Entered CNET Catalog: 09/11/2003
SKU: DV3100
Manufacturer: Aiptek Inc.
Manufacturer description
Measuring only 3.3" x 2.7" x 1.7" the new Pocket DV3100 captures your life's moments in the palm of your hand. Featuring a 4-in-1 design, the DV3100 functions as a Digital Video Recorder, Digital Voice Recorder, a High Resolution 3.1 mega-pixel Digital Camera, or even hook it to your PC to be used as a webcam! It offers a 1.5" Color TFT LCD Display, and if the 32 MB of built in memory isn't enough, you can add up to a 512 MB CF card. Upload images and video to your PC via the USB cable. You can even playback video on your TV or VCR.Product summary
The good: Four-in-one device; CompactFlash memory-expansion slot; has both an LCD and an optical viewfinder; mini tripod included.
The bad: Skimpy internal memory; subpar video quality; noisy images.
The bottom line: This four-function mini cam is affordable, versatile, and portable, but don't expect its images to be anywhere near high-quality.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Rating: 5.2
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/24/2003
Measuring 3.3 by 2.7 by 1.7 inches and weighing 5.9 ounces with batteries and media installed, the DV3100's plastic case is small and fairly lightweight. But the mini cam feels somewhat chintzy compared with its sturdier competitor, Gateway's DV-S20. The DV3100 is a little shorter than most vertically oriented models, but the flip-out LCD viewfinder sticks out quite a bit when closed, making the device less pocket-friendly. Controls are logically arranged on the back, and the menus are easy to read on the bright 1.5-inch screen.
No optical zoom is available, but you do get a 2X digital zoom. And though there's no autofocus, you can switch between macro and landscape focus by turning a ring on the lens. Unlike the SD/MMC-carrying DV-S20 and SiPix DV100, the DV3100 uses an optional CompactFlash card. You'll probably want to pick one up; the internal memory is only 16MB.
The device runs on two AAs. Aiptek recommends using alkaline batteries, but we had no problems with rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride cells. The DV3100 also has a battery-saving feature that's unusual in a mini cam: the electronic viewfinder has an on/off switch and an optical counterpart.
Compared with competing tapeless mini cams, the DV3100 has a typical 320x240-pixel video resolution but a slow maximum frame rate of 10 frames per second, which made movies excessively jerky. When you use the device as a Webcam, those numbers can improve to 320x240 at 24fps or 640x480 at 10fps, but video in the latter mode was so jumpy that it was barely watchable. All in all, the DV3100's footage was the usual for a low-cost mini cam: very far below DV camcorder standards but fine for casual viewing. Our captures had reasonably accurate and consistent color, and exposure adjusted smoothly when we panned between light and dark areas. You can also record up to 60 minutes of audio to the built-in memory.
The DV3100 offers three photo resolutions: 2,048x1,536, 1,600x1,200, and 1,280x1,024. As the midlevel option is the sensor's native resolution, the highest-res mode will yield larger but not better pictures. Image quality varied but generally kept the DV3100 in the realm of the toy camera. Color rendition was more accurate than that of either the DV-S20 or the DV100. Low-light interior shots, however, showed excessive noise.
It's hard to argue with the utility of four cool functions in a single shirt pocket-size device. As long as your image-quality expectations are low enough, you'll likely enjoy the convenience and the flexibility of the Pocket DV3100.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
7/10
The Best Camera for $39 from AIPTEK site, small camcorder/webcam/camcorder
Pros: The best camcorder/digital cam/webcam combo out there for $39. Buy 512kb disk at $15 so you can save more films. It films with very good quality if you set the focus right &filing resolution to FINE3k
Cons: Needs optical zoom, needs image stabilizer, needs flash, needs smaller-sized MPEG file saving, uses way toomuch battery, Drop-and-dead built quality, meaning "Don't drop it"-needs hard-disk inside
Needs alot (cons) to be a all-around good camcorder, but it does lot more than you pay for. Use the software programs included to operate the camera when camera is pluged to computer and use the MENU feature on camera when unplugged and carrying. The Extra E: disk will appear in your "MY COMPUTER" only after you film something or take pictures, so don't look for it after downloading the driver.
Transfer the videos to PC using MEDIA SHOW software(leftside pop-out screen) with Camera screen open (ON).
turn screen light off for picture taking unless you have to take accurate pics.
User Rating: 
9/10
Great things in a small package
Pros: - 3 meg still camera - Video camera - Web camera - Voice recorder - Card reader - Video out for TV or VCR - Uses compact flash cards - Mirror on front for self portraits - Uses 2 AA batteries - Great price
Cons: - No optical zoom - No flash for lighting
User Rating: 7/10
For under $100 it does what you would expect
Pros: It is a inexpensive camera. I bought for my daughter instead of the barbie camera which needs a VCR to do the recording. You get what you pay for... This is a sub $100 camera. If you can come to terms with that, it is a great sub $100 camera.
Cons: Picture Quality. Video Quality.
User Rating: 
6/10
Big value, small price & size
Pros: Does all it claims. W/ 256 CF & Recharg batteries, takes 300 decent (3 diff res's) stills and 1 hr videos w/ sound. Very light and compact. Good webcam. Great fun, ease, price.I love it!
Cons: No flash/2x digital zoom only on stills/chincy focus ring (I 1st had a Aiptek DV2 and the ring broke and now can't focus), DV3100 has same chincy body; fps is slow/sound not greatest)/BUT you get a lot of bang for your buck!
User Rating: 6/10
Good value, decent still image
Pros: This is a still camera first, video second. Note the review: this has better color than competitors. Little or no color distortion under flourescent/incandescent lights. Bright LCD display (with backlight switch to save power). It's far better than the we
Cons: Doesn't have a flash, but low-light adjustment is better than many others. No clock (all images are stamped 12am Jan 1 2001). Zoom is for still images only, not video. USB 1.1, not 2.0 - can't handle the 640x480x30fps the camera could otherwise put out. T
User Rating: 7/10
good with 512 Mb card
Pros: can film over 2 hrs of footage with CF card (512 MB), plugs into TV, plugs into computer
Cons: crappy memory without CF card, fuzzy pictures, no flash
User Rating: 
4/10
not for pros/serious hobbyists.
Pros: cheap - i paid 88 bucks for 1 today at a local Target. multi-featured: digital camera (3.2 megapixels, more on that later), video cam, webcam, and voice recorder all in a tiny 2.5" l x 3" t x 1.5' w package. this camera is extremely easy to use, althoug
Cons: oh boy. well, for starters.. i suspect the '3.whatever megapxls' is a result of interpolation. i could only take pics from about 5pm est on tonite, and well, they all turned out horrible. grainy and shaky as the unit almost forces you to use the screen,
User Rating: 
8/10
Very Good Buy
Pros: 4-1 for under 100 bucks. If you purchase a CF card, you can use almost unlimited pictures on high resolution. It can zoom and picture quality is normal. ALL FOR UNDER 100 BUCKS!
Cons: No flash or light.
User Rating: 8/10
good for the pateint, you cant move the camera around while taking the picture and youve got to...
Pros: adjust the lens for different distances i didnt like it at first either but when you get used to it its a great value.
Cons: the lens is also variable ive found you can set it for different dist. and hold still!!!! if you want to see some pics write to aa_audio2001@yahoo.com ill send you some good pics from this camera
User Rating: 4/10
DV3100: Cheap fun, poor performance.
Pros: Owning a DV3100 will get you out of the house more, since its indoor shots look like pictures of coal in deep space.
Cons: No _real_ focus control, video and audio output needs conversion before it will work with some editing software.
User Rating: 
3/10
A Good Childs Toy!
Pros: Some What good LCD Screen, and the fact that you can turn it off!
Cons: Fuzzy Picture almost all the time. Low Battery Life! Its just put together cheep, and if you drop it, you break it. Don't press the scroll botton to hard, that breaks easy! One Word: Don't buy, unless your making a low quality Sacry Movie!
User Rating: 7/10
Neat Little Gadget
Pros: 4 in 1 device, digital still, digital video, card reader, voice recorder. I paid $79 bucks for it, so i wasnt expecting much, decent quality for the money, not anywhere near professional photos/video, but a cool gadget to play around with. Better qualit
Cons: Not the greatest quality
User Rating: 7/10
Cheap, but great bang for the (few) bucks!
Pros: Voice Recorder, CF reader, web cam, as well as a digital camera, and video camera. Truly fits in pocket for easy travelling. 1600 and 1280 size pictures excellent for web use. Videos can be choppy, but not really any worse than most sub $500 digital ca
Cons: Noisy images in dark areas, and no flash means you get dark areas a lot! Small size means not a lot of focusing options. Could also use a white balancer of some sort. I'd be more forgiving if some cell phones don't have these features (albeit smaller p
User Rating: 9/10
Cheap, lightweight, and made for novices!
Pros: Overall, for a first camcorder without the usage of tapes, I find it quite rewarding. Folks complain about video quality but if you switch from 1200 to 2048 resolution, avi's are quite clear to a point.
Cons: Needs to be developed with a internal light for indoor usage.
User Rating: 6/10
Simple but frustrating
Pros: It can do anything: Web cam, video, digital pictures, and sound recorder. Easy to install, use, and understand. It also has it's own memory storage. Good for small personal projects, don't reccomend for any professional or commercial use.
Cons: Manual says you can use an extra memory card up to 512MB, but wouldn't except my 256MB memory card... Returned it once, for this reason, thinking it was defective. Both camera's behaved the same way.
User Rating: 
1/10
Not worth the time or money.
Pros: Small, both picture/video capabilities.
Cons: VERY low quality pictures, and very low quality video.
User Rating: 
5/10
Forget indoor pictures
Pros: Its small and cute and functional but it doesn't do anything its supposed to greatly. Cons:Outdoor in full light for anything is a must, indoors you have better have a spot light. I bought a 256MB Flash card because the internal 32MB is not enough for vi
Cons: Its small and cute and functional but it doesn't do anything its supposed to greatly. Cons:Outdoor in full light for anything is a must, indoors you have better have a spot light. I bought a 256MB Flash card because the internal 32MB is not enough for vi
User Rating: 
2/10
Bad Quality, Cheap Plastic
Pros: Tripod It's an okay camera, but there are better out there that are a bit more expensive No updates on website All Flash Memory Card (No Internal) ... i could go on and on
Cons: Cannot sit without the tripod (curved base) Cheap Plastic Clumsy / Delicate Videos are bad quality (granules) Pictures too
User Rating: 1/10
worst image quality
Pros:
Cons: you can barely see the outline of images with medium to low light and very bad quality even in good light.
