The Kodak DX4900 builds on the success of the EasyShare range, bringing 4.0 megapixels and a whisper-quiet 2x optical zoom lens to this easy-to-use and extremely affordable package, which includes the handy Kodak travel kit for DX EasyShare series cameras.
The travel kit contains carrying case, battery pack, and charger. The padded carrying case has been custom designed to protect your camera and provide you with ample storage for accessories. The battery pack features two AA NiMH rechargeable batteries. The convenient battery charger can charge these batteries in three hours or less. It also comes complete with U.K., European, and Australian plugs.
The DX4900 is essentially an update to the successful 3-megapixel DX3900, with a new 4-megapixel CCD capable of producing good poster-size prints. Indeed, the camera was named best point-and-shoot digital camera in its price range at the 2002 Photo Marketing Association Awards, based on color accuracy and image and print quality. This is important, because the EasyShare range of digital cameras, while not among the prettiest available, perform extremely well against the competition and at the same time offer extraordinary ease of use.
The DX4900 is, in fact, as easy to use as a compact film camera. Picture taking is as simple as loading the CompactFlash card and the battery and setting the date and time. From there, the camera operates in auto mode and takes pictures with excellent color balance in most situations.
Should the need arise, the camera can be set to override the ISO settings from 100 to 400, shutter speeds from 0.7 to 16 seconds, sharpness, metering, resolution from 1 to 4 megapixels, color settings, white balance, and exposure compensation from -2 to +2 in 0.5 EV steps. Despite the ability to set these, we feel that this camera performs such a good job of image capture in the auto mode that you will rarely have to alter these settings.
Another new feature on the DX4900 is the "advanced digital zoom," which claims improved performance, reducing pixilation. Limited testing showed that the combination of real-time interpolation combined with modest image sharpening does improve the appearance of pictures taken using the digital zoom.
The software supplied with the DX4900 includes USB connection software, album creation software, image transfer software, and Kodak picture software. The transfer software runs in the background and starts up whenever the camera is detected and then guides you through transferring your images. Once an image is transferred, you are passed over to the picture software, which allows you to view your images and apply simple image enhancements, e-mail them, and organize images in an album. --Nick Baxter
Pros:
- Affordable, easy-to-use point-and-shoot 4-megapixel camera
- Auto mode very satisfactory, but can override with good range of manual controls
- Named best point-and-shoot digital camera in its price range at the 2002 Photo Marketing Association Awards--and we agree
- Includes Kodak travel kit
Cons:
- Maybe not the best-looking camera around--but it gets the job done
- Would be nice to have more of an optical zoom
1 Simple to Use Even A Child Could Figure Out How
I am not a professional photographer and never will be. My life is very active and I needed a camera that is simple to use. If you are looking for a camera that will take beautiful pictures and not have to read the whole manual before to do it, this is the camera for you! The menu is very easy to use and it is a great point and shoot camera if you don't want to mess with changing everything. This camera has been used sometimes daily because I also list on Ebay. The 4.0 megapixels really give it that extra boost in quality pic taking. I also have the Kodak DC3400 and this was an upgrade. Both cameras are great!
2 Good Solid Camera
This is a good solid camera. I dropped it on the gravel (with the lens open) right off the bat, but other than a small ding and some scratches, the camera still works great! The picture quality is excellent and it's easy to use. The one button dock is super easy to use and charges the batteries at the same time. The only reason I am not giving it a 5 star rating is because few of the pictures taken at school functions have not turned out well at all - those pictures are dark and fuzzy. I think it has something to do with the red-eye setting on the flash, since that's the only time we have used that funtion and all other times the pictures are generally very high quality - some are incredible. We bought a 128MB memory card at the same time, which is definately the way to go - we have only filled it up once and had to use the 8mb card that came with it for additional pictures.
3 Nice Camera,affordable price...charger problems..
Great camera when it comes to photos or price but the international charger does not work up to expectation. It like a conventional charger does not completely charge the battery, rather it switches off just after 10 minutes or so and you gotta manually start it up again (for another 10 minutes...) . The manual mentions that slowly this 10 min thing will increase....but what the hell!!
The transfer software does not work when you have anything less than 90% charged battery... so either carry loads of DuraCells or be patient and do the 10 minute drill....
(Though i didn't mind getting the travel case along with the camera at this price !)
OVerall Satisfactory
4 Use Your Money Wisely on Accessories
The DX4900 is a fun digital camera that is especially great for people new to digital photography. I have had the camera for six months and have used it under many conditions, using nearly all of its features. I really like this camera.
I can understand why people enjoy the docking station, with its simple one-button transfer of images to the PC. However, I think the docking station is a pricey addition when your money could be better spent on a rapid battery charger, a backup battery and additional memory.
This is how I handle the transfer of images from camera to PC: I leave a USB cable permanently plugged into a 4-port USB hub (~$ online) attached to the PC. When I am ready to download my pictures, I plug the USB cable into my camera and turn on the power. The images are automatically downloaded to the PC using the Kodak Transfer Software. Why spend an extra $ for the docking station when it is this simple without it?
Battery/Power: I have had absolutely wonderful results with my Ni-MH battery and the Kodak Rapid Charger. My battery lasts a lot longer than I ever expected and only takes four hours to recharge.
Durability: I have used the DX4900 in freezing, wet and snowy weather conditions. I have also used it at high altitudes up to 10,000 feet and have had no performance issues. I'm pretty rough on the camera too, having dropped it a couple of times, but still it works great!
My biggest complaint about this camera is that it takes so long to take high quality pictures in rapid succession. This is a known problem with the buffer overrun that has to be cleared after every couple of shots. The wait between shots can be annoying and I'm not sure if this occurs with other cameras in this class. You can temporarily override the slowness by setting the camera's image quality to "1.0MP Burst", which will allow you to shoot 12 immediate shots in a row while holding down the photo button. Unfortunately, this will sacrifice image quality.
I get some really great results using this camera and would like to see more reviews on the accessory lenses to know if they can add more to the camera's capabilities.
5 Easy Share is Easy to use
I got this camera for my husband for Christmas. It is great. The camera is easy to use, and with the camera dock, you just push a button and the pictures are loaded onto your computer. It takes excellent pictures and you can edit out whatever you don't like.
6 Windows XP Problem
I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.
It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?
7 Windows XP Problem
I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.
It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?
8 Windows XP Problem
I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.
It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?
9 Graduating into Digital
I took my first leap into Digital photography and am extremely happy with the DX4900. The camera arrived as we were leaving for Europe, so naturally went along. I purchaed a 256MB card for it and found I can get in excess of 600 photos on it (at the lower resolution setting). On the highest resolution, I get 260. Quite a roll of film. The photos are first class, just like film. The camera is easy to use, and has a multitude of great features. Only thing I would like is a higher optical zoom (2X + a 3X digital). Took many pictures inside dark builings without flash which came out unbelievable well. This 4.0 Megapixel gem may not have ALL the bells and whistles, but it sure has more than enough to keep me happy. As a sidenote, I was surprised to see that the camera was engineered in Japan and built in China. Doesn't Kokak design and build anything anymore????
10 This is a great camera!
This is a great camera. It is small and easy to use. It takes great pics in daylight and even at night. Even though there is only 2x optical zoom, the digital zoom is actually very good on this camera. It doesnt take much quality from the picture.
The menus on the camera are very easy to use. It is also very easy to upload the pictures onto your computer. I did not get the camera with the Camera Dock and I have no problems uploading into my computer. Just a quick plug into the back of the computer and they are uploading right away. I recommend buying the camera in the value pack because you get rechargeable batters and a charger, not to mention the case to keep your camera safe. Take my word though, you do not need to spend the money on the camera dock if you can buy this value pack with the rechargeable batteries and the recharger. I do recommend you buy a larger memory card with the camera. With all of the deals amazon had i was able to get a 128mb Viking Memory card for only three dollars, but that was before Christmas so they had many sales. The 128mb memory card holds 91 pictures at top quality.
Overall this is a great camera. Whether you are a beginner or an expert you should purchase this camera. I guarantee you wil love it.
11 Easy to learn to use and takes awesome photos at high qualit
If this is your first digital camera, or if your upgrading from a smaller version such as a 2 or 3 megapixel camera you've found the perfect camera. This little guy is great! It is easy to use and the menus are straight forward and easy to learn. The menus on the screen are easy to read and there are a lot of customizable stuff that makes this camera easy to use. Best of all the quality of the images are fabulous. We make 8x10's on our ink jet printer all the time and they are beautiful! You'll be happy with all aspects of this camera.
12 Great
This takes excellent pictures and is very, very easy to use.
13 Digital Camera's Old Story Remain....
I have bought the Kodak DX4900 last week. Here are my PROs and CONs:
PROs: The picture quality is excellent and rock!. The camera's firmware and software interface are great. It is really high tech speaking for its electronic and servo/mechanical systems. The Kodak software (download the latest!) is very friendly and does the job. The photos can also be accessed via a DRIVE LETTER in MS Windows..just like another hard-drive or so.. then remove it without having to un-mount the device.. just unplug the USB cable (no docking station yet for me).. The camera's weight is ok.. The travel kit is nice to have..
CONs: The speed (next shot) problem remain though with digital cameras regardless (I'm using a 256MB Compact Flash). You will have to wait for more than 5 secs in 4MP mode to get the next shot. 2.2MP mode is still slow. It seems that the camera to memory interface is the problem regardless of the brand/make.. I have 2 digital cameras and they are the same..
Overall, this is a great toy for getting excellent photos.. just do not expect to capture many shots of a super sonic UFO.. You get one shot... or maybe two..
14 Good and Easy....
It has been my experince that if something is not fairly easy to use it's a pain to put up with. This camera is NOT a pain, it's a pleasure to use. Simplicity was what Kodak wanted in the DX4900 and that is exactly what you get when you use it, no headaches AT ALL. Easy to understand manual, no big techy jargon, just down to earth explanations of how to use the camera. The Flash Card (expandable memory thingy)has a ejector to facilitate removal when needed(I really like that). I have several of the memory cards and re-chargeable AA batteries from the camera before I bought this one, which is one of many reasons I bought this camera. There are several GOOD reason to buy this camera, like all of the settings can be done manually, or, if you're like me, you can set the shutter speed, make the avalible light adjustments and focus automaticlly if you want to, the camera does ALL of the technical thinking and the pictures come out perfect. For the resolution vs. dollar dilemma this was THE best value in my opnion. I highly recommend this to anyone who is not a Professional Photographer but wants to take a high quality picture. It's the best bang for your buck....for sure!!!
15 Kodak Easy Share Camera--a novice's experience
We are an older (60+) couple who received a Kodak Easy Share for Christmas. We had no prior experience with digital cameras. We needed a little help from the kids to load the software and get the camera up and running (and still can't manage to load pictures for the docking station), but we have been delighted with the quality of the pictures and the ease of operation. We taught outselves to edit photos in less than 1/2 hour. Generally, we are very happy with the product.
16 Best 4MP Camera for price
I bought this camera 3 weeks ago from Amazon (new) with the travel kit. Initially I was looking for a good 3 MP camera but when I looked at this one with great price tag, I couldn't resist. I must say I am impressed with various features it offers for the price. Ok, if you compare with other higher priced 4 MP cameras, it may not offer some of the advanced features but ask yourself if you are ever going to use those features. Todate I have taken more than 100 pictures, with various settings & I must say they are amazing. Camera is easy to operate & LCD, although relatively small, is very clear. Also, I still have not changed batteries even after using LCD screen for most of my pictures, so I don't understand the fuss about digital cameras eating too much battery. I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for camera with more megapixels for less price and easy to operate.
17 GOOD ONE!
LOVE this camera- no problems with the software- although I have Windows 98... easy to use, fun and great photos!!!
18 Great Christmas Gift!
Received this as an early Christmas gift and it has surpassed my expectations.
19 Simply the BEST!
Wow, simply the best digital camera in it's class!
20 High megapixel, but economical
I just got this camera, and so far love it. I moved up from a 1.5 MP camera that I bought just over a year ago for about the same price. If you are new to digital photography, my one recommendation is it is worth spending a little more to get higher quality output (i.e more MP or megapixels). This camera meets that recommendation and is easy to use. Great photos and nice software to edit them if or when needed.
21 Good pictures ...Lousy batteries and Amazon return policy
I am very disappointed with this camera's battery system. I have now been through Two easy share docks and two NiCad batteries and still cannot get a prolonged recharge on the batteries. Yes I followed the recommended full charge/discharge/recharge sequence in the beginning and still get a low battery signal when the dock says that it is fully charged. Apparently the battery itself is charged but the camera,for some reason, doesn't recognise this. (I took the battery to a camera shop and they tested the charge on the batteries.) Sometimes if I turn the camera off and then on after a few minutes, it will be OK. The unreliability is about to get me to give up and get another. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't take returns after 30 days ....
22 Not happy with Kodak
I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.
It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?
23 Unhappy with Kodak
I have a different model Kodak camera, however they all use the same EasyShare software. Running Windows XP, I could not get the software to work properly. After several hours on the phone with Kodak tech support, they couldn't get it working either. They said they are aware of the problem. It is now several weeks later and they still don't have a fix. They don't really seem to care either.
It might not be a bad idea to consider other brands, instead of Kodak. Since, if the software won't work properly, then what good is the camera?
24 you can get better for the price
i have used the kodak for about 1.5 years. in terms of ease of use this camera tops all others, but unfortunately, in terms of picture quality, it falls far short of all 4mp types and some 3mp types. I have taken pix professionally and have used film-type as well as digital type camers for over 25 years. No digital camera made today can equal a moderately priced film camera, but the convenience cannot be beat. The kodak's all appear to come with plastic lenses, instead of precision-ground glass, and this handicap seriously inhibits the quality of the photo. Consumer Reports also mentioned the same thing about this model and noted that many 3mp cameras exceed the photo quality of the kodak.
pix taken with an olympus 3mp far exceed the kodak in quality on my system.
the camera has been to the shop once and the kodak service staff have been extremely helpful, with a turnaround of 6 days -- not too shabby in my opinion.
also, the camera is virtually idiot-proof for ease of photos, with all settings readily available. downloading the images to computer is a snap via USB; ...
for casual snaps and for places where weight is a concern, the camera is recommended -- with a carry case. these things are incredibly fragile. buy an extended warranty anywhere it is offered.
for the same cost, though, you would be better off buying an olympus or a canon. ... for the lens is what makes the picture -- sony and hp just do not have the lens-making experience to make a good product.
25 Best Value for a 4.0 Megapixel Camera
I dare you to try to find another fantastic 4.0 Megapixel digital camera at this price! I am in love with my Kodak dx4900! I purchased this camera when I found a price that was too phenomenal to pass up. I am so pleased with the performance of this camera, ease of use and the function range available.
First, let me address the ease of use. After switching on the on/off button you have 3 modes to select from via a dial setting: picture review mode (allowing you to view all pictures currently stored on your compact flash card), capture/picture taking mode and setup mode. All modes allow you to choose many available options (I will address these later), if you choose to do so, by selecting from menus. However, fabulous results can be obtained without selecting from various options this camera has to offer, allowing the user to snap a picture quickly. Next, you can utilize the two zoom buttons to get up to 2 times closer to your subject (by using the telephoto option in the picture taking mode, you may use the digital mode to get up to 3 times closer to your subject). After your options are selected you are ready to snap a picture which is immediately viewable on the lcd screen. You are then given the option to delete your picture if you are not satisfied. The picture is automatically stored on the flash card if you do not chose to delete. Many other digital cameras on the market are not novice friendly and require several settings before you are ready to snap your favorite subject.
Within the Capture Mode, the following menu options are available: light exposure compensation (controling the amount of light allowed into the camera), white balance (correcting the amount of white desired in the picture in different light settings), color mode (controlling color tones), quality (picture resolution), exposure metering (the amount of light entering the lens) ,sharpness (highlight or blend of the edges of the subject), ISO speed (camera's sensitivity to light), shutter speed and date and time stamp. In the capture mode, a menu button is pressed to pull up the menu for these options and the user uses an up and down arrow to scroll through the options and choose the settings.
Within the Review Mode, the following menu options are available: magnify(zoom in on portions of the picture for viewing purposes), delete picture, protect (preventing special pictures from being deleted), slide show (displaying all pictures on the flash card in a slide show fashion), print order (used with a Kodak Personal Picture Maker printer) and picture information (displaying the date each picture was taken). In the review mode also, a menu button is pressed to pull up the menu for these options and the user uses an up and down arrow to scroll through the options and choose the settings.
Within the Setup Mode, the following menu options are available: power save (allowing you to chose your balance of battery performance with camera performance), digital zoom (telephoto option), camera sounds (various camera function "beeps"), date/time set, video out(chosing the video out standard available in your area), language, format card (used to erase or format a corrupted compact flash card), reset user settings (reset to factory defaults) and about this camera (displaying name and model of your camera). Again, a menu button is pressed to pull up the menu for these options and the user uses an up and down arrow to scroll through the options and choose the settings.
Software is included with this camera allowing you to upload, view and print your pictures from your Windows or Macintosh based computer. Pictures can be uploaded directly from your camera via an included cord hooked to an available USB port on your computer or a Kodak Easy Share docking station can be purchased allowing the user to both easily upload pictures while also recharging the digital camera batteries simultaneously. The Kodak Easy Share dock also requires a USB port for uploading capabilities.
As previously mentioned, pictures taken by your camera are stored on a compact flash card inserted in the side of the camera. Included with your purchase is a 16 MB card. Additional flash cards can be purchased in various storeage sizes to allow for an unlimited amount of pictures to be taken. This camera requires two AA lithium batteries (included with your purchase are two non-rechargeable). Rechargeable batteries can be purchased allowing you to use both the Kodak Easy Share Camera Dock or a Kodak battery recharger, extending the life of your batteries. Also included with your purchase is a 95 page user's guide that is simple to understand and quite informative. Kodak also offers additional support through a web address, fax customer support number and telephone customer support number.
