There are better choices.
Written: Jun 20 '02 (Updated Jun 20 '02)
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Pros: nice color, easy, compact, uses CF, AA battery and USB, long exposure
Cons: grainy, not enough zoom, built quality, no manual control and uncompress mode
The Bottom Line: Not recommended because of these limitations: resolution, picture compression,limited manual options. But if you think easy operation and good color are most important, go get it
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| smokingbear's Full Review: Kodak EasyShare DX3900 Zoom Digital Camera |
I bought this camera about a year ago. I had very positive experience with Kodak DC280 and DC290 before. The reason why I purchased this camera is because of (1) Kodak color (2) compact size (3) uses Compact Flash memory and AA rechargable battery and (4) low price.
The color is good comparing with most camera of other brands. But comparing with DC280 and DC290's vivid kodak color, the color of this camera is plain. The resolution of this camera is below average 3MP digitals due to overly aggressive compression (resolution more closer to a 2MP digital camera) and no uncompressed mode is provided(tiff or raw) to avoid this problem. Many photos taken also come with lots of background noise which makes them grainy. The size of this camera and weight are very good for portable use, and the LCD menu is extremely easy to operate. (a big plus although the 1.5 '' LCD is too small and it doesn't see well under sunny days). However, this camera feels very fragile. The hatch of the battery door and compact flash memory door raise concerns for built quality.
The camera is mainly a point n shoot camera but it does provide some user control such as white compensation and iso selection. The best part is that you can choose slower shutter speed (up to 16 sec) to take night photos. However the choice is limited (shutter speed only from 1/2 sec to 16 sec are selectable) It will be great if Kodak could add more user control (aperture priority and broader shutter priority) to this camera.
This camera operates very fast (almost no dealy between shots) and the zoom lens is extremely quiet. But it only provides 2X optical zoom which is a big NO. 3X is more useful than a 2X concerning zoom. Many people mention that the optional dock is very important because it charges NIMH batteries and makes picture transfer much easier. Becuase I already have a universal flash card reader and a 1 hour rovyac NIMH charger there is no need for me to get the dock.
You can get the Kodak accessory lens kit for this camera from kodak for around $90. It includes a 37MM thread wide angle lens, a telephoto lens and 2 macro lens. But you need to purchase a lens adaptor ($20) to use the lens kit. BTW, the telephoto lens has compatibility problem with this camera because you will see the lens in your optical view finder.
Kodak cut corners here and there (build quality, uncompressed mode, manual control are sacrificed) to present a cheap and easy operate camera series (the dx series) for its customers. Kodak DC4800 is the last high end consumer level camera it manufactures. (The DCS series are well over $5000 and they are for professionals only) Now Kodak uses price advantage to pursue the low end market with its DX3900 and DX4900s. I don't know whether this is a smart move.
Based on my personal experience, I think there are better choices out there, such as the Fuji 2600Z and maybe also the Canon Powershot A40. I still prefer kodak color. But I would not hesitate to choose a different camera which provides better quality pictures and more manual options with a similar price tag.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 349
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Epinions.com ID:
smokingbear
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Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 2 members
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