Customer Reviews

Kodak EasyShare DX6440 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom and Dock

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I did a lot of research for a small-ish (but not necessarily mini) digicam, easy to carry around in a small pouch on trips, good quality photos, easy to use, with some expandability options, in the $250-400 range. I looked at 3mp and 4mp cameras, mostly with 3x zoom, and my finalists included the Canon S400 Elph, Minolta Dimage F300, F100, and G400 after looking at dozens of cameras, consumer reviews, expert reviews.

The Kodak 6440 met the basic requiremetns as did the others. What put the 6440 at the top was extras like extra 4x (vs. 3x)zoom, wider angle at the wide end of zoom, good low-light autofocus, stronger flash, larger 1.8" LCD, availability of manual options, and the best expandability including access to telephoto and wide angle extra lenses.

So far the camera shines for our Christmas photos. Easy to use and learn, including my wife. Looks nice, feels good in the hands. Performed perfectly, including the camera dock, EasyShare software, and printing to my Epson RX500 printer.

At night, in low light, i'm still experimenting with various options to get the clearest, best lit pics. The Auto setting does well, as does the Night setting. Flash is excellent up to 15' at least. Beyond that, or with use of zoom, i've noticed the shots do come out poorly focused...not sure yet what to do with that but will try manual focus option (think, hope it's there).

Tom

This is a great camera. I upgraded from a 2.0 megapixel and was amazed at the picture quality. I've mainly used it as an auto point and shoot camera, but there are 7 other shooting modes as well as manual mode. This camera has mostly everything someone should want in a digital camera.

Most cameras in this price range come with a 3x optical zoom, the DX 6440 comes with 4x optical zoom. This may not seem like a big difference, but it is when you are trying to get just the right shot.

The only drawback, which does not lower its ranking, is its not that small. Many of the cameras in this price range are considered pocketable. Although this camera will certainly fit in many pockets, it is by no means mini.

A 4 megapixel camera with high quality 4x optical zoom and included 'docker' (to ease downloading pics to a pc) make this an exceptionally good deal.

Picture quality is excellent. Colors are vibrant and very true to life. Sharpness and resolution are very good.

Ease of use is excellent. There are preset modes like 'portrait', 'sport', 'closeup' and 'night', and a fully manual mode in which you can individualize a wide array of settings. These optional settings can also be introduced into many of the preset modes very easily.

The controls are very intuitive and very easy to use. It uses a small joystick like device, which is centered inside a rotary dial that selects the main modes, to move through and select the options.

The LCD screen is very bright and allows review or framing of the pictures clearly and easily even under outside lighting.

The flash is very good and is strong. My previous digital camera had a weak flash which limited how far out pictures can be taken in low light conditions.

Autofocus is excellent, and consistently gets the pictures in good focus.

Battery life seems excellent, (but I use the optical view finder to frame and take the pictures rather than the LCD which will decrease battery life in any digital camera). It uses 2 rechargeable AA batteries. A set of these comes with the camera and can be recharged when the camera is placed in the docking device.

Overall, an excellent camera at an excellent price. Very easy to use for "point and shoot" pictures, but has a wide array of options and settings for those who want more control. Picure quality is excellent.

I am not a computer expert. I have very little patience and a high frustration level with things that require a great deal of technical knowledge or expertise. After 3 years of frustration with our Nikon 3 megapixel camera, my husband and I bought this camera a week ago (camera and docking station packed together) and immediately fell in love with it! It is unbelievably easy to use, the software is excellent, and the docking station is a must! We sent photos to Kodak's EasyShare center for developing and the quality was as good as those from our Canon 35 millimeter SLR. Perhaps it is not as sophisticated as some other cameras, but for what I want to do, it has more than enough capabilities, the picture quality is outstanding, even the fonts on the screen are easy to read and user friendly. In short, the camera is fun to use.

Own an SLR but this is a dream! Uploading is as simple as snap, dock and push a button. Edit software is great. Send an email is a dream. Even takes mpgs! Be sure to buy a 256MB SD card at Costco (lowest price anywhere) and erase your pictures from your camera memory after uploading shots to your computer.

I am VERY pleased with this small price camera!

I've been using this camera for over a month now and am completely satisfied with every aspect of it.

I shopped around for quite some time, finally narrowing my decision down to the Kodak DX6440 and the Canon PowerShot S400.

Both are 4MP, which is more than enough for home-use.

What gave the Kodak the edge in my mind are the following:

The Kodak takes regular AA batteries, while the Canon does not. This is important if you find yourself in the middle of some National Park and the rechargeable battery dies. AA batteries are easily found at even the smallest souvenir stand.

The other thing that won me over is the dock. The dock is always plugged into your computer. No retrieving USB cords from a drawer or closet. Simply place the camera on the dock, push a button, and your pictures transfer quickly and easily. Plus, the camera batteries will commence recharging! And, most importantly for our household, WE ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE CAMERA IS. I can't tell you how many times we'd forget where we put our previous digital camera. Now there's no excuse for putting it anywhere other than on the dock next to the computer.

Those are the two main differences between the DX6440 and the Canon. They both produce stunningly clear photos. The close-up mode on the Kodak is amazing... I've taken pictures one foot away from my subject, with flash, and they turn out as realistic and sharp as can be.

Last, the Kodak EasyShare software is easy to use for organization and simple photo effects (like cropping and red eye elimination), as well as emailing photos to others.

For home and family use, you will not be disappointed with this camera!

I purchased this camera for $299.90 + tax and had it for 2 weeks before I returned it. I originally owned a Sony DSC-85, 4.1MP digicam, but sold it because it was too complex for point-and-shoot purposes and too bulky to carry around easily. The Kodak DX6440 addressed all the issues I had with the Sony, except it could not match the photo quality. But then again, the Sony was $600 when I purchased it, twice as much as the Kodak.

SIZE
Not a subcompact like the Canon S410, but a good small size nonetheless. Would be very easy to carry with you on trips, but too big to put in your pant pocket.

BATTERY LIFE
Fantastic. Easily shoot around 200 photos with a good pair of NiMH AA rechargeables. The framing of the optical viewfinder does not capture what you think you are, so LCD use is recommended except in a pinch and your batteries are running low. AA alkalines are NOT recommended by Kodak. Also, the docking cradle can only charge the battery pack that came with the unit. I contacted Kodak and they would not recommend that any other battery, even it's own higher capacity battery packs/AA's be charged in the camera, using the cradle.

EASE OF USE
This was a monster factor in choosing this camera and it did not disappoint. All the buttons are well laid out and clearly labled and the LCD a pleasure to use. The menu layout is easy to understand and the "joystick" makes navigating a breeze. Connect it to the cradle and hit the transfer button and the images get copied over to your computer automatically, without having to futz with the memory card/readers or USB cables. When you select any of the shooting modes, the LCD shows which mode you are in so in case you are unable to remember what the icons were for, the LCD tells you in plain English.

ZOOM
4x optical zoom with 3.8x digital zoom(can be turned off). Works fine, except it works in stages so framing came be difficult and therefore, you need to shuffle the feet a little to get the framing just right.

LENS CAP
NONE! Lens caps are an annoyance.

IMAGE QUALITY
So here is one of two reasons why I decided to return the camera. Though very good, I expected it to be even better, especially with all the positive technical reviews I read before purchasing, including a good review on Consumer Reports. My pictures just did not seem that sharp, especially when compared to my older Sony DSC-85. I'm not a camera expert and did not run any type of special tests other than comparisons with my previous cameras and other comparable cameras on the market. I think for those who want to print 4x6 or 5x7 prints, the Kodak DX6440 will be more than adequate. Even 8x10's should turn out well.

SOFTWARE
Kodak's EasyShare software is easy to use and does a pretty good job of organizing your photo collection and does very simple edits like red-eye removal. You'll probably want a commercial-grade application though, if you plan to do much more than view your photos and make basic edits with it, like Microsoft's PictureIt or Adobe's Photoshop Elements.

ANNOYANCES
The second major reason for returning the unit was the mode dial is very difficult to turn and feels terribly flimsy. To go from the OFF position all the way to Macro mode takes quite a few clicks and you need to hold onto the camera firmly with your right hand as you turn the mode dial with your left. I was concerned that I might break this flimsy mode dial at some point. Since the DX6400 doesn't have a dedicated power button, you'll be using this mode dial constantly.

SUMMARY
This is a really nice camera for those who want an easy to use camera, that is easy to carry around and has very good picture quality. It's a great value. But for those who might be like me, a little more picky about the quality of the photos and concerned about the flimsy mode dial, move on to the next camera on your short list.