Digital Dream L'Espion [0.1MP] Review

Overall Rating

Key ring size, Take any where point and shoot, easy set up and USB down load.

Lux Sensitivity low, picture framing a bit hit and miss.

I brought this Digital Dream L'Espion digital camera on a whim just before Xmas 2001 as I liked the idea of having a small, no film camera. This was my first digital camera. I did download an updated driver from the Digital Dreams site but then had problems recognising the camera via the USB port but when I reverted to the drivers on the disc supplied no problems. A friend of mine who also brought one of these had problems using USB via a PCI card but using the onboard USB no problems?

What can I say about about using the camera, you point looking through the little pop up viewer, which takes some practice to get what you want to shoot in the frame and take a picture, or just ignoring the pop up viewer works just as well with a little practice. The count down of shots from 20 to 0 is nice as is the affirming bleep to indicate a shot has been taken or a buzz to indicate the light level is too low.
The quality of the shots is what you would expect for the resolution but still surprisingly good and that is how I've rated the image quality. The cam mode works regardless of light levels.
Downloading using the supplied software, and others, was flawless and a picture taken in good light can be resized somewhat and still look reasonable with a little work in the Ulead photo Express 3 packaged that was supplied with the camera.

Am I glad I bought it...yes. It takes quick snaps of where I've been or want to remember without paying for developing costs or having to carry a bulky or expensive alternative. If you accept the quality limitation set by the cameras resolution and take your pictures in good light then this is more than a fun toy to play with and impress your friends.

Members' Comments onSteveP.'s Review

• Eric. on 27th Sep 2002

  I found this review very helpful.
  I am going up the road to Jessops immediately to try out an Espion. I want to use it with my microscope to take photomicrographs.
  If this works it will revolutionise photography for histopathologists.

• Richard. on 27th Sep 2002

  Excuse me for enquiring but what is a Histopathologist please?

• Jeff. on 10th Jan 2003

  I agree, a great little camera but the battery runs down in about 24 hours if left in the camera. Is this a fault or just cheap design? It does complete the auto shut off OK but the battery is still dead next time I go to use it.

• Gareth. on 13th Jan 2003

  The battery will go flat if left in the Camera. It is recommended that it be removed if not in use. The Camera needs the battery to hold the image in it's memory, but it does not register if there are no pictures on it, it just keeps on sucking the batterys! But hey at £36.99 what do you want!

• Brad. on 8th Feb 2003

  What type of battery and how many?

• Jason. on 12th Mar 2003

  Yes!
  
  This little digital works, but there are problems, with it being recognised from USB port, it works in webcam mode, in Yahoo Messenger, but you will find problems using the webcam mode with MSN messenger, it will either crash your PC with stop errors, i get the problems with the driver, one from website, i get blank screen webcam mode, with driver from the CD-ROM that came with camera, you get a an average picture, i had to turn on my living room light to see me, it works with certain software, Yahoo, but finicky with MSN, i think the camera should work with most webcam software, but i have not tested it.
  
  All in all, a good camera, bar its problems!!!

• Gaynor. on 20th Jun 2003

  Is this the Digital Dream LEspion that is the James Bond edition?