits into the palm of your hand, and easy to operate (provided you've used digital cameras before; if this is your first digital camera, take the time to understand the menu details).

Be advised this camera obviously can't be expected to compare to far more expensive models. If you want a digital to match what your old 35 mm SLR could do, then drop your cash on a digital SLR such as Canon's Digital Rebel. If you just want a handy little digital or one for a kid, I think this is the one if you cannot afford to spend more.