Mustek DV4000 Flash Media Camcorder

 
The Mustek DV4000 looks and feels like a mini camcorder.  The product measures 3.2” x 1.3” x 2.4” and weighs approximately 5 ounces.  The entire silver colored, plastic unit literally fits in the palm of your hand.  On one side you will find a flip out 1.5” TFT LCD display that helps you interface with the menus or view captured clips.  The opposite side of the camera contains a small speaker that you can use to listen to audio playback.  On the back panel a small rubber boot covers the headphone, USB 2.0 and power jacks with a long, retractable, plastic cover protecting the battery and SD card slot.

Memory Card Compatibility
When I placed a 4 Gb Transcend SDHC Class 6 Memory card in the Mustek DV4000 the display read "Memory Full" even though the card was not full.  As result, it is confirmed that this digitial video camera can only accept SD cards.  SD cards have a maxiumum capacity of 2 Gb.  SDHC cards are essentially the next generation of memory cards in the form factor but cannot be used in devices that were not built to recognize their higher capacities.

The good news is that I tested the following SD cards in this camera and found they work with no problem.  Since the internal processor of the camera operates so slowly, I could not run into any over buffer problems recording videos or photos with these following digital memory cards. 

32Mb Hitachi MMC
2Gb Transcend 133x SD card
Dane-Elec - Flash memory card - - SD Memory Card (2 GB) (DA-SD-2048-R)

Recharging The Battery
Recharging batteries is a chore that most digital video enthusiasts must endure.  However, with the Mustek DV4000 the task becomes harder because you must remove the battery fully in order to recharge the device.  A stand based charger with power adapter is supplied.  The process is cumbersome because you have to place the battery in the stand just right to get the little charge indicator to go red. 

Video Quality And Specifications
The video capabilities of this video camera are covered first because they are truly the only reason you should consider purchasing this product.  The video quality at 640x480 is only decent in bright sunlight.  The frame rate at this resolution is only 10 or 8 FPS (frames per second) though so get used to jumpy video.  If you want good quality and high frame rate, 320x240 should be your video setting.

I used this video camera with my 2004 Dodge Dakota Regular Cab, 4.7L V8 to record my drag racing runs at Houston Raceway Park.  No film based camera could survive the shakes and high G forces that racing truck experiences in the cab.  The Mustek DV4000 could do this with ease. 

I did have problems with my videos though, the longest I could ever record was about 35 minutes because the camera would over buffer itself and stop recording.  When this occurred I would get a little chime but that was all. 

My Dodge Dakota race truck was also loud because of the dual 2.5” CAT before exhaust (most exhaust is CAT back to prevent replacing the catalytic converters but I replaced those as well to increase the power output)  that I custom built for the truck with the help of some welding friends.  Well, while running through the gears in the truck, the entire cab would resonate with the sound of a hearty V8 and cause the microphone on the camera to clip (over limit condition) and simply record silence.

Another problem came as a result of my weekend drive to the Houston, TX condominium.  The drive took 2 hours (or less if I was in the truck) and the battery would get depleted quickly as I recorded various highlights of the trip.  To get around this problem, I used a lighter power adapter for the built-in 5 VDC jack to power my camera.

Photo Quality
The maximum still photo resolution of the Mustek DV4000 is 2304 x 1728 which is actually hardware enhanced. 

Using the onscreen menu, you can then bring the photo resolution down to 1600 x 1200. 

Finally, again using the onscreen menu only, you can set the photo resolution to 640 x 480.

The photos are of a generally low quality due to two reasons:  2MP CMOS and poor optics.  The product is advertised as having a 4MP resolution by many retail websites but this is only through hardware enhancement which causes the system to add many digital artifacts to the digital photo file.  The camera has very poor performance in conditions other than full sunlight.  The focus is not good either because I can never seem to get an image that is not washed out at native resolution my computer monitor.

Digital Voice Recorder
I rarely used the digital voice recorder on this product.  When I did, the audio clipping caused me to lose a lot of what I was trying to record.   You should not use depend on this feature of the camera to record anything of value to your life.

Included Software
The product comes with ULEAD Video Studio SE, ULEAD Cool 360, Photo Express, Photo Explorer. 

ULEAD Video Studio SE is actually my product of choice for quick DVD creation.  Although not related to this product, I used the software to create a series of two DVD’s worth of Green Day music videos and concerts.  In my opinion, you can natively read the ASF files generated by this camera and make home movie DVD’s with this easier than any other product released at its time.

Technical Specifications
Product Functions:  PC Camera, SD Card Reader, MP3 Player, Digital Voice Recorder, 2M Digital Still Camera, Digital Camcorder
Image Resolution: 2304x1728, 1600x1200, 640x480
Video Clip:  640x480 10FPS, 320x240 30FPS
Display: 1.5” TFT LCD
Supported File Formats:  JPEG, ASF, MP3, WAV
Digital Zoom: 4x
Interfaces:  USB, AV Out, Headphone
Self Timer:  10 seconds
Shutter Speed:  1/15 to 1/4000 second

Summary
The inconvenient truth, my second Mustek DV4000 is now showing the signs of age.  I cannot use the device to shoot video anymore because the menu will not let me go past MP3 playback.  My first Mustek DV4000 broke when I dropped it 3 feet after a drag race at Houston Raceway Park.  The 2 MP CMOS was damaged and the video camcorder only shows static when turned on.

I would only recommend this product for use by amateur videographers who cannot afford a digital camcorder worth more than $75.  You can only use MMC and SD cards in this product so your video recording time is limited.  Constantly removing and replacing the battery will result in the eventual breaking of the back flip door.  You also have to use the same back flip door to remove the memory card if you wish to retrieve the video files without using the built-in USB interface as well.  You are going to get a 2MP digital camera because the 4MP claim is based on a hardware enhancement.  Finally, the optics on this device are terrible and cause most of your photos to have a slight blur when viewed at 100% on a computer screen.

If you really want this digital camera anyway, click the SEE IT buttons on the top and bottom of this review.  They contain offers from several online retailers that may help you get this camera for less than the $50 I paid for it.