why I dislike it...
Written: Sep 12 '00 (Updated Sep 26 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: ok at snapshots
Cons: underexposes without flash, battery life, price, no AC adaptor!
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| Dearmad's Full Review: Kodak DC290 Zoom Digital Camera |
My disclaimer(s): I use it mostly for photos destined to go onto the web, but I have been both a magazine staff photographer and freelanced, and so I took it out for a free ranging spin with my snobbish opinion firmly in tow.
My wait is far from over:
For an affordable digital, let alone and "SLR". Ever since I first realized DC's were not only possibly but would inevitably replace film cameras for most every application I've been chomping at the bit for the technology to mature. It ain't ready yet.
How it works:
The focus time on the thing is atrocious, in fact everything about the camera is *sluggish*, and if not, then completely unresponsive- I find myself pressing buttons twice before I can access features, double checking the ready-state before I take a photo (this alone is enough to send a camera back for me).
The manual focus and "aperture" are near-completely useless and set in such a way that it takes about 7 button presses to get to the features. Any moving subject is gone, any outdoor lighting situation not near noon has changed, and any patience you had is lost.
The Snapshot:
It takes these alright. Not bad actually. But I'm sorry, only a moron would spend the $$ this camera costs to take snapshots... well, ok, maybe not only a moron, but maybe someone with much more $$ than I have, and thus I envy you the opportunity to throw your money away and thus I call you a moron, BUT- getting back to the camera...
The only two physical problems linked to OK snapshot ability is the cameras sluggishness to respond, so people are left with really cheesy and stale grins wondering when the hell- POOF- oh, ok, there went the shot, and the batteries. If you take snapshots, you probaby always use a flash, you probably better keep the unit plugged in... I've had as low as 30 exposures before I'm getting blinked at and things are shutting off, which brings me to a really petty pissy point:
THE AC ADAPTER AIN'T INCLUDED IN THIS >$500 ITEM!! Hello???
Smoke, but no flames...
The display on the back which allows you to make adjustments to exposure and to see your framed shot will overheat the unit if left on. This pisses me off- I want to use what I want to use WHEN I want to use it...
What does this light do?
The camera has loads of sensors on the front and so many blinking lights that if you turn this thing on during a no-flash performance to take shots (say a ballet, or play), you're gonna blind someone. I managed to successfully take some decent shots of a ballet by covering over the lights and a few sensors (the one near the little window is the only one that seems to really matter- weird).
And how about the web shots I *do* take with it?
Unless you have a full external lighting set-up, it underexposes without fail, and evenpost gamma-adjustment is not enough to save the shot. Easy solution- you CAN do manual exposure by holding your finger over the light sensor by the little window. Watch the display light up, take the shot.
Oh, one last thing:
The software it shipped with was defective for me and required an update from Kodak's website. It could not upload ANY shots until I did this.
I can't recommend this creature for more than fun snapshots destined for electronic use, or when you need to make a color-print VERY fast and can't wait for chemical development times.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Dearmad
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Location: Portland, OR
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 6 members
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