Kodak EasyShare C643

Value
The C643 is a good value in a field crowded with good values. Its features and design philosophy reflect the skill of Eastman Kodak to identify exactly what its target audience wants—no more and no less. It has no obvious weak spots, in the sense that the simplified settings are a deliberate decision to make the camera easier to use for the beginner. Yet it comes through with full motion video at 30 fps, in-camera cropping of images and several other features found in more expensive cameras.

It is not the most glamorous camera and almost has a clunky look to it compared to more svelte competitors. But then again, it has an optical viewfinder that the others do not. It is a camera with a minimum of gimmicks, and personally, I like that.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters - This camera is a direct hit for the point-and-shoot crowd, period.

Budget Consumers - This is a good value for the budget-conscious, but only if they are beginners. The C643 is a point-and-shoot, first and foremost.

Gadget Freaks - Kodak is definitely not interested in attracting gadget freaks with this camera. They will be turned off by the camera’s simplified controls and clumsy appearance.

Manual Control Freaks - This camera has almost no manual control, thus no appeal to manual control freaks. Kodak’s C-series is anathema to this group.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists - This camera is for the beginner only.