Kodak EasyShare V1003 First Impressions Review

Front
The basic silhouette of the V1003 is rectangular, but the edges and corners have been rounded so that they play nicely off the large circular lens mount (that is offset to the right). The small circular AF assist lamp  is above and to the left of the lens. There are two tiny circular holes for the microphone in the lower right corner. The small rectangular flash window sits to the left of the AF assist lamp, and above the Kodak logo. The flash is rendered in shiny, debossed metal that is centered in the left half of the camera's face. Its rough texture allows it to function as a gripping surface.

Back
Like many compact cameras that are relatively wide, the V1003 has a vertical column of buttons to the left of the LCD. On the V1003, the top feature in this column is a flash ready/activity light, that is above the flash control, the menu button, the review button and the share button. The 2.5-inch, 150,000-pixel takes up the middle of the back. Along the right side, the controls are, from top to bottom, a small rocker switch for zoom control and playback magnification, and a 4-way joystick.

Left
The left side has a DC power port toward the bottom and a couple of screw heads. The port is not covered, increasing the V1003's vulnerability to moisture and dust.

Right
The wrist strap lug is a small feature that protrudes from the center of the right side. It seems sturdy, but it's so small that it may be hard to thread with a strap. It doesn't swivel, that may cause the strap to twist. A small cap at the top of the right side covers a port for USB and AV connections.

Top
The controls on top of the Kodak V1003 are narrow, small buttons arranged in a row. The largest is the shutter release at far right. The power switch is much smaller and to the left. It's set lower than the other buttons, apparently to prevent users from accidentally bumping it. The three other buttons on the top are clustered. From left to right, they are the Favorites, Movie Mode and Still/Scene Mode buttons.

Bottom
The plastic tripod socket is centered in the camera's bottom plate, so it's to the right of the lens axis. The V1003 is a poor candidate for tripod use; the plastic threads won't wear well, the narrow bottom won't be stable on a tripod, and the fact that it's off center from the lens will complicate the job of aligning the camera with a tripod head. The battery and media card door is plastic, and slides closed with an unsatisfying little click. The door isn't durable or secure and may well be the first component of the V1003 to wear out.