The Kodak DC280 digital camera offers Kodak's intuitive user interface, plus a high two-megapixel resolution and a variety of advanced features. Its 1,792 x 1,200 resolution allows for fine detail even at large image sizes. The Kodak DC280 also includes a 2x optical/3x digital zoom and macro capabilities. The built-in flash comes with four modes including red-eye reduction. Special camera modes include time lapse and burst modes as well as auto and manual exposure settings. Kodak's easy-to-use menu system is one of the most intuitive we've seen in the digital camera realm. The camera also includes special effects (black-and-white mode, sepia mode, borders included, document mode) and auto or manual exposure settings.
The Kodak DC280 has a large, bright 1.8-inch LCD monitor. Kodak includes a generous 8 MB CompactFlash memory card. The camera supports USB connectivity for fast, cross-platform downloads. While the DC280 comes with four AA batteries, like all digital cameras, it drains batteries quickly. We recommend investing in a set of rechargeables.
1 Great technology!
I actually bought one of these at a yard sale for 80 bucks, since previously I owned and used a Kodak dc 240. I don't quite know why this series of cameras take such amazingly sharp pictures (my 240 (1.2 MP) takes sharper photos than my 3.2 MP sony!!!)but they just do. The 280 has a more limited zoom (2x as opposed to a 3x), but the picture quality is amazing. You cannot buy a 2MP camera that takes sharper and more realistic pictures than the 280. The new Kodak series with the docking ports are made differently and they are not as good about focusing or sharpness of image. The 280 is a great investment!! I've seen prints from the 280 looking better than some 4MP cameras!! And that's all I have to say about that :)
2 Great Camera
my dad had baught this camera 3years ago and then recently he gave it to me. its a good camera, the only thing is, the lense cap keeps comming off. great camera, cheap lense cap. picture quality is good, indoor and outdoor. the only other thing is that when the batteries get low it'll stop using the flash, which gets really annoying sometimes but normally isn't a problem. it can also stand SOME banging around, but not much. oh, and that little plastic covering at the bottom of the right hand corner of the camera peeled off recently but that doens't affect the camera's performance!
3 This WORKHORSE takes STUNNING pictures!
After much research, I recommended the DC280 for my friend's company almost three years ago, and since then it has taken THOUSANDS of pics, most of them STUNNING good color and clarity. Whether taken inside or outside, of products, people or nature shots, the DC280 seemed to handle everything we threw at it - including getting DROPPED several times and getting WET and DIRTY on numerous occasions (not that I recommend it). Recently my friend bought a Canon G2 and GAVE me his "old" Kodak DC280 - and it STILL takes stunning pictures as if it was brand new! Therefore, if you can find a good used DC280 or DC290 for a decent price, I can GUARANTEE you won't be disappointed with the durability of the camera or the quality of the pictures!
4 Easy to use, even for a beginner
This is my first digital camera, and I love it! I did some research before I bought, but I'm not an expert on any of the technical stuff.
I can say that as a beginner, I have found that all of the basic functions are intuitive. I played around with the camera before getting out the instructions, and realized I had figured out most of the most necessary functions.
No software package works on everyone's machine, but the software installed very simply and easily on mine and I haven't had a single problem with it (I run Windows XP Home edition).
The part that I had the most reservations about was the actual connection and upload to the computer. Most people have used a camera; but obviously I had never hooked one up to my machine before!
It couldn't have been easier. I simply read in the instructions which slot the USB plug went into on the camera -- I had already plugged it into my computer -- turned the camera mode to "connect" and flipped it on. Windows recognized the camera, and the photo wizard in XP allows very easy transfer into a folder of your choosing. You can also get the photos directly from the camera and bypass the wizard, but I haven't felt the need to do that.
The photos themselves have pretty good color -- I do have to up the contrast more often than not in Paint Shop Pro, but that's not a big deal. The colors, if the light isn't that great, tend to be a little washed out, just like a regular camera.
Overall, I love my new camera and have found nothing to complain about. It has performed beautifully and it's easy to use. I recommend this camera to any newbie who wants a middle-of-the-line machine.
5 A workhorse
I bought this camera about three years ago when digital was just coming of age. Also have the DC 5000 at my office which is basically the same camera in a more durable shell. My personal 280 has traveled with me almost around the earth and it always works! You just need to prepare--I always take at least three sets of batteries, a few cards and a quick charger wherever I go. One great thing about the 280 is that it uses AA batteries. Try finding a propritary battery in Cozumal Mexico. The shots I have taken always receive praise about the clarity and color, even at low compression rates. Part of my job is to put together a newsletter. We just started trying out a Nikon Coolpix 5000 camera for going out and getting newspaper quality snapshots. Not to badmouth Nikon or anything, but everyone wants to go back to the Kodak for it's simplicity and guaranteed results.
I'm looking for a small pocket size camera like the elph because of it's portability. I think I might wait for the S400 Canon. But I would never sell the 280, because it's always there as a backup. It just simply works well for most things.
6 This camera really makes nice pictures!
This camera really does it all and takes great pictures. The only real shortcoming is the LCD screen. It is a bit fuzzy and usually the photos look much better when they are shown on a computer or television screen. One other nice feature is that it may be connected via serial or USB port.
7 It will blow you away!
Awesome! Great color rendition, sharp pictures, easy to use. Too bad they don't make them anymore.
8 The best digital camera in the world.
I've bought the DC-280 camera more than two years ago. Since that I owned many different digital cameras. Technology have changed, resolution increased, weight reduced, size shrunk, but no any new camera can bet the DC-280 color balance and vividness of pictures. I've made a lot of comparisons, asked my friends choose the best one, and DC-280 always won. That's outstanding.
9 Wonderful pictures & Easy to use
This is a fantastic camera, and I love it to pieces!
10 Has served me well
I have owned and used this camera for two years now and i still love it. The first thing is this camera takes great pirctures. I go ... and get my pictures printed and they are turn out amazing everytime. The second thing that i like about this camera is that i can normally fill up my 32mb flash card (which mine came with)on one set of battires. One thing that i would highly recomend is a flash card reader, which makes download times alot faster. I use windows xp pro and have not had any trouble. I have some of my pictures at my website ...
11 Extremely sharp pictures ! !
I've taken ~1200 pictures... all extremely sharp, especially colors and tones reproduction. Much much sharper and clearer than my brothers' Olympus C3xxx cameras.
1 annoying issue, the LCD drains batteries like the Niagara Fall drains water. BUT... I never use it... so it isn't a problem!
Oh, I have 3 sets of 4-pack Ni-MH batteries and a 128MB CF, yeah baby!...
Had it for 2 years... keeping it for another... 5-6 more years.
12 Good Point And Shoot
A really nice beginners camera. Makes for some good landscape shots, the colors are real close, and the depth of feild is set well for landscape. Portrait shots aren't as nice, but they'll do. Sturdy little thing, been dropped a few times and doesn't seem to mind. Doesn't work good in cold weather however.
In my personal opinion, it's not worth the price tag. There are more up-to-date cameras out there with a lot more goodies if you are going to put out that kind of money for a digital point and shot.
13 A great point and click Digital Camera
This is a very solid camera that takes good pictures indoor or outdoors. It is very user friendly and consistently takes good pictures, no matter who is taking them (Unlike several Sony's I tried before settling on this one).
Their are several features on this camera that make it particularly appealing to me.
* Accepts any type of AA battery and comes with rechargeable ones
* Transfers pictures through USB (can also get a compact flash card reader, I highly reccommend).
* Has a Video patch cord that allows you to preview pictures on any TV or VCR with an RCA input.
* Accepts Flash Memory of any brand up of 196 MB+ (alot of pictures).
* Border software allows you to import different borders for your shots, such as birthdays and weddings.
Although the camera is only a 2.0 megapixel, I've learned megapixels don't tell the whole story for the quality of a picture. They only become important if you want to consistently produce picture sizes above 5x7 (8x10 takes a dip in quality).
Overall a very good camera for an enry level to average user.
If you are a more advanced user with higher resolution needs, you might checkout the Nikon coolpix 900 series, a very good camera, though it is twice the price of the Kodak 280 zoom.
14 A rugged contender
I've had my 280 for a year now and haven't found anything to seriously squawk about. I've shot a good 600 pictures from a 120 degree Arizona summer to a -22 degree Massachusetts Nor'easter. It's been bumped, knocked, and dropped and still takes pictures as good as when it came out of the box.
The use is simple enough for even a manager (like myself) to use. Most of the time I just point and shoot and the pictures come out just fine. I like being able to manually adjust the exposure because I find myself inside and not allowed to use the flash. Most of these indoor pic's come out fine.
I'm about to graduate to a higher pixel camera but will pass my faithful Kodak onto my son. I just hope I can find another unit as tough and reliable as my 280.
15 Very versatile for the web and family/personal photos.
I have had this camera for about a year now and have become the photographer of the family even though others have much more expensive equipment and I really don't know anything about photography. The detail in the photos along with the color are excellent. Its alse easy enough to use that you don't have to read the booklet. The little LCD sreen is not great but it is useful. It will also print out an impressive 8X10 even though 5x7 is where it really shines.
It also does a good job with photos to put on the web whether you are trading pics with distant friends/family or selling items on the net or auctions. The close-up feature is really great to show detail when selling items as detail helps bring more money when selling/auctioning.
This is just a great camera and now there are many opportunities to get it for a lot less than cameras that don't really do much more for the simple photographer.
16 Nice, with reservations
The DC280 is a nice little camera, but the results I get from it aren't any better than those from oy old DC210 that it replaced. In fact, I find the autofocus to be less accurate, or at least harder to use than with the 210. And, alas, it STILL eats batteries by the ton.
17 Awesome camera!
I purchased this camera in place of the DC290, which I had done quite a bit of reading up on. However, when I went to buy the 290, it was not in stock. Because I absolutely HAD TO HAVE my new camera that very night, I purchased the DC280. And I'm glad I did. It is very easy to use. You can figure it out without having to read the instructions. And it takes great pictures - day or night! The clarity is excellent and comparable to a 35mm. I've only printed pictures up to 4x6 so far, but they turned out wonderful. It comes with everything you need to start taking pictures right away - an 8 MB card, rechargeable batteries, a battery charger, and alkaline batteries so you don't have to wait for the others to charge before using your camera. I bought a card reader so I wouldn't run down the batteries while loading the files to my computer. I also bought a 64 MB CompactFlash card. On standard quality, it stores almost 300 pics and on high quality, about 105. I use the sight finder instead of the LCD display to take pictures and have found that my batteries last quite a while.
The DC280 is my third digital camera and by far the best!
18 Lean, Mean Photo Taking Machine
It is fair to say that this camera is by no means for the proffessional photographer today. Taken in mind the stunning results this camera is capable of producing, its ease of use, and its usable range of features Im sure it can be a great asset to any first timer digi-cam user. Not only does this camera look good but so do the prints. O.K the feartures are a bit limited, and the zoom could be more powerfull, but consdering the price, this camera offers a lot. Unlike some cameras you dont need to go out and buy loads of accersories, the 8mb picture card included is enough to get the snap happy photographer started, and rechargable battries and charger are also included. I would personnally reccomend this camera to any digi-cam virgin!
19 Poor battery storage
This camera look good in the page, but it's big and the manufacture is poor. The lock of the battery storage was weak and broke suddenly. Also I bought the zoom, but the pictures I get are really bad.
Kodak Support Unit in Perœ also provide me a bad customer service. They pretend to charge me US$ 400 for travel expenses to comply with its guarrante.
20 great camera but could be improved
This camera takes very good pictures and by itself is very easy to use. However, the linking software of the PC side is not very user friendly. One complaint is the optical zoom on the camera is a bit weak.
Having the rechargeable battery and charger included, fast USB link, and both PAL and NTSC output format was what made me decided to buy it since I like traveling overseas. Otherwise I was strongly considering the Olympus and Nikon models.
21 Terrific camera - easy to use - fabulous pictures
We bought this camera several years ago and have taken it with us on two trips abroad and many trips around the USA. I'm not a camera maven but I've just had a terrific experience with this camera. Our pictures come out clear and sharp. It is easy to use. The color is great. The camera feels good in my hands. Mine came with a 32 mb card and I bought one extra 32mb card. I can travel for weeks at a time without ever worrying about "film." I've even dropped the camera by accident a few times without breaking it. The flash works nicely in a variety of light. If I had to find one thing to criticize I would pick the zoom lens but I have yet to see a competitive product with a better one. In short, I've taken thousands of pictures with the camera without a hitch. In fact, I usually have a big smile on my face when I see the results. And my friends and family do too.
22 Good camera, download problems
I have had this camera for over 6 months now and I am happy with the pictures that I have taken. One major problem is with downloading into the computer with this; It ususlly takes several tries and many times just hangs up after a few pictures when it does down load. There are usually errors like no pictures in camera when the flashcard is full. The problem seems to be with the "twain"transferring pictures,That is the only way. No one can figure what the problem is but it seems to be the software that came with the camera and the Kodak software that is needed no matter what digital imaging software is used. (I tried 6 different types with all the same problems). Out of frustration I bought an HP photosmart 1250 photo printer that I just plug the flashcard into. With that I usually get outstanding results; the pictures look just like I took them with a Nikon SL 35mm camera.If I could only get the computer download to work as well I could not ask for more. For now I do not download unless I have lots of time to Keep trying. Therefore I dont do it very often anymore, I just print them directly with the printer.
23 Great Beginner Digital Camera
I teach photography and thought this would be a great digital camera to introduce to those hesitant to jump into the digital age. I have owned since November and have taken over 300 pictures. My review follows. The great--- 1. Picture quality is awesome!!! 2. The weight of the camera feels sturdy. Whereas, some higher priced models weigh the size of a piece of paper. The good--- 1. Storage with the generic memory card is good. Invest in a larger memory card and your set. 34MB is perfect. (About 60 more images) 2. Battery life has not been a problem at all. I did buy another set of rechargable batteries because of other customer reviews. The average--- 1. Zooming in to objects can be somewhat limited but is adequate. This product rates 4.5 in my book!
24 Quality and Value
Using the rechargable battery that came with the camara, I took more than 330 pictures, maybe 50 of them used flash. The battery still not dried up before I quit!
I own this baby for more than 6 month. Yesterday I bought a 128 MB compactflash memory from amazon. Now I realize it is too much for this camara. It can store 206 pictures with 1800 X 1200 resolution. Boy!
The only drawback of this camara is the delay between shots. First 3 only delay 3 seconds, but after that, needs about 25 seconds to process.
Other than that, it is perfect.
25 Great digital camera
Back around Thanksgiving, 2000, I bought this camera through Amazon. I have enjoyed it much and definitely like it better than my wife's 35mm camera.
You can develop hardcopy photos 4X6's through Kodak for $ each and they have looked great for me so far. Mostly though I just keep the photos on my computer or send them in emails to friends. 2 Megapixels makes for great looking photos and allows me to crop or re-size them to make jpeg files that fit my 19 inch monitor's resolution and that still look very good.
I like it that you can see your photo instantly on the small display screen, although it is pretty small and still hard to see if you caught that smile.
Also there are no processing costs or time spent waiting for processing as you can use your USB port. It takes about a second per photo to download to your computer. I did have problems with the USB with my old computer that would cause it to reboot and then work, but now my new Windows2000 PC works excellent with the Kodak camera and USB.
The 8MB card that comes with it is too small in storage capacity, and I am planning to get a 32MB very soon. The 8MB card holds at minimum 12 high res photos.
There is about a one second delay between when you push the button and when the camera flashes the photo, so you have to wait and hold the camera still so it is not so good for moving objects or sports events.
Also the zoom is good but not good enought for the sports events I go to for great distant shots. The zoom lenses broke on my first Kodak 280 and they sent me a new one the same day I sent they old one back.
So overall the experience has been very good with this camera and I have alot of great photos to prove it.
26 Works great with Windows 98, doesn't work with new Compaq/ME
This camera worked great with Windows 98 on my Compaq laptop. Then I bought a new Compaq desktop with Windows ME. Kodak has software you can download to make it run on ME operating system. But it doesn't work with this Compaq. So if you buy this camera and decide to upgrade your computer be for warned. Anyone want to buy a brand new Kodak 280, email me erw192@hotmail.com
27 A Question
Does anyone know if this camera has a timer setting so you can set it up and take pictures automatically?
28 Great Camera for the First Time Digital Camera User/Buyer
This is the first digital camera I have ever purchased and with so many choices on the market I was very concerned about deciding which camera was the best for me. After reading all the reviews on Amazon.com I decided on the Kodak DC 280 and what a GREAT choice.
The camera is VERY easy to use. I am digital camera stupid and even I was taking pictures within 10 minutes of opening the box.
MEMORY. I took the advice of most reviewers and bought a 32MB flash card. A very good decision which I highly recommend. What none of the reviews told me was that the 32MB card holds about 50 pictures when you have the camera on the highest reslution. If you go for medium or lower resolution you of course get a lot more. I just use my camera for everyday pictures and the 32 MB card is just fine.
SOFTWARE. You must have software to download the pictures from the camera. The DC 280 comes with Kodak's camera control software, a very simple picture manipulation software called Arcsoft, and Adobe's photodeluxe 2.0 and Adobe pageMill 3.0. The Arcsoft program is baby simple and I was using it with no problem to do my first picture downloads. It even lets you do basic picture manipulation. If you just want to take pictures for everyday memories or internet postings then this is all the software you will ever need. I was a little scared that the PhotoDeluxe software would be to complicated to use so I didn't download it till last week. Turns out It too is a piece of cake to operate and its much more powerful than the Arcsoft software. I now use the Photodeluxe software over the Arcsoft. Bottomline, the software that comes with the camera is VERY easy to use and unless you are a big time or serious photographer its all the software you need.
DONLOADING PICTURES. I download pictures directly from the camera to the computer and its doable but slow, especially if you downloading the entire memory card. My next purchase is to buy one of those flash card readers which other reveiwers recommend.
BATTERIES. The camera comes with one set (4) rechargeable batteries and a recharger. I would definately get a second set of rechargeable batteries, but not another recharger. As long as you have one set of batteries ready to go you will be fine. And if you don't have any batteries recharged ready to go you can always use regular batteries. If you take pictures using the normal and recommended "Capture" mode the batteries will last through an entire 32MB memory card - no problem. Plus they only take a couple of hours to recharge.
CHARGER. If you do not get one of those flash card readers I would difinately buy the AC/DC adapter. When you download pictures directly from the camea you are using up battery power. It would be much easier to plug the adapter into the camera instead of having to change out batteries which typically happens to me somewhere in the middle of downloading my pictures.
CASE. The camera doesn't come with a case and I wish I had one. I would recommend you buy one.
BOTTOMLINE. I recommend you buy this camera, a 32 MB memory card, a memory card reader, an extra set of rechargeable batteries, an AC/DC adapter, and a case.
29 Great camera for the price
I bought this product from Amazon several months ago. I was debating on whether I should get this one or the Sony Mavica FDC-90 which I use at work. I feel the quality of the photos from the Kodak were much better than from the Sony camera (I took identical photos, printed them on a color laser and compared them!). Manuevering through the different features and menus are not as easy to pick up as they are for the Sony camera, but I feel that the quality of photos from the camera are the most important thing. I have not used the camera enough to test battery life, but the camera does come with both rechargeables and a set of "regular" batteries. I feel the range of zoom on this camera is fairly limited, but that is a feature that I probably won't utilize a whole lot anyway. Overall, I feel that at this price, this is one of the best digital cameras on the market.
30 Excellent Camera - Good Value
I've done some research on the Kodak series, and this is the best value so far. There are very few good digital cameras in this price range...that have the features that I need. It has a 2 megapixel resolution, easy to use LCD display, and it uses a Compact Flash card. It's also fairly easy to use.
Did I mention the pictures? Wow. I used to have a Pansonic digital camera and it wasn't as good as this DC280, (okay, so it was only a 1.3 megapixel). The picture quality is excellent. I really don't have to modify the images, sharpen them, or adjust the lighting within Photoshop. I basically crop the pictures, and send them out.
A really nice add on was the rechargeable batteries and recharger that were included with the DC280. Of course, it came with 4 AA standard batteries, too. :-) You can also buy a lens adapter so you can add on different lenses, such as super wide angle and telephoto lenses.
A reviewer did mention that the LCD screen is in an awkward place, so your nose does smudge it quite a bit. Also, sometimes the lens cap falls off the camera lens, but it is attached to the camera at least, so at least you won't lose it.
I purchased a 64 MB compactflash card to replace the 8 MB card that came with it. You should try to purchase it on-line... Amazon had it cheaper. I also bought a USB Compactflash card reader which was so much easier and faster to use than downloading the images from the camera (the DC280 also supports USB).
If Amazon doesn't have the camera in stock, you can find it at Buy.com--it'll take a few days to get it. I believe it's the previous model before the DC3400, so it might be difficult to find now...You're better off buying this on-line instead.
31 Easy to use, great features!
I bought this digital camera for use at work. It has loads of features (optical AND digital zoom, exposure adjustments, ability to imprint custom borders / date & time stamp) that make it a versatile tool for business and personal use.
It's as easy to use as a point-and-shoot but steps up with advanced capability when needed. Image resolution is great - takes exceptionally clear photos. I use it at its' highest resolution and it gives me 11 images on an 8MB card, 25 images on a 16MB card. USB connection makes downloading a breeze and makes it quick too!
Go for it - you'll enjoy this camera.
32 One of our most terrific decisions ever
was to purchase the Kodak DC280. We did a great deal of research before purchasing this camera, including reading reviews of many different digitals from customers on Amazon and other sites. We quickly learned what the major issues of importance to us would be: (1) picture quality; (2) battery life; (3) convenience/ease of use; and (4) overall value, considering 1-3. We decided on the DC280 because of the features, above average customer reviews, and the price.
That said, we remained a bit concerned about battery life and convenience. As you can see from all the reviews, digital cameras (this one included) have the reputation for eating batteries and we didn't want to trade film and development costs for battery expense and the hassle of always changing and buying them. Take this as gospel: if you do not use the LCD screen as a viewer to set up your shots, you will enjoy surprisingly long battery life. We regularly snap more than 100 shots (a week's worth or more) and then pass the camera around to let everyone review them on the LCD screen. The batteries last if you just take reasonable, minimal care, and with an extra set of rechargables you will probably never feel the crunch, even as snap-happy tourists on vacation somewhere.
Second, we had read that upper-end cameras (in the $600-1,000 range) could snap pictures rapidly one after another but that cameras such as the DC280 had an infuriatingly long lag time from one shot to the next--up to 12 to 15 seconds--while the camera processed and saved the data. We braced ourselves for this inconvenience. STUPID US! It took two weeks before we realized by accident that you can take up to four or five pictures in very rapid succession before finding the need to cool it for a few seconds. That is fine, and since we're not professionals needing to do rapid bursts for sports shots all day, we find no difference compared with how strenuously we used our film cameras (in fact, we get a whole lot more out of this one than our film cameras).
There is a lot more I could go on about, but the short of it is that this camera is amazing and has itself dispelled many falsehoods we read about cameras in its price range (and higher). We have two little children and buying film, developing it, making duplicates, and mailing them out to family everywhere had become a real financial burden and hassle. Consequently, we barely took any pictures anymore. With the DC280 now, we have snapped more than 600 pictures in 5 weeks (the equivalent of 25 rolls, $250 for film and development). Everyone in our family already has a CD with 500 pictures on it, with more on the way. And we now have photos for our own collection that we otherwise would never have had.
If you have any doubts about which digital camera to choose anywhere near this price range, jump at this one before you miss out. You'll love it.
33 Did the research and got the Kodak DC280
I actually did the research and told my family what camera I wanted for my birthday. I checked the reviews on Amazon and CNET. I compared the specs against other cameras, most notably the small Canon's. I decided on the Kodak DC280 and have been extremely pleased.
I can't complain about battery life or screensize like I read in other reviews. I've played with all the settings by taking low light photos, close-ups, auto pictures, borders, etc. When I send pictures to my subjects, they all comment on the quality of the photos. The funny thing is that I'm taking pictures on medium quality with the lowest resolution!
I do wish that it was a little smaller, but I knew it would be larger than an Elph. I would buy this camera again without hesitation.
34 Outstanding Camera
I wanted to write a review of this camera because I hope it will help someone like myself that almost did not buy this great camera.
This was my first digital camera purchase. The reason I ultimately bought it was because it was a great value--including many extra items ( both 4 alkaline and 4 NiH rechargeable batteries, battery recharger, Adobe software, UBC Cord, etc.)that the others did not. However, I was concerned because there were reviews that mentioned that the Adobe software was difficult to use and you could not e-mail pictures using it. Both negative comments were dead wrong.
First, I must say that the camera takes truely OUTSTANDING pictures. It is also relatively easy to use. The manual that comes with it is well written and easy to understand. It comes with a quick-guide and you can literally be taking pictures within minutes.
The Adobe software is truely outstanding too. Its only negative is it does not come with a manual so you have to plow through the instructions on the computer and very often use the help screen. However, you can make all kinds of adjustments to your pictures and come out with a first rate pictures. I like to save the pictures to my hard drive in the JEP format. If I want to e-mail them, I simply send the pictures as attachments from there. No problem.
Regardless, the pictures and the software are great and any negative comments you may read from others probably are from first time buyers like myself who got frustrated with the learning curve and time it takes to get to know a new camera, new technology, how to use the software and how to print photographs. For a novice, it takes considerable time to learn. There are no shortcuts. However, once you get the hang of it, you get fantastic results!!!
One mistake I made was buying a card reader. I have a 800mh processor and the USB cable that comes with the camera literally takes seconds to transfer. If you have a slow processor, you may need a card reader.
One thing I definitely advise you to get is an AC adaptor. It is a must or you will drain the batteries. If you are going to go for a long weekend or plan to take a considerable number of pictures, you may want to buy both extra rechargeable batteries and an extra picture card.
Ihave a HP deskjet 952 printer. I have found some Kodak 4X6 borderless print paper. It comes with one or two pictures per page. For the single page, I turn it upside down in my tray (with the Kodak name up) and locate it all the way to the far right. I set the settings just the way the instructions say and I get the most unbelieveable pictures you can imagine. Once I got the hang of it, people in my office asked me where I was getting them developed! Another major positive is that Kodak has a "technical help desk." I called them a couple of times regarding how to use the new paper with my particular printer. They have an 800 number,answered right away, and were incredibly helpful and knowledgable. This was a major plus and helped me over several frustrating humps.
Regardless, this camera is a great value since it inclues many extras and provides outstanding quality pictures. Beginers do need to invest time--and be forewarned it can get very frustrating but it all falls into place with time. If you are on the fence, buy it. You will love it!
Enjoy!!
35 Awesome
This camera is great. I took it out on the weekend, and took tons of pictures. All the pictures came out so clear. Everyone is complaining about the battery life, but that is normal w/ most digital cameras. I basically took 90 + pictures on 8 double A's. It already comes w/ 4 rechargable NIMH batteries. Just buy another 4 pack (13 bucks) and your set for a long time. I think that is more than plenty for the average user. Furthermore, with the USB cable that it comes with, I was downloading so fast. In addition, I bought a 64 mb compactflash card for this camera. (note: Make sure you buy compactflash and not smartmedia - size differences) This allowed me to have 108 pictures of highest quality and resolution. It was well worth it.
36 Good all around camera..
Let me start my review by saying this is an excellent camera and I would highly recommend it for a beginner like me. I do feel a review should be about the not so bright points however because the manufacture will tell you all the good things for me. To start on the bad list would have to be the battery life. This camer ,and other camers as I've read, is the battery destroyer. I first took it out of the box and right away started to take pictures. (the camera's controls are easy to use and well placed) The first set of disposible battery's lasted about 35 shots. (or 4 times through the memory card that's included, but we'll get to that later.)Lucky for me tho they include a set of rechargeable batteries and the wall charger for them! I was delighted to see that they actualy would include these things knowing we (the consumer) would need them later. Second on my "I wish it was better list" would have to be the memory card. The camera comes with a mesily 8mb flash memory card. Let me tell you unless you only want to take about 8-10 picutres this is not enough. A acceptable replacement for the mem card can be had fr around ($) here on amazon. Now for some points I really did like about the camera that I haven't already mentioned. The picutre quality is astonding for the price. As mentioned before it was very easier to use and well layed out. The software bundle included was easie enuff to use (even though I use photoshop 5.5 instead). The USB connect was not only fast but stable. I would recomend however that you buy a USB flash reader as well so you don't have to leave the juice gobbling camera on while your transfuring photos.
All in all I just don't think you can do better for your money than this camera even with the small mem card and battery issues.
37 Good all around camera..
Let me start my review by saying this is an excellent cameraand I would highly recommend it for a beginner like me. I do feel areview should be about the not so bright points however because themanufacture will tell you all the good things for me. To start on thebad list would have to be the battery life. This camer ,and othercamers as I've read, is the battery destroyer. I first took it out ofthe box and right away started to take pictures. (the camera'scontrols are easy to use and well placed) The first set of disposiblebattery's lasted about 35 shots. (or 4 times through the memory cardthat's included, but we'll get to that later.)Lucky for me tho theyinclude a set of rechargeable batteries and the wall charger for them!I was delighted to see that they actualy would include these thingsknowing we (the consumer) would need them later. Second on my "Iwish it was better list" would have to be the memory card. Thecamera comes with a mesily 8mb flash memory card. Let me tell youunless you only want to take about 8-10 picutres this is notenough... Now for some points I really did like about the camera thatI haven't already mentioned. The picutre quality is astonding for theprice. As mentioned before it was very easier to use and well layedout. The software bundle included was easie enuff to use (even thoughI use photoshop 5.5 instead). The USB connect was not only fast butstable. I would recomend however that you buy a USB flash reader aswell so you don't have to leave the juice gobbling camera on whileyour transfuring photos.
All in all I just don't think you can dobetter for your money than this camera even with the small mem cardand battery issues.
38 Get it now before it's gone.
As this camera has been replaced by the 3400, it has fallen in price, but not in performance. In fact, it performs as well as its replacement, and costs a good bit less. For a 2 meg camera, it offers a great deal. It is well built, has great optics, a 2X true zoom, decent battery use, USB support and enough user controls to make it an acceptable camera for a semi-serious photographer. The resolution is more than adequate for internet apps and good enough for printing clear 8 x 10s. It is also very sturdy. I think that while supplies last, it is the best 2 meg around and would be an awesome Christmas present for almost anyone.
39 Great Camera!
This was our first digital camera, and we did a lot of shopping around before we bought. I love it. The menus are very straight forward and easy to follow. I like that you can take a picture the old fashion way, or you can use the LCD screen, which is great for close-up pictures. The LCD helps you decide what picture to keep and what pictures to delete. There are nice features such as, borders, black and white or sepia tone and date stamping. And I can't forget the picture quality. We are very happy with the sharpness of pictures. Excellent color pictures. If you are looking for a 2 mega pixel camera, with a great price, you will love this one!
40 First Digital Camera
This is my first digital camera and I am very pleased. I alsobought a H.P. printer for under ($). You loose some resolution with digital , but the color is astounding. More importantly you can crop and fix up pictures so that the photos you do print ( I do 2 on an 8 1/2 by 11) are perfect for a photo album. I also get clear plastic sleeves ( Office Max) that have holes for binder and protect picture.Also there is an abundance of on-line storage sites to park pictures you don't print ( Freedrive.com is one site). There is a learning curve with the software ( must save photos in jpeg format to e-mail), but it is not that difficult. The USB download capability is very important and makes downloading get done in under a minute. I had some fear after I bought it that I wouldn't be able to figure everything out, but I am very pleased one month into my ownership. You will need battery recharger and 4 extra batteries to rotate into camera, but this is not a significant cost. Again, the color resolution is outstanding and the ability to edit the photos ( crop, enhance, lighten or darken) allows for a lot of creativity. I am having a great time with it.
41 Great quality, great price!
For the reliability and capacity of this camera, the pricecan't be beat. We bought this ... last year. We use it with ourWindows 98 machine, and the USB installation was a snap. We use it totake a lot of pictures for our personal website. The ultimatetestimonial; I showed it to my Dad - a short time later, he bought theexact same model.
42 Very "user friendly"
I just received my DC280 and am very pleased....it was really easy to set up and I even found an interactive tutorial on the Kodak web site. I also bought the viking Intelliflash USB Flash Memory Reader so I don't have to keep plugging in my camera to upload pictures.
43 Great digital camera for your money
The Kodak DC280 is very easy to use. This is my first digital camera and I had read and heard that they could be difficult to use. In no way was this true. All you need to do is just follow the instructions and it works like a charm. I use Windows ME and although the software that comes with the camera does not support it all I had to do was go to the Kodak site and after a quick download of the ME software it works without a hitch. The Adobe PhotoDeluxe software that comes with the camera is also easy to install, has many features for changing your pictures, fixing mistakes, adding special effects, etc. Once I got everything installed I was able to take a picture, download it and enjoy it all in less time than it will take to read this review and thats on my FIRST try! This camera is easy to use, has lots of great features, comes with very usable software and just overall makes it easy for the Digital Camera Newbie.
44 All the digital quality you need
I chose the Koday DC280 based on reviews. CNET made it one of their best picks. The camera arrived two days before the birth of my grandson so I had very little time to learn how to use it before I started taking pictures in the hospital. It didn't matter. The camera was really easy to use and the results were amazing. The pictures actually seem sharper than ordinary film photgraphs. I've been using the medium quality, high resolution mode which gives me seventeen pictures on the 8MB card. So far I've blown the pictures up to 5X7 and they have great detail. When my grandson was 4 days old, I took some more pictures and used the built-in "new baby" frame feature. People could not believe the professional quality of the prints. By the way, I am using an HP 932C DeskJet printer with HP glossy paper with excellent results. I do find the HP Photo Printing software easier to use than the Adobe Photo Deluxe software that came with the camera. In net, the Kodak DC280 is a great bargain.
45 Great Camera / Great Value from Amazon
I shopped extensively all over the internet and could not find a better value than this camera from Amazon. It takes wonderful pictures, even on the lowest resolution settings. It's very easy to use and compact. I had a USB conflict with the camera but Kodak Tech. Support resolved it expeditiously. The only drawbacks are minor.. Kodak could have spent a little more time on the lense cap design, as it comes off easily and a regular neck strap would be better than the hand strap. My recommendations are to upgrade to at least an additional 20mb flash card, consider an extra set of rechargeable batteries and possibly a card reader. Even without the above, the camera functions solidly. You can even view your photos on your TV in a slide show with the provided cable! I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone.
46 Good resolution and beautiful menues, useless for my work!
I thought I had read all information about this product prior to purchase it. A good thing: its very nice LCD and menu interface. Two bad things: USB seems no working on my Intel D815EEAAL motherboard, and it renders awfull colors and details when trying to take pictures of flowers and plants (that's why I bought it). Thou its macro feature is fine, it seems the camera cannot balance colors when the composition is very colorful. It has customizable and automatic white balance option that behave weird, and your setting is not saved on the preferences, it changes to "automatic white balance" each time you turn it on. I think its a great camera for fancy pictures, portraits or any image with diversified colors.
47 Good resolution and beautiful menues, useless for my work!
I thought I had read all information about this product prior to purchase it. A good thing: its very nice LCD and menu interface. Two bad things: USB seems no working on my Intel D815EEAAL motherboard, and it renders awfull colors and details when trying to take pictures of flowers and plants (that's why I bought it). Thou its macro feature is fine, it seems the camera cannot balance colors when the composition is very colorful. It has customizable and automatic white balance option that behave weird, and your setting is not saved on the preferences, it changes to "automatic white balance" each time you turn it on. I think its a great camera for fancy pictures, portraits or any image with diversified colors.
48 Good camera, only a few minor nits
I agree with most of the positive reviews of this camera. This camera gave me good results on a recent trip to Europe.
* the battery life is just fine if you are good about turning off the camera. I took over 80 photos before I needed to change the batteries, and was not too stingy with the review mode. That is not great but certainly not as bad as I was led to beleive.
* the little screen does get smudged with your nose a lot, unless you are super careful. Get used to it.
* The software isn't that great, but there are a lot of shareware or freeware programs out there to look manipulate pictures with.
* The camera is not very good for action shots, but that was not a major issue with me.
* the camera is a little bit big, compared to say the Canon Elph, but not really too big or heavy.
This camera is very good value for the money, I might even rate it higher depending on the relative price of a few other cameras. Overall I was extremely pleased with the quality of the pictures from my DC 280, and my wife was quite impressed with the picture quality as well. I only wish it had a little more optical zoom ability, a burst mode, and more memory.
49 A Solid Performer
I have owned this camera for two weeks -- waited six months to buy it, tracking reviews and comparing to other digitals in this price range. For the price this is a solid performer, and appears to have most of the features of its newer 3400 version. It is a a very good value. For me it was important to have a camera that provided USB connection to my computer. It makes uploading a breeze.
50 great camera, bad software
Have had the camera for over a week and have taken many pictures with it. The photo quality is great!! The only problem I see with it so far is that the adobe software that comes with it is very confusing and the instructions are nonexistant. I went as far as to uninstall all the adobe and just use my printer photo software to view and edit. The adobe software also eats up so much of your computer's memory, I can not run it properly. If you are going to use a cardreader instead of direct input from the camera, the kodak software is useless. I am trying to get info from kodak to see if their software is usable with the reader"sandisk". All in all the camera is the best one I tried and I tried many of them...
51 Almost the perfect camera, but ...
I've used 6 or so digital cameras before, but this is the first one that I bought. Before I go on, let me warn you that this model has been replaced by the Kodak 3400. However, I see no significant improvement and they include less in the box with the 3400 (no rechargeable battreries).
Let me talk about the camera. It is very simple to use, yet includes the essential features for all but the most serious photographers. The annoying feature that makes me give this a 4 star rating is the location of the LCD screen - I found that if I use my right eye (which is my dominant eye) in the viewfinder that my nose touches the LCD screen and smudges it. Come on Kodak, that was a goof. This does not effect the quality of piuctures, its just annoying until you realize that it is a hopeless battle to keep the LCD clean.
Other than that, it is terrific. I immediately purchased a Sandisk 32 meg compactflash card, and have since ordered a 128 mb card .... Battery life is long (I do use the power save mode, which is not on by default).
A few tips. Once you experience digital photography you'll discover that, just like videos, things work best without flash unless you absolutely need it. Also, this does have a limited telephoto power with just a 2x optical lens - not a problem for me, but you need to know what you want (if you want much more than 2X, I think you should look at an SLR model).
Buy this one, its a great value.
52 Great buy
We purchased the camera and received it the night before we left for a two week vacation in Europe. Without a lot of time to learn about the camera before using, we found it very easy to get started with. There are many ways to conserve battery power. We also bought 64meg of extra memory, which I recommend. At medium quality the camera indicated that it would hold 158 pictures with the 64meg card. We took 147 on 1 set of batteries. We are very pleased with the quality of the picture even at medium quality. The software is not the easiest, but allows you to do the basics with some practice.
53 Great pictures! Great Price!
I just received this camera last week. It took almost no time to figure it out and start shooting. With 2.1 megapixels, the quality is terrific. If you want to see samples, I'll email them to you. Just write me at davidwalsh@home.com, so I can show off my grandson!
54 Great Camera-- but Adobe Problems
I love this camera! Shipped with USB cable and the transfers are super fast. Photo quality is excellent, and I was taking photos only minutes out of the box. The trouble started when I loaded the Adobe PhotoDeluxe 1.0 that shipped with the camera-- I can't seem to transfer photos to email, and frankly, this is the major need of the camera for me. In fact, when I try to transfer to email, the program locks up and so does my computer, which was 192 megs of RAM and Pentium II at 350. So, buy the camera if you want ease of use and great photos, but watch out for the Adobe software. If I can't get this fixed, it's all going back.
55 This is one great camera
I'm not a novice when it comes to digital cameras. This is my third, and it is, by far, the finest digital I've ever seen. To me, a good camera is one that takes good pictures. That makes the 280 a remarkable camera, because the output is truly remarkable. With a good printer, the photos from the Kodak DC280 rival those of the finest 35 mm cameras. If I wanted to be "picky," I could fault this camera for short battery life, but I don't. The answer to that criticism is simple. Carry a set of extra rechargeable batteries, and You'll be prepared for that once in a lifetime shot when it presents itself. I recommend this camera with no hesitation.
56 Great color and dependable
I did a lot of research before I bought the DC-280 and the thing that sold me was the reviews of faithful color reproduction. I have not been disapointed. It takes great pics indoor and out. I can even tell you it is rugged. After falling to the floor off a counter top it still performed flawlessly. The colors are vivid, the light range is quite good and it is simple to operate. I recommend a second set of rechargable batteries and a second flash memory card.
57 Battery issues
I've used mine for a year in all sorts of situations..including on the slopes during a ski trip. Photographic output couldn't be better. I wish it had someway to attach a neck strap like most 35 mm cameras. Shortly after I got it it quit working and I took it to a Kodak service center. Turned out I had shoved the batteries into the compartment too firmly and bent the metal "leaves" inside which maintain pressure on the battery. They were "unbent" in 2 shakes and all has been well since. The service department STRONGLY recommended using LITHIUM AA batteries like the red-topped Energizers. Since I switched, it's months before I get a low battery reading.
58 Good camera, but problems with Photodeluxe
I love this digital camera. I am pleased with the quality of prints I am able to create. It was easy to figure out how to use the camera, and I was taking photos within the hour that I got it. The Adobe photodeluxe image editing software that came with the camera has caused a lot of problems with my computer. I get a lot of "Illegal Operation" messages, and I cant open images in anything but photodeluxe. In addition, the desk top work space is a little more than 1/4 of the screen. Adobe's answer to this problem is that you can zoom into the image. If you are doing any serious editing, you will want to look into an alternative photoediting software. I think of Photodeluxe as "toy" image editing software. Essential accessories you will need which are not included with the camera include a camera case and AC adapter.
59 HAPPY WITH MY CHOICE
I too read reviews, searched the web,compared features, and priced the various models. I did not want to spend a small fortune on my first Digital Camera, but yet I didn't want to buy a bare bones model, then curse myself that " I should have bought..." I knew I wanted Zoom, and at least 1.3 pixels, and the one that fit all my requirements was the DC280. I know there are other cameras with better color, but no zoom, or better zoom, but costs more, or......etc. The plus factors are..... EASE OF USE, NON-COMPLICATED, GREAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT, GREAT WARRANTY, AND GREAT PRICE, GREAT ACCESSORY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE. Negative factors.....lens cover could be a better fit & quality, and LCD display seems to get smugged easily....... I DO SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER PURCHASING THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: 1. KODAK CAMERA CASE ( I got mine for $17.00 ) 2. BATTERY RE-CHARGER 3. EXTRA BATTERIES 4. AC ADAPTER ( got mine for $20.00) 5. SANDISK CARD READER ( GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD)...YOU SLIP THE CARD INTO THE READER AND PRESTO..THE PHOTOS ARE DOWNLOADED INTO YOUR COMPUTER.( SOLD FOR USB,SERIAL OR PARALLEL PORT CONNECTIONS, AND FOR FLASH CARD OR SMART CARD DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR CAMERA USES).The reader sits on you desk, so you don't have to go looking for your camera cables, or fool around with your tower all the time.......( got mine for $32.00) I get great color prints ( up to 8x10 ) and super detail, both on the computer and printed on Photo paper. I even went out and bought the Kodak/Lexmark Personal Picture Maker PM100 printer that has the flash card port built right into the printer, and the printer DOES NOT EVEN NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER TO PRINT OUT THE PHOTOS!...
60 Great digital camera, but not perfect...
I've had the DC280 for about six months and overall I am very pleased with my purchase. Let me begin by saying there is no better camera package out there for the price.
Best features: The picture color is excellent; camera controls are very logical and easy to use; uploading to a computer is a breeze: 4x6 prints look like 35mm prints but 5x7 start to get grainy.
Okay features: Zoom is decent, nothing a few steps forward can't cure; and battery life is short so keep an extra set around and buy the optional A/C adapter for uploading.
Needs improvement: The picture size is too long or too short which ever way you want to look at it. I end up having to cut off the ends to make a printable 4x6, so the picture is actually 1.7 mega pixels instead of 2.0; the auto flash gets confused easily and I find myself having to use the manual flash and risking red-eye; the software needs a lot of improvement, it's not user friendly and crashes my computer now and then... but it's free; action pictures come out fuzzy and many great shots have been lost becasue they were out of focus.
This camera has been great and I would recommend it to anyone. It's not perfert, but pretty close...
61 An excellent buy!
With this camera, you will get great colors on your screen. I tryed the same picture with the three different qualities and with all I got excellent pictures. It has all the basic features you might need in any camera. It has a good zoom, the 'physical zoom' is not that good, then I discovered the digital zoom which is great.
It consumes a lot of batteries, but you have more than enough with the rechargable batteries and of course, the battery charger included in the camera. I bought an additional charger because I never found that the camera came with its own, so don't buy another charger.
I'm more than satisfied with the 8MB flash card. It is true that you can only take 12 pictures with the highest resolution (1800x1600) and higest quality, but with standard resolution(800x600) and the medium quality you still have very good pictures and can get about 52 pictures, which is good for a weekend. If you have a long trip and don't have a pc to download the pictures, then you might consider another flash card.
BAD THINGS: It weights a little bit more than a traditional camera of the same size, but still, it's much better that other big cameras. It doesn't come with a camera bag. You have to buy it appart.
In summary, a great camera.
62 Great camera, great price!
I bought the Kodak DC280 in October, 1999, when it came with a20mb compact flash card, rechargeable batteries and a recharger ... . It has been great. I take it with me everywhere. It is super easy to use. Having an extra set of rechargeable batteries is a must. I definately recommend this camera, ... . ... I've taken over 1200 pictures with the camera, mostly in the mountains while hiking and snowboarding, and have been very impressed with the quality. The lens cap is attached to the camera, so you never have to worry about lossing it.
63 The good the bad and the ugly!
The Good: Picture Quality, Camera ease-of-use.
The Bad: File Transfer from camera to hard drive.
The Ugly: Adobe PhotoDeluxe that comes with the camera.
Overall, because of the great picture quality, I give it 3/5 stars.
64 Perfect camera
In my opinion DC280 is near the best point-and-shoot camera for the most applications.
Good:
- Excellent color reproduction - I think DC280 produces better colors than ANY digital camera;
- Very good consistent results under various lighting conditions - indoor, outdoor, flash, no flash, whatever;
- Decent flash;
- Good lens - sharp enough and absolutely distortion free(! ) - all competitors zoom lens produce more or less barrel/pincusion distortion;
- Good design, solid build quality;
- Stylish look and feel :)
Bad:
- Poor nigth shots (longest exposure is 1/2s) - forget about capturing night city lights (though I was able to shoot some acceptable pictures of the fireworks and even the lightning bolt);
- Limited macro capability (mimimal focusing distance is 25cm);
65 Excellent, all-around - but tough for action shots
I finally upgraded from my original 2 year old Digital Camera - a Casio 5000SX that was great except for a poorly designed battery door. The Kodak DC280 Zoom is better in every category - clarity, features, memory capability, analog zoom, except for one - the delay in the time from pressing the shutter until it snaps the picture. Keep in mind, that the processing time is quite fast - the Kodak is ready to take your next picture quite quickly, thanks to some in-memory processing, but the delay from when you click the button until the action is captured is quite lengthy. I find it nearly impossible to get good action shots with this camera. For example, I take quite a few pictures of sand volleyball on my weekends. Only the highest flyers - the guys that can jump out of the sand and hang like Vince Carter were captured in the air, and only with me clicking the shutter button at least 2-3 seconds *before* they jumped. However, if you don't have to take a lot of action shots, well this this is an excellent camera for the money - for both amateur and professional alike.
66 Excellent Camera
I was amazed by the beautiful colors and clarity of this camera, even in the medium quality level. I used the camera for vacation photos and then sent them to an online photo processor to have them printed on photo paper. I couldn't have received better quality with my high-end 35mm. Not only was the quality equal, I was able to crop out the undersirable elements before I had them printed! VERY IMPRESSED!
67 Extremely disappointed in the DC280
I've had the DC280 for a little over a week and am VERY disappointed. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?, but I've yet to take a photo that resulted in a high quality image. In particular, shots taken at medium distance are fuzzy, grainy, and generally unsatisfactory. I'm just totally perplexed. Everything I had read said that the images were excellent---but mine are just miserable. I've spent hours studying the manual and reading the photo tips on Kodak's web site - but nothing seems to help. I gave the camera a "one star" rating, which, under the circumstances, is very generous. Maybe it's a defective item?
68 Comparing Kodak DC280 and Fuji Finepix
I had narrowed my digital camera search down to the Fuji Finepix and the Kodak DC280 since I wanted one in the $450 range, and was impressed with the resolution and compactness of a friend's Fuji camera. Since I was only able to view the cameras over the internet, I chose the Kodak since I figured the better resolution and features would be worth the extra $50. But after receiving it, I realise that I would have gone with the Fuji Finepix had I seen the Kodak in person. The Kodak is much bulkier, and the lens cap has to be manually replaced and is easily knocked off the minute you put it in your backpack (actually the stupid thing is always falling off!). I reckon for the better price, the resolution of the Fuji is perfectly adequate, and the slimness of the Fuji and it's sliding lens cover are very convenient. Go with the Fuji!
69 Great Camera
Resolution quality is fantastic for the Amazon.com price. It comes with battery charger which is a must. I print great 8x10 pictures. If you want to take many high resolution picture, order an extra memory card.
70 Terrific Value
I am very pleased with the camera. It is a nicely designed camera that takes great pictures. The colors, resolution and exposure are all excellent. The controls are easy to use and make the learning process swift for this camera. The only negatives I can think of is: 1) the battery life is short and 2) while running high resolution you will only get about 12 frames with the included 8mb card. If you purchase this camera I would recommend a higher capacity card and an extra set of rechargable batteries. I have connected this camera to a Windows 98 machine (a snap) and to a Windows NT machine (not recommended because NT doesn't support USB) and to a Windows 2000 machine. On Windows 98, the installation was a breeze and I was up and running in no time. On Windows 2000, I had a bit of trouble getting the camera to work properly. It will not work out of the box but once you install the necessary patch from Kodak it works fine. To Kodak's credit they don't advertise the camera as 2000 compatible but it would be nice if they would update their software or instructions for folks that need to use the camera with a 2000 machine. I have no problem endorsing this camera for Windows 98 users. It is a great camera.
71 Kodak's DC280 is a five-star digital camera!
I did extensive research on digital cameras and all fingers pointed to the Kodak DC280! I've only had this camera for a few weeks, but I'm already certain that I made a great choice! It's so simple to use and the resolution quality is fantastic! I've e-mailed several photos to friends and they are all amazed at how clear and sharp they are! All of the reviews I read spoke of the wonderful resolution (that's what made me decide on this camera) and they were right!!! The photos download quickly (via USB). The camera controls are a snap to use. The instruction manual is easy to read. I alternate between two sets of rechargeable batteries and have no 'battery life problems.' The DC280 is similar in size and weight to my regular (35 mm) camera. So far, the only 'negative' thing I can say about this camera is that the LCD window does get constantly smudged by my nose when looking through the viewfinder -- but it's really no big deal. Bottom line, it's a terrific camera! I have a lot of fun with it! If you're looking for a moderately-priced digital camera, look into the DC280. I think you'll be glad you did!
72 30-Something DigiCam Grrl
I've wanted a good digicam for several years now and bought the DC280 in May after doing a lot of research. I really had my eye on the Sony Mavica, but the picture quality just didn't cut it compared to my little Kodak. I LOVE THIS CAMERA! It's super easy to use and takes great low and high res images. Do yourself a favor and get at least a 32MB Flashcard and you will be one happy camper. The only downside to this camera is low battery life, but an extra set of rechargeables solves that problem. The USB connection is great and super-fast. This is a purchase that I am very, very happy with. It was worth the wait and research effort!
73 Best Buy in the World of Digicams!
After doing some thorough research I decided to purchase this camera. It has several features which make it a great camera: sharp images, great colours, very easy to use, comes with good software,small and light so great for active travelers like myself. It is comparable to the DC 290 but the price is much more attractive. I would recommend buying an extra memory card (at least 16 MB).
74 Great camera at a great price.
I've had this camera for about two months and have taken over 500 pictures and couldn't be happier with its performance. Pictures taken outdoors were exceptional in all respects (color, clarity and detail). Pictures taken indoors are always more challenging due to lighting conditions, but the DC-280 has more than enough exposure compensation adjustments for your use that there is really no reason for bad picture quality. It does take a little practice to take consistently good indoor pictures, but it has a great owners/instruction manual that is very easy to read and follow.
The rechargable batteries are a must with digital cameras as these cameras draw a lot of current with the LCD monitor activated. I would also recommend purchasing a larger Compact Flash Card, as the one sold with the camera is only 8Mb. I purchased an additional 32Mb card which now gives me enough capicity for many pictures (over 200 at a medium resolution).
I have taken a number of pictures at the highest resolution setting and proceeded to print them on my HP Photo quality printer using Photo quality paper and have been delighted with the results. I print most of them in the 5" X 7" format size and the results have been amazing with virtually no visable pixellation. It is very hard to tell these photos from conventional film photography. I have also printed a number 8" X 10" pictures with great results.
This is a great camera for a great price and it has my hearty recommendation.
75 Great Digital Camera
I bought this camera in February for a trip to Europe. The pictures were sharp. The colors were accurate. Unfortunately, I needed service, but Kodak did a fast, great job. I bought the 128MB compact flash card, which gives me about 200 pictures in top quality.
76 Great Camera, but one flaw
This camera is a great camera. smaller then it looks on the box, but has great flexibility and features built in. Produces excellent quality pictures, the one flaw however that I've noticed is that when taking pictures in doors in a low light level *without* the flash, it tends to blur the image if it's either a motion picture or you move it before it's finished. This only seems to occur without the flash (I was taking horse action pictures and didn't want to scare them) and this seems to dissapear at around 1/90 of a second exposure time. Just thought I'd be critical :) Other then that I find this a great camera!
77 Great product ? but beware Windows NT/Dell glitches
Not much to add to the very favorable reviews here: as a novice photographer, I'm delighted with my new 280. Take it out of the box, scan through the instructions, point, zoom and shoot. The digital zoom works fine, and the special effects (especially black and white) are fun.
Two features of digital photography are an absolute joy: first, the ability to review your shot right away, and discard it if it's not perfect (leading to much higher quality end results without wasting lots of money on film); and second, the way to drop the flashcard from the camera straight into a PDA (I have an HP Jornada running Pocket PC) for an instant pocket photo collection. This passes the stringent test of "would have been science fiction just a little while ago".
Here's the word of warning: I have a Dell laptop running Windows NT. The connection from the camera to the PC is very erratic. Kodak's helpline support was very good - they advise lowering the transfer rate on the COM1 port by forcing it not to find the camera (ie disconnecting it and waiting for the dialog box). This does work, but means you have to wait a long time for your photos. NT does not support USB, so investing in a card reader is one solution; another is to drop the flashcard into the PDA and transfer from the PDA to the PC. Hardly satisfactory - a shame to let down such a great product this way.
78 DC280 in Southern Africa
An excellent camera which works well in African conditions. User friendly, light weight, convenient. Instructions suitable for even a computor illiterate husband. I use it for business and pleasure. My only complaint is with Kodak who do not have an internet sales service to South Africa. Amazon.com does not offer all the accessories. Come on chaps wake up to an enormous market in Southern Africa - we are 1st world!
79 Excellent Camera
I purchased this camera back in May, and I love it. Easy to use and well worth the money...My children love using the camera which is very easy for them to use. One suggestion, you need to purchase a larger memory card, other then that don't wait any longer........PURCHASE IT NOW !
80 Excellent price and excellent quality!
Very happy with my Kodac DC280. I did lots of comparisons and research on digital cameras before purchasing and feel I got the best deal here on Amazon.com. Would not trade it for the world. Very happy with the resolution. Takes beautifully sharp, crisp pictures. Software makes it easy to use. Overall a great camera and a great price!
81 Better than I expected!
Overall, this is an excellent camera and I've had nothing but great luck with it. The pictures are terrific.
I had heard a lot about the DC280 and similar digital cameras chewing up batteries, so I bought an extra set of rechargable NiMH batteries -- in addition to the set that comes with the camera. While this is still a good idea, I didn't find that the battery life was particularly bad. On a recent trip overseas, I shot over 150 pictures (many with flash) and still had good battery life when I got home -- enough for another 75 pictures. Just don't use the LCD preview screen for every shot -- that's not what it's intended for, and it WILL kill your batteries pretty quickly.
The real limitation is the Compact Flash memory. If you shoot the highest resolution possible, the camera will fill a 8mb card (which is what is supplied) with only 9-12 pictures. I typically get 32 hi-res pictures from a 16mb card. (The number of pictures you get will vary depending on the complexity of the images you shoot.) So, in addition to an extra set of rechargable batteries, think about buying the highest capacity Compact Flash card you can afford!
If you're thinking about getting a higher resolution camera than the DC280, keep in mind that you'll get even fewer pictures per megabyte on your Compact Flash cards. Personally, I found enlargements up to 5x7 printed by Ofoto nearly impossible to tell from film pictures. I'd only recommend a 3 megapixel camera if you intend to print 8x10s regularly.
A USB Compact Flash card reader is a great option, too. It saves the camera battery and allows you to quickly download your pictures without tying up the camera.
82 This is a terrific camera!
I am a beginner to digital photography and this camera has me hooked. It is easy to learn, easy to use, and produces beautiful pictures. Congrats to Kodak for including the charger with batteries, and the regular batteries so I was able to take pictures as soon as the camera arrived. Congrats also to Amazon for having the best price I could find on the web. The software works well but I wish Kodak had included the home version of Adobe instead of the business version. This camera is a definite winner and I highly recommend it to both the beginner and experienced photographer.
83 Best bang for the buck...
Overall I love this camera. Picture quality is awesome. If you turn off the LCD preview feature, I've found my batteries to last a long time. Get the carrying case and pack along an extra set just in case though.
Cameras are coming now with only 8mb cards, so make sure you get a bigger card to hold hi-res photos. The 8mb does only about 12 hi-res pictures. Get batteries, get the AC adapter as well.
Kodak just released Win2000 drivers also.
Unfortunantly, my camera died the other day. Lost power. It's being sent back to Kodak for repairs. Hopefully I won't have any more problems with it. It comes with a 1 year warranty.
84 Stunning pictures, indoors and out
This is a remarkable camera, not because of the features, but because the pictures it produces. This is actually my third digital camera. Prior to the Kodak 280 zoom, I had a Canon A5, followed by a Canon A50 zoom. I bought the Kodak 280 zoom on a lark, after reading that the pictures were stunning. They are. I've been printing 8 by 10's that are absolutely remarkable. I couldn't be more pleased. I would recommend this camera to anyone. The only fault I can find is that the camera eats batteries, but I'll gladly trade the inconvenience of charging and changing batteries for the quality prints this camera produces, inside and outside. It's a little marvel.
85 Kodak DC280 - Want to take great pictures? Buy this camera!
I have taken over 200 pictures so far and I have only had this camera for a few days! The pictures are unbelievably clear, sharp and of course Kodak colors! I am using the standard resolution (896x592) with the best quality setting, I am able to store 32 pictures on the included 8MB compact flash card. I haven't experienced the battery drain as other users have mentioned; I am even using the LCD extensively to compose the picture. I enjoy the fact Kodak has included 4 AA alkalines(to get you started) and 4 AA nimh rechargeables plus charger with the camera, in comparison - the Canon S10...you have to spend an additional $90-$100 to get the rechargeable proprietary battery and charger.
This is a outstanding camera for the money and Amazon has the best price I have found (and I searched a long time) on the DC280!
86 Everything I Expected
I compared this camera to the five others owned by members of my family and found it to be on par with the best of them and significantly less expensive than most. It has performed flawlessly thus far (about 300 shots). I highly recomend it. The supplied memory card is too small however, most users will want to purchase additional memory to extend their capabilities.
87 Fabulous price!
I spent 2 weeks shopping on-line for a digital camera for our department at work and found the DC280 Zoom to be the best bargain, by far. After purchasing the camera for $447, I kept seeing the camera in stores and in ads going for $600+! The metal hydride rechargeable batteries are a great addition, though the camera doesn't come with a case or an AC adapter. But that's okay, 'cause I ended up purchasing the accessory kit as well, which has a case, AC adapter, and 4 more metal hydride rechargeable batteries.
The camera and software is so easy to use, and the 8 MB Compact Flash card holds plenty of pictures at moderate resolution and quality. I just took some great nighttime photos; the flash and timer work extremely well. The USB connection also allows quick transfer of pictures to the computer. This camera is easy to use, and Kodak delivers tremendous quality for this fabulous price.
88 More Than Meets The Eye
The Kodak DC280 is exactly what a serious SOHO user or amateur photographer should be looking at as their bottom-line diigital camera. I researched and waited for ages for the right combination of features and price to come available. When I saw the DC280 for $447.00 (compared to the near-$700 it was a few months ago), I knew the time was right and pulled the trigger...
Everything I need in a personal/professional camera is basically here. The photo quality at top resolution is beyond anything you'd expect. When people see a photo from the DC280 printed on the HP970C, they are taken aback at how good it really looks. One of the greatest sources of differentiation in the quality of film camera output lies in the quality of the paper that was used. I have hundreds of family photographs from the 1940's to 1999, which vary widely in how clear they look. But no matter how good the best studio photographer's shot looks, it cannot surpass the clarity of the DC280's best pictures.
The DC280 is not a perfect camera. There are saturation problems, as well its greedy use of batteries. The 8MB FlashCard that comes included has to be one of the reasons the camera is so inexpensive, along with there not being any AC adapter included.
The Kodak software works perfectly in Windows 2000, but is flakey in Windows 98 SE. However, one hidden bonanza came to light when I used ThumbsPlus 4.1 to acquire the images off the camera; you can save them as lossless TIFF files instead of the default JPEG files that the camera uses.
This camera will help my business and will help me be as creative as I want to be. It was worth every penny I spent. You should give it a try as well...
89 This is an EXCELLENT camera!
This is a great camera. It takes pics that are as good as high end cameras costing twice as much. However it only cost alittle bit more than some low end priced cameras. A few people have complained that this camera uses up batteries too much, but this is common for all cameras that have a LCD view screen. If you keep the view screen turned off when you dont need it will increase the battery life. Get a recharger and that will save you money in the long run. Kodak sells a charger with batteries on Amazon for $39. Amazon has most discount stores and web site stores prices for this camera beat by a big margin. This camera is a great value!
90 Lifelong 35 MM user finally goes digital
Finally took the plunge with into the digital world. While I'm not quite ready to retire a couple thousand dollars worth of Nikon Equipment, you can bet my wife's point-and-shoot days are over. The image quality for this price is outstanding (kudo's to Amazon for blowing away the competition on price). I added a 48 MB CF memory card, enough for about 70 shots at the highest resolution. You'll want to do the same since the 8 MB included isn't nearly enough. I've tried transfers via both USB to Win 98 (cable included) or serial to Win NT (ditto). USB is obviously the way to go, but serial is tolerable.
Then I use any editing software (a version of Adobe Photo Deluxe is included and not bad, but I like MS PhotoDraw 2000) to resize, color-fix, etc. You can go nuts manipulating the pictures, but odds are you won't need to. I've used the camera in bright sun, low-light and everything in between and haven't been able to fool it yet.
Cool nifty feature - the self running slide show. Hook it up to your PC, or even a TV or VCR (again, cable included), and you can let the camera scroll through all the shots on your memory card. My 2 year old loves watching it, and it beats Barney, right? One tip - get an AC adapter if you plan to spend much time hooked up to your PC/MAC or TV. No sense wasting precious battery juice when you don't have to.
Complaints? The flash, viewfinder, and light sensors all line up right where I want to put my fingers, so I'm re-learning how to hold a camera. Also, there's a brightness dial on the bottom of the camera for the LCD display. I always seem to slide it accidentally. The result looks like a thermo-scan of Junior and Fluffy in the back yard, but it's only the LCD. The image itself is still fine.
For the price of a good 35 MM camera body, get yourself a great digital companion or primary camera. Now if we could just get Nikon to make a digital camera that takes all my old lenses for under $1,000...
91 The Kodak DC280 is the best mid priced digital camera!
For the money you just simply will not beat the performance of the Kodak DC280. I have had mine for a couple of months now, and it has literaly replaced my regular 35 mm camera. I love the convience of taking pictures then making any edits i need from my computer. The software is easy to install, and only has about a one hour learning curve to master. Very good and fast usb connection. With a fully charged set of NI-MH, AA batteries it gets fantastic long life. And the 2.0 Megapixel image is nothing less than photo film perfect, must be seen to belive. I also like the smart card memory media included, I have upgraded the 8 mb, to a 24 mb card, and on the 24 mb, I can snap over 100 photos in the best quality mode on the lower size setting, and 34 of the highest quality photos in the huge mega resolution setting. Another great feature is that this camera is very easy to use compared to the other brands I have tried. I did not even have to read the instructions, (though I would read them if I were a beginer). Try the Kodak DC280 out if your in the market for a fantastic digital camera!
92 Good value, usability problems, poor Mac interface
The camera produces excellent pictures, but has some usability problems. For a two-megapixel camera, the price is excellent. The usability problems vary in seriousness. The power switch has only one resting position and hence doesn't indicate the power-up status of the camera. There is a power-saving mode, but no power-down after a period of inactivity. The lens cap is an old fashioned plastic disk that must be manually placed over the lens; even my old QuickTake 150 had an integrated power switch and lens cap. The unit also struck me as being rather heavy. The interface to Windows computers is excellent. Retrieving photos is as easy as opening a volume that automatically mounts on the computer. Particularly useful is a camera control application that makes for easy adjustment of all the camera's settings. Mac users are not so fortunate. Pictures must be retrieved with a special Picture Transfer Application with an exceptionally bad interface and inexcusably slow operation. There is no camera control application for the Macintosh. The camera has some formatting features such as borders and special effects. It also provides for video output. I haven't tested these features and can't comment on their usefulness.
93 Great point and shoot pictures!
After several months of research and a friend with a Kodak 265, I decided to buy the 280. I am very pleased with the overall quality of the pictures. The red eye feature does a better job then the point and shoot 35 mm I had before.
Battery life is better than I had expected, I have taken over 200 pictures, and only charged the batteries once. The camera came with a charger and one set of rechargeable batteries, so there have been no extra costs.
Picture quality seems great so far. I have ordered prints online from my digital pictures, and they look great, even the 5x7.
The zoom is a little lacking, so if you use a zoom lens all the time, this may not be the camera for you, but Kodak does make an adaptor to go to 4x.
I am very pleased with my purchase here on Amazon.com.
94 digital kodachrome
Have you ever taken Kodachrome slides - the color saturation is upped a little, as is the contrast; everything is a little realer than real. And why not. Kodak has had most of a century learning how to reproduce color, and they have applied it to their new-fangled digital cameras. You will not believe what you see on the screen of your computer monitor - can a digital camera really be this good? It looks like a Kodachrome slide - heck, it looks better!
Printing is another thing. The reason pro photographers and serious ameteurs have preferred slides is because the range of contrast is much greater than prints - prints can only reflect light, not generate it, as can a slide projector or computer monitor. So a great deal is lost in going to prints in terms of light; and as even your basic printer can print at 300 dpi, the lower resolution of the digital camera makes its effects felt. However, I find 8x10 prints at the highest resolution of the DC280 quite acceptable (using a HP832c). But the camera cannot make uncompressed files - all files are JPEG compressed to some extent, and the artifacts may show.
This is a point and shoot camera; no control of focus, shutter speed, or aperture is possible. The camera is a little heavy, and you wish for hooks for a neck strap. You wish for more buttons on the body of the camera, rather than having to go through levels of menus. The lens front is very vulnerable (and the lens cap is not automatic) - it would be wise if the lens were protected by a protruding metal or plastic guard, as some of Kodak's competitors do.
I find the battery life using Kodak's supplied metal hydride batteries quite acceptable, particularly if you buy a second set; but the supplied alkalines lasted only through the evening I bought the camera.
I am a wide angle person rather than a telephoto person, but in an ideal world, a 3x rather than a 2x would be welcome - 60mm (equiv.) is hardly telephoto. This is basically a wide angle to normal lens.
I've been a darkroom photographer since 1952, and a sometime professional since 1959 - I am delighted to see the end of chemical photography, with its dangerous chemicals and the near impossibility for amateurs of getting good results in color. Now all you need is a digital camera and an ink-jet printer. Prices are falling - give it a try!
95 Fantastic!
We love it! It is simple to use, versatile, and takes fantastic pictures! Before we purchased it, we were a little bit uneasy about the comments we had read about the 'short' battery life. The camera has numerous battery saving features which can be employed when prolonging the life of the batteries is an issue. It isn't that difficult to carry an extra set of batteries just in case. The AC adapter is a must for use during downloading and viewing as a way to perserve battery life. We're just amazed at all of the things this camera can do and how easy it is to use! I'd give it 6 stars if I could!
96 Great for Web images
Although it sometimes feels like we're all still beta testing various digital imaging technologies, including digital cameras, products like the Kodak DC280 make me believe the "dark ages" might be coming to an end.
This is a good mid-range digital camera, perfect for those who want to capture images that will look very good on the Web. The biggest plus of the camera is image quality; this is the best camera in this price range that I tested, with two-megapixel resolution. Having quite a bit of hands-on experience with various Sony cameras, I and my partner were actually stunned by how clear the DC280's images were in a variety of lighting conditions.
There is very little to complain about in terms of interface and usability. I scanned the manual, and then just started using the DC280. The menu system and buttons are quite intuitive. One minor quibble is that one is pretty much forced to use the DC280's viewfinder left-eyed; otherwise the LCD screen smudge factor so common to digital camera will rear its ugly head. However, I use the LCD for the majority of my shooting, so this isn't a huge factor.
The DC280 uses a USB connection to transfer images to your computer. The camera mounts as if it were a hard drive, and one can preview large thumbnails of images before copying them over to your hard drive. While I was able to open the images directly into Photoshop, Fireworks couldn't get into the camera; this may have been a problem with how I have my file associations set up, however.
The camera comes with a number of features and extras. The bundled software, Adobe's PhotoDeluxe and Pagemill, are more than adequate for editing images and creating Web pages. Various simple visual effects and borders can be applied in-camera, and you can run a slide-show right out of the camera using the supplied video cable.
The DC280 includes four rechargeable AA batteries, a recharger, and four AA alkaline batteries. You can get started right out of the box. My camera sucked the alkalines dry after about 50 photos and a couple of downloads; I would suggest buying an extra set of rechargeables to carry around with you, and an AC adaptor.
This is not the perfect camera for all applications. For one thing, there are few manual controls on the camera for focus, aperture or shutter priority, and the optical zoom limited to 2X. This will mean that photo enthusiasts might want to look at something the next step up, such as the wacky-looking Nikon Coolpix 950. As others have reported, low-light shooting is not at the quality that one would hope for from a camera at this level.
All-in-all, the DC280 is an excellent camera for the price, perfect for Web photos.
97 Happy happy joy joy
Within 10 minutes (thanks to the included batteries) I was taking photos. The camera's interface is clear and understandable. I suppose if you're challenged by a disposable camera, you might not get it, but if you are a normal human, you can do this. On the PC side, if you can open a file in Word/Wordperfect, you can get to your photos. With the USB interface, it was more plug-and-play (emphasis on play) that I'd expected. I expected an hour or two to learn the "how to's", but hey, this is easy. I'm a LAN manager and ex-semi pro photographer in college, so I was less than enthusiastic when my wife said we should get one. But now that we have it, I love the instant gratification that the DC 280 has. Yes, the resolution is not as good as film, but unless you're a real pro or have a need for prints larger than 8x10, who cares? I'm filling up my digital photo album so quickly that I'm gonna need a CD burner. Ok, bad stuff: your nose (if you're right eye'd like most) smudges the LCD. If you use it a lot, you'll need more batteries but so do other cameras. Hmm.. that's about it. Last words-I have no hesitation giving this camera a "buy" recommendation. Or in the words of the stock market gurus: "Market outperform".
98 Excellent entry to digital photography!
I bought this camera a month ago. My wife normally will behead anyone she attempts to photograph, but after a week with her family, she came back with a card full of wonderful pictures! She flipped through the manual and took of with it. Setting up the software was a breeze. (Even if you don't buy this one, get one with USB support.) The camera shows up as a device in Explorer, so you can look at the pictures instantly, only downloading the ones you want. The pictures print at 5 x 7 with crisp resolution. We were replacing a well-loved Yashica 35mm that was stolen, and thought a digital would be nice. I researched different models, picking this one based on the CNET reviews and desired features. After a month, I could not be more pleased! The one I bought was advertised on the web with a 20MB flashcard. It arrived with an 8 MB card. I phoned the vendor, they said their website was incorrect, but they sent me the 20 mb card anyway. I do recommend that you purchase a card with more capacity than the 8 MB that is now standard. A PCMCIA flashcard interface is nice if you use a notebook PC that doesn't have a USB port. An AC adapter is vital. I notice that the price is dropping almost daily, so the Bang for the Buck is improving. Based upon my experience, this camera is a definite winner.
99 Great camera!
Price: Getting better - I paid close to $700 Oct `99
Quality: Great! The pictures are unbelievable... and I mean that. If I print a 4"x6" on my HP 952C it is hard to tell the difference from a 35mm camera.
Function: The camera could use a better design but it is still much better than some other ones I have tried. The review screen is perfectly placed where your nose hits it when you are taking a picture so I am constantly cleaning it off.
In high quality mode mine holds about 30 pictures (20meg card). This is plenty for most events/photo ops. After I take 3-5 pictures I go back and review them and delete the ones that I don't like. This way, when you have 30 pictures in your card they are 30 pictures that you like. Much better that taking a whole roll of 35mm pictures and only liking 5 of them once they are developed.
Overall I love the camera (and so do all my friends that try it).
100 280 is a good camera
the camera is pretty good. the only thing i didnt like about it is that the real tim viewing on the lcd screen is real slow and kinda pixly. but hey its not suppose to be a movie camera right. the pics i took are very good. i almost wish that they were so crisp. it looks so much like real life in the pics it doesent even look like a pic. witch i guess i good. overall i think this camera is pretty desent. for the price on it now you cant go wrong. oh lordy though do you need memory. ... anyway this camera was great and i really like that it comes with rechargable batteries and a charger. it is even easier to get picturs of of it than a...100 doller camera i had before.
