Kodak EASYSHARE CX4300 3.2 Megapixel

Pros:
AA Batteries
Durable
Picture Quality (in close-up mode)
Accepts MMD/SD card (not included)

Cons:
Features
Navigation


This is a VERY basic digital camera. It doesn't have optical zoom nor a lot of manual settings. It has 2X DIGITAL zoom which doesn't even compare to optical zoom. The navigation button is a pain in the neck. The OK/Select button is integrated with the arrow buttons so it is easy to screw up settings if you're not careful. There's not many adjustable features. You can turn the flash on and off, play with the exposure comp, close-up mode, image size/quality, and set the self timer. That's about all the manual settings you can play with. The other standard camera features such as screen on/off, date/time stamp, etc. probably don't even count as special features. The screen is rather dim in direct sunlight, but it's great in dim light.

It comes with a wriststrap, lense cap, and a couple of AA batteries. I recommend buying some NiMH or Lithium batteries because this thing will go through regular alkalines like nothing! The lense cap just clips onto the lense when you're done. It has a small strap that ties onto the wriststrap which is very nice.

I really like the close-up mode. It really captures the object and produces a sharp and crisp picture. The colors are also very good in this mode. The regular mode leaves much to be desired. I take my pictures on the lowest quality setting so that might be a contributing factor. The pictures in regular mode have decent color, but the objects and people's faces sometimes get a little blurred if they are a distance away (maybe more than 40 feet?).

I like the fact that it has an internal memory (16MB) and is able to accept an external card. It uses MMD/SD cards which are sold at a pretty decent price for the MB you're getting. At the lowest resolution (1024 X 768), I can store about 200 pictures on a 64 MB card.

Despite the drawbacks, I found this camera to be surpisingly durable for it's class. I've dropped it a few times and maybe even abused it a little, but it still keeps on ticking! The case has nicks and scratches and the screen is lightly scratched, but it still works! But even durability alone doesn't help it to be a great camera. In my opinion, save up your money and get a better camera with more features. If you just take pictures once in a while and just want a basic brand name camera with a screen then this is a good bargain (if you can get over the stupid navigation button). Otherwise you'll beat yourself up thinking about why you didn't buy a different camera with more features.