I bought the Kodak EasyShare CX7530 after researching several 4-5 Megapixel models and decided on this one because I came across a deal to get the $80 camera dock for free. I had been leaning towards getting this camera anyway, but the free dock just sealed the deal for me and my wife.

It's hard to be more pleased with this camera. Though it has a few flaws, overall it's rock-solid and a great value in its price range, whether you get the optional camera dock or not.

Resolution
5.0 megapixel - 2560x1920 = HUGE high resolution images that can be made into 20" x 30" prints with no loss in picture quality! WOW!

Zoom
3x Optical Zoom is sufficient for framing pictures. I do not recommend using the 5x Digital Zoom except for pictures that are only going to be made into 4x6 or 5x7 prints, since pixilation is very evident, which is common with Digital Zoom features on all cameras.

LCD Display
This camera sports a BRIGHT 1.8" LCD display which can be seen on sunny days, which is awesome because with this camera there is no cupping your hands around the screen and squinting, trying to see what's on it.

Memory
This camera does not come with a memory card, but does have 32MB of internal memory, which is quite a bit compared to other cameras. What it means is that you can use this camera from the moment you get it, whether you have a memory card or not. 32MB is enough for 17-18 of the highest resolution pictures this camera takes, which is incredible. If you only take a few pictures at a time before you load them onto your computer, you can conceivably not need a memory card with this camera, saving you $40-$100.

I purchased a 256MB Secure Digital (SD) Media card with my camera. I've never come close to filling it, since it can hold a whopping 160+ high-resolution images... that's almost 7 rolls of 24-exposure film!

Movies
This records to the Apple QuickTime .MOV format in an incredible 640x480 pixels, with audio. I was surprised at how much the microphone picks up... it's not pro-quality, but it's sufficient for "home videos," if you follow my meaning.

Other Features
- On-Camera Favorites - This is a feature that let's you keep a selection of compressed pictures on your camera at all times to be able to show them off to people. Sort of a modern-day wallet photo collection you whip out to show off the grandkids or something. I don't use this feature because you need to use the Kodak Easyshare software, which I think is terrible (more on that later).

- Auto Picture Rotation - Nifty time-saver that detects what angle you take a picture at and rotates the picture on the LCD screen so you don't have to rotate the camera to see the picture correctly. Minor feature, but a noticeable improvement if you've used another camera without it.

- Pre-Set Scene Modes - Auto, portrait, landscape, night, close-up, sport and movie scene modes. Each does there job and does it fairly well. I've only had problems with close-up, because the camera has a very hard time focusing on close-up objects, even in this mode.

- Exposure Metering - This is a great feature you can use on-the-fly to adjust how much light let into the CCD. With it you can darken very bright scenes or lighten very dark scenes. Indoors, I find myself using this a LOT because it is easier to darken an image later on a computer than it is to lighten it.

My Complaints
THE SOFTWARE IS TERRIBLE. The included Kodak EasyShare software is the most unintuitive, user-UNfriendly picture software I have EVER used, and I've used a lot. For most users, on-camera features it offers to not outweigh how terrible it is to use. Don't be fooled by the documentation though, you do not have to use it.

I deleted it completely from my computer and switched to Google's Picasa 2, which is a great FREE program that let's you upload your images to 5 different online picture services, email your images, print them, turn them into wallpaper, websites, upload them to blogs and so much more.

Kodak's software is cumbersome, hard to navigate and, for me, would randomly stop working unless I rebooted my computer.

Conclusion
The Kodak EasyShare CX7530 is an incredible camera for under $300. The pictures it produces are vibrant and beautiful. Using the camera is a breeze and it's incredible fast, which means you're not standing around waiting for the camera to take your next picture.

Kodak, the leader in picture technology, has once again delivered a great product, at a great price.


Recommended?
Yes

 

 

 

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