Exsys Reviews

I have had this camera for almost 3 years and I love it. The camera is so easy to use and all you have to do is push a button on the dock and your pictures are loaded into your computer. I have had so many compliments on it too, because it's so small and convenient. The only thing bad is when using the zoom option, the pictures come out a little blurred. Overall, it was a great purchase!

This has been an excellent purchase. While expensive at the time (euro 500), it has paid off multiple times due to its quality, flexible portability tx to size and pouch and ability to shoot video. Ideally, there would be no need to rely on finding a socket for the dock to download pictures onto computer and there would be no need to send it in for servicing twice ( and now, a third time) due to malfunctioning screen and slot of the extra-memory card. So long as I find no replacement ( why are cameras getting BIGGER these days?), I am happy to stick with it.

I bought this camera 4 months ago. It is great. The pictures are crisp and the mpeg movie mode is pretty good too. The thing I love about this camera is that is small and you can put it in your pocket and not feel your lugging a camera around. I use it for family and work. No complaints at all..

I bought this camera 3 weeks ago from Amazon (new) with the travel kit. Initially I was looking for a good 3 MP camera but when I looked at this one with great price tag, I couldn't resist. I must say I am impressed with various features it offers for the price. Ok, if you compare with other higher priced 4 MP cameras, it may not offer some of the advanced features but ask yourself if you are ever going to use those features. Todate I have taken more than 100 pictures, with various settings & I must say they are amazing. Camera is easy to operate & LCD, although relatively small, is very clear. Also, I still have not changed batteries even after using LCD screen for most of my pictures, so I don't understand the fuss about digital cameras eating too much battery. I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for camera with more megapixels for less price and easy to operate.

The DX4900 is a fun digital camera that is especially great for people new to digital photography. I have had the camera for six months and have used it under many conditions, using nearly all of its features. I really like this camera.

I can understand why people enjoy the docking station, with its simple one-button transfer of images to the PC. However, I think the docking station is a pricey addition when your money could be better spent on a rapid battery charger, a backup battery and additional memory.

This is how I handle the transfer of images from camera to PC: I leave a USB cable permanently plugged into a 4-port USB hub (~$ online) attached to the PC. When I am ready to download my pictures, I plug the USB cable into my camera and turn on the power. The images are automatically downloaded to the PC using the Kodak Transfer Software. Why spend an extra $ for the docking station when it is this simple without it?

Battery/Power: I have had absolutely wonderful results with my Ni-MH battery and the Kodak Rapid Charger. My battery lasts a lot longer than I ever expected and only takes four hours to recharge.

Durability: I have used the DX4900 in freezing, wet and snowy weather conditions. I have also used it at high altitudes up to 10,000 feet and have had no performance issues. I'm pretty rough on the camera too, having dropped it a couple of times, but still it works great!

My biggest complaint about this camera is that it takes so long to take high quality pictures in rapid succession. This is a known problem with the buffer overrun that has to be cleared after every couple of shots. The wait between shots can be annoying and I'm not sure if this occurs with other cameras in this class. You can temporarily override the slowness by setting the camera's image quality to "1.0MP Burst", which will allow you to shoot 12 immediate shots in a row while holding down the photo button. Unfortunately, this will sacrifice image quality.

I get some really great results using this camera and would like to see more reviews on the accessory lenses to know if they can add more to the camera's capabilities.

I am not a professional photographer and never will be. My life is very active and I needed a camera that is simple to use. If you are looking for a camera that will take beautiful pictures and not have to read the whole manual before to do it, this is the camera for you! The menu is very easy to use and it is a great point and shoot camera if you don't want to mess with changing everything. This camera has been used sometimes daily because I also list on Ebay. The 4.0 megapixels really give it that extra boost in quality pic taking. I also have the Kodak DC3400 and this was an upgrade. Both cameras are great!

I had been looking for a digital camera for some time, and when I saw this camera/dock I thought the price was right. Even though the reviews were mixed, they were positive enough that I bought it. After turning on the camera, which took almost 30 seconds, I shot a few pics and quickly downloaded them into my computer. The dock was very easy to use, although I did have to install the software three times before XP accepted it (XP users must download new software from Kodak's website). The pics looked a little dark for day shots but still they were okay. That night I took some shots inside and I knew I was unhappy with the purchase. The pics came out extremely dark (even ones from close range). I tried again and got the same results. I don't know if I had a "bad" flash on the camera or if that is just the way it was, but I wasn't at all satisfied. I returned the camera and decided to spend a few more dollars on a better quality camera.

A nice camera, but that is all, very basic, great outdoor day shots, very poor inside or night shots, where a flash is required. Recommend spend more (wish I had) and get something that can take more acceptable photographs inside where light is not as good as outside.

I bought this camera about a year and a half ago when it just came out. At the time, it was the cheapest offering an optical zoom, which is what I was looking for. The optical zoom works out nicely - it makes the camera have an effective 30-60mm lense, which is nice for distance shots. This camera does take some time to get to know and use properly, but once you have enough experience with it, you can get some good pictures (like through a microscope eyepiece - it was amazing). The outdoor shots are amazing, especially in terms of color reproduction. Indoor shots are variable, but it does take good low-light photos with the flash off, but the flash OK, just gets some colors a little wrong sometimes. The battery life is short, so you will need rechargeable batteries (these were well worth the investment, as acceptable batteries are $... a pair, while rechargeables+charger=$...). As for the camera dock, I think it is the stupidest thing ever and invented just to get more money out of people - YOU DO NOT NEED THE CAMERA DOCK (I avoided purchasing it). I don't even use the included software, I just copy pictures over. The LCD screen is a bit hard to see sometimes, and MMC cards are finally getting more common (I have ~160 megs of cards now, and took pictures for a month in europe on them). Overall, definitely worth the money, especially after I got used to it. And again, it is very very good at outdoor photos.

I bought this along with my Kodak DX4330 camera thinking it would be really nice and convenient.
Well, it IS nice and convenient - easy to set up and works well. One touch and it sends the pictures to the computer. The charger works fine too - I think the problems others may have are more related to the battery than the charger. But here are the drawbacks of this product:
1) Too expensive - I later discovered there are cheaper battery chargers (by Kodak as well). They don't transfer images to the computer like the dock does, but I don't think that's a big deal after all. Do a search for 'battery charger' ...and you'll find quite a few good alternatives to this camera dock.
2) They should have had a way to turn off the charger. Right now, when I'm done charging the batteries in the camera, I remove the camera since the 3 lights just stay on forever. I know that the batteries will not get damaged from overcharging, but those 3 lights staying on forever eventually seems wasteful! Since there's no switch to turn off the charger, you have to remove the camera if you don't want the lights to stay on forever. Kinda defeats the purpose of having a dock in the first place where you'd like to just leave your camera in it till you need to take pictures again.

So overall, it works as intended to transfer the images from the camera to the PC, and it charges the batteries fine. But it could do with improvements AND it really needs to get [less expensive]!

Creates a convienient way to transfer pictures to the computer with the Kodak software that comes with the camera. More importantly, it keeps the batteries charged. It would probably be cheaper to buy a battery charger and the camera is easily connected to the computer's USB conectors without the dock (a card reader on the newer computers is an even easier way to transfer the pictures).

It is convienient to always know where the camera is, to know that the batteries are charged and to download pictures without having to look for a USB cable but is it worth the price??--I guess so.

I purchaced the Kodak Easy share dock, when I received it it did not work. The supplier offered to refund my money immediatly. No hassel. Quite refreshing....

Does not fully charge Kodak batteries or 3rd party NIHM correctly. You are better off buying a simple NIHM charger for $9.99.

When I first got my Kodak digi cam I loved it! I recommended it to everyone! But now after using it for only a year, when I take it off the docking station, I am able to take only one shot before the camera battery dies. I have purchased a new battery which worked great after the first charging, and then I experienced the same behavior with the battery again. My Dad has the same model with the same problem.
I read in someone else's review that the camera battery will work longer if it's not left in the docking station. If that is the case, then what is the purpose of the docking station? I do not recommend wasting your money on this camera. Especially when the picture quality is not what you would expect from a company such as Kodak.

Finally KODAK comes to the rescue !!! With the EasyShare Camera Dock (Compatible only with the KODAK DX Series cameras) you have a ONE TOUCH picture transfer station (via the fast USB connection) & a camera battery re-charging dock (about 2 1/2 hours)in one. Your camera sits snug in the Dock cavity. Simple one button picture transfer.

Now, the Dock can be used with a PC which is the standard setup.

ATTENTION Non-PC Users: KODAK provides a complete economical stand-a-lone system. You already have the DX series camera (if not, I recommend the DX3600 - 2.2 megapixels - up to outstanding 8x10 pictures). Now with the EasyShare Camera Dock you now have a battery recharger and the one button picture transfer capability. Now all you need is the KODAK Personal Picture Maker 200 (Outstanding pictures up to 8x10 - see my review), (ink jet printer) ink cartridges & KODAK Photo Paper. The docks fast USB cable plugs directly into the Picture Maker 200 directly!!! NO PC for those who love fast & easy photo processing.

The KODAK EasyShare Camera Dock comes with; Camera Dock w/fast USB connector & cable, KODAK Ni-MH rechargeable battery pack, AC adapter and Quick Start Booklet.

This is a great device for fast & easy camera battery recharging & single button picture transfer (copy, email, print or display).
Enjoy those memorable moments instantly and easily.

Despite complaints that this camera is a trap because it uses a storage medium that is unavailable(MMC cards), I specifically bought this camera because it uses MMC cards. While MMC cards are not the primary medium of storage in this country, they are the primary source of storage for these devices in Europe. In fact, most high end European devices using digital storage mediums use MMC cards. Yes, they are currently more expensive byte per byte than some other storage mediums but they are also significantly smaller.
They are also the fastest growing storage medium in this market.
I currently have a mp3 player, a digital camera and a motion activated security device that all use the same MMC storage technology. Figure about a buck per megabyte.
Kodak made a savvy move using the MMC storage medium. They are hoping to challenge current European/Japanese offerings by using a storage medium currently popular in Europe combined with a camera that takes superb pictures.
The "kicker" is the Kodak docking station. No matter how inept the computerphobe, once installed to a USB port, photo manipulation becomes as simple as dropping off 35mm film to a one hour developer. The docking station charges the battery while a single push of the button downloads the photos to the computer for manipulation, printing, emailing or whatever.
Kodak offers some truly impressive printing technology whether or not you use their cameras.
Controls are easy to use but like most digital technology, the number of control decisions offered are overwhelming unless one has a week or two to spend learning all of the potential permutations.
Unlike film formats, bad pictures from digital cameras can be erased by the push of a button with no more expense than the cost of the electricity to record. Why digital cameras (Including this Kodak) offer so many different photo modes when it is just as easy to take a ton of pictures that can be later manipulated on a computer still confuses me
Bottom line, the camera fits nicely into most hands- neither too big or too small, the controls are easy to understand and use, the camera takes great pictures and computer manipultation using the docking station is a breeze.
Downsides are the Kodak name which is typically connected with low end(read quality) camera products (unless one is in the medical industry where their products have no peers), the use of MMC cards which are more expensive than than comparable storage mediums, and the ever present debate that compares digital to 35mm film cameras.
If you get past these issues, you still might find that this is not a great but a pretty good camera for the money. The docking station pushes it over the edge for the computer challenged.

I purchased the DX3700 somewhat out of desperation (many models sold out) but was intrigued by the high resolution. I also purchased a dock. The SD card was sold right alongside the camera and wasn't a price or availability issue.
I took the camera on a trip and had 56 high res photos on the 64MB card with room to spare. I thought the camera was a bit bulky and wasn't thrilled with the battery life, but decided to wait until I saw the picture quality.
When I downloaded the pictures to my laptop, I was pleasantly shocked by the beautiful color and detail of the photos. And the macro close-up shots were excellent!
Pros:
Low price for 3.1 megapixel camera, ease of use, quick battery recharging (less than 1 hour), great picture quality, excellent macro shots, decent (if slow) software
Cons:
Dock more or less required, so-so battery life, somewhat bulky.

I purchased a Kodak dx3700 camera for Xmas for my extremely non-technical wife (no docking station). After reading countless reviews and visiting manufacturer websites, I decided on a Kodak Easyshare Camera. I originally wanted the dx3600 because it had an optical zoom lens. Unfortunately, due to lack of supply and time frame, I had to get to the dx3700 in order to have a gift under the tree. This was my 1st digital purchase. Ease of use and picture quality were my main concerns because we will primarily print the photos.
To my surprise, the ease of taking photos and downloading photos was EXCEPTIONAL!!! I was even surprised that the photos had a date/time stamp and downloaded pictures were automatically categorized into new folders by date (GREAT FEATURE!). In regards to ease of use, THERE IS NOTHING BETTER! Literally, after 10 minutes, we were taking photos and making prints. We were all impressed. However, we had nothing to compare the picture quality to. My wife was also hesitant to let me know that she would have liked a zoom lens.
I began to research "comparable" cameras with zoom lenses. After thinking about upgrading to a dx3900, I decided to try another brand. I already knew Kodak's picture quality because the dx3900 is basically a dx3700 with 2x zoom.
After reading many more reviews and evaluating pros & cons, I decided to try the Canon A20. It was "only" 2.1 Megapixels, but it had a 3x zoom and looked like a Point & Shoot. Unfortunately, it did not have a date/time stamp. I purchased one from a retail store knowing that I would return it and buy it much cheaper online. I unpacked it. I immediately noticed that it required 4 AA batteries. The Kodak required only 1 Lithium or 2 AA Ni-MH. The Canon was MUCH more difficult to set up. Kodak had spoiled me. Canon's camera interface and software installation were MUCH more complex. I became nervous because I thought it would be to complicated for my wife to enjoy. I completed all setups. I had her hold the Canon and Kodak, then take some identical pictures with both cameras using the zoom and different settings indoors (where most of her pictures would be taken anyway). I printed them, then gave her a "Pepsi Challenge".
All of the pictures that she preferred were from the 2.1MP Canon, not the 3.1MP Kodak. The Kodak's were not bad. The Canon's were just better. Contrary to what I would have thought (being a digital novice), she was right. Although Canon's "ease of use" was definitely inferior to Kodak's, it had superior picture quality and a 3x optical zoom (remember: the dx3900 only had a 2x zoom). Although we LOVED Kodak's simplicity, we had to opt for picture quality. Although there will be a greater learning curve, picture quality lasts forever (If I can only get her to truly believe that).
I returned the Kodak, and ordered the Canon A20 online. I was even able to get the Canon for less than a dx3900. Although I will really miss Kodak's simplicity, every time I look at a printed photo, I will know that I made the right decision. I only hope that battery drain will not be too much of a nuisance.

When we first got the camera, we were impressed. It was easy to use, and the pictures that we took printed out very nicely.

However, after having the camera for a few months, we started to see the following problems.

1. POOR BATTERY LIFE
After only a couple of weeks of use, the rechargeable battery that came with the camera would only take 5-6 shots before dying. We kept the camera contantly on the dock, so it should not have run out. I assumed it was a defective battery and bought some desposable batteries for it, but had a similar problem. With a brand new battery, it would take 20-30 shots and it would fail to work.

2. RANDOM POWERING OFF
This was really annoying. After several months of use, the camera started turning itself off frequently. Sometimes I have to restart it 4-5 times to get it to stay turned on. Even then, it will often turn itself off when trying to take the picture. I have 3 small kids, and I have missed so many shots because of this.

3. LONG PAUSE BEFORE SNAPPING PICTURE
I know this is not a defect, but is probably by design (probably the auto-focus working), but there is a half second pause between the time you push the button and the picture actually takes. We have missed many shots because of that as well.

I hate to say it, but I will not buy a Kodak camera again. It's too bad, because when this did work properly, the pictures were really good and the dock is really a good idea. We eventually decided to buy a new, higher end camera (Fuji Finepix S7000). We will see how that turns out :)

I have this camera and LOVE it. I work at a school and now take pictures for awards .... everyone loves the pictures and the video and sound are great, yes the batteries do go rather quickly but I just bought rechargeable and have a extra set ready, highly recommend. I tried 3 other kind and the quality was no where near as good. 2 of the other ones were more money and less quality. Just try it!!!!

Overall this is a great camera for the digital age. It's simple point and shoot operation works great. We have a new baby and needless to say we have taken an ton of photos. The beauty is that you can shoot a bunch of photos in a row and pick the one or two you want and chuck the rest (at no additional cost). We print the photos on HP 4x6 premium photo paper on our HP 952C printer. They are awesome pictures! The quality is as good as the best pictures from high quality film processing.

Highlights:
1) Very easy to use
2) Shoot a bunch of pix. Pick the best ones. Crop them in the photo software to get the perfect shot. It is easy to look like a pro!
3) Rechargeable batteries (a necessity for digital cameras).
4) The cradle is very easy and it recharges the batteries at the same time.
5) JPEG files for email and ....

Criticisms:
1) Not a vacation camera. No affordable way to take lots of shots without downloading the shots to your computer.
2) The viewfinder is clunkly and difficult to frame shots (cut of a lot of tops of heads).

We are very happy with the camera. It has been a wonderful tool for taking pix of the new bambina to print them for us and email them to the family.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase of this camera - it's handsome (got lots of compliments on its looks), lightweight -- the thing's a veritable feather, comparatively -- takes superb outdoor shots, and pretty good indoor shots (although insufficient lighting, as with most digitals, affects quality).

Digital zoom - as with most cameras - BAD!. The DSP is "guessing" what pixels belong where. Fortunately the DX3600 has 2x _optical_ zoom (alas, the little sister model DX3500 does not). You can go to 6x with digital zoom, (and the .1x the zoom stepping is nice), but you'll start to see blurriness, pixellation, and x-mas lights effects. Up to 2x looks great.

The movie mode is such a fun feature... great for those times when a picture just isn't enough. The DX3600 records at 320x240 or 160x120, 20fps(!), with audio! And limited only by your memory capacity (I can get up to 15 minutes on my 64MB card). You can't use zoom or flash when recording, so lighting is a concern; but I've taken movies of a Japanese sushi chef slicing an egg with his spatula in low hotel restaurant light, and it came out beautifully! :)

The software blue-screened Windows 2000 on me twice during installation (which NEVER happens... my W2K system is a ROCK)... although it has worked perfectly during regular use. (or else the camera would have been returned already!) When plugged in to the USB cable, you can use the Kodak software, or the camera simply appears as a drive under My Computer. Nice!

This camera has MADE me a shutterbug! I didn't even own a film camera before this purchase. And on my recent trip to San Francisco, I snapped 275+ pics & movies!

The beautiful LCD screen (viewable even in bright sunlight), ease of use (the ultimate in point and shoot!), good battery life -- I recommend the 1600mA Rayovac NiMHs -- great macro shots, video out (how many "low-end" cameras have that?), and very nice-looking photos (what we're all after, in the end!) You get a lot of camera (and mini-camcorder!) for the money!

This review is for those people who don't already know a lot about digital cameras . . . . This camera made my first-time digital camera experience very pleasant. I know nothing at all about digital camera technology, so I was extremely anxious about buying and using one. Both the camera and instructions were very easy and user-friendly -- almost like a mini "Idiot's Guide to Using a Digital Camera" (Hey, I'll admit it). The instructions were simple and in plain language -- with lots of pictures to point out where everything goes and can be found.
It took about 10 minutes to figure everything out (where the battery & memory card goes, etc.), and after that I felt tremendously comfortable using it.
This camera went to Spain with me 2 days after I bought it; it took fabulous photos and gave me no problems at all.
On a 48mb memory card I managed to get 217 photos in normal mode. The 8mb internal memory that comes with the camera held 37 normal-quality photos that looked great.
Favorite qualities: Optional no-flash, the ability to instantly look at your photo and decide whether to keep it or not, and the ability to review your photos virtually at will. Many cameras certainly have these features, but the user-friendliness of the Kodak DX3600 took the fear out of using them for the first time.
Get the battery charger & batteries; it really helps.

I have owned this camera for a few months now and I love it for several reasons. It has superbly excellent outdoor picture quality and its indoor pictures are great, too. Be warned, the movie feature isn't that great. Outdoor is o.k. and o.k. means 75 marks out of 100. But the indoor ones, you can hardly see what, I would give it 25 out of 100. It is a big dis advantage of not being to use the flash while taking movies. And I can tell you in full faith, buy the CRV3 lithium for a few bucks extra and though it is rare some studios have it, because the alkalines are wasted on this camera. It takes up a huge lot of battery power. I have praised this camera, but the greatest feature about it is the quality I get for 2.2MP. It is simply suberb. You can get top class 8x10 prints with this and as for the 4x6 and 6x8 photos, you can't get better ones than this in studios. If you are trying to buy the dock, DON'T. And I mean it. It's a waste of [money]. The USB port transfer software and hardware are VERY GOOD. Do not hesitate with the buying of the dock thinking whether it is useful. It isn't unless you want to charge your Ni-MH batteries.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase of this camera - it's handsome (got lots of compliments on its looks), lightweight -- the thing's a veritable feather, comparatively -- takes superb outdoor shots, and pretty good indoor shots (although insufficient lighting, as with most digitals, affects quality).

Digital zoom - as with most cameras - BAD!. The DSP is "guessing" what pixels belong where. Fortunately the DX3600 has 2x _optical_ zoom (alas, the little sister model DX3500 does not). You can go to 6x with digital zoom, (and the .1x the zoom stepping is nice), but you'll start to see blurriness, pixellation, and x-mas lights effects. Up to 2x looks great.

The movie mode is such a fun feature... great for those times when a picture just isn't enough. The DX3600 records at 320x240 or 160x120, 20fps(!), with audio! And limited only by your memory capacity (I can get up to 15 minutes on my 64MB card). You can't use zoom or flash when recording, so lighting is a concern; but I've taken movies of a Japanese sushi chef slicing an egg with his spatula in low hotel restaurant light, and it came out beautifully! :)

The software blue-screened Windows 2000 on me twice during installation (which NEVER happens... my W2K system is a ROCK)... although it has worked perfectly during regular use. (or else the camera would have been returned already!) When plugged in to the USB cable, you can use the Kodak software, or the camera simply appears as a drive under My Computer. Nice!

This camera has MADE me a shutterbug! I didn't even own a film camera before this purchase. And on my recent trip to San Francisco, I snapped 275+ pics & movies!

The beautiful LCD screen (viewable even in bright sunlight), ease of use (the ultimate in point and shoot!), good battery life -- I recommend the 1600mA Rayovac NiMHs -- great macro shots, video out (how many "low-end" cameras have that?), and very nice-looking photos (what we're all after, in the end!) You get a lot of camera (and mini-camcorder!) for the money!

This review is for those people who don't already know a lot about digital cameras . . . . This camera made my first-time digital camera experience very pleasant. I know nothing at all about digital camera technology, so I was extremely anxious about buying and using one. Both the camera and instructions were very easy and user-friendly -- almost like a mini "Idiot's Guide to Using a Digital Camera" (Hey, I'll admit it). The instructions were simple and in plain language -- with lots of pictures to point out where everything goes and can be found.
It took about 10 minutes to figure everything out (where the battery & memory card goes, etc.), and after that I felt tremendously comfortable using it.
This camera went to Spain with me 2 days after I bought it; it took fabulous photos and gave me no problems at all.
On a 48mb memory card I managed to get 217 photos in normal mode. The 8mb internal memory that comes with the camera held 37 normal-quality photos that looked great.
Favorite qualities: Optional no-flash, the ability to instantly look at your photo and decide whether to keep it or not, and the ability to review your photos virtually at will. Many cameras certainly have these features, but the user-friendliness of the Kodak DX3600 took the fear out of using them for the first time.
Get the battery charger & batteries; it really helps.

I have owned this camera for a few months now and I love it for several reasons. It has superbly excellent outdoor picture quality and its indoor pictures are great, too. Be warned, the movie feature isn't that great. Outdoor is o.k. and o.k. means 75 marks out of 100. But the indoor ones, you can hardly see what, I would give it 25 out of 100. It is a big dis advantage of not being to use the flash while taking movies. And I can tell you in full faith, buy the CRV3 lithium for a few bucks extra and though it is rare some studios have it, because the alkalines are wasted on this camera. It takes up a huge lot of battery power. I have praised this camera, but the greatest feature about it is the quality I get for 2.2MP. It is simply suberb. You can get top class 8x10 prints with this and as for the 4x6 and 6x8 photos, you can't get better ones than this in studios. If you are trying to buy the dock, DON'T. And I mean it. It's a waste of [money]. The USB port transfer software and hardware are VERY GOOD. Do not hesitate with the buying of the dock thinking whether it is useful. It isn't unless you want to charge your Ni-MH batteries.