Customer Reviews

Kodak Easyshare C300 3.2 MP Digital Camera

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I was looking for a small, good, easy to use camera and I found it with this Kodak EasyShare C300.
If I had one complaint, it is that I wanted something a bit more compact, and this camera is not compact, it is a pretty fat, and weighty camera.
I used it right out of the box. It came with rechargable batteries and I bought the docking station so the camera and recharge. And it recharges quickly.
I am impressed by the ease of use of the camera. Without even opening the instruction book I figured out the menu easily.
The software is nice and easy to use. Camera really is easy to share.

I bought this camera for my daughter for her 10th birthday. She loved it but the biggest surprise has been how much I like it too. This may be the most inexpensive digital camera around but the clarity of the pictures has amazed me.

A couple of tips for other novice buyers: a digital zoom is not a zoom lens! It just means you can zoom in when viewing the picture on the screen. If you like the flexibility of a zoom lens, consider buying a slightly more expensive camera. And, of course, you'll have to buy a memory chip to slot into this camera as the internal memory only holds 16 shots. It's a rip off that seems to be practised by all the camera manufacturers. The memory chip I bought increases storage to 153 photos which will do most normal users for a long time.

We had one initial problem when the computer software provided wouldn't load onto my iMac due to the old version of OSX I am using. However, I then discovered that I could simply plug the camera in to the USB port (1.0 not 2.0) and they downloaded in seconds! I just use Preview to view them which isn't ideal but no doubt the software will be fine when I get around to upgrading my computer.

We did not own a digital camera before this. I have to say I am now completely converted to the benefits of digital photography and planning on buying one of my own.

It's a good price for the picture quality, but you might want to spend more to get a slightly better camera.


Good stuff:

If you want a digital camera for convenience, but were otherwise happy with a cheap 35mm camera just for 5x7 prints or smaller, this is probably the best deal.

Overall picture quality is better than most digital cameras under $100, so it's the best way to go if you want a cheap digital camera.

It's also very simple. If you want "easy-to-use," this is as easy as it gets. There aren't any complicated options, and almost everything is automated "behind the scene" so you don't have to think about it.


Bad stuff:

Slow shutter response. Compared to film cameras, most digital cameras of any reasonable price have a slight delay between clicking the button and the actual picture being captured, which can cause you to miss some shots. This camera is about typical for the price range, but you can get a lot better if you move up to a better camera.

Digital zoom only. Digital zoom is not really a zoom at all, but an enlargement of a small area on the sensor inside the camera. You can "zoom," but picture quality degrades in the same proportion. For the price, almost no camera has real optical zoom, so this is average.

No close-up ability. The focus range is fixed, which actually works out OK for small prints, but anything closer than about 3 feet will look blurry. A lot of cheap cameras have a "macro" switch to allow better close shots, so this camera is actually behind the pack on this.

No lense protection at all. There is a plastic window, but it isn't protected either and if it get's dirty or scratched it's still a problem. Many cheaper cameras have a sliding lense cover.


Other options:

It's a good deal if you want a camera for this price, but for $40-50 more, you can get a Sony or Canon that resolves or greatly improves all of these problems. You might want to look at a Sony s40, Canon a410, or whichever models are current when you read this.

Don't worry too much about "easy-to-use." Any digital camera in a similar price range will have an auto mode, which means all you have to do is click the shutter button and it figures everything out on its own just like this Kodak does. The simpler menu is still appealing if you don't want extra options, but other cameras won't be hard to use.


Some other reviews mention the low included memory. This is true of ALL digital cameras. Most only have enough built-in memory for about 10 pictures, so plan on buying a $15-25 card no matter which camera you buy.

The camera itself is very rugged. Mine has been bounced, scratched (except for the lens protector which seems to resist scratching; awesome!), smashed, moistened, covered in dirt, and is still going strong after 2 years.
Super simple to use, despite what you may have read in another review. If you are using XP as your operating system, the camera is plug-and-play. Connect it to the computer throught the USB and then turn the camera on. Amazingly, a window pops up that allows you to choose "scanner and camera wizard" which guides you through getting the photos from your camera to a file folder on your computer of your choosing. The only reason you wouldn't be able to do this is if you've never used a computer before... ever.
There is no optical zoom, so if that is something you're looking for then don't choose this one, obviously (you will lose some resolution when zooming with just a digital zoom).
But, if you ARE looking for a camera that will take simple 35MM shots AND will live through basically anything you can put it through (please, no underwater photography), choose this one for an exceptionally low price on Amazon.com.

This camera has all the function I need. It has built in memory and a slot for additonal SD memory card. It can take both picture and movie. It is easy to use and take good pictures.

I was looking for an inexpensive digital camera to mainly take pictures to add to my ebay listings. I came across this and bought it because the price was right.

The camera is easy to use. I didn't even need to read the manual to figure out the menu.

The zoom is lacking, as the picture gets blurry as you zoom in. Lucky for me, I don't really need to use the zoom.

This camera is so easy, even my [...] daughter uses it with ease. As such, it has been dropped many times and still works.

Tha battery compartment door did break a little. It still closes enough for the batteries to work but it does not close flush.

The software works just fine on my computer running XP, but it is not my preferred choice.

I do use the camera for ebay pictures as well as general picture taking. The pictures are crisp and clear and look good online and when I print them.

I bought rechargable batteries to avoid any battery issues.

I still have not bought a memory card and only use the internal memory which hold 20 pictures. It is so easy to transfer the pics to my computer that I just do that and then empty the internal memory and start again.

I suggest you buy a card if you want to use the camera to take a lot of picutres away from your home.

The camera does also record soundless video but that is not a feature I use or care about.

This is a great camera to start off with or give to the kids. It takes good pictures, is easy to use, easy to set up, easy to transfer from camera to computer, and overall a great deal for the price.

I purchased four of these cameras to use in a work environment, inexpensive so that in case one breaks or gets lost, it's just replaced, not repaired or investigated. As multiple users will be using these cameras, I chose one that's easy to operate and produces images that are clear enough to be inserted into an on-line slide show, not printed. For that purpose this camera is perfect. If we needed to print the images, we'd choose a higher quality camera. This is a great entry-level camera for my use, children, or printing photos up to 4" x 6".

We purchased 2 of these cameras for our young kids as their first digital cameras. Our kids have enjoyed snapping lots of pictures and movies, especially since this camera is easy to use. Our seven year olds quickly learned what all the buttons do and the pictures have come out very good for the price. The pictures look much better on the computer than they do on the LCD display on the camera. Rechargeable batteries are a must.

I bought this camera because I need a digital camera and knew absouletly nothing about digital cameras. I am 50 years old. So I thought I'd start out with a brand name with an inexpensive price tage. .......... I lucked out....... This is a dream come true for me...... I give it ***** five stars. It is small, lightweight, and very very easy to program; a child at ten could program it. The pictures are great, too... If you just want a camera to take pictures to send to people or possibly sell things over the net.. this is the one for YOU... If your just starting out, buy this one.. For $99. it is not only a good name produce but it is a steal. Sharon, Boston, MA

We've loved this digital camera; I'm still learning how to use all the features, but it's very user friendly and the I couldn't beat the price!