Kodak DX4330 Digital Camera

(December 2003)

Evaluation:

In 2003, digital cameras outsold film cameras in Australia for the first time, and I can't see this trend from reversing any time soon. A few years ago, they were still often seen as a luxurious toy and weighed as much as a house brick (and used floppy disks!!!); however, digital cameras now have features that make their traditional counterparts seem like oil and canvas, as well as attractive price tags that place them in reach of the general populace.

After putting my camera through its paces for each season of 2003, here's my evaluation of what it can do.

The Pros of Kodak DX4330: Things I like

Crystal Sharp Images

When buying a camera, you obviously want to take photos that look good. Even if you're getting a camera for dirt-cheap prices, have a look at the quality of the photos that it takes, looking at whether it's blurred, the colours sharp but natural, and that the picture looks like what you see with your human eye.

If you want to see pictures taken by this camera, see the Photo Album. The photos look best when taken outdoors on a sunny day, and deteriorate slightly when the lighting is somewhat weaker, when dots become more visible (like dithering) as it tries to correct the exposure.

Video and Audio

Kodak DX4330 can not only record still images at high resolution, but it can also take video with audio, albeit low quality. The videos are stored as QuickTime, which means that they are impossible to edit unless you have QuickTime Pro and export them to another format. The audio is decent, although it is filled with static when it's too loud (I tried to take some video at the formal... no good).

On the camera, there's a round thing at the top which you turn to put it into different modes. THe interesting thing about it is that to switch from still to video, you need to pass it through the "off" position, which means that you either need an acrobatic slight of hand or turn it off then on again.

Easy-to-use Interface

The camera connects using USB or the camera dock (rather pointless as you need to supply external power to the dock, but handy if you are popping the camera in and out all the time). When you plug it in, you can either use the Kodak interface and transfer all the pictures to the My Pictures folder (in Windows), or use Explorer, where a new drive letter to represent the camera has been created. You then cut and paste the files anywhere you like. This flexibility means that you can actually use the Kodak DX4330 to double up as a reader for SD Flash cards.

Oh, however, as with most consumer products, forget about it if you use Linux. :-) Write your own drivers.

Stylish and Functional Design

With a sleek metallic finish and soft grey padding, it's a stylish camera. The screen is well lit and easy to read. The buttons are well placed to be operated comfortable by two hands, and provide sufficient functionality so that you don't have to dive into the menus too often. However, the generically-named "OK" button also does such things as zoom, and people who haven't read the instruction manual find it nearly impossible to use the camera (I found that out when I brought it to school); it's easy to get used to though.

Zoom

I seriously can't imagine how you could buy a camera today without getting one with zoom. Kodak DX4330 offers 3x optical zoom and 3.3x "advanced digital" zoom, to provide a total of 10x zoom. The "advanced digital" zoom is actually quite advanced, and enlarged images are often clearer than if you had used a program such as Photoshop. However, when you're zoomed in that much, you need to have either a steady hand or a tripod, neither of which I have.

The Cons to Kodak DX4330: Things I Don't Like

Battery Life

On average, you should be able to get around 30-60 minutes of continuous use on rechargeable batteries, which isn't very long especially if you're going out. However, if you buy non-rechargeable batteries, they last for around 3 hours of continuous use, but they are an expensive option.

Flash

The flash on this camera is either too bright or not bright enough. This poses a significant problem for indoor pictures (especially in large halls) and outside night photos. I find that for indoor photos, it's best to turn up the lighting and turn off the flash.

Another alternative is to increase the exposure or use long-time exposure. However, you risk taking blurred pictures if you don't hold the camera still. This even applies to the supposedly "Night" mode, which automatically adjusts exposure. Have a look at the graduation pics and you'll see what I mean.

Sensitivity to Heat

During the formal and several other occasions, I had the camera in my pocket (it's a bit big but it fits). To my horror, it wouldn't turn on, the problem not being battery life, but heat. After cooling it down, it would turn on and functioned as normal.

Evaluation

The Kodak DX4330 is a pleasure to use, producing quality photos in a variety of settings, and providing enough additional features to facilitate tweaking by the amateur photographer. It is compact yet not so small as to make it easy to lose or to compromise photo quality. The interface with your computer is solidly built, making digital photography accessible to all.