gSmart Mini Digital Camera

(Not sure which digital camera to get? Check out our comparison guide.)
As all digital photo aficionados will tell you, digital cameras eat batteries like there's no tomorrow. The designers of the gSmart Mini have cleverly added a built-in rechargeable battery which is good for several reasons, the most obvious being that you don't need to buy lots of batteries. The other Very Good Reason is that the gSmart protects your shots by shutting off when its low on power - giving you time to get to your PC and download those valuable snaps before they get wiped off.

A fully charged battery lasts around an hour with continuous use, with a standby time of around 2 weeks. When batteries are low, standby time is reduced to around 2 days.

The gSmart takes photos up to 1024x768 pixels (after software jiggery-pokery), despite being only a touch larger than a Zippo lighter. A macro select dial allows you to adjust focus for close-up shots, although it does stick out around half a centimetre from the camera's body, bulking it out slightly.

Set the camera to low resolution and you can store up to 200 shots on the Mini’s internal 8MB memory. Included in the package is a neck-strap and video conferencing cradle to pop your GSmart in while beaming your fizzog to friends across the globe, alongside all the software you need to digitally manipulate your photos.

If you're after a tiny digital camera under forty quid with decent resolution you've definitely come to the right place. The rechargeable battery makes the gSmart an irresistable package.

Technical Specification:

Image sensor	0.3 megapixel CMOS sensor (16m colours)
Internal memory	8MB built-in SDRAM
Modes	- Digital Video Recording (no sound) - Still Photos - PC Webcam
Resolution	- 320 x 240 (QVGA) - 640 x 480 (VGA) - 1024 x 768 (XGA, through software only)
File Formats	24-bit JPEG
Storage capacity	- 200 images (Lowest resolution)
Interface	USB
Shutter Speed	1/15 ~ 1/4000 second
Video Frame Rate	15 fps (VGA) 30 fps (QVGA)
Lens	Fixed (Macro/Normal); f = 6.2mm
Focus	Two settings: 20cm ~ 30cm (Macro) and 30cm ~ infinity (Normal)
Aperture	F2.8
Power Source	Lithium ion polymer battery and charger sealed inside camera unit
Power control	On/Off button
Self timer	10 seconds
Dimensions	4.7cm (H) x 6.9cm (W) x 1.1cm (D)
Weight	39g