Kodak Reviews

Since purchasing this camera as a Christmas present for my family, the Dock has never worked right. The camera doesn't sit right in it and doesn't charge. The power cord from the Dock to the wall only works on certain outlets. I'd rate the camera better if I actually used it more than twice, but its rechargeable battery is always dead. I can't tell which features are good or not. I'm disappointed and spent almost $200 for the bundled items.

I bought this camera for my 62 year old mother and I expected more from Kodak. The easyshare software is anything but, and the menu buttons and features are just not thought through. Usablity is such a problem these days.

PROS:
1. The dock is such a huge benefit, no cables to connect, camera sits on top of dock perfectly and after the press of the only button on the dock it transfers the files over to the computer, EASY.
2. It recharges the battery while on the dock (*see below) so you don't have to spend money on batteries and don't have to fuss with a seperate battery charger.
3. Picture quality is pretty good for 2meg, slow shutter but great color tone in daylight.
4. zoom is nice and zoom displays in viewfinder as well as lcd.

CONS:
1. Easyshare software is just awful. Ofoto's own software or Shutterfly's is signifigantly easier to use. Kodak's software try's to run ofoto's website within the program for an awkward experience. There's no button to delete a photo, you have to right click which isn't easy for the above 50 crowd. When you click the button to email photos the layout makes it look like a vote card in florida. Organizing photos was a nightmare and my mom continually got confused on where all her photos went. blah. Just use ofoto's own software or shutterfly, they're free and incredibly improved buttons and layout.
2. The camera's navigation controls are very bad. The 'thumb stick' control makes it very easy to accidentaly choose a wrong option as the arrow keys are easy to press when you hit ok and vica versa. My mom while trying to delete a photo hit the right button which loaded a different photo then pressed delete and deleted the wrong photo. When you press delete kodak, it shouldn't be easy to accidentatly move to other photos, this is horrible. how about just press the delete button twice to delete a photo. It's nice to have the delete button there. Make it work!
3. The rechargable battery pack THAT SHIPPED with the dock doesn't seem to charge fully with my camera. The camera manual says the batteries should be used with the dock, and the dock says the batteries are not okay for the camera. What's up with that?
4. Share button on camera is useless. So many menus after you press share, tiny lcd screen and bad thumb navigation just makes it a pain. It's a button she will never use.

conclusion:
Better software, better buttons, and better navigation would have really helped. If I did it all over again I'd buy a cheaper 2meg camera and a usb memory reader.

This is an excellent starter camera. IT has a decent megapixel count and will make very good 4x6 prints but do not expect it to produce clear 8x10 prints.

This camera uses the 6000 series dock and you can find the printer dock easily.

I have used this camera to do over 5000 artistic shots in my hometown and it has proven to be durable. It uses the compact MMC cards that are very common to find and reasonably affordable.

THe dock is a big bonus that makes interfacing with your computer painless. The biggest plus is it will recharge the battery pack (included) and keep your camera ready for immediate use at all times.

I have upgraded to a higher megapixel camera (still kodak) and was able to keep the dock for the new camera. The dock is worth $100 by itself.

The easyshare buttons are an awesome feature. You can select which images to print and email (even who to email them to) as you take the pictures. This s a VERY neat feature.

The camera would be five star if it included a memory card with it... you will want to order one immediately... do not get anything smaller than a 64 MB the smaller cards are not as useful.

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.

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.