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Some thoughts on the Gear To Go CyberPix digital camera

I bought the camera a month or two ago for under $20.00 and I have yet to download a single picture. Im trying to figure out why. When I hit the picture download button an alert pops up and says, " this program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor." Can someone help me out? What should I do? Should I return the camera? I saved the box because I thought it might not work. But I think it is too late to return it to walmart.

Mr. Anderson
Fri Nov 21 11:13:21 PST 2003

my friend has one of these types of cameras, and the same thing happened, it would just turn itself off. But after simply reading the instructions learned it was only going into sleep mode, but still on, just to save the batteries. then you just press the mode select button and it would come back on. Could this be your problem?

steven
Thu Nov 27 21:27:54 PST 2003

i want to buy this camera really bad, but all of these comments are making me confused. i want to see what the controversy is all about, and if it doesn't work i'll take it back. it does look fascinating doesn't it. EVERYONE WHO HAS ONE>>>>>>let me know how it is working for you. [email protected]

brian
Fri Nov 28 13:24:48 PST 2003

I just bought a few of these for family for xmas but after reading this, just may take them back instead! I thought they would be great for quick clicks in the car then downloading them onto the computer. But from these comments, the camera doesn't have the capability. Is there other web sites with the same or different opinions?

Debbie
Fri Nov 28 21:28:42 PST 2003

Did you guys get the 352x288 version or the 640x480 version?

v
Mon Dec 1 18:04:39 PST 2003

I bought this Hideous thing and I am now out 20 dollars because I can't get it to work, I would return it to the store but you have to have the original packaging and it was thrown away, I have had nothing but problems with it, and I haven't even gotten the driver to work, the only thing that shows up under devices is dual mode dsc(2770) about ten times with a question mark next to it, since I am stuck with it, I am going to keep trying but I feel like throwing it out the window! anyone have the same problem...and willing to help me? please someone help me!

Amanda
Wed Dec 3 09:48:35 PST 2003

What operating systems are you guys using?

Gib
Wed Dec 3 09:50:58 PST 2003

I stumbled upon this camera at Toys R US (for thirty bucks) and so far it's working fine for me. I have Windows ME and found out that I had to boot up without the camera connected to the computer by the USB cable, otherwise it freezes. I haven't tried shooting a video or using it as a webcam, though. I just wanted a cheap digital camera to take pictures and upload them onto a website, and so far I've had no trouble downloading the pictures onto my computer and saving them. The manual isn't very explicit but I figured it out. I did a search on the internet out of curiosity. It's definitely a Wal-mart quality, generic sort of camera, but that's all I wanted (and all I expected to get for thirty bucks). It's cute and small and lightweight. Be sure to hold it really still so you don't get a blurry picture. There's no zoom, no flash, no screen to see the pictures, no external memory card, nothing fancy, but fine for my purposes.

Christina
Fri Dec 19 01:01:45 PST 2003

I was just about to buy this camera from wal-mart when I stumbled with all those comments. Just when I was about to change my mind, I read the comments at the bottom and it seems that most people who have problems with this camera haven't read the manual. I'm going to buy it anyway but I'll keep the original packaging just in case.

Diego
Sat Dec 20 13:02:07 PST 2003

NOW WE KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN WHEN THEY SAY YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. I'VE HAD 2 PRETTY SMART PEOPLE TRY AND GET THIS THING TO RUN. I'AM TAKEING MINE BACK AND TRADE IT IN WITH A $300.00 BILL AND BUY MYSELF SOME EXSPENSIVE HEADACHES, THEN I'LL BE ABLE TO ENJOY HEARING MYSELF BITCH. MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE///B.C.

BUD
Sun Dec 28 03:17:01 PST 2003

Read the comments...Now apply common sence. Save yourself some trouble and go to Target and buy a decent camera for under $100 bucks... Trust me - I bought this camera and returned it the very next day. IT'S CRAP!!

Peter (Wal-Mart Suckz)
Sun Dec 28 23:40:55 PST 2003

I don't have any problems taking the pictures, or getting them onto the computer, but it seems that they are always blurry. I hold the camera as still as possible...any suggestions to decrease the blurriness???

Pam
Wed Dec 31 07:36:35 PST 2003

I was wanting a webcam for a while now and i saw this at wallmart and almost bought it i wanted to know if enyone thinks its a good buy for the price and quality

Zach
Fri Jan 9 22:11:42 PST 2004

I just bought this camera today before finding your website. I wasn't expecting much, however, and therefore wasn't really disappointed. For a $20 camera, picture quality is fine. Had no problems with software either, but then I'm one of those that read the instructions cover to cover before trying to install anything on my computer to make sure it's going to work before I ever try...

Jen
Thu Jan 22 14:08:55 PST 2004

I got this today and I must say the ol snake oil salesman are sure out in force in this modern day tech society. A product like this should be reported to The Gov. for product fraud unless we can see some real help on installing such a simple program at there web site, for such a devise, this has got to be a money makeing skeem and if walmart is involved there maybe some seriouse legal stuff there way also,if this is even a device at all.

John
Wed Feb 4 23:07:05 PST 2004

Fixed the prob. The cam works great!

John
Wed Feb 11 04:15:10 PST 2004

I bought several of these cameras for my kids, hell they're cheap, so no big deal when they break them.

I had some initial problems, but once I went through and read the directions carefully, the cameras work fine.

The picture quality stinks, but then again, they were $20. They do seem to take decent pictures of my kid's fingers across the lense though.

Steve Barbour
Tue Feb 24 05:53:01 PST 2004

Just picked this little jewel up at Walmart ... no problem setting up and taking pictures ... yes, picture quality is not exactly great but certainly sufficient for my purposes which is posting tiny pictures at www.unsogno.net/177. I'm thinking I'll be picking up Canon A70 soon.

theartdog
Mon Apr 19 08:55:57 PDT 2004

i was windering if Gear To Go 3-in-1 Digital Camera can reacord short clips........and if it can how do i work it...

c
Thu Apr 29 23:12:06 PDT 2004

Hmmm. This is an ok camera. The webcam resolution is not so good but clear enough. Another thin is what the author of this article mentioned, the camera doesnt turn on sometimes. I just bought it for $10 and lost the CD. oops! Now I cant use it cause Their website has 0 camera driver downloads. The multi compression feature is cool! Well, for an average price of $16 you shouldn't complain!

David
Sun May 2 20:28:06 PDT 2004

I AM THINKING OF PURCHASING THIS CAMERA.
CAN YOU DOWNLOAD THE IMAGES ON A PHOTO DISC AND HAVE A PHOTO CENTER TO PROCESS THE PICTURES? WHAT IS THE LARGEST SIZE PICTURE IS THIS MINI CAM CAPABLE OF?

KIMBERLY
Thu May 13 10:39:15 PDT 2004

Chieh,

Yes this camera sucks! I was being cheap when I bought it. I'm a writer and I was going on a 4 week residency at the Blue Mountain Center in Adirondacks (ironically, a fellow resident lost his 500 dollar digital camera in the waters of Blue Lake). I had the camera and it just was not working and neither were the drivers. I gave up.

Recently, I moved and I couldn't find my webcam so I had this dumb camera and decided to look up the drivers. Luckily, I remembered that I bought it at Wal-Mart and it was listed on the website. After the search, your article on this camera popped up first. Thanks for the heads up on Sakar. I am downloading the software now. Anything else I should look for?

thanks again

Michael
Tue, 18 May 2004 21:56:59 EDT

Great to hear that you are able to find the driver. It looks like Sakar has placed the driver for this camera back on-line.

I have given up on this camera soon after I got it. As I mentioned I would do in my article, I gave it to my friend. He was quite excited to get it at first. But he soon understood my frustration with the camera. Last I heard, he was using it as a web-cam as well.

Chieh Cheng
Wed May 19 10:24:17 PDT 2004

hey I bought this camera today at walmart like almost everyone else.on my lcd screen it says 0. i tried to see if there were ne pictures on the cam and a popup sid no pics on cam. Help please

Steffi
Thu May 20 19:02:52 PDT 2004

Thanks for the warning on this little camera. Wal-Mart.com makes it so tempting to buy. I'm glad I visited this site.

Greg
Thu Jun 24 06:47:34 PDT 2004

it was very easy to figure out how to use it but the disk they included with it didn't have any files on it lol, is there anyway I can find them, and download them or do I need to request for them to send me a new disk?

Ashley
Tue Jul 13 23:25:31 PDT 2004

You can download the driver from Sakar.

Chieh Cheng
Wed Jul 14 12:12:44 PDT 2004

I managed to get some pictures w/ the camera to upload. They were poor quality if the item happened to move durring the picture taking. A couple pictures turned out ok, but I also had the same problem of the camera hanging and not turning off or on. I took it back and got my money back. Don't buy this!

Jessica
Sat Jul 24 10:35:16 PDT 2004

The camera was purchased at Wal-mart in December, 2003, for $20 and is my first digital camera. I finally got around to using it last night and so far, so good. I am running XPHome. The instruction booklet does not provide much information. It took very little time to be up and running - probably less than 15 minutes. All of the photos I've taken are a little blurry and very few are what I would consider acceptable, however, I am amazed it can do so much for so few dollars. I believe I can get some use out of the camera to email photos to friends and family so I am not unhappy with my purchase at all. However, if I had it to do over again I would spend a little more to get a little more :-)

Brooksie
Sat Jul 24 16:18:17 PDT 2004

I noticed that this camera has been renamed to Digital Concept Digital Camera at the local Wal-Mart. It now has a blue finish.

Chieh Cheng
Thu Aug 12 01:35:53 PDT 2004

Hi.. Can someone please tell me how many mega pixels this camera has?. Some sites say 32 but that?s impossible. Thanks for your help.

Roman
Mon Aug 23 19:15:35 PDT 2004

352x288 pixels = 101376 pixels = 0.1 megapixels

Chieh Cheng
Mon Aug 23 20:59:48 PDT 2004

i saw these at walmart day before yesterday and came home to check the reviews. i bought one today just to see what the fuss was all about. no fuss at all!!! this thing is great! simple. easy to use software. the resolution is no good in any setting other than hi. the key to this thing is to read the instructions. it says right at the start that you will have trouble if you don't install the software to spec.
just thought i'd share my support of this poor little guy who seems to be getting a bad wrap.
josh

josh
Sat Aug 28 09:45:51 PDT 2004

I havent had any problems at all with this little camera! I have uploaded tons of pictures from it to my computer and it works wonderfully, especially for the price. I love it

Mandi
Sun Nov 28 14:06:29 PST 2004

I just got a second one for 18 dollars and I just found out that it can shoot videos!? WOW! I want to try it..but how do you get the camera to shoot videos without it being connected to the computer?

I had no problems getting mine to download pictures. And it still take ok pictures now and then seeing that its a 20 dollar cam and almost a yr old. It has passed my expectations.

ME
Wed Dec 22 17:43:37 PST 2004

hi i know you have said that the driver is there but its not i need the driver for the camera please help

if the drivers there can you write down the driver name

steve
Sun Jan 2 04:28:23 PST 2005

I have one of these when it was named Aiptek VGA. They must change the company name on a daily basis. My sister gave me another for Christmas and the name is currently Digital Concepts. I haven't bothered with opening the new one since the original was essentially a toy. I can see that they changed the USB connection on the side to a larger connector.

From the www.sakar.com website, I can tell the camera still has the same major problem that it has always had. When the batteries die, the photos are instantly erased. You cannot swap and insert a new set without losing the current pictures. I had rechargeables in it but they'd be lucky to last more than a couple of days. So, if you take pictures, you have to copy them to your computer pretty soon or you'll lose them.

As for shooting video, keep in mind that the memory is quite limited. It's certainly not going to replace a normal video camera. Video will fill its memory very quickly. You won't get any sound, either.

Mine was next-to-useless in low light, too. No built-in flash, obviously. I can hardly see how it could be used as a webcam unless you want to sit under a bright light.

Don't think that you can just toss this in the car as an emergency camera for those times you spot something interesting while driving around. The batteries will be dead. Your best chance would be to keep the batteries separate until needed.

The current version is 352x288 pixels which is about 0.1 megapixel. It has 64 Mb of memory. It can take up to 152 photos, but I'd guess that is on a lower resolution.

Mark
Mon Jan 10 12:35:40 PST 2005

I've had mine since Christmas with no problem - only blurry pictures. However, my dad and his friend both have this camera and each have an e- machine computer. After it was installed, it started eating files and finally crashed their computers to the point that they can no longer use their computer. Wondering if this has happened to any one else?

Shannon
Wed Jan 12 19:53:44 PST 2005

Hmm how do I say this in a nice way this company truly stinks . I got the cam to use as my web cam it worked fine but a month after I bought it I moved out of state and lost the install cd and have wrote too sakar so many times its not funny. I dl the drivers from the site but they don't even work added the people to aol instant messenger that there web site says is online sometimes well they don't exist I don't think its the cam that sucks so much as the company wont help you at all. If anyone has the cd and could plz put it on a zip file and email it to me I would be truly happy :))[email protected] or [email protected] also use to im me if u can help me

tina
Sun Jan 23 14:03:14 PST 2005

great camera for the price no real problems at all as a still, or video have not used as a web cam i am no at all comuter savvy i just read and followed the directions

stenm3
Sun Jan 30 13:18:01 PST 2005

Pls check ERRDOC: Run-Time Error 0x80070725 / 80070725 for installation prob and Sakar Downloads for drivers. Install this while the cam is disconnected on your PC.

Strong
Wed Feb 2 19:27:24 PST 2005

i have that same exact camera and it works fine for me.... except for the low res... it takes crappy pics... and the lighting has to be good or it dont take good pics.... but other than that it works fine http://photos.yahoo.com/lil_miss43716 here is a link with some photos i have taken with it

Deidre
Wed Feb 16 10:40:44 PST 2005

se me extravio el cd de instalacion me pueden ayudar graias

Maria Emma
Sat Feb 19 13:12:48 PST 2005

i've had my camera for about a year now and i havent used it in awhile but i STILL can't download the files from the link that is given for the lost cd rom. i don't know what is wrong with it...someone please please help me figure this out. it is getting really stressfull. email me with another link or sum info about how to set it up and everythang. b/c obviously i'm not doing it right. thanx all...~chay~

Chay
Sat Mar 5 15:50:05 PST 2005

I have had the same issue trying to get the drivers for XP. Sakar's webpage is less than helpful. I send the email as they said to [email protected] asking for a new driver disk. That was 3 months ago and I have yet to hear from them.

anonymous
Tue Mar 8 10:40:29 PST 2005

I have had the same issue trying to get the drivers for XP. Sakar's webpage is less than helpful. I send the email as they said to [email protected] asking for a new driver disk. That was 3 months ago and I have yet to hear from them.

res
Tue Mar 8 10:40:34 PST 2005

Uhh.. I'm really not sure what everyone's problem is here.. This is a TWENTY DOLLAR CAMERA. And you guys are shocked it's having compatibility problems and not working that well?

How much is your time worth?? There are really people that will invest hours in trying to get a $19.95 crap camera working? Amazing.

tcp
Thu Mar 17 11:34:28 PST 2005

Ha, suckers! I bought this at walmart for 9 bucks! So yeah, as expected, it wasn't worth it. I have Windows 98 SE and everything, and the camera never worked, ever ever. Does anyone want it? I have the CD and cable. I'll even give it away with batteries! Take it off my hands!!!! Shipping's on me.

Asael
Thu Mar 17 23:24:48 PST 2005

(Forgive my prolixity)
This is pretty far down on the list of comments, but I read that far, so others might as well.

Bought my camera for $19.89 (or something like that) at Wal-Mart (same old story, eh?) and today found it was not working to the standards on the box.
Ok. Earlier this week I was trying to use the same camera everyone above is talking about--but it just beeped and did nothing else. Also, it freezes at times while recieving video. Then I realized that I could plug it into the USB port and get it working that way.
I was using rechargable batteries. This may have caused problems with overpowering the terminals on the camera. Anyway, I played around with it on the USB port for a while.
I feel for the people who do not have the drivers. I would be glad to upload these to my web-site if people needed them--even the ISO image of the driver cd if there's more demand from people with cd-burners--I've got a dial-up connection so it could take a while to get uploaded.
Also, I try to get video out of this machine using two programs. The real trick in getting fair viewing out of this camera is to use software on it--I was using Corel PhotoPaint on the images in the camera until a little while ago. But any, back to video programs. One is VideoLan, or VLC, which allows you to export video feed from a directshow device to a specific file format, and to the screen. The other program is called NanDub, or VirtualDub, which also allows you to capture video from this camera.
Ok. So I realize this no-working-battery thing makes my camera totally non-portable. I figure "what the hell, it's only $20 camera that I bought a couple of years ago?" So I commence to take the camera to pieces. I hook it up via USB once it is apart and it still turns on. I take one battery out--thinking that the camera will turn off without the batteries. I look at my screen and see that it's still getting video feed.
"Wow. The USB port gives it the camera enough power to work without batteries."
So, I completely disconnect the circuit board from the battery terminals and that's how it is right now. Hooked up to the computer via the wire that came with the package, still able to recieve video.

So anyway, I read this title "Camera Hacker" title and thought to myself--"Ah... Here is someone who has looked further into taking the Dual-Mode DSC(2770) apart than I have."
I've already read how digital cameras work at howstuffworks.
Check it out, you guys might be interested: How Digital Cameras Work

Anyway, if anyone is more interested in messing around with this camera, or reads of anyone messing with something like this camera, perhaps even *hacking* it into something neat, please contact me via the e-mail address presented on my comment.

dab
Sun Apr 24 01:00:38 PDT 2005

Like everyone has been saying, this thread is getting far too long to be manageable. There are a lot of different issues being discussed.

So, I have started the pain-staking task of sorting out all the messages into the right threads on a new forum for Sakar cameras. The forum is located here:

Digital Camera: Sakar

Over the next week or so, all of the messages in this thread will be filtered to one of the threads in that forum. The task has already been started and this thread is a little shorter than before. 8-)

Chieh Cheng
Sun Apr 24 12:01:57 PDT 2005

My camera has been thru hell and its still working... i just was playing on webcam with it the other day... I like it a lot...

Deidre
Fri May 6 05:28:08 PDT 2005

I posted Sat Jul 24, 2004 so it's been one full year since I first tried out this camera. The first set of batteries died a few days ago, which does not seem too bad since it's been used often. I always erase it before putting it away, so maybe that helped.

Pictures taken indoors are of poor quality, for the most part, but I've taken lots of outdoor shots that have been great. OK - not great, but fine. All of those have been pictures I would not have taken had I not had this little camera on hand, so I'm glad I bought it. It came in especially handy when auto accident photos were needed - helped the insurance claim process move right along.

There is one problem it developed recently - it won't turn off properly. When shut off it comes right back on, however, it shuts off on it's own anyway, just like it's supposed to if it's not turned off.

I've gotten a lot of use out of the camera - still glad I bought it:-)

Brooksie
Sat, 23 Jul 2005 20:19:49 -0700

Hi. Yea, i've bought this camera TWICE. once because I liked it because it's cheap price and 3-1 quality, It worked great, Til i broke it accidentally by spilling soda on it while it was on. The second one, I bought and noticed it under a different name(as it has already been said)Anyways, This one didn't work as well as the first, when i took the pictures they either didn't come out, or were corrupted.sometimes, the camera reset all by itself! I unfortuantlly lost the cd to the first one, and the second cd was too scratched. I then saw the sakar.com on the scratched cd and when i tried it, found that these files, too did not work. Or so i think. I've downloaded the files... but have no idea how to get them to work, Are they supposed to start automatically when you restart your computer, do you have to unzip the files and put them in a different place, or are these files simply not working? I am also unclear as to whether i downloaded the right drivers. is this the right thing to download? or am i supposed to be downloading something else? I want to use this mostly for it's webcam. Could someone please help me?

Krystle
Fri, 29 Jul 2005 01:30:27 -0700

I used this little camera to take over 600 pictures on my ban'd last tour. I have had no problems except for short battery life, and the occasional refusal to turn on. It can be powered from USB, so I just attatched it to my laptop and snapped away.

Alex
Thu, 15 Dec 2005 13:28:40 -0800

I bought this camera for my granddaughter. She could not get it to work, so a year later she gives it back to me to see if I can get it to work. She had the CD and cable but no instructions. I checked the Sakar.com site, but I do not know what the model number of the camera is as I could not find it anywhere on the camera, so I can't download the instructions. Anyone know the model number?

Dru
Mon, 2 Jan 2006 18:15:54 -0800

i think this is the crappiest camera i have ever seen. i cant get it to work for nothing! ive had it for almost a month and have been working on it for the whole month and still cant get it to work!

mandy
Tue, 18 Apr 2006 21:12:19 -0700

i got the duel mode camera and it is a peice of CRAP. i have read through the manuel 3 times.(the manuel sucks anyway). i downloaded pics onece but after that all it says is "driver open fail" i have un/re instaled the program but it still wont work. i am afraid i am going to lose my pics, because if u charge it u lose your pictures, if it runs out of energy u lose your pictures, and i cant download them. another problem i had is that it wont charge all the way i left it pluggen in for 2 days and the charged light never turned green.

DJ walker
Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:31:51 -0800

how do you turn it on help please i bought and i dont know how to turn it on

chicka chicka boom boom
Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:37:48 -0800

this camera is a peice of shit, i hate when they sale shit and know dam well it dont work

Attached Image:

choc4.jpg

felicia edwards
Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:35:54 -0800

this little guy is a cheap piece of crap! It has never taken any pics that are any good. All I can ever upload are dark outlines. It is not worth it, I guess there is something to the old adage you get what you pay for!

gwen
Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:12:41 -0700

Well I have to agree that the camera is pretty much junk. First of all when I got the package home and really looked at it, the CDRom and user manual was not even in the package. After complaing to thecompany they did email me the links to download the driver, software and unser manual.
Well now, now that all that stuff is installed, and my daughter has taken many pictures, upon downloading the pictures to the compuer, the error comes up that the driver is not installed. Well I have installed and uninsatlled it about 10 times and still wont work.
I guess an other complaint is instore for sakar.

Anne
Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:30:14 -0700

esta camara es una mierda, se borran las fotos tomadas, una vez que la apagas del boton menu, aunque en el manual del usuario te indique que solo se borraran si le quitas las pilas. pinchi walmart y sakar co. valen verga!!!
this camera is a shit, photo taken is photo erased after push menu button. In the user's guide said you: "opening the battery compartment or removing the batteries will erase the photos in your camera... photos may be lost when thew batteries run low", but it doesn't true, every photo taken will be erased after turn off button. walmart & sakar are a piece of my cock!!!
i don't wrote english correctly.

Ernesto
Sat, 05 Jan 2008 05:58:06 +0000

Necesito el driver o software de éste producto. quien pueda pasarmelo porfavor, a mi me gusta mucho ya que saca de apuros, pero perdi el disco del software y no lo he hayado por ningun lado.

por favooor!!! help me!!

[email protected]

anonymous
Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:02:27 +0000

it is crap but which one is the video mode?

red school bus
Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:50:11 +0000

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