Auto Mode (7.0)
The red camera icon on the mode dial represents Auto mode. Auto mode limits the Function menu’s options to image size and quality and drops only three options from the standard menu. The face detection system is functional, along with all the features on the multi-selector. There is also a so-called “Manual” mode on the mode dial, but it would be more accurately called a Program mode. Its main attraction is the manual control of white balance, ISO, Color mode, long shutter speed, and Autofocus mode.
The A830’s Auto mode does as it should -- automates just about everything. The few manual controls it does have return to default status when the camera is turned on.
Movie Mode (3.0)
The GE A830 has the ability to record videos like most other compact digital cameras. The MPEG-4 videos can be recorded at a decent television-quality 640 x 480-pixel resolution or a more e-mail-friendly 320 x 240 pixels. Both resolution sizes can be recorded at 30 or 15 fps frame rates.
The A830 has a digital image stabilization system meant to compensate for shaky hands. Like the GE G1, though, there is a major flaw in the system. The image stabilization only works if the frame rate is set to 15 fps; it doesn’t function at all at the much smoother 30 fps. This is awful. Users have to choose between smooth 30 fps video or supposedly stabilized video at 15 fps. Even with the stabilization, the 15 fps movies don’t look that great. They are still too choppy to enjoy.
When movies are recorded to a memory card, clips of up to 30 minutes can be captured at a time. Time is limited on the 26 MB of internal memory, though. Not that anyone would want to use it for movies, anyway. According to the owner’s manual, videos recorded to internal memory are subject to degradation. This seemed to be true. When the videos were played back they stuttered and paused about every two seconds.
In strong lighting, the camera has problems properly exposing video. There are lots of purple streaks that extend vertically along light-colored subjects. We shot a video of a child swimming in a pool on a sunny day. The sun was in his face and a purple stripe the width of his pale face followed him around the frame. Most of the videos we took outdoors were overexposed and several had these odd purple phenomena.
To make matters worse, the audio recorded with the movies is absolutely atrocious. It sounds like there is a steady brook flowing in the background of every video. GE’s specs claim it has G.711 monaural audio. Playing the foul audio back in the camera is quite a task, as well. Users have to reset the volume for each movie played back by pushing up on the multi-selector. There are only three volume levels and none play very loudly.
This is one of the worst Movie modes we’ve seen on a digital camera. Even for a compact digital camera, it’s bad. The resolution is okay, but the frame rate and digital image stabilization system don’t really work together well. The internal memory destroys what little is left of the video’s quality, and movies recorded to internal memory or cards are cursed with horrible audio.
Drive / Burst Mode (5.5)
Don’t get your hopes up for this Burst mode. It’s nearly impossible to get it to function, for one. There is a set of options in the Photo menu – 5 Shots, 5 Shots Last, and Time-Lapse. Even after these are selected, the Burst mode doesn’t work. Users must select the desired Burst mode in this menu and then push the bottom of the multi-selector until a Burst mode graphic appears on the LCD screen. The two-step process is inconvenient and the location of the Burst mode is nearly a mystery because there is no burst icon on the bottom of the multi-selector; it only has an icon for the self-timer.
The camera’s specs claim a 2.1 fps Burst mode, but it doesn’t snap anywhere close to that. It takes more than a second for each shot. This slow pace stops after five shots. The camera’s best compression disappears in the Burst mode, too; the top resolution users can access is the 8-megapixel fine JPEG compression size. Don’t expect sharp images when using the Burst mode.
The time lapse setting is interesting. This is a feature that is making more frequent appearances on recent digital cameras. The GE A830’s Time Lapse mode can take a picture every 30 seconds or 1, 5, or 10 minutes. Some cameras allow the user to set the total number of images to be taken but the A830 does not have that control. It takes pictures until the memory card is full or until the batteries die – which won’t take long.
There are two self-timer settings found by pushing the bottom of the multi-selector. The 2 and 10-second self-timers send out a flurry of orange flashes before taking the picture.
Playback Mode (7.0)
The only green icon on the mode dial is the Playback mode, so it’s easy to find and access. Returning to shooting afterwards isn’t as flawless, though; users have to rotate the dial instead of just touching the shutter release button like on some digital cameras.
Scrolling through pictures can be done one by one with the left and right sides of the multi-selector. Pushing the top and bottom portions of the multi-selector jumps through 10 images at a time forward (top) or back (bottom). Pushing the left side of the zoom control shows 4, 9, or 16 images on the screen at a time. Pushing the right side magnifies the image up to 8x.
Images can have up to 60 seconds of audio attached to them by pushing the shutter release button down. The audio isn’t great, but it’s enough to pick up the user’s voice for a little explanation of what’s going on in the picture.
Most of the Playback mode’s features are outlined in the menu.
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Playback Mode
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Protect
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One, All (Yes, No)
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Delete
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One, All (Yes, No)
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DPOF
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One, All (0-9), Reset
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Info. Box
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Off, On
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Trim
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Yes, No
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Resize
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1024 x 768, 640 x 480, Back
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Rotate
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Clockwise, Counterclockwise, Back
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Slide Show
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Start, Cancel, Effect (Off, Type 1, Type 2), Time Interval (1, 3, 5 seconds), Repeat (On, Off)
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Red-Eye Removal
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Yes, No
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Users can protect images to prevent them from getting accidentally deleted. Print orders can be made with the DPOF option. Users can opt to display an “info box,” which shows a histogram, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, mode, and image size, although this takes up about half the LCD screen and makes it hard to see the actual picture.
There are a few editing features such as trimming, resizing, and rotating. Pictures that have been edited can be saved as separate files so users don’t have to trash the original file. Red-eye removal is available, although it didn’t work on an image I took. Only one eye was red, and it wasn’t fixed by the removal feature.
The slide shows are basic but will suffice for most users. Cameras at this budget price range don’t come with musical slide shows or fancy effects.
Movies can be played back with audio, although the volume has to be turned up with the top of the multi-selector at the beginning of each movie. There are only three volume levels and none are very loud, but the recorded audio is so terrible it would almost be embarrassing to play it back, anyway. Videos can be played back normally or in slow motion, although the speed of the slow motion cannot be adjusted. Videos have some editing available, too; the beginning or end can be cut and the rest of the file saved separately.
Overall, the GE A830’s Playback mode is what is expected from a budget point-and-shoot digital camera. It provides several viewing options and a handful of editing options.
Custom Image Presets (7.25)
The GE A830 has two Scene modes located directly on the mode dial, while the rest are found in the Function menu when the dial is turned to the “SCN” position. The shaky hand icon on the dial accesses digital image stabilization, which compensates for hand movement by increasing the ISO sensitivity and thereby shutter speed. This mode, however, also increases noise. The other mode on the dial is Portrait, perhaps the most commonly used preset mode. It optimizes the aperture, metering, and flash for pictures of people but doesn’t automatically turn on the face detection like we thought it would. Users still have to push the designated button to turn on that function.
The following Scene modes are located in the Function menu when the mode dial is set to the scene position: Sport, Children, Indoor, Leaf, Snow, Sunset, Fireworks, Glass, Museum, Landscape, Night Landscape, and Night Portrait. The A830 displays a small icon and a text description of each Scene mode. For example, the Sport mode shows a graphic of a runner and the text: “For fast-moving subjects. Bring lively pictures back to life.” The meaning of that last phrase isn’t exactly clear, but you get the point.
