Review: SD camera for Pocket PC phone or how to make a camera phone out of your good old XDA
Instead of buying new phone, you can cheaply get new features for your old one. Still many people have old XDA Pocket PC phones, and some of them look with envy at those who bought the new XDA II! The new XDA has built-in camera and is approximately the same size as old XDA but costs over 700 dollars without subscription! So why to spend 700 dollars if you can buy for 40 dollars an SD camera of the same resolution as this one built-in into XDA II? Yes, it is possible now and such camera is available (and at eBay you can get it even cheaper!)
We have been testing here particularly the "ViewTake CM35C - SD Camera for PDA Mobile" from GaborVision corporation (www.gaborvision.com.tw) but such cameras available also from other vendors and also for other Microsoft powered phones (even for Motorola MPx200).
Please note: at first glance it seemed strange that even old XDA can support an SD camera - simply because this phone has no SDIO. But the vendor of the camera has overtaken this problem and truly the camera works also in Pocket PC devices without SDIO - but just with a regular SD card slot.
Here is how the camera looks like, when inserted into XDA Pocket PC phone:
... where you can see that camera lens are on the back side so that you can use the display as viewfinder:
When viewed separate this camera looks like this (here on picture with a standard SD card for a size comparisonīs sake):
Looking closer at above pictures, one can notice the exact model of the camera ("M-Cam M35C"), the fact that it is made in Taiwan, and also a usage tip :to take this camera from the SD card slot donīt pull it first - first you must push it slighlty and only after that you can pull it.
To use this camera from within Pocket PC phone needs to stard the "IA Camera Wizard" application that is enclosed on the CD-ROM that is delivered together with the camera:
(of course registration number is provided on the CD cover)
This camera wizard application has beatiful viewfinder feature that shows you in real time what the camera sees at given moment:
... and that allows you to take pictures (up to 640x480 pixels) and to record videos. The "Snap" button is handy and allows for photo taking with a finger (without stylus).
Another mode of the camera application program is "Photos" view that allows you to manage your photos in the file system of the Pocket PC phone:
Conclusions: this camera works perfectly and very smoothly - even with XDA Pocket PC phone that features only a processor with speed of 206 MHz (compared to 400 MHz in XDA II). Physically speaking the camera is very stable - on contrary to attachable cameras used in Orange SPV phones - because it is used in the SD card slot. The camera is very cheap, what means that you cannot go wrong with it. Having camera as attachable accessory has also its advantages - you donīt have to worry that the built-in camera will get scratched and you can enter some places where regular (with built-in camera) camera phones are forbidden. All in all: this is a perfect camera and for all people who have Microsoft powered cellphones without built-in camera the message is clear: you can upgrade cheaply and you donīt have to worry that you donīt have it built-in!
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