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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16413 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Kodak
• Model: 8636763
• Released on: 2006-05-24
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .50" h x 2.00" w x 4.00" l, .75 pounds
• Memory: 32MB
• Display size: 2.8

Features

• 6-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
• 2.8-inch LCD display; 10x image-stabilized optical zoom
• Video capture at 30 frames per second VGA (MPEG 4 compression)
• Bluetooth enabled, allowing for wireless photo transfer (with compatible devices) from up to 30 feet away
• Stores images on SD memory cards (includes 32 MB internal memory); powered by Lithium-ion battery

From the Manufacturer
Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the Kodak EasyShare V610 dual-lens digital camera, the world's smallest 10x (38-380 35mm equivalent) optical zoom camera at less than an inch thick. Using innovative Kodak Retina dual-lens technology, the sleek, pocket-size V610 camera precisely combines two Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon all-glass, non-protruding prism lenses to deliver such a long zoom range--a first for a camera so small (just 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches).

The innovative 6-megapixel EasyShare V610 camera, with anti-blur technology, can be carried where bigger, bulkier high-zoom digital cameras cannot--in a pocket while skiing, in a small purse during a day on the town, or on a wrist while hiking. The result is the ability to get extremely close, high-quality pictures of distant subjects without the obtrusiveness of a larger camera.

In addition, the EasyShare V610 model is one of the first digital cameras to incorporate Bluetooth wireless technology, making it easier to instantly share pictures with people nearby. EasyShare V610 camera owners can effortlessly send their pictures to other Bluetooth-technology-enabled devices up to 30 feet away--e.g., mobile phones, PDAs, computers, Kodak Picture Kiosks, and even other V610 cameras--as well as receive and view pictures on the huge 2.8-inch, high-resolution (230,000 pixels) LCD screen.

Better, Brighter Pictures and TV-Quality Video
In addition to its dual lens design and wireless capabilities, the camera includes multiple advanced features to enhance the photography experience, including Kodak Perfect Touch Technology. At the touch of a button, this innovative feature--previously available on Kodak printers and kiosks, or via lab processing--creates better, brighter pictures by bringing out detail in shadows without affecting lighter areas. It's ideal for underexposed pictures caused by shooting beyond the flash range or in adverse lighting conditions.

Packing advanced video performance, the EasyShare V610 camera records TV-quality (VGA) video with 10x optical video zoom at 30 frames per second (fps), using advanced MPEG-4 compression for optimal quality and storage size. Built-in, video-specific image stabilization technology reduces on-screen shaking from unintentional hand and camera movement. Videos can be made into a 4-, 9-, or 16-up video action print--a "storyboard" compiled from individual video frames--as well as single frame VGA stills.

Other notable features of the V610 camera include:

• Favorites mode, which places approximately 100 favorite pictures into an on-camera album for instant retrieval and sharing anytime, anywhere. These pictures are also automatically synchronized with favorites albums on a computer and online at the Kodak EasyShare Gallery;
• In-camera panorama stitching, which automatically combines three pictures into a panorama photograph without the need for a computer;
• The exclusive Kodak Color Science image-processing chip for phenomenal image quality with rich color, accurate skin tones, and precise exposure;
• On-camera cropping, picture blur alert, auto picture rotation, and red-eye reduction;
• Twenty-two scene modes, three color modes, and a custom mode to help capture the best possible shot with the least possible effort;
• Selectable exposure metering, exposure compensation, focus zones, ISO, and single/continuous autofocus for precise control;
• And 28 megabytes (MB) of internal memory available for storage, plus a SD card slot for additional storage capacity.

EasyShare Software and Accessories
The Kodak EasyShare V610 camera includes Kodak EasyShare software for Windows and Macintosh systems, providing effortless digital picture organization, editing, sharing, and printing. The exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak to help users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from inkjet printers, while the newly enhanced favorites feature helps you always have your best shots at hand, whether on your camera, on your computer, or online via the Kodak EasyShare Gallery. People can also archive their pictures and short videos quickly and simply by clicking on the express upload button, which places selected files in a Gallery album.

Kodak also makes it easy to accessorize the new V610 camera with a range of products that help show off your pictures. The optional Kodak Photo Frame Dock 2 (not included--must be purchased separately) provides one-touch picture transfer to a connected computer while keeping the camera's lithium-ion battery charged and ready to go, and can play video and photo 'slideshows' on the camera's high-resolution LCD screen. The popular Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock Plus Series 3 (not included--must be purchased separately), also enabled with Bluetooth technology, makes it one-touch simple to print real Kodak pictures at home in just 60 seconds--with or without a computer.

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Customer Reviews

Fantastic pocket still camera and video camera
Kodak V610 review

I have owned this camera for about 3 weeks, and I love it. I have captured about 4 hours of video inside and outside and about 200 still shots inside and outside.

The V610 is a consumer point and shoot still camera and a great 640 by 480 - 30 frame per second movie camera, both with 10 times zoom. If you are looking to have a camera in your pocket whenever you come upon a situation where you want to take a high quality snapshot or a home movie video, I highly recommend this camera. It is fantastic. It takes a reliable snapshot and a very smooth video and fits into my shirt pocket

However, if you are looking to be the next Ansel Adams or need professional videos ... get other much larger and more expensive cameras, with much larger lenses and much more powerful lights.

In my opinion, this is the best and most powerful shirt pocket sized camera on the market today.

Prior to this I owned a digital still camera an Olympus Camedia C-4040 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Zoom and a very small DV video tape camera, a Panasonic model PV DV 201. Now that I own the V610, I no longer have to carry a camera bag with me to the zoo, or family reunions or other events. As a replacement for both of those cameras, this is a fantastic choice.

I can't tell you how many times I have seen great photo opportunities at events in the last several years before I owned this camera, but the appropriate camera was either in the camera bag or in the car, and how often I wanted greater than a 3x optical zoom in my still camera.

The 6.1 megapixel resolution is sufficient to allow you to capture nice snapshots, and with a powerful 10x optical zoom, you can be sitting in the back row still get a great still shot or a video and the video to my eye is nearly the equal of a consumer quality DV tape camera. I think that this is one of a very few digital still cameras that allow you to optical zoom while shooting videos.

As with most camera purchases additional equipment is necessary to make the camera most useable. I purchased the following additional equipment to go with the camera:
>> A 2GB high speed (x133) SD memory card which it allows me to shoot a combination of up to almost one hour of video or up to about 1,100 - 6 megapixel still shots- that's right, one hour of MPEG-4 video fits on the 2gb card, with good TV quality video and sound. I paid about $85.00 USD.
>> 3 spare non-Kodak brand batteries. I paid about $12.00 USD each.
>> A 6 in 1 San Disk PC card adapter - card reader for my laptop - no software needed for the laptop, and the SD memory card acts just like a hard drive and I copy the still pictures and the .mov quicktime videos to my hard drive (the provided USB cable is too slow and the camera needs to be turned on the entire time during downloads with a cable). I paid about $24.00 USD.
>> A thin leather case - To protect the camera. I paid about $15.00 USD.
>> A 250gb USB2 external hard drive for backing up the photographs and movies.

Non-protruding 10x optical zoom in sleek body
Positive:

- 10x optical zoom works well (in good light or with mini tripod).
- Zoom lens does not protrude, very stealthy.
- When using digital zoom, pictures are not artificially interpolated back to the requested size but are kept at the recorded smaller size.
- Blur indicator when reviewing.
- Camera controls and menues are adequate.
- On-camara panorama stitching.
- High quality MPEG4 movie mode 640x480@30fps, size only limited by storage card. Optical zoom can be operated during movie.
- Small size full metal body.
- Adequate LCD resolution (I value LCD resolution higher than raw LCD size).
- Bluetooth transfer works well (tested with Axim X50v PDA).
- Full bound paper manual.

Neutral:

- I don't mind the gap during zooming at the lense switch (need to release zoom rocker and press again, magnification jumps over missing range, does not digitally interpolate unlike V570), and I appreciate the other gap before digital zoom kicks in.
- I would have been happy to live with an even larger gap if the wide-angle range had been extended down to that of the V570.
- Battery life not too good but batteries readily and cheaply available. Likewise for external battery charger. Cheap aftermarket products (Ebay) work well for me (so far).
- No bundled accessories like docks that I would not use anyway.
- Going through favorities mode to review mode seems to be the only way to review pictures with the front lens protector kept closed.
- Somewhat non-standard movie container (quicktime .mov). I use mencoder with options -of avi -ovc copy -oac mp3lame -lameopts abr:br=96 to switch to .avi (or -of mpeg for mpeg container) without reencoding the mpeg4 video stream (fast, no quality difference).

Negative:

- No optical image stabilization. Electronic image stabilization for movie mode only.
- Image noise at all ISO speeds.
- Max aperture quite limited, especially for the zoom lens, tries to compensate with high ISO speeds, noisy pictures.
- Writing to storage card is slow (even for high speed SD cards), very noticable when using burst mode.
- 5 second review delay after shooting cannot be switched off or customized.
- Does not remember most settings, always starts up in auto mode.
- No way to find out which iso speed/aperture/exposure time will be used when halfway depressing shutter button and even which settings have been used when reviewing pictures inside the camera (no good excuse for this I could think of). Need to copy file to computer and read the exif tags.
- On-camara panorama stitching frequently shows visible stitching errors. Can only stitch 3 (or 2) images, not more than 3. Very picky about alignment.
- Expensive.

I did not use the flash so far.
I did not use the bundled the software (unsupported operating system).

Conclusion:

Camera has limitations, some of understandable technical nature, others unnecessary (hiding too many details from the user, could be fixed in firmware but probably won't) but overall is a keeper. Fun factor is very high.

Fast as it is small
This camera is a pleasure to use. I haven't enjoyed a new piece of hardware
this much since I bought my first Mac Powerbook 3 years ago.

I had a 3-year old camera before, so
let me say what was bad about that one, and why the V610 is so much better.

1) 0 - > Picture time : It would take my last camera more than 5 seconds to
turn before it was ready to take a picture. The V610 is almost instantaneous.
Part of this is that it doesn't have a protruding zoom lens that needs to mechanically
move before the picture can be taken.

2) Time between pictures: My last camera would also take more than 5 seconds
to load the image between pictures. The V610 can take 1.6 pictures per second at
highest quality in burst mode.

3) Menu : My last camera had a non-intuitive menu to find things. With the V610,
I haven't had to look at the manual yet because it is so obvious how to proceed.
There are a lot of easily accessible picture modes, and I do suggest you spend
some time familiarizing yourself with them, since they can greatly improve
your picture quality by for instance decreasing exposure time for action shots,
or allowing in more light for night time portraits.

4) Battery : I used some top of the line AA rechargeable batteries on my last
camera. These used to let me take 50 pictures before discharging.

5) Lens cap: I was surprised when I took my last camera out of the package and it
didn't have a lens cap. I doublechecked that this one does has an automatic sliding
one before I bought it. It slides back and forth instantaneously when you turn on/off.

Here are a few cons :
* There is no viewfinder. You have to use the large screen on the back to
target your shot. This turns out not to be a problem in the day time, since
the screen quality is great even in the sun's glare. At night though, it is hard
to target pictures of close subjects in the complete dark. However, I found that if you
push the button down slightly, a green light is emitted that reflects off your
subject and allows you to see them. When I realized this I had no problem in
targeting pictures of close objects.



Here are a few other pros :
* I love the bluetooth. I took some pictures and easily beamed them to a friend's
laptop without having to have cables. Bluetooth isn't so fast though, so I
recommend just using Bluetooth to send smaller images to people.

* Use the SD memory card to move the pictures onto your computer with one
one of those miniature USB flash floppy drives. The SD memory card is
compatible with other pieces of hardware. I use it also for my MP3 player.
I have an old SanDisk Cruzer with removable SD card. I used to use a 128 MB
card with my old camera, but now I use a GB card for my kodak camera. They
are all compatible with the Cruzer.