Kodak EasyShare M753 Digital Camera
- Digital Zoom: 5x
- Camera Type: Compact
- Weight: 0.25 lb.
- LCD Screen Size: 2.5 in.
- Resolution: 7.4 Megapixel
- Optical Zoom: 3x
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Kodak Easyshare M753; a true bargain
Pros
Small, inexpensive, great features, fast.
Cons
Sluggish display, might be too small for the heavy-handed
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Not fool proof, but easy enough for a fool to use, this camera gives the basics and more for a rock-bottom price.
I was leery about a digital camera that was sold in a blister pack, but the promise of simple function at a low price hooked me. After some quick comparison shopping I picked up the M753 at an electronics box store for $99.
The M753 has 16MB of internal memory... enough for perhaps a dozen pictures at medium resolution, but there's an SD card expansion slot in the battery compartment. I dropped in a 1 gig card, the included Lithium Ion batteries, and started snapping.
Also included with the camera are computer software (not needed if you run WinXP, OS X, or higher), a USB cable that doubles as a charger for the batteries, a wrist strap (much needed, as this is a small and sleek unit), and a multi-language manual that I still have not looked at! The camera prompts you to set the language, date, and time upon initial startup.
The menu and interface is very intuitive; as I mentioned, I have yet to look at the owners manual. There are only 4 settings for picture taking, with about a dozen sub-settings, and one for video. Video length is limited only by memory capacity, a nice feature that some cameras do not tout. The video format can be switched to MPEG-4 at 15 fps, and is pretty decent, but it lacks audio playback on the camera.
The 2.5" color LCD display is pretty clear, but washed out a bit in bright sunlight. I also found that the refresh rate is a bit slow, making video playback appear jumpy. This is about the only thing I found annoying with this camera.
Taking pictures is as simple as pointing and shooting. The capture rate is very fast, much faster than my 3-year old Canon that cost 4 times as much. According to Kodak, the initial capture is under .4 seconds and shots can be made less than 1.5 seconds apart. I am comfortable saying that the actual speeds are about half that. Anyone who has owned an early digital camera will understand the importance of fast capture rates. While these are not blazing, they're pretty hard to beat for the money. Picture size can be set for 8 sizes and 2 formats, ranging from 1.2 to 7.0 MP. There is a 3x optical zoom lens with up to 5x digital. Electronic stabilization is offered for unsteadiness and close-ups. I did notice some glare refraction while shooting into sunlight, an indication that the optics are not state-of-the-art, but I was not expecting much more. I solved the problem by shielding the lens with one hand.
This camera lacks some of the bells and whistles that are becoming more common. Sound choices are not provided. There is no provision for setting picture review time. The zoom and wide control is not nearly as intuitive as the rest of the camera and feels cheap compared to the rest of the hardware.
Pulling pictures from the M753 was as simple as plugging the USB cable into my Compaq desktop computer running WinXP and letting the camera wizard go to work. The camera was immediately recognized and I had no problems with formatting or speed.
Overall, this camera is an excellent buy and challenges some of the more expensive offerings. While it may not be up to the task for someone shooting a sporting event or looking for high-quality optics, I would highly recommend this camera for the casual user who is looking for an entry level unit without extreme expenditure.
The M753 has 16MB of internal memory... enough for perhaps a dozen pictures at medium resolution, but there's an SD card expansion slot in the battery compartment. I dropped in a 1 gig card, the included Lithium Ion batteries, and started snapping.
Also included with the camera are computer software (not needed if you run WinXP, OS X, or higher), a USB cable that doubles as a charger for the batteries, a wrist strap (much needed, as this is a small and sleek unit), and a multi-language manual that I still have not looked at! The camera prompts you to set the language, date, and time upon initial startup.
The menu and interface is very intuitive; as I mentioned, I have yet to look at the owners manual. There are only 4 settings for picture taking, with about a dozen sub-settings, and one for video. Video length is limited only by memory capacity, a nice feature that some cameras do not tout. The video format can be switched to MPEG-4 at 15 fps, and is pretty decent, but it lacks audio playback on the camera.
The 2.5" color LCD display is pretty clear, but washed out a bit in bright sunlight. I also found that the refresh rate is a bit slow, making video playback appear jumpy. This is about the only thing I found annoying with this camera.
Taking pictures is as simple as pointing and shooting. The capture rate is very fast, much faster than my 3-year old Canon that cost 4 times as much. According to Kodak, the initial capture is under .4 seconds and shots can be made less than 1.5 seconds apart. I am comfortable saying that the actual speeds are about half that. Anyone who has owned an early digital camera will understand the importance of fast capture rates. While these are not blazing, they're pretty hard to beat for the money. Picture size can be set for 8 sizes and 2 formats, ranging from 1.2 to 7.0 MP. There is a 3x optical zoom lens with up to 5x digital. Electronic stabilization is offered for unsteadiness and close-ups. I did notice some glare refraction while shooting into sunlight, an indication that the optics are not state-of-the-art, but I was not expecting much more. I solved the problem by shielding the lens with one hand.
This camera lacks some of the bells and whistles that are becoming more common. Sound choices are not provided. There is no provision for setting picture review time. The zoom and wide control is not nearly as intuitive as the rest of the camera and feels cheap compared to the rest of the hardware.
Pulling pictures from the M753 was as simple as plugging the USB cable into my Compaq desktop computer running WinXP and letting the camera wizard go to work. The camera was immediately recognized and I had no problems with formatting or speed.
Overall, this camera is an excellent buy and challenges some of the more expensive offerings. While it may not be up to the task for someone shooting a sporting event or looking for high-quality optics, I would highly recommend this camera for the casual user who is looking for an entry level unit without extreme expenditure.
