Kodak Digital Cameras- Any Good? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Potts]

Hey all,

My girlfriend and I are seriously considering the purchase of a Kodak DX3700 digital camera. I don't know too much about them as far as quality goes, so I would welcome any thoughts you all might have.

Thanks

 

[PatrickM]

I just bought a DX3900 with the docking station and I think its quite good. I just had some photos printed (4x6) and its indistinguishable from pictures I've taken using my SLR in terms of grain. Picture quality is still better on my SLR but that's attributable to the lenses more than anything else and its unfair to compare a SLR to a point and shoot.
The 3.1MP resolution is about the lowest I'd go. 2.1MP isn't bad but the 3.1MP is noticably different.
For a more in depth review try www.steves-digicams.com .
Patrick

 

[Richard_T]

We've had our Kodak DC-3400 camera about 6 months and I quite like it. The pictures are colourful and very clear for me. The menu is very easy to navigate and it's pretty light and easy to carry. Pictures look great on high resolution and look fantastic on the web. The ability to hook it up straight to your TV for viewing is another great plus for me. The only gripe I have is I wish it had a longer zoom. That's about it I guess. I think you'd be happy with one.

 

[Jeff_P]

Kevin,

I also just bought a DX3900 and have to say I am quite happy with it. Its easy enough for my wife to use. The pictures I have been printing from home are good but noticebly diffrent that normal developed pictures.

I also just tried ofoto.com this week and must say I am happy with their service. If you break it down $ wise, it would be exspensive to get all your pictures developed this way. It cost .49 cents for a 4x6. So a roll of 24 would cost $12.00. But just think that you are only getting the pictures you like. Where with getting film developed, you never know how the picture comes out until after you pay for it. Also, the first 15 are free. They also give you some cool options to add borders to pictures or makes cards.

Its free to sign up so you can't lose much. I will use them again for sure.

 

[WoodyH]

Kevin -
I've got a Kodak DX 3500 and I think it's great. I haven't done any printing of my pictures yet, but at least for online use, the quality is beautiful. If you want a quick idea, I've got a few photos that I took at this years Bumbershoot music festival in Seattle spread over two posts on my weblog here - part one and part two. All of those photos are at the camera's lower quality setting, the higher quality setting gets much higher resolution, and probably works wonderfully if I ever do want to print.

 

[Kevin Potts]

Thanks for the feedback fellas.

After doing a little research, we decided to go with the DX3900 instead of the 3700. It seems that there have been numerous problems with the batteries on the 3700, and I figured I might as well spend the extra hundred and go with the better of the two. I found one on Ebay with the docking station and the full Kodak warranty for $393. Not too bad of a deal I'd say.

 

[Bill Balcziak]

I found one on Ebay with the docking station and the full Kodak warranty for $393...

EBay purchases and warranties are generally mutually exclusive.

Lots of EBay sellers automatically tout items as being "under warranty" or "includes full warranty" but even a small amount of due diligence on the buyer's part will turn up the grim fact that the manufacturer is under no obligation to warrant an item unless it is purchased from an authorized dealer. (Frankly, I can't blame the manufacturers for that.)

I would guess that fewer than 1 in 1000 EBay sellers are in any way authorized by the manufacturer to sell a specific product. Even many so-called "dealers" are nothing more than a guy selling out of his basement--and if you believe his pitch without checking his credentials, then you are probably going to be disappointed.

Please use extreme caution when buying something from an EBay seller (and I say this having sold lots of things at EBay with good results). More often than not that warranty is implied and not actual. If you have a problem with a product, you are more than likely SOL.

 

[Kevin Potts]

the grim fact that the manufacturer is under no obligation to warrant an item unless it is purchased from an authorized dealer.

Bill,
Thanks for the heads up, but I look at it this way. If I purchase a product that is brand new, sealed in a box with the warranty registration card, then by God the manufacturer better fix it if it breaks. They're the ones who made it and if they made a defective one, than that's on their hands and nobody elses. It shouldn't matter who sold the thing to me as long as it hasn't been remanufactured or repaired in some way and then sold as new. I realize that a digital camera is a delicate piece of electronic gear and is prone to glitches, but chances are that if it breaks, it's probably going to happen as soon as the warranty has expired. You have to wonder if the manufacturers design their stuff to do this on purpose.
I did check out the seller before I purchased from them and they had a very good rating from others who have bought from them in the past. The only complaints they had (which were very few) were on the communication end of things.
Let's just hope that all turns out well.

 

[Erik_C]

Hey there. I had a Kodak DC280 digital camera for awhile. If you don't know any better, it's fine. But I will never buy another Kodak digital camera. Their jpeg algorithm is messed up. Flat surfaces look blocky, even with minimal compression. You can't avoid it, and it's there on every single Kodak digital camera I've ever used or seen pictures from. It gets very, very annoying. I bought a Nikon Coolpix 950, which has the same megapixel resolution as the Kodak 280, and have been taking gorgeous pictures ever since. There is not one thing the Nikon Coolpix line trails in compared to the Kodaks. For the money you're talking about, pick up the Nikon Coolpix 775. it's much better than the comparable Kodak.

-Erik

 

[WoodyH]

Erik -

...I will never buy another Kodak digital camera. Their jpeg algorithm is messed up. Flat surfaces look blocky, even with minimal compression. You can't avoid it, and it's there on every single Kodak digital camera I've ever used or seen pictures from.

Without discounting your past experiences, this is something I've yet to see while using my 3500 - perhaps Kodak was able to improve things in their newer generations of cameras? If you'd like to take a look at some sample pics, there are links in my previous post to some pages with pics from my camera on them, and I can't see any of the 'blocky' look you're describing.

 

[PatrickM]

I agree with Woody. The new DX line, of which I own the 3900, does not exhibit this issues you speak of. I have compared my shots with my brothers CoolPix 950 and the picture quality is identical. I have printed out many digital photos and they compare very well to my SLR in terms of grain and resolution. They still can't beat the SLR in terms of focus, etc. but its not a fair comparison to compare a point and shoot to a SLR.

Patrick

 

[Erik_C]

Hey guys:
Don't get me wrong. There's alot to like in Kodak digital cameras. Their color is as good as anything out there. But for me, being the picky guy I am, the jpeg noise was too much. It's been noted in reviews, too. See http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/kodakdc280/page8.asp
for the best example I've found.
And I did look at your pictures, and the noise is there. It's kinda like SVM: once you know what to look for, you can't not see it when it's there.
Best,
-Erik

 

[WoodyH]

...I did look at your pictures, and the noise is there. It's kinda like SVM: once you know what to look for, you can't not see it when it's there.

Hmmm...well, okies, I'll just take your word on it and revel in the fact that since I don't know what to look for, my pics look fine to me! Why mess with a good thing, right?
In any case, good luck to Kevin on his purchase!

 

[Stephen L]

Kevin , the 3700 has no optical zoom. Don't buy a digi cam without that feature ,digital zoom alone isn't any good.

 

[Stephen L]

Oops just noticed you already purchased the camera.:b Nevermind the previous post & goodluck.

 

[Andrea W]

One of the best things I like about my Kodak DC290, is it's support for the Digita OS. I have Doom loaded on my camera (just because I can):
Link Removed Link Removed
For those of you who don't know about Digita, it's an operating system designed specifically for Imaging based devices which allows users to write (and/or download) scripts which enhance the functionality of their device.
BTW, there is also a MAME emulator for Digita (you know, those old arcade games). Click Link Removed to see Donkey Kong loaded on a DC260.
I'm also fairly happy with my DC290 overall. After talking about 75 Santa pictures at my daughter's preschool, I started having trouble with the flash (it wouldn't go off). After I powered down the camera for a few minutes, it was okay again. But still kind of annoying. So I bought an external flash, which made a world of difference. I also should mention that I have a 256 meg compact flash card and always take pictures in best mode.
I've owned a Kodak DC260 and currently a DC290. All in all I'm happy with Kodak digital cameras. If I were in the market today, though, I would take a serious look at the Canon PowerShot G2.

 

[Eve T]

I have a Kodak dx3500 I've not had it for long but I've been quite happy with it's quality thus far.

Eve