Kodak EasyShare V530

Front (7.5)
The front plate of the Kodak EasyShare V530 is textured with tiny ribs that radiate outward from the lens. This slight texture helps users grip the camera and it also hides fingerprints and the usual grime that gets on digital cameras. The left side of the front has a silver bar with an iridescent highlight; this is where the middle finger rests and the bar provides a tiny bit more substance to grip. Below the bar are the Kodak logo and the boastful "5.0 Megapixels" that graces just about every compact digital camera. Above the silver bar and in the top left are five holes that serve as the built-in microphone. To its right is the flash. The right side of the V530’s front is dominated by a Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon 36-108mm lens – and yes, it is labeled just that way. The 3x optical zoom lens extends from the camera when it is turned on and the built-in plastic lens cover snaps open. The three segments of the lens barrel and the rim around the portion where the barrel connects with the camera body are silver colored. In the top right corner of the front are two LEDs. The smaller one on the left is actually the light meter, but pairs up with the other LED for a dual-powered green auto focus assist light. The larger LED on the right also lights up to indicate the self-timer and video recording.

Back (7.0)
The back of the V530 looks different than that of most compact digital cameras. The 2-inch LCD screen is placed in the center and the control buttons are placed on both sides of the screen. Below the screen is the make and model of this trendy camera: Kodak EasyShare V530. On the right side of the screen and at the top is a zoom toggle reminiscent of a see-saw; it is labeled with ‘W’ on the left for the wide angle lens and ‘T’ on the right for access to the telephoto end of the lens. Below this feature is the built-in speaker, which is larger than most speakers on compact digital cameras. In the bottom right corner are two buttons: Review on the top and the bejeweled Share on the bottom. The top left corner of the camera has three tiny LEDs with three icons beneath them to show which mode is in use. From the left, the icons are Favorites, Movie, and Auto. Below these LEDs is a square-shaped multi-selector. A blue tinted OK button sits in the center of the odd single-paneled selector. The square shape and flat surface makes navigation annoying. Below this are two buttons that match those on the right. The top button is used to delete photos and the bottom one brings up the menu on the LCD.

Left Side (7.5)
A silver band runs down the center of the left side with the camera’s metal panels on each side. The only feature on the left side of the Kodak V530 is an open hole for the DC in power adaptor. To a five-year-old, this looks like a great place to stick gum or lint.

Right Side (7.5)
The silver band from the left side runs across the top and over to the right side of the V530. In the center of the band is a slot with two felt curtains in it to keep dust out; this is where the SD card goes. Toward the back side is a small eyelet for attachment of the wrist strap.

Top (8.0)
A silver band runs through the center of the top and all along it are rectangular silver buttons. The buttons are all neatly lined up with their labels below them on the metal panel. The left three buttons activate different modes of the camera and take the place of a mode dial: Favorites, Movie, and Auto. To the right of these is the On/ Off button and the flash button, which both look like the other buttons. The shutter release button is all the way to the right side and is the width of about four of the other buttons on the top.

Bottom (8.0)
The bottom of the V530 has a battery door on the left that is opened by pushing down and sliding it toward the front of the camera. The battery door has small bumps on it to provide some traction. To the right of the battery door is the 1/4-inch standard tripod socket, which is centered on the camera but left of the lens. Below the socket is the port that connects to the included Kodak EasyShare Photo Frame Dock 2.