KODAK DC260 Camera

...This camera was the Kodak DC260.

The Decision

I choose this camera for two main reasons:

1) Having had previous experience with Kodak cameras, (both digital and 35mm), I found them to be very user friendly, and usually packed with the latest advanced features.
2) The DC260 had been recommended to my by a reliable friend, and assured me that it was well worth £900 of hard earned cash.

...The CD also contains the Kodak Picture Easy software which is used a default to display your photos when they are downloaded.

After installation of the camera drivers, you can set up the connection software to use your USB port for downloading, and click the DC260 icon to connect to your camera, (your camera has to be connected to the USB port using the cable provided, and it must be turned to ‘Connect’ mode). After a connection ... more

Back in 1999, I what was at the time a top of the range digital camera. This camera was the Kodak DC260.

The Decision

I choose this camera for two main reasons:

1) Having had previous experience with Kodak cameras, (both digital and 35mm), I found them to be very user friendly, and usually packed with the latest advanced features.
2) The DC260 had been recommended to my by a reliable friend, and assured me that it was well worth £900 of hard earned cash.

I was not disappointed.

The Features

The DC260 is packed full of great features, which at the time of purchase were pretty advanced for a consumer digital camera. The camera has a small digital display on the top, which shows details of how many photos you have left, the quality setting you are using, and how much battery power you have left (among other things).

On the back of the camera you will find a LCD display with performs various functions. The and primary function of this display is to show photos you have taken, which can be viewed in various modes, and even zoomed in on using the accompanying buttons. Other functions of the screen include the ‘Display’ mode, which can be activated when taking a photo to see what you are about to take and how it will appear (this tends to be very battery intensive). This is an alternative to using the viewfinder provided at the top left of the back of the camera.

On one of the sides of the camera, you will find the capsules which hold the batteries and also the ‘Compact flash’ storage card. These are covered by attached panels, so you cannot access the batteries unless you flip open the panel.

On the alternate side of the camera you will find the ports, to which various input and output devices can be attached. One of these ports is for the mains power connecter, which is useful when downloading photos from the camera so as not to waste battery power. The USB port is also present, as is the AV port to allow photos to be presented on a TV (or display device) with an AV port. This function is good for displaying your photos in presentations at work or at home.

The camera also features an optical zoom, which can prove very handy when taking photos from long distances, although I have found results from using this zoom to be varied.

Taking Photos

The DC260 is a very user-friendly machine, and is suitable for novices, but also provides the functionality which an experienced photographer may require. Most of the controls are self explanatory, and taking photos can be a very simple ‘Point and click’ affair if that is the functionality that is required.

For more experienced users, exposure times can be adjusted, and there are also time delay and burst modes. These options can be configured using the digital display on top of the camera, and also the LCD screen on the rear.

There are three quality modes to choose from when taking photos. These are ‘Good’, ‘Better’ and ‘Best’. From my experience, I have tended to use the ‘Better’ mode most often. This is mainly because, unless you are planning on using the photos for professional print media, the quality difference is negliable. The ‘Good’ quality setting is fine for most images meant for the Internet.

To take a photo, all you need to do is switch on the camera, using a silver button on top of the camera. You can then set any specific photo mode if you wish, and simply use the viewfinder, (or ‘Display’ function on the LCD Screen), to find your subject. When you have the subject in view, use any zoom if you want, and then press the largest silver button on top of the camera to take your photo. If you have sounds enabled on your camera you will hear a “Click” sound after a split second, and the photo will appear on the LCD screen. The image will be displayed for a time of between 1 and 5 seconds, (depending on what you have set it to), unless you have this function switched off. Personally I find the 3-second display option highly useful, as you can immediately delete and retake any photos which have not worked out.

Downloading Photos

When you have finished taking photos for the day, or have run out of storage space, you will need to download the photos to your computer hard drive. This is a relatively simple process, provided you have a USB connection on your computer, (and also a CD-ROM). Installation of the camera drivers is self-explanatory after inserting the driver CD. The CD also contains the Kodak Picture Easy software which is used a default to display your photos when they are downloaded.

After installation of the camera drivers, you can set up the connection software to use your USB port for downloading, and click the DC260 icon to connect to your camera, (your camera has to be connected to the USB port using the cable provided, and it must be turned to ‘Connect’ mode). After a connection has been made, you are displayed with a folder containing the photo you have taken. You can then highlight these photos and drag-and-drop them into a folder on your desktop or wherever you want.

You can also download them directly through the Picture Easy software, although this process can be slower, especially with the .FPX format which the photos are normally saved. The Picture Easy software can be used to view your photos in a gallery of thumbnail images, from which you can select photos to view in full size, or edit/print them.

Storage

One of the main problems with my DC260 was that it was only supplied with an 8mb Compact flash storage card, which cannot fit many photos onto it. If you were to purchase a Kodak DC260 camera, (which you will probably only be able to get second hand now), I would recommend purchasing an additional storage card, (as I promptly did), which can be picked up at most decent computer hardware stores at fairly reasonable prices. It is also worth browsing the Internet for Compact flash cards, as you can find some good deals if you look around.

Looks

When now compared to some of the more up-to-date models from both Kodak and many other manufacturers, the DC260 does look somewhat outdated. It is very large and bulky, and although it is packed with features, I think it could have been made smaller with no loss of functionality.

Final Verdict

If you can find one of these amazing (not little) cameras lurking in a second hand store, or in your local classified ads paper, (although I can’t think why anyone would want to get rid of one), then it is definitely worth considering, as long as it doesn’t hold the £900 price tag as mine did when first purchased.
 

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