Customer Reviews

Kodak EasyShare CX6330 3.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I've taken indoor and outdoor shots with this camera and blown them up to 12x18 ($2.99 at the local Costco) with astounding results. The few artifacts there are (mostly in the shadows) aren't viewable unless you are within a few inches of the 12x18 print. Of course I only printed the very best shots at this large size, but I haven't seen any artifacts in any of the shots I've taken (~1000) that would be visible on an 8x10 print from a distance of more than 3 inches. Also, the artifacts themselves are quite interesting. They aren't the square blocks or jaggies you expect in JPEGs, but rather the kind of blobs that you get when you look at a grainy part of a 35mm print under magnification. Anyway they seem to blend in and enhance the picture instead of weaken it. For instance my cat has extremely fine fur that is gray with a very very small white tip in places, giving the cat a grizzled appearance. These tips show up in the pics making the image look razor sharp. A similar thing happens with the "peach fuzz" on my kids faces. These details don't show up in any of my 35mm point-and-shoot photos.

Battery life is very good. I've never ran the 2100mAh nimh batteries I bought (Walmart-- $16 for 4 batteries with a home and auto charger) completely dead but I've taken over 100 shots (many of them flash) between charges several times.

The thing I like most is about this camera is that I haven't had to edit any of the shots (except for cosmetic purposes) before printing: the sharpness, brightness/contrast and color of the shots seem to be optimal. The size of the picture files is small, most of my pics come out at 700k - 1.3mb.

The flash is strong. While experimenting, I took a picture of my (large) living room in the near dark with the flash. The picture came out perfectly sharp and exposed in such a way that it looks like the lights are on. Flash strength is adjusted appropriately most of the time and red-eye is not a problem (when I remember to turn on the red-eye setting).

I don't miss most of the adjustments available on "higher end" cameras. For instance the auto white balance seems to work nearly perfectly in all situations as do the auto aperture size and shutter speed. There are settings on the dial for low light, high shutter speed, and close-up focus. However these settings are only selectable and not adjustable.

This brings up the one thing I would add to the camera if I could and that is a setting that would allow me to get the raw data in either uncompressed or TIFF format. This hasn't been an issue really since the camera seems to do a better job of sharpening and color adjustment than I can with Photoshop (I'm not an expert). However, when I did edit some pizza sauce out of one the pics with Photoshop I found myself in a quandary. The original picture was about 900k in size (about 10:1 JPEG compression). How should I save the file? I was afraid that I would lose some picture quality if I saved it at such a high compression. In the end, I saved the picture to a 1mb JPEG took it to Costco and had them print a 11x14 print which turned out flawless.

Let me finish by saying that this camera is extremely easy to use. My six year-old picked up this camera and started taking shots (albeit using the view finder rather than the lcd display).

I received this as gift. I've taken 50+ pics as well as two short videos with this camera so far, and have had astounding results. The camera is simple to use, and the software is very easy as well. This is a great camera for someone who just wants to take great pics and have fun. The pics are sharp, clear, and well focused. They print better than my regular film camera!

Extras I suggest:
The Kodak rechargeable battery pack, or a CR-V3 battery (although I've gotten surprisingly good results with the batteries that came with the camera)
A memory card (I purchased a 128 mb card which can hold over 115 pics at the best quality)

I have the camera for 3 weeks and I am satisfied with the results. The price is good for a 3 megapixels camera and it was really simple to use (I learned to use it without the manual). Picture quality is good (similar to other 3 Mpixel camera), colors are saturated, maybe too much in the reds. The images are a bit overprocessed, not terrible but can be seen in the details of a 8x10 pictures.

I did not acquired the docking station and will not do it, it was very simple to transfer the pictures with the included USB cable. A must is a 1850 to 2200 mAh rechargeable battery set with a fast charger (as with other digicams).

This camera was designed as a point-and-shot, so it have few manual controls (the most useful control is that exposure can be varied by +/- 2 EV). The white balance is automatic only (no manual options), but the camera can handle different light sources with very good results.

The autofocus system is very good, specially considering that the camera has no focus-assist lamp. You can lock the focus and the exposure, partially pressing the "shutter" release.

You can not select shutter speed or lens aperture (as with other point-and-shot cameras), but you can use the scene modes to vary it (I use speed mode more than the standard auto mode, and turn off the flash except when I really need it).

The LCD is ok (average), considering the price, my only complain is that it was difficult to see in very dim light and is better to use the optical viewfinder in these cases.

The startup time is slow if you compare it with a film camera, but equivalent to other digicams in this range. The same issue applies to the "shutter" delay after button pressure.

The camera was well constructed and I consider it beautiful designed. The size was small if not diminutive, almost the same as my Rollei 35 (the smallest 35mm camera in the 60's), I am using the Easyshare with a hand made Rollei 35 bag. You can find a more rugged or a smaller digicams but at higher price.

I've grown from an old Kodak digital camera, to a Canon G1, and finally to a Digital SLR. Along the way we still used compact 35mm and APS cameras for convenience while traveling and for quick snapshots. Once we saw the Kodak C6330 we trashed those small film cameras and are now 100% digital.

First the camera. It has an excellent 3x optical zoom and more than enough bytes for 4x6 and 5x7 photos. It is very easy to use, and the program modes make it a simple process, no more complex than film point and shoots.

We went with a 128mb memory card, and sometimes we wish we purchased a 256mb one. Its all a matter of how many photos you take before uploading them to your computer (remember, you can always delete photos while previewing them to create more room).

When you are ready to upload, Kodak's docking system is fantastic, Just place the camera in the cradle and press the transfer button. It does not get any easier than this. Kodak's Easyshare software (included with the cradle) makes it simple to print, edit, mail, or send photos to an online printer service.

If you want a decnt zoom lens in a quality point and shoot camera, this one is a great choice.

Bought this camera last month - and the whole family can't stop using it - even my 10yr old daughter. Purchased the camera while on holiday - started to panic because after opening the box realised the instructions are only in PC format - no booklet provided - but it's so simple to use you didn't need it anyway. Easy to link up to PC/TV - and the camera screen for re-viewing is a nice size. Wish someone had told me that it practically eats batteries when you're playing about with it (invest in a recharger) - but they last well for just general useage. Video mode is brilliant and the picture quality is very good on both TV/PC.
Recommend.

this is the first digital camera my wife and i have owned. we looked at a lot, from all the major brands. we chose this one for two reasons. the controls on this camera were very similar to a lot of film cameras, even my nikon slr. i love the dial on top of the camera that lets you quickly and easily switch from one shooting mode to another. no need to access the menu, clicking your way through the choices. just turn the dial and you are ready. all the other controls are also very intuitive, which is important to me, being a first time user of this type of camera. the second reason, no matter what store i looked in, when i asked the sales people for input, the kodak was always on a short list of recommendations, mostly for reliability. the only possible downside is that it is a little bit bigger than some other cameras. for me, the controls are much better designed and easier to use, and it just feels more like a real camera than most. for the money, i don't think it can be beat. as for reliability, we bought it about three months ago to take quick easy pictures of our baby boy. i would guess we have taken around 150 pictures in those three months. not one problem with the camera or the software.

Had this camera for 4 months when it stopped working while taking a picture during a hike in the Caribbean. Kodak said there was corrosion throughout the camera, thus voiding the warranty. They refused to fix the camera even though we had never had the camera in contact with water or used it abnormally. We think there's a design flaw or manufacturing defect in the camera housing that allows humidity or moisture from human contact to penetrate camera. Beware! Kodak will not help you in any manner and now we're out a camera and $200.

I just bought this camera and it's easy to use. For some of the tasks, I had to open the owners manual, but it wasn't that difficult to operate. The pictures are outstanding. I've used both Optical and Digital Zoom with excellent results. It's a nice camera for a beginner like me. It's fully automatic. Uploading the pictures to a computer requires the Kodak Software.

I did a TON of research before buying this camera, and it is simply the best camera in the $200 range. The Kodak 6330 is a great overall digital camera for the price! It is really easy to use, and the EasyShare software is very simple. It creates great pics, and I've already used the print ordering function on the software to print photos to my local grocer. Great quality photos up to 11x14.

The size of the camera is average, but if I had another $100 to spend, I would probably go with the Elph or Minolta's slim body camera (XT?). I don't know if they are as simple to use, but they are less than half the thickness and the Minolta doesn't have an external zoom, which cuts down on noise and there is nothing to bump around. The only problem with the smaller cameras is the proprietary batteries (you can't just throw some AA's in them, as you can with the 6330).

All of that said, I'm VERY HAPPY with my 6330. I got a 128 MB card. I would recommend watching the papers for deals on this one. I found one with a free 64 MB card on sale for 199 at one retailer, and got another retailer to do a price match and throw in a 128 MB card instead of the 64 for only $10 extra. Not too shabby. :-) so, for under $300, I got the camera, rechargable batteries and charger, a case, & a 128mB card.

:-)

I received Kodak's cx6330 camera for Christmas 2003 and could not be more pleased with it. I have always been interested in photography as are many members of my family. Having this camera has turned my interest into a passion. The photos are sharp, clear, with wonderful color. The camera is easy to use but not so basic that you lose out on creativity. There are many innovative features such as the burst or action mode and the color modes: sepia, black and white, and color. This has allowed me to move past basic photography and get creative.

The selftimer (10 seconds) is available for both photographs and videos. Video is available with audio, which is perfect for capturing moments that surpass a single shot. Cx6330 is a 3.1 MP camera, which is plenty for a novice photographer. Eventually, I would like a camera with 4-5 MP. The LCD is a nice size and makes it easy to include all necessary parts of a photograph. With 3X optical zoom and 3.3 advanced digital zoom, you can get even closer to your subject. That being said the more zoom, the poorer the resolution. However, for someone not taking professional photographs this is OK.

I received a battery charger rather than the dock for this camera. I am glad because I later purchased the compatible printer dock 6000 (great buy) and another dock would be a waste. I reccomend the dock as a battery charger and an easy way to share photographs. However, I do not advise purchasing it if you will buy the printer dock 6000.

I removed one star due to the flimsy door covering the memory card storage and USB port. Hasn't been too much of a problem but when one isn't gentle, it could be. Also, the Kodak EasyShare software could be imporved. Yes, it is easy to crop, reduce red eye, store, share, and explore other fun effects. However, it is very tempermental and slow on my computer. If I need to transfer more than 5 pictures, I pray it won't freeze.

All and all this is a wonderful camera. I will be able to look back fondly on this camera as it inspired me to be an amateur photographer. I hope this review helps anyone find a wonderful digital camera. Good luck and enjoy!