Kodak EasyShare V530

Value (6.0)
The Kodak EasyShare V530 started out at $349 in the summer, and then the retail price was reduced to $299 in November 2005. This fifty dollar decrease goes a long way in making the V530 look better when compared to its ultra slim competitors. This Kodak doesn’t have manual control, but does offer automatic and 20 scene modes to users who want to keep things simple. And it does so at a cheaper price than most other comparable compact models. The V530 has some great features that are hard to find at this price range, such as its 2-inch screen with 230,000 pixels. This digital camera also comes with a Kodak EasyShare Photo Frame Dock 2 to streamline printing and transferring pictures. Overall, this digital camera takes decent pictures so $299 is not asking too much.

Comparisons
Kodak EasyShare V550 – This model is the flagship of the series, but doesn’t have any more megapixels or zoom than the V530. The EasyShare V550 does double the internal memory to 32 MB and speeds up the burst to a whole 3 fps instead of the V530’s 2.5 fps. The 5 megapixel Kodak V550 is slightly larger at 3.7 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches and slightly heavier at 5.1 ounces, but has a bigger 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back. Still, the screen has the same resolution as the V530’s at 230,000 pixels. The V550 has the same scene and movie modes and even the same exposure settings. The camera body comes in two colors: silver essence or midnight black. This Kodak also comes with the Photo Frame Dock 2 that charges the battery and transfers pictures to computers or printers. The Kodak V550’s flash reaches about a foot farther than the one on the V530 and adds an optical viewfinder, but both cameras have digital image stabilization. The Kodak EasyShare V550 retailed for $399 when it was first introduced in April, but now retails for $349.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 – The T5 is taller and slimmer with 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.8-inch measurements. The 5 megapixel Cyber-shot has a 3x zoom lens that stays within the camera body at all times. A sliding door acts as a lens cover and doubles as a power control. There aren’t many manual controls but there is an auto mode, a movie mode and ten scene modes. The Sony T5 has a larger 2.5-inch LCD screen, but the cameras have the same amount of resolution on the screen at 230,000 pixels. Both the T5 and V530 have disappointingly weak flashes; the T5 only reached to 8 ft. 2 in. The T5 does have a decent start-up time of 1.33 seconds, but has a slow burst mode that takes a shot every 0.7 seconds. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 has a movie mode that records 640 x 480-pixel video, but it only does so at 30 fps with an optional Sony MemoryStick Pro. Still, the T5 has 32 MB of internal memory, a long lasting battery, and is very easy to use. The Sony T5 retails for $349.

Nikon Coolpix S1 – This compact digital camera just got its retail price slashed by fifty bucks as well. It started out at $379 and now goes for $329. The 5.1 megapixel Nikon S1 has a 3x zoom lens that stays within the camera body. It has similar automatic offerings such as 16 scene modes, a movie mode, and an automatic mode. The S1 measures 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches, so it is a little skinnier. Nikon just started to include the COOLSTATION cradle with the camera body, so the Kodak Photo Frame Dock has its match here as well. This Coolpix has a larger 2.5-inch LCD screen, but it has less than half of the Kodak’s resolution at 110,000 pixels so the view isn’t nearly as smooth. The shutter speed range is a lot shorter at 2-1/350th of a second and the aperture can only open to f/3 or f/5.4. These cannot be manually controlled so users must rely on the judgment of the camera to properly choose settings. Nikon did include its innovative technology on the Coolpix S1. In-camera red-eye fix, D-Lighting compensation, and face-priority auto focus are all available on the S1. The movie mode records at full 640 x 480 resolution but only does so at a choppy 15 frames per second. The Nikon Coolpix S1 has 12 MB of internal memory, so it can take only five pictures at its maximum resolution.

Fujifilm FinePix Z1 – This digital camera is offered in black and silver colors and is also extremely thin at 3.5 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. The Z1 has a 3x zoom lens that stays within the camera body and 5 effective megapixels to image with. This FinePix has a monocoque design, which wraps a single sheet of metal around three sides of the camera to make it more durable. This model has a slot for an xD-Picture card and a large 2.5-inch LCD screen. The resolution on the screen isn’t nearly as nice as the Kodak’s; the Z1 has only 115,000 pixels. One of the Z1’s main selling points is its ISO range of 64 to 800. The top ISO rating enables the camera to take pictures in low light and powers the Natural Light scene mode that disables the flash. There are five scene modes, an automatic mode and a movie mode that shoots 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels at 30 frames per second but does not zoom in or out during recording. The Fujifilm Z1’s colors are horribly inaccurate and images are noisy unless the ISO is manually adjusted. There is no burst mode, but the camera has a quick start-up time of 1.17 seconds and hardly has any shutter lag. The Fujifilm FinePix Z1 originally retailed for $449, but its price has dropped and dropped and dropped. It can now be easily found for around $250 online.

Casio Exilim EX-Z57 – This slim model has similar 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9-inch measurements and a similar 3x zoom lens that extends from the camera body. The Z57 has 5 megapixels and a much larger 2.7-inch LCD screen. Size isn’t everything though. The big screen only has 115,200 pixels of resolution, so the view isn’t nearly as smooth as that of the Kodak V530. The concept for the two digital cameras is the same though. With little manual control, the Casio Z57 has 23 scene modes and a Favorites mode like the one on the V530. The Casio also adds a calendar function that organizes photographs by date. As far as performance, the Casio is a bit lacking. Its color reproduction is quite inaccurate and its pictures have substantial amounts of noise in them, especially when the automatic ISO setting is used. The Casio Z57 takes 3.66 seconds to start up and without a dedicated burst mode it takes more than two seconds between shots. The movie mode on this model only shoots 320 x 240 pixel video at a slow rate of 15 fps. The flash is just as weak as the Kodak with an 8.5 ft. reach. Still, this digital camera has some redeeming qualities. It hardly has any shutter lag, its battery lasts 400 shots between charges, it has a maximum aperture of f/2.6, and the body is sturdy enough to survive a few falls. The Casio Exilim EX-Z57 retails for $349.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – With an auto mode and lots of scene modes, the Kodak EasyShare V530 is designed for the beginners of digital photography. It is easy to use and essentially a point-and-shoot model.

Budget Consumers – This group of coupon-cutting penny pinchers will be excited to know that Kodak reduced the retail price of the V530 to $299.95. This camera is stylish and trim; while it is not as skinny as competing cameras, it is also not as expensive.

Gadget Freaks – At this price point, nothing is really high-tech. The Kodak EasyShare V530 won’t wow gadget freaks unless they’re into simple gadgets that are stylish as well.

Manual Control Freaks – While aperture and shutter speed are not manually controllable, the V530 does allow some manual selections to be made. Still, this won’t be enough to lure the manual control crowd.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – The Kodak EasyShare V530 looks like a child’s toy next to a Hasselblad. Need I say more?