Exceptionally portable, idiot proof, stylish, long - life battery
Disadvantages:
No optical zoom or manual control, print button not supported with Mac OS, new EasyShare software not included
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Let's admit, everyone's gone digital these days, haven't they.
Being a fan of cameras, I’ve seen a fair share of unprocessing poorly designed digital cameras- many of which would be best concealed inside a brown paper bag when people as me “so what do you think of this camera?” This camera (Kodak EasyShare LS420) on the other hand, in indubitably one of the flashiest looking specimens I’ve seen to date, a view clearly shared by several passers by who took the time to stoop and investigate as I strolled along the streets of central London.
Flaunting a chic, shimmering aluminium-clad body and measuring roughly the size of a two Snickers bars stuck back to back, the LS420 signals a major departure from the bloated, steely grey styling of its EasyShare antecedents.
The optical system of the LS420 comprises of 2.3 megapixel CCD chip and a small non-auto-focus type glass lens with a firmly fixed focal length.
With a focusing range of 80cm to infinity and no optical zoom, The Kodak LS420 is a great snapper-I can rule out capturing any intricate close-ups or picking out details on distant objects. The 3X digital zoom can be set to advance toward your subject in 0.1x increments, but as I stress, this technology merely enlarges the central portion of the image resulting in a marked reduction in overall resolution.
Despite their obvious limitations, fixed, non-auto-focus lenses do have one distant advantage over their flexible foils - the shutter delay normally associated with auto-focusing is eliminated – allowing for much more spontaneous shooting. However, the LS420 still takes five seconds to boot up and image processing lasts between seven and eight seconds, though the lime-green shutter light kepted me amused for the duration by pulsating in a delightful fashion.
Beginner-friendliness and simplicity and high on the agenda with the EasyShare system and on these counts the LS420 certainly delivers the goods. The handful of external buttons and switches are conveniently placed and a delicate touch is all that’s needed to elicit an immediate response. The LCD monitor, although small, is clear and bright and the optical viewfinder is a comfortable size, which makes a refreshing change from the unconscionably small viewfinders built into the majority of digital cameras.
In true point and shoot style, the LS420 offers no manual exposure of image adjustment controls other than picture size (1752 x 1168 in ‘Best’ mode or 874 x 584 in ‘Good’ mode) and a range of basic flash settings. Menus are therefore uncomplicated and easy to navigate, making the LS420 the kind of camera you can pick up and start using within minutes of taking it out of the box. The LS420 is light too – just 160 grams with a battery.
TOP MARKS
So I give it top marks then, for ease of use and handling, but how good are the shots? Overall picture quality is very respectable and matches that of top class performers such as the Minolta Dimage X and the Olympus C-2 in most areas. The photo’s I took demonstrated accurate colour, balanced exposures and an unexpected high degree of sharpness and clarity. The Kodak handles tricky twilight scenes with ease, although its metering system has a tendency to burn out bright skylines and underexpose dark subjects. Without a spot meter it’s difficult to correct this during the shooting process, but underexposed shots can usually be improved with a decent image editor.
In addition to still images, the LS420 can record 30 x 240/160 x 120 pixel movie clips in the standard Quick Time movie format. There is a tiny built in mike for recording audio with the movies but no speakers, so to hear the sound during playback I must be connected to a PC via the docking station or to a TV via the included AV cable and A/V Port. The low resolution of the movie limits playback size to just 3x2 inches- perfect for posting on the Web or sending to a friend via e-mail, but not much good for anything else.
Despite concerns that the life of the 420’s proprietary rechargeable battery wouldn’t survive the duration of mammoth excursion, it more than lived up to Kodak’s claims that it would last through shooting up to 250 pictures or 60 minutes of video.
PRINTS CHARMING
As I remember via the revolutionary docking station pioneered in the original EasyShare series, Kodak helped digital photography newbies overcome their biggest anxiety – the problem of how to transfer photos from their digicam onto their PCs.
I can tell you that downloading images from this LS420 is a brilliantly simple affair, requiring just four simple steps: software installation, placing the camera onto the docking station, connecting the dock to PC via the USB cable and pressing the ‘Transfer’ button on the dock.
Pictures are then automatically saved into a folder on your hard drive whilst the camera is conveniently recharged (provided the AC adapter is connected to the dock). Upon completion of this process the Kodak Picture Software is automatically launched displaying a thumbnail gallery of the images and videos.
With the birth of this camera the responsibility has been switched from image download to helping people like me and you overcome the second biggest hurdle - how to print snap successfully using home inkjet printers. A new on-camera ‘Print’ button enables you to select the number of prints you want of each picture.
I have found out that soon, users will be able to download Kodak’s new, free EasyShare software from the Internet to simplify the printing process even further. The only snag is that this function is not available for Macintosh Operating Systems and requires you to invest in an MMC/SD memory card, not included in the kit.
Instead the LS420 is equipped with eight megabytes of internal memory that will accommodate 12 photos in ‘Best’ mode and 35 seconds of video 320 x 240 mode. Pictures and movie clips can be copied from the internal memory onto a memory card of visa versa.
STINGS LIKE A BEE
Although in terms of physical and technical prowess the LS420 has more in common with Pee Wee Herman than with Muhammed Ali thanks to a competent imaging system and user-friendliness the LS420 emerges from its corner fists flying. With its slender physique and slinky shell, this little digicam also possess strengths in the area where greater portability and style are concerned.
The LS420 is a great choice for the less technically minded individuals looking to take their first tentative steps on the digital ladder- without emptying the piggy bank.
SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES
Kodak serve up a comprehensive accessory kit with the LS420. The key components are a slim-line lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack and lightweight docking station that doubles up as a battery charger when plugged into the mains via the AC adapter. Other goodies include a neck strap and a grey sturdy zip up carrying case that allows you to safely fling the camera into a bag or pocket. Also provided are a USB cable, video cable, manual on CD and Kodak Picture Software on CD, which enabled me to perform minor but essential surgery on my pictures.
Kodak don’t supply any video-editing software but your mini-movies are recognised by the Kodak Picture Software that enabled me to send them as e-mail attachments without having to do any technical stuff. Bizarrely, the SD/MMC memory card required to work on-camera Print button for automatic printing is absent.
More details
Durability
Good
Reliability
Good
Size
Small
Weight
Light
Instruction Manual
Good
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