Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Crafted by Kodak as a simple, accessible digital camera that is “ready to go--right out of the box,” the Kodak EasyShare CX7330 is equipped with a Kodak Retinar 3x optical zoom and a 1/2.7-inch. (3.3 total megapixel) CCD. With a MSRP of US $199.95, the CX7330 is armed with direct print capabilities when used in conjunction with Kodak EasyShare printers and printer docks. The CX7330 provides Kodak EasyShare software for personal computer editing to help simplify the printing process. With 16MB internal memory, the CX7330 can shoot without a memory card when desired, although the user can choose to utilize an additional SD/MMC memory card with up to 256MB of added memory. The Kodak EasyShare CX7330 can capture video at 15 fps for up to 18 minutes with the largest compatible memory card and up to 53 seconds on the camera’s internal memory. The direct print ease of the CX7330 as with other Kodak EasyShare cameras is a strong benefit of this line of digital cameras, providing near instant prints with minimal effort. This simplistic shooting and printing process is headlined by Kodak and seems to be a new area of mastery for the former celluloid masters.
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Auto Mode (8.0)
As a point-and-shoot camera, the fully automatic Kodak EasyShare CX7330 provides automatic adjustments to focus, exposure, white balance and ISO rating. In addition, the CX7330 will control metering and activate the in-camera flash when necessary. The alterations are made quickly and seamlessly on the CX7330, enabling the user to pick up the camera and shoot without the need for measurements or worry.

Movie Mode (7.0)
Movie mode is offered on the Kodak EasyShare CX7330, by turning the jog dial located on the top of the camera to the film camera symbol. Once within the movie mode option, the user can shoot up to 18 minutes of continuous video/audio, if using the largest SD/MMC memory card, or 53 seconds, when relying solely on the internal 16MB of memory offered with the Kodak EasyShare CX7330.

Playback Mode (7.0)
The playback mode on the EasyShare CX7330 features three distinct features: a thumbnail function, a slideshow feature, and  the ability to crop and zoom in on the pre-recorded image. To access the thumbnail view, press the review button, and then press the (v) on the four-way keypad. Once in the thumbnail mode, the user of the Kodak EasyShare CX7330 can skip and highlight between nine pictures per screen merely by using the four-way keypad’s controls. To view a single picture, it needs to be highlighted, and the centrally located OK button (within the four-way key pad) needs to be pressed. To exit the thumbnail mode, the user needs to press the review button once, and they will be returned to regular camera mode.

 

The playback mode also contains a slideshow function, enabling the user to review subsequent captured images. This feature is accessible when the review button is pressed. To scroll between individual pictures, the user merely has to press the directional buttons on the four-way keypad. To exit the review mode, the review button just needs to be pressed again.

 

Another feature of the EasyShare CX7330’s playback mode is the ability to zoom in and crop images that have already been captured. To crop or zoom in on a previously taken photograph, the user must first enter the review mode by pressing the review button on the back of the Kodak EasyShare CX7330. Once a picture has been selected and chosen, the user can zoom in 2x by pressing the OK button on the four-way keypad once. To magnify 4x the OK button must be pressed a second time. To view different portions of a magnified image, the directional keypad is used to navigate around the frame. To exit this function the OK button must be pressed again, and to exit review mode, the review button must be pressed as well.

 

 

Drive / Burst (5.5)
Burst mode is possible within Kodak EasyShare CX7330, which allows for three images to be taken in short order. On average, there will be three frames shot in a one second interval. To engage this feature, the user must depress the burst button, which may be found directly to the right of the viewfinder on the back of the Kodak EasyShare CX7330. Once pressed, the burst icon will appear on the LCD monitor in the status bar. Then press the shutter button halfway to engage auto focus and exposure for all pictures to be taken within the sequence. To take the burst of pictures the user then presses the shutter button completely.

Custom Image Presets (6.5)
There are 5 preset still shooting modes within the Kodak EasyShare CX7330. There is an “Auto” mode which controls all shooting aspects and is the default setting. There is also a “Sport” mode which acts somewhat like an internal shutter priority mode as the camera increases the shutter speed to freeze subjects in motion. A “Night” mode is also available, designed for night shooting or dimly lit conditions. In night mode, the camera slows down the shutter speed to gain as much information within the span of exposure as possible. In night mode, the flash will also fire, but the shutter speed is significantly decreased so that any motion will be blurred. The CX7330 also contains a “Landscape” setting that is oriented for distant multi-planned images. The flash does not fire in landscape mode unless activated because for most landscape shots, the subject will be too distant for the light to reflect off of. The Kodak CX7330 also contains a “Close-Up” mode for subjects that are near to the camera. In these situations the wide angle element of the zoom is utilized to get as much of the subject in focus and in the frame as possible.

 

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