Kodak EasyShare V570 5MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom

All I can say is I realy enjoyed this camera. It does everything & it is simple 2 use, easy 2 store, & the picture comes out great.

This is my first review of anything, but I'm quite frustrated & had 2 write it since I just tried 2 take some pictures with it. I've had the camera 4 a year & half.

First off the positives. The wide angle capability is very nice. Taking group shots close up is amazing. The video mode is pretty nice also. Being able 2 zoom while taping is very nice.

Now the negatives. For some reason, when you don't take a picture in wide angle, the camera has a tough time focusing if there is not a lot of light. The pictures come out crap if you don't have good lighting, & the flash doesn't do much 2 help. It's hard 2 take good pictures with this camera if you aren't in wide angle. Note, I do have the digital zoom off. For some reason, when in wide angle even with low light, the camera is not bad taking pictures. I've taken some amazing video with this, but when playing back on the computer, you cannot fast forward or skip certain sections, the software will make you start all over from the start. The EasyShare software is very sluggish when you load up & also downloading lots of pictures & especially video. Sometimes you think it locks up, but it just takes a long time if you have more than a few pictures. I have used it on two pretty decent computers, so pretty sure it's not on my end.

I love the wide angle abilities, but this camera & software is just not good. There are more wide angle pocket sized cameras available now. Just 4 reference, I have the original Canon Elph SD100 & a Sony DSC-H1. I'm moving on from this camera. I'm a little surprised how well this camera has been rated so far. I know most people aren't shopping 4 this camera since this one's a little older now.

It isnt the greatest camera around, but it works pretty well. I really like the panoramic mode.

Great camera, particularly 4 those of us in real estate who need wide angle. Cannot say nicer things about this, best I've ever had.

I love this camera!!! I have had it 4 about 2 weeks now & its the best camera I have owned!!! I got this camera at 169.99 which was a great price 2 me since I looked other places 4 about 200.00 which made me happy! I havent yet figured out how 2 use the panorama part yet which I am sure is a great feature but my favorite feature is how fast you can take pictures... You can take Pictures in less then a second apart! Its just point & shoot! I HIGHLY recommend this camera its small compact & has a great style!

We have 2 tell you, wide-angle capabilities in a point-and-shoot digital camera are a revelation. Does this camera have that & more? Sure does. Dual lenses, so that it goes from a wide 23mm equivalent 2 a 117mm equivalent (6x zoom) without a protruding lens? Check. A large, beautiful LCD? Sure thing. An in-camera panoramic stitch that makes the most of both those features? Oh, yes.

The V570's wide-angle lens creates interesting effects. (See larger image.)

The V570 is also incredibly compact. We carried it in a front pant pocket while traipsing around London, in a jacket pocket on the ski slopes, & in a cargo-pant pocket on mountain climbs. The V570 is very portable, & it's so inconspicuous in its small size that we felt secure with it in a front pant pocket while strap-hanging on Mexico City public transportation.

And then there are the pictures. We love that the wide-angle setting allows us 2 fit so much into the picture. It also creates some interesting stretching effects in close-ups, as with the photo of cakes at left. In addition, color reproduction is stunning: blue skies are faithfully rendered, bright colors remain bright even in low-light settings or flash photos, & contrast & tonal range are almost always as perfect as we could hope.

Panoramic mode is easy 2 use and works beautifully. (Click images 4 larger views.)

The in-camera panoramic stitch mode is also extremely easy, & it produces exquisite results. The only down side 2 this feature is that it severely limits your other photographic options--the two or three images that make up the panoramas are taken at 3.2-megapixel resolution, & the flash won't fire while you're in panoramic mode. However, we found the resolution 2 be sufficient in the end, & reserving panoramic use 4 well-lit scenarios did not prove such a hardship. (Make sure 2 check out other customers' photos, taken in a range of lighting situations, via the link above.)

Some of our favorite photos taken with the V570. (Click images 4 larger views.)

Finally, the camera's video function performs admirably. A friend used his V570 2 film a football team taking the field, & both image & sound were top notch. And the large, bright 2.5-inch LCD does its duty well as a photo & video viewer. Separate buttons allow you 2 zoom in on sections of a photo & navigate within one picture or all the pictures on your card. (Photos can also be viewed in a multi-up mode, which displays nine at a time, or in a slideshow that can be shown on the screen or on your television.)

This is not 2 say that the camera doesn't have a few imperfections. It must be docked 4 charging the battery or downloading images. In photos, bright lights are occasionally surrounded by a purple fringe. The power & scene mode buttons are on the small side, & there's no way 2 prevent the camera from displaying just-taken images 4 five seconds after the shot (though you can take another photo immediately by pressing the shutter-release button twice).

These are small gripes about an otherwise stellar camera, though. We've found the V570 2 be the best combination of unique features, impressive styling, & overall user-friendliness of any cameras currently available, & we cannot recommend it enough.--Sarah Sternau

Pros

• Wide-angle lens produces beautiful photos
• Color reproduction is amazing
• In-camera panoramic stitch works wonderfully

Cons

• 5-second post-capture review can't be turned off
• Occasional purple fringe
• Limited settings options in panoramic mode