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198 of 200 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
NEver thought I would buy a Digital Kodak., November 5, 2003
This review is from: Kodak EasyShare DX6440 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom and Dock (Electronics)
Quick background on my purchase/purchase decision process:My price range was around $299, give or take $30 plus tax. I am going to EU soon, so I wanted the flexibility of being able to use disposable batteries, so that ruled out several brands. Both the Sony & Kodak cameras in this review can take Lithium, NICAD, Nimh, or the disposable "digital alkaline AA" style hybrid batteries that have been coming out.Both cameras were within my budget. I also should mention until doing some heavy research I would have never considered Kodak as an option. Sony or Canon were the sure finalists in my mind. Then I read several reviews on the 6000 series Kodak cameras, decided to see what the deal was with Kodak and was amazed at the quality I saw. So I had my final two contenders: Sony Cybershot P72 and the Kodak 6340. I know this is a 6440 review so please read on.After comparing the pros and cons of both cameras for over a week, and not being able to make a decision based on the pros and cons list I had compiled, I decided to drive down the the store and look at each one on final time. AFter a few hours, I finally decided on the Kodak. Here is the key factor why. The main difference in taking pictures with both units was that most of the Sony picture modes and cool ISO tricks were all software driven. That meant if I wanted to snap a picture quickly, it couldn't be done as easily with the Sony unlerss I left everything on auto, and as good as auto is, sometimes it isn't good enough. I had to dig into the Cybershot menus, set up for the shot by selecting several submenus and then take the picture, hoping that what ever I wanted to take the picture of was still there. With the Kodak, 90% of all the mode settings (night, portrait, landscape, action, manual ISO override) were all on the outside wheel. The flip of the mechanical wheel on the outside and I was ready to snap pictures be it night or day (or twilight).So there. All things considered, that was the deciding factor for me. I want to take a picture nearly as fast as I can think "Damn, I wish I had a camera right now", and the Kodak lets me do that. Once I decided on the 6340, I actually upgraded to the 6440 for two reasons. One, I was going to buy the Kodak dock for my 6340 which was going another $80, bringing my total to $380. I thought, "Why not just buy the 6440, it comes with 1) a dock 2) a rechargeable battery 3)it is 4 mega pixels instead of 3 on the 6340.So that's what I did. I went the way of the 6440 and have been super impressed.Hope that helps out some.Other mentionable features while doing drive by shootings (with a camera, not a gun):Pictures file names are different depending on what mode your in. For example, regular pics are labeled 100_01 while pictures taken in picture quick bursts (like 3 in a row) are named 100B_01. So you can tell just by looking at the file names if the file is a regular picture or a a burst of pictures. Very handy when all your pics start to fillup your computer.Kodak uses SD cards. This is handy cause they are not proprietary Sony mem sticks. I also have a Pocket PC with an SD slot, so if I forget my cameras USB cable, I can put my SD card in my Pocket PC and move them to my desktop that way as well.Get the family into the living room, not the computer room. The video out slide show lets me not only look at my pictures on a TV, but I can watch the videos I took with the camera as well. Very cool. Oh, as a side note, video format is Quicktime, which I prefer instead of low quality avi files.Menu system seemed to simplistic at first, and it is. It's easy. However, it is way customizable then I first thought. That means I can keep it simple or get complicated if i have the time.I can send pics I take to specific folders on the SD card instead of having everything in one folder. I can also import my email address book into the camera, letting me tag pictures to send via email when i get home and connect it to the dock.Outside screen is the best I have seen for this price range. Ask anyone, they will tell you the same.Flash quality is very respectable. Negatives? Of course there always a bad side, but it's not to bad. It would be nice (in order to save battery power) if the lens would not engage or turn on when you just want to review pictures instead of take them. The Sony does this, and I bet in the future Kodak does as well. Battery? If you use the realtime view, flash etc., the battery life isn't great. a few weeks of poking around will yeild the best practices to get the most life from usage. Again, disposables can be used with this camera, so getting caught without a charger doesn't mean you have to stop taking pictures. Also, switching between modes takes a few seconds, which seems like eternity when I want to take a picture. Hope this helps. Kevin Amazon since 98
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60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Choice in this Range, November 14, 2003
This review is from: Kodak EasyShare DX6440 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom and Dock (Electronics)
I went around and around and around on digital cameras until my friends and relatives couldn't stand it any more. I bought the 6440, and am very well pleased. It is not only a good value, but it's a really great camera for its size, as well. This would be an excellent camera for the techno-timid (or for people like me who just want to take pictures with a minimum of fuss). I was focusing on an affordable 4 MP camera with better-than 3x optical zoom and a comfortable grip, plus it had to be small enough to fit in an average-sized purse along with my PDA, wallet, tissues, coupons, etc. If I were carrying a briefcase, rather than a purse, the camera had to fit in there, as well, and contribute as little as possible to the "lug factor." Anything much larger than the 6440 went off the list for this reason alone. The 6440 not only competes well in its price range--it competes well in its size, with an excellent range of features. Friends have commented that the colors really "pop," and the clarity of these photos has sold me on digital photography. I have taken a variety of pictures at night, in interesting conditions, etc., and I have been ecstatically emailing and blogging these photos left and right--they all look fabulous. What really amazed me is how well Kodak thought out the ease-of-use features. Somebody in the Usability department over there deserves a bonus this year. When you switch a mode (such as from "sports" to "night"), the name of the new mode flashes on the screen. The mode-setting dial is clearly labeled, and the order of modes is very logical. Review, share, delete, and menu all make sense and have idiot-proof features integrated so you don't blow away your collection with a fumble. The "joystick" is comfortable, and intuitive in its various states. The dock is very well thought out; transferring photos and recharging pictures is painlessly easy. Finally, the software that comes with this camera does an absolutely admirable job of organizing photos with very little pain, and the editing capabilities, while rudimentary, are more than I need and fabulously easy to use. Sizing down, saving Web versions, e-mailing, and cropping are all a snap (pun intended). I almost returned this camera, though, because of its battery door. It's a flimsy piece of plastic that screams "break me." On the other hand, based on my photography habits, I may never have to open that door again. Fully juiced, the camera would easily last me a two-week vacation (though as one reader noted, the ability to use over-the-counter cheap batteries in a pinch is not to be underestimated). Hopefully "Son of 6440" will have a better door. (I don't see the 6490 as the successor, as it's too large for a purse.) (As for storage, I just ignored the 16mb "feature" and bought a 256 SD card.) Finally, this may be a feature found on a number of cameras--I wasn't looking for it when I shopped--but I was very impressed with the adjustment tool on the viewfinder that allowed me to tweak the focus. If you wear glasses or have aging eyes, this feature is really nice.
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great camera, September 24, 2003
This review is from: Kodak EasyShare DX6440 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom and Dock (Electronics)
My previous digital camera (also a Kodak) fell in the lake this summer. So I went searching on the internet to find a replacement. I wanted to upgrade to a 4 mp anyway. After all my research, I decided on this one. I was not disappointed. It is very simple to use and takes great pictures. My friends cannot believe they are looking at digital camera prints. The different modes are great. I used the sport mode with kids in the middle of three-legged races and sack races. There was no blurring. The night mode works nicely, but you have to hold the camera very still. The flash is stronger than my last camera and does a good job for indoor pictures. The Kodak Easyshare software it came with is great too... very easy to use. The OneStep printing is great because it adjusts your printer settings automatically. If you are looking for an easy to use digital camera with lots of features that takes great pictures, this is the one for you.
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