Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom

by Kodak

Product Details

Product Manual [4.65mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001DA0CO
• Item model number: 8962144
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,341 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 2, 2004

Product Description

Style: CX7430 Digital Camera

Amazon.com Product Description

Kodak's EasyShare CX7430 offers high-resolution image capture with fully automatic point-and-shoot simplicity. You'll be able to print vibrant 20 x 30-inch enlargements thanks to the CX7430's resolution. The CX7430 also integrates Kodak's new camera Favorites feature for storing multiple pictures in an on-camera digital photo album. Other features include a 3x optical zoom, Kodak's new Color Science image processing, TV-quality (VGA) video capture and playback capability, an on-camera speaker, 16 MB internal memory, and compatibility with SD and MCC memory cards.

Scene modes--represented above by pictograms--automatically control camera settings to give you what's right for your particular shot.

Optics and Resolution
This camera has a maximum resolution of 4 megapixels (2304 x 1728 pixels), and it offers a 3.5 MP mode (optimized ratio for 4 x 6-inch prints), 2.1 MP, and 1.1 MP (good for emailing. The CX7430 has a Kokak Retinar aspheric all-glass lens with a 3x optical zoom (34-102mm, 35mm equivalent). It features through-the-lens (TTL) autofocus with multi-zone and center-spot selectable modes.

Movie Mode
The CX7430 can capture both full-motion video with audio (20 frames per second at 320 x 240 pixels) and TV-resolution video (VGA; 640 x 480 pixels at 13 fps) with capacity dependent on available memory (16 MB internal memory included; additional memory may be added via the SD/MMC expansion slot). The included A/V cable enables you to show your masterpiece on TV quickly and easily.

More Features

• 1.6-inch indoor/outdoor LCD with 2x or 4x magnification
• Built-in flash with auto, red-eye, fill, and off modes
• White balance controls: auto, daylight, tungsten, and fluorescent
• Scene modes: auot, portrait, landscape, night, close-up, sport, and movie
• Color modes: Color, black and white, sepia
• Click to capture time: 0.6 seconds
• 10-second self timer

Storage and Transfer
Images can be stored within the CX7430's 16 MB internal memory, or on optional Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards. It connects to Macs and Windows-based PCs via USB 1.1 connectivity.

Clear, easy-to-use menus explain the camera's many features.

Sharing
With a touch of the red-jeweled Share button, you can store up to 100 pictures in an on-camera digital album. These pictures can then be shared anytime on the camera's large, 1.6-inch indoor/outdoor LCD screen. The Share button also allows selection of photos for printing and even e-mailing, with up to 32 e-mail addresses stored in the camera's memory.

Kodak Color Science Image Processing Chip
Kodak's Color Science Image Processing Chip offers a new high-speed digital image processor, advanced algorithms, and hardware acceleration features that enable the CX7430 make simultaneous, split-second decisions to produce rich, vibrant, true-to-life colors in almost any lighting situation. Each time you click the shutter, the Kodak Color Science Chip performs an instantaneous and advanced analysis of collected scene data to identify and correct multiple factors that influence picture quality. Scene light source is detected and adjustments are made to capture bright whites and true, vivid colors under difficult lighting conditions--fluorescent, tungsten or daylight. Scene content is analyzed for luminance, focal distance, subject matter orientation and color to determine the correct exposure and capture the natural details, accurate flesh tones, and rich colors you see in your composition.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by 2 AA batteries (alkaline included; NiMH rechargeables recommended). It measures 4.0 x 2.6 1.5 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.2 ounces without batteries.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Kodak CX7430 digital camera, 2 AA batteries, USB and A/V cables, wrist strap, and custom camera insert for optional Kodak EasyShare 6000 series camera and printer docks.

Like all EasyShare cameras, the CX7430 includes Kodak EasyShare software for Windows and Macintosh systems, providing effortless digital picture transfer, organization, basic editing, sharing and printing. The software's exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature--which takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak--helps Windows OS users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from home inkjet printers, while significantly reducing the trial, error and waste usually associated with home photo printing.

Product Description

MD) CL) KODAK CX7430 DIGITAL Camera

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

281 of 284 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CX7430 + 1GB SD card = great still cam and camcorder combo, January 3, 2005

By 

E. Lundin "eal5b" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Electronics)

Kodak CX7430 Purchased: June 2004, used frequently

MOST NOTABLE FEATURE: 640x480 VIDEO+AUDIO CAPABILITY (NO TIME LIMIT)
1) Using ordinary 1800mah NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, I have been able to take video with audio at the highest quality setting for over 55 minutes (until my memory card ran out) with the LCD screen TURNED ON the entire time, and the low battery indicator didn't even appear!
2) 1GB SD cards have fallen swiftly in price and are a great addition to this camera. My 1GB Lexar SD card can record over 55 minutes of video with audio at high quality (640 by 480 pixels, 13 frames per second), and 80 minutes at medium quality (320 by 240 pixels, 20 frames per second; max time limit is 80 minutes for this setting). A 512MB SD card can record for just over 28 minutes straight (highest setting), and a 256MB SD card for slightly over 13 minutes.
3) Most digital cameras offer video capability, but limit your filming time to 30 seconds or 3 minutes per video in most cases. Those that don't limit filming time usually provide resolution nowhere as good as the CX7430's high-quality video. (Update: Canon's SD-series cameras are a major exception. Note that you will pay much more [except for the SD110] and that you will only get about 15-25 minutes of 640x480 15fps video/audio out of a 1GB SD card. The SD300's [4MP] picture quality is about the same as the Kodak CX7430's.)
4) The camera is highly competitively priced even when compared to dedicated digital video camcorders that use memory cards rather than tapes or DVDs. Both resolution and frame rate are comparable to or even better than the "digital tapeless" camcorders I have looked at on amazon (as of October 2004), and given its still photo capability the CX7430 is bargain-priced. Anyone considering buying a digital tapeless camcorder should definitely consider this camera when deciding on their purchase.
- NOTE: Videos are recorded in QUICKTIME format.


PRO's:
1) Great video capability as described above. The camera's microphone is excellent--I've recorded videos in both quiet environments and an extremely loud dance club and the camera adapted perfectly to both situations--no static or undesirable anomalies (though it did not pick up much of the bass in the club, if that matters). I've even used the camera several times to record audio from my grad classes (camera simply pointed at the ceiling, medium quality video setting; I extract the audio from the file for listening).
2) Takes excellent close-up photos.
3) Photos overall are very satisfactory.
4) Compact enough to fit in an ordinary front pocket. Pretty typical size and weight for its class.
5) The LCD screen is very bright and fine for use in all but very strong direct sunlight, where the LCD image gets slightly harder to see.
6) Interface is excellent. Buttons are responsive and the mode dial is very very convenient.
7) Good start-up time, about 3 seconds and you are ready to shoot.
8) 3X zoom. Perfectly satisfactory; once you start going over 4X zoom you need a tripod to take decent photos.
9) Small speaker to hear the audio when you play back your videos.
10) Extraordinary Battery Life (see above).
11) Sturdy design. Another reviewer complained about the casing being easily scratched; I have used my camera for about 7 months now and it doesn't look a whole lot different from when I bought it. The casing/finish seems pretty normal for this type of camera.
12) Decent variety of manual options, but not enough for amatuer photography (there is no true "manual" setting).
13) Good file compression! I have seen cameras produce pictures of about the same quality (or even worse) as the CX7430 and wind up with file sizes of 1MB or more per photo. Average file size for the CX7430 ranges from 300KB to 750KB depending on the quality setting and content.
14) Fairly quick autofocus--just under one second from the time you press the picture button while the camera is pointed at an unfocused subject until the shutter closes and the picture is taken. If the subject is already in focus the picture is taken almost instantaneously.

CON's:
1) Pictures are easily blurred in some environments. See Taking Photos section below.
2) Several of the provided 7 photo settings on the dial are not worth using.
3) No case provided.
4) Videos taken in the camera's high-quality setting suffer from a very low frame rate (13fps), and the image blurs badly when you move the camera around quickly in softly-lit indoor environments. That said, the video capability is still remarkable for a camera of this type (and at this price).
5) The door covering the SD card slot and the data port is sturdy but doesn't latch very strongly.
6) Zoom cannot be adjusted while taking video. You need to adjust zoom first, then start filming. Focus also does not adjust during filming, but it's not a factor unless you begin filming a landscape and then try to take close-up video without starting a new video file.


Taking Photos:
Overall, I think the CX7430 takes pictures pretty typical of a 4MP camera (they look about the same as pictures taken by a friend's Casio Elixim(?) 4MP camera), in terms of both its ability to focus properly and the quality of the photos produced.
- Close up photos are a strong point of this camera. I use it to make photo "scans" of important documents.
- Ignore the landscape, night (unless you have a tripod), and portrait settings. I haven't been to any sports events or anything similar so I haven't used the sport setting. Given the slightly blurred pictures I've gotten at football games from cameras set on Auto, this setting might be useful.
- The best pictures this camera takes are: close-ups; outdoor, well-lit environments; and photos (indoor or outdoor) where the flash has been used effectively, i.e., slightly dim environments with the subject no more than say 20 feet away depending on the lighting.
- I have not found any major problems with exposure or color-balance in the CX7430's pictures. If you want to take a picture of a sunset, however, focus the camera somewhere else first, then take the picture, otherwise the camera automatically adjusts to dilute the color of the sky (i.e., deep orange-pink becomes very light pink).
- Pictures taken indoors in low to medium lighting *without flash* bear a strong chance of blurring unless taken by very very steady hands. Pictures taken indoors outside the range of the flash (say, distance of 25 feet or more) are pretty much guaranteed to be blurred to a significant degree unless the environment is extremely well lit.
- Picture quality decreases significantly in darker environments, but this is typical of most cameras.
- Two-star quality photos are fine for almost all situations. Photo dimensions increase at the three-star setting but quality is not a whole lot better.

Other recommendations:
- Buy rechargeable batteries, they are a must for any digital camera. I suggest 1800mah (milli-amp hours) NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) rechargeables. The batteries will pay for themselves very very quickly.
- Some reviewers have liked the software included with the camera, but I usually avoid proprietary software--my understanding is that Kodak software especially is loaded with spyware/adware--and I personally have never used the software that came with the CX7430. To transfer photos, the "Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard" included with Windows XP has been more than adequate. (It should appear automatically when you connect the camera to your computer. If not, go to My Computer, look for the camera icon, and right click on it, then choose "Get pictures." It can also be accessed if you are using a card reader: go to My Computer, right click on the removeable drive, and choose "Autoplay," then find the wizard in the list.) The wizard lets you pick a name for the folder it will create for your photos under My Pictures, and names all of the photos and videos after the folder. I am surprised by the number of my friends who still do not use this simple, clean utility. Windows' Picture and Fax Viewer works fine for viewing photos. Editing, of course, is another matter.
- Buy a large memory card to take advantage of the camera's video features. I have gotten hours of priceless video of my friends and I studying in China. There are definitely times when still pictures just won't cut it, and even if you don't get a large memory card you will appreciate the ability to take a short clip every now and then. Memory prices have plummeted over the past year and a large card is definitely a worthy investment.

Bottom Line:
I highly recommend the Kodak CX7430. It's not a top-of-the-line model, but for those with modest photo and video needs, this is a superb value for the price.

108 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A company gift, and I love this great little camera, August 9, 2004

By 

M. R. WONG - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Electronics)

I got this camera from my company's anniversary draw. I have been using this for only one week.

I actually purchased the Kodak DX7440, which is more expensive and has many more features than this CX7430. I have compared photos taken from this CX7430 and DX7440, I do not see any difference for most of the photos taken. Looking at the computer screen, the colors are vivid and true, they are not satuated. There are lots of details enlarge the photos to their true sizes with photo editor software.

However, if you don't know how to do this, don't worry; the Kodak CX7430 comes with a CD which lets you see the photos. Here are the easy steps:

Insert the CD to your computer, install the software.

Turn of your camera; connect the USB cable that comes with the camera to both the camera and your computer; then turn on your camera. The Kodak software automatically detects the photos needed to be transfer and asks if you like to transfer them now; then, you just click "transfer all photos". That easy!!

The fast-speed USB cable makes fast transfer of photos and movies taken with your CX7430. You can view your photos and moview with the Kodak software with sound if it is movie.

The movie feature is a very nice touch since there are times when you really want to capture some great moments in motion. This camera has TV-quality movie features and captures very good movies in detail and with good sound quality. I use 256 MP secure digital card to store up to 12 minutes of movies in the highest resolution.

Taking pictures is in you control. If you like to take close shots, be sure to switch it to close capture mode otherwise it won't focus well enough. You can review the pictures in the viewfinder and enlarge it in the viewfinder and see if it is a good one taken. If not, you can delete it with the delete button. It is very easy! Taking night shots is pretty good too. The flash is enough to light up a room. I don't have trouble taking night shots with good results.

Now, if you want to email pictuere to friends and relatives, the software lets you do it in this simple manner: type in "from" email address, type in "to" destination email address, select the pictures to be send from the right and click, email them now. Be sure that you do this while you are online.

It also let you email pictures in low resolution for faster transfer (which is only good for viewing), or transfer in original resolution (for if the receiver may want to print the photos as well).

I upload photos to Ofoto.com and print 4"x6" or 8"x10" photos. I also have a printer dock from Kodak and it laminates the prints so that the photos are free from moisture attack and finger prints. I love these features very much as it makes the pictures truely longer lasting.

The only drawbacks (as with all other digital camera) are that the battery does not last long if you use the viewfinder LCD screen very ofter and the movie length is limited by the memory size of your memory card. That's why I bought the new 256 MB secure digital card.

In conclusion, this is a very good camera at an attractive price from Amazon. I am just lucky that I got it free from my company. If anyone like to take great photos and like to film movies once in a while, this is it! It is lighter than a camcorder and smaller so you can carry it around easier, besides it takes much better pictures than many cameras out there including a comparable SONY. I recommend this great Kodak CX7430.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this camera, buy this camera, buy this camera!, January 3, 2005

By 

Christy L. "scrappy_mom" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Electronics)

I can not say enough good things about this camera. Period. There are not enough good descriptive words to even begin to express how fabulous it really is. I bought this after dropping and breaking my Sony Cybershot (which I hated anyway, the macro function was a joke).

I will guard this camera with my life. The pictures are PERFECT. The features, of which there are many, are so simple to operate that a llama could figure it out. I am a picture taking fanatic and I am heavy into scrapbooking... this camera captures perfect shots of my son AND our outings/vacations. I have not been disappointed with a single picture yet (unless my poor framing was to blame).

The thing that impressed me the most is the almost non-existent delay when using the flash. I had missed MANY a spontaneous shot with my Sony because of the ridiculous flash delay, but never again! Rapid speed picture taking is almost flawless, and the Sports function captures subjects in motion beautifully.

The macro function is outstanding and EASY. My close-up photos are breathtaking, and I am in awe that this camera performs so easily and wonderfully.

UPDATE 01/05 - I had posted a website in this review which DOES NOT SELL ANYTHING - they simply give unbiased reviews of any digital camera you can imagine. I recommend reading their review of this camera, as it was my deciding factor after months of research. Amazon, however, removed the link I provided, because they are weird. The website is w w w DOT steves-digicams DOT c o m.

I am in no way affiliated with the website, but I have used it extensively while camera hunting these past few months. I bought my Kodak based on this review, and I am so glad I did. You won't be disappointed!

I do recommend checking out a charging or printer dock. I have written a review of the printer dock, please check it out for my thoughts on it's performance. :)

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