Kodak EasyShare V610

Auto Mode (7.0)
The auto mode is the default mode when the camera is initially turned on. From it, users can choose scene modes by pushing the top square button at left or return to the auto mode with the camera-icon button atop the V610. Ironically, most manual settings included on the V610 are available in the auto mode. When the menu button is pushed, users can access the white balance, ISO, metering, and auto focus control settings, among others. While the auto mode is easy to use, its location is nonintuitive, and some people may search the scene mode selection for it.

Movie Mode (7.5)
Kodak’s web site plays up the V610’s "advanced video features" because this camera does offer more than the average compact. The headline 10x optical zoom lens system can be used within the movie mode, but switching between the dual lenses interrupts its movement. Zoom control is the same as in the still modes: users must push the toggle twice to "jump" over the pause in the middle. The zoom works with the built-in digital image stabilization system, which can be turned on or off in the recording menu. The system doesn’t work as well as an optical image stabilization system would, but is still better than having none at all. With the image stabilizer turned off, the V610’s movies are incredibly shaky when it’s zoomed in on subjects.

Another advanced video feature is the auto focus control, which can work continuously or only when recording. Unfortunately, the auto focus itself is a little slow in the movie mode. It takes a half-second or so to catch up with the zoom.

Video can be recorded in MPEG-4 with 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels, both with a 30 frame-per-second frame rate. There is also a 640 x 480 + option, but it is described as "medium quality; medium file size" in the user manual. The "+" is a little misleading. Videos can be recorded continuously for up to 80 minutes or limited to 5 seconds in the recording menu. Audio is recorded simultaneously and can be played back within the camera with three sound levels.
Playback mode has VCR-like functionality, with slow motion, fast forward, and rewind options, and even has a trimming function that allows users to snip the clip into two pieces. Users can save the snipped video as a new file or replace the original file with the shorter version. Editing also lets users select "action prints," or images from a movie: the camera can automatically select 4 or 9 images – or users can manually select 4, 9, or 16 images for the index print. Movies cannot be edited in the included Kodak EasyShare software, so any trimming must be done within the camera body.

Drive / Burst Mode (5.5)
The Kodak V610 seems to take a little longer than most digital cameras to do just about everything. Its burst mode is 1.6 frames per second, more in line with a cheap plastic camera than one that costs $449. The 1.6 fps burst, which can be accessed in the recording menu, doesn’t last incredibly long either; it maxes out at 8 images in any image size.

Also of note is the self-timer, which has several options available in the recording menu. The standard 10-second self-timer flashes the green LED out front to indicate when the camera is going to snap its shot. There is also a shorter 2-second timer, as well as a 2-picture mode. The latter function takes 10 seconds to snap its first shot, then automatically starts another 10-second wait before grabbing the second picture. All of the self-timer modes turn off after the picture (or pictures, as in the 2-shot mode) is taken; this could be an annoyance to users who want to snap self-timed shots over and over again. However, most consumers will appreciate the self-timer automatically turning off so they can resume normal shooting immediately.

Playback Mode (7.75)
Playback mode, accessed via the Review button on the bottom left of the camera, offers the user a variety of ways to review pictures. A few predetermined albums, such as Birthday, Holiday, and Wedding, come with the V610, and more are available when the camera is connected to a computer running EasyShare Software. Otherwise, users can sort photos by date. Within these groups, scrolling left and right with the stiff multi-selector brings up single images. Pushing the multi-selector’s top control displays limited file information, such as image size, date, time, and a histogram. A 1-8x zoom feature and panning also lets users check out the polish on their fingernails or wrinkles in their shirts.

Individual pictures can also be cropped, protected, copied to the memory card from the internal memory, and enhanced with Kodak’s Perfect Touch technology. This is what Kodak uses at its photo kiosks for printing. It automatically brightens up dark backgrounds and fixes some colors. Finally, an option in the setup menu automatically rotates images, making sure that sideways portraits don’t sneak into slide shows.

The playback menu has a number of options for slide shows. Pictures can display from 3-60 seconds and the camera can play the show as a loop or with a single pass. Transitions include Off, Block, Horizontal Blind, Center to L/R, Left to Right, Right to Left, Center to T/B, Top to Bottom, and Bottom to Top. Slide shows can also be played from the Favorites mode, which is the Kodak V610’s on-camera storage system. Users mark pictures as "favorites" with the Share button, but the pictures don’t transfer to the Favorites mode until the camera is hooked up to a computer with the Kodak EasyShare Software. The Share menu also lets users tag images to email to certain people or create print orders.

If users want to view more than one picture at a time, they can check out nine images at once by pushing the telephoto end of the zoom toggle or selecting the Multi-Up option in the playback menu. Pictures can be deleted one by one or all at once by pushing the designated Delete button.

Custom Image Presets (8.25)
Twenty-two scene modes can be found by pushing the Scene button at the top of the V610’s left side. The following options appear as icons in a grid-like format: Portrait, Panorama Left to Right, Panorama Right to Left, Sport, Landscape, Close-up, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Snow, Beach, Text, Fireworks, Flower, Manner/Museum, Self-Portrait, Party, Children, Backlight, Panning Shot, Candlelight, Sunset, and Custom. Although this camera lacks a "high sensitivity" scene mode that is becoming more and more popular this year, its selection is good.

Panoramic modes are particularly impressive: they let users snap three shots, then the camera stitches the pictures together within the camera for a super-wide shot. In-camera stitching makes a nice change from other models, which require included software for the process. The camera also displays the edge of the previous frame as an overlay so that it’s easier to line up an accurate shot.

The portrait mode works well, but sometimes the flash looks a little too unnatural. The Sport scene mode works best in the bright outdoors, as do the Snow, Beach, Children and Panning Shot modes. Landscape and Close-up are optimized with different focus modes. The Night Portrait mode adds a flash and results in a very contrasted composition. Night Landscape mode honestly doesn’t work very well; the colors looked awfully orange in low light. The Text mode is designed to photograph documents, but the lenses’ barrel distortion interfered with this.

Fireworks, Sunset, and Candlelight use slower shutter speeds without the flash. Manner/Museum is also designed to be used sans flash, but its pictures are still susceptible to blur. The Custom scene mode has access to all of the camera’s settings – white balance, ISO, metering, auto focus control, etc. – and can be set to "remember" the settings.

When the scene modes are scrolled through, a red box surrounds the scene icon and a guide appears at the top to define it. For example, when users scroll over the snowflake icon, the following explanation appears: "Snow: Use for bright snow scene." The guide is helpful, especially for users who don’t want to memorize icons for 22 different scene modes.