Krappy Digital Cameras

When I first thought of adding a Krappy Digital Camera page some years ago, digis were still quite new. Due to technological limits, even name brands were just plain bad. Resolution was low, batteries drained quickly and the storage capacity of the removable card (if there was one) was small, and it was expensive.  It would not be fair to single out one of them today as a Krappy Digital or, as I call it, a "KD." These were the cameras on the cutting edge at that time!

But what if the same old stuff was being sold as new today? Now THAT'S fair game!

Old technology and cost saving ideas such as “COACH” or camera on a chip are still out there, being used to make what I define as Krappy Digital Cameras.  Many are aimed at children and folks who don't know a pixel from a poker chip. It's buyer beware.

This "Krappy" digital definition is not exactly the same as film based cameras. Many promtional quality film cameras were never made with the idea of ever being used. In this case, one might say that KDs are never meant to be used for any serious purpose. And that does NOT mean they are good all-around snapshot cameras. 

It means they will invariably disappoint the user with absurdly low resolution, poor lens quality and difficulty connecting the camera to the computer. This last part is especially important, as many KDs only offer internal storage. If you cannot get the photo out of the camera, the entire effort is useless.

So replace “never meant to be used” with “a complete disregard for results.”

Most film krappys have a single element lens that does not focus. Most KDs need a more sophisticated lens system to work with the tiny sensor in the camera. There is apparently an industry, mostly in China, that knocks out these tiny optics very cheaply.

About the size of a toothpaste cap, they are screwed into a socket on the circuit board that is right in front of the sensor. The lens is set in place with either a glob of glue, or touched with a soldering iron to melt the threads in place. How well “calibrated” is the focus setting?

I don't think it is a big concern. These cameras invariably have a fixed focus, non-zoom lens with a wide depth of focus that accommodates a lot of picture area. Still, one would suspect that there is an optimum setting for best near and far focus. I'm sure some accidentally hit that spot.

Let's Make A Resolution

As I said, the lens is screwed in front of the sensor. And how high a resolution would that sensor be? Now that six megapixel cameras are in the $100 range, how about two? one? Guess again. 

How about a fraction of a megapixel, roughly half of the 640x480 “on screen resolution” used for emailed pictures! A sensor with a resolution of 352 by 288 pixels (just over one hundred thousand pixels) is common. Compared with your six to eight million pixel camera, this is a bit like taking a 35mm negative and stamping out a piece the size of a pencil eraser and then trying to enlarge it. Oh yes, on many KSDs, this is called the HI setting. Select LO and the resolution is cut in half!

Here is a prime example of a KD, a junk store find. This one caught my eye as it has no name, no FCC ID, no serial number, just a MADE IN CHINA sticker. The small camera uses two AAA cells and has a standard USB port out to retrieve the images from the built-in memory. With no CD “driver” software, Windows Vista drew a blank and couldn't connect the camera. Fortunately, I also have the Ubuntu Linux operating system on the same machine and it identified the camera enough to download images. Below are a couple. These are actual size, not reduced. I did "tweak" them a bit with GIMP (the freeware Graphic Image Manipulation Program for Windows, OSX and Linux).

Note the framing error on the right photo.  Most KDs do not have an LCD for viewing and the optical viewfinder is not accurate.  Shades of the Diana! 

Yes, But Is It Art?

I am still looking for the “Digital Diana,” the digital camera with just enough charm and flaws to make it the darling of the artsy crowd. More on that later, but I do not think I have found a contender at this time!