Casio QV-2300UX PlusA 2 megapixel swivel-lens design with lots of creative options and a 340-megabyte Microdrive included (US only)<<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & InterfaceReview First Posted: 1/29/2001 |
Image Storage and Interface
The QV-2300UX Plus uses CompactFlash for image storage, accepting both Type
I and Type II card formats. We were extremely pleased that Casio provided an
IBM 340MB Microdrive with the camera, which gives you a huge amount of storage
capacity right out of the box. Standard CompactFlash memory cards are sold separately
in sizes up to 192MB. An LED on the camera's back panel flashes green when an
image is being recorded to the card. A flashing red light indicates that there
is a problem with the card, and a solid red light indicates that the memory
card is full. (Note: a memory card should never be removed from the camera while
in use.)
The 2.1-megapixel digicam can be programmed to create HTML files along with
the JPEG files -- providing four card browser options from which to choose (compatible
with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or later and Netscape Communicator 4.5
or later). QuickTime player, which is included on the accompanying software
CD, is required to play back movie images. The four different browser formats
allow you to choose how much information is recorded with each image (a detailed
chart explaining all of the settings is provided in the instruction manual).
Perfect for detail-oriented consumers, the card browser is a great way to check
exposure settings for each picture.
The QV-2300UX Plus organizes images into storage folders, labeled by number
and date, creating up to 100 folders on a memory card. Each folder can hold
up to 250 images, which are numbered from 0001 to 9900. The camera manual includes
a detailed layout of the folder and file structure, showing exactly how information
is encoded on the CompactFlash card.
You can protect individual images on the memory card by selecting the Protect
mode in the camera's Playback menu. Write-b images prevents accidental deletion
of images (except from card formatting). If you want to erase images, the Delete
mode gives you the option of deleting individual images, a folder, or all images
that aren't protected. You can also press the Self-Timer/Trash button on the
camera's back panel to delete individual images as you bring them up on the
LCD monitor.
Images recorded with the QV-2300UX Plus are captured at either 1,600 x 1,200-
or 800 x 600-pixel resolution. JPEG compression levels are Fine, Normal, and
Economy. Movies are saved in the AVI format. A USB cable comes with the camera,
for quick connection to a PC or Mac, but the QV-2300UX Plus also features a
standard serial output jack for RS-232 connection to a PC. A software CD is
also included, containing a range of image downloading and editing software.
A computer problem prevented us from testing the QV-2300's download speed, but
the USB connection should be pretty fast. (Given the huge capacity of the Microdrive
though, users may well want to buy an external card reader anyway: Card readers
are almost always faster than even USB-equipped cameras, and when you're transferring
many tens of megabytes of data, the speed difference can be noticeable.)
The following tables show card capacities and approximate JPEG compression ratios
for the IBM 340MB Microdrive provided with the camera, as well as a standard,
8MB CompactFlash card.
|
Resolution/Quality (340 MB Microdrive) |
|
|
|
|
| High Resolution | Images | 401 | 562 | 943 |
| Approx. Compression |
7:1 | 10:1 | 16:1 | |
| Standard Resolution | Images | 1587 | 2054 | 2494 |
| Approx. Compression |
4:1 | 9:1 | 11:1 | |
|
Resolution/Quality (8 MB CompactFlash card) |
|
|
|
|
| High Resolution | Images | 8 | 11 | 19 |
| Approx. Compression |
6:1 | 8:1 | 14:1 | |
| Standard Resolution | Images | 33 | 43 | 53 |
| Approx. Compression |
6:1 | 8:1 | 10:1 | |
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