Customer Reviews

Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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. :)

I got this camera as a replacement after losing a 3.2 Kodak...

I am very happy with this camera, which I received as a gift. I have own two digital cameras in the past and this is the best by far.
The only minus is that the zoom is difficult to use and you must hold the camera very steady.

Pluses...
Battery seems to last longer than most
Picture quality is fantastic. I have blown many up and they look great
You get nice short video with audio and you can hear the playback well
Works well indoors and outdoors
Very easy to use
Easy to download pictures
Great for enlargements

Who ever designed this camera did an excellent job. It is so easy to use and the pictures are of excellent quality.

I bought this camera and I love it! I checked out just about every camera in the 3 and 4 MP range and this one has the best quality picture and it is one of the easiest to use in the $200-$300 price range. I would recommend any Kodak for its ease of use, but I bought the 4MP (cx7430) so I could crop and enlarge my pictures without loosing photo quality. The 3MP (cx6330) was the other camera that I looked at in depth, but I found that the 8 x 10 pictures were blurry even without cropping.

I would also recommend purchasing a 128MB card to store pictures. The internal memory only holds about 9 pictures on the best quality. I purchased the 256MB card, which holds about 190 pictures...way too many pictures, but it was cheaper than the 128MB card when I bought it.

Six monthes later...

I still love this camera! I have taken photos in every type of lighting imaginable. They all look great. The only thing I need to adjust with the Kodak EasyShare software is the red eye. There is a flash option to get rid of red eye, but I choose not to use it. (It takes longer in between when you press the button and when it actually takes the picture.)

My pictures turn out better than my friends pictures, who oddly enough have 5MP cameras. The simple features on the CX7430 camera are great, you can't mess up. By the time one would adjust everything on those more high tech cameras, the moment is over. From the time you turn the CX7430 on, which only takes a couple seconds, you can take pictures that turn out great! The Kodak also takes pictures much faster than a lot of the more expensive cameras. This is something to look into when buying a camera.

Another thing is the battery life. The battery life is very, very good for a digital camera. I have rechargeables and they last me a good 150-200 pictures with the screen on.

Overall, great camera! I'm glad I bought it!

I can't say enough good things about this camera. I upgraded to this after owning a very low-end model that took abismal pictures, so I have something to compare it to.

The battery life on the 7430 is fantastic, I bought this around Christmas and after a lot of use just changed the batteries for the first time. The pictures are crystal clear, very high quality. The flash is very adequate and my indoor nighttime pics look great.

The delay of the shutter is very short, which is important to me with a toddler running around. This was a big problem with my old camera and the 7430 is really fast.

The video feature is also great. It isn't digital camcorder quality of course, but with my 256 card I got some great footage.

This camera is also very easy to use and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I've owned about 10 cameras in my life. My needs are pretty simple. I just want a camera that will make it easy to take a good photo. The CX7430 does just that.

The digital camera I was replacing, a Powershot 200, I threw in the garbage, literally. It ate batteries, it seemed to operate randomly, and there was a long, annoying delay before it took the picture so I often "missed the moment." It also was a bit of a pain to figure out how to operate.

I've had my CX7430 for about a month, and I love it. The best thing about this camera is that it is very intuitive. I've been able to figure out how to do just about everything by just looking at the camera and using common sense. So far, I haven't had to replace the batteries. It takes the photo promptly. The optical zoom is nice. The quality of the photos looks good.

If you are a very serious photographer, you'll probably want a more expensive camera. If you want a simple, inexpensive, intuitive camera that will take nice photos when you want it to, this should be a good choice.

I bought this for myself for Christmas and after 3 months of playing with it, have decided its a keeper! It takes great quality pictures, the software is easy to use, and the editing works great. The red eye removal function works very good - much better than a camera I tried out last Christmas (and returned) Since we don't have a camcorder, we love the movies with sound.

I do not use the share function, since I usually crop or enhance or something to make the pic "perfect". I also do not print at home - way too expensive compared to printing at York, Sam's, or even Eckerds!

One small complaint - the default in the Kodak software is to save pictures at a lower res after editing. This makes no sense to me. If you liked a picture well enough to edit it, why would you want to save it at a lower quality??? This is easy to change, but anytime you upgrade the software, defaults to this again, and you have to remember to change it.

Second Con is the date imprint. I chose this camera because I specifically wanted date imprint (without having to use software to add the date). The date imprint is HUGE and yellow - very unsightly.

I haven't had anything bigger than 4x6 printed, so I definitely want to try that soon to see the quality.

I liked a lot of things about this camera--it was easy to figure out--a real plus for a relative novice--, it had good response time on the shutter, quality of pictures was good, and I was able to adjust it for a variety of conditions. However, it did have a tendency to overexpose shots, especially in full sun outdoors, or when using the flash indoors. Now, this can be adjusted for--you can go into the "exposure" option on the menu and take down the exposure a bit, and that worked well. I even found that if I underexposed pictures a bit, and then brightened them up when I got them on my computer, I often got better color and detail than the default exposure settings. So I almost kept it. But the fatal flaw for me was that, having taken the trouble to get all the menu settings where I wanted them--if I changed the dial setting, or shut the camera off, they were gone. The settings all reverted automatically to the default, so I'd have to do it all over again ten minutes later to get the next shot. It was a near thing--but I returned the camera.

However, for anyone who isn't quite the control freak I am, this is a good camera at a good price. I was worried about battery life, but I took well over 100 shots before the digital AA batteries that came with it wore out. I tossed in a pair of rechargeable AAs, and took maybe 150 more, and they hadn't run down when I decided to return it. Of course, I don't use the LCD as my viewfinder, which helps extend battery life a lot. On the other hand, I did spend quite a lot of time reviewing pictures on the LCD, and even took some videos just for fun, so considering how Consumer Reports rated Kodak cameras on battery relative to other digital cameras, I was quite pleased.

I just brought this camera a few weeks ago. I took it on a trip this Memorial weekend and the pictures came out beautiful. I love the close-up mode and the sports mode the best. The night mode is also very good (which surprised me). I also like the fact that this camera allows you to review the pictures and zoom in and out when doing so. I did not like the auto mode at all. The landscape mode took pretty good pictures. When I viewed them I thought they weren't good, but when I reviwed them online they were beautiful like postcards.


I also like the video capability. When I first got the camera, I did a little home video walking around the house and talking and when I uploaded it on the computer it was sharp and very clear. It also played back well on the camera. This camera is worth the price. Like the other reviewers I recommend any buyer to purchase rechargeable batteries.