Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great Camera!
Comment: I love my new V1253 Camera. I have been using it for almost two weeks now and am really impressed both by the quality of the pictures in 12MP and 9MP wide screen and the quality of the video. I purchased a G610 Printer dock for instant printing and the pictures are beautiful. I also used the EasyShare software to order pictures online from Kodak and they are excellent and even cheaper than those printed at home. I would recommend buying a large data card. I bought an 8gb SDHC card and it will hold about 2000 pics. Some have complained about the need to charge the camera from the computer, and I agree. For about $25 you can buy an AC adapter which will charge the battery in about an hour. For about $8, you can buy an adapter that allows the USB cord to plug into a wall socket. I have tried both and they both work fine. I also purchased an AC/DC universal charger that charges the batteries out of the camera. This is great if you are visiting foreign countries because it also has universal plugs, but otherwise is probably not worth the money. I paid $181 with shipping for this camera and I think it was a great deal.
Customer Rating:
Summary: good camera for the price
Comment: great little camera for the price. I was behind the times and hadn't gone digital, but now I don't have to worry about ruining my film in airports anymore. It is easy to use and has a pretty large screen. Only drawback is one I guess all cameras have, when you take a picture in bright sunlight and try to see it onscreen, it is hard to see without going into the shade. But it is a great little camera.
Customer Rating:
Summary: MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE NEW FIRMWARE!!!
Comment: I have a large digi cam, Kodak Z712IS, w/12X Opt Zoom. Takes incredible pics, manual modes, etc. But, couldn't take it running around Disney w/Nephew. Needed 1 thin enough for pocket w/out sacrificing quality. This cam was the 1st that satisfied my reqs (& many more). Glass German lens (my plastic lens Canon badly distorts edges - gave my thin gfrnd HUGE ankles), focus assist lamp, Li-ion batt, Image Stabilization, & VERY thin. Also has HD still & Video, 12 Mpx! (9 for HD, but that's gr8!), TONS of presets (more than my Z712 + Programmable!), almost as many digi-feats as Z712 (minus some man sttngs & exposure bracketing 3-shot feature, which I can live w/out 4 my "pocket cam"). Oh, also, stereo mics! Not sure how much that will matter, but it might get a bird chirping left & a brook babbling right. Can run on ordinary(non-USB) AC adapter. Controls are great & sensibly laid-out. NO Click-WHEEL!!! Features used most or need to change quickly either have their own instant buttons or 1-move "joystick" access. HUGE 3.1" screen's AWESOME! Comes w/rchrgbl Li-Ion batt (expected it seperately). Was worried it would drain batt quickly, so I ordered a spare. One lasted all day everyday, even on "photo day", on which I took ~40-50 shots not cntng retakes & we reviewed often. For LOTS of retakes or vid, you may need a spare (online $20, $30+tx BestBuy) or use AC Adptr for indoor shots/vid. You have FOUR(4) rchrgng opts: Ord. AC Adapter, Outlet w/USB AC Adptr, Kodak's universal Li-ion chrgr, OR computer USB. Accdng to Universal chrger sheet, this batt is highest capacity in 700X family (1000 mAh). Lasts longer than expected, considering HUGE screen (has screen dimmer, comes set to 10 secs, I changed to 20 which only affects batt life for lots of pics).
Bought this for Disney trip. Since I was already familiar w/Kodak's cams, really gave it a good test run. As most reviewers have said, it takes Incredible pics & vid! Didn't have trouble learning how to take pics w/it as 1 reviewer said (Kodak familiarity makes no diff - just used auto sttngs when just taking pics & not testing). Took daytime, nighttime, rain, sunshine, inside w/out flash, even on a roller coaster (got 2 great shots but won't try that again!). All shots came out unbelievably beautifully (except 1, but cam has mode for that situation - see below). As with any cam, have to allow it to focus & understand how auto-focus in general works (but can set this cam on continuous focus so don't have to do the "press half-way" step). Also have to hold any cam still or set it down in limited lighting (but this cam has several presets for night & high ISO - I took GREAT night shot of Hard Rock Café & panoramic of it - this cam has an amazing "panoramic-stitch" mode that works seamlessly). Auto-focus modes for specific situations(central-focus, multi-face detection on/off, multi-zone, etc.) and narrow exposure modes (that allow for someone in shade w/sunshine around them or slightly broader sensing range as well) that you can adjust <> with joystick. But didn't bother chngng sttngs in the parks & only had 1 pic that would have required it (shade w/sunshine). Rest all came out beautifully! Has a great "Help" feature that tells you about every feature (just move the zoom control). Tells enough detail to be helpful.
NOW, FOR THE BAD NEWS . . . a case of great cam w/BAD firmware (program that runs everything). Fortunately, Kodak has a new firmware download (website address - manual). Had several of the same probs reviewers mentioned the 1st day! (EXTRA slow after-shot processing sometimes, corrupted photos when I didn't wait until the screen came back to press a button, and it totally locked-up - unresponsive w/power on - twice . . . just take batt out & back in). Downloaded the new firmware that night (1st update EasyShare software on Kodak's site, then download firmware program, connect cam to computer's USB, select cam in EasyShare software, then click firmware update button - took ~5 secs to upload to cam). Fixed everything EXCEPT (LISTENING KODAK?), corrupted photos when you press a button B4 finished processing. I HOPE Kodak will fix that soon & get a firmware release out. But, I have to say, you can live w/that by just not interrupting the cam while processing. It takes longer than my Z712, which only has to process 7.1 Mpx and is done B4 I could even press a button, but I noticed it doesn't affect speed of burst shots or vid, so if you want several shots in rapid succession, use them. If you can live with that, it's an Incredible cam and the $179 price is the deal of the century.
UPDATE: 2 things worth adding: 1) As mentioned, they've put lots of thought into controls. On top, buttons for Favorites (fave pics), Video, Auto/Preset Smart Scenes, and Power (& Flash Select). Turns out, Faves, Vid, and Scene are hot-wired, so if the cam's off just press any of them and it turns on in that mode! Great for spontaneous/shoot-quick moments. 2) Lighting compensation settings. If you've ever taken indoor shots of some item(like for eBay) that end up looking yellow because of incandescent lighting or flat (fluorescent), you'll love this (and that this tiny cam has it). Compensates for several others too. I'm loving this cam. Been using it all the time. My Z712IS is just waiting for my need of manual modes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Camera at a very good price
Comment: I bought this camera as a birthday present for my wife - who doesn't typically enjoy technology. She loves it. A couple of the complaints I've seen about the battery charge not lasting very long and the usb charger are not really issues. The battery lasts several days on a charge - on a vacation I will end up charging it every few days, not on a vacation it lasts easily several weeks. It just depends on how much you use it, but I don't find it to be worse than other digital cameras I've owned. As for the charger being usb based, this is just the way things are going. Nearly everyone already has other things that charge this way. Personally, I use either my computer to charge or I use my Blackberry charger, which is also usb based. If you really don't like this you can spend the 10 bucks and buy a charger for it, it's not really that big of a deal.
I think the camera is a great deal, has high quality output and is easy to use (if my wife thinks it's easy, believe me it is).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Comment: Fabulous ..best all around camera I have seen. Excellent picture quality. Simple and easy to use.
Summary: Great Camera!
Comment: I love my new V1253 Camera. I have been using it for almost two weeks now and am really impressed both by the quality of the pictures in 12MP and 9MP wide screen and the quality of the video. I purchased a G610 Printer dock for instant printing and the pictures are beautiful. I also used the EasyShare software to order pictures online from Kodak and they are excellent and even cheaper than those printed at home. I would recommend buying a large data card. I bought an 8gb SDHC card and it will hold about 2000 pics. Some have complained about the need to charge the camera from the computer, and I agree. For about $25 you can buy an AC adapter which will charge the battery in about an hour. For about $8, you can buy an adapter that allows the USB cord to plug into a wall socket. I have tried both and they both work fine. I also purchased an AC/DC universal charger that charges the batteries out of the camera. This is great if you are visiting foreign countries because it also has universal plugs, but otherwise is probably not worth the money. I paid $181 with shipping for this camera and I think it was a great deal.
Customer Rating:
Summary: good camera for the price
Comment: great little camera for the price. I was behind the times and hadn't gone digital, but now I don't have to worry about ruining my film in airports anymore. It is easy to use and has a pretty large screen. Only drawback is one I guess all cameras have, when you take a picture in bright sunlight and try to see it onscreen, it is hard to see without going into the shade. But it is a great little camera.
Customer Rating:
Summary: MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE NEW FIRMWARE!!!
Comment: I have a large digi cam, Kodak Z712IS, w/12X Opt Zoom. Takes incredible pics, manual modes, etc. But, couldn't take it running around Disney w/Nephew. Needed 1 thin enough for pocket w/out sacrificing quality. This cam was the 1st that satisfied my reqs (& many more). Glass German lens (my plastic lens Canon badly distorts edges - gave my thin gfrnd HUGE ankles), focus assist lamp, Li-ion batt, Image Stabilization, & VERY thin. Also has HD still & Video, 12 Mpx! (9 for HD, but that's gr8!), TONS of presets (more than my Z712 + Programmable!), almost as many digi-feats as Z712 (minus some man sttngs & exposure bracketing 3-shot feature, which I can live w/out 4 my "pocket cam"). Oh, also, stereo mics! Not sure how much that will matter, but it might get a bird chirping left & a brook babbling right. Can run on ordinary(non-USB) AC adapter. Controls are great & sensibly laid-out. NO Click-WHEEL!!! Features used most or need to change quickly either have their own instant buttons or 1-move "joystick" access. HUGE 3.1" screen's AWESOME! Comes w/rchrgbl Li-Ion batt (expected it seperately). Was worried it would drain batt quickly, so I ordered a spare. One lasted all day everyday, even on "photo day", on which I took ~40-50 shots not cntng retakes & we reviewed often. For LOTS of retakes or vid, you may need a spare (online $20, $30+tx BestBuy) or use AC Adptr for indoor shots/vid. You have FOUR(4) rchrgng opts: Ord. AC Adapter, Outlet w/USB AC Adptr, Kodak's universal Li-ion chrgr, OR computer USB. Accdng to Universal chrger sheet, this batt is highest capacity in 700X family (1000 mAh). Lasts longer than expected, considering HUGE screen (has screen dimmer, comes set to 10 secs, I changed to 20 which only affects batt life for lots of pics).
Bought this for Disney trip. Since I was already familiar w/Kodak's cams, really gave it a good test run. As most reviewers have said, it takes Incredible pics & vid! Didn't have trouble learning how to take pics w/it as 1 reviewer said (Kodak familiarity makes no diff - just used auto sttngs when just taking pics & not testing). Took daytime, nighttime, rain, sunshine, inside w/out flash, even on a roller coaster (got 2 great shots but won't try that again!). All shots came out unbelievably beautifully (except 1, but cam has mode for that situation - see below). As with any cam, have to allow it to focus & understand how auto-focus in general works (but can set this cam on continuous focus so don't have to do the "press half-way" step). Also have to hold any cam still or set it down in limited lighting (but this cam has several presets for night & high ISO - I took GREAT night shot of Hard Rock Café & panoramic of it - this cam has an amazing "panoramic-stitch" mode that works seamlessly). Auto-focus modes for specific situations(central-focus, multi-face detection on/off, multi-zone, etc.) and narrow exposure modes (that allow for someone in shade w/sunshine around them or slightly broader sensing range as well) that you can adjust <> with joystick. But didn't bother chngng sttngs in the parks & only had 1 pic that would have required it (shade w/sunshine). Rest all came out beautifully! Has a great "Help" feature that tells you about every feature (just move the zoom control). Tells enough detail to be helpful.
NOW, FOR THE BAD NEWS . . . a case of great cam w/BAD firmware (program that runs everything). Fortunately, Kodak has a new firmware download (website address - manual). Had several of the same probs reviewers mentioned the 1st day! (EXTRA slow after-shot processing sometimes, corrupted photos when I didn't wait until the screen came back to press a button, and it totally locked-up - unresponsive w/power on - twice . . . just take batt out & back in). Downloaded the new firmware that night (1st update EasyShare software on Kodak's site, then download firmware program, connect cam to computer's USB, select cam in EasyShare software, then click firmware update button - took ~5 secs to upload to cam). Fixed everything EXCEPT (LISTENING KODAK?), corrupted photos when you press a button B4 finished processing. I HOPE Kodak will fix that soon & get a firmware release out. But, I have to say, you can live w/that by just not interrupting the cam while processing. It takes longer than my Z712, which only has to process 7.1 Mpx and is done B4 I could even press a button, but I noticed it doesn't affect speed of burst shots or vid, so if you want several shots in rapid succession, use them. If you can live with that, it's an Incredible cam and the $179 price is the deal of the century.
UPDATE: 2 things worth adding: 1) As mentioned, they've put lots of thought into controls. On top, buttons for Favorites (fave pics), Video, Auto/Preset Smart Scenes, and Power (& Flash Select). Turns out, Faves, Vid, and Scene are hot-wired, so if the cam's off just press any of them and it turns on in that mode! Great for spontaneous/shoot-quick moments. 2) Lighting compensation settings. If you've ever taken indoor shots of some item(like for eBay) that end up looking yellow because of incandescent lighting or flat (fluorescent), you'll love this (and that this tiny cam has it). Compensates for several others too. I'm loving this cam. Been using it all the time. My Z712IS is just waiting for my need of manual modes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Camera at a very good price
Comment: I bought this camera as a birthday present for my wife - who doesn't typically enjoy technology. She loves it. A couple of the complaints I've seen about the battery charge not lasting very long and the usb charger are not really issues. The battery lasts several days on a charge - on a vacation I will end up charging it every few days, not on a vacation it lasts easily several weeks. It just depends on how much you use it, but I don't find it to be worse than other digital cameras I've owned. As for the charger being usb based, this is just the way things are going. Nearly everyone already has other things that charge this way. Personally, I use either my computer to charge or I use my Blackberry charger, which is also usb based. If you really don't like this you can spend the 10 bucks and buy a charger for it, it's not really that big of a deal.
I think the camera is a great deal, has high quality output and is easy to use (if my wife thinks it's easy, believe me it is).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Comment: Fabulous ..best all around camera I have seen. Excellent picture quality. Simple and easy to use.
Kodak Easyshare V1253 12MP Digital Camera with 3 x Optical Zoom Reviews: Page 2 of 13
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |