Review: Kodak EasyShare DX3900 Zoom Digital Camera

Ian Waugh takes a neophytic view of Kodak's latest mass-market digicam

Product	EasyShare DX3900
Company	Kodak
Web	www.kodak.com
Price	£399.99
We like
We don't like
Rating	9/10
Requirements

Kodak's EasyShare collection of digital cameras is designed to be easy to use - sort of digital cameras for dummies. The DX3900 Zoom is the new top-of-the-range model, and it's certainly very easy to use without giving you a sense of being talked down to.

Easy peasy

It is primarily aimed at the user who doesn't want to fiddle about too much. It's probably as plug 'n' play as you can get but easy-to-use doesn't mean basic and it has many settings and options that the more adventurous user can explore, too.

It looks and feels like a modern compact camera. However, the ability to review the shots you've just taken and remove them from the camera is liberating in the extreme. If you're new to digital photography you'll love it! You can just click away to your heart's content, downloading the images to your computer when the camera gets full.

What a card

Images are stored on Kodak Picture Cards - CompactFlash cards - and you get a 8Mb card to start you off. This will store seven full 3.1 megapixel images although if you use 3.1 MP compression you can get 15 on the card and three other compression settings allow the storage of 10, 13 and 23 images. You will likely want a larger card and they are available in sizes up to 192Mb which can store 194 3.1 MP images or 574 at the lowest resolution.

The camera has a neat lens cover and when you switch it on the cover slides back to let the zoom lens pop out. It's a 6x zoom (2x optical, 3x digital) which you work using a button on the back of the camera with your thumb.

On the top are three buttons for selecting the flash (including a red eye setting), closeup/distant setting, and setting the self timer.

Dial M for Mode

Also on the top is a dial with three mode settings. One is for taking the pictures, the other lets you review the pics in the camera and the third is for adjusting the settings.

The pics appear on the back LCD which is clear and pretty sharp although, like most LCDs it can be difficult to see clearly in bright light.

The default settings are all sensible but you can alter the exposure metering, picture sharpness, ISO speed, shutter speed, white balance, and there's an exposure compensation setting to control how much light is allowed into the camera.

Other settings include various power saving settings, digital zoom behaviour and camera sounds - no, it doesn't say: "Back a bit! Back a bit!".

As well as normal pictures it has an eight-picture burst mode which takes eight pictures at its lowest resolution (1080 x 720) in quick succession. There's a video output so you can view the pictures on your TV and you can run a slide show from the camera (they also appear on the camera's LCD).

Dry dock

One of the neatest things about the DX3900 - and an essential part of the EasyShare philosophy - is the Camera Dock station. This is basically a stand into which you plug the camera. It connects to the computer via USB and to transfer the images to the computer you simply press a button on the stand. The stand also connects to the mains and recharges the camera's batteries while it's plugged in. It doesn't get much easier than this folks!

Operation basically involves pointing, looking through the viewfinder, playing with the zoom and then clicking. There's a very short delay while the camera adjusts its focus and other settings before you take the shot.

Going soft

The main software is Kodak's Picture Software which transfers the images and displays them. You can print them from here, create slideshows and, if you haven't learned how to do attachments yet, send them to people via email. It does warn that sending lots of large images can take a while but it doesn't warn of the wrath of people receiving multi-megabyte images of your nearest and dearest! Be warned neophyte digicam owners...

It also has simple edit and processing functions such as brightness/contrast, enhance, red eye and trim. Fun effects include sepia (this is great), black and white, mosaic and colouring book.

You also get the cute Kodak Memory Albums software which lets you make albums with the images.

But...

Can we niggle? Okay, the 8Mb card is too small (although it doubtless keeps the price down) and you'll find yourself rushing out to buy a 32Mb, 64Mb or - waytogo! - 192Mb card. Maybe the LCD could do with being just a teeny big bigger and there's no carry case (although they are available as an extra) - an essential if you're going outdoors with it.

The software is very easy to use but the edit facilities are poor. You can't, for example, delete or rename images from within the picture software. Digital photos just cry out for a spot of editing and manipulation, and for this you need something rather stronger.

Bottom line

But these won't bother everyone and in any case, this is a very kool Kodak kamera. It's just about as point-and-shoot as you can get yet it takes exceedingly good pictures.

If you want ease-of-use, if you're just getting started with digicams or if you're worried that this digital photography stuff can be complicated - worry no more. With the DX3900 it's not!

Highly recommended. This camera has got to be near the top of your list.

 

 

Ian Waugh