High quality pictures, 3X optical zoom, easy features
Disadvantages:
Bulky, non - rechargable batteries
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
With over a hundred years on the camera market, it is only natural that Kodak would create a competitive market for digital cameras. The Kodak DX 4530 was our first digital camera purchase and we paid a whopping $300 for it a few years ago. Since Kodak is synonymous with photography, we decided that this would be our first digital camera investment.
The DX 4530 comes in a metallic gray finish on a fairly bulky frame. The lens cover is attached to the housing by a string that distractingly hangs from the camera as you are capturing that special moment. It then clips back onto the lens by two little push buttons that sometimes don't seem to hold all that well. As a fairly large camera it needed some definite improvements in size and comfort but manages to work well for the average joe.
Coming in at 5 megapixels this camera needs a lot more than 16 MB internal memory. It is nice to have some internal memory but a SD memory card is definitely recommended. Using the internal memory, one may get 28 pictures at a full 5 megapixels, where a 1 GB memory card may get about 500 pictures. It is still a great feature to have, it just doesn't seem to be quite enough.
In comparison to todays digital cameras the DX 4530 is a little slow in powering up. The power knob allows you to toggle between the various camera settings like auto, sport, night mode, landscape, micro and video. A simple turn of the dial allows you to switch between the appropriate modes and keeps you focused on the moment. It is also great to have the option of recording a video at 320 X 640 resolution just in case you don't have the camcorder ready. The push button for snapping pictures is a bit difficult to push on occasion which causes the camera to move a bit while taking pictures. It does have a focus option that will auto-focus with the button halfway pressed down. At least the button and the knob are close enough together to make it easy to work with. While the camera does provide different modes for taking pictures, I have found that auto consistently works best with a good camera.
If you are looking for a little zoom this camera has it. With a 3x optical zoom one can get up close with distant animals at the zoo or get up close with the one you love, all with a simple toggle of the appropriately placed switch on the back of the camera. What's better is the viewfinder will also show you the optical zoom as you toggle the zoom button. This is especially helpful in sunny conditions and situations where you may need to hold the camera steady. Once the optical zoom is maxed out, you must use the LCD screen to see the 10X telephoto zoom. This is a bit tricky to use because the camera does manage to show a lot of shake when the zooms are fully maxed out, a feature some of the more advanced cameras have remedied.
The menu leaves a bit to be desired but comes equipped with the typical exposure compensation adjustment, long time exposure, date stamp and picture quality options. These are pretty standard features and do work pretty well for a limited menu. The menu does reset itself once adjustments are made and the camera is powered off, which I don' t particularly like but it is worth dealing with. It would have been nice to save a custom profile of menu options so you could return to the special settings you had made. This would have been handy while taking pictures at a friends wedding where there was low light and the flash was not strong enough to brighten up the shots taken. The flash also seems to be too bright when close up. That is why I prefer to adjust the exposure compensation and use the natural light available.
The people at Kodak have added a share button on the back that makes it easy to transfer or print your images with a simple push of a button. The software that comes with the camera is extremely easy to use and is fully compatible with the DX 4530 and the Kodak website. A great thing about uploading photos to your computer is the USB provides power to the camera. This came in handy since the camera did seem to eat up the CR-V3 batteries fairly quickly and they were quite pricey to replace.
At 5 MP I have made 8 x 10 inch photos of flowers and family that are of top quality. Kodak does say that a 5MP camera can produce 20 X 30 inch photos but I wouldn't recommend it. At 8 x 10 I think the quality is right at the edge of being maxed out and wouldn't waste the money to find out that they were wrong. Overall, the camera takes great pictures especially around the house and is perfect for everyday use. This camera is good for anyone looking to archive those special moments with family, at school and on vacation. If you are more serious about photo taking, this camera may not be your best bet but, if you like a camera that is easy to work with this may be your top choice.
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