16 December 2003 16:18 GMT / By Stuart Miles
The DX6490 brings a new face to the Kodak EasyShare range. It’s been restyled, bigger, bolder and more impressive that any other camera in the range. If Kodak follows this route then they’ll have a very good camera range on their hands.The main selling point to this 4mega pixel camera is the 10x optical zoom which Kodak hopes to place against other successful models such as the Olympus’ C700 range. Like other cameras in the range, all the relevant buttons are placed around an LCD display screen. This time however, the display is a whopping 2.2 inches and the buttons - specifically the jog wheel is lit for easy reference in dark situations.
However that’s not the only difference about this camera over its other peers in the range. The camera also features an electronic viewfinder (which you can choose to switch between) and more importantly a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Kodak has still opted for internal memory - 16Mb - with the option of expanding this with a MMC/SD card.
Flash is provided via a pop-up slot on top of the device and a further flash card can be plugged in, although strangely enough there is no hot shoe facility - however at the zoom ranges this camera is capable of using, the flash will be the last thing on your mind. The camera itself features plenty of rubber grips and the overall feel of the camera is not only comfortable to handle, but has a certain charm about it.
Inside the camera you’re presented with a 38x380mm equivalent lens made by Schneider - Kreuznach Variogon and is the first camera to include the new Kodak Colour Science image processing chip.
Verdict
One problem we did have when using this camera- something affecting most cameras within the UZ genre -is that when you are fully zoomed with both the digital and optical zoom (30x in this case) the camera's focus becomes very hard to control.
Some manufacturers have tried to compensate for this with anti-camera shake software built into the camera, but nothing like this has been included on the DX6490. With that in mind you will need to take a tripod with you if you plan of using the zoom to its full extent. Using close up, the camera offers a macro facility and pictures taken with both flash and without flash where very crisp.
The large display on the rear of the camera helped when it came to viewing results or instantly sharing them with friends nearby.
This camera shows a lot of promise for the Kodak EasyShare range. This camera is well proportioned, offering great picture quality and features that are a pleasure to use. The introduction of the large LCD makes for better sharing and the 4 mega pixel count will be ample for those users looking for that little bit extra. Top marks.
Score
Review Recap
- Made by
- Kodak
- Price as reviewed
- £400
- The good
- 10x optical zoom, EasyShare button
- The bad
- Focus hard to control
- Quick verdict
- This camera shows a lot of promise for the Kodak EasyShare range
- Score
-
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