Digital camera: Kodak

Hi there, here are some experiences of mine about the Kodak DC4800. Just for your reference. And, please share your experience of Kodak's digital cameras in this thread. Thanks.

Price: 770 USD (1 yr ago in TW)

Features

3.1-Megapixel Resolution (can be enlarged up to 8" x 10" or 11" x 14").
Image color modes: saturated, neutral, black- and-white, or sepia.
ISO settings of 100, 200, and 400.
3X-optical zoom (28 - 84 mm) and 2X digital
Image Resolution: 3.1 (2160 x 1440), 2.2 (1800 x 1200),
1.6 (1536 x 1024), .8 (1080 x 720) MP
Image Storage: COMPACTFLASH Card
Viewfinder: 1.8" LCD
Lens: 3X optical zoom capability,28-84 mm f/2.8-4.5 (35 mm film equiv.),
2X digital zoom, power zoom with two driving speeds, mechanical shutter and apertures
Accepts accessory lenses and filters (43 mm thread size, requires adapter)
Auto Focusing: TTL Video-AF
Auto Focus Modes: Multi spot, Center spot, Center weight 0.5m-Infinity (standard distance mode),
0.2-0.5m (near distance macro mode),
less than 1.5 sec. to focus lock, @ < 0.5m
Focus Distance: Wide/Telephoto: 1.6 ft (0.5m)-Infinity
Close-Up: 0.7 ft-2.3 ft (0.2 - 0.7m)

Exposure: Auto, or manual override (+/-2 EV in 0.5-EV increments),
automatic white balance and exposure lock
Exposure Control: Full Range: EV-1-16
AE Range: EV6-16
Program AE: (Automatic)
Aperture Priority AE: (f/2.8, f/5.6, f/8)
Manual: (1/1000s-1/2)
Long time exposure mode: (0.7 - 16 sec.)
Exposure Compensation: +/-2EV with 1/2 EV step
White Balance: Auto, Daylight (5500k), Tungsten (semi auto), FL (semi auto),
Manual (one push hold) and selectable color temperature (2500-10,000 Kelvin)
Shutter Speed: 16s - 1/1000s
Aperture Range: Wide (28 mm): f/2.8, f/5.6, f/8
Tele (84 mm): f/4.5, f/9, f/13
* Effective f/stop varies through the zoom from wide to tele.
ISO Equivalent: 100, 200, and 400 (Auto/User-selectable)
Flash: Strobe flash to 3.2 meters wide, 2 meters at tele (10 feet)
(auto, red-eye reduction, fill, off)
File Format: TIFF/JPEG, EXIF 2.1
Video Out: NTSC/PAL (user-selectable)
Special Effects: B/W yellow filter, B/W red filter, B/W, sepia mode,
neutral mode, saturated mode, burst
Click to Click: Maximum 5 pictures with 2.0 sec interval (target: 5 pictures)
Burst Frame Rate: Between 2 and 5 fps
Burst capture: Max number of pictures (at different resolutions)
4 pictures at highest, 16 at lowest
Interface: USB, PC card

Here's a link to the related web:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/cameras/dc4800/

My experience on this DC4800 were:
1) The CCD quality is not good, there're few dead spots that will become obvious for dark background.
2) The autofocus function is not so accurate under a dim tank light condition.
3) The operation and setting are simple and easy.
4) The design of the camera is handy.
5) For a better focus, I used to first focus on a specific target that is easier and more accurate to be focused of which in my case was the fei-feng (don't know why, it's just easier). Then, move the camera (with half pressing the shutter under a focus-ready state) to the aros with the same distance as with the focused fei-feng. Finally, I took the shot, and sometimes, it's necessary to adjust the exposure compensation level so as to get a correct exposure time period.

CDM,
I use a Kodak DC280 and I am quite happy with the results. It's a 2.0 mega pixel camera. As I mentioned in my gallery I find that I get more satisfactory results of my aros if I do not use flash but only available light. When I bought the camera qbout 2 years ago it cost me more than rm3000 which is approximately us$800. Today for very much less I would be able to get a much better Kodak model. Unfortunately digital cameras get better and better day by day and also they become cheaper and cheaper.
By the way you have awesome photos in your gallery!
Regards kchee

kcheekhoo, thanks for sharing. You're right, unlike the conventional camera, the price of digital camera keep going down while the spec. keep going up. Digital camera is more like a electronic product than a camera. Here's a link for Kodak DC280:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/g...80.shtml#specs
And, about my pics, I just try hard, and pick good ones (right now probably 1/3 are OK). I already took few thousands of pics by using my new Sony camera (4 weeks).

Originally posted by CDM
kcheekhoo, thanks for sharing. You're right, unlike the conventional camera, the price of digital camera keep going down while the spec. keep going up. Digital camera is more like a electronic product than a camera. Here's a link for Kodak DC280:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/g...80.shtml#specs
And, about my pics, I just try hard, and pick good ones (right now probably 1/3 are OK). I already took few thousands of pics by using my new Sony camera (4 weeks).

Thanks for sharing the Kodak DC280 link with me. What I dislike about the camera is that the recycling time is slow and irritating. Each time after a photo has been taken the camera will take several seconds to process it, during which time you can't do anything. The beauty about a digital camera is that you can afford to take as many photos as you like and discard those that are junk without any cost. That's something you can't afford to do with films. I would very much to upgrade to a better model except that the shops will not take trade-ins.
Regards kchee

Kcheekhoo, you're right, I encountered same problem with the Kodak DC2800. All digital camera need time to store the image to the memory card after a shot. The time depends on the speed of the DSP chip (or CPU) and the tranfering rate to the memory card, and also the compress ratio. Kodak DC2800 takes twice the time till next shot than Sony F707. And, it even worse when take multi-shots (frame shot). It's a matter of price (for higher speed CPU). However, if the budget limited, this should be the last issue.
I found DC2800 can compress more when storing to the memory card which means with same size of memory it can store more pics. And, I cann't tell the difference between compressed and non-compressed when displayed in 17" monitor. This maybe another PROs for Kodak camera.

CDM,
Thanks for the info.
Regards kchee

No prob. bro. More talk here, more information shared. That's the purpose of this forum....