Customer Reviews

Kodak Easyshare M1093IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After reading some of the negative product reviews here, I felt compelled to defend this product. To clarify: Yes, this point-and-shoot is susceptible to blocky images in higher ISO/low light. But that's pretty much the standard for budget entries in the $100-200 price range. For those who say Canon is superior: I took side-by-side comparison shots with my fiance's Powershot A590is, which, despite being older and two megapixels lower, is a similarly-featured camera at the same exact $150 price point.

The difference? If anything, the Kodak's picture quality was slightly superior at a forced 100 ISO in low light and it was a wash using auto-modes. The Kodak's video quality, while not truly up to par to a promised "720p HD quality," is far superior to what I've seen to other budget point-and-shoots, and with proper lighting is much better than your average, ultra-grainy Youtube-quality video from point-and-shoots.

The interface on the Kodak is much, much easier to use, much to my relief! I'm not a big fan of the Canon's menu navigation and buttons, whereas I'd compare the Kodak to the very easy to use budget Nikon Coolpix.

Is it the best 8-10 megapixel on the market? I can't claim enough expertise to pronounce anything definitive; I haven't tested every camera in this class. But considering the price, considering some of the competition at this price point, and considering that you have to have modest expectations for a point-and-shoot that's less than $300 these days, you're getting a lot for your money in a very sleek form factor. Video quality, Kodak service support, and being able to charge through USB are added bonuses. I'm perfectly happy with this camera, so I'm pleased to recommend it.

Kodak EasyShare M1093IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

Even though I was wary of making a purchase from Kodak (aren't they the polaroid guys and now by definition obsolete? What do they know about digital cameras), I decided to take the dive and purchase a kodak camera after a ton of research. I am certainly glad I did. I believe if kodak keeps making cameras of this quality, they will soon be able to compete much more consistently with the dominant japanese brands.

Granted I'm not a professional photographer but I do like to do a ton of online research before I purchase any electronics and a digital camera is no exception. After probably several hours of research comparing reviews and sample shots, I decided on the M1093 because it had good reviews for photo quality. Here are a few I referenced:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/kodak/m1093is-review/
http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2008/11/20/Kodak-EasyShare-M1093-IS/p1
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2009_reviews/kodak_m1093.html

I also compared actual shots on digitalversus.com a useful tool for any shopper. Here is a comparison of studio shots with one of the other cameras I was looking at, the panasonic fx500.

http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=1&ma1=18&mo1=620&p1=4184&ma2=60&mo2=557&p2=3506&ph=20

I'm no expert, but to my eye, the kodak pictures just looked cleaner and brighter. The "poor lighting" shot was especially an eye opener.

Basically, I had the budget to buy a camera twice as expensive, but why bother when this camera is cheaper and had all the features and quality i was looking for in a point in shoot i.e. great picture quality, good build quality, ease of use and finally 720p video mode. Granted the video isn't great due to a lack of IS at the 720p resolution but for family shoots this will do the trick.

At the end of the day. I could have bought a panasonic fx500 or ts1(great video quality but prone to noisy pictures) or the fujifilm f200exr (great picture quality but no 720p video and very poor video quality), or finally a nikon coolpix s610 (no 720p from what i know) and on and on.

Anyhow, I've purchased it and have been perfectly happy with it. I don't agree with those who have complained about the build quality or "flimsy controls" and navigation interface. I actually found the camera design and UI to be quite elegant after having used sony cameras (DSC-W80 and DSC-W55) for several years. (I've found the included EasyShare gallery and one-touch upload software to be very easy to use and well-designed too as opposed to Sony's somewhat bloated Sony Picture Tool software)

A great buy and great value in my book.

I'm a very casual photographer, and am in NO way qualified to judge a camera's picture quality. The pictures I took with this camera were fine for what I need, and unless you're an avid photographer I think you'll be more than pleased. I had an older kodak 10mp before this, and the 1093 definitely takes better pictures in low light and shaky situations. It is a really well-built, well-designed camera with lots of convenient extra features (charges over USB, re-orients vertical pictures). The video feature is great as well (HD quality and length limited only by card space), and the file type integrates easily with iPhoto and iMovie. My main complaint is that it froze a couple of times in the short time I had it, but recovered quickly after powering off and on again. Also, the shutter button is a little too well-integrated and hard to find quickly.

I lost it after three weeks and really miss it! I didn't order the same model to replace it, though--I went with the waterproof, shockproof Olympus 1050sw (Olympus Stylus 1050SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)) that I can use by the pool without fear. In terms of features it's about the same as the kodak but without optical image stabilization. Overall, though, I would recommend this camera for the casual photographer.

I had a Kodak 5mp easy share camera for the last 4yrs. I was looking for something with more MP, and smaller with a 3"LCD. I decided to switch to a Nikon Coolpix L20, which I loved the style & color. I was so excited, but much to my dismay, it took awful pictures. I was so disappointed!
I bought my Kodak M1093 and the pictures were so clear and sharp. I did take the same exact photo with the Kodak and with the Nikon. What a difference!
The only problem that I find, is the little toggle button. Its so small and very hard to use, when you are trying to go to the menu and change modes. They need a different style menu button would be great, like the Samsung that has a menu wheel.
But for the price and size, it is very easy to use, as long as you stay in auto mode

I bought this camera for work. My boss and I run the communications office of the College of Sciences at Washington State University. Our main use of this camera is photos for print and electronic publications and video for the web.

With this camera we can take pictures in low light at various university events, get great headshots with the smart technology, and even take HD video to use on our website. All for less than $200. Wow.

I bought this camera so I would't have to lug my larger, heavier digital SLR camera on vacation. Thanks to the image stabilization feature, the photos I took from a moving car were crisp & clear, the 3X zoom was helpful and I got better photos of night-time exterior scenes than my more expensive camera would have given me. Being accustomed to using SLR cameras, I miss not having a view finder or through-the-lens window. The large panel on this camera was good, but you can't see what you're shooting under bright sunlight conditions. A view finder window would be helpful in future models. While the 10X zoom on my larger camera would have gotten a lot closer to some areas of interest, this camera performed admirably and the photo quality is great!

I looked at the 103 the 106 and the 107, no comparison. The picture and video quality are much better. The toggle is easier to use than the wheel. The macro setting actually takes as good a close up as my SLR camera. Plus it fits in your pocket!

This camera was everything I expected from Kodak and more. Easy point and shoot functinality or manually programmed shots for the more experienced. This is a good 'only camera' or addition to your heavy arsenel for those impromptu shots.

It takes about 3-4 seconds to power up into shoot mode. If you are pleased with your old DX series (which is what I had before) then you will be floored by the performance and quality of this camera. One nice bonus is the internal panoramic auto-stitch.. incredible. I did notice that in "video" mode, the auto focus was a little slow to catch up. That was a little annoying but I admit, I did zero tweaks, so it may be my problem.

I can't speak to it's longevity just yet however I hope I get a good 4-5 years like I did out of the DX. The construction and feel of the camera gives me the impression it will be around in my camera arsenel for awhile.

This is a tiny little camera, which is EXACTLY what I wanted. This is a small camera designed to take quick shots a lot better than the throw away cameras or a cell phone but along the same lines, not really a serious photography unit. I would not use it for my high quality shots of vacation, holidays, or special events. This is not to say that it cannot take high quality, or very good pictures. It does all that is was advertised to do. It does HD video and very good pictures within the limits of a 3X only and tiny internal flash Camera. It needs more zoom and more power in the flash to compete with the Canon G10 or similar cameras.

The only problem I had was the shipping using Amazon Prime. It took 6 business days to get a 2-day shipment. This may be UPS as they have gotten TERRIBLE since they took over DHL. Amazon may need to rethink the shipper choice if this continues to be a problem.
I would highly recommend the camera as a carry-along-in-your-pocket camera.

I'm usually not a sucker for the TV infomercials, but when I saw the one advertising this dud I fell for it and promptly ordered my brand new, shiny red Kodak with the "Smart Capture" feature, hoping against all odds that it would truly live up to the hype. I was sadly very wrong. This item is enroute back to Kodak as I type, it just didn't live up to ANY expectations and I am dismayed that I'll lose out on my shipping fees in the back and forth return. Basically the camera is slow, does NOT eliminate the blurry, dark shots that plague the average photographer, and I totally hate the tiny back features which include a micro sized joystick that makes me feel like I'm all thumbs. The navigation is tricky, and even when you refer to the manual, you'll find yourself frustrated that it's not as trouble free as the ads try to make you believe. The Smart Capture feature is supposed to eliminate the dead shots that you have to delete, but honestly, I spent more time deleting those very same dead shots on this camera than I did on my last, which, by the way, was also a Kodak. In addition, the battery power failed in the middle of an event I was shooting, and the lens got stuck in the out position, unable to retract until I recharged the battery. This made for a very hazardous breakage possibility when toting it back home. I'm trying Nikon or Canon next time; reading the reviews they seems much more user friendly, doing what they're supposed to do, which is to make picture taking fun and simple for the non-professional as well as the seasoned pro.