"Picky Details" for the Toshiba PDR-3310 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
I measure both cycle times and shutter delay times, using a test system I designed
and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution of 0.001 second.)
Here are the numbers I collected for the Toshiba PDR-3310:
|
|
||
|
|
Time
(secs) |
|
| Power On -> First shot |
4.73
|
Time until first shot is captured. About average for a camera with a telescoping lens. |
| Shutdown |
3.4
|
About average. |
| Play to Record, first shot |
2.26
|
Time until first shot is captured.
|
| Record to play |
2.24
|
Time to display a large/fine file after capture.
|
| Shutter lag, full autofocus |
1.14/1.52
|
First time is for wide angle lens setting, second is for telephoto. Both are slower than average, the telephoto figure is quite a bit slower than competing cameras. (Average is a bit under a second at wide, a bit over at tele.) |
| Shutter lag, manual focus |
0.28
|
Faster than average. (Average is about 0.5 seconds) |
| Shutter lag, prefocus |
0.17
|
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button.
Very fast. (Average is about 0.3 seconds.)
|
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
2.6/6.7
2.6 |
First numbers are for large/fine files, second number is time for small/basic images. There's a two-shot buffer, so you can snap the first two large/fine images 2.6 seconds apart. The second and subsequent shots will take 6.7 seconds apiece though. Large numbers of low-quality images can be captured at 2.6 second intervals. A cycle time of 2.6 seconds isn't too bad, but many cameras can buffer more than two shots. |
| Cycle Time, continuous mode, max/min resolution |
n/a
|
The 3310 has no continuous mode. |
The PDR-3310 is an average to slightly below average performer, speed-wise. It starts up and shuts down about as fast as most cameras in its class, and its cycle time is pretty decent as well. Its has worse than average shutter lag though, ranging from 1.14 seconds for wide angle lens settings to a very leisurely 1.52 seconds with the lens set at the telephoto end of its range. Competing models focus much faster in telephoto mode.
Power
The PDR-3310 uses a single lithium-ion battery pack for its power source,
and has the rather short battery life that's typical of many subcompact digicams.
The table below shows the PDR-3310's power consumption in various modes, and approximate run times for each, based a lithium-ion battery with a (true, not advertised) 900 mAh capacity:
|
|
(@5 volts on the external power terminal) |
(3.7v, 900mAh cell) |
| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
|
60
|
| Capture Mode, no LCD |
|
90
|
| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
|
61
|
| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
|
90
|
| Memory Write (transient) |
|
n/a
|
| Flash Recharge (transient) |
|
n/a
|
| Image Playback |
|
111
|
Overall, fairly typical (very short) battery life for a subcompact camera. Even with the LCD off, capture-mode run time is rather short. Definitely plan on purchasing a second battery as backup for longer shooting sessions.
Storage Capacity
The PDR-3310 stores its photos on SD-type memory cards, and a 16MB card
is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a
32 or 64MB card, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart
below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16MB card at each
size/quality setting.
|
Resolution/Quality 8 MB Memory Card |
|
|
|
| Full Resolution 2,048x1,536 | Images (Avg size) |
7 2,286KB |
1,067KB |
| Approx. Compression |
4:1 |
|
|
| 1,024x768 | Images (Avg size) |
271KB |
|
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
Download Speed
The PDR-3310 connects to a host computer via a USB interface. Downloading
files to my 500 MHz PowerMac G4 (OS 9.1), I clocked it at 354 KBytes/second.
This is a little on the slow side of average. (Cameras with slow USB interfaces
run as low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast ones run as high as 600 KB/s.)
PDR-3310 Test Images
PDR-3310 Specifications
PDR-3310 "Picky Details"
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