Kodak Reviews

Ordered camera, no email from Ritz Camera explaining why it was cancelled. Phone calls got me no where. Very unhappy. Never received product, just a refund with STILL no answers.
I will never deal with them again.

We owned the DCS-760 in our pro photo lab. The camera was great. Then, kodak came out with the DCS-14n as a replacement. It was a huge mistake. The DCS-14n's sensor is simply of lower quality, shadows sometimes come out magenta. There is also a flare issue. Grey gradients, depending on the density come out green or yellow. And there are other issues as well, but you get the point. In conclusion, the DCS-760 was a far better camera.
Kodak recommends the use of a good lens with the DCS-14n to eliminate flare. We used the same lens to test both cameras, and the tests were performed under the same conditions. The results were very clear to us: keep the DCS-760.

The detail and resolution is unmatched!
It does take a little bit of time to learn all of the features!

Didn't use my dc4800 too much any more, until I found this adapter and the close up lens set. The adapter is a great way to add functionality to the camera if your ready to explore other types of photography. It allows you to add close up lenses, a telephoto lens, or a wide angle lens.

With the +10 an +7 I was able to fill full frame with a penny. Excellent quality.

This is the lens adapter for attaching the Kodak 43mm Ektanar accessory lenses to the DC4800 camera. This adapter can also remain attached even when not using the accessory lenses to help shield the lens from bright extraneous sunlight and to help protect the camera's built-in lens.

Search for " Kodak Ektanar " to find lenses for the DC4800. (43mm)

I've had this camera about 18 months. The only thing that I find lacking in this camera is its ability to take indoor flash pictures. Even using the +/- exposure compensater the pics come out under exposed, especially if the subject is more than 5 feet from the lens. Other features work well. I decided to stop fooling with this camera and went for the Canon S50, wow what a difference. Goodbye Kodak, hello Canon.

I love my DC4800. I consider myself to be an above average amateur photographer, and this is my first digital camera purchase. I like the flexibility for things like adjusting exposure and meter weighting. Photos I have taken with it have already been printed professionally in a theter pogram and came out really really well. The DC4800 takes fabulous pictures and was a great value as compared to the other 3 MP camras out there. In particular, it takes better low-light photos than the other 3 MP camera I have used (Nikon Coolpix 950) My two minor complaints:
1) Power button is VERY close to the shutter release. If you hand a stranger this camera to take your picture, you have to explain it to them, because half the time they will turn off the camera instead of taking your picture.
2) The software is a bit difficult to get started with. Like another reviewer said, be sure and download the firmware upgrade to improve the low-light focusing. Also, I could not get the camera to connect to my PC with the included software. Once I downloaded the latest version, it worked like a charm. I blame it on Windows more than Kodk, but still...

I bought one in March and liked it ever since. It's small, light and easy to use. It gives you many controls over the settings. I'm no photography expert at all, so I never used those fully manual settings. But it's comforting to know that they're there. You have more options to save pictures, from uncompressed TIFF to 0.8MP, 2.1MP and 3.1MP JPG(high compression, medium compression and etc). This makes me feel better than those ambiguous "good, fine, best" grades used in other digital cameras. I did have some grainy pictures but after I set white balance to auto, everything is fine. I used it on a 10 day trip along with two 128M CF cards and a quick charger. It worked perfectly well. Well, I wish I could have more CF cards. Fortunately my friends brought a laptop with him. The pictures were sharper and clearer than those taken by a Fuji 6800. This camera works especially well outdoor under strong light. The battery life is good too. It can handle about 100 pictures with flash on.
Here're my recommendations:
1. buy a lens cap cord
2. buy a quick charger set which also includes a battery. The quick charger is very convenient and it takes less than an hour to fully charge a drained battery.
3. buy at least 256 MB CF cards if you're out for a trip. It will allow you to take about 260 pictures (equivalent to 10 rolls of film) using 3.1MP low compression mode.

I am actually very glad I have finally gone digital in the camera world. This camera has surprised me over and over with its excellent quality shots and capabilities. I have used it for nighttime and low-light shots with great results. For static shots and portability, this camera is wonderful. With the USB adapter and the provided software, hooking it up to the computer was simple. With a photo quality printer, I've already started cranking out pictures for distribution to friends and family. I could go on about how happy and pleased I have been with the quality and facilities of my DC3400, but that would take too much space. There are a few downsides though. As with any camera, film or digital, that does automatic focusing and exposure settings, there is a bit of a lag when you try to take a shot, so response time can be a little slow for those "surprise" shots. The time between photos, several seconds at least, is sometimes a bit annoying. Also, it does tend to eat alkaline batteries. Rechargable batteries (NiMH) work very well, except of course for the classic rechargable problem of draining when not in use (left out for several days). My advice is to get a few sets of rechargables and make sure they are all charged up before you head out each day. High points: easy to use, high-quality photos, hook-up with the computer was a breeze (usb), low-light capable. Low points: eats batteries, lag between pictures and when you want to take 'quick' shots, minor difference between viewfinder and actual picture (correctable by either experience or use of capture mode)

I bought this camera for my wife. She is a technophobe... To my amazement, she has taken to this camera as if she had been using it for years.

Being keen on doing my research, I found this camera to be rated number one EVERYWHERE I looked. If you're looking for an easy to use camera that takes exceptional pictures (both on-sceen and in print), look no further - this is the one to get. It works and looks just like a 35 millimeter camera, so anyone should have an easy time having fun with it.

On of the greatest things about this camera is its picture quality. For a 2 Megapixel camera it is superb and has tested to be better than some 3 Megapixel cameras. One reservation my wife had was that she couldn't get photo quality prints with a digital camera (she loves to keep scrap books). We tried Kodak's print@kodak service and were blown away!! The service allows you to upload your DC 280's digital pictures to Kodak's web site and they print and mail them to you.

Nobody that we showed the pictures to could tell that they were not from a 35 mm camera - crisp, clear and bright. Pictures at print@kodak are $.49 for a 5x7 print. About $.09 more than regular 35 mm film at the neighborhood photo lab. Think about it though - when you go to the lab with 35 mm film, you might get 4-5 "good" pictures in a role of 24 and discard the rest... The cost for those "good" 35 mm pictures is actually a lot more than you might think! With a digital camera, you know what you're getting when you pay for the prints.

Believe me when I say that you'll love everything about this camera.

It gives absolutely great pictures, great user friendly menu
and its jsut take the best picture. I have used 3 more digital cameras noe. Canon, Fuji ..but this one is still the best.
I have almost shot 5000 snaps till now and they are jsut gr8

Piyush

Kodak DC290 is fine for medium/long range subjects. However, because the viewfinder and the lens are off-center, you invariably get off-center results - unless you use the LCD as your main viewfinder (this eats battery life and the display resolution makes it hard to make critical shot decisions). However, the image quality is quite excellent for most outdoor/lighted conditions.

The interaction and placement of the controls are quite good. There are a few key rubber finger and grip affordances to make the shooter feel in control. The only cheap part is the zoom lever. It's a small horizontal lever, that has to be kicked way over to one side or the other, and the time delay to lens movement is sluggish. The overall construction of the entire body and finish is very nice. There's plenty of standard features like burst, time-lapse, etc. to keep most digital camera enthusiasts happy. A real nice package bonus was the 4, AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and charger + 16MB storage card. At least Kodak was thinking about the entire user experience.

Oh, the PC software interface is rather silly. The childlike icons and metaphors for album creation, etc. makes you create a parallel cognitive hierarchy model for what is essentially folders/files on your computer. Something more straight forward with clear icons and interface is all we want. Use the quick access download near the clock once you've installed the software.

The DC290 has exceeded my expectations in image and color quality. Truly outstanding pictures! Yes, it did eat my akaline batteries in under an hour (most digital cameras do that), but the rechargables shipped with the camera are doing well. I bought to more sets! I'll probably get the AC adapter but I use a card reader so I'll wait and see. It would be wise to buy a larger flash card. I bought 32mb and have the 16mb that came with the camera as well. I was pleasantly surprised that the serial cable was packed (as well as a usb cable) so I can use it with any WIN 95 machine.

I found the camera a snap to operate out of the box. The menu is user friendly and easy to operate. I don't use the display much to conserve battery power. However,it is useful for close range shooting.

Another great feature is the external flash mode. I've used it successfully. The scripts that can be downloaded (free) making the capabilties of this camera a great buy.

I upgraded from a Kodak DC50 which also gave me great service. This camera is a truly great value in the tradition of the Kodak Company. ...

I got one of these Kodak DC290 mid-range cameras, and I am sorry to see that Kodak has suspended production of these units ! I have never had any problems with it, and all the photos I have taken come out wonderfuly. I do recommend the 256MB CF card, and you will want a professional battery pack so it doesn't run out of juice during a photo shoot. One last thing, since it is primarily a USB device, use Windows ME+ with it. 98 seemed to be very slow at data transfer rates. In short, if you can find one of these units(originally $1,000.00) buy it, you won't be dissapointed !

I too read reviews, searched the web,compared features, and priced the various models. I did not want to spend a small fortune on my first Digital Camera, but yet I didn't want to buy a bare bones model, then curse myself that " I should have bought..." I knew I wanted Zoom, and at least 1.3 pixels, and the one that fit all my requirements was the DC280. I know there are other cameras with better color, but no zoom, or better zoom, but costs more, or......etc. The plus factors are..... EASE OF USE, NON-COMPLICATED, GREAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT, GREAT WARRANTY, AND GREAT PRICE, GREAT ACCESSORY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE. Negative factors.....lens cover could be a better fit & quality, and LCD display seems to get smugged easily....... I DO SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER PURCHASING THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: 1. KODAK CAMERA CASE ( I got mine for $17.00 ) 2. BATTERY RE-CHARGER 3. EXTRA BATTERIES 4. AC ADAPTER ( got mine for $20.00) 5. SANDISK CARD READER ( GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD)...YOU SLIP THE CARD INTO THE READER AND PRESTO..THE PHOTOS ARE DOWNLOADED INTO YOUR COMPUTER.( SOLD FOR USB,SERIAL OR PARALLEL PORT CONNECTIONS, AND FOR FLASH CARD OR SMART CARD DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR CAMERA USES).The reader sits on you desk, so you don't have to go looking for your camera cables, or fool around with your tower all the time.......( got mine for $32.00) I get great color prints ( up to 8x10 ) and super detail, both on the computer and printed on Photo paper. I even went out and bought the Kodak/Lexmark Personal Picture Maker PM100 printer that has the flash card port built right into the printer, and the printer DOES NOT EVEN NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER TO PRINT OUT THE PHOTOS!...

This is a very solid camera that takes good pictures indoor or outdoors. It is very user friendly and consistently takes good pictures, no matter who is taking them (Unlike several Sony's I tried before settling on this one).

Their are several features on this camera that make it particularly appealing to me.
* Accepts any type of AA battery and comes with rechargeable ones
* Transfers pictures through USB (can also get a compact flash card reader, I highly reccommend).
* Has a Video patch cord that allows you to preview pictures on any TV or VCR with an RCA input.
* Accepts Flash Memory of any brand up of 196 MB+ (alot of pictures).
* Border software allows you to import different borders for your shots, such as birthdays and weddings.

Although the camera is only a 2.0 megapixel, I've learned megapixels don't tell the whole story for the quality of a picture. They only become important if you want to consistently produce picture sizes above 5x7 (8x10 takes a dip in quality).
Overall a very good camera for an enry level to average user.

If you are a more advanced user with higher resolution needs, you might checkout the Nikon coolpix 900 series, a very good camera, though it is twice the price of the Kodak 280 zoom.

I actually bought one of these at a yard sale for 80 bucks, since previously I owned and used a Kodak dc 240. I don't quite know why this series of cameras take such amazingly sharp pictures (my 240 (1.2 MP) takes sharper photos than my 3.2 MP sony!!!)but they just do. The 280 has a more limited zoom (2x as opposed to a 3x), but the picture quality is amazing. You cannot buy a 2MP camera that takes sharper and more realistic pictures than the 280. The new Kodak series with the docking ports are made differently and they are not as good about focusing or sharpness of image. The 280 is a great investment!! I've seen prints from the 280 looking better than some 4MP cameras!! And that's all I have to say about that :)

Kodak DC265 is fine for medium/long range subjects. However, because the viewfinder and the lens are off-center, you invariably get off-center results - unless you use the LCD as your main viewfinder (this eats battery life and the display resolution makes it hard to make critical shot decisions). However, the image quality is quite good for most outdoor/lighted conditions.

The interaction and placement of the controls are quite good. There are a few key rubber finger and grip affordances to make the shooter feel in control. The only cheap part is the zoom lever. It's a small horizontal lever, that has to be kicked way over to one side or the other, and the time delay to lens movement is sluggish. The overall construction of the entire body and finish is very nice. There's plenty of standard features like burst, time-lapse, etc. to keep most digital camera enthusiasts happy. A real nice package bonus was the 4, AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and charger + 16MB storage card. At least Kodak was thinking about the entire user experience.

Oh, the software interface is rather silly. The childlike icons and metaphors for album creation, etc. makes you create a parallel cognitive hierarchy model for what is essentially folders/files on your computer. Something more straight forward with clear icons and interface is all we want.

While not an avid Kodak fan (anyone remember 110 film? Disk cameras?), every once in awhile I've got to hand it to them. And this time I handed them $729 for their very fine camera, the DC265.

It was actually my Mom's DC-120 lead me to take a look at this camera. The DC-120, and the DC265, have very, very good color control. We have an infant, and the camera catches that golden glow in her hair, the pink cheeks... you get the idea. Combined with an HP R40 multifunction (get it!), I can make photo's that really bring the kid to life. It's the color quality that really sets this camera apart from most of the rest. Too many digital cameras (notably the Mavicas) have problems with flat colors, overly compressed or poorly mapped or something. Kodak's digital color scientists have been doing their homework, and it shows.

What else is there to like? The USB interface is wonderful. I routinely load up the camera (30 pictures, 0.5MB each) and dump them quickly and easily through my computer to my ZIP drive. MUCH nicer than serial port interfaces!

What's not to like? The camera is (ouch) complex... as is my Mom's DC120. Lot's of little intuitive buttons that take fooling around with to figure out. But most people can hack it, I think... Also, the resolution isn't adequate for really great scenery shots. Fine for snapshots, just not enough to do a detailed Grand Canyon shot. You need 4 megapixels or so for that work.

I just wonder why I didn't buy the DC290? Maybe I need a bigger hard disk, and the DC265's resolution better fit my computer.

This is an awesome camera. It takes wonderful pictures and is sooo easy to use. I always get lots of comments as to how great my pictures always look. I print out my pictures and use them in cards and for gifts. Everyone thinks that the pictures were taken with a regular film camera or even professionally, that is how good the quality is. You can not go wrong with this camera.

Yes, it takes great pictures, but there are several things I'd change about it. First, don't trust the wrist strap to hold the camera. My broke in a matter of days and the camera plummeted to the ground. It's extremely flimsy for and $800 camera. Second, there is a one-second delay between the time you push the shutter button and the time the camera takes the picture. This is extremely annoying for users of traditional cameras that respond the instant you activate the shutter. It makes candid shots nearly impossible. Third, the camera is ridiculously clumsy to hold. It's not built to fit the human hand at all. The user's thumb naturally lands on the LCD screen, which is very difficult to clean after ; the camera fall over too easily when standing on its base; it's very easy to drop. Fourth, the LCD screen is hyped as a great feature: well, what Kodak fails to tell you is that using the LCD screen while the camera's running on batteries causes the batteries to overheat and freeze the camera until the batteries return to normal temperature. Yes, the camera takes great pictures, but you'll probably be disappointed by everything else wrong with it.

i has read a review of someone talking about "the great" software interface...
yes, i think its great when do you dont use the letter that the software assign to the camera!!! i was instaled the cam, and later, plug a new HD and installed programs there... then, is very hard to uninstall/reinstall all programs cause a new HD letter assignament, then... i try to move the camera letter...
I CANT!! and kodak, have a solution... MOVE YOUR HD LETTER.
im now reinstalling programs like "websphere studio", "MS VC++ 6" and other heavy disk load :(

This camera is the best digital camera that I could find on the market when I bought it last June. The quality of pictures in the best mode is astonishing. In fact, even in the lowest mode, the quality is great. The rechargeable batteries that it comes with aren't great, but if you don't spend too long looking at the LCD display, you'll be fine.

The best thing about this is that you won't be disappointed with the picture quality. I got it to take pictures of my new baby, and they're better than the ones I've taken with my 35mm.