Kodak EasyShare V705

Connectivity
Software (7.0)
The Kodak EasyShare V705 comes with Kodak EasyShare Software that comes on a CD-ROM in the box, but it can also be downloaded online for free. The software is functional on both Windows and Mac platforms, although the following comments are based on a Windows version. The camera comes with version 6.0, which is chock full of features like photo greeting card templates, creative projects, and the standard editing fare. When the software is initially installed, a window appears and asks whether users want to upload their entire image library automatically or do it manually (yikes, you don’t want to do this). Once loaded, images can be viewed by folders or albums. Thumbnails appear and their size can be adjusted by a sliding scale near the top of the browser window.

Images can be selected and edited using the button at the top of the window. It opens another window and offers these options for still images: crop, rotate left, rotate right, red eye, enhance, scene balance, color balance, scene effects, fun effects, and help. These aren’t anything elaborate. Indeed, the color balance option consists only of a dropper-like tool that selects a gray area and changes the color accordingly.

Still image editing is standard, but Kodak goes above and beyond by offering video editing in its software. Users can trim the movie, add music, rotate it, and splice it. Kodak’s EasyShare Software offers on-screen buttons to print at home, print online, and email. It also has links to the EasyShare center and a button dedicated to creative projects. These will help users create projects and get more ideas on how to spend money with Kodak.

Overall, the Kodak EasyShare Software is easy to use and still fairly thorough for point-and-shooters. Users who want to tweak the individual red, green, and blue channels will have to fork out the cash for another photo editing program, but this will work just fine for users who simply want to organize and email their pictures – with the occasional crop or photo card. An advantage to this software is that updates on the Kodak web site are free, so it’s bound only to get better. The disadvantage is that the software commandeers the computer and does all kinds of annoying things (makes itself the default photo program on the computer, opens when the computer starts up, checks for updates way too often, etc.) if users don’t custom install it themselves.

Jacks, ports, plugs (6.5)
The Kodak EasyShare V705 comes with several included cables. Many cameras don’t include a power adaptor, but this camera does. It plugs into the right side, where there is an open jack. This is a bit worrisome, as imaginative children could shove gum or silly putty into the jack very easily. The other jack on the camera is located on the bottom of the camera; it’s a USB jack that is put there to connect with Kodak’s wide array of docks and viewing devices and printers. From this port, included AV-out and USB cables can connect, although both will need the included adaptor. The adaptor is a tiny piece of plastic with two ports on it; it’s about the size of a gummy bear. Young children, whether imaginative or not, could put this in their mouths and choke. If you don’t have children, you should worry about losing it regardless. The AV cable can be optimized to NTSC or PAL standards.

Direct Print Options (8.0)
From the playback or favorites modes, users can push the Share button to print directly to PictBridge or ImageLink printers. Users can select all prints or scroll through easily and choose which pictures and how many of them to print up to 99. The camera can be connected to a Kodak printer with the port on its bottom or to other compatible printers with the adaptor and USB cable.

Battery (3.5)
The Kodak EasyShare V705 comes with a KLIC-7001 lithium-ion battery that recharges within the camera body using the included power adaptor. Users can purchase an optional camera dock to be able to charge the battery in 3.5 hours while viewing slide shows. When playing around and testing the camera, the battery life seemed just fine. But that was perhaps due to the habitual nightly parking of the camera on the power adaptor. Frankly, the specs for this battery are surprisingly disappointing: it only gets 150 shots per charge.

Memory (3.5) 
On the right side of the camera is a door that covers the SD/MMC card slot. The camera doesn’t come with a memory card because it has 32 MB of memory built in already. This isn’t very much though, especially for users who shoot full resolution images or like to shoot video. Image and video files can be transferred from the card to the internal memory and vice versa through the playback mode. Users can choose whether to record to the internal memory or not in the recording menu.

Other features (3.0)
Kodak EasyShare Photo Frame Dock 2 – The V705 comes with a plastic insert to fit into this photo frame dock. The camera parks atop the dock via its USB jack on the bottom. The battery recharges in the camera body when docked, and users can view slide shows with transitions and loops up to 12 hours straight. Users can also rig up the dock to connect to televisions, computers, or printers to simplify transfer or more easily hide the mess of wires that comes with this camera. The optional dock can be bought on the Kodak web site for $39.