Kodak EasyShare V1003 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Slate Gray) Reviews

• Not Thrilled

  
  By A2K8LYR0PLES3 on 2007-10-05
  I spent 2 years looking and waiting for the right camera to come around. I tried another Kodak easyshare as I like the EASY-ness of them. I was not happy with that one, so went to the V1003. I bought it at circuit city BIG mistake (they have a 14 day return) It is not possible to make sure ALL the features on the camera work in 14 days. And with this camera, they do not work. The video is VERY noisy! The camera keeps adjusting (why I don't know) and the internal noise causes noise in the audio of the video. Also with 10MP you'd expect perfection of colors etc. Not the case. There is a strange blue glow off of white objects in certain shots. The settings for beach etc for adjust to bright light changes the colors also. I took a picture of a pond covered in lily pads and the sun was at an angle that was too bright. I used the beach settings and a few others for bright light and the colors of the pond changed. The pond appears bright blue in some areas.....believe me this pond is NOT blue. Trying to take sun pictures with the "filters" causes a weird flower pattern...like a daisy. My previous camera was a simple Kodak Easyshare 3.1 and it took better pictures, and better video (no noise!).
  The buttons on the camera are inset a bit and very small. I have small hands and it still is difficult to press the buttons. I usually have to press on several times to get it to come on. As far as speed, there is too much time between pressing the shutter button and waiting for the green light to actually take the picture. If you expect to get a shot of something that happens quickly and you need your camera to respond quickly...you'll miss your shot. If this camera comes down in price significantly, it might be an ok buy... As you will see by my edit, this is another thing you have to do BEFORE you can do something else with the camera. There are too many steps and too many ways to miss what you want to capture.
  
  EDIT and UPDATE: to solve the problem with the noise in video if anyone has this issue, I found the following:
  
  When the camera is in the video mode. You can change the AF Control setting to Single Auto Focus mode, Please folow these steps:
  1. Turn the camera on.
  2. Set your camera to video mode.
  3. Press menu button.
  4. Move the Joystick up/down to highlight AF Control then press the OK button.
  5. Choose Single AF, then press the OK button.
  6. Press the Menu button to exit.
  
  
  
  
  

• Great still camera with video mode at great price.

  
  By A21K914G90NCBA on 2007-10-05
  I originally bought this camera at Walmart for about $230, then I came home and saw it was $180 at amazon; so I returned it to Walmart and started over at amazon.
  
  I am so happy with this purchase. I have a really high-end, although now outdated, Olympus, and I have been a loyal Olympus customer for years, but as I looked to upgrade to a higher MP camera, I realized that I could not justify staying in the same price range as my previous cameras.
  
  And I don't regret the decision for a second. I have had this camera for about a month, and it has come in handy (it is also much smaller than my previous cameras) on many occasions. I recently was able to make a great video of my friend's daughter going for her first colored belt in Tae Kwon Do. The camera worked great for video in this type of circumstance (once I learned to keep my hand away from the microphone.) I honestly can't imagine having much reason to use the video camera that I paid hundreds for a couple of years ago again.
  
  Still picture quality is obviously great with 10MP and stabilization.
  
  
  
  

• One of the best on the market

  
  By AXD8LGLKCTF44 on 2007-07-05
  I am a total caveman when it comes to things digital. I have had digital cameras before but always felt reluctant to use them as they were too complicated, batteries ran out, the viewing screen was too small, and you had to wait a long time between shots. Well, I am here to tell you to buy this machine. It is great: simple to use; rechargable batteries, large viewing screen; very short wait between shots; AND it connects right up to the Kodak Easy Share printer (or you can remove the SD media and stick that into the printer) and makes exceptional quality photos. For $200 you can't beat this camera.
  
  

• Wonderful camera!

  
  By A3K2BGC525CEBE on 2007-08-12
  I've started taking more trips, and my little Sony Cybershot 3.2MP wasn't doing it for me anymore. I picked this camera up on a whim, because it was under $200 and 10MP--the most I'd seen in this price range.
  
  What a great camera! First, it's light and small, so I can stick it in my pocket on hikes or vacations. Second, the colors are vibrant and the pictures sharp. And third (my favorite) it has a timer so I can actually be IN the pictures I'm taking!
  
  

• so-so printed pictures

  
  By A2V43F0E9JXMD7 on 2007-10-09
  I want to give this 3 1/2 stars, but it's not possible so I'm giving it 3 stars. Bought the Kodak EasyShare V1003 in July for my mom. She's never had a digital camera before so I was looking for something easy to use, not too many complicated buttons. The camera was easy for her to learn how to use. The problem came when we printed out some pictures. The quality of the printed pictures was iffy. Some shots were stunning, great color, unbelievable detail. Others looked much worse than they did on the camera's LCD screen and the computer screen. I noticed that bad shots occured most often when we took pictures of people inside. Faces were not very detailed, and everything came out much darker than it looked on the camera's and computer's screens. I played around with the camera a lot over the past week, taking lots of test shots in different settings, and I've come to the conclusion that the camera has problems with taking photos of groups of people (bad facial detailing) in indoor situations from more than five feet away. If you stand pretty close to someone, the camera usually does ok (flash can sometimes be too powerful, washing out details and colors) but faces are blurry when you stand further away compared to the output of other digital cameras (my relatives have Canon and Sony cameras). The pictures are ok, certainly comparable in quality to our old 35mm film camera from the 90s. It's just that other modern digital cameras can capture much finer detail of faces in in-door situations than this Kodak. I've learned the hard way that megapixels aren't everything, camera lens and in-camera processing matters alot too. I've just ordered a 7 megapixel Canon model for my mother. My sister has this Canon and the print output from her camera is fantastic compared to what we've gotten from this Kodak. Shop around, higher megapixels don't translate into better details in photos.
  
  
• A great camera!
  By A3MHS9ZCBH9NZL on 2008-01-05
  I got this camera for Christmas and was impressed that I was taking pictures literally within a minute of charging the battery. It's so easy to use, you don't even really need a manual, the joystick and control panel are very intuitive and simple. Even easier than my old APS camera! I had resisted upgrading because I saw so many people struggle with "programming" their cameras - the user guide for my Dad's Sony is 50 pages - yuck, too much hassle! But this is about as point-and-shoot as it gets.
  
  However, I became trepidacious after reading the negative online reviews of the camera. So, I took about a gazillion pictures to test it: self portraits, people, cats, close-ups of the detail in my Christmas decorations, indoor, outdoor, daytime, nighttime. I used as many of the modes as I could. I choose a couple dozen representative shots for printing (NOTE: I don't print my own, I upload them for printing at my local Walgreens). I was more than happy with the results: all the pictures came out beautifully, far exceeding my expectations.
  
  So, as a camera for normal use (vacations, holidays, friends, family & pets), I'm thrilled. The speed hasn't been an issue; I still miss a few shots of my cats (they're not overly cooperative...), but not any more than with any other camera, 35mm, APS, or digital, that I've ever had. However, I don't have children so I can't comment on how appopriate this camera is for catching sports and play all the other kids' action.
  
  I haven't used the video much, but to be honest, I considered that more of a novelty in a camera in this price range. If I was looking to shoot quality video, I'd expect to pay accordingly. To me, that's the kind of advanced feature that needs some input from Consumer Reports.
  
  I think this is the perfect camera for the casual photographer and/or the technically-challenged. I'm very happy with it and can't wait to start scrapbooking all my new pictures!
  
  
• Great for everyday use
  By A19R0MNJFD3L81 on 2007-10-03
  I have this camera and I like using it. The controls are easy to navigate. I disagree with the comment about it being too slow. The camera is set to have a preview after a picture is taken. You can change this setting to less time or press the shutter button half way down and the camera will take a picture immediately after the last. Good value for 10mp.
  
  
• A Waste of Time, Sometimes
  By AMF9A7V2KG839 on 2007-11-04
  This is really a very nice camera, but with some glaring deficiencies, first the manual is next to useless, tells you just about nothing, it is disjointed, disorderly and at best vague.
  I think Kodak would have been much more honest to include a flyer inside which said, " you figure it out.
  The viewfinder in low light is just fine, but, go out in a sunny day with the sun behind you and you cant see a thing, I wish the camera manufacturers would do something about this, 3 cheers for canon, they put an optical viewfinder on their point and shoots.
  Very sad part, this thing takes some first class photos, sad part,I will return mine.
  
  
• LCD IS TOO DELICATE / IS NOT PROTECTED
  By AOIJM60QDGZK3 on 2007-08-22
  This camera has good quality pics/ 10 MB. It is kind of slow. I bought one about 25 days ago. THERE IS ONE BIG FLAW. The LCD screen is not protected. Many digital cameras do have a protective HARD COVER for the LCD screen. This camera is TOO DELICATE. I have bought more than 5 digital cameras for the last 5 years. This is the FIRST ONE that I broke the LCD screen.
  
  
• my lovely pink camera
  By A164WUB3OEJELI on 2007-07-12
  This camera is wonderful. Easy to use and takes great pictures.Please make this your next purchase.
  
  
• Simple and great camera, even for a beginner. Great pictures.
  By A3IGDA2BUX30F5 on 2007-08-23
  Bought mine about three weeks ago. I love it and it is fairly simple to use. The instuctions with it are a bit vague. However you can figure it out. I would suggest that when you puchase the camera, that you buy a protective bag for it so as not to damage or scratch the LCD screen. Takes great photos though. I think it was worth the money spent for it.
  
  
• Great Value
  By A21WHEB9H171EK on 2007-07-26
  This is the third Kodak EasyShare Camera I've owned. They've all been loyal and true. It's fairly durable and easy to use, however it has more options and features than earlier models and it a little more advanced. Takes wonderful portraits and good stills as well.
  
  
• easy to use
  By A3E2URB5CETT2D on 2007-10-23
  This camera is tiny enough to fit in your back pocket & you don't have to wait a week & a half after hitting the power button to start shooting. I especially love the anti blur setting as I am usually laughing at my subjects! It's really easy to switch from mode to mode, & the view screen is huge!
  
  
• Could Use Some Improvement
  By A12E9QQT0GMNHV on 2007-10-17
  I bought the V1003 last week. I was impressed with the 10 MP, the price, and the printing dock. I have one question however. Will you tell me what the heck it is with Kodak that they feel a viewfinder is no longer needed??? I get a bit queasy trying to focus and compose an image with just the screen in the back. A coupled viewfinder would really make it sweet in my humble opinion. Also, the shutter recycling time is indeed a bit slow, and I don't know why. I am reconsidering my purchase for a SONY or a CANON or NIKON. It's really too bad, though! It could have been much nicer if the camera was properly designed and engineered in the first place.
  
  
• Good pictures, Way to slow!
  By A3HUHT5S7L9H07 on 2007-08-29
  We took this camera to Disneyland. It was very slow booting up. Once it was on, and you were able to snap a shot it would take a very long time to process the image. This delay caused us to miss a lot of good shots. We took it back.
  
  
• excellent buy for beginners
  By A3FNM3SIVEOFOC on 2007-09-17
  Kodak Easy Share camera V1003 is excellent for those persons like my self, who is just starting out and is unsure about the type of camera to to purchase.It is easy to use and is very user friendly.There is a five a minute video feature and you can do correction to pictures.You can also delete the pictures that didn'tcome out so great.Plus lots of other cool features It's a Great buy.
  
  
• Proof that more megapixels does not mean more quality
  By A1O7A8BZCUGPS7 on 2008-01-03
  The V1003 was purchased for my wife as a diaper bag camera, as my Canon S2 is too bulky to carry around for those cute impromptu baby shots. Unfortunately, this camera did not live up to the quality you would expect from a 10 megapixel camera. The pictures taken indoors with the camera were always very dark, even in well lit rooms. When you got close enough to a subject to offset the darkness factor (i.e., <3 feet away), it would be decently lit, but the picture would appear very blue in hue due to the flash. After doing a little research, I have found that the modern point and shoots with a high number of megapixels do not have large enough lenses to support the number of megapixels. I picked up a Nikon CoolPix 11 camera with 6 megapixels to do a side by side comparison. The difference between the Nikon and the Kodak were like night and day. My recommendation would be to find yourself an older model point and shoot camera with a max of 6 megapixels.
  
  
• Lots of MP for cheaper, you get what you pay for.
  By A1Q25NHDIWF3KK on 2008-02-10
  I'm torn about this camera.
  
  On the one hand, it has really nice picture quality: really brilliant colors with enough light and lots of MPs for the price. Then again pictures tend to run a bit blurry at times and the response time button-to-capture lags a bit.
  
  Overall I'm really happy with the pictures. This camera is a nice fit for what I need: I don't take photos often, and when I do I like doing artsy quiet shots. If you're more on-the-go and need higher performance, go with a CANON.
  
  AUDIO CLICKING ON VIDEO FEATURE: Videos will have a clicking noise in the audio. It wasn't until I read another Amazon review that I discovered this happens because of the Auto Focus feature. Thankfully it's stopped since I've turned the feature off. Absolutely annoying design flaw.
  
  
• Not as good as Canon
  By A13LWGZJJ23T3Z on 2007-10-01
  LCD not viewable in the sunlight or outdoor.
  Hard to choose and save setting.
  
  
• Pictures too dark
  By A31QAMF48KZ6VK on 2007-12-02
  I bought the Kodak V1003 in late August 2007 at Target...I find I am constantly using the PERFECT TOUCH technology feature in the camera to brighten up the picture... I primarily take pictures of people....I personally like brighter pictures than this camera takes...Although I love all the user- friendly features and durability (dropped it on hard concrete...no damage!) of this Kodak camera ...I decided to buy the Canon Powershot SD 750 Elph camera last week from amazon and so far I am much happier with the brightness of this Canon camera's pictures!
  
  
• Highly Disappointing
  By ALVVQUKIMK634 on 2008-01-05
  I bought this camera for only $140 and that price was one of the defining factors for my purchase. I had read all the reviews and yet I thought that this camera couldn't be as bad as some people thought. Sadly it is. I used to own the kodak V603, which was only 6 MP, but it still performed better than this camera. That camera was ruined after I went kayaking and I and my camera went into the water. I also used to own the C340 but my brother broke that. It was only 5 MP and did better than this camera. Next time I'll buy the V1253 as a replacement.
  
  Negatives:
  -The picture quality is low compared to the V603 except in bright light where it is about the same. Pictures come out blurry indoors and often grainy.
  -In the sun, you can't see the screen at all.
  -You can hear the camera zoom in and out when taking video, and even when it's quiet you hear too much noise.
  -IT FREEZES A LOT. That pissed me off the most. I thought it was just my camera but my mom's friend has the same problem with the same camera.
  -The button to turn off flash is in the upper lefthand corner, which is inconvenient for people like me who prefer it next to the On/Off button to immediately turn flash off.
  -After using it awhile, it says "Unrecognized file format" when I go into review to view pictures it recognized only a minute ago. To fix that i just turn it off and leave it alone for awhile, but it does get annoying.
  -Takes a long time to focus.
  -Takes awhile to turn on.
  -The camera itself is pretty thick.
  -Anti-blur mode makes pictures grainy instead of blurry.
  
  Positive:
  -It looks nice.
  -Good pictures outdoors.
  -The joystick is fun.
  -Perfect touch technology right on the camera.
  -Over 20 modes to choose from to fit your setting, including panorama.
  
  Overall, this camera sucks. Even though i haven't tried the V1253, I'd recommend trying that over this camera. At least the V1253 has face recognition, HD video, and a large screen that may actually show excellent quality pictures the V1003 can't deliver.
  
  
• Kodak v1003
  By A37A5F7PCWUVD on 2007-12-30
  I received one of these as a gift. It's a cute little point-and-shoot, with rounded edges that look like they were inspired by Apple. The screen is monstrous and the interface is simple enough. Personally I like the joystick-type navigation, although some of my more heavy-handed friends struggle with its delicate operation. A refreshing piece of innovation is the ability to recharge the battery while it is onboard the camera. External battery chargers are great for those who carry more than one battery and like to have a backup charging at all times, but I have never met one of those people. This is where I will cease praising the V1003.
  
  There are several reasons I returned the camera after owning it for three days. Firstly, the lack of an ultrasonic autofocus motor means any video taken by a moving photographer, or of a moving subject, will be laden with clicks that drown out recorded audio. This is because the motor that controls the AF makes enough noise to be picked up by the camera's microphone. The problem can be avoided by turning off the autofocus, but in many (read most) cases, this is completely unacceptable.
  
  Secondly, the shutter lag was so severe that I found myself taking pictures of the future. Even after pressing the shutter button half way so that it would finish focusing, once the shutter was triggered, almost two thirds of a second would elapse before the camera recorded anything. As most of my intended use for a camera is action photography, shutter lag is unacceptable.
  
  Finally, I have no use for 10 megapixels. If you plan to make posters, it becomes slightly more appropriate, but you will be disappointed by the quality obtained with the camera's tiny lens. It's been stated before in other reviews, so I won't harp on it, but beyond 5 or 6MP, pixel-count is just another way of keeping up with the Jonses. Instead of pixels, I look for features and responsiveness, and although the Kodak V1003 is ample in the first department, it lacks severely in the second.
  
  (For those who may be curious, I purchased a Canon S5 IS as a replacement. I will review it in a while.)
  
  
• Great photos, sleek design
  By A1YJYLZ0MY0KJT on 2007-12-31
  I upgraded from my ancient olympus 2.1 MP to this one and I am very satisfied with the images, so far. The camera is sleek, lightweight and the battery is good enough for the weekend shooting. Default automatic settings work for me. I set the camera at the max ISO setting and the pictures came out grainy. Fiddeling with various setings didn't work for me. I am a novice, point and shoot camera user. Reverting to automatic settings worked great. I have not tried various modes (night time, snow, motion, etc.).
  
  The photos so far have remarkable resolution and color quality. I added a 2GB memory card and it provides for ~700 photos. That is more than what I need, however, I never have to worry about using up all hte space. I can shoot all I want.
  
  The joystick control is vastly superior to regular controls. The large LCD screen is a good aid and is helpful for picture reviews. The photo review is fast for a 10MP camera. Delete/undelete/forward/back all work at good speed.
  
  There is no viewfinder. Finding a snug camera case for this baby was painful. It is "just" bigger than the pocket size cases. The camera does not charge with the usb cable. The battery has to be in place (and charged) for uploading the photos. Having two cables (one for charging and other for uploading photos) is a bit of a pain. I would expect to do both jobs with one cable.
  
  Overall, an excellent camera under $200.
  
  
• Nice Little Camera
  By A18HWDYD7HXGCS on 2008-02-28
  This is a nice little compact camera. The picture quality has been very good, but I wish it had a view finder. It is sometimes hard to compose pictures using the screen alone.
  
  
• Product Review
  By A37ILU54QGL3BM on 2008-06-01
  The camera is compact, fairly light and easy to use, and takes high quality photos. I think the camera is a good value. Negatives: doesn't dock to an older Easy Share version I had; the software takes longer to start than older version; I miss having a viewfinder, this camera just has a view screen; battery cover slips open fairly easily if you hold it with a pincer grip; camera body fairly slippery, could use some coarse grip surfaces. Overall satisfied, but things I would change, and wish I had considered beforehand.
  
  
• Camera
  By AQYSTDP1HGKXD on 2007-09-22
  It was a great purchase. For the money I think it's the best value available. I have always been pleased with Kodak products and this camera is no different.
  
  
• GREAT!!!!!!!!1
  By A212T1EGPN9ROK on 2008-01-07
  THIS IS THE BEST CAMERA I HAVE EVER HAD AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY CAMERAS. LOVE THE PLUG-IN RECHARGER. THAT'S WHY I BOUGHT 3 MORE FOR THE GRANDDAUGHTERS LAST CHRISTMAS. RECEIVED THE PRODUCT IN SHORT PERIOD OF TIME STILL IN WRAPPER. I LOVE IT.
  
  
• Come as promised but Not satisfy with picture quality
  By AC8ZXZLRMQ3L on 2008-01-12
  Great Price and come as promised but the camera just turned me away. I guess I better sticked with Asian Technology better.
  Picture quality even with 10MP still not crystal clear shot, and takes too long to get picture reviewed.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By on 2008-01-17
  I got this camera for Christmas, and I love it. It takes really amazing photos, and has great features, like PerfectTouch technology. I just wish you could put a frame on the pictures, like some other cameras do. But besides that, I only have good things to say about the Kodak V1003 Digital Camera.
  
  
• 1st Easy Share
  By ANZGVCUKW2P2Z on 2008-01-18
  This is my 1st Easy Share and I love it. I've had so much fun with it. I keep it in my purse at all times, just in case. I've not used to video jet but will soon I'm sure.
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $201-$500 - Repair
• Transcend 2Gb Sd Card 150X
• Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock Kit
• Kodak EasyShare G600 Printer Dock
• Kodak Photo Paper Kit, 200 Sheets (G200)

• Kingston 2 GB Mini Secure Digital Memory Card
• Kroo Camera Case for Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera + Bonus Bundled with Universal LCD Screen Protector Kit + Cloth (Many Color Available)
• Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB, Retail Package)
• SanDisk 2GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-2048, Bulk Package)
• Kodak Fashion Camera Clutch - Pink (8807190)