Mustek DV4000

Small size, small price, big capacity. Interested?

The world now seems to be awash with cheap miniature camcorders that capture video to memory cards, but most of these create Motion JPEG or MPEG-2 files - not great for small memory cards. This Mustek, on the other hand, uses MPEG-4 and so promises to fit better-quality video into a smaller amount of memory.

As with most of these mini 'corders, this is a multifunctional device that can also be used as a stills snapper, MP3 player and voice recorder. Hooked up to your PC, it'll even work as a flash memory disk or webcam

One of its best features is the lithium-ion rechargeable battery that you slot into the rear of the unit. Most of its competitors use four AA batteries instead, so they're bulkier and heavier. The camera's menu system is also pretty intuitive, although you'll have to delve into the manual to learn how some of the more advanced features work.

When it comes to capturing video, you're only given a choice between three settings: fine, normal and economic. In fine mode, video's captured at a resolution of 640 x 480, but the frame rate's very low, so if you shoot someone in action it looks like they're auditioning for a part in an 80s break-dance video. Normal quality drops the resolution to 352 x 288, but the frame rate increases pretty dramatically, so this is the option that offers the best compromise. The economic setting drops the resolution further to 320 x 240.

Despite the DV4000 using MPEG-4 compression,the results aren't much better than those of its competitors, although the videos are smaller in terms of file size - you can fit nearly five minutes onto the supplied 32MB MMC card in normal mode. The camera's CCD sensor also has a habit of over-egging reds in the picture, giving you red speckles on both still and moving images.

Nevertheless, the product fares pretty well in comparison with its main rivals. It's cheaper, smaller, comes with a rechargeable battery and shoots video snippets with smaller file sizes. Just don't expect great-quality pictures.
Niall Magennis

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