Kodak EasyShare V1073 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I bought this camera, the Kodak Easyshare V1073, 2 replace my old digital Polaroid, yes Polaroid, camera. I wanted something made in this century & a major upgrade, & I think I got both. The touch screen definitely makes using this camera so much easier then having 2 press a million buttons 2 do anything like most of the standards on the market.

Pros: Touchscreen makes everything easier, explanations 4 the different modes are in camera, smart capture takes out the guess work, great macro shots, image stabilization works like a dream; your subject could spin like a Tazmanian devil, & it still takes a great still shot.

Cons: Touch screen is practically INVISIBLE in sunlight. You have 2 hold your hand over the screen 2 make it out. The battery door is flimsy. Lense stays out every time your turn the camera on. Must charge battery in camera.

Buy this camera if you are a point & shoot fan, & you want something a little fancier then what's currently out.

The 4 stars are relative. Obviously there are better cameras available, but the price is right 4 the features this camera has. The lack of protruding buttons (other than the zoom) makes the design ideal 4 pocket or bag. I also like the under-designed body. That's a big change 4 Kodak towards better products.

The image quality is quite good - especially if your main photography goal is convenience. Low light performance is also good thanks 2 a larger chip than most compact cameras have (7.40 x 5.55 mm instead of the typical 5.75 x 4.31 mm). This lowers the pixel density allowing 4 greater light capture where many other cameras run the needless megapixel race resulting in grainy photos.

The 720p video is perhaps the main reason 2 choose the V1073. So far I've had good results with the possible exception of the metering going between warm & cool hue shifts when shooting indoors. There is also the purple vertical line problem in small, extremely bright areas that practically all HD compact cameras have.

The battery door problems that others have mentioned has not happened 2 mine, but I never open it instead using the cable 2 transfer files & charge.

I bought this camera & tried 4 a week. Do not buy this camera if you gonna use it outdoors. It's almost impossible 2 see anything on the big lcd screen on a bright day. For indoors low light situations is a okay camera. Movie mode: I can't say I recorded in HD quality because you need the camera dock 2 view it in your TV. But when transferred the movies 2 the computer, the quality is not that great & it skips when played back, & I used a 8gb 150x card. The movies in "HD" are limited 2 29 minutes & a 8gb card can record about 80 minutes of movie only. After recording a movie 29 minutes non-stop the camera took forever 2 "process" the information, that's terrible. I returned this piece of junk without hesitation. Do yourself a favor & save your money 4 better cameras out there.

It's hard 2 choose a Kodak subcompact today when Canon remains the standard, with consistent quality through the years. If a particular Canon model is not the leader in it's class it's always a solid 2nd or 3rd, & no company has maintained such consistent standards in this catagory over the years. With such a time-tested pedigree why would anyone choose 2 NOT buy a Canon? Kodak, by comparison, has nearly vanished from the high end, with the majority of its models sub 100$ generic mediocrities.

In this context, i purchased the v1273 (the 12 megapixel version of this camera), the second most expensive camera offered on the market by Kodak today. So how does it fare?

Suprisingly well, in fact, but with some significant drawbacks.

For the 12mp, the HD quality on my 42" TV is stunningly acceptable (which creates a zoomed in, 16:9 9mp image). Kodak's secret is it's "Smart Capture" function which automatically applies Kodak's "Perfect Touch" technology. Which is, in a nutshell, automatic post-processing. It increase saturation, contrast, & other similar values automatically, creating stunning first-time photos without tedius work on the computer after the shoot. It also retains full access 2 most manual functions, although this requires a bit of hunting & pecking because these functions are not explained in the manual.

And that manual functions are not explained is just the beginning 2 this camera's drawbacks. There is no battery meter! You have 2 guess about how much charge it has; & this is important, as the touchscreen devours energy. The screen is completely illegible in bright sunlight - not sort of/kind of dark but completely washed out (98%-99% washed out). You cannot preview your photos without turning on the lens, & it remains on. It takes dissapointingly average "HD" video, which is all but the exact same as a 4 year old Casio Exilim, only larger. A camera with better lenses & image stabilization, like the Panasonic FZ-18k, takes vastly better videos, despite the megapixel gap.

Perhaps the biggest drawback is with it's very halmark. The Perfect Touch pseudo-postprocessing technology does well in bright sunny days with blue skies & green plants - but it tends not 2 choose the correct settings in early or late hours, or at night. The rich colors of sunsets tend 2 be washed out as it attempts 2 brighten the whole scene & make everything equally visible, blue-ify the sky & green-ify the trees around with somewhat oversaturated "Kodak" colors. Sadly getting pictures 2 look half as good with manual settings is nigh impossible & often the result is comically bad, like some polarized nightmare.

Still, with all that said... out of the box, on full auto, it took a better landscape picture on automatic than a full 1000$ Canon Eos 40D on auto (we compared). If you're an obsessive control freak about RAW data, ect., this camera will not make you happy. If you want beautiful pictures, on full auto, 2 show on your 1080p HD TV that make non-photophilles go "wow! ooh, ahh!", without any post-processing effort, this, or it's cousin the v1253, which doesn't have a horrible touchscreen, might be the camera 4 you.

Just be sure 2 bring an extra battery.

This is THE BEST digital camera I have ever used/owned. In the time we have owned the camera, the pictures, video, & ease of use have been incredible. It is really easy 2 use, has many features which make it VERY simple 2 use - which is what a point & shoot camera should be. I've used an SLR, but needed a simple camera 2 just take great shots w/o effort. It only has three buttons - one of which is an info button - providing answers 2 questions about whatever is on the current screen. I didn't buy it 4 the touch screen, but it is great 4 flipping through photos 4 the one you want.

If your comparing with a Canon you should check the Kodak V1073 out first. I tried using one other Kodak model, & it seemed study, yet compared about the same as the other digital cameras around. The V1073 seems 2 be an (successful) experiment in breaking away from the typical Kodak camera, so I would limit my recommendation 2 only this camera.

CANON: The main reason I switched from Canon was the photo quality. I don't know if it's the technology or the internal software, but indoor pictures were inconsistent, & poor quality. The same picture taken seconds later at the same object, place, etc would look different. It would use the flash the first time, & not the second time?? I read books, blogs, everything. Changed the ISO until the quality broke down, nothing. Overall, pictures mostly turn out very dark or too bright with a flash. I did discover that this seems 2 be a recurring issue with canon point & shoot cameras as I found on amazon comments. Tired of owners manuals, ISO settings, etc, I began searching 4 a new camera, & accidentally ran into this camera in a store. I finally gave a U.S. camera company a chance, & it was worth it.

Background: I've owned about 4/5 digital cameras, & have experimented with many more. For the most part, I have bought the Canon series because of the look, weight, fairly ease of use, & very sturdy construction. However, as with most digital cameras (and technology as a whole) they have way 2 many features & little clear explanation of proper use.

Comment on previous comments about this camera:
-"the Kodak camera lense periodically "clicks" as it tries 2 adjust 4 lighting changes" I have not had this issue during the video mode. The camera will allow you 2 lock the focus if is an issue.
-"The battery & memory card Door [poor quality]" I will admit, this is the one thing I dislike about the camera. However, my last $350 canon battery door was no better. I've had no problems, & really don't expect I will.
-"The battery only lasted 4 about 30 minutes" My wife took over 100 10mp photos & uploaded it 2 our MacBook Pro with another day or two of power left over. Holds a good charge.
"battery bay latch also very easily comes unhooked" Never happened once in the time I've owned it
-"horrible video HD playback on PC" HD playback is INCREDIBLE. However, you do need software (just like you need the right TV & DVD Player) 2 effectively play HD. If you have a Mac, you will love this camera & the HD video as the camera video is formated 4 quicktime. It also works flawlessly with iPhoto & iMovie. PC owners - you have an inferior machine which will continue 2 become more & more inferior as technology moves forward. That said, I've played the video on my old PC laptop (with a free pc version of quicktime) with equal quality (pc owner 4 20 years - recently switched 2 Apple). However, I doubt you will have any problem with this camera & a PC. I bought this camera instead of an $800 video camera 2 take extended videos of our first 3 month old son - & it works great. Video & photos in one easy 2 use package. Not sure why people still buy a camera 4 photos & a video camera 4 video. So many people I talk 2 still don't realize you can take video on most of todays cameras.

Pros: Work right out of the box/great pictures - clear, well lit - Kodak's PerfectTouch does a surprisingly good job of instantly fixing the photo after taken/great functionality/HD video/Clear settings/Touchscreen/info button explains how 2 setup 4 4x6 photos, or whatever you want/very good light adjustment/Apple compatible/delete button offered on the screen right after you take the photo (if it's just a bad shot you don't want)/switches from view photos 2 take pictures simply by pressing the snapshot button halfway down - so simple!/solid feeling gunmetal construction/many other well thought out features

Cons:Battery door not the best construction/Battery must be charged while in the camera - no separate charger/camera has locked up twice - just remove battery 4 a sec & replace it - no photos lost - no big deal/only 3x's zoom - i have found it works fine 4 overall use.

Hope this helps...

Kodak has combined the power of 10 megapixels with a 3X zoom lens with optical image stabilization 2 help you get crisp, clear pictures. Make amazing quality prints 2 display or share with friends & family.