Kodak EasyShare LS743

Viewfinder (4.5)
The viewfinder on the Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a real image optical viewfinder. Its small size and awkward placement in the upper left-hand corner on the back of the camera make it a slightly obsolete and unusable feature of this camera. The manufacturer rates this viewfinder as providing 80% coverage of the actual field of view.

LCD Screen (6.0)
The LCD screen is 1.8 inches in size with a 134,000 pixel resolution. It is located on the back of the Kodak EasyShare LS743 in the center of the body. With cameras such as these most people use the LCD screen by default instead of the viewfinder to compose images. With digital cameras becoming more widely used people are getting used to holding cameras out in front of them instead of against their noses.

Flash (6.0)
To access the flash options of the Kodak EasyShare LS743, the user merely needs to depress the flash button located on the top of the camera body, to the left of the shutter button. Each time the flash button is pressed, the flash option is changed between the following options: auto-flash, flash off, fill flash, and red-eye. The Kodak EasyShare LS743 offers a range of 2-10 feet (0.6-3.0m) when the lens is at a wide angle, and 2-6 feet (0.6-1.8m) at a telephoto length.

Zoom Lens (6.0)
The Lens for the Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a Schneider Kreuznach C-Variogon 2.8x optical zoom with 3.6x digital zoom capabilities. The f/3.0 - f/4.9 lens is equivalent to a 36-100mm 35mm camera setup. The Kodak EasyShare LS743 is capable of 10x total zoom, although the image quality will lessen when the digital zoom is engaged.

Optical zoom on the Kodak EasyShare LS743 allows for the user to get 2.8x closer to the subject being shot. To use the optical zoom in movie mode, the zoom must be first enabled, for it is impossible to change once movie mode has been enacted. The digital zoom allows for the camera to move between 2.8x and 10x, and the camera screen must be on for this feature to be used. To move from optical to digital and back, the user merely uses the wide angle / telephoto zoom lever located beneath the four-way controller. By moving the ring left, the user enables the wide angle option, and moving the ring right engages the telephoto. The optical range works on a continuous zoom option, while the digital range moves in increments towards and away from the 10x capability. The printed image quality for a picture shot on digital zoom settings may be compromised; the blue slider on the zoom indicator will turn red when the limit for an acceptable 4 x 6-in. print has been reached.