Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Jan 09, 2007 - By Patrick Singleton
The Kodak EasyShare V1003 is a 10-megapixel, $249.95 point-and-shoot that follows in the style of last year's V705. Like the V705 and the V505, it's simple to use in the tradition of Kodak consumer cameras. More notably, and also like those two, the V1003 is a good-looking camera. The V705 was a big step forward for Kodak, which for decades had been making cameras that look like they'd been beaten with an ugly stick. It bodes well for Kodak that it's been able to introduce another camera that wouldn't scare buzzards off a corpse.
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Likes
- Excellent styling is way above average for Kodak
- Convenient size
- ISO 1600 convenient for available light 
- EasyShare system is convenient for snapshooters
Dislikes
- Lack of dust and moisture seals may limit camera life
- Lack of exposure readout while shooting
- Relatively poor LCD display 
- Included manual controls for ISO and metering may be more confusing than helpful for the target audience.


Conclusion
The Kodak EasyShare V1003 is a good example of Kodak's current strategy – it's making point and shoot cameras that function well in the hands of inexperienced users, and it's making them more attractive than many of the competitors' models. The V1003 is an appealing object.

Our reservations are not fundamental, and we don't think most users will be bothered by them. The problems can be summed up by saying that the V1003 has a weird set of manual controls. It's not helpful to be able to set the ISO without knowing what the exposure reading is, for example. It's also far better to be able to play with color balance than meter patterns. 

Still, for the point and shooter who enjoys automatic controls, the V1003, or for less money, the V803, are worth a look.

Overall Impressions Page 10 of 10
Kodak EasyShare V1003 First Impressions Review Navigation
  
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