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There are 113 messages in the topic I started, "Digital Camera for Non-Professional", <http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?128@@.2ccef181>, all helpful and interesting, including the anniversaries. We will celebrate our 48th on January 14! But the discussions got a bit far away from my original question so I decided to start a new thread. I’ll tell you why I bought the camera and then ask some questions.
I bought the Kodak DX6440 from Amazon.com. Here’s why:
1. It’s small enough to fit in an old calculator case. For you youngsters out there, scientific calculators used to be the size of today’s cameras and cost over $100 which was more money then than it is today! The cases were designed to hang from an engineer’s belt. Every film camera I’ve traveled with has had to pass the calculator case test. If the camera doesn’t ride on my belt, it’s in a small fanny pack (stomach pack, really).
2. It’s 4 MP and has 4X optical zoom.
3. All cameras are designed for right handed people. Being a leftie, I need to support the camera with my left hand to be sure I hold it still while pushing the shutter button. The film cameras I’ve had in the last 20 years or so have all had the flash located at the upper corner of the camera where all too often my left index finger obscures the flash. On this camera, the flash is in the center of the camera. The only thing my left hand can obscure is the viewfinder, and I’d see that :-).
4. The reviews are good for the type of camera.
< http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/kodak/dx6440-review/index. shtml> <http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/dx6440.html>
5. It has a macro mode for taking pictures of small wildflowers.
6. Amazon.com had a special price that included $25 off on an 128MB SD card and Kodak has a promotion for a free 128MB card.
Okay, here are some problems:
1. The viewfinder is not WYSIWYG. After adjusting the zoom to exactly what I want to shoot, I see in the "review" that there is more captured than I intended. This means cropping when I get the photo into PE. I can use the LCD screen which is more accurate, but the manual warns about how much battery power it uses. Also, I’m just more used to using a viewfinder and have learned to keep a camera steady using it whereas, I haven’t learned how to do that with the LCD screen yet. Is this a viewfinder problem with all non-SLR digitals, or just this Kodak?
2. The few trial pictures I’ve taken (I’ve only had the camera a day) have had "purple fringing". Is this a problem with this camera or all similar cameras? Or the lighting? The pictures were taken with flash.
3. There are several choices for picture quality.
4.0MP Best (print enlargement)
3.5MP Best (3:2 optimized for 4×6" prints)
2.1MP – Better (small print)
1.1MP – Good (e-mail)
About the 4.0MP Best, the manual says it makes 30" X 20" prints. Then there’s the 3.5MP Best which is 3:2. This is very confusing. Isn’t 30:20 the same as 3:2. Why would I use one instead of the other?
4. The reviews mention the flimsy plastic battery door, and it *is* flimsy.
This is my first digital camera. I didn’t have an opportunity to test cameras. The stores around here don’t even have batteries in their display cameras. Did I make a poor choice? Amazon.com is pretty good about returning merchandise.
As always, thanks for your help.
Eva
I bought the Kodak DX6440 from Amazon.com. Here’s why:
1. It’s small enough to fit in an old calculator case. For you youngsters out there, scientific calculators used to be the size of today’s cameras and cost over $100 which was more money then than it is today! The cases were designed to hang from an engineer’s belt. Every film camera I’ve traveled with has had to pass the calculator case test. If the camera doesn’t ride on my belt, it’s in a small fanny pack (stomach pack, really).
2. It’s 4 MP and has 4X optical zoom.
3. All cameras are designed for right handed people. Being a leftie, I need to support the camera with my left hand to be sure I hold it still while pushing the shutter button. The film cameras I’ve had in the last 20 years or so have all had the flash located at the upper corner of the camera where all too often my left index finger obscures the flash. On this camera, the flash is in the center of the camera. The only thing my left hand can obscure is the viewfinder, and I’d see that :-).
4. The reviews are good for the type of camera.
< http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/kodak/dx6440-review/index. shtml> <http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/dx6440.html>
5. It has a macro mode for taking pictures of small wildflowers.
6. Amazon.com had a special price that included $25 off on an 128MB SD card and Kodak has a promotion for a free 128MB card.
Okay, here are some problems:
1. The viewfinder is not WYSIWYG. After adjusting the zoom to exactly what I want to shoot, I see in the "review" that there is more captured than I intended. This means cropping when I get the photo into PE. I can use the LCD screen which is more accurate, but the manual warns about how much battery power it uses. Also, I’m just more used to using a viewfinder and have learned to keep a camera steady using it whereas, I haven’t learned how to do that with the LCD screen yet. Is this a viewfinder problem with all non-SLR digitals, or just this Kodak?
2. The few trial pictures I’ve taken (I’ve only had the camera a day) have had "purple fringing". Is this a problem with this camera or all similar cameras? Or the lighting? The pictures were taken with flash.
3. There are several choices for picture quality.
4.0MP Best (print enlargement)
3.5MP Best (3:2 optimized for 4×6" prints)
2.1MP – Better (small print)
1.1MP – Good (e-mail)
About the 4.0MP Best, the manual says it makes 30" X 20" prints. Then there’s the 3.5MP Best which is 3:2. This is very confusing. Isn’t 30:20 the same as 3:2. Why would I use one instead of the other?
4. The reviews mention the flimsy plastic battery door, and it *is* flimsy.
This is my first digital camera. I didn’t have an opportunity to test cameras. The stores around here don’t even have batteries in their display cameras. Did I make a poor choice? Amazon.com is pretty good about returning merchandise.
As always, thanks for your help.
Eva
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