August 22nd, 2001 - I've decided to give these old pages a new home. The content is old, but perhaps it is still useful.
![[Al's Place]](gfx/photopc.gif)
UPDATED! Find PhotoPC software for Linux, DOS, Win32, etc., at this site!
For owners of the original camera which came with EZ Photo, Epson has software for the PhotoPC (and PhotoPC 500) called Epson Photo! available from their website. I found it at:
http://www.epson.com/support/phopc.html
It's a 6 meg download, and you can get it now if you would like (assuming they don't move the file and make this link be invalid).
This new software is fantastic!!! You can now, under Windows 95, do transfers from the camera at 115kbaud! FAST! It also has a much nicer and easier to use interface (and yes, it works under Windows 3.1 if you have the Win32s extension installed), and the real- time "preview" actually works! You can change alot more options in the camera, and it's much nicer than the EasyPhoto software that came with the camera.
Epson Photo! is basically a "move images from the camera to disk" program, with no editing or "gallery" photo collecting options. BUT, it does let you save images out as BMP, JPG, and PCX rather than just jpegs. There are also alot of neat options like being able to add "frames" around pictures you export to disk or save them is double size (with virtually no noticeable loss in quality). Very impressive!
The only thing I miss it not being able to rotate the images direct from the software, but that's a minor thing. I am using a trial version of LViewPRO (an excellent picture viewer that I may keep and register), and it does all kinds of great things.
This new software makes the camera seem like a new piece of hardware to me. Get it today!!!
The Epson PhotoPC camera line has really grown since I first put up this page, so I'll leave others to document the newer cameras. If you know of any PhotoPC sites that should be here, let me know.
This site will serve as a resource to owners of the original Epson PhotoPC digital still camera, a nifty little device originally under $500 that lets you take snapshots then upload them to your PC later.
It offers 24-bit color, 640x480 or 320x240 resolutions, and a built in flash. There is 1-meg of memory built in which stores 16 hi-res or 32 low-res (or any combination) images, but 2 and 4 meg upgrades are also available.
The camera hooks up with an included cable to a DB9 serial port. Windows software is provided to view thumbnail images of the pictures in the camera, then transfer them over into "Galleries" (groups) of images. Tranfer can be done up to 57600 baud, but I've found 38400 to be more reliable. (NOTE: This was under Windows 3.1. Under Windows 95, 57600 seems to work just fine for me now.)
Images can be saved in JPG or BMP format, and are very decent in quality. (Hint: Use an external viewer, like LView, as it will display the images much better than the provided software.)
Watch for more information and links coming soon, or check my Disney Photo Galleries to see some samples I have taken.
After owning this camera several months, I am still quite impressed. I've taken close to, I'd estimate, 50 megs of pictures with no problems. The stock 1-meg unit could hold 16+ hi-res images, or 32+ low-res. I recently upgraded to 5-megs total and have gotten up to 99 hi-res photos without needing to download.
One drawback of the memory upgrade is response time. It seems to take about 5 or 6 seconds between "takes" to reset for the next picture. Still, the added storage is very nice.
It's been said you CANNOT remove the upgrade once you install it. This is not true. It has little metal tabs just like my Toshiba laptop has and they can be removed through the use of small screwdrivers and some care. Worry not, PhotoPCers!
It looks like tons of digital cameras have been hitting the market. I currently have my eye set on the Casio QV100 (they finally got the resolution up!), among others. If anyone has any good recommendations for affordable digicams, please drop me a note.
