Saturday, May 7, 2011

Kodak EasyShare C875 Review

The Kodak EasyShare C875 camera is very simple to use, but it also makes in-depth artistic control within reach. It makes a great camera for a complete beginner or an intermediate amateur photographer.

First, a little background info. This camera is the first digital camera I have owned, and it was the perfect one for me. When I started out, I didn't know a thing about taking pictures. I used the smart scene mode and the specific scene modes. Now, I use the specific scene modes and the manual exposure modes to ensure the shot turns out just as I want. This camera's simplicity of use, coupled with so many creative features, helped me go on to become an artistic photographer beyond the smart scene mode.

The most basic mode is the smart scene mode. You can change flash setting and burst setting mode, but that's it. The second mode, what most people will probably use, is the set of twenty specialized scene modes. Some examples are: panorama, distant scenery, close up, flower, fireworks, and children. In each of these, the camera decides how to expose the picture based on the scene you selected and the image the camera sees in front of it.

In the most creative set of modes, the PSAM modes, the camera lets you decide how to expose and focus your picture. These are the most complicated modes to use, and require a knowledge of ISO, shutter speeds and the like. One feature I dislike is the manual focus option in the PSAM modes. It is very hard to tell how sharp your photo is through the LCD. I would recommend using auto focus, close up focus, or distant scenery focus in one of the PSAM modes.

Whichever mode I chose to take a picture with, the C875 produces high quality, colorful pictures. Since the C875 has eight megapixels, I could make large prints of the pictures I have taken with it.


Besides its picture quality, one of my favorite features of this EasyShare is the simplicity of use. The menu options are easy to find. When I want more info about a feature's function, I can press the "I" button for a brief summary of the purpose of that feature. The menu systems are simple and almost always self-explanatory.

If you are looking for a small camera that has simplicity of use with lots of creative control, you will likely enjoy the Kodak EasyShare C875.