Value (7.5)
The Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a great value for the consumer who would like to pair easy use with good sleek looks and great portability. With a large enough capacity for video depending on the SD/MMC memory card used, it makes a case for a feasible hybrid digital camera. Its small size makes it perfect for the pocket, and besides a few slightly undersized buttons, the overall functionality of the camera is a vast improvement over the Kodak EasyShare CX7330. For roughly US $349, the cost buys you a small compact camera, which doesn’t have the extra weight of 4 AA batteries, and the slender styling to go with you anywhere.

Comparisons
Canon PowerShot S410 - The PowerShot S410 by Canon (which runs for around $360) is equipped with a 1/1.8-inch CCD with 4.1 MP, and a 1.5-inch LCD screen. The zoom feature for this Canon model is a 3.6x digital zoom, and an optical zoom of 3x. The Canon PowerShot S410 weighs 6.53 oz, measures 3.43 x 2.24 x 1.09 in, with a total volume of 8.37 in³. This is significantly smaller than the Kodak EasyShare LS743 therefore a much better camera if you’re really looking for portability. The Canon PowerShot 410 is just as sleek as the Kodak EasyShare LS743, it's capable of video capture, and it has a removable memory card, which is included and packs 32MB of memory.

Nikon Coolpix 5200 - The Nikon Coolpix 5200 camera has a CCD of 0.55 inches, with 5.1 total MP for CCD. Its LCD screen measures 1.5 inches, and has both internal memory (12MB) and an optional memory card slot (SD compatible). The digital zoom is 4x the optical zoom being 3x for a total maximum zoom of 12x. The Nikon Coolpix 5200 (running at approximately $442) weighs 5.5 oz., measures 3.5 in. x 2.0 in. x 1.4 in, with a volume of 9.8 in³ making it larger in size, but lighter than the Canon PowerShot S410 — both cameras are smaller than the Kodak EasyShare LS743.

Olympus Ultra Zoom C-765 - The Olympus Ultra Zoom C-765 has a retail price of about $440, is equipped with a 0.4-inch CCD, and 4.0 MP rating. Its digital zoom is a 4x maximum, with an optical zoom of 10x for a total of 40x zoom potentiality. If you’re a zoom fanatic the C-765 is one that you should check out. The LCD screen is the largest of all the models at 1.8 inches, but it also sports the largest body weighing 10.9 oz, measuring 4.1 x 2.4 x 2.7 in, with a 26.6 in³ volume. It has an included removable memory of 16MB, using an xD-Picture Card memory system.

Kodak EasyShare LS443 - The Kodak EasyShare LS443 has an MSRP of US $399.95, a weight of 9.2 oz, measurements of 4.3 x 2.4 x 1.5 in, with an overall volume of 15.5 in³. The LS443 is pretty comparable in size to the LS743, but is almost 3.5 oz lighter. The Kodak EasyShare LS443 comes with a 4.2 MP CCD and a 10x total zoom, with 3x optical zoom and 3.3x digital zoom. The LCD screen measures 1.8 inches, and is capable of capturing video or still images on the internal memory of 16MB, or the user may choose to upgrade to the SD/MMC cards which are removable and interchangeable.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters - For the average point-and-shooter, the Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a basic camera with some manual control, but an overall easily accessible format.

Budget Consumers - With its small size, the Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a great camera for the budget consumer looking to spend a bit more for an easily transportable camera that looks good.

Gadget Freaks - Sleek and attractive, this camera has enough features to keep a gadget freak amused for a period of time, and the visual attraction to seduce your friends. However, the short battery life, and the need to recharge using an adapter makes it so that long term shooting and twiddling in the field are not practical.

Manual Control Freaks - This camera, like the Kodak EasyShare CX7330, is not recommended for the manual control enthusiast. Most attempts to dictate the quality of the shot will be met with frustration and irritation. Intended to simplify the user’s experience, most attempts to tailor the Kodak EasyShare LS743 to your specifications would be a fairly futile exercise.

Pros / Serious hobbyists - The Kodak EasyShare LS743 is not recommended for the pro / serious hobbyist. Best used in circumstances where point-and-shoot is king, this camera is more modeled on its convenience and compact size.